problems at high schools...

[JimGilmore]

I have been having a lot of trouble at local high schools. anybody edle having reibule wit increased emf inteferrence ?
they have a red box ever 75 feet along the front parking lost that i think is for car charging. they also have added a lot of solar panels on the shade covers at these schools.

 

[Elton]

Causes EMI........ And in general all the electronic equipment cause interference.. Turn Down the sensitivity.

 

[REVIER]

Yes, I do hunt grass islands in high school parking lots when I find them and in certain spots I do get some extreme EMI.
Strange that it doesn't seem to be everywhere, just certain areas, but I go back to these sites and it is always in those same areas.
I just turn down the sense till I can deal with the noise and don't worry about it because most of the coins and all the jewelry I really look for is usually pretty shallow.

 

[JimGilmore]

-- moved topic --

 

[TC-NM]

The only problem these day's is that security is always asking what I'm doing on H.S. grounds. To them my Garrett pinpointer hanging at my right side looks like a handgun. . . So it goes.

I've had alot of emi at a elementary school where it's been yielding great finds. Where I noticed is on-the-ground transformers, green in color where I have to get away almost to 150' before the detector settles down.

Good Luck,

TC-NM

 

[JimGilmore]

Its funny to me that security asks what you are doing at a PUBLIC school... to my way of thinking if your paying taxes YOU own it.

But the inteferrence I'm getting is massive to thegolden... NO level of sensitivity will cut it out.
But my goldbug pro can deal with it better. I think it is in the same hertz as the golden is ..

 

[5900_XL-1]

I had extreme problems at two schools and at least one was caused by transmitting a dish or an array on the roof. Depending on where the dishes are mounted, you may never be able to see them. martin

 

[DirtAngler]

The attitude about you pay taxes so you own it is ridiculous. That would mean you feel you could do whatever you want to the school and grounds because you pay taxes. So with that thinking, you could go dig holes in the sports fields if you wanted to and not be concerned with how it looks. Some kid playing there steps in a hole and gets hurt. That is why schools ban activities such as metal detecting.

 

[Elton]

I don't expect to be stopped detecting the school.. But I certainly do understand the concern of Security..so it does not bother me to be questioned about my activities..

 

[JimGilmore]

I'm not saying that I should be able to do anything. But the issue is that as the government is trying to make everything theirs....
No nothing.....which will mean an end to this forum and out hobby.
And the only people then whom can detect will be somebody rich or a criminal.
Of which I doubt most of us are.
As for emi...I'm wondering if the FCC has an interest I was to call and ask?
Most items and compters are required to pass certian fcc reules to be manufactured. If items are creating intefferanc they affects rf I'm wondering how long till it creats a dangerous problem.
Imagine a small city that has purchased a drone to monitor criminal activity being lost to rf inteferrance and hurting somebody.
Lancaster Ca has one.

 

[Critterhunter]

Nobody is saying anything about digging holes and leaving them or such because we own it as public property. He's just saying since he paid for that school via his taxes he has every right to be on it's grounds and detect it.

Of course I feel that way too, but I leave my school hunting for when school is out in the summer. Even during the school season when the school is closed or on weekends often activities are taking place and a security staff is on guard all the time, so I for the most part try to stay away from schools until summer break.

 

[JimGilmore]

True , critter hunter..and I only hunt schools on staurdays or sudays when the kids are not there.
I have no issue aboutbeing asked why I am there and will gladly show the numerous straighted paperclips and bits and shards metal and wire I remove. anlong with the coins I find. School rings I will return if I find any..

 

[Critterhunter]

Yep, showing them all your trash your cleaning up, and in particular jagged pieces of metal or bottle tops with the screw cap still on them so you were able to find them with a detector, is a very good way to smooth over the detecting waters, so to speak. I read recently where one guy keeps his trash in a clear bag so he can whip it out and show anybody who asks what he's doing or why he's doing it.

I always make it a point to show and express to people considering getting into detecting all the junk you have to dig to find anything good most of the time, especially with these TV shows these days making it look like all you have to do is turn on a detector and great finds worth some money just magically start popping out of the ground. The more people have their eyes wide open when deciding to get into this hobby, the less chance they'll buy an expensive detector and find it's just not for them.

Not to mention that I can see some newbies, having viewed these shows, get frustrated and decide the faster they dig (like say with a shovel or such) the sooner those good finds will start showing up. In areas that are sensitive, it's more prudent to only take chances on what you think has some potential to dig, rather than dig ever signal you come across expecting each one to perhaps be hitting the lottery or something.

I often get approached by a passer by and they'll ask "What are you looking for?" I never say old coins or gold rings, but rather just I always say "just coins", and then will throw in "and digging a lot of trash." If they ask if I ever found a gold ring, I never say "Sure", but rather I just say "gold rings can read like anything from foil to pull tabs to can shards and any amount of other trash up and down the scale of things."

I'm not lying to them, but rather making sure they don't get the idea that I'm cruising "their" park and sucking up all the great finds before they get into this hobby like they've probably been contemplating for 20 years or so. Some people I feel might get the green eye in that respect, and might be motivated to call the cops and complain if they feel I'm somehow beating them to "their" finds at "their" park they've been thinking about hunting for years. Plus, now they know the reality of the hobby, so if they do decide to spring for a machine they won't have grand illusions about what detecting is like on most days.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... So with that thinking, you could go dig holes in the sports fields if you wanted to and not be concerned with how it looks. Some kid playing there steps in a hole and gets hurt. That is why schools ban activities such as metal detecting.

