8/19/17 Report - New Video To Show How To Identify Target Shape From Audio Signal Alone. Tropical Activity and Predictions.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

Harvey is going to cut across the Yucatan and then back out into the Gulf again.

L92, which is the next one to the east of Harvey is headed towards us.  The question is how strong it will be.  It did not strengthen last night.  It has a ways to go yet though.

Right now the surf is only one to two feet on the Treasure Coast.  Nothing big is predicted at this point.

The tides are pretty big.  There are some nice negative tides.

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ATX Coil Over Broken Iron Shipwreck Spke.
Source: See link to video below.

I've talked a lot about how much you can tell about a buried target from the audio signal alone even if you are using an All Metals or Pinpoint mode.  The audio signal will tell you a lot about the target's shape, size and depth if you really understand your detector.

I made a video that demonstrates how you can tell something of the shape of a buried object from the audio signal alone.  In the video I used a quarter (just for comparison), along with a fairly large bolt, smaller screw, piece of an iron shipwreck spike, and an odd shaped piece of metal that responds a little bit like a fish hook.  I usually can identify fish hooks by the sound of the signal.

I used a Garrett ATX, although you would get the same type of results with many other metal detectors.  I used this same technique to identify target shapes before I ever got the ATX.  It worked exactly the same when using an Excalibur, for example.

I put the items on a board so you could see them well.  I also cut the sensitivity of the Garrett ATX down to less than half, just to temper down the signal, and used Motion mode, although the results would be similar using the Non-motion mode.

When you run your coil over a long straight object you will get a different type of signal depending upon the direction you move the coil.  You'll see that clearly in the video.

When you move the coil over the long object from one end to another, you'll get a double signal.  One towards each end of the object.  And if you move the coil over the object at 90 degrees to that, the signal will sound very much like a coin-shaped object.  So if you swing in one direction and get a regular signal and then change the direction of your sweep 90 degrees, you'll get something like a double signal.  You can also get an idea of the length of the object something by the amount of time between the double blips.  There will be more time between the blips when the object is longer.

Here is the link to the video.  There is really a lot of good useful information in this video if you really study the objects and signals they produce.  If you don't want to dig nails, you don't need a target ID meter on your detector.

https://youtu.be/Mu7sbkrLC1k

If you move the coil too fast, you might not always catch the double blip.  You can gather additional information by varying how fast you move the coil too.

All of this is does not have to take extra time.  You can do it while pinpointing.

If you dig all targets, you don't have to do it at all, but if you are at a site littered with nails or other long narrow objects, you might want to be more selective.  This is a type of target ID that does not require a ID meter or any particular metal detector mode or function.

Notice that on the last object, there is a break.  I don't know what to call that thing right off, but you get what I'm calling a double blip when you sweep the coil in both directions.  The latch on the object is open.  You get the double blip in both directions, instead of just one direction like you would get with a bolt or nail or other long thin object.

My main point is that if you learn to analyze your signals, you can get a lot of information from just listening to the audio signal.  I always say that the human brain is a better processor than the detector's circuitry.  You can also learn to get a good idea of the targets depth and size from just the audio signal.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/21/16 Report - Treasure Coast Finds. Various Scoop Designs Favored By A Couple Treasure Coast Detectorists

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Recent Treasure Coast Shipwreck Spike Find.

As you you can probably see, this spike is heavily corroded.  It looks like much more than half of the material was lost.

Very Heavy Treasure Coast Silver Bracelet Find.

Warren D. sent tthe following two pictures of scoops along with an email on the designs.

Couple Innovative Treasure Scoops.
Photo by Warren D

More Treasure Scoops
Photo by Warren D.

Below is the email that Warren sent with the pictures.

The correct use of leverage to allow one handed digging in the most efficient manner is important to beach detectorists.

At the same time to dig vertical, one handed is the most efficient way for deep targets.

When lifting the full bucket one handed from wet sand or in the water and break the ground suction first before lifting is important.

Being able to use the large muscle groups to do the heavy lifting, legs, without bending your back is important.

To be able to easily control the full bucket one-handed without spilling the contents in order to hold the bucket away from the coil to recheck the hole to see if the target was collected is important.

The heavy full bucket center of gravity should be far below the wrist to avoid the twisting of the wrist.

Innovative handle design allows all of the above.

I think experienced beach detectorists know what I mean.

I've had people on the beach come up to me and say I see what you're doing and I get it.

Warren D.

And here is a scoop picture sent by Cliff.

Another Treasure Scoop Design.
Photo by Cliff.

Ciff likes this scoop.

I've talked about scoops before and won't go into it any more today.

