New to md intro and help

[ifoundapenny]

Hey guys, I've been lurking for a bit reading almost everything I can on here with the looming metal detecting season coming up. I started hunting last year with a bounty hunter discovery 3300, but the concentric coil and high trash areas made it where all I found were some clad and lots and lots of trash. This year I bought a safari with an 6x8 sef coil and im hoping that I'll have more success once I get past the learning curve.

I live in North central Ohio and have free reign of an old home that was built in 1890 on 6 acres with a chicken coop built in 1900 and a garage built in the 409 plus there is a Creek that cuts the back portion of the property. They are very trash tho, so I was wondering if anyone had any tips on the areas of old homes that tend to be hotter zones for silver etc. There's also a civil war Era house just down the road that I may have access to this summer so any tips would be helpful.

Also, I was wondering if anyone had any general tips for me to reduce the learning curve of my safari and sef coil and help me get the biggest impact from them right away? I realize that nothing beats time and experience, I'm just trying to not get burned out digging trash and have enough success to stay motivated.

 

[Surfinsafari]

Well welcome aboard! The best advice I could give you is to plant a coin garden and practice. It really helped me because FBS detectors are like nothing else. You must learn the Safari song or dig everything. Having the smaller coil will help you sort through the trash but you must go slow in your swings to let the processor reset to be able to sort out good targets. When you get a good hit, be sure torecheck it from different angles. To put a fine point on it...you know how to get to Carnegie Hall?....practice. Bury some coins and put some junk in the ground near your coins and practice finding them.

 

[klever]

I have only had mine for a few weeks, so I still have a lot of learning to do. I have planted coins in my back yard. I ordered the 6 by 8 and will get that on Tuesday. I am starting to learn some of the music but have a ways to go. Pinpointing for me seems to be the toughest so the smaller coil should help. I played around at a school today and found about 40 coins. Mostly in the bark. Just trying to get some time in with the Safari. Can usually tell when I have a quarter or nickel and penny. Did not pick up any junk jewelry which I usually do at this school. So that has me wondering a little.
Let me know if you need some help with the old homestead

 

[ifoundapenny]

You're right Surfin, I will start a garden as soon as the ground thaws out enough to have a good variety of depths. The good thing about that is I have no shortage of iron nails, newer nails, old beer cans, foil, shredded beer cans, broken toys etc. with that homestead beside me! I did get the chance to take the safari out and play around to do a side by side with the bounty hunter. I was pretty amazed when the BH couldn't get me a target over 5-6 inches but the Safari kept singing me songs at 8-10 inches! No idea what those tunes were telling me yet because after about 3-4 inches the ground was frozen solid and even with a full size spade I couldnt make a dent in it (plus I dont want to piss the bank off with holes all over the homestead they gave me permission to detect on). Pretty upset with the cold front that just came into Ohio! It's looking like a few weeks before things start looking good enough for me to get the safari out and have some fun.

A few questions:
Anyone here from Ohio?
Has anyone found it helpful to keep a log of what targets they dig, where and at what vdi it came in at?
And would it be benefitial to go to the coinstore and buy a cheap silver dime or quarter to put in my test garden or should I just stick with the clad I've found so far?

 

[Surfinsafari]

Definitly put some silver in your coin garden. FBS detectors are amazing silver gitters. I know the feeling of frustration over the long cold winter. Im in Ilinois so we are having the same winter. My coin garden has 2 inches of ice on it so I can't even see my labels. By the way, I did label what I put in the ground so I can compare TDI numbers to what is actually there. The labels are small so I can't see them without looking very hard. I put about 20 coins in the ground at different depths and a few have trash in them I took out of my finds pouch that I actually did find while detecting. The Safari will sound on clad the same as silver but depending on the size of the coin, it will ring up a bit different. Listen for a clear tone. You might get scratchy-clear-scratchy or any variation of that. Scratchy usually is bad or suspect at best. Clear tones is what your listening for. The difference in tones is why you need to go slow and recheck the target from different angles. If a target is at all suspect, I just dig it, the Safari is giving you its best guess but thats all she can do. If you get a cleaner area, you can go a little faster but I myself almost prefer trashy spots.

 

[afieldsne]

I think it's essential to read Andy Sabish's book on the Safari. I've only been doing this 5 years and I still use it when I have something I can't remember or never knew. Another thing I think is essential with a good detector is good headphones. Good headphones will teach you by just hearing all the tones. As for the test garden... you've got to do that. Just get out and do it. Oh, by the way, the more you go out, the more addicted you will be.

 

[ifoundapenny]

I've seen several people recommend Andy's book on the Safari, unfortunately the only place I can find it is in the U.K. (Joan Allen).....and as much as I want it and could benefit from it, it is still pretty hard to swallow spending almost $60 dollars with shipping for it. I'm keeping my eyes open for it, but as of yet no luck. So if anyone has any leads or one they are willing to part with send me a PM! as long as it is cheaper than Joan Allen's I'd be inclined to buy it.

 

[MetalMiner]

I've seen several people recommend Andy's book on the Safari, unfortunately the only place I can find it is in the U.K. (Joan Allen).....and as much as I want it and could benefit from it, it is still pretty hard to swallow spending almost $60 dollars with shipping for it. I'm keeping my eyes open for it, but as of yet no luck. So if anyone has any leads or one they are willing to part with send me a PM! as long as it is cheaper than Joan Allen's I'd be inclined to buy it.

I just put a book on ebay if your interested

http://www.ebay.com/itm/331137545223?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

 

[mudpuppy]

You are in a good location..thats some old dirt there! All those old brick N Ohio farmhouses go waaay back....bricks made right from the clay on hand..not to mention some old wars and whatnot...no telling what you could find...you are also in a centrally located area to make some detecting runs up to the beaches around Sandusky...hunt the old lock works on the maumee river etc..lots of good old dirt there in your area.. Well, you got a good rig, know the basics, got some places all lined up...I think you are going to do real well! Good luck!
Mud.