Heading back to Florida for again....

[WisconsinMD]

Hello everyone,
Well I'm heading back to Florida again for my annual Florida trip. So I hope everyone down there saved me something in the sands for me to find So the last couple years my friends and I have always driven down but we decided to fly this year. So a couple questions I have are, what would you recommend the safest way to get my MD down to FL? Has anyone had troubles taking there MD on the plane or getting it through security? From those of you that remember the sand scoops I made for my last trip down, I had to modify one to fit now in a suitcase:

[attachment 187079 IMG00169-20100304-1237.jpg]
The original ones I made.

[attachment 187080 2011-02-07_19-29-31_596.jpg]
Now a 3 piece unit

[attachment 187081 2011-02-07_19-29-53_325.jpg]
a up close picture

[attachment 187082 2011-02-07_19-30-43_500.jpg]
Used lawnmower handle bolts with wing nuts to piece the scoop together.
The only draw back to this design is that the scoop is now heavier but not to bad.

So looking forward to March 1-10 where I escape this Wisconsin winter wonderland and trade it for sunny warm magical Florida. I'll start off on the gulf side around St. Petersburg area and end up going to the East coast. I'm looking forward to Cocco Beach and Vero Beach. Unfortunately last year my trip was cut short so I couldn't hit up those beaches, but I will this year

 

[jackkell1963]

I fly with my detector all the time. Just put it in checked luggage with no batteries in the same piece of luggage and all will go well. Good luck here in Florida.

 

[rarysgaard]

I hope ypu have better luck than I did at South Beach in Miami. I just got back from 3 days of MD and didn't find a single piece of jewelry. I found maybe $5.00 worth of clad coins. Believe me it's not hunted out. I was there amongst the large crowds and could hunt for an hour without so much as a signal. Next year I will bring a pulse and only hunt the swallow water. take care!

 

[Stryker47]

I flew from washington state to pennslyvania. I broke my F-70 down and carried it on in a gym bag when you go through security just take it out they want to scan the housing and the coils. No issues at all, HH and good Luck

 

[jcooking]

I carry on the body of the machine and pack my coils and rods in my suitcase. The security folks will want to see what it is, but not problems. Good luck and looking forward to seeing your goodies!

 

[trailblazing]

I fly all the time with my Excal I just break it down and kind of coil everything onto the top of the coil and secure with some zip ties. I always put my owners manual or Clive's Excal book with a picture on the cover in case there are any questions as to what it is. I put it all including my rod assemblies in my carry on bag( I believe it can be up to 25") but check with specific airline. Most airlines will not cover electronics if your checked baggage is lost if you read the fine print in there terms. As for my scoop I use a Sunspot Stealth for the water so I put the lower half in my checked bag and pick up a wooden handle wherever I end up for less than $10 at the local stores like Home Depot, Lowes, etc... I hope this information is helpful and good luck on your hunting.

Joe

 

[WisconsinMD]

Well thanks everyone for the replys and helpful suggestions, only 2 weeks and one day away before I get down there. And I can't wait!!

 

[S.S.Tupperware]

Where are ya gonna be stayin? I have family in Appleton and my dad is up at King at the Vets home...

 

[Finderskeeper]

Wing nuts will cause you problems as you will be using the whole scoop handle to grab. I often use the whole handle grabbing where I can to get the biggest scoop of sand I can. Those wing nuts I have tried and gave up on them. I now use carriage bolts and nylock nuts that are a bit rounded on the ends of them. If I slide my hand over them, I don't get cut up like I did with the wing nuts.

Just my $.02.

 

[JOHNMARKHAM]

good luck on your upcomming trip, i hope youll do great...
keep us posted on how you do...
good luck
john

 

[WisconsinMD]

I actually live in Plover, WI so Appleton is about 45 min drive for me S.S.Tupperware. I'll be staying first in Treasure Island for 2 days then off to Orlando to do the Universal Parks for 5 days then off to the East coast for 2 days. I'm thinking of hitting Cocco Beach first then Vero Beach then I leave out on the 10th from Fort Lauderdale on the 10th. So I will hopefully get some quality time in on both coasts. I dont see myself detecting while in Orlando area unfortunately but I'm not the only one going on this trip so lol sacrifices must be made. I'll post my finds if any worthy of posting when I can.

 

[BigDan]

Spirit only allows 40 #'s in a checked bag and charges $66 for it R/T. They charge the same for carry-on bags.

 

[whippy]

If you know the address where you're staying and can trust the office personell to hold it for you, you can ship your stuff via UPS, insure it and create a return shipping label for when you head home. Cheaper than checked baggage, it's insured and you'll have a tracking number.

Heck, to save on baggage fees, ship your suitcase too. Just take a carry on bag with a day or two worth of clothes in case something happens to your UPS shipment. 9 times out of 10 your stuff will be there waiting for you.

I do this with my golf clubs when I travel.

0.02 Coolwhips