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New, and excited!

H

Herding Cats

New member
Hi, everyone! :wave:

I jut bought my first detector - a Garrett 250 from Kellyco - with lots of extras (I got the option 2). They shipped today, and I am hopeful that I'll get the detector by Friday...

I've been lurking and reading these forums, and have learned a lot already. I am looking forward to learning more, and eventually being able to post some finds here.

A bit about me: Closing in on 50 years old, live in the San Fernando Valley in So.Ca. I rescue, rehabilitate, and then rehome cats, dogs, and horses, and am an RN...in a large hospital with a hopping ER. Thus my 'handle' here - my life is almost always chaotic and full - and I'd have it no other way.

I bought a cheap metal detector for my niece at Christmas, and took her to her neighborhood park where she promptly found coins and a necklace...she hasn't taken the necklace off yet, LOL. So that got me interested. BTW, the metal detector works on her Grandma's fake knees, too. She kept finding them, much to the grandparents' delight.

I am definitely looking forward to finding my own necklace, but wanted to say 'hi' first, and see if anyone has any tips for a brand new detector!

Best-
Herding Cats
 
Welcome to the addiction! Looking forward to seeing the treasures you dig up. If you have any questions, these guys probably have the answer.

Happy Hunting!
Darren
 
Welcome!! youll find the folks here are
REAL helpfull and willing to share tips
and info Good Luck and show us the
good stuff!!!!

Ron

Rangers Lead The Way :usaflag::usaa:
 
Thanks, you guys! I promise, if I ever get anything good, I'll post it and let you all see! I expect a 2 carat diamond and platinum ring the first time out, so look for that soon! (LOL, you mean I won't get gold and diamonds every time? Why not?? ROFL).

Have a great day...I'm counting the days until I start to learn the machine!

Best-
Herding Cats
 
Like you, I got into this later in life, just a few years ago...I'm 54, very rewarding and healthy, peaceful, sometimes profitable, but always an adventure!
Before I found these forums, I was just winging it. Now I try to read as many of them as possible and try to pattern my hunting methods based upon the success of others freely shared. One thing you will maybe not appreciate right off, but if you adhere to, it will help you immensely..."Dig 1000 pulltabs, and dig 1000 pennys"...that's what an old guy told me when I ran into him with his detector...he also told me to get a 6"screwdriver with a comfortable handle, 1/4" blade and flat tip...said that's all I'll need to dig targets in the top 3-4" which will be the majority of your finds for inland coins and jewelry...Anyway, he made a monster out of me! The "1000" dig got me motivated to accomplish that goal, as fast as possible, and the screwdriver got me so fast on target retrieval, I can dig more targets in a given amount of time, thus learning in months what takes years for most. I hope you meet with as much joy and finds we do on your new adventure!
Mud
 
Thanks for the tips, Mudpuppy!

I am getting a trowel with the other gear from KellyCo, so that will be a good tool; I've read (and read, and read) how to make my holes invisible, how to hinge the soil, and so forth, but the screwdriver method sounds interesting...may have to add that. :)

I'm trying to decide where my first digs will be. I have quite a number of parks in the area, all with "tot lots", as well as some nice little foothills nearby. The parks get a lot of traffic on the weekends, lots of play space for kids, lots of ball park space, tennis courts, soccer fields, and so on. I figure I'll do a lot of stuff there, and see what I find.

As for starting 'late', well...I got my blackbelt in my 30s, started skydiving in my late 30s, and went back to school and got my RN in my 40s...I figure I'm doing things 'backwards' but I'm having a ton of fun...age is a mindset, in many ways. And I've got the mind of a teenager!! LOL.

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Herding Cats
 
Good luck with your new venture I found my 3 oldest coins with the ace 259 1904 IH 1889 dime 1832 half dime.HH
Anthony
 
Thanks, MetalFun! I am indeed looking forward to learning this skilled hobby. I've been reading and watching vids, and there is SO much to learn - especially identifying coins and such. I can easily see me getting utterly absorbed in this, very quickly. LOL, I've already been to TSA's website, to see if a metal detector can be carried on or it has to be packed. :) LOLing at me.

"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day..." (Shakespeare, MacBeth)

It's coming tomorrow. I have to stay around on Saturday because I've got the tree guys coming to clear the alley, so I'll just practice at home. But Sunday, I'll venture out to a park, and see if I can't start the goal of digging 1,000 tabs and collecting 1,000 pennies...with a screwdriver. ;)

I *really* want to do some beach and shallow water hunting...I've got a few dogs who'd love going to the beach (a Newfoundland, a St. Bernard, and a beagle) on at least a semi-regular basis...and since I'll be by myself, I'd rather have big, intimidating dogs with me on the SoCa beaches, you know? (And the beagle is, by earned rights, an honorary big dog). Still, beach hunting will come in time.

First things first - it's gotta get here! ROFL.

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Herding Cats
 
What does the tracking number tell you about delivery? If it doesn't suggest Friday, then I wouldn't hope for Friday. I never found KCo quick with deliveries at all. Tracking info keeps he going. martin
 
Hi, Martin!

