Target ID Guide for Teknetics...

INSIDE GUIDE TO THE TARGET ID OF THE TEKNETICS OMEGA 8ooo

BY: KANSAS DIGGER

If you have purchased a detector in the past, you know the agony of finding information on finding the good stuff. It is almost impossible to get anyone to come off their numbers, they hold them close, and act as if insulted by your asking. You spend weeks working your way through digging trash heaps and drooling over the more experienced detector’s finds. Well I am not that kind of guy, granted my info is for my area and may vary slightly in your soil, but at least you will have a guide to start you on your way, and be excited with the first swing, knowing you have a leg up on the others who may of purchased the Omega 8000 elsewhere, this is an exclusive, just for my blog followers and  for High Plains Prospectors and their customers. If you find it helpful, give me a comment, and let the Boys know, who knows, maybe I will get an at a boy bonus, (hint hint, lol).

These numbers are derived from over 150 hours of detecting with the Omega, in all conditions including: High to no EMI, high mineral to low mineral ground, muddy to dust bowl ground conditions, and everything in between. They are derived from these settings and setup, as I use these most often:

·         True all metal

·         Sensitivity at 64

·         Freq 1 to 2

·         DD 11 inch coil

·         Headphones

·         Ground Balance set according to location

ID #’s PENNIES

COIN	TARGET NUMBER ID	NOTES
INDIAN HEAD	78-80
WHEAT CENTS	82-84
MEMORIALS	80-82
ZINC	74-78

COIN	TARGET NUMBER ID	NOTES
V NICKEL	56 TO 58	NUMBER WILL JUMP BACK AND FOURTH, THEY ARE USUALLY 4 TO 6 INCHES DEEP. TONE WILL BE A TIGHT PATTERN; PULL TABS WILL BE A LONG DRIFTING TONE.
BUFFALO NICKELS	54-56	ALTERNATING- SAME RULES AS ABOVE, BUT WILL BE A MORE TRASHY TONE. NOTE DEPTH, BUFFS ARE RARELY ABOVE FOUR INCHES AND DEEPER THAN 8 IS RARE, (AGAIN IN MY AREA)
JEFFERSON NICKELS	55-56	THIS NUMBER WILL STAY SOLID AFTER PINPOINTING, IF IT VENTURES ABOVE 56 AFTER YOU PINPOINT, IT MOST LIKELY ISN’T A NICKEL, EXCEPT IN THE CASE OF WAR NICKELS.

ID #’S NICKELS

ID #’S DIMES

COIN	TARGET NUMBER ID	NOTES
BARBER DIMES	84-86	ALTERNATING NUMBERS, VERY SCRATCHY/IFFY SIGNAL SOUND BUT THE NUMBERS STAY SOLID AFTER PINPOINTING, USE A SMALL PATERN SWING AFTER PP TO SHOW TRUE ID NUMBER
MERCURY DIMES	82-84	SCRATCHY/IFFY TONE, BUT NUMBERS STAY SOLID, DEPENDING ON DEPTH MAY BE AS LOW AS 78 AND AS HIGH AS 86, IT IS A NOTICABLY SMALL TARGET AND IS USUALLY SHALLOW FROM TARGET DEPTH ID.
ROSIE SILVER	86 SOLID	SCRATCHY SIGNAL TONES, USUALLY FOUND AT 2 TO 6 INCHES, DEEPER THAN THAT THE ID CHANGES TO AS LOW AS 78 BUT STAYS SOLID, AND DEFINED.
CLAD	84 SOLID	STRONG SIGNAL 2 TO 4 INCHES DEEP

ID #’S QUARTERS

SILVER- N/A HAVE NOT SCORED ONE YET, NOTE THE YET, LOL

CLAD- 86 TO 92 ACCORDING TO DEPTTH

NOTABLE ID #’S

·         SMALL 10 K GOLD: 74-78 BOUNCING AS LOW AS 60 AND AS HIGH AS 90 WITH DIFFICULTY PINPOINTING. LONG DRAWN OUT TONES AND DEPTH ID IS VARRIED WHEN TURNING 90 DEGREES. REAL TRICKY TARGET, BUT IF THE MACHINE IS MORE ERATIC THAN NORMAL TARGETS, EVEN TRASH, GET EXCITED.

·         SMALL SILVER RING: 78-84 DEPENDING ON DEPTH AND SIZE, LOUD SOLID TONE, AND DISTINCT PING… THAT MIGHT JUST BE IN MY HEAD, LIKE A CASH REGISTER.

·         MED SILVER RING: 84-88 DEPENDING ON DEPTH, LOUD SOLID TONE FOR DEPTH.

·         LRG SILVER RING: OVERLOAD UP TO 2 INCHES, 92-96, VERY LOUD TONE FOR DEPTH.

·         BULLETS: SMALL – 50 TO 56 SCRATCHY AT DEPTH, LRG- 70-76 DEEP SIGNAL WITH LONG TONE.

TRASH ALERT!

·         MODERN PULL TABS COME UP AS 56 SHALLOW BUT HAVE A LONG DRAWN OUT TONE THAT DRIFTS OFF INSTEAD OF A SHARP END, SEE NICKELS.

·         OLDER PULL TABS WILL HIT AT 56 TO 70, AGAIN, LONG DRAWN OUT TONE.

·         BEAVER TAILS WILL HIT LIKE ZINC COINS  AND EVEN JUMP AS HIGH AS DIME, BUT LIFTING THE COIL WHILE SWINGING THE NUMBER WILL DROP DRASTICALLY.

·         BOTTLE TOPS HIT HARD AND LOUD AND WILL BE 88 TO 99, DEPENDING ON DEPTH, LIFTING THE COIL WHILE SWINGING WILL CAUSE THE NUMBER TO DROP DRASTICALLY.

A FEW MORE TIPS

·         LOWER SWING SPEED WHEN YOU RAISE THE SENSITIVITY.

·         LOWER YOUR GROUND BALANCE 1 TO 2 NUMBERS IN HIGH EMI FOR MORE ACCURATE TARGET ID.

·         RAISE YOUR GROUND BALANCE 1 TO 2 NUMBERS WHERE SURFACE TRASH IS PROMINENT.

·         DO A QUICK GROUND GRAB OVER YOUR REPLACED PLUG AFTER YOU HAVE EXTRACTED THE TARGET, THIS IS MAINLY FOR THE PIECE OF MIND BUT IT IS QUICK AND ENSURES YOU ARE SET CORRECTLY UNTIL THE NEXT HOLE.

