Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
Not too long ago, I did a post on using non-motion or pinpoint mode rather than motion or discrimination mode. If you normally use a discrimination mode, it will take some learning before you feel at home using a non-motion mode. When switching to a non-motion mode you will normally hear a lot more noise than when you use discrimination mode. But it isn't all useless noise. Some of it will be caused by salt mineralization changes or black sand. You can learn to tell the difference between those kinds of noises and actual targets.
In the simplified illustration above I attempted to show a layer of black sand and an auditory signal that increases as it goes over the black sand. OK, so you hear the black sand. No problem. You can still hear good targets.
If you are accustomed to using a discrimination mode that cancels out black sand and other ground mineralization, you might find hearing those things disturbing at first. It will be noisier than you are accustomed to, but it isn't all that bad to hear the layers of black sand. You'll learn to identify those sounds. There are times when I find it beneficial to know where there are layers of buried black sand can hear a signal from a coin, for example, through the signal you get from the black sand. I attempted to show that in the following illustration.
You will hear the longer duration wang from the black sand (raised orange line), but the signal from the coin can also be heard (pink triangle) through the sound of the black sand. It will stick out as a much quicker signal, and depending upon your metal detector, you might even be able to hear that the signal from the coin has a different pitch. It will stick out.
As I previously explained in a previous post, you will probably want to sweep slower when using a non-motion mode, especially when you try to pick through black sand or other noise. I have found reales in black sand. Some people skip heavy black sand because of the noise.
There is a problem with working in black sand other than hearing the target. When you dig a hole in a layer of black sand, if you don't get the target on the first scoop, you might find it difficult to find the target after the layer of black sand has been disrupted like that. The edge of the hole can produce a signal as the coil goes over it. So while you can detect targets in black sand, it can be more difficult to recover those targets.
Above is an illustration showing the ocean on the right and three lines where three recent waves stopped. At the top (dark red) is a signal from a coin. You might be able to hear the three lines where the salt mineralization from the wet sand abruptly changes. As you walk down the beach, parallel to the water line, you'll be accustomed to the beep, beep, beep caused by the changes between wetter and dryer sand. I've talked about that type of thing before. That is no big problem. You will often be able to see the lines causing those signals. No problem. You know what it is. And if your coil crosses a real target, it will disrupt that beep, beep, beep rhythm you've become accustomed to, and you'll notice the new and different beep heard between two of the three other signals. And you will probably be able to identify that signal as being different from the salt-mineralization lines in one or more ways. It might be of a different loudness or pitch, but it will also be repeatable, and you can check it by sweeping over it again at a ninety-degree angle. The more you do it, the easier it will be to tell the difference between the ground effects and real targets.
This is the kind of thing that takes practice. You can't just read it. And I find it difficult to explain in words like this.
Coil speed is important. You can lose your additional depth by going to fast. As I've suggested in the past, experiment with practice targets to identify the best sweep speed. And there will be times to really slow down.
I've done several of these kinds of posts on hunting in non-motion now. You might want to go back and review some of the others. They are spread out. I think the last one was about a week ago.
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I got the bottles I picked up last weekend pretty well cleaned up. The white vinegar got rid of the barnacles and shells but left some stains on the inside that will require another approach.
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| Source: MagicSeaweed.com. |
So it looks like we might get a bigger surf towards the end of the week.
Good hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
