ran into a detectorist & my finds for the day (lizard ring)

[JimmyCT]

First thing this morning I was out hitting some yard sales and saw a guy detecting one of the local schools. I noticed he was using a teknetics machine and wanted to see one up close in action and possibly buy one as a possible back up just for tot lots. So I introduce myself and explained my intentions and right away the guy was "taken back" like who the heck are you? (Gee I just told him) I was trying to be a local friendly detectorist but he had a little arrogance built into him. Wow. I explained that I hunt as well and that I use a Sovereign GT. I asked what model detector he had and he called it a teknetics. I said, " I see that but which model? Delta, Gamma, Omega etc? So he resonds, " I don't know" hmmm I am thinking to myself "how could you not know what model detector your running?" So finally he looks down at the coil, points to it and says, " T2". He tells me he is new to the hobby and has only been in it for about a year. So I started talking about this new school that is being built in town. He cuts in and says, "ya, I was pulling mercs and rings out of there and this construction guy saw me in there and started yelling for me to get out" I am thinking to myself, "it is people like you that are ruining it for people like me. At least ask the foreman on the job site before whipping out your detector and just helping yourself to the lot. " Now my whole perception of this guy changed. So then he started talking about more hunting spots ( more him then me, I am soaking it in) and the stories he was telling were phenomenal with arrogance built right in lol . "Rare" silver coins (from the late 1800's early 1900's) pulling them left and right out of the local parks and schools. He then starts to state that this one park ( the one I am always hunting) is really starting starting to dwindle for finds. It was at this point I had enough of his arrogance and said to him, "well, you have me to deal with when I am using my GT" lol. Then he raises his voice and says to me, "that detector you have means nothing, it is the operator! It doesn't matter what kind of detector you have if you don't know how to run it, you won't find anything" Wow, I think I hit a soft spot. Then he is talking about how his detector "sucks" at the beach and that he can't find anything. ( Here I am stopping, strike up a conversation and thinking to myself," maybe I have possibly found a friend to go detecting with from time to time) NOPE. lol So To end this conversation and put a little salt in his "bleeding wound" I said, " if you had the GT you wouldn't of had a problem. Hey good luck!" lol "GOODBYE" I thought to myself and off I went.

Wow, this guy has arrogance to walk into a construction site and just start swinging away like he owned the lot. I have a feeling he is going hunting where ever he feels like and not even getting permission which is ultimately going to ruin it for me and others in the area that do care. Their is an old school in front of where they are building which will be torn down when obviously the other is finished.

For myself today, I hit a local school and found some clad and a lizard ring.

 

[fwcrawford]

I have run into folks like that too.... thankfully not many though.
I usually just ignore them and go about my business if it seems like they don't want to be socialible.
No sense letting them ruin my day.

 

[JimmyCT]

He certainly didn't ruin my day, it just hurts to see people out there that have no respect for "no trespassing" signs and digging up america with no conscience.

I have run into folks like that too.... thankfully not many though.
I usually just ignore them and go about my business if it seems like they don't want to be socialible.
No sense letting them ruin my day.

 

[GunnarMN]

bit of advise if you propose to your wife dont give her the lizard ring she will say NO"" L>O>L some detectorist are biased to the brand they hunt with and a bit teritorial , I have never seen another person out detecting but my neghbor has a bounty hunter and i said hay come out you can use one of my detectors and he retorted I have a bounty hunter , so I realized i was insulting him and in a way critisizing his detector so i just dropped the Issue i only wanted him to have a deeper detector but he was inslulted so now i just say hay bring that detector out so we can find somthing , then i met a guy who was calling an aspen tree a birch tree but rather correct him in front of his wife i just let it go you should have said man that blows my soverign away I wish i had a tecknetics but that hunting without permission is badd I lost a 1862 farm to hunt because someone els went detecting with no permission was a mint yard to years ago i was like that guy i just walked on the property and started digging and the owner came and really yelled at me then i gave him all my finds and apologyzed and never did that again was arogant of me to do good hunting to you potluck may the permission be yours

 

[JimmyCT]

Also when I see people having fun in a hobby that I enjoy as well, I like to stop and talk and maybe make a friend or just a quick "hello" and "did you find anything?" Personally, I have never had this happen before so I was a little "taken back" myself. I guess there is always one in the crowd lol. Like tonight while I found those one-way -> wheats, Two guys pull up in a car (kids in the back seat) and apparently they were waiting for me to head towards the parking lot curb as when I did, they zoomed right up and started talking to me. I pulled off my headphones and said "hey, how you doing? " The guy in the passenger seat then proceeded to tell me about when he was growing up and the hill they use to sled down hmmmm please, carry on lol. He also started to tell me about other places to hunt. These other places were OFF LIMITS and I told him that. I explained to him, " if you go in there it will be the quickest way to meet the police" But I always try and talk to others where ever I am detecting. Puts me at ease, I believe it puts them at ease and they have more of an understanding of this hobby. Also, I usually end up getting some good leads as to where I can go next.