·         SET THE SENSITIVITY LOW TO START, I GENERALLY START AROUND 64, IF I AM OVERWHELMED WITH IRON TARGETS; I LOWER THE SENSITIVITY TILL THEY DISAPATE A LITTLE. IF YOU FEEL THE SENSITIVITY IS TO LOW, SET IT BACK TO 64 AND CHANGE YOUR FREQUENCY SETTING UP ONE NUMBER, IF YOU ARE ALREADY ON 3, GO BACK TO ONE.

·         IF THE TONE IS LONG AND DRAWN OUT, OR VERY ABRUPT, CHANGE FREQUENCY SETTING.

I hope this is helpful to you, I truly believe the Teknetics line is highly underrated, and though it takes a little time to work through the variations from all other machines, the Teknetics line will prove to be a major advantage when detecting against other brands. With the adjustability, solid target ID, and superior depth, you can bank on finding the targets others have missed. The light weight design will keep you swinging long after the others are sucking wind and counting their clad.

For more information on the Teknetics Omega 8000 or other Teknetics machines, contact the boys here at HPP, if they can’t answer your questions, they will send you to me, and if I don’t have the answer, you may be asking the wrong questions, lol, just kidding, I will scour the earth and cyber space to find the answer for you. Thank you for your patronage, and taking the time to read this. You can read more about detecting on my blog, http://prairiedigger.blogspot.com, http://detecting365.com, and see the Teknetics Omega, and Delta in action on my YouTube channel, KansasDigger.  As always Dig safe, Dig right, and Dig often. Happy Hunting.

KD

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS!

Lil Digger and her Teknetics Delta 4000

As many of you already know, my daughter, Lil Digger, loves to metal detect. In fact she has gotten very good in most of the aspects. She knows how to dig proper, how to extract the target, how to fill the hole back in, and how to be responsible with her digging tool. She is an expert with her pinpointer, and is always willing to dig and treasure. The only problem is, finding her a decent detector.

Lil digger is seven, and very good with the computer, as most seven year old are. So, why is it non of the manufacturers recognise this? Do they think our children are stupid? Look at the junior models and you will see nothing but useless garbage. There isn't even a target identifier on most of them, just a meter. How the heck do they expect a child how to know what the meter is saying, I am 37 and I can barely remember seeing a meter on anything. Wouldn't a digital readout be a little more appropriate? Or how about a target picture screen with pictures of the coins that light up. These could be done and probably cheaper than the meters.

Lil Digger loves the treasure!

The depth, they say, for the junior models is up to 6 inches. I have yet to see a demonstration of this claim. I also don't understand why they have no pinpoint, armrest, multi tones, and other features everyone looks for in a detector.

We have all been there, digging trash all day, and not getting any good objects. It isn't fun, and I am sure it isn't fun for them either. It is time the little ones are taken seriously. Their first impression of the hobby is important and will stay with them forever. If the companies don't start realising that our children are capable of understanding and operating electronics more than most of us can, I am afraid this hobby may fizzle out. Below are a few ideas for the companies, I doubt they will see this, but in hopes they might.

Teknetics:
Modify the 4000 with a lower arm rest, and shorten the upper arm. My Lil Digger loves my old 4000 but can't swing it very well, the armrest is in her armpit. It is light enough, and she can fully understand the display.

Fisher:
Adapt the F2 like above

Garrett:
Take the 250 since it has pinpoint, and modify the armrest length. The lower part is able to get where she needs, also shorten the bend where the handle is to lower the display. A small lighter coil, and wow, what a machine for a youngster to use.

Whites:
Wake up, its not 1970 anymore. Catch up and develop the first real kids detector.

Minelab:
With all your genius ideas, and mind blowing capabilities, you can't figure out how to make a reliable and fun Kids detector, try the Excalibur, but dumb it down a little. And shorten things up like above. Attach a smaller coil, and you have the top selling kids detector ever made.

I guess I am day dreaming, but wouldn't that be nice, to go out detecting with your child, knowing they have just as good of a chance at finding the older stuff as you are? Watching them leave happy and feeling successful. I can't see how we keep them interested, when the companies won't take them serious. That is my rant for the year, I hope you all can forgive me.

thanks,
KD

ONE OF MY BEST DAYS EVER!

It has been one heck of a day. It started with the finishing and publishing of my Teknetics Omega Review. It was my first real review and I spent many long nights trying to make it as professional as a Kansas High School drop out could. Here is the link to the review on detecting365

http://detecting365.com/teknetics-omega-8000-revie

Then, just as I finished, I was contacted via our local buy, sell, trade sight on facebook, where I run a continuous ad for free ring recoveries and detecting service, by a lady who had lost her ring 5 months ago in her yard. I went there and within 5 minutes was able to locate her ring, shown below.



After that, I went and picked the wife up from work, and the kids from school. The eldest had evening band practice, and the youngest had girl scouts. The house was empty and I was bored, so I grabbed my detector and headed for the door. My yard is an EMI hell, but I figured I would play around and try to get a signal. I went through several progressions until I finally ended up in all metal mode. I am not a fan nor accustom to this mode, but I figured I wasn't going to find much anyway so it would be good practice. Man did the machine come alive! I pulled a civil war era bullet, a cool pepper shaker top looking thing, an upholstery tack from the mid 1800's, and this beauty. You know I have been detecting a long time, and I have found older coins, and newer coins, but I had never found a Barber, till today!



All in all, I would say it was a pretty good day. You know the Natives have a saying. Some days its a good day to die, and some days it is a good day to metal detect. I hope you read my review, and the Lesson Learned story on detecting365. Thanks for reading, Gl and as always HH.




Yours,

KD

METAL DETECTING TIPS AND TRICKS: HUNTING IN TRASHY AREAS

Is there any place left that isn't filled with nails, bottle caps, pull tabs, and foil? If you're like me, it is impossible to find a permission or other detecting spot, that isn't riddled with trash targets. Here are a few things I have picked up along the way to help you see through the trash and dig up what others have left behind.

