Menu
What's new
Find's Treasure Forums

Welcome to Find's Treasure Forums, Guests!

You are viewing this forums as a guest which limits you to read only status.

Only registered members may post stories, questions, classifieds, reply to other posts, contact other members using built in messaging and use many other features found on these forums.

Why not register and join us today? It's free! (We don't share your email addresses with anyone.) We keep email addresses of our users to protect them and others from bad people posting things they shouldn't.

Click here to register!

Need Support Help?

Cannot log in?, click here to have new password emailed to you

Changed email? Forgot to update your account with new email address? Need assistance with something else?, click here to go to Find's Support Form and fill out the form.

Thoughts on metal detecting

E

Elton

New member
Hi everyone I am a detectorist. In fact, have been detecting for a number of years.
For me it's a great hobby.

My post is," I hope", going to make a point for all new people interested in this fine hobby.

I own 6 different detectors..Like so many in this hobby I am looking for the best, the deepest, and the easiest machine for detecting.
Do I need six(6) detectors? Well, thats a matter of opinion...In the short run it's a simple no. In the long run it's how involved am I in the hobby.

Coin shooting, relic hunting, water hunting, Gold prospecting....Yes I can justify all my detectors..but do I really need that many detectors for enjoying an occasional detecting hobby...NO Plain and Simple !!!

Do I need the most expensive model NO plain and simple

Do I need a machine with all the bells and whistles NO..I can do without a lot of the bells and whistles and still get great results...Are the bells and whistles nice.."Sure".. Meters, sensitivity control, ground balance, tracking on ground, tone id, yes Sir..it makes it easier.
Does it make it any more fun..NO !!

Some of the excitement is just digging a signal and finding something thats been lost or buried for a reason in the ground. You just never know what to expect..That can be thrilling in it's own way..every target is a mystery and every dig is a thrill..Hey thats why we got into detecting..we liked the thrill and mystery part of it.

A less expensive detector can bring many many hours of pure fun.......... Then if you like detecting buy a more expensive model and add the things you would like by buying that particular model...... The truth is most detectors on the market work very well........There's a couple you might not want to invest in, but any name brand detector can and will do just fine.

I have found that in some aspects I have taken some of the fun out of detecting just because I have the machines that for the most part tell me whats in the ground before I dig it. No more mystery, no more wondering whats going to come to light when I dig it..If it says quarter, it's mostly a quarter..I just have to read what year it is... Boy thats fun huh !!!

Do I still get excited? Yes of course. When I find an old coin, or some relic that I like . Am I happy with my finds sure..but still some of the mystery is gone some of the excitement is gone because I know it's a quarter, dime, penny, junk on and on and on....

My point is it's a great hobby, you can enjoy it with a less than perfect machine, You can keep the thrill alive, the hunts, and every dig a new and exciting find and do it well on a budget you can afford

Do you need the deepest detector..not really ,you can find plenty of great items at 5, 6, 7 inches under the ground and even 2 or 3 inches....
You never know for sure unless you dig it (Diggers motto-Randy) and it can be a lot of fun and produce some really good items..So to wrap this up do not think you have to spend a small fortune for detecting equipment you do not....Buy what you can afford, even a used one ,and enjoy a new hobby, It does pay for it's self. Keep it exciting, enjoy your finds use it for relaxation and a hobby unless you turn professional and don't become so competitive it becomes a chore, or something you do not like doing if your not the deepest, best finds person out there.. just have fun !!!!

And remember, whether it's a Whites, Garrett, Tesoro, Fisher, Minelab, or some other well known brand it will work well no matter the price you spend for it !!! It's a great hobby....enjoy it.

I am sure any and all of our great detector dealers, and sponsers of this fine forum can get you started. At a price you can afford. Give them a call
Check it out.You have taken the first step.Your reading this forum.
 
The thrill of the hunt is still there for me.There's something special about recovering an old coin that was lost a hundred years ago,and scientist are wrong time travel to the past is possible with a good metal detector.
 
Isn't that the truth Ron.It thrills me after all these years Too !!!!
 
LIFE IS CHANGE, PEOPLE CHANGE, TECHNOLOGY CHANGES, EVERYONE LONGS FOR THE GOOD OLD DAYS, I ENJOY KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN I DETECT???. EVEN WHEN I THINK I KNOW IT IS STILL A MYSTERY BECAUSE THERE ARE STILL SO MANY VARIABLES WHEN WE FIND SOMETHING UNDER THAT COIL THAT STARTS TALKING THAT TALK THAT WE LIKE TO HEAR. ISN'T THIS A GREAT HOBBY???
 
Elton, don't feel guilty over owning 6 detectors! Comparing this to deer hunters I do not know of any hunters who only own one rifle! There is a small group of detectorists who also are collectors. I know some who own anywhere from 10 to over 100 detectors. I personally own over 20! There is a thrill to find an obsolete, vintage detector in working or repairable condition. I try to only buy those detectors that I would use in the field. Although most of my detectors are over 15 years old I still feel that My equipment can keep up with the newer top of the line machines! I have sold most of my target id machines and feel that it is more important to rely on the strength of the target. Most people rely too much on the id meters and forget that these are only probability meters and good targets next to trash targets will distort the meter's reading! Also gold rings can fall into many of the trash zones...............that is why I have reverted back to the machines of yesterday which had no bells and whistles and many times the decision to dig was a gut decision and not determined by the detector's meter!....................................Above all ...................HAVE FUN.............................Joe
 
I agree with Joe about reverting back to basics with detectors. I have a couple fancy expensive detectors, Whites and Minelab, but I'm finding that all I really need is a good all-metal mode with depth and a way to determine non-ferrous metals. Tone ID works, and VID works, but I really don't need both. Everything else I can determine without expensive bells and whistles. Except for depth my little Bounty Hunter Lone Star works just as good as those costing several times as much.

