Looking ahead, will better detectors or better methods of detecting mean more at the end of the day

[GKMan]

Title pretty much says it all. What do you think? I believe that detecting technology will improve but, I also believe that we can build upon or detecting forefathers (and mothers) experience in order to help us find more. Personally I think it will be more thorough and thought out detecting methods which will help us find more, rather than the capabilities of the super detectors of the future.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I started in about 1976 or so, as a teenager with a used 66TR (circa late 1960s/early '70s all-metal TR technology). So I've seen the evolution from there, to TR disc, to motion disc, to TID, then more depth, then even more TID, etc... up to the present day.

And with all that hindsight to draw on, my answer to your question is that in the last 10 yrs. or so, we seem to have hit a point of dimishing returns on the advancements. Ie.: a brick wall in physics, beyond which you simply can't go deeper. At least with current science.

The reason I say this, is that if you were there "back then" watching detector technology form in the 1960s to the early 2000's, you would indeed see advancements every 5 yrs. or so, that if you didn't keep up, you were certainly a dinasour! I remember in the late 1970s, and early '80s, where it seemed like every few years, heaven help you if you didn't move up to the latest greatest, lest your friends would kick your b*tt. And this continued on it seemed for another 2 decades with constant improvements which did indeed open up another layer to worked out parks, etc... However, in the last 10 or 15 yrs, you'll notice that this is no longer true. Sure, a few whistles and bells (waterproofing a previous machine, or offering another coil size, back-light, or some such gimmick), but no real advancements in actual depth and technology (TID, etc...). I mean, you can run around with an original explorer (which is now over a decade old) and keep up with pretty much anything currently out there. Contrast to a decade from the mid '60s to the mid '70s. Or the mid '70s to the mid '80s. Or the mid '80s to the mid '90s, and in case back then, you were left in the dust.

Hence I think we've hit some sort of physical laws. You can only put so much power into the ground. You can only get computer processers to function so fast, etc.. The same debate that you see about "Moores Law", is that .... it was true for awhile, but there comes/came a time when you reach a molecular scale (if I could use the poor example, excuse me, don't get "lost in the example"), and you simply can't build it any smaller. So too for engineering of metal detectors. There is the ground to deal with (since we're not detecting through thin air) and ....... unless something totally different comes out, current metal detectors have hit a brick wall.

 

[Larry (IL)]

Skill and methods will dominate in this thread, Tom pretty well summed it up on the technology side.

Until something new like High Res GPR, (Ground Penetrating Radar) becomes affordable, we have pretty much hit a plateau on depth and target ID.

 

[GKMan]

I agree Larry, great response Tom! It is like you had that written and ready to go the first chance you needed it!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Even "affordability" of GPR has nothing to do with it. That too is a point of the laws of physics. That will not help us or our hobby. The problem with GPR (at ANY price) is the pixel size. The smallest the pixels can go, is about 1 inch across square. So .... doh ... everything you hear beep is a single pixel. Any coin. Any foil glob. Any ring. Any pulltab. Any nail, etc... All will simply be 1 pixel, which doesn't tell you a dog-gone thing. Even something you THINK would be revealing in shape (like a horseshoe, for instance), is nothing but a messy blotch of pixels.

 

[GKMan]

So, as I expected, for the foreseeable future, our best finds are most likely going to be the result of great places to detect, a good understanding of our equipment, and a little luck. Unfortunately we are up against time, as more and more land is built upon, detecting is banned for one reason or another, or someone else makes it there first. I suppose the best bet is to do our research and get out there while we can.

 

[hershey1]

Great thread. Years ago you had to learn the machine you had. No internet to browse looking for the magic set-up or program. Now if you have the money to buy a top of the line machine find a forum and you are in business. Silver is getting hard to come by but we are in hot pursuit along with a little gold on the side. Bullets and buttons still show up. Nothing like research and experience to help things along. My My what another inch would do. HH

 

[Elton]

Excellent !!!!!!

 

[Nauti]

What a great post.It's good to see people realising that hard work and research is the way to go.There are still many out there investing big money on the latest detectors in the hope it will improve their finds rate, when in reality they are paying for more gimmicks.So true about the explorer Tom,and this applies to other older machines too.......i've had most success with basic models which have little in the way of bells and whistles.
To get the most out of metal detecting you need to work hard at it,it's no use just buying the latest equipment and expecting the coins and relics to leap out of the ground for you like some think it will.