Ground Balance:

It is almost impossible to get a good ground balance in a trashy area. Even if your machine adjusts as often as the Whites MXT. It is a crucial part of having success, and to maintain proper target ID, depth, and pinpointing. I always bite the bullet and find a shallow target, trash or whatever, and dig a plug six inches wider then the coil. Then I make sure to clean all the debris out of the whole and plug before replacing it back. Then keeping the sensitivity at a lower level, I do my ground balance. I usually mark the area with a stick or something so I know where it is when I need to come back to it. It seems like a waste of time but in the end, it will save you a great deal of frustration.

Sensitivity setting:

Remember the higher your sensitivity is set, the larger your search area is. If you are set to high in a trashy area, you may be masking the better targets. I always start low, 60 on the Teknetics Omega 8000, with a DD coil. This gives me a tighter search area, and allows me to here, what I like to call, The Ghost Whispers. The Ghost Whisper is the noise you think you here, no wait you did here, that makes the hair on your neck stand on end. It isn't easily heard and takes time and practice to train your ear to it. It is a light scratchy sound, and if it is a repeatable sound, I am digging. The next two tips will help you identify The Ghost Whisper.

Swing Speed:

This is one of the hardest things to do in my opinion. A lot of detectorist are digging in whatever spare time they can get, and want to cover as much ground as possible in the precious little time they have to enjoy the hobby. In trashy areas though, working at even a normal pace will usually end your dig in disappointment and heartache. In order to hear the Whisper in these areas you have to take it slow and smooth. Finesse is the key, not to fast and not to slow. To fast will mask good targets and to slow will make your machine false. You have to find the best slow pace for your detector. It is hard to do and I know it is difficult to hang in those areas, but trust me, it will pay off.

Discrimination:

Discrimination in a trashy area can be a double edged digger. On one hand no one want to listen to the constant low tone of iron, it can drive a man mad. On the other, discrimination can and does cause false signals when working a slow paced swing. The edge of iron, or surface foil can cause the silver signal to repeat itself, and the excitement runs through your soul. I usually choose not to run discrimination, I think it is easier to hear the mid to high scratch of the whisper through the barge of low tones. I will say I can only do this for a short while before I am hypnotised by the dub step bass of the iron. If you do choose to use discrimination, set it just below the foil setting. Then once you hear that glorious Whisper, switch out of the discrimination to make sure what your hearing isn't one of the for mentioned pains.

Pattern your movement:

It is always best to work an area from all directions. This is especially true in trashy areas. If you get a good signal, be sure to take the time to check different angles. If you can hear it from a couple or all the angles, I say dig it. If it is lost to all the other angles but your original one, you might think of skipping it, this time.

These few reminders will, I hope benefit you in the future. Remember to swing slow, and listen close, you don't want to miss that beautiful Ghost Whisper. Thanks for reading, and as always HH.

KD

LESSON LEARNED?

Today was amazing, I finally got dialed in with the Teknetics Omega 8000, I was finding all kinds of clad, and then popped out a beautiful little sterling ring.I was on cloud nine as I went and picked my wife up at work. I sat at home for a bit, then decided to head to the school down the road a bit. The kids are on spring break, so I thought this week would be perfect to detect our local school yards. I arrived, and as I hoped the park was empty.I started off, collecting clad right and left. Then the days luck started to turn. Two youngsters showed up on their bikes, and started following me so close I could hardly swing my machine.I have dealt with this situation before, and keep my delta 4000 in the car for just this type of occasion. I gave them some quick tips and sent them on their way to find their own treasure and be out of my hair, lol. We detected around for about an hour as the sun started to fade. The youngsters had found nothing but trash, and I, being the kind hearted soul that I am,decided to help them out. I located a target hitting 84 on my Teknetics Omega 8000, it registered about two inches deep. I called the two youngsters over and told them to swing the detector over the spot and dig it up. I walked away feeling proud that I had helped them find a copper penny, clad dime, maybe a little silver piece. I found a few more clad coins, and was digging a good signal, when here they came a running. I thought, man they sure are happy with finding a dime. Well, it turns out, that copper penny/clad dime signal was actually an 18k gold engagement ring, with a huge diamond sitting right on top. I sat there stunned, I have never found a gold ring, and I had just handed this beautiful find to two lousy kids. They hung around a bit patting themselves on the back, as I loaded the detectors in the car. Then one said, "we are going to give this to our mom, it will make her happy again, our grandpa died last week." I told them to hurry home and give it to her, what else could I do. Sitting at home stewing over what went wrong, I started to clean the silver ring I had found earlier. As I cleaned off the dirt, I noticed its inscription, WWJD. What Would Jesus Do, I smirked a bit, knowing I had just been taught a valuable lesson. The lesson? I don't know, but someday I will figure it out and I am good with that. Thanks for reading. KD

METAL DETECTING TIPS AND TRICKS #1

Hello everyone I hope you all are enjoying my blog so far. Recently I have been commenting on a few Youtube videos, answering questions on how to tell trash from coin. Here are a few tricks I have learned along the way, they are not 100% effective but has cut down on my bottle cap, pull tab, and nail digging a bunch. I can't guarantee these will work for you or your area, but they work here in the heartland most of the time.

Bottle Caps:

As anyone who swings a detector knows, one of the sweetest signals you can get is the quarter range. All your hopes and dreams could be just seconds away and your mind drifts away dreaming of large silver, .999 gold, and all the other wonderful things that pop in the quarter's beautiful realm. Then you dig the hole and find, like the creepy kid in school lurking behind every corner, a grotesque, vile, and unwelcome enemy to the detecting community, a bottle cap. It happens to us all, no matter how much experience we have or how advanced our detector is, the darn things will not leave us alone. But, I have found a few ways to determine the difference between sweet, glorious treasure, and this king of trash.

1. Make sure the object is centered in the middle of your detector. Swing your detector over the object, if the A. the numbers stay in quarter range but are jumping around, this could be a warning sign, rotate a quarter turn and repeat the process, if the numbers stay the same dig, if they change or continue bouncing around, go to number two. B. If your machine doesn't have a target number ID, do the same as A only pay attention to your indicator, if it gives a quick jump out of range, or the sound changes, it is a warning sign, and continue to the second test, if it stays the same your possibility rises, but I would still do the second test.

2. Make sure the target is centered in your coil, as you swing your coil, slowly raise it to a couple of inches, if the signal changes, it is most likely trash, if it stays constant, get to digging! This test and the one above works with all coins. Remember, most detectors are programmed to recognize the U.S. coin sizes, so anything in those sizes will usually come up as a coin, by using these two tricks, you may be able to weed out some of the unwanted garbage.

