We'll be having a random drawing on September 6th for a new metal detector, but

[Monte]

I hear from some of the folks working on the Research Puzzler Challenge contest and they are stumped! Most who I hear from seem to be hung up on the simple parts, too! A few can't get answers to the 5 Transcontinental Railroad questions, and the rest struggle with what I consider to be the easiest part.

Except for the 5 railroad questions that I switched to this May, I did the rest of this 'puzzler' a number of years ago and we're just now using it as a fund raiser. I figured that my September 6th we'd maybe have 25-40 entrants in the free Random Drawing for a brand new Teknetics T2 metal detector, but right now I'd be surprised if we get more than 5 or 6!! Heck, I drew from my old notes to get the 5 RR questions, then after I was finished I used the Internet (I'm not a big computer fan) and found how easy it is to research some of this stuff up today!

Is it just me or are the folks who've purchased the Research Puzzler Challenge that impaired when it comes to doing research? I figured that would be the easy part since it's geared toward the metal detecting hobbyist. Anyone seem to run into problems doing research? I know that "research" has been a frequent topic at a few local meetings or informal detectorist gatherings around here. I have always enjoyed doing research, which I actually got started doing before I built my first detector in '65, so what do YOU think is a reason that doing research can be such a challenge for some people? I'm seriously curious.

You can see how easy (to me) the RPC is by checking it out there.

Just curious.

Monte
Director, AHRPS.net

 

[Mike Hillis]

How would one go about getting a puzzle?
Thanks,
Mike

 

[Monte]

my fall off the ladder at work through off the timing to work with our webmaster to get the site up and running. It will be getting there soon as we add a calendar and then a forum or two or three. Part of the delay has been me trying to mend and stay at the computer long enough to get info to him.

Anyway, the Research Puzzler Challenge is found on the main page of the website, at the right, at www. ahrps . net and can be purchased for $10 via PayPal or a person can download download/copy the info, complete the puzzler, then submit it with a check or money order for $10 to the ahrps address on the last page.

My initial goal was to have it out and more 'announced' about April, then we had some issues and the webmaster (my youngest son) was busy with school finals, wifey things to get accomplished, and was delayed for a month. Then a server problem so we went a different route, then I ended up in the hospital and then recouping for a couple of weeks until I could get back to sitting here at the keyboard.

The result? Someone is definitely going to win the brand new T[size=small][sup]2[/sup][/size] metal detector (version 6.5), but AHRPS isn't going to see much of a fund raiser. If we're really lucky we might come close to a "break even", but even that's really cutting it close. Still, the fun factor is there and everyone ought to enjoy just doing the puzzler for the educational and fun benefit. Especially if they are dealing with terrible heat or some drenching rains.

Anyway, there is the route to the RPC and you can e-mail me at monte@ahrps with any questions .... other than answers to the puzzler. Those will be sent to all involved after the September 6th drawing.

Monte

 

[Dave~UT]

IMHO I believe some people don't want to put in the time to do a thorough search. They're not lazy, they just don't have that curiosity thing going. Personally, I like research. Currently I'm going thru 800 marbles I've dug over the years to find the type that they are and the manufacturer. Not easy when some marbles could be made by any one of 3 or 4 makers.

Stay well!

 

[Mike Hillis]

Thanks Monte,
I'll buy in tomorrow and give it a go.

Research is so integral to this hobby and is sooooo easy to do now with the world wide web making things so assessable. There is just so much there. No matter what type of hunting you do. Many of the libraries and universities are digitizing their historical records and a library card and/or a registration gives you access to tons of material. And so often just one article or reference opens up a whole new series of new sites.

Even as a inland jewelry hunter, I research the best locations for lost jewelry sitting right here in my lazyboy using nothing more than GIS and satellite maps. I know what charateristics have the best potential and I can generate a list, view them and id the areas I want to visit weeks in advance, knowing that I will probably have success on my hunt because I've already pre-qualified the sites.

Specific site research can go on for years. I've been looking for information for one particular site for the last fours years. All I had to go on were a couple of old photographs. Got my big break last month at a one of those antique/thrift store shops by going through the books there and found a book that actually had the same picture but this one had a nice little caption with it that gave a little history, specifically a name. I just jotted down the name. Now I had something to search for and it was only a matter of minutes once I logged onto the WWW I had access to all kinds of useful information, including the site location, more history, and even diaries excerpts. A quick satelitte view to see whats there now, how much of the site is still available for searching. All that is left is schedule time to go beep it.

Well...anyway research goes with metal detecting like peaches and chocolate cake

HH
Mike

 

[Monte]

n/t

 

[Monte]

Thanks Monte,
I'll buy in tomorrow and give it a go.