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There is not tropical weather to be concerned about.  The surf will decrease just a little as we head into the weekend.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

11/26/13 Report - Shipwreck Spike Found, Wallet Returned, Gold Coin in the Pot and More

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.


As you probably know, I like to celebrate firsts, and we've had some lately.  Well this is Michael E's first shipwreck spike find.

Congratulations Michael!


For the ninth consecutive year, someone has deposited a gold coin in a Salvation Army kettle.

http://www.news-press.com/article/20131125/VOLUNTEERING/131125021/Gold-coin-found-red-kettle-ninth-straight-year




For those who have found FEC lead seals, here is a web site on railroadiana that shows a sealer that was used to make lead seals.

Ive shown a few lead FEC seals in this blog in the past.   The web site on railroadiana also shows other interesting railroad items you might find interesting.

http://www.railroadiana.org/hw/pgSealers.php


A homeless man found a wallet in a trash can at an Atlanta hotel and searched until he found where the owner was staying and returned it.

Now the hotel where the person was staying wants to find the homeless man and reward him.  Here is the link for that nice Thanksgiving story.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/22/homeless-atlanta-man-returns-wallet-hotel_n_4325677.html?39859&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D410868


I didn't get out since yesterday morning to see what is going on at the beach, but my bet is that conditions did not improve.  I'm expecting a beach conditions rating downgrade very soon.

According to the surfing web sites the wind is out of the south now.  That seems like what I see out of the window.

The surf will be decreasing on the Treasure Coast for a day or two and then increase a little again, but only a little.  I don't see anything right now that would make me expect an improvement in beach detecting conditions anytime soon.

Unless I'm surprised by something, I'd expect a conditions rating downgrade any day now.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net.

9/20/13 Report - Nice Shipwreck Spike in Wood, 18th Century Merchant Ship Construction and Current Conditions

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Shipwreck Spike In Wood
Photo submitted by Rob E.

This spike was found on Topsail Island, North Carolina.  It is approximately 5.75 inches long and the head is about 5/8 inch square.

Rob is trying to get any information he can about the spike.  If you have any guesses about its age or other things, let me know.

Thanks for the great pictures Rob!.  Nice artifact!

While looking for information that might help to date shipwreck spikes I came across a Master's Thesis entitled Eighteenth-Century Colonial American Merchant Ship Construction, by Kellie VanHorn, 2004.

It provides a lot of information on ship construction and looks at a variety of different wrecks and hull sections as they were found under water.

It also provides a map and a lot of pictures of ships and artifacts.  I think you'll find it informative and enjoyable.

Here is the link to the pdf file.

http://nautarch.tamu.edu/pdf-files/VanHorn-MA2004.pdf


I went out to see what the beaches were doing this morning.   I was hoping that I'd see a little more erosion.  It didn't happen.  The water didn't get up as high today as it did yesterday.   The surf was a touch smaller.  And the expected high tide didn't compensate.

The result was that beach conditions were not as good today as yesterday.

Cut This Morning on a Treasure Coast Beach.

This is the same beach and same cut that I showed you yesterday.  The cut was a little less high today.  Not much, but some.  And the sand in front of the cut was more mushy. 

Evidently the last two high tides between when I was there yesterday and today added sand to the beach instead of continuing to remove it.  A tell-tale sign was a new line of sea weed at the base of the cut at some spots.

Too bad!  I was hoping for improved detecting conditions and possibly a beach detecting conditions upgrade.  Now I'm glad that I didn't upgrade it yesterday.  It was getting close, but not close enough.

Another Treasure Coast Beach I Saw This Morning.

As you can see, this second beach had no erosion and had a lot more sea weed.   As I think I said yesterday, even though there were some places where there was erosion, others weren't eroded at all.  That is more often the case than not.

That is also one reason why time in the field is such a good predictor of number of finds.  If you are out there a lot, there is a much better chance that you will find or stumble onto the good spots when they do appear. 

I heard of a couple places that were eroded in the past few days, and they are not eroded now.   That is the way it goes.

There aren't any named storms or hurricanes out there now.  There is one low pressure area east of the Bahamas that has a 20% chance of developing, but that is all.

The high tide is expected to be above average today but the surf will be decreasing daily for a few days.  Don't expect any major changes in beach detecting conditions.

As I've been showing, there have been some cob finds in the past week or so.   There is always a chance.  As I used to explain often, the reason my beach detecting conditions rating scale starts with a 1 instead of a 0 is that there is always some chance.  Things occasionally pop up at unusual times and in unusual places or at one of those unusual spots when everyplace else is looking bad.

I'm going to try to better quantify my rating scale.      


Michael E. told me he got a couple of rings one day recently.   

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net