New at Detecting...Have great spot....but....

[Obsessed girl on the beach]

Howdy All!!

I am brand new to detecting, so new in fact I don't even have my machine yet...partly why I'm posting here. Was reading some old posts from 2010, and it just sparked my fire a whole lot more. So having said all of that... tomorrow March 14, 2012 I am planning to purchase my first detector. But the choices are ridiculous. Perhaps some of you can recommend one of them to me based on my particulars??

As it is, without a metal detector I go to a beach almost daily, and at low tide on a quarter moon, the beach is covered with magnificance. I have found old spoons, forks, pewter military items, (I'll try to load them here maybe some of you are familiar?) I have also found some silver and gold, just laying there amidst the beach glass on top of the sand. Because this beach used to have gentlmens clubs during WWII and the like all along it, and back when dumping was still legal it is abundant with treasures, I'm certain of it. Sometimes its right on the sand, but other times I have to get in the water with a wire basket to scoop this stuff out. A little more difficult that way. Ok... so now that y'all have that info....I would like something that can detect relatively deep (within reason of course), and also can go in the water. Is there such a thing? There is also a lot of junk metal from old greasy sewer pipes that I have no interest in (nor does anyone else for that matter haha) so I'd need to be able to get around that somehow. Imagine, if I'm finding some of these things without a detector...think of the goodies I can possibly find with one.

The only store where I am is Big 5. Currently the choices are:
1. Bounty Hunter, Prospector $139.99
2. Elite 2200 $139.99
3. The Outback $ 99.99
4. Sharper Image Express $139.99
5. Famous Trails Professional Platinum Series $229.99
6. Fortune Hunter - Digital? $169.99

I'm Researching specs on my own as well, but there's nothing like another's personal experience to enlighten ones choices. Right? Can you please help me?
I look forward to sharing my future goodies with you all.
Going to upload some of the finds I already have from "hand-picking".

Thanks, Barbara

 

[Obsessed girl on the beach]

Sorry guys. I just now noticed the policy on comparisons, and boy did I cross that boundary. Please forgive me. I can repost my message without the list if you like, cuz I really would appreciate feedback.... Please don't delete my message.

 

[AV64]

It sounds like you going in the right way of doing this. Take your time bounty hunter makes a wide selection of detectors, from the cheapest to the platinum series in which case is a very good detector for the money, easy to use and set up. plus its bounty hunters top of the line modle. it list for $550.00 or somthing like that but you can get it on sale right now at detectorelectronics.com for $299.00 free ship and a set of earphones + a carry case and some other goodes for that price to get you in the game, thats a hot deal. but i think the sale ends at the end of this month in march.I just ordered one for a back up detector.can't go wrong with that + bounty hunter has a 5 year warrenty, the best in the game and easy to deal with. Hope this helped , ART.....

 

[Pulltab Paul]

The 2200 is a very good machine for the $.

Paul

 

[Obsessed girl on the beach]

Thanks for the responses!!!! I really appreciate it and look forward to getting started. Does either of the images I posted look familiar to anyone?

 

[Drkstr62]

Hello and Welcome to the forum...I have a Bounty Hunter Time Ranger that I got from Radio Shack after Christmas...The TR is a nice MD, they can be hard to find...Good Luck and Happy Hunting.

 

[A1MTD]

Hi Obsessed girl

You mention quite a bit of things in your request, unfortunately Bounty Hunter does not make a detector that can be totally submerged in water, this requires a certain type of detector we call Underwater Detectors. These are strange beast and usually use primarily for this purpose of searching in water, You mention also a beach, there are different types of beaches some at lakes and so on as well as some are ocean beaches.

Ocean beaches require again another type of detector because of the salt content in the dry and wet sand. While dry sand may be easier to compensate for, wet salt sand takes a different type of detector.
One that has either a circuit designed to adjust for the salt content or with a manual or circuit that can adjust the ground balance on these detectors.

Most detectors come with a Pre - set ground balance, while you may be able to adjust it to some degree to work on dry salt beaches, they usually will not work in wet salt sand as the conductivity of the salt act's like a giant sheet of metal. You need a detector that can handle the salt. Most Manual ground balance type detectors can be adjusted to work in these salt beaches to some extent. Some other that may have a circuit that adjust for these conditions to some extent.Mind you these are NOT Underwater detectors but the coils can be submerged under water, as long as you don't get your control box wet.

Bounty Hunter claims that the following detectors work ( and there may be more I don't know about) in salt sandy beaches ... They are Bounty Hunter Tracker Metal Detector, Bounty Hunter Tracker II it has a manual ground balance, Bounty Hunter Tracker IV, Bounty Hunter Land Star has manual ground balance so does BH Camo LS and Discovery 3300 it has a manual ground balance.
Like I said there may be more not listed that I'm not certain about but most models that have a manual ground balance will work to so degree on salty sand beaches, as far as lake sand beaches unless they have been fed by ocean waters are usually free of salt so there is no problem using most any detector on their sands.
A1MTD

 

[BH505Man]

The Legacy 3500 is a nice detector it's pretty much the same detector as the Discovery 3300. It replaced the 3300 and also has manual ground balance. HH
Walt

 

[BH505Man]

Hi Barbara,
Update. I just purchased the Legacy 3500 and after testing it in actual field conditions, I can honestly say that this is one of the best Bounty Hunters made. Just read the manual. It's well written and easy to understand. I believe this is the model that will work best for you. HH.

Walt