Nickel vs Pulltabs:

Unfortunately it is a fact of life we all have to deal with, and causes a great deal of soul searching and decision making on our part. Do we dig pulltabs all day hoping for a nickel or gold, or do we not waste our precious detecting time, and skip what possibly could be a find of a life time.

This is where having a detector with an  ID numbering systems gives the detectorist a great advantage over others who go by indicators or sound. Granted, if you listen close, the echo of aluminum compared to nickel can be heard, and gold usually has that distinct ping echo at the end, the chances of hearing them in a littered area are slim, and understanding what your hearing takes awhile to master. I call it listening for the ghost whispers, you know when your just standing there and all of a sudden you think you hear something that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, that is the ghost whisper, and when you learn to hear that in your headset, the whole world opens up to you, and the finest of treasure awaits your arrival. For those who have not reached Nirvana yet, and have the ID #'s on their detectors, this is what works for me.

Numbering ID is different with each company, I wish it was standardized but, like teens, they all have to think they are different. The example I will use is for the Teknetics ID system, adjust to your own VDI by burying a nickel at 4 inches, make sure the object is centered and find the number. then rotate a quarter turn and repeat, the number should be the same or within one or two numbers. For Teknetics there is a golden rule, Nickels will very seldom, in fact I have never dug on over, the number 57, center your target and go over it, if it bounces over 57 ( or the number you have chosen as your designated nickel number) it is most likely not a nickel, rotate and repeat, if it stays under 57, dig it. Buffalo nickels tend to bounce around in the nickel range but never go over the 57 mark. This is only for nickels, gold is a whole other animal and we will treat it as such. Silver Nickels, I have noticed usually stay under 57 but have dug a few that bounced to the high dime range every few passes, pulltabs will stay in nickel/screw cap range but usually stay around 58 to 62, and they rarely stay on a solid number.

Nails:

Many times nails come up in high dime and quarter range, the same techniques under bottle caps is what I use for them, but, it is just a fact of life, you will dig some nails. The dryer the ground, the more likely you will be fooled.

Why Silver Drought is the Correct Term

You ever notice that you don't find many or any silver at times. We call it a silver drought, but, the drought part is a big key to this frustrating phenomenon that frustrates all who detect. You begin to question your coil, your detector, your headphones, your ability, your relationships, and life can become very difficult to handle when the dreaded silver drought occurs. Relax! It is not your machine, or your loved ones restricting your detecting time that is causing it. The fact is the silver is masked by irons halo. WHAT! KD HAS GONE CRAZY THINKIN IRON IS AN ANGEL OR SOMETHIN, is probably what your thinking, but, the fact is, the dryer the ground the larger irons "halo" or rust ring is. This ring of rust dust spreads and mixes with the soil causing your machine to react as if you hit something sweet, then after you pinpoint you discover it is just iron, and if you have iron discriminated out, the target disappears on you. When the soil get like this it is time to search out the neighborhood parks, ball fields, river banks, and beaches where water is delivered to the soil, i.e. sprinkler systems, and natural under ground saturation. This will increase your chances of staying on the silver and saving your loved ones from the silver junky's withdraws.

I hope these few tricks and tips will help you to find more treasures and dig less trash. Again, I can't promise you it will eliminate all the deviants that plaque our otherwise favorite activity, but, if they work for you it will save you a lot of time and energy. Thanks for reading and I wish you all good luck and HH. As always Keep the coil to the soil and I will do the same.

KD

Teknetics Omega 8000 w/ 5" coil Hunt

Hey guys,

Well the snow didn't melt as fast as I hoped. I was hoping to hunt a yard but it was and still is full of snow. I decided to put the 5" coil on the Teknetics Omega 8000 and hunt the areas around my sidewalks since they had melted back a ways. I pulled out a few trash items and a small broken costume broach. I was still having a blast, it has been to long since I could turn on my detector. I was getting a little stressed, and detecting cures all. I decided to go along the sidewalk on the street side, suddenly I got a strong signal, 57, and it did not budge from there. I grabbed my army shovel and pulled a plug around 5" deep. It wasn't in the plug, so I pulled my Pro-Pointer out and went to work, it gave me a slow beep in the back, bottom, of the hole. I started to dig, I was thinking crap an old can or mason jar lid. At 7" the beeping from my pointer was pretty much steady, It was close. I dug around a little and pulled out a round object. I figured, cool another Buffalo, I start to wipe it off, carefully. It threw me at first, it sure wasn't a Buffalo, it was this.....

1910 Liberty! I was so shocked that I just stood there looking at it. The oldest coin I have found since my move, oh she made me happy. Tomorrow the snow should be almost gone, yes the ground will be muddy, but so will I. Thanks for reading.

KD

Get your gear here at:

http://highplainsprospectors.com/

or click on the link above, Thanks.

Garrett Pro-Pointer Discrimination Tips

My attempt at a YouTube video, lol.

THE GARRETT PRO-POINTER

USING DISCRIMINATION

                I know there have been a thousand reviews on the Garrett Pro-Pointer and its search capabilities. The Pro-Pointer’s capability of finding truly small objects is renowned all over the world. So, instead of writing another article praising this pointer’s capabilities in the field and repeating what others have already said, I will go in depth on the Pro-Pointer’s often forgotten about functions. I will truly test the Pro-Pointer’s discrimination, and “Narrowing the Search” functions. We are going to find out just how good the Garrett Pro-Pointer really is.

                The Garrett Pro-Pointer is capable of discriminating one metal out while still being able to recover another. This feature is easy to set up and to cancel after you are finished. Simply turn the Pro-Pointer on and place the Garrett Pro-Pointer directly on the type of object you want to discriminate, like a nail, then while touching the item turn the Pro-Pointer off and then back on. This eliminates the nail from the detection of your Pro-Pointer, after finding the intended object, turn the Pro-Pointer off and it will resume to normal function the next time you turn it on. (Remember, if you do not want to discriminate, hold the Pro-Pointer away from all metal when turning it on.) This is extremely useful in trashy iron areas; I use it to cancel out nails in yards and parks. But, how effective is the Pro-Pointer really? I set up some test to determine just how accurate the discrimination is.  Pull tab over a nickel? Bullet over iron? A nail over a penny? In most cases these are situations I would like to use discrimination.

                Nail discrimination was very accurate, I was able to pass over the nail and still detect the wheat penny with the nail as close as a half an inch. However the Pro-Pointer had to be closer to the penny compared to the standard air test before it started beeping, still an advantage when hunting a trashy yard.

