new to metal detecting

[siz]

hello all, my names max, I'm new to the hobby and to the site, i live in upstate new york and I'm mostly interested in coin shooting, so if anyone lives near the Dutchess county area and can give me some good advice on where to hunt I'm all ears, also i have a few questions about using the detector i have, i borrowed a Garrett GTAx750 from a friend and I'm having trouble with it, i spent a few hours today on my first hunt and found a lot of oxidized iron and some aluminum even though i had it set to jewelry and coin settings mostly it still gave me those readings, i was wondering if anyone knew of ways of determining if its worth digging or to just move on, again I'm very new at this and i appreciate all advice, once i get a little money i want to get the Garrett ace 250 as i have heard nothing but great things about it


thanks sincerely,
max

 

[Johnny Cache]

Welcome! I am fairly new to detecting too, this is my first summer. I have the GTAx 550, and I have been learning how to use it for the past 5 months. The first few times I went out were a little frustrating, but I didn't give up. I was told it would take at least 100 hours to "get the hang of it", and they weren't kidding. I learn something new every time I go hunting, and I have put thousands of hours into it...and love every second of it! You may have to dig a lot of junk to learn what your detector is telling you, but when something "clicks", and you say "Cool! Now I get it!", it is very rewarding. There are subtle differences in sounds that will let you know what or what not to dig, you will learn this with practice and patience. Wearing headphones is a big advantage. This site helped me a lot, hearing other people's advice and experiences, and being inspired by seeing what people find! Let us know how it goes...happy hunting.

 

[MrGee]

Welcome aboard Max. don't get discouraged if you're finding mostly trash at first cause the good stuff is in the next hole. Make the rounds of the parks and pay particulsr attention to playgrounds with wood chips or sand, etc. They are easy to dig and if nobody beat you to them, you'll find that kids carrry a lot of interesting things in their pockets. Hit the playgrounds at the elementary and middle schools (on weekends, please). Always keep an eye on local festivals or anyplace where large numbers of people gather. The sidelines of athletic fields, outfields in baseball diamonds...Just go where people have been. Lots of luck and check back with the good stuff.

MrGee

 

[siz]

thanks for the welcome and thanks for the advice, currently i cannot hear the difference in tones but i'm sure eventually i will, and i did some work around an old train area which may be why there was so much iron, however i did find a couple cool things, i found an old hose nozzle (not sure why it was there) and a ceramic button i believe that has metal around the white ceramic, and then the rest as stated before lots and lots of rusted metal, i figure collect enough of it and then bring it to a scrap yard even if i only get 5 bucks its still more then i had before, i also found a piece of metal that i am not sure as to what it is, it is not magnetic which means there's no traces of iron in it so it cant be steel or iron, its painted green, kind of heavy for its size, so i am kind of curious as to what it is, anyway thanks again for the welcome, and hopefully tomorrow will have a few better finds, hoping to find some coins, even modern ones would be nice, any way have a goodnight and thanks for the reply

sincerely,
max

 

[siz]

thanks mrgee, like i said before hopefully tomorrow will bring better luck, i'm going to be working in my yard and then to a park, today was in the woods on a greenway trail, anyway i saw you posted right after i replied so i just wanted to thank you as well

 

[Waterdog]

Welcome to the hobby of metal detecting. There is a bunch of great people here that have answers to most all of your questions. do not be afraid to ask.

 

[dabbie1]

Welcome Max, The guys on here are great,You will have no problems asking and getting answers to your questions here!!!You simply cannot go wrong purchasing an Ace 250,Very easy to use and great for old timers like me too!I will be moving from Maryland to Delaware in a couple of months,Going from a 5th of an acre to three quarters of an acre of ground,right in the middle of rural farm country!Cannot wait to detect my property.Wayne

 

[oldranger]

Welcome to the hobby and this forum
youll love it ...

tis is my 2nd yr so im still learning
but i can say be patiant that will help
more then anything


Good Luck

Ron

Rangers Lead The Way

 

[Leslie(nova scotia)]

From the land of the Bluenose.....welcome aboard. Good crew here and looking forward to reading your posts!