Thanks, Mike, and I think you'll enjoy it. Good luck!

Research is so integral to this hobby and is sooooo easy to do now with the world wide web making things so assessable. There is just so much there. No matter what type of hunting you do. Many of the libraries and universities are digitizing their historical records and a library card and/or a registration gives you access to tons of material. And so often just one article or reference opens up a whole new series of new sites.

That's what I think and actually 'thought' when I got started doing some library research actually before i got serious into using metal/mineral locators."

Even as a inland jewelry hunter, I research the best locations for lost jewelry sitting right here in my lazyboy using nothing more than GIS and satellite maps. I know what charateristics have the best potential and I can generate a list, view them and id the areas I want to visit weeks in advance, knowing that I will probably have success on my hunt because I've already pre-qualified the sites.

Here is where you and others are way ahead of me with today's computerized approach to 'research," and I say that simply because I was never into computers and only bought one in '95 to use as a glorified word processor. Never accomplished what I set out to do with it because I got 'side-tracked' on a bunch of metal detecting forums.

Maybe it's just the "old phart" in me that keeps pulling me to the special collections sections at older libraries through the years, but during the past decade I've been finding that even those were not funded enough to be open regularly and/or they are working to change them over to Online available info.

Specific site research can go on for years. ----- once I logged onto the WWW I had access to all kinds of useful information, including the site location, more history, and even diaries excerpts. A quick satelitte view to see whats there now, how much of the site is still available for searching. ---- All that is left is schedule time to go beep it.

Yes, it's available and I guess a lot is easier to acquire, once you get the computer thing down pat. In our "Past Encounters" newsletter section currently on our site I point out some of the differences I am faced with today compared to when I started researching and detecting. I built a "metal/mineral locator" in the spring of '65 after I started researching an old coffee pot I had unearthed running the tiller to prep an area for my mom's garden. It had a patent date of 1862, and it was deep in what appeared to be an old fire pit. My imagination got the better of me!

Well, as I stated, when I first started detecting I had already started doing research. It's especially true that when I was researching from 1965 thru '75 or even to '82, my primary sources of information were:

1.. Antique Books (and other printed matter).

2.. Antique Maps (quite available and unaltered by modern-day government folks).

3.. Antique People (Old-timers who were 60 to 90 years old, generally, and had been around and experienced 'life' from about 1875, if '90 when I talked with them in 1965, to those who were born about 1917 like my Dad and were only '65 in 1982.)

I got so much very valuable information, on-site physical descriptions, and even got to see old photographs from that era because I had direct help from "Antique People." Well, those people are gone. Anyone who is 60 to 90 years old today was born in between 1950 and 1920. So only a few can really be of much help with any older sites, and way too many of use who are in the hobby now fall in that same age-bracket category anyway!

So, since we don't really have the help from Antique People like some others and I did in the early stages, it's more of a struggle to gather some needed information. I also noticed over two decades ago that maps from sources as the USFS, BLM and other governmental agencies seem to have had a lot of "old" or "useful" information removed from thee, thus, it's getting to be more of a struggle to locate good older Antique Maps, and as I mentioned, many library sources for "special collections" are just very limited or gone anymore. In 1968 thru 1976 I was personally known by the rather aged librarians who worked downstairs in Special Collections and not only would they help me locate what I was looking for, they actually called my attention to some older-use sites they had come across when reading some of the dated material.

Perhaps that's it. I DO like research and the benefits gained from it, but I was a bit spoiled because I had some good direct contact sources back then, while today I'm just too 'dated' perhaps to gather wheat i want from computer access? Frankly, there are many times that my patience level with these marvels in front of us nearly results in

Sorry to ramble (I think I've done that before) but your reply is probably spot on when it comes to what can be accomplished if we just put in the time and effort and master the computer tool in front of us. Best of success as you work to locate and isolate some new jewelry hunting sites and the "beeping" that follows!

Monte

 

[Sven]

I remember those days before the computer, spending countless hours at the library each weekend.
Peering over all the old town maps as well as the old topo maps. Where old schools and churches were marked
on lonely roads in the middle of the countryside. As looking for possible city dump locations following the railroads
that no longer existed except on the maps. Those maps were wonder tools. Used to read microfilm copies of
the local papers from the 1800's, some wild stories back then, lot's of embellishment with graphic details on
killings, accidents and whatever else. Sometimes dozing off fantasizing about the possible finds at locations I am reading about.
Fairs, Festivals, Picnics, battlefields, old church grounds.................
Flea markets and antique shows produced many a lead for good hunting sites.
We always had somewhere to go and hunt each weekend and each spot would produce a minimum of 5 silver coins
for each of us.