I drove over to Kellyco's today to pick up my AT Pro. I pre-ordered it on 10/13/2010 and they were holding it for me as I requested. I would have picked it up Sat but my granddaughter never gave me the message when they called me. Sorry to say it was the last one they had in stock. They said it would be about 2 weeks before they had more in stock. They also didn't have any of the smaller coils or the underwater earphones in stock either. Guess I will make do with the basic package. I got home too late to give it a good workout. This is the first detector that I have bought since the middle 1970's. Boy, have they changed.
Guess I will spend the next few days getting acquainted with the new love of my life. Being older than most of the readers on here I probably have a different approach to metal detecting than many of you. It's not so much the idea of finding the once in a lifetime pot of gold as it is savoring the challenge of the hunt.
While waiting for my new machine to arrive I have been doing a lot of historical research. During that time I have learned that up until the start of the Second Seminole War (1835) there was a very large town of Black Seminoles within 2-3 miles of the house that I grew up in. It was known as Abraham's Town but it was also known as the residence of the great chief of the Seminoles, Micanopy. The University of Florida spent some time in 2002 excavating there trying to locate the site. From what I have read they were only partially successful. It is my hope to locate the site and see what artifacts I can recover. The only reason that I have any idea where to look is because I recall my father pointing to an area when we were riding down the road and saying, "That's where the Indians used to live". That statement was made about 60 years ago but I just recalled it today. And the locations matches up with everything I have read on the subject.
Before any of you think that all the tools and weapons used by the Indians were not made of metal let me remind you that this was 1835 and the Indians had been trading with the white man for over 100 years in these parts. They all had rifles, metal axes, knives and farming implements that they acquired through trading. These weren't your bow and arrow Indians. Although there have been a lot of stone artifacts found in this area they are all several hundred years old.
Once I become familiar with my new detector my first mission will be to secure permission from the property owner to begin my search
Guess I will spend the next few days getting acquainted with the new love of my life. Being older than most of the readers on here I probably have a different approach to metal detecting than many of you. It's not so much the idea of finding the once in a lifetime pot of gold as it is savoring the challenge of the hunt.
While waiting for my new machine to arrive I have been doing a lot of historical research. During that time I have learned that up until the start of the Second Seminole War (1835) there was a very large town of Black Seminoles within 2-3 miles of the house that I grew up in. It was known as Abraham's Town but it was also known as the residence of the great chief of the Seminoles, Micanopy. The University of Florida spent some time in 2002 excavating there trying to locate the site. From what I have read they were only partially successful. It is my hope to locate the site and see what artifacts I can recover. The only reason that I have any idea where to look is because I recall my father pointing to an area when we were riding down the road and saying, "That's where the Indians used to live". That statement was made about 60 years ago but I just recalled it today. And the locations matches up with everything I have read on the subject.
Before any of you think that all the tools and weapons used by the Indians were not made of metal let me remind you that this was 1835 and the Indians had been trading with the white man for over 100 years in these parts. They all had rifles, metal axes, knives and farming implements that they acquired through trading. These weren't your bow and arrow Indians. Although there have been a lot of stone artifacts found in this area they are all several hundred years old.
Once I become familiar with my new detector my first mission will be to secure permission from the property owner to begin my search
Ill figure it out soon enough !!!
I hope you get a lot of enjoyment using it..... 