What happened today....was one in a million. To bad. I am always polite with people and show dignity and respect BUT this guy just rubbed me wrong with his arrogance especially when he started telling me about his trespassing detecting session.

 

[JimmyCT]

Thanks Gunnar for your words of wisdom. lol. No I won't give her the ring lol. I was really interested in seeing his detector operate since I have never seen one up close and personal. I am rarely ever like this with anyone with comments lol but he rubbed me the wrong way. The insults came after his arrogance shined through and trespassing session came to subject. He came across that he will go where ever, when ever and permission is something "I do not need" attitude.
I like the part you stated in bold lol Nice psychology twist. I am going to look into where they are building the new school. The other thing is I went to high school with the guy that is now principal of the old school that sits on the property and he has been chosen for the new school that sits behind it Time to pay visit.

bit of advise if you propose to your wife dont give her the lizard ring she will say NO"" L>O>L some detectorist are biased to the brand they hunt with and a bit teritorial , I have never seen another person out detecting but my neghbor has a bounty hunter and i said hay come out you can use one of my detectors and he retorted I have a bounty hunter , so I realized i was insulting him and in a way critisizing his detector so i just dropped the Issue i only wanted him to have a deeper detector but he was inslulted so now i just say hay bring that detector out so we can find somthing , then i met a guy who was calling an aspen tree a birch tree but rather correct him in front of his wife i just let it go you should have said man that blows my soverign away I wish i had a tecknetics but that hunting without permission is badd I lost a 1862 farm to hunt because someone els went detecting with no permission was a mint yard to years ago i was like that guy i just walked on the property and started digging and the owner came and really yelled at me then i gave him all my finds and apologyzed and never did that again was arogant of me to do good hunting to you potluck may the permission be yours

 

[Critterhunter]

One thing I can say is that the best accessary any guy who metal detects can have (besides a Pro Pointer ) is a hunting partner. I've got a few guys I met years ago online that I hunt with. We've become best of friends over the years in all things that don't even involve metal detecting. I can honestly say that they've helped me when I was down with moral support and I've tried to help them out when and where I can too. I can't imagine not having these guys in my life now as good long time friends. I've met others through them that are also fast becomming good friends as well. I get real enjoyment in giving them a few bottles of home made wine or talking on the phone about life in general.

I would encourage all of you guys who don't have a hunting partner to hook up with 3 or 4 in your area. Eventually you'll find the ones you really click with as good friends and you'll soon find that you are calling them up for other reasons other than metal detecting and spending time doing other things as well. Not only that, but it makes your hunting much more enjoyable. I can't tell you how much more interesting hunting is when you are doing it with a friend or two. You start to live for their finds as well as yours. Often I'll stop hunting, set my machine down, light up a smoke, and get pure enjoyment out of watching a friend dig his next hole. Whenever somebody says they think they are going to dig something good we are always quick to set our machines aside and watch the experience of the person digging the hole.

My friend was there to experience me digging that seated dime the other day. Heck, he was there when I dug my seated quarter and even did the honors of removing it from the hole. I watched the expression on his face and knew then I had something good. You get to see things through their eyes as well as your own. We even help each other out when one guy is killing the finds and the other is having a slow day. Once my friend came over and showed me two large cents he dug at this site I found back in the woods. I wasn't doing any good so he asked me to sweep the area where he just dug the large cents. About a foot away I dug my silver three cent piece. He was there to watch it happen. I do the same for him. It's not about who finds what anymore, it's about sharing those finds with each other, being out in nature, and talking about life.

Get yourself a hunting partner and you're hunts will be 10 times more enjoyable. Post a message on the main forum looking for people in your city. That's how I met the good friends I hunt with these days.

On the other hand, I've ran into those guys who don't fill holes or leave their trash laying on the ground. Those people are the ones to stay away from. Chances are if they don't treat the hobby with respect they won't treat friends with it either.

 

[JimmyCT]

Good point Critter. Question for you on the finds I have listed below, How did they register on the meter and were there any iffy's? or were they all clear signals that you knew "coming out the gate" were a coin of some sort?



On the other hand, I've ran into those guys who don't fill holes or leave their trash laying on the ground. Those people are the ones to stay away from. Chances are if they don't treat the hobby with respect they won't treat friends with it either.