Since Thanksgiving is nearly here, I must say I am VERY thankful for discrimination, however. And ID icons, digital readouts, depth meters and all those other things that "tell you what's in the ground before you dig it up"! Here in Yuma we have literally thousands of Snowbirds (winter visitors) in the cooler months and lots of them have metal detectors, some very nice and expensive. Many don't know how to use their machines properly, and most discriminate to the max to avoid digging any trash. Nearly all take the machine's word for what is trash and what is treasure......soooooo......they find some clad coins, an occasional piece of silver jewelry, but NO pulltabs, foil, etc. Also no nickels and no gold. :lmfao:

Marc
 
Great post Elton. A few other things that make this a great hobby. It can be a life time hobby. People well past retirement age detecting. Young children detecting. Even people with health limitations detect. You are almost always in detecting country, your yard, neighbors, schools, playgrounds, parks, beaches, fields, rivers. You don't have to travel to some other part of the country to detect. Your neighborhood is good. Some detect year around. Once you put the money down for the equipment needed your almost done buying unless you want the biggest and best of the new stuff now out or want to try some other kind of detecting (water, land, prospecting) that you just learned about. I know a lady who has the one and only Garrett she bought 30+ years ago. She is still using it and she is in her high 70's or by now in her 80's. And it is good exercise. Most of us are not members of health clubs, joggers, weightlifters, walkers, sports players or some other kinds of organized athletic activity. We enjoy being outside and doing what ever is necessary to get to a hunting place. Walking down a steep slope to get to the beach 1/2 mile away or the field that is hundreds of yards from where you are. Research to find sites and research to find out about what you just found. Your interest just grows in many different categories, because of the finds you find and want to know more about them. Enough..Sorry for so long...Thanks for reading. Jer
 
It wasn't so long and it was a great post..Thanks for your added wisdom on the matter
 
I read it and it's wonderful..thanks for pointing out your great day and with a regular detector.Aren't they good ???
 
I appreciate your post. I'm fairly new to the hobby/sport and am having a wonderful time. I'm still learning my detector, a Bounty Hunter Quick Silver, and look at it as investment in exercise, enjoyment, and education.

I never expect to get rich monetarily, but I know I'll reap dividends finding something that's been lost for some time, even if it's as small as a "wheatie", or as large as a silver dollar (if I should be so lucky).

Actually my dream find would be a piece of jewelry that was lost decades ago and somehow finding the owner and returning it. What a rush that would be!

To me, doing some detective work trying to find places that might yield some finds is half the fun. I love a good mystery.

Happy hunting!
 
Keep the good attitude and you will do wonderful.I hope you find that item and get it returned too.....Keep us posted on your finds Sir, we appreciate it.
 
When you find your first class ring..you will get a great since of satisfaction returning it...... I have seen grown men weep when they were returned.
 
great post... heres one for ya stupid but was exciting for me... I have to go regularly to the drs.. a thyroid specialist... due to the graves disease..however, one tell tale sign that my thyroid is acting up, is a large weight loss ( ok so I lost 10 lbs right)... well, the dr goes, umm your weight changed alot, and you lost 10 pounds.. I held up my hand and said, FIRST, look at my bloodwork, is it ok??? he says after checking, yes your blood levels fine, but this weight loss is not good.. I said wohoooooo a minute..I said, the last 4 months, I have been going out almost every day, metal detecting, and alot of times I am on the beach, so therefore walking on the beach or even not on the beach is good exercise, so my weight loss is due to EXERCISE not the disease... so that covered my butt and all was well... phew... on my end eh? see I am small to begin with, and have always been thin...but I am not worried as I know this hobby is good exercise as well, hell at this point, if someone jumped me, and I rite hooked em, boy would they be shocked after all the digging I have done ( along with a few cuss words as well) I love this hobby and will do it even if I am in a walker, hell, I will just invent one for the beach lol..
 
It kind of looks like we should all get together and buy a hotel on the beach and do nothing but detect. Thanks for the fine posts. Thanks for reading.. Jer
 
I got into MD'ing for similar reasons as the last couple posters. After working all my life (alot of 12-16 hour days), and enjoying several hobbies in my spare time, I wasn't able to do what I was used to. This left a huge void in my life, I was bored out of my mind. So I thought this (MD'ing) would be a good thing to get me out of the house, and I could do it as I felt "up to it". I can count on taking 2-3 days to recoup from each hunt, but it's worth it.

Like also mentioned, I enjoy not knowing what's under those few inches of soil, until it's recovered. As far as detectors, and the fact that I'm new to the hobby, I'd read some of the info on the forums before deciding on the 250. Price of course was an important factor as well, but I wanted the most for the money . I've been more than pleased with my decision on the 250. Maybe someday if I'm able, I'd "upgrade", but will definately keep the Ace.

Smitty
 
Welcome to our world.or at least a little part of our world..Oh yea sounds like you have a good hunting partner in "Terri" if you survive the "Getting knocked over part" HAHAH LOL. Good Luck, and you have a very good detector.
EL
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top