 

[BusDigger]

Ditto on the welcomes Max! Let me throw something else at ya'.... study on researching history of your area, old maps, library, talking to older friends/relatives, etc., and look for older sites to hunt. Not a thing at all wrong with hitting the Parks, Schools, etc (as long as it's allowed)....but those are the places that are generally hit on a regular basis. I understand nice finds are made at these sorts of places on a regular basis (of course depending on the age of the sites), but nothing beats (figure of speech) hunting an old virgin site where odds are good you're the 1st one to MD it. Start with your own yard, and the yards of family/friends, and practice your retrieval methods before hitting public property so you can leave the property with no evidence of having been there.

I'd also agree a 250 would be a great detector to purchase, I love mine.

Just remember to be patient and stick to it.....the finds will come.......good luck!

Smitty

 

[ThTx]

Welcome to the addiction, Max! The very best way to learn ANY machine is to use it. The school yards, playgrounds, public parks are all fine. You might also try a local lake beach. Water and fun seem to make jewelry slip off! Most of got a bit discouraged when we first started and found nothing but what a lot of people call trash. It is not trash. It is experience. And that my friend is worth it's weight in gold! The Ace is an excellent choice. I have had (and still have) several machines. My Ace 250 is one of my favorites. It is light, easy to handle and probably the very best you can buy for the money. Of course I have to tell you that I am a Garrett fan. One added benefit of the Ace is Garrett service. Nothing short of outstanding!

 

[Old Katz]

Welcome. Your in for a great time. MDing is loads
of fun and you'll never know what you might dig up. I've been using
my Ace 250 for a some time jnow and keep digging loads of clad
among other things.

If your looking for a qualilty detector, Garret is nthe pplace to look. The Ace 250 will
serve you well if you decide to go that direction.
Katz

 

[siz]

study on researching history of your area, old maps, library

thanks BusDigger, i tried using Google to search for stuff but seeing as how my town isn't the most popular in new york there's really not much out there, there is one place i want to go to but its closed off, its one of the original mill's here and it was built sometime in the mid to late 1800's i think, i might try and do the area around it and see if i can find anything

Most of got a bit discouraged when we first started and found nothing but what a lot of people call trash. It is not trash. It is experience. And that my friend is worth it's weight in gold!

thanks ThTx, that really made me look at it in a new way, i guess its another case of quality over quantity, sure getting a lot of jewelery and old coins is great, but learning how to be better and more percise as you go along is even better, i generaly keep all the iron i dug up anyway, and the button and hose nozzle i gotta say i thought it was kinda cool when i found them especially because all around them was glass and iron

Going from a 5th of an acre to three quarters of an acre of ground,right in the middle of rural farm country!Cannot wait to detect my property.Wayne

wow that's a big move, but with today's economy it was probably not as bad as it would be a couple of years ago, i wish you the best of luck on your findings, I'm trying my yard out today,

everyone i want to thank you again for replying, your words are a great help in this new hobby i am already enjoying very much, and i enjoy the exercise that comes along with it, i also want to say that this is my first forum that i have joined to be able to post and keep on posting, i've always joined because i needed info and the site would not let me read unless i joined, so by me joining this forum to really join it is a big thing for me, and seeing how quickly people reply is also a really cool thing, thanks again

sincerely,
max

 

[fongu]

Welcome to the forum and happy hunting to you. Finding old coins and relics are like time capsules to the past. I probably haven't found as much in 2 years as some of the more experience people on this forum do in one day, but I enjoy it when I can metal detect just like they do. You never know what you will find. Metal detecting leads to so many other areas of research and it is a fascinating hobby. Historical research, valuable relics and bottles, map how-to, GPS or compass use, and probably dozens more areas of research you will get into to be successful in your hobby. Good luck.

 

[Dan-Pa.]