Dirt-angler, you're right in one sense, that "paying taxes" doesn't give a tax-payer the right to go do "anything he wants" (ie.: waltz around nude, take the swing-sets home, etc.... However, being a tax-payer DOES give someone the "right" to do that which isn't illegal. And I take exception with your portrayal of metal detecting. Think of it dirt-angler: what was the mental perception you were taking with your statement: "... dig holes in the sports fields ..." ? Be honest. HOLES, right? Now seriously, if someone (any one of us) is leaving "holes" (the end result), then SURE, shame on them. Do you leave "holes" all around sports fields dirt-angler? If so, then I suggest you return to the "target-recovery 101" class.

Thus yes, assuming the campus is not closed after-hours to other after-school users (basket-ball, persons jogging the track, etc...) then I too consider my hobby as innocuous. And only if I left holes (as you characterize our hobby) would I be in-the-wrong.

 

[DirtAngler]

Tom,
Apparently you didn't get all of the point I was making. It was meant about being a taxpayer and thinking because of that fact, you COULD dig holes on the sports field as long as it wasn't posted that you can't dig holes on the field. Kind of like the irony of coffee being hot so you better put it on the cups. Common sense is a lost perception now-a-days in too many people. Read some posts, there are too many posts about people going to an area to find morons metal detected there and left junk and did not fill their holes. And no, I'm pretty much a stickler for believing in and following our code of ethics. How about you?

 

[Tom_in_CA]

dirt-angler, let me save you some time: If you think that prohibitions about "digging" will preclude you from hunting a park or school lawn, then give up detecting at those places right now. Don't even bother asking "can I?", as no one can authorize you to break the law. Yup that forbid "alterations" or "defacement" or "digging" or "damage" or "vandalism" exist in ALL public places. I mean, duh, did you really think you were going to walk into city hall or school district office somewhere, and ask:

"Hi. Can I please alter, deface, damage, vandalize, dig, and destroy the park (or school) for my own personal pleasure and enjoyment?".

I assure you that clauses/verbage that disallow such actions exist everywhere. I mean, did you really think any place "allows" destruction and defacement?

Thus no, I do not equate my hobby with such terms. To do so ....... to make the automatic equivalence that md'ing = destruction and damage, is to give it up now. Stick to private property or beaches.

You have to recognize that the mental picture you are portraying with your "dig holes" portrayal, is the end result of ...... holes! Thus if you and I leave no holes, then nothing has been destroyED, defacED, alterED, and so forth. What could be more in keeping with the code of ethics than that??

Sure there's the temporary evil process of extraction, and sure someone can come up and debate the semantics of this interpretation. Avoid such persons, and go at low traffic times. If it still bothers you that you can not alter, deface, and vandalize places (if that's the laws you really feel apply to this), then ...... I suggest you've chosen the wrong hobby. Or you'll have to be content to look only for items on top of the ground.

 

[DirtAngler]

Tom,
I don't know if you just missed my point or just cannot understand it. No, I do not go around asking to dig holes. I "STATED" that for the arguement about paying taxes does not give you the right to do that. I always try to get permission and at least make sure there are no restrictions against metal detecting before hunting any place. I have checked with my school districts in my area and have been given permission. Personally, I'd rather have actual permission by someone with authority than take it for granted that a place is fair game because it is a public place. There are a few public places around here that banned metal detecting because it only takes one person who doesn't care about proper recovery to ruin it for those that do.

 

[JimGilmore]

The question here is getting into symantics.....
Is using a probe to touch the coin and remove said coin destruction ? or is it digging , or is it defacement, the point is the law as written is desigent to interpert a standard simple statment that they do NOT want you to destroy the park clear and simple.
If you do it right nobody woud knoe you were there and even if were to watch you when you left they should have a very hard time knowing where exactly you dug, or probed.
Now this is because we want to leave the park better than we found it.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

ok, yes, I got that you took exception to the "I pay taxes" attitude. And yes, I agreed with you on that (that that doesn't give us carte-blanche to do anything). I was honing in on the other part of your post, which characterized metal detecting as "digging holes". That's where it gets dangerous to define and characertize detecting in those terms (unless of course, someone actually IS leaving holes). And by your saying "digging holes" (as something that you were appearing to say was illegal and askew of the code-of-ethics), I was trying to point out that we must not define ourselves in those terms, lest ......... we may all as well give it up now.

And yes, the only obligation we have is to ensure (if we are skittish and wonder) if there is any rules prohibiting detecting. And to find that out, we can all look up said-rules in publically available city codes, laws, charter, etc... (like where it's on the city website, or in binder form at city hall, etc...). If there's nothing there that says "no metal detecting", then presto, it's not prohibited

 

[DirtAngler]

You are correct sir. If it is done right, you are doing a service to the area by actually leaving the grounds in better condition because you are also removing any trash found. Unfortunately the problem is from the few who do not practice proper recovery techniques. As they say, 1 bad apple ruins the whole cart, and that has happened to our hobby. It only takes 1 incident of trash laying on the ground and holes not filled in to ruin it for the rest. That has happened at a township in my area and they then banned metal detecting in all their parks. The township manager told me that a few years ago somebody left holes in the park and trash laying by the holes so the board decided to just ban it altogether.