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Brand New

seprock

New member
I just started with the hobby, and I am thrilled! I have gone out a few times for short periods at a time. I have found a grand total of 31 cents, a modern bullet, and some trash. Not discouraged at all, I am just learning how to use my AT pro. If anyone could give me some pointers, I could really use them. So far my only struggle is finding places to hunt. I am looking forward to learning from all of you!

Dave
 
Hey. Seprock, welcome to the hobby!
I can throw you a few things ta start. And some of these things you probably already know... What has helped me tremendously is doing research for your area. I have done awesome with old schools, churches,parks and the like. Seek out the proper permissions first, of course, and dig in the library for what was the popular places and gathering spots in the past...the older, the better.

Also , take some time to talk to some elderly folks that lived where you might find places that may not be in the historical news papers or archives.
I stumbled across an older fella at a local park . his. curiosity brought him to me ...just as i was digging up a nice 1937 walking half dollar! That was percect timing! Anyway, he opened up to a wealth of new places including a creek with a beach that was very popular in the thirties when he was a kid... Just so happened he owned that ground and let me detect it for years to come. His kindness and curiosity. Brought me alot of finds...I offered to split everything i found on his ground but he just enjoyed seeing what i found and some good conversation..
He also liked how i took good care taking out all the trash i found and covering my holes really well. Always a bonus..
I could rattle on and on but you get the idea...dig that library! And you will be surprised as to the history you will unlock....and the treasure!
Best of luck... Happy Holidays ......fm : HaloEffect426. :detecting:
 
[size=large]How To Get Maximum Depth + Performance Out Of Your AT Series ( Pro & Gold)[/size]


* With the AT Pro, learn and hunt in Pro mode. It is deeper then standard mode. With the AT Gold, the all metal mode is deeper then Disc 1 or Disc 2.

* Has a place been hunted out? Go back and try again after a good rain soaking. Moist wet soil gives better sensitivity and greater depth readings for targets.

* If you get a nice high audio and a VDI in the 70's or 80's, dig it.

* The larger the coil the deeper it goes. However, too many targets under a large coil can mask a good target. If you get a slight good audio using the large coil, lift it up 2-3 inches and center the coil where the good audio was. Often times the good target will be much clearer.

* Get a coil cover and scrub the ground. Some people scan the ground inches above it...."DON'T" You can gain a couple of inches scrubbing, which is significant.

* Don't swing too fast! Just because it has a very fast "recovery speed"......doesn't mean it can always pick out that one good silver coin amongst several pieces of junk. The electronics still need to process lots of information.

"SWING TOO FAST, YOU WILL COME IN LAST"

* Swinging too fast can make you a sloppy hunter. You also risk eventually cracking/breaking your coil and elephant ears from the constant banging on trees, playground equipment or concrete.

* If you are getting lots of EMI or increased mineralization which is causing erratic audio, try adjusting your discrimination first, before lowering the sensitivity. This sometimes lets the machine run smoother without losing any depth.

* If you get mixture of audio signals, scan the target from different directions. Sometimes a good target is beside or partially underneath a good target. The AT Series has a unique ability to pick out those good targets amongst the trash. Going at the target from different directions allows the AT Pro to perform even better!

* Ground balance your machine occasionally. Temperature can change, and directly affect the settings. Hunting in shade vs. sun can vary. "a 14 degree difference on a lawn area to a 35 degree difference on a parking lot." But, the mineralization can also change between areas....so again...ground balance periodically.

* To increase the depth/sensitivity to silver targets, lower the ground balanced numbers a few points

* If you are hunting an area that is absolutely covered with nails, try ground balancing out a nail until it is nothing but a small amount of static. Now....all the copper & silver targets will give a loud audio response....BUT the target ID will be off.

*Bottle cap? Stomp hard on the target. Often times, an old bottles cap's halo will break, and the reading will change from a good coin sounding target to a bottle cap or junk.
Don't forget to use the iron audio feature if searching for coins or silver.

* Build a test garden...use good & bad targets at different depths. You will soon discover that deep silver targets beyond depths of 8 or more inches begin to not sound off as a high pitch or that the VDI numbers remain in the 80's. That is very good information to know. My rule of thumb states if it's deep....it's old. Dig it! It costs you nothing.
 
Welcome to this exciting hobby . I hunt in Pro Zero with iron disc around 22 ,depending what I'm hunting for. If I'm after relics then its iron disc 0. This was my 2nd year and I have found things that will keep me going forever. As you can see John-Edmonton has some very good advice, its hard to add to what he says. Reading this forum will give you a lot of information and ideas you can apply to your hunting
as there are a lot members who are willing to help with their advice and experience.
Check out the Maps and mapping forum, it has some good information as to obtaining old maps of your area.

Good Luck Seprock and H H :thumbup:
 
Sounds like you have the general idea on using your detector so remember the most important factor in being successful is LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.

Give the best hunter on this site the very best detector made and they won't find squat unless they go to the right location.

Read up on some local history. Hit some of the local schools and parks. My oldest and best coins have come from an open plowed field.

Always remember, there is only one thing more important than experience and a good detector, and that's LOCATION.
 
I super appreciate all the advice, I will follow every last bit of it. I hear a common theme of "research and location", and naturally they have been my biggest struggles. What books/reference materials should I be looking for at the library? I have tried a few sites on line, with no luck. Someone suggested google earth, but it does not date very far back for my area. I have also tried a historical aerial site, and it goes back to the 50's. I was under the impression I am not allowed to dig at parks and schools, I always need permission to dig. Something I came across a few times would be a mixture of signals mostly iron, but a quick ding in the middle of dongs. I would scan from all angles, and could never get the 80+ signal to reappear, sometimes when I dig that target, I find absolutely nothing, I wonder what caused my detector to go off like that, and find nothing. I am such a noob, but I don't mind these set backs as it is such a rush of wondering what I may find. I mean, I found a broken horseshoe this weekend, and it was so exciting!
 
Older parks and schools are wonderful hunting spots. Unless you are aware that no detecting is allowed, like signs so stating, these places should be readily available to hunt. Far more often then not if there is on ban on detecting, asking permission could well open up a can of worms, so to speak, and you will get a "no." The main thing on such spots is to be low key. Hunt early and late when there is less people around. Use small digging tools, no shovels, and dig a neat round hole, refill it neatly and stamp the plug down. Some of the more productive spots to hunt are old homes yards. Here is where permission is necessary. You will get some no's, but try and look neat and be polite. You will be surprised at how many yeses you will get. Good luck! HH jim tn
 
If you have access to old newspapers you can find where they used to gather for holiday fun also. Sometimes they even included photos.
Good Luck.
 
Here's another thought.... And something that i'm working on this winter...try and get involved with your county's Local historical society..Join up and be a member.Membership is generally cheap...like $30 a year or so... Sometimes they have monthly meetings and monthly member flyers with a wealth of information. Best of luck!
 
And going back a couple of replies to what jim tn. Talks about being low key and professional as possible and especially with covering up and plugging your holes...I couldn't have said it any better...... ! HH.
 
I really appreciate all the feedback, bottom line is I need to do some homework, research and talk to people. I went out over the weekend a few times. Knocked on a few doors, and got a yes from a nice guy, and ended talking with him for a while, and he gave me a history lesson, as well as some leads.
 
Welcome to the forum, good luck & happy hunting. Lots of experience on these forums. Keep the attitude you already have and just keep on swinging that coil and you will do fine.
 
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