Metal Detecting 101 -- Got Questions?

[mtnstyne]

Any recommendation for a starter kid size detector?

[comicdonna]

Any recommendation for a starter kid size detector?

I will send you a Pm with contact info of a boardie who knows a lot about detectors.

[Ducksoup]

I went detecting here on the shores of lake michigan and found a lincoln memorial penny, cant tell the year as it was encrusted with sand and wouldnt rinse off. I kept getting phantom hits at 8" + then realized it was picking up my wedding ring above the coil.. 4 holes dug and lots of pondering before i figured that it was my ring.. Good thing sand is easy to dig!

[Kamillion]

did any of you see that last episode of American Digger?

 

they were in detroit and used metal detectors and found an old coin stash hidden underground they had to drill through cement

actually, they were using the detectors earlier, but for the cement they used a different device that i am not familiar with. it scanned the ground underneath and told them there was something there.

 

but they didnt really focus on the coins much, and he just basically sold em all in a bulk deal. there were a bunch of oldies that i couldn't really identify that well. pretty crazy if its real, which it seems like .

[ForlornOutcast]

Well I just ordered a Garrett Ace 350 from KellyCo Detectors today, hoping to get it in about 2 wks due to back order.

 

Can't wait to get out and learn my machine!

[dooly]

Hi all .. managed to get out for a couple of hours yesterday .. here are some of the finds

 

[comicdonna]

[CyberspaceVoid]

Dooly ... is that an old piece of shot used for chain?

[CyberspaceVoid]

Question for the group ...

 

I am thinking about purchasing a Teknetics T2 and recently read they have counterfeits of inferior quality out there ... how does one tell the difference? Also, what would you prefer and why: a T2 or a Fisher F75? I live by the ocean so there might be some shallow salt water involved besides the land work

[dooly]

my latest detecting video .. click the link .. quite a few coins

 

http://www.youtube.com/my_videos_edit?ns=1&video_id=w1T7Moc_Pig

[chloe888-migration]

I have always found any metal detecting finds metal detecting finds fascinating, historical relics, ancient coins lost jewelry, gold or even other interesting "juncky"metallic objects.I was also wondering if anyone have done metal detecting and would like to share their cool stories about it?

[MarkW]

I just returned from a week on Nantucket Island. I always bring my metal detector and get in a few hours of treasure hunting. I searched a piece of beach that had previously been private land. Almost immediately, I picked a 1917 Walking Liberty half (Philly). That was cool since my Dad was born in 1917 and I was detecting within 100 yards of where I had spread his ashes 11 years ago. My next two coins were the large cents pictured here. Both have environmental damage after 200 years in the dirt, sand, and salt but they are by far my oldest detector finds. The 1800 is an 1800/79 and I believe an S-194. The 1802 is too rough to see much more than the date.

 

 

 

[bsshog40]

Awesome finds!!!

[AAC-migration]

Hi All,

 

New to the forum and also NGC, signed up but yet to submit. I also metal detect a lot and have many coins that I will either send to NGC or NCS. My question to you all is has anyone sent a coin into NCS that they have found metal detecting and if so how did it work out? Did they manage to get those silvers looking nice and did they grade with NGC?

 

Regards

[DarbyGloss-migration]

I was a metal detecting fan, but now I've already lost my interests in it.

[comicwiz]

I have always found any metal detecting finds metal detecting finds fascinating, historical relics, ancient coins lost jewelry, gold or even other interesting "juncky"metallic objects.I was also wondering if anyone have done metal detecting and would like to share their cool stories about it?

 

I got into the hobby in March of this year and was instantly hooked. I actually got into it from a series of events that unfolded a few months prior. My Son had lost something while at school one day, and I ran out and bought a metal detector hoping to find it in the school yard field. I had no luck, but during that whole experience I started doing research on how to discriminate between ferrous/non-ferrous targets in hopes of better being able to locate the lost object.

 

In the space of a month, I bought two more machines, and started trying to better understand how to decipher audible tones. They say the best visualizing reference from a metal detector is the sound, but this can only come from learning a machine inside out.

 

When I bought my first water/land machine (third machine), it was a game changer. I had resisted getting in the water because I sucked at recovering targets in the sand, especially deeper ones. I say this because a handful of times, I literally left within the first 20 minutes of being out in the water.