No, I've checked the FedEx site, and it's supposedly here in the state, and should be in town tomorrow. :)

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Herding Cats
 
Great! The thing about "clad stabbing" it teaches a person so much so fast. You will learn to read an area and from your finds tell what goes on there. Totlotting is a great way to get introduced to how people play...all drops tell a story. The totlot finds and their locations are interesting, some big gold has come out of totlots. If you get good at hunting the trashy areas of parks, setting your sens low, stabbing with a 'driver, you can basically go anywhere and do real well...the beach will be a disappointment due to the lack of signals compared to a park...'nother thing, not a good idea to take any kind of shovel looking device into any kind of park or sportsfield. I hunted one of my main trashy parks today wearing flip flops, and shorts, with a screwdriver and my detector, no knee pads required, just ping, stoop, and pop. (or is it ping, stop and poop?:rofl:) After a while you will not use your pinpoint button, the faster the better, ping, stoop, stab, pop and gone...10 sec from ping to pouch is what you want to do...you want to clean a place out and leave no sign you were even there. It really does not take too long to get good, if you concentrate and apply yourself one day it becomes natural. Some of those tabs are gold rings, some of those pennys are big gold rings, most all of those targets are passed over by people focused on silver signals. This sport sure teaches a lot about people and their habits, even cigarette butts and bottle caps tell a story of the person you are tracking. I even look inside the trash cans on approach to see where the party might have been last night, and who these people were based upon what they consumed. Funny sport this..
Mud
 
"Ping, stop, poop"???? LOL, I sure hope not!

I have quite a few tot lots around, within easy 10-20 minutes' drive time. I will be working on those (as I've never seen a detector in them when I've driven by) for a while, learning the machine. There's one park where a lot of folk meet to work out, so I'll be doing that one, too...and there's a very large dog park that I go to all the time and I'll be doing things there, as well. Again, never saw a person out metal detecting at those parks, so I figure there will be a lot of stuff to learn on.

Just checked FedEx, and the machine is local! It'll be here today, likely some time in the afternoon. I'm thrilled. LOL.

Best-
Herding Cats
 
Welcome to this forum and our hobby. If you didn't order a propointer, it should be next on your list. It speeds up your recovery time and lets you get by with smaller holes when you have to dig. When a coin is under two inches I do like mud and use a probe and screwdriver. The propointer helps me get right on top of a coin or metal object and I probe to the center of the target and then to the edge. Put the tip of the screwdriver under the coin and use the handle of the probe under the screwdriver and lift it up. Makes a small slit in the ground and then you're on to your next target. The sniper coil is also a great add on if it doesn't come with the package deal you bought. Good luck and happy hunting.
 
Fongu, I don't believe the sniper coil comes with, and I agree that the propointer is next on the list. But (and here's a glaring newbie question) how do you know how deep things are? Is that a 'over time you learn' or something else? I'd hate to dig 6 inches if I only need to go 2...


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Herding Cats
 
It's here, took all of 3 minutes to assemble, and now I'm going to go take a jaunt over to the local tot lot and start learning this bugger.

Let the adventure begin!!

See you all in a little bit!

Best-
Herding Cats
 
I suppose I should actually read the manual, or at least watch the instructional vid. ROFL.

I tell ya, my right arm is sore, and my quads are going to want to discuss things with me tomorrow. I dug so many signals, but got very little. Still, at least I got one pull tab, and lots of foil shreds. Only spent an hour, and it was very hot (101* when I got in my car at 6:15 pm), so I figure I did all right. Now, to watch the vid, and see what I'm actually supposed to do!

Only 999 pull tabs to go!

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Herding Cats
 
Herding Cats said:
Fongu, I don't believe the sniper coil comes with, and I agree that the propointer is next on the list. But (and here's a glaring newbie question) how do you know how deep things are? Is that a 'over time you learn' or something else? I'd hate to dig 6 inches if I only need to go 2...


Best-
Herding Cats
Click to expand...
I don't own the Ace 250, but it should have a pin point button to help you center your target and it should have a depth indicator or the bottom line should show the depth. I'm having a hard time explaining this because I've had a hard day and I'm just a wee bit confused right now. Have you looked at any of the videos on this site. It has videos of all Garrett's current detectors and includes the Ace 250.
 
Just keep in mind, digging any target is practice digging targets. Also, digging foil and pull tabs means that you won't miss the gold. Stick with it, eat tylenol, and expect a sore swinging arm and shoulder. Work through the aches, and good stuff will start showing up beneath your coil! The good news is that after a while, swinging won't make you sore. For me, that 'while' was several weeks
HH!
Darren
 
fongu said:
I don't own the Ace 250, but it should have a pin point button to help you center your target and it should have a depth indicator or the bottom line should show the depth. I'm having a hard time explaining this because I've had a hard day and I'm just a wee bit confused right now. Have you looked at any of the videos on this site. It has videos of all Garrett's current detectors and includes the Ace 250.
Click to expand...

Actually, I'm sorry...I should have posted back to let you know I'd figured it out. The Ace has a depth indicator to the far right, from blank (meaning, I figure, surface) then 2 in, 4 in., 6 in., and finally 8 in. down. That was helpful, because I've discovered that my town's parks and rec apparently doesn't actually aerate the soil, and as we're in a drought, the soil was not simply compacted but terribly hard...even under the grass.

I also discovered the pinpoint doohickey - yes, that's the technical name - and it took a few tries, but I figured out how to use that, too. That helped me locate my one and only pull tab. :)

Again, I'm sorry for not updating and letting you know that I'd discovered it. Thanks so much for answering, and I'm sorry you've had a hard day. Those should be illegal on Saturdays, you know?

Best-
Herding Cats
 
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