First and foremost we have to realize lots of trash targets mimic coins and jewelry and to buy your own detector and after a while all will fall into place..yep an Ace 250 is a good buy for the money and has many functions of many higher priced units. All in all learn all you can about the unit you are using and combine that with lots of field time and you will excell after a learning period..

 

[siz]

ya money is really tight right now, so it may be awhile til i can have one of my own, but when i do i cannot wait to go out, I'll prolly make it a weekly thing if not multiple times a week, i do have a question for you guys, has anyone ever made money while hunting? like found a valuable coin and profited from it, if so what was it and how much did you get in return for it

thanks for the replies keep them coming I'm always open to past experiences that people are willing to Share

sincerely,
max

 

[TURNMASTER]

I can hardly read your posts cause your avatar is hard on the eyes.

 

[TURNMASTER]

Yes some have made money from MDing, few though. Cache hunters, Nugget hunters, many of the folks here have paid for their new equipment with their finds. Showing a "profit" though is a unlikely. Think of the $ investment and the time and the gas. I personaly am in it for the old coins then jewlery. It is the hunt. When you talk to most bird hunters or fisherman they do not feed their families and it would be cheaper to just go and buy a fish, but that is not the point of the excercise. It is fun and in a worst case one could feed his family with the skill.

That being said do not let me discourage you. When you are driving around, you know to and from work and the like, keep your eyes peeled and you will see places you want to hunt. Old coins come from old places. Lots of coins come from public places

Look at lots of the different forums here and see what different guys find and the amount of time and energy they invest. If you read between the lines you can pick up alot.

Do not be afraid to lower your Sensitivity, to much sensitivity can be as bad as to little (in the trash for instance). When I started to little Disc was as bad as to much, as it can bombard your ears with noise and then you miss the good target.

Thousands of hours takes a lot of time to amass. A working year has 2080 hours in it.

The good news is 100 hours don't take that long to accumulate. Dig LOTS of targets and learn what your machine is telling you. After you put in a little time you will be able to get an idea of what is going to come out of the ground. Don't forget most of do not post our trash that often.

Here are a couple that display some trash.
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?70,1298692
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?19,1304757

You can make a living doing this and if you are going to then get serious and DO IT but be realistic about your expectations going in and how you are going to make it happen.

HH
Jeff

 

[BusDigger]

http://www.buffaloresearch.com/maps.html

http://www.placesonline.org/sitelists/nam/usa/newyork/newyork.asp

I just Googled "upstate new your historical maps".

If you're just searching for "Historical Sites", most are going to be "off-limits". That's why I suggested looking outside those areas. The sources you can research are limited only by your imagination, so be creative. Internet and your local library are 2 good starting places.

If you have the thoughts of "striking it rich"......save lots of cash ahead of time, you'll need it....and expect to spend it all, and get little in return. Some advice.....spend this time honing your research techniques, that's what's going to put you over the better finds alot quicker than "luck". Also, I see you've asked i a couple posts asking for someone to share their site(s) with you....and I'm only saying this so you'll understand why you probably won't get many takers. Too many people have been burned by sharing a site with someone, especially someone they don't know, and if someone has a "hot" field, they're likely saving it for themselves and their hunting partner (likely a long-time trusted friend) if they hunt with one.

Smitty

 

[Dig'em All]

Congrats on thinking of taking up this great hobby. I have been at it for two and a half months so I am just out of the womb. I have found almost thirty dollars in clad, two Mercury Dimes, one Roosevelt Silver Dime, one 1945 War Nickel, one 1932 Silver Quarter, Many Wheat Pennies. In the jewelry department most of mine finds have been costume but I did recently find a 925 Silver Locket. Also, I think that most machines swingers get alot of trash as I do. I have the Garrett Scorpion and the Ace 250. Let me say that when I first got my Scorpion I was so frustrated at only digging nails. I was talking to the dealer that sold me my machines and he has been at this hobby for many years, and he told me that at times he has been frustrated too. So remember, do not give up keep at it and the good finds will come. Once more, good luck, keep at it and tell yourself that the next hole will be the best find that has ever been found.