 

But I couldn't figure out how everyone else was able to do it, so I persisted. I also went out and got a good industrial grade sand scoop and it completely changed the dynamic of recovering targets in the water. I spent the entire summer pretty much in the water, and just recently returned to land hunting.

 

In case anyone is wondering what machines I use, I'm now on my fourth machine. I primarily use Garrett's AT Pro and Minelab's CTX 3030. I spent the entire summer using the AT Pro, and just started using the CTX 3030. Quite the learning curve on the latter machine. The other two machines I have are made by Bounty Hunter (Quickdraw II) and Fisher (F2).

 

Having the four machines isn't necessary, but each one does one or two things better than the other. They are also at completely different levels as far as features and capabilities. I will eventually whittle it down to two machines, and purchase one last machine which will be a Pulse Induction machine as all my machines are VLF.

 

Anyhow, to respond to your comment on stories, I started video recording my hunts in September and have been uploading videos on YouTube whenever I have a chance. Here is a recent hunt from a public green space I discovered last month and if you visit the channel you'll find another 20-30 videos from various expeditions. My hunts are pretty short (average about 2 hours) a couple of times a week, but it's amazing how many things I've recovered in the space of 8 months:

 

[comicwiz]

Hi All,

 

New to the forum and also NGC, signed up but yet to submit. I also metal detect a lot and have many coins that I will either send to NGC or NCS. My question to you all is has anyone sent a coin into NCS that they have found metal detecting and if so how did it work out? Did they manage to get those silvers looking nice and did they grade with NGC?

 

Regards

 

I've never sent in any of my coins for grading. Excavated finds, especially gold and silver come out of the ground very shiny and only usually require a light rinse under water (I used distilled or RO water). To some extent the purity plays a part (i.e. the higher the gold/silver purity, the cleaner and less tarnished). Copper/brass usually come out with some signs of oxidization which are difficult to clean with water alone, making cleaning options limited, and perhaps less desirable candidates for submitting for certification. I have heard people using electrolysis, know how it's done and could put a kit together fairly simply, but I've personally never done this myself.

[1987WheatCent-migration]

There are no worse people in life than the losers who stroll along the beach with their metal detectors looking to strike gold by finding a buried penny in the sand.

[Kenneth F]

There are no worse people in life than the losers who stroll along the beach with their metal detectors looking to strike gold by finding a buried penny in the sand.

 

[ChasingKingKirby]

There are no worse people in life than the losers who stroll along the beach with their metal detectors looking to strike gold by finding a buried penny in the sand.

 

And we have a winner for person_who_is_obnoxiously_self-impressed-bag of the year! Ding-Ding-Ding!

[ChasingKingKirby]

Hi All,

 

New to the forum and also NGC, signed up but yet to submit. I also metal detect a lot and have many coins that I will either send to NGC or NCS. My question to you all is has anyone sent a coin into NCS that they have found metal detecting and if so how did it work out? Did they manage to get those silvers looking nice and did they grade with NGC?

 

Regards

 

I've never sent in any of my coins for grading. Excavated finds, especially gold and silver come out of the ground very shiny and only usually require a light rinse under water (I used distilled or RO water). To some extent the purity plays a part (i.e. the higher the gold/silver purity, the cleaner and less tarnished). Copper/brass usually come out with some signs of oxidization which are difficult to clean with water alone, making cleaning options limited, and perhaps less desirable candidates for submitting for certification. I have heard people using electrolysis, know how it's done and could put a kit together fairly simply, but I've personally never done this myself.

 

9 times out of ten they will not grade as they will be returned as "environmentally damaged". :thumbsup:

[comicdonna]

There are no worse people in life than the losers who stroll along the beach with their metal detectors looking to strike gold by finding a buried penny in the sand.

 

I had dreams of being one of those losers one day.

[comicwiz]

Hi All,

 

New to the forum and also NGC, signed up but yet to submit. I also metal detect a lot and have many coins that I will either send to NGC or NCS. My question to you all is has anyone sent a coin into NCS that they have found metal detecting and if so how did it work out? Did they manage to get those silvers looking nice and did they grade with NGC?

 

Regards

 

I've never sent in any of my coins for grading. Excavated finds, especially gold and silver come out of the ground very shiny and only usually require a light rinse under water (I used distilled or RO water). To some extent the purity plays a part (i.e. the higher the gold/silver purity, the cleaner and less tarnished). Copper/brass usually come out with some signs of oxidization which are difficult to clean with water alone, making cleaning options limited, and perhaps less desirable candidates for submitting for certification. I have heard people using electrolysis, know how it's done and could put a kit together fairly simply, but I've personally never done this myself.