 

[BillF]

I agree that that we may gave reached a plateau of sorts with MD technology and that experience will rule the day, but remember what some "wise" men have said.
"Everything that can be invented, has been invented." Charles H. Duall 1899
"640k of memory should be enough for anybody." Bill Gates 1981

Unfortunately, we can't possibly know what the future holds.

 

[D&P-OR]

I like Mr. Dualls "quote" the best---OH YEAH! -----Fortunately, we CAN know what the future holds (on the big picture)--as Scripture reads.

I agree that that we may gave reached a plateau of sorts with MD technology and that experience will rule the day, but remember what some "wise" men have said.
"Everything that can be invented, has been invented." Charles H. Duall 1899
"640k of memory should be enough for anybody." Bill Gates 1981

Unfortunately, we can't possibly know what the future holds.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

bill, those quotes you give (from people who were obviously wrong) are "catchy" and "funny", but only in the sense of "hind-sight is 20/20". In other words, the reason we can chuckle at those things NOW, is the benefit of hind-sight, knowing that .... in those particular cases, obviously someone made a wrong prediction. But what you DON'T see quoted, are when someone way-back-when made a prediction of something (obsolescence, or can't go further in a certain tech, etc...) that DID hold true.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, the mere fact that someone predicted something that didn't hold true, doesn't therefore mean, that "you can never predict correctly for anything ever again and if you do, you will be incorrect"

Notice in my post below, I am careful to clarify: ".... with current science". By that, I'm talking about methods of detection. For example: If someone during the TR era had predicted "can't go further", he would (when you think of it), been right. AS IT PERTAINS to depth and disc. you can get with TR. But then someone comes along with a new science invention called VLF (aka GEB) in the mid 1970s. Then yes, detectors got deeper and better. But in those cases, a new type of detection was invented. Pulse is yet another type, to give an example. And people have thought that the depth it affords could be the "next frontier". But alas, no one can get any form of reliable usable disc, to harness that depth. Way to fishy and squirrely for anything but traditional pulse uses, which is mostly beach and nuggets.

As long as people tinker with the current methods/science, then in THAT case, I think they've hit a wall. But sure, if someone comes along with another altogether different type of detection method science, then sure, possibilities exist.

 

[BillF]

Tom, I knew what you meant. I was trying to be humorous. The 1899 quote was an obviously ludicrous statement not fueled by any certain knowledge at the time. The statement by Bill Gates(if he did indeed ever make that statement) was somewhat brought about by what he knew in 1981.
I think detector technology hasn't fully peaked, yet. We'll see. But, to the point, you are correct in what you said.
D&P, I guess I should have said 'the future of metal detecting'.

 

[rlc1940]

At the end of the day, better methods and dedicated users!

 

[mudpuppy]

Learned a lot! Great subject...

I wonder what advice you old fellows would give for todays hunter with most higher end gear being technologically about the same? Research, planning, endurance, site strategy?
Seeings how a great site can be only successfully huntable for a few days out of the year weather and undergrowth wise, and if you miss that window or are not aware of when it will open, no gear will avail the effort?
Optimism, Speed, Awareness, Strategic thinking, Effort? What personal skills are primary to a hunters success all things being equal in your estimation?
Mud

 

[woodchiphustler]

Finding great sites has been my greatest challenge in a state loaded
with laws, and a detectorist on every block. When I do old or new can find something.

 

[fowlercharles]

Hi GKMan, Great subject and a really great discussion here. You got it started with some dang good insight of your own and we all learned from it. Mud mentioned everything that should be at the Top of our List for answering your question. Neil and Tom polished it real good with their insight and answered with some great points. I'm old for sure, been digging regular since 69, and hopefully a heap of "noobies", will read this great thread. I can only add that for all diggers, old and new : If God so blesses you with those "future" days you are so"looking ahead" to, with every dig you make, enjoy the "present" of this great hobby for the" fun" of it, realizing if "it" ain't there, you "ain't" gona dig it.And Oh yeah, most important of all, Thank God for the "present" of the moment, and who gave it to you! HH, Charlie

 

[Prep1957]

Coin hunting has a great future ahead.PI detectors with better discrimination will be coming which will increase depth at least 30 percent over what we are using now.Last week I saw a hand held GPR with a bar coil tracing a 1/4 inch phone line 30 inches deep.No one yet has really got into "Charging the Ground" like pipe locator's use for coin hunting.I think the main problem will be with the government banning all metal detecting.I think everyone should get out and hunt while they still can.