Compilation #2

You stated that all U.S. $5 half eagles would register as a third tone on the F75 and T2. Would you know what the normal VDI numbers might be?
Would this also include the Coronet $5 gold piece too?

They will register/report as a 3rd tone ONLY if 4-tone (or 4H) is selected; otherwise, with any other tone option, they will audibly register as a mid-tone. The VDI of a $5.00 Half Eagle gold coin is VDI '53'. There are a few extenuating circumstances; coin bent, badly worn, badly damaged, partially masked, etc......

This holds true with ALL Half Eagles. The very early 1st issue Half Eagles had slightly more mass (gold).... and will VDI just slightly higher.

((( Of note; on the F75... a target conductivity of VDI reading of 52.4 (or lower) will audibly report as a mid-tone...... vs. the 3rd highest tone ))).

Of all the gold coins produced are the half eagles the most likely gold coin to find in the ground?

A big "YES"! It was the 'workhorse' gold coin that was MOST circulated. Pay no mind to mintage numbers. What matters to us detectorists is "circulated".

Thanks Tom

It was found with the F70 about 3" deep but the numbers would read the same on the F75.

Thanks Scully. I usually did about everthing above 25 that sounds good. I wish the range from 28 to 33 was spread out a little bit more. In my area a nickel ususlly reads from 29 to 31 but a pop pull tab reads from 30-33 so there is an overlap of VDI numbers. Since digging anything above 25 I hope I'm save about the dollar coins.

U.S $1.00 gold coins usually ID as '24' on the F75. And U.S. 3-Cent nickels will ID '19 - 21'...... depending on condition.

I might have missed some 3 cent nickels. I've had several readings that locked on 19 and 20 that I didn't dig.

As Tom related to next to trash, next to another coin, on end, extreme soil conditions can vary any coin reading so be careful a couple of digits either way could put a nice coin in your pouch...

In a fairly badly masked scenario, I have recovered silver dimes that would ID as a VDI of '13'. This is with the F75. Out of the ground, they would ID as a 70 - 75.
Low conductors...... like the U.S. $1 gold coin........and (even worse) the U.S. 3-Cent nickels... will SO easily drop into the Iron ID range....with only the slightest amount of iron masking. If a somewhat corroded (exposed to dirt for 140 years) 3-Cent nickel will ID as a VDI of '19' in a textbook perfect (no masking and no partial masking) scenario..................... it would take VERY little masking to make this VDI reading drop down to the iron range...to say; a VDI reading of '13'. In a multi-tone setting, a VDI of '13' would be a audio report of "iron/low tone" on the F75. In monotone and Disc setting of '6' on the F75...... this target would register audibly as 'good target'.

It is SOOOOO important to fully understand how the F75 responds......and how to utilize the F75 onboard tools (control settings) so as to make each-and-every site that will be hunted..... seem like a virgin site. SOOOOOO important. It is difficult to convey the excitement/anxiety feelings of "each and every site I hunt....feels virgin".

Tom

Do you honestly dig all good sounding signals at 13 or above. I can honestly say I've passed on these VDI 13 targets, figuring they were some kind of iron. On my hunt yesterday I dug an apron full of scrap metal that registered 74-76 on my VDI. After a couple of these digs I knew it was trash, but I dug it anyway. So by your reply below I should go back and hunt in one tone and dig all repeatable 13+ targets?

NASA-Tom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In a fairly badly masked scenario, I have
> recovered silver dimes that would ID as a VDI of
> '13'. This is with the F75. Out of the ground,
> they would ID as a 70 - 75.
> Low conductors...... like the U.S. $1 gold
> coin........and (even worse) the U.S. 3-Cent
> nickels... will SO easily drop into the Iron ID
> range....with only the slightest amount of iron
> masking. If a somewhat corroded (exposed to dirt
> for 140 years) 3-Cent nickel will ID as a VDI of
> '19' in a textbook perfect (no masking and no
> partial masking) scenario..................... it
> would take VERY little masking to make this VDI
> reading drop down to the iron range...to say; a
> VDI reading of '13'. In a multi-tone setting, a
> VDI of '13' would be a audio report of "iron/low
> tone" on the F75. In monotone and Disc setting of
> '6' on the F75...... this target would register
> audibly as 'good target'.
>
> It is SOOOOO important to fully understand how the
> F75 responds......and how to utilize the F75
> onboard tools (control settings) so as to make
> each-and-every site that will be hunted..... seem
> like a virgin site. SOOOOOO important. It is
> difficult to convey the excitement/anxiety
> feelings of "each and every site I hunt....feels
> virgin".
>
> Tom

The VDI reading is a distant 'secondary' input... as to whether I recover a target or not. If I am relic hunting and unit is set on monotone and Disc '6'.... I primarily go by audio. Sometimes... I just so happen to look at the VDI after I have already made the decision to recover.... and...... in many cases.... especially in carpets of nails.... the VDI can read very low (down in the upper-iron ID range). If it's TOO low, say = 8 or 9..... it's usually a larger piece of iron. Sometimes a tiny fleck of foil near a nail will make the F75 give a ID in the very low teens; subsequently triggering me to recover................ and in many cases, it's quite easy to lose that small piece of chewing gum foil...... making the detector look like it was in error.

It all depends on where you are hunting as to what mode you use. I very seldom get to hunt in the areas that are riddled with nails. If I did I can see where the mono tone would be of great benifit. Most of my hunting is done around old school buildings where there's not to many nails.

Wow. Most of my old schools around here have been re-roofed multiple times..... and the nails........ within a 80' radius........ are performance crippling.