 

9 times out of ten they will not grade as they will be returned as "environmentally damaged". :thumbsup:

 

Thanks (thumbs u

[comicwiz]

There are no worse people in life than the losers who stroll along the beach with their metal detectors looking to strike gold by finding a buried penny in the sand.

 

I had dreams of being one of those losers one day.

 

Don't let a burnout like that tell you otherwise Mike. Best hobby I've ever taken up (thumbs u

[bsshog40]

There are no worse people in life than the losers who stroll along the beach with their metal detectors looking to strike gold by finding a buried penny in the sand.

 

I had dreams of being one of those losers one day.

 

Don't let a burnout like that tell you otherwise Mike. Best hobby I've ever taken up (thumbs u

I agree! People like this that are blinded to one or only their hobby have no idea the enjoyment of other hobbies. I've been metal detecting, off an on, for years now. I find it very fun and sometimes historical depending on where you hunt. I've never found a jackpot find, but I think it's fun finding things that others have probably walked over for years. Besides a lot of misc change, i've found a couple small toys that were as old as me (54), an old gold plated watch that had actually come apart in the same place it was lost, and a couple other odds and ends that are cool to me but probably doesn't mean anything to anyone else. Great Hobby!!!!

[ChasingKingKirby]

There are no worse people in life than the losers who stroll along the beach with their metal detectors looking to strike gold by finding a buried penny in the sand.

 

I had dreams of being one of those losers one day.

 

Don't let a burnout like that tell you otherwise Mike. Best hobby I've ever taken up (thumbs u

 

Me too. And I'm one of those losers that swings on the beach and I do dig up a boatload of pennies, but of course I also have dug up 46 rings this year as well.

[comicwiz]

There are no worse people in life than the losers who stroll along the beach with their metal detectors looking to strike gold by finding a buried penny in the sand.

 

I had dreams of being one of those losers one day.

 

Don't let a burnout like that tell you otherwise Mike. Best hobby I've ever taken up (thumbs u

 

Me too. And I'm one of those losers that swings on the beach and I do dig up a boatload of pennies, but of course I also have dug up 46 rings this year as well.

 

WOW - Nicely done! (thumbs u

 

My first year at it, and I couldn't be happier with my results. I probably have netted more or less about the same amount of rings, but I never actually sat down and counted.

 

The truth is that the hobby is filled with old timers that actually want to do everything to chase away newcomers because they see it as someone else cutting into their take. That's the irrational fear they have anyway, but it's completely unfounded because it's random luck and walking over the target that determines your chances for success.

 

Don't get me wrong - research can help, but it can only take get you so far when you have a certain amount of time to swing the coil in an area that will take you years to properly hunt.

 

You get the irrational mindset in every hobby - no different than the notion that new blood in a hobby will drive up specs and prices. Personally, this thinking never made any sense to me because we all had to start new at something, and to take an unwelcoming approach to newcomers does a disservice to the hobby because I see it as an opportunity to act as stewards and encourage sound ethics and practices to ensure the newbies don't do the wrong things and give the hobby a bad name.

[ChasingKingKirby]

There are no worse people in life than the losers who stroll along the beach with their metal detectors looking to strike gold by finding a buried penny in the sand.

 

I had dreams of being one of those losers one day.

 

Don't let a burnout like that tell you otherwise Mike. Best hobby I've ever taken up (thumbs u

 

Me too. And I'm one of those losers that swings on the beach and I do dig up a boatload of pennies, but of course I also have dug up 46 rings this year as well.

 

WOW - Nicely done! (thumbs u

 

My first year at it, and I couldn't be happier with my results. I probably have netted more or less about the same amount of rings, but I never actually sat down and counted.

 

The truth is that the hobby is filled with old timers that actually want to do everything to chase away newcomers because they see it as someone else cutting into their take. That's the irrational fear they have anyway, but it's completely unfounded because it's random luck and walking over the target that determines your chances for success.

 

Don't get me wrong - research can help, but it can only take get you so far when you have a certain amount of time to swing the coil in an area that will take you years to properly hunt.

