New to all this, and have been out only a couple frustrating times with the MD.

Have only dug trash so far. So, dropped some coins on the grass, and paid more attention.

It seems to me that the signals from trash are weak and very transitory. The coins (although on the surface,...I also raised the coil) seemed to give a much "fatter" and more solid signal.

Is this part of the secret, or am I imagining things?

Which machine are you using to detect? It is likely for a metal detectorist to dig up trash. I have plenty of bottlecaps and pulltabs. does your mchine have a VDI indicator? The higher vdi's will indicate a coin or possibly jewelry like a ring. Low vdi's will give you a nickel or small rings and jewelry.

Dont get discouraged.. sometimes you will only find few targets and plenty of trash OR vice versa.

We have all dug our fair tonage of trash keep at it! I dont know what detector your using but it will all the sudden click and youull get it !!!!!!!! And another thing remember to stick yer coil over the right soil ;) good luck HH Ride Um

Try to find someone in your area who can help you. Learning on your own sucks.I know cause that's what I did. HH,Jerry

Du hast, You are not imagining differences in signal strength and sound when discriminating between coins and trash. This is a good thing! Foil on most machines sound kind of threaded or choppy, not that nice low mellow tone that a coin produces. Aluminum pieces(pulltabs etc.) sound kind of pinched at each end of the signal and whiney(highpitched). Bear in mind that large pieces of aluminum (whole cans) and larger pieces of brass or copper such as pipe or fittings can sound like a good coin and signal all the way out to the high end of your discrimination circuit. Your looking for a consistant, full signal or double beep(going acrossed the target and on the return in motion). Slow way down as well. The metal detectorist's world ends about three feet in front of him. Don't worry about covering the entire field. Overlap your strokes by about 40-50% of the previous stroke. When you come up with a coin remember that there may be more in that area, recheck your hole for more. You will be able to pinpoint the areas of highest human activity, by looking where your holes lie. Have fun with it, it's not a JOB! HH, DJ Davey

As I said in another thread (it may even have been another board! LOL), I didn't take this up as a hobby, already have a Harley for that. I got the MD for a specific use ( I know of a crash site, and want to relic hunt), and was practicing. That's why I didn't buy a $500 unit, rather a Bounty Hunter Tracker IV. I do expect to take it on some camp-outs this summer. I'm just not sure that it's in my nature to be patient enough for MD as a big time hobby......

welcome, Trash is common, Read through your instructions again
then throw some different items on the ground and learn the differnt readings or tones, I have been doing this off and on for two years and have enough pull tabs to buy a ring, but have not found one yet, I also recommend you try burying
some items about 1-3 inches, to hear the different tones, last case scenario, go to a TOT lOT and I almost Guarantee you will find some change and items HH

l started detectin in 1976 with a c-scope tr 100 that l got for my christmas,l found
a lot of crud to begin with but started finding coins and that was with no discrimination !
once you get used to your detector it will be like second nature,it takes time
as was said above, read, read, and re-read the instructions
get out with it dig everything for the first hour or so,by that time you should have an idea about what the signals are that you are hearing.l know you will make some great finds with your detector,PERSEVERE
regards
john