Sierra Gold Trac Owner’s Guide
5
The object of increasing the Gain adjustment is to get the maximum available depth from the detector
WITHOUT causing noise interference or overload of the circuit from ground mineralization. A very impor-
tant function of the Threshold Hum is to be the audio “monitor” of the proper setting of the GAIN control. If
the threshold hum blanks out frequently while sweeping the coil, your Gain control is probably set too high.
Pinpoint Technique-
Due to the wide scan nature of elliptical search coils and their DD confi guration (which help cancel ground
mineralization) the process of pinpointing small targets under the physical center of the loop can be diffi -
cult for beginners. Therefore it is best to use an “X” marks the spot technique to merely locate that portion
of the ground the nugget is in. Because most nuggets are too small to isolate to an exact location, just
remove the soil under the center of the “X” until the target is no longer in the hole, but in your pile of dirt.
You will realize this by checking the hole regularly as you remove the dirt. At that point you know that the
nugget is in your dirt pile. Most nuggets are small and elusive, so scoop and check is the best method.
Do not use your hands to scoop up dirt as the high frequency of the SGT will sound off on the salt in the
sweat on your hand. Use a plastic treasure scoop or plastic Sierra Nugget cupcup. You will fi nd a number
of such tools on the market. The Sierra Nugget Cup, obviously, is my favorite, as shaking it will keep the
nugget and irt in the cup and not out on the ground.
So, after you have determined that your target is not in the hole any longer and in your pile of dirt; kneel
down and set your detector on the ground beside you with the loop facing up. Then start taking a small
amount of dirt at a time in your cup and shake it from side to side, which will shake the piece of gold (or
whatever) to the bottom of the cup. Wave the cup over the loop and see if it makes a signal. If it does not,
then empty the cup and repeat the process. As soon as the detector indicates that the target is in the cup,
then empty the cup into the palm of your hand, a bit at a time, and keep checking the remaining contents
of the cup with the detector until the target is no longer in the cup… blow the soil off of your palm and
VOILA! Your nugget (or boot tack) is in your hand.