Oldest Silver- 1835 Bust Dime, 1842 "O" Seated Dime, 1855 Seated Quarter, 1858 3 Cent Piece, 1891 Seated Dime

 

[Critterhunter]

Well, I'll go in order listed. The bust dime was with an Excal I was using for the first time. The machine was on the fritz and the threshold kept going up and down but somehow I found that bust dime and a large cent in the same spot. As said, the 1842 seated acted like a wheat cent on my GT and even my friend's Etrac. The Seated Quarter was acting like a screw cap in that it was a worbly 180 signal sound wise. I think it was on end. The 3 cent piece I found using a QXT Pro before owning a GT. The signal was jumpy like a brass 22 shell casing acts on some machines (not all machines will give them a jumpy signal). I wouldn't have dug that except for we were in the woods and he dug two large cents about a foot away from where I got that signal. The 1891 seated dime was also with a QXT Pro and was a good signal. The funny thing about it was I was in the woods walking up a short but steep little embankment and happened to be sweeping back and fourth as I climbed the little hill (it was about 10 foot high and perhaps 20 feet long or so). I got a coin signal and used my foot to brush away the leafs. It was laying right on top of the ground or at least VERY close to it. Never expected that.

I'd say that I've also dug coins on the GT that will slowly climb to 180 and then fall like a house of cards into negative numbers, only to slowly climb to 180 again, and do this over and over. I've heard on older Sovereigns real deep coins do this. I haven't seen that on real deep coins on the GT. They usually will either climb to 180 easier or linger in the 140's and 150's. Try that on a real deep coin air testing...slowly approach it with the coil until it just starts reacting. It'll linger in the 140's or 150's acting very much like a piece of trash...but that's at the VERY fringe fine edge of detection depth. I find that usually so long as the machine can see the coin depth wise I can get a 180 signal out of it. Anyway, back to the point...those coins that take their time climbing to 180 for me and then falling only to do it all over again are usually on edge. You might also find that 90 degrees away it doesn't hit nearly as hard or even won't give a coin signal due to the coin's orientation in the ground on edge.

 

[Critterhunter]

That's why I say I like to test stuff for one reason. Sure, experience is the best teacher. Won't argue otherwise. But by putting coins on edge or at the fringe of detection depth, masking them in some way, playing with sensitivity, etc...You can at least see how those coins act under certain conditions.

 

[JimmyCT]

hey Critter,


I can't say that has happened to me or maybe it has.... (where the numbers climb to 180 then drop to negative numbers, only to climb back out) I have had targets get up to 180 for a split second then drop into all sorts of negatives but never be able to climb back out of them. So these coins that register 140's -150's are the readings consistent or are they jumping wildly throughout the range you mention? Or do the numbers climb in order and hold rather stable or jump around with a few number range (ex. 142-145 ) I have had this happen to me a few times. In fact, the reading may have not reached 180 but maybe 177-178 and then drop down into 150-159 range and never to go higher. An 1891 right on the surface? wow sounds like a great area that I would go back to at least 500 more times lol. I appreciate the information and help.

Well, I'll go in order listed. The bust dime was with an Excal I was using for the first time. The machine was on the fritz and the threshold kept going up and down but somehow I found that bust dime and a large cent in the same spot. As said, the 1842 seated acted like a wheat cent on my GT and even my friend's Etrac. The Seated Quarter was acting like a screw cap in that it was a worbly 180 signal sound wise. I think it was on end. The 3 cent piece I found using a QXT Pro before owning a GT. The signal was jumpy like a brass 22 shell casing acts on some machines (not all machines will give them a jumpy signal). I wouldn't have dug that except for we were in the woods and he dug two large cents about a foot away from where I got that signal. The 1891 seated dime was also with a QXT Pro and was a good signal. The funny thing about it was I was in the woods walking up a short but steep little embankment and happened to be sweeping back and fourth as I climbed the little hill (it was about 10 foot high and perhaps 20 feet long or so). I got a coin signal and used my foot to brush away the leafs. It was laying right on top of the ground or at least VERY close to it. Never expected that.

I'd say that I've also dug coins on the GT that will slowly climb to 180 and then fall like a house of cards into negative numbers, only to slowly climb to 180 again, and do this over and over. I've heard on older Sovereigns real deep coins do this. I haven't seen that on real deep coins on the GT. They usually will either climb to 180 easier or linger in the 140's and 150's. Try that on a real deep coin air testing...slowly approach it with the coil until it just starts reacting. It'll linger in the 140's or 150's acting very much like a piece of trash...but that's at the VERY fringe fine edge of detection depth. I find that usually so long as the machine can see the coin depth wise I can get a 180 signal out of it. Anyway, back to the point...those coins that take their time climbing to 180 for me and then falling only to do it all over again are usually on edge. You might also find that 90 degrees away it doesn't hit nearly as hard or even won't give a coin signal due to the coin's orientation in the ground on edge.

 

[Critterhunter]

It's hard to say and the best teacher is seeing it yourself, so stick a coin on the ground and then slowly approach it with the coil from a distance as you wiggle shortly back and fourth. You want to just start having a reaction to the coin. See how it reacts in like the 140's or 150's. Sort of like a piece of aluminum or something. That only happens at the very edge thin line of detection when it's just able to hit it. Come another 1/8th of an inch closer and it's 180 city for me.