                The Nickel couldn’t be detected after the pull tab was discriminated, looks like the dreaded pull tab digging may have to continue, but, one day that pull tab will turn to gold.

                With Iron discriminated a three ring bullet was able to be detected with a small loss of distance from standard air test. A round ball also was able to be detected with Iron discriminated out, both with the nail up to a half inch away.

                The Garrett Pro-Pointer was very successful at discriminating out iron and still detecting other types of metal. In circumstances that call for this function, I know The Garrett Pro-Pointer has the capability to save me time and energy. Eliminating iron objects in the hole, will allow me to extract the treasure and move on quickly to the next one. 

YOUNG GUNS OF DETECTING

I have never been one to just sit and watch the snow fall, I always have to be busy, writing, studying, and learning all I can about metal detecting. Recently I have noticed several younger guys on YouTube, these guys are good.  have been very impressed with a few and would like to share them with you. Here is a short list that I will ad to the column a little later. If you guys know of any young digger deserving of the list, let me know and I will check them out. 

Young Guns List

Tulsaplltbfndr

RecoveringRelics

Nuggetnoggin

JDsCoins

Cutaplug

Also, BobsDiggingit has a new awesome website just for diggers. It has live chat and I am sure will be a hot spot for the everyday digger. I will ad a link to his site to the column on the left also.

Hopefully by Thursday I will be back to digging, the weather is getting better and the snow is slowly melting away. Thanks for reading, KD

1000 Views, New Addition, and Forum Hot Spots

First I would like to thank everyone for viewing my post 1000 times. It is amazing that in the short time I have been blogging so many have taken an interest. I hope to keep bringing you quality reading material, and would like for everyone to keep reading. Hopefully the snow will melt off and I can start getting more material from the field. Until then here are a few places I like to hang out and chat.

Favorite Forums

Just Go Detecting

Coin Talk

NumisSociety

Big Boys Hobbies Forum

And Google +

I would also like to note a change in the layout, I have added my favorite blogs list, Mike is the first on the list and a good addition to start with, check him out. I will soon be discarding detectings best and replace it with Hot coils, a list of the best youtube videos I see. If you would like to be added to the blog list please e mail me, Kansasdigger@gmail.com. Lets go out and find the best videos, blogs, and forums on the internet and bring them here for everyone to see. Thanks again for all the views, will be back with more real soon.

Thanks,

KD

TEKNETICS OMEGA 8000 1ST HUNT

First I would like to say thank you to Josh and the guys at HighPlainsProspectors.com for giving me the opportunity to see what the Teknetics Omega 8000 will do here in Central Kansas. They are a great bunch of fellas and if you haven't checked out their website, I suggest you do. They have a great blog, monthly contest, with the best prizes I have seen, and the fairest prices on gear I have seen. You can click on the link up above to go, and tell them Kansas Digger sent Ya.

 The Teknetics Omega 8000 is quite different then my old MXT. Just the light weight design alone was a little intimidating, but when you start adding things like: 4 tone settings, 3 frequency settings, AT and discrimination, and Ground Grab,  I was more than a little worried this machine's technology may be more than I could process. I decided to just follow the guide lines set in the manual and hoped for the best. I did do some research about dealing with EMI and which of the four tone settings was best.

I decided to go to the old poor house, it was built in 1922 and has not only been the poor house but a private school, hospital, farm house, and finally the place my father lived while I was growing up. My father was a collector of all things junk, so there is a lot of trash in the five acre yard, but with no power running to it, no EMI to worry about.

I began with the sensitivity set on 70, in the all metal discrimination mode, the Ground Balance was 63, and I was in D4 tone. I had the 11" DD coil on, I thought it might be easier to start with since I use a DD coil primarily on my MXT.

 I started in the front yard, I had already found some good stuff there and know there is more. I was moving at a slow pace, swinging the coil as I would my MXT, and noticed everything was coming up quarter and dime. I checked my Ground Balance, it was fine, checked the mineral scale, it to was good, and I thought what the heck is going on. I decided to dig the next few targets that came up, this is what I got.

I thought about it a bit, then realized, as with all my other machines, I was running the Omega to hot, I decided to turn down the sensitivity to 65, after doing so I found these three clad and this Colorado Tax Token.

The temperature today was suppose to be in the 40's but I think it only made it to 36, the wind was blowing as usual here in Central Kansas, and my hands were getting frozen. I decided to head in for the day, happy with my results. I got home, ate lunch, and decided to check out the ol' internet. I started reading in the forums about EMI and its effects on the Omega 8000 and what to do about it. Well it wasn't long and I had my coat back on, this time with warmer gloves, and was heading out the back door. My yard is serious about its EMI, three crossing wires makes the Bermuda Triangle for anyone trying to detect it. I put on the stock coil and started off, immediately I knew I had to adjust, I changed to the 2nd frequency, and lowered my sensitivity to 60, it was still struggling so I lowered it more. In the back area of the yard, underneath the clothes line, I managed to pull a button, I believe from some Levi's or something. I then decided to try out the 5" coil. I have always wanted to try one of these shooter type coils and now, with no one there to laugh or sneer, I had my chance. I attached the 5" coil to the 8000 and began in the same settings I was in when I found the button. I wasn't sure how to even swing the darn thing, so I started slow, when that didn't work I added speed, and the little thing started to come alive, but the EMI was closing fast, I lowered the sensitivity down to 49, I thought well maybe there will be some clad shallow, at least I am getting some sounds out of the area. I was detecting around the big tree, listening to the bass of the iron, when I heard a mid range tone, I hit it again, and again, not believing it, I dug the target and five inches down was this 1934 Buffalo Nickel. I believe the Teknetics Omega 8000 is going to really impress me, when I figure out how to really use it. Thanks for reading. 

