O'K I've watched the video Tom and I must say I can see

a lot of work went into this production you are to be commended on such a fine outcome.

I myself have almost become obsessed with masking in the last few years as all of the easy spots have dried up for relic hunting.

I have studied square nails and there interaction to non ferrous targets in ground and out for going on 10 years now and my main approach is usually to get into a mid 1800's house site and get all the big iron out of the way and the big non ferrous targets also then methodically work in the nail's that are left looking for keepers sometimes for weeks and weeks with a small coil high frequency set-up.

Sometimes you get some nice rewards sometimes not.I even sift occasionally!!

I thought I had everything worked out in the iron (you know after hunting it for so long it just makes sense all the noise you hear you can usually tell even the size nail or bent nail under the coil or how many to a degree)But in your video you hit me with a right hook on one aspect that has never dawned on me and that was the iron oxide the comes off the ferrous metal ( just the rusty flakes if you will).

Man this is causing me a lot of concern right now.after doing some of my own testing on the oxide I'm going to have to regroup my way of hunting after I thought I had it worked out 'in my head any way' on how to hunt iron infested sites.

But to be clear it does make alot of sense to me now why I still see so much masking on in ground targets that I attribute to nail masking maybe its not nail masking after all .

You know you get a machine and do airtest with it on nails and co-located non ferrous targets then get in some in-ground time on that same machine and it suffers greatly.( maybe the oxide is what is causing the machine no to perform to par?)

Man that oxide is some nasty stuff .

Thanks for the info in the DVD its priceless info when a person can gain on bit of unkown knowledge!

any insight to how you handle this problem in you're hunts!

always seeking further advancement in detecting skills.Maybe a piece in the next video on this?

Heck I would like to see an entire forum devoted to masking!!Ha-HA

Keith Southern

Keith Southern Wrote:
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>
> Heck I would like to see an entire forum devoted
> to masking!!Ha-HA
>
> Keith Southern

Tom, I know you're busy with that SPACE stuff, but it's time for a F75 video.

Masking is one problem........... and is = OBVIOUS.

Silent masking is another problem............and is = COMPLETELY BLINDING/UNOBVIOUS/UNSUSPECTING.

Mineralization is yet ANOTHER problem.........and is = ALMOST UNOBVIOUS...somewhat similar to silent masking.


Excavation and a STRONG rare-Earth magnet removes much of the silent mask.

All metal detectors.....regardless of brand.....operate on the principle of electromagnetic energy. All metal detectors are crippled by masking/silent masking. Mother nature is not brand-particular.

Glad you picked up a new 'pointer' with the DVD.


Tom

Brad and I had a discussion over on the equipment forum some time back about oxide and masking. Actually the thread started out talking aobut the freze thaw cycle up north. What came out of the discussion was the theory that the freeze thaw cycle breaks up some of the silent masking from iron oxide flakes. We had both noted that after a winter with deep frost in the ground that old sites come alive much more then after a winter where the ground does not freeze.

Makes sense to me. To bad you live down south! lol

Tom

[jb-ms.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/22/2009 12:17AM by Jackpine.