General Metal Detecting Guide

SLO_Dave

Full Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2010
Messages
119
This is a General guide for those of you new to metal detecting


Contents

A. Tools needed
B. I have a Metal detector and gear now what do i do?
(places to hunt)
C. How do i use this thing?
(tips )
D. My metal detector is beeping at me now what?
(how to dig)
E. A personal note on ethics
F. List of terms
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A reality check about metal detecting. Metal Detecting is a hobby, You will not get "Rich" unless you get very lucky and find something that is extremely valuable. BUT if you take the time to learn your metal detector and get out and hunt you can easily pay for it. Not to mention that it is also good fun and good for your heath. Like any other pursuit in life you get out of it what you put into it.
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A. I want to go treasure hunting !!!! What do i need?

First off you will need to get a metal detector, there are literally hundreds of them on the market today so you can pick and choose what will work for you based on your price range etc. Do some research or ask on the forums what would be best for you.

(Rule number one.. READ YOUR MANUAL!!)
(manuals can be found online if you have misplaced yours)

Ok so you have just bought your first detector or maybe you found your dads in the attic. What do we need now? Below is a short list of things you should have with you when you go out treasure hunting.

1. Something to dig your "plugs" with. There are plenty of items you can use from garden trawls to special built metal detecting tools.
2. a square piece of cloth to put the dirt on when digging. you always want to leave the area you are digging looking like it was untouched.
3. A bag to keep your finds /trash in. (always take out everything you find, Don't leave the trash)
4. Gloves
5.Long handled screwdriver or something you can poke into the ground.
(not recommended on suspected old coins)Silver etc.

(optional but recommended items)
1. A metal detecting pin pointer is highly recommended.
2. bug repellent/ sun screen / water /food / Spare warm clothes/first aid kit.

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(Rule..Always find out local laws , or get permission from landowners)

B. Ok i have my gear where am i going to find the treasure ?

Well treasure is in the eye of the beholder, it can be anything from a penny to a brass belt buckle or a old civil war bullet. The first place you should hunt is in your own front and back yard you never know what might have been hiding right under your own feet for all these years.

The best places are school playgrounds , parks, soccer fields , the beach etc.. Everywhere humans have been they will have dropped treasure.Do some Research on the history of your local area. Find out where the oldest area's are and hunt there if you want to find old coins and other treasures. Patience and knowing your area's history is what will get you the really good stuff. Remember.. Knowledge is power.
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C. OK, I have found a promising area to start my treasure hunt now what?

First we need to understand how a metal detector works. When you turn your metal detector on the coil sends a signal down into the ground.
If there is a target under the coil the metal detector will make a sound, All metal detectors have a zone where they can pick up a target in the ground. Take a look at the picture below.
Cone.jpg

The detection zone varies based on type of metal detector and type of coil you have on it. But this is the basic idea.
Your detector only has a limited area it can send the signal. Think of it as a Inverted ice cream cone.

When your detectors 'Cone' Sees a target (1) it will give you a signal. If the target is outside the 'Cone' (2) Even though the edge of the coil is over the target it will not see that target.
So it is very important for you to overlap in your search pattern. See the next picture to get a idea on a good search pattern.
overlap.jpg

A good rule of thumb is to overlap your last swing with the coil by 50%. Even more if you really want to get a good coverage.

(Tip) Make sure your coil is as close to the ground as you can keep it, Swing it in a easily repeatable motion making sure that at the end of your swing the coil isn't coming up. Keep the coil level with the ground at all times.

To make sure you cover as much ground try running a back and forth overlapping pattern. See picture below.
patern.jpg

start at the A position and go down the field. when you have gone as far as you want turn around and got to position B.

There are different patterns for different situations. Sometimes its better to cover as much ground as possible (beaches, in the woods etc) You can run a wandering S or Z pattern on the beach to look for the "Coin line" that tends to happen on the wet part of the beach.

(Tip#1) Where you find one treasure your going to find more..Over time people loose things in the same places over and over again. Take note of these places so you can go back in the future and find more.

(Tip#2)Take your time.. Going fast and rushing about is only going to make you miss targets you would have found otherwise. (like small jewelry,rings etc) I can not stress this enough GO SLOW... This is one of the main reasons why people find coins etc in so called "Hunted out" areas.
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D. OMG!! OMG!! my metal detector is beeping at me !!!!

Wow what can it be? Lets dig it up and find out !! Hold on just a second there chief we need to discuss a couple things first.

( Tip)first thing take out your pin pointer and run it across where you think the target is.. A lot of times this will keep you from digging huge holes. (i hope you have a pin pointer)

Ok so your pin pointer didn't pick anything up? It is now time to dig. Hopefully you have (READ THE MANUAL) for your Metal detector and you understand how to pinpoint the location where the target is.

( TIP#3)toss a coin down on the ground and practice..Practice..practice!!)

Make as small a hole as you can, after a couple inches run your pin pointer (or coil if you don't have one) over the hole and dirt. Do this every couple inches until you find the target.