  

Fundamentals of Detecting Central Kansas Detector setup for soil conditions

Gain/ sensitivity Settings

                There are many areas in Kansas that the soil is drastically different than the usual dirt most treasure hunters are use to.  Here in Central Kansas,( Pawnee, Barton, Stafford, Pratt, Western Reno, Counties) the ground is filled with sand, the soil has a caramel color, and river rock is scattered throughout. This means the soil is a loose soil that gives the ability to detect deep objects, it also creates interference when trying to detect for smaller objects like coins and jewelry. Standard set ups are usually over kill for this area. When detecting parks, yards, and other in town sites, I drop the gain to as low as five and still dig objects four to six inches deep. Using a lower gain prevents the larger iron from masking shallow coins, I start at five at every location in this area and do a quick sweep, swing the coil at a normal rhythm. As I ad gain I slow the pace of my swing. Max gain in town is seven to eight; this is used only after I have made several passes through the area, turning the gain up one each time. With the gain set at eight, my swing is very slow, listening for small high tones in the almost constant iron tones. By this time, you are digging mostly bullets, larger tin and higher grade iron objects (i.e. tools, gun parts, large square nails).  The depth with the gain set at eight is 14 to 18 inches. If you go higher than eight, the detector begins giving false signals; also the iron signal overwhelms all other signals.  In the farm fields I start at seven or eight and will go as high as ten, most fields can take the higher gain and the objects are usually deep, I have dug an Indian head penny at 18 inches in the farm fields and bullets as deep as 22 inches. I use a slower pace swing in the farm fields and dig any signal deeper than six inches due to minerals masking everything to iron.

Discrimination settings

                I rarely use discrimination in Central Kansas, with the depth that can be reached in this area; it causes iron objects to give off false positive tones. In all metal mode you can determine the validity of the signal after pinpointing. This occurrence happens often especially when using higher gain. We also have hot rocks that read as quarters in discrimination mode, in all metal the signal is broken, and through a little experience, can be determined to be a hot rock. Though, this makes yard hunting more difficult due to the level of iron and other undesirable objects, it allows you to identify objects that are closely together, especially while using a DD coil.

Ground Balancing

                It is difficult to keep the ground balance neutral here in Central Kansas as the minerals change rapidly through out detecting areas. As a result many lower end machines have trouble keeping up with ground conditions even at moderate sensitivity settings. A good starting ground balance and the ability to adjust manually is a huge asset when hunting these areas. It is common to have to adjust the ground balance often due to different mineral saturation even in small locations, such as yards, ball fields, and park areas. Automatic ground balance will work if you are detecting slow and allow it to catch up, but this can only be done with machines that display their balance, or by pumping the coil every so often to listen for the pulling or pushing of sound. In the areas of eastern Stafford Co., and western Reno co., there is a high salt content. In these areas you have to have a detector that will adjust accordingly. Again the ground is not as compact as other parts of the state, so low Gain/ sensitivity is recommended, as depth isn’t an issue. Running a lower sensitivity helps with the ground balance and insures that the detector isn’t skipping over any small shallow objects.

Conclusion

                Central Kansas can be a frustrating place to detect. In dry conditions, most machines can’t discriminate between iron and precious metals, luckily these drought conditions occur only during extreme heat. In wet conditions the detecting is superb; the iron’s ring is diminished, and separating targets is less difficult. The sand allows for moisture to soak in quickly, so after a good rain, ideal detecting conditions occur. During this time you can raise your gain and find small deeper targets that previously were masked by the iron. Knowing your detector and the soil conditions is crucial to successful detecting in the Central Kansas area. Thanks for reading, and remember: Dig safe, Dig right, and Dig often. Happy hunting.

Teknetics Delta 4000 Review

My first detector review, more to come soon!

http://highplainsprospectors.com/blog/wp-admin/post.php?post=1403&action=edit&message=6

Big Changes for 2014!

 Well here we go, the year has just started and exciting things are happening right and left! First I would like to thank http://highplainsprospectors.com For naming me their Western Kansas Pro Affiliate! I am looking forward to a long relationship and many hunts together. If you haven't visited their site I highly recommend checking them out. Not only do they provide top of the line detecting and mining products, but also have a great news letter and a monthly contest with the best prizes I have ever seen. They are a small personalized company in the Kansas City area, which for you means one on one attention to help you find the perfect machine or accessory for your treasure finding needs.
 I also got a new job that will flow with the above mentioned honor perfectly. I work on an oil rig that travels all through Western Kansas. I work nights and, after sleep, have all afternoon in new towns and locations. I will be testing and reviewing Teknetics Detectors, a product that I really enjoy using. I own a Delta 4000 already and am looking forward to trying their more advanced machines. I can hear the Meteorites calling me from under my feet already. Along with the treasures this barren desert land holds.
 Last but definitely the coolest news, I and my wife are expecting our third child in July! With two beautiful girls already lounging around the house, and, making every breath I take the best one ever, I am looking forward to another innocent face staring up at me, holding my finger, and loving me for no other reason but that I am there. I am blessed with two of the best daughters a man could ask for, so maybe its time to jinks myself with.....dare I say....a dirty little dirt digger minion, we will see, it is still to early to tell, but a man can dream, lol, a man can dream.
 Stay tuned this year is going to be full of firsts, lasts, and many surprises in between. It has been a long time since I have been this excited for a new year to begin.

Thanks for reading,

Kansas Digger

 