 

You get the irrational mindset in every hobby - no different than the notion that new blood in a hobby will drive up specs and prices. Personally, this thinking never made any sense to me because we all had to start new at something, and to take an unwelcoming approach to newcomers does a disservice to the hobby because I see it as an opportunity to act as stewards and encourage sound ethics and practices to ensure the newbies don't do the wrong things and give the hobby a bad name.

 

Agreed a 100%. There IS a grain of truth to it, because I don't particularly like to see 6 MDs on the beach when I'm pulling up, but I've pulled great stuff out of the sand on beaches that I KNOW were pounded the day before. You just never know. What I would say is that this is NOT a get rich hobby. For most people, if you factor in the cost of gas, equipment and time, you're lucky to break even. For me, I LOVE to do it. Love to be in the water with my Excal, fighting the surf to get one more scoop out of the bottom. It's just a lot of fun. Here's a few pics I took of my years finds, again, I probably threw away a pickup truck load of trash to be able to get to the "good" stuff.

 

 

Fistful of Wedding bands:

 

 

Old, old silver cross. Almost an ounce of silver...

 

 

Favorite ring find so far. Man's Cladder (sp?)

 

[Kenneth F]

There are no worse people in life than the losers who stroll along the beach with their metal detectors looking to strike gold by finding a buried penny in the sand.

 

I had dreams of being one of those losers one day.

 

Don't let a burnout like that tell you otherwise Mike. Best hobby I've ever taken up (thumbs u

 

Me too. And I'm one of those losers that swings on the beach and I do dig up a boatload of pennies, but of course I also have dug up 46 rings this year as well.

 

WOW - Nicely done! (thumbs u

 

My first year at it, and I couldn't be happier with my results. I probably have netted more or less about the same amount of rings, but I never actually sat down and counted.

 

The truth is that the hobby is filled with old timers that actually want to do everything to chase away newcomers because they see it as someone else cutting into their take. That's the irrational fear they have anyway, but it's completely unfounded because it's random luck and walking over the target that determines your chances for success.

 

Don't get me wrong - research can help, but it can only take get you so far when you have a certain amount of time to swing the coil in an area that will take you years to properly hunt.

 

You get the irrational mindset in every hobby - no different than the notion that new blood in a hobby will drive up specs and prices. Personally, this thinking never made any sense to me because we all had to start new at something, and to take an unwelcoming approach to newcomers does a disservice to the hobby because I see it as an opportunity to act as stewards and encourage sound ethics and practices to ensure the newbies don't do the wrong things and give the hobby a bad name.

 

Ive been scanning every canyon around me all the way to the outskirts of Tombstone.. haven't hit the mother lode yet.. Im still hoping for that dropped coin from the Butterfield Stagecoach... still scanning!

[comicwiz]

There are no worse people in life than the losers who stroll along the beach with their metal detectors looking to strike gold by finding a buried penny in the sand.

 

I had dreams of being one of those losers one day.

 

Don't let a burnout like that tell you otherwise Mike. Best hobby I've ever taken up (thumbs u

 

Me too. And I'm one of those losers that swings on the beach and I do dig up a boatload of pennies, but of course I also have dug up 46 rings this year as well.

 

WOW - Nicely done! (thumbs u

 

My first year at it, and I couldn't be happier with my results. I probably have netted more or less about the same amount of rings, but I never actually sat down and counted.

 

The truth is that the hobby is filled with old timers that actually want to do everything to chase away newcomers because they see it as someone else cutting into their take. That's the irrational fear they have anyway, but it's completely unfounded because it's random luck and walking over the target that determines your chances for success.

 

Don't get me wrong - research can help, but it can only take get you so far when you have a certain amount of time to swing the coil in an area that will take you years to properly hunt.

 

You get the irrational mindset in every hobby - no different than the notion that new blood in a hobby will drive up specs and prices. Personally, this thinking never made any sense to me because we all had to start new at something, and to take an unwelcoming approach to newcomers does a disservice to the hobby because I see it as an opportunity to act as stewards and encourage sound ethics and practices to ensure the newbies don't do the wrong things and give the hobby a bad name.

 

Ive been scanning every canyon around me all the way to the outskirts of Tombstone.. haven't hit the mother lode yet.. Im still hoping for that dropped coin from the Butterfield Stagecoach... still scanning!

 

I see you're located in AZ. A lot of MD'ers around here dream about prospecting in your parts. Have you ever looked into getting a permit?