( Tip#4) If your target disappears and you simply can not find it in or out of the hole. This happens due to the Halo effect. Keep digging down 2-3 inches(or more) the target is still there. But sense you disturbed the targets halo your detector can't see it anymore. This is where a good pin pointer and experience comes in.

( Tip #5) Always dig pulltabs..A lot of gold rings etc come up in the pulltab/5c range on most detectors. Discriminating those out is going to keep you from finding those targets.

(Rule.. Always leave the target zone the way it was before you started digging. Do not leave big holes and dirt strewn all over the place .)
This is a sure fire way of having the local authorities pass laws etc against Metal detecting.
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E. Who needs a code of conduct ?

Each of us have the responsibility to ourselves and other treasure hunters to make sure we do NOTHING that will give law makers property owners the excuse to ban or outlaw our hobby.
Not doing so in the long run is only going to make it so you and others can't enjoy this great hobby. I hope you take this message to heart.

Go here Link
And read the code of conduct.
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List of Terms.
1. Plug = A reference to a chunk of sod/grass etc you cut through when making your hole.
2.Pin-pointer = a hand held device that lets you know when your close to your target.
3. Target = A piece of metal your detector is picking up on.
3. Coil = The end of your metal detector that you swing back and forth close to the ground.
4. Coin line= Due to wave action/tides/weight of object etc coins and other objects tend to be dropped in certain areas or are moved to the location buy natural forces.
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Last but certainty not least .. Thank you everyone on the forums for supporting this great hobby and for answering all questions people ask.


(disclaimer.. The list above is only a general guide about metal detecting and all views are my opinion only)

Edit. If you think i missed something feel free to let me know and i will add it :)
 
Read this thread before with text and same pic, but good tips for those getting into the hobby again.

I just spent the last 2-3 hours writing this from scratch.. I also did the photo's myself. ........

I would like to know where you read something that i hadn't wrote yet.. Link please.
 
I just spent the last 2-3 hours writing this from scratch.. I also did the photo's myself. ........

I would like to know where you read something that i hadn't wrote yet.. Link please.
Not a computer geek with links galore. Just have read the same thing before with same pic and graphics. Chill out. It is all good info. Nothing nefarious intended.
 
Do you mean Simuler pics ? because i made those pics with mspaint. And if i sounded a little peved i am sorry. but i do not like being acused of plajerisim. Especialy after spending as much time as i did writing this out and making the photos.

The only pic i got online was a unedited version of the grassy field.
 
Must be the "Don Imus " in me. Have just seen the pic before and the 2 graphics. It,s all good. The text you wrote is good and been wrote many times in various venues and print media in different forms. You did good.
 
Plagiarizer!!!!

How dare you steal the works of so and so!!!!

Jk. :D

Nice article. Should be a dedicated page for people like me that did my very first metal detector search on google. Would have saved me a lot of trouble finding your guide first before reading just a bunch of reviews on individual detectors.
 
Thanks SLO DAVE for putting this together. I have taken the time to print it out for my future referance. Now I need to start a book for metal detecting for my use.

Thanks Again,

bear
 
Thanks for posting.
Well thought out and good advice for the real newbies.
They are all so cute at the beginning stages, aren't they?:D

This is an older article that had drawings similar to yours that was probably being referred to.
http://www.thetreasuredepot.com/issue6/coinshooting.htm

Your cleaner illustrations do the job just fine, though.
I can see and appreciate the work you put in to do this.
Great job!
 
It would be hard to write an article about detecting without using something that hasn't been said before. After all, we all had to get our information somewhere. There are always new people who haven't seen it before.
 
It would be hard to write an article about detecting without using something that hasn't been said before. After all, we all had to get our information somewhere. There are always new people who haven't seen it before.

Just wondering if this is worth a sticky?.. Or at least something like it?
 
Nice job!

I know what Beerdoodle means. It is a very sensible explaination that covers basics in a logical way. I think your picture is a great illustration of how to grid a field for best coverage as well as a very nice way to show swing pattern. I appreciate the effort and intention to help others get grounded in 'how to'. I learned a lot the day we went hunting! Thanks for sharing your expertise! Let's hit the beach someday soon! HH! :cool:
 
Good point silversmith. I am about as new as they get. Only had my first detector for a few days. In fact I am so new that I don't know nothin about anything. I am open to any suggestions.
 
good job

I saw this earlier and did not have time to read until now.
I am new to this hobby with only a couple hunts. Like anything else I enjoy doing, I try to digest as much information as possible at first and continue to read and learn. To me, reading this was helpful. I saw the link to another tips page which I will also read. There may be something a tad different on each one that just might make a difference in helping me find something special. It is like reading different books on a certain historical fact. You may find different views and/or different information, but it is all about the same fact.

Thanks
 
I'm new and haven't got my machine yet. I'm reading as many things as I can- this article was Solid.
Appreciate the insight!!
 
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