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LOVE THY NEIGHBOR

 I grew up in small town middle America, where the whole town new each other. We would play kick the can during the summer evenings, and the whole town was safe to hide in. Everyone knew sooner or later that they would have a kid hiding in their bushes or behind their shed at some point or another. Everyone said hello when they saw you and waved as you drove by. After I got married, I moved to my wife's hometown, where things like this didn't happen. She is from a suburb of Kansas City, and though I enjoyed all the amenities of living next to a big city, I always felt uncomfortable. So, after 11 years we moved back to my home town. It wasn't till a few days ago that I noticed how much living in that area had changed me. I never met my neighbors in KC. We would nod if we seen each other in the yard but never once did we have a conversation. They just seemed unapproachable, and generally not interested in becoming acquainted.
  When we bought our house four months ago I made a list of things I had to do while we were moving in. I found that list the other day and on the very bottom it said: introduce yourself to your neighbors. I realized then that I had made no attempt at meeting my new neighbors. I would see them in passing and give them a nod, just like in KC. I couldn't believe that I had been so rude to people I had grown up with.
 The next morning I seen my neighbor in his yard and made a point to go over and reintroduce myself. We had a pleasant conversation and went about our business. From then on we would stop and talk with each other if we were out in our yards, he would ask me if I had found anything and I would show him my finds. After a week or two I noticed that the house next to me had been vacated and a for sale sign had come up. The people who lived there were, lets just say, not the kind you want as neighbors. The next time I saw my new friendly neighbor, I asked him if he knew who owned it, it is an old house and I wanted to ask permission to detect it. He told me he owns it but is selling it because he is tired of bad tenants. I ask permission to detect and he agreed without a thought. I quickly thanked him and shook his hand. As he walked away he said, " I am surprised you didn't ask sooner." I thought about that statement and wondered, if I would of put in the effort to finish my list, I could of had this permission a long time ago. Then I began to think of how many properties I missed out on because I was to scared to ask. I get most of my properties to detect from people I know are related to, I have never had the guts till that day to ask an acquaintance or neighbor if I could detect their property. I will never be a "door knocker" but I now realize it doesn't hurt to, after a few conversations, ask if I can detect their property. I now have seven more properties to detect and and found that all of them were waiting for me to ask.
 I finally got a few minutes to detect this evening after a hectic day of running errands and doing chores. I decided to go next door and do a quick scan in the neighbors yard. I found a 1917 wheat penny and $1.02 in clad.( Now the weather is turning bad again and will not get a chance to detect there again for at least a week, if the forecast is right.) I went  over to my neighbors house to show off my finds, and he was surprised at what I had found. I quickly offered the penny to him as a gesture of thanks, he accepted it and told me that when he was a kid he had collected coins. He thought about it a second and said, " you know, I think I still might have some in the garage, come with me." We went to his garage and he climbed into the rafters. I heard "Here they are," as he reached for a dusty box back in the corner. We retreated back inside and set at his kitchen table looking through his old coins. I looked up prices for him as he told me stories of how he got each one. We soon had sat looking at his collection for over 3 hours, his eyes still beaming as he carefully put each one back in the box. I asked, " are you going to put those back in the garage?" He looked at me with a boyish youthful grin that I had not seen on him before and said, "no, I think I will keep them in here where I can look at them some more. If you don't mind, I would like to go out with you next time. I think I will start adding to my collection again, thanks for reminding me how much I love it." With that we said our good byes and I walked to the house feeling good about finally being home.  

You can see the coin on my google plus account. Thanks for reading and HH

TODAY IS A BEAUTIFUL DAY PART 2

  As I predicted the day strayed from the original plan. I ran into my aunt at the local gas station, and, she reminded me that I had permission to go and detect Uncle Dave's place. Uncle Dave's place is one of our families original homestead farms. It was built in the early 1800's, it was a one bedroom dwelling with the kitchen and sitting area all open, it had no running water, or electricity, and an out house, for your necessities. 

 We call it "Uncle Dave's Place," because my great great Uncle Dave lived there until his death in the late 70's. Uncle Dave was a local folk legend, the kids would tell stories of a wild man, that once a month, rode to town on the back of donkey pulling a cart wagon, singing " Ol' My Darling," as he swayed back and forth, with his feet swinging loosely, his balance always in question, holding the reins in one hand, and a bottle of Whiskey in the other. He would ride down Main Street, turn left at the light, and park his donkey at the liquor Store. Tying his steed, usually to the car bumper of the store clerk, he would make his dismount, gracefully yet gingerly, and walk into the store with legs like a new born calf. 

 The legend of Uncle Dave was true, he was a professional drinker, and occasional farmer, as my Grandmother so profoundly state, with her Temperance Union Stoic look, staring down her nose at us children, hoping we didn't catch a whiff of her "afternoon nip" breath. 

 I hadn't been out to Dave's house to detect since last summer, the mosquitoes were so bad I only spent ten minutes attempting to detect. So, I thanked my aunt, repeatedly, as hurried out the door, jumping in the van, I started out of town, heading south.

 Uncle Dave's is in between Larned and Belpre Kansas, (Note: when a Kansan says in between two towns, he or she doesn't mean literally. As the prairie is flat, we use towns as land marks to generalize where we are. If I can see Larned and Belpre, and they are the closest two towns to me, I would say I am in between the two though in reality I may be 5 to 15 miles off the beaten path in either direction.) It is surrounded by a grove of trees, in the middle of a half section that both my Grandmas own, ( we will dive into that at a later date.) The house itself is dilapidated, the roof has caved in and the walls are sinking. The old barn is a pile of ruins, and, except for this time of year, is a notorious snake haven. The only functional building is the newer aluminum sided barn/shop that my grandpa had built when he farmed the land in the 60's. This isn't a beginners place to detect. It has fallen trees, a thick layer of underbrush, and 100's of " beaver tales" ( for the novice, a beaver tale is the old style pull tab off a beer can etc.,) strewn about the property. It was a perfect day, sun was shining, the temp was just cool enough for a light jacket, the wind was a light breeze ( in Central and Western Kansas a light breeze is anything between 10 to 30 mph gusts,) blowing just enough to keep any remaining insects away from you, the ground was thawed and soft to dig ( in this area the black soil is mixed with dessert like sand that makes it easy to dig and makes for quick thawing. I can dig 2 foot down with my hand trowel in under a minute in most fields.)  I began detecting.

 Detecting to me is an almost spiritual thing, a form of meditation and free thought if your will. I grew up with ADHD, I could never focus on anything for more than a few seconds all the way into adulthood. Metal Detecting changed that. The constant beeps and tones from the headphones keeps my attention focused as the constant swinging appeases my hyper activity. It distracts the ADHD if you will, and lets my mind think freely without interuptio...squirrel...see what I mean, lol. No, it really does free me from having to constantly remind my self to refocus. I used this method in college, I would focus on a sound, a tapping of a pencil, the steady breathe of the mouth breather behind me, the tics of the clock, then my site on a repeatedly moving or swaying item, like the clock hands, some one's foot tapping, any constant movement, then I rub my hand back and forth on my pant leg, simulating a smooth detecting stroke. This helped me retain more of the information being taught and raised my grades a bunch. I wish I would of discovered this in high school, I may of been a little less in the principles office and a little more in the classroom... on second thought.... yea, I doubt it. 

 I didn't find anything to mention, some beaver tales, washers, fencing, old tarp eyelets, caps off something, and some cool rocks is about all. There is one item that is worth cleaning, I don't want to get hopes up, but it does appear to have an eagle on it, but hard to say, it is soaking in dish water right now. I will update you at a later date. I do plan on putting out a new Youtube video by the end of the week, I am hunting another homestead tomorrow that holds a little more promise than ol' Uncle Dave's. 

  Being in nature, getting a little dirt under my nails, and connecting with my past, I would say, all in all, it was a Beautiful day.

Thanks for reading, and HH.

As a side note, I would like to thank everyone for their support and encouragement. I appreciate all the re posts and site's adding links, Like High Plains Prospectors did. I hope you all enjoyed this segment, more is on the way, please tell your friends and family if you like what you read, I added a subscription I believe, down below, please tell me if it works, I am not the most tech savvy guy. 

Thanks Again,

Kansas Digger

   

TODAY IS A BEAUTIFUL DAY Part 1

  I can feel the energy the full moon has bestowed in me. The wind is low and the temp is high, around 54 degrees today. I can feel the detector calling my name. A few short errands, take the wife to work, the kids to school, and put a new set of batteries in the old, worn down, but still kicking MXT. I have a few places in mind for the day. If the water is low in the Arkansas River, I want to head down to the sand bar and see what the Colorado flood has washed my way. Then, hit a ball field tucked away in the new park. It isn't very old but it has been the main fields for the town for about five years, and I don't believe it has been detected yet. The field is on the way to the old halfway house. I am hoping the frigid temps have killed off some of the weeds that have blocked me in certain areas. As usual these plans can easily be swayed, by a light breeze, carrying the smell of treasure lofting out of a not yet planted field. A hunch sometimes fills the day. I am always at the mercy of the calling land, guiding me to her hidden beauty, her slight curves in the tree line, revealing a small peek of foundation, a dimple in her smile where a basement use to be, or a slight bosom like hump, disrupting her flat lying plains, telling me, calling me, wanting me to caress the hair like grass with my thin white coil. I can almost taste the silver, the centuries old gun powder, the dirty thirties dust begging to finally be handled with gentle hand. reviling, relieving, and reliving all that it loved. Today my friends I venture out to find the Mother Load....

TAMING THE WINTER CROWD

 Unless you live in the south, this time of year is spent reminiscing, researching, cleaning, repairing, and planning for spring. The average detectorist puts away his trusted companion and settles into the dreaded "Weary Woes." These woes aren't easily noticed by the general public, but another detectorist can spot them easily. The symptoms include, a noticeable absence from forums and other frequented sites, or posting pics of all the silver for the year, an accumulation of funny pic re posts or an abundance of pics of their dogs. The winter can seem long for those who are geographically disabled. But, what if I told you that there are some fanatic's that are so daring, so brave, so out of their minds, that no matter the temperature, grab their detectors and head out to open fields, trudging on, through lung crushing wind that bring the temp down to 0 or below. Bundled so tight, these warriors stand like scarecrows in harvested corn, bean, and wheat fields. Deflecting the odd looks and occasional hateful comments of the local gossiping hens. All for a scrap of history left by generations long ago. I tell you these guys do exist, I know because I am one...

 I was recently asked, at the local watering hole:" Why are you out there, in the freezing temperatures, with the wind blowing 40 mph, with a stick and a shovel ( the stick was a rude reference to my detector),for hours on end, walking a whole section of plowed fields for? I mean what the hell is so valuable or important that you can't find online or in a store? My cattle even have since enough to come out of the weather, ain't you smarter than a cow son?" 

 I reached into my pocket and pulled out a musket ball, an Indian Head penny, and a spent rim fired 4-10 shell. I put them on the bar, and showed him what my hard work had produced for the day. He was not impressed, and chuckled a little as he looked at me as if to say, "Finally, proof your nuts."

 He asked, " Is that it, how much you think that stuff is worth?"

 I answered " Less then five dollars, but it isn't the worth I am after. This musket ball was fired before main street was built. Maybe at a Native American, A Buffalo, A run away slave, or maybe just a small game animal to ease the belly of a starving soldier or merchant." His eyebrows raised a little as I continued, " This Indian Head Penny is dated 1904, it was dropped by the farmer, slave, or laborer in that field. Almost a whole days wages for a hired hand, a little bit of a loss to the farmer, but if it was a slaves, it represented ownership, hope for the future, or maybe a good loaf of bread and some meat for his family, smuggled from the farmers pantry by the house boy."

 He looked at me with a toothpick in his mouth, his hat tilted up and to the side, his elbow on the bar, and his hand partially covering his lips, as if to hide his comments from the others that were standing shoulder to shoulder at the bar. He said, "There were slaves here? I thought they only had slaves in the south, were we a confederate state?"

 I knew I had him, and with a slight grin said," Kansas was very much a part of the civil war. Though Kansas was still a territory, many battles were fought here. In fact, it is believed that the first shots of the war happened in Eastern Kansas, up around Atchison." By this time the bar had turned an ear to what I was saying, the jukebox had stopped playing and the normal mumbling conversations were over run by the excitement in my voice. I continued," Kansas was split on its stance on slavery. Some towns accepted it and others didn't.  The massacre in Lawrence, Ks was about slavery, Lawrence was a pro slavery town with a lot of political pull in the territory. John Brown, an anti slavery advocate, to put it mildly, rode with his posse into Lawrence, dragged the pro slavery politicians into the street and brutally murdered them with an ax handle and sword." a rumbling of ews and ouches moved like a wave through out the bar. "That was just one of John Browns homicidal escapades during the civil war," I exclaimed loudly as if I was in the days when business, local laws, and political debates were all delivered and discussed in the local tavern.( In fact, in my small town, as in most here in Central Kansas, the local bar is still where you go for information about local sales, agricultural news, and small business deals. It isn't uncommon for 50 to 100 head of cattle to be bought or sold over a hand shake and a beer in most small town bars. In fact in one small town the owner and bartender is the local justice of the peace, notary of the public, and fire chief.)

 Everyone was mumbling to each other and wondering how they walked into a history lesson when somebody piped up and asked, " Well how and the hell did they know which town was which, I mean Stafford had that sign that said no "N" allowed, did they all have that?"

 I stood a little straighter to see who was asking, " No, you could tell real simple then as you can now. The towns with a local square in them were pro slavery towns, the towns with a main street were anti slavery." The discussion got louder as the locals gathered back into their small groups to discuss which town was which and where they would have lived. 

 I turned to the old fella still sitting with that look on his face and said,"What was your question again?" 

 He gave me that classic grunt chuckle that ol' boys do when they get bested while trying to poke a little fun and said, "I think you covered it, your welcome to come out and swing your stick in my fields if you want, hell, I might just follow you around to see what you dig up."

 The next week I was in his field, swinging my "stick". With him a few yards away watching me, and figuring out how to swing a "stick" of his own.