Big Boys Hobbies

Does Anybody Practice or Train?

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B52bombardier1

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Sep 18, 2022
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Hello,

I have not decided on a detector yet but the Nokta Legend looks promising. When I get my new detector, I have decided I will bury different sized old silver coins at various depths to see how the detector reacts.

Am I nutty here or is this a good means of training myself with the new detector?

Rick


Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 
Not crazy at all. I've been detecting just under a year now, and I learned a lot playing in my own yard. There might be some fun things to find at your home if it's old enough, and if not, just practice digging a clean plug and bury something.

I've been using a Garrett Apex for most of that time, but I just got the Legend on Tuesday. I've only had one chance to get out with it so far, but my first impression is good

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
 
diggin4clad said:
The best "training" is being out there in real time conditions. Trial and error is always the best way to learn how to use a detector.
Click to expand...
I agree with this statement in principle, but knowing all the features/tones of your machine before you get out in the wider world can help you hit the ground running

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
 
A test garden is ok to get a baseline but will not replicate many the scenarios you will encounter it the field. I have one and use it now and then when I get a new coil or want try a different setting. But nothing like getting out and just do it. Good luck. Mark
 
thefabulousnip said:
I agree with this statement in principle, but knowing all the features/tones of your machine before you get out in the wider world can help you hit the ground running

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
A new test garden doesn't give the same responses as coins or other targets that have been in the ground for many years.
 
Best thing to use your yard for is to learn how to dig plugs properly. And see if your plugs die. Learning to do research is the best way to find silver coins.
 
diggin4clad said:
A new test garden doesn't give the same responses as coins or other targets that have been in the ground for many years.
Click to expand...

That is precisely why I made my home test grade quickly after starting the hobby, back in 2010. Mine is well seasoned 12 years later.

A test garden is good IMPO for testing after a day of weak, silent hunt trips, and when I add new gear or a new metal detector.

Why not have a simple test ability at home? It doesn't replicate a day inn the field but it is an added tool.
 
A test garden seems silly to me. Get out in the real world and learn by trial and error. Dig everything to start. That's the best way to learn your machine and figure out which signals and numbers are trash and which are worth digging.
 
Martin_V3i said:
That is precisely why I made my home test grade quickly after starting the hobby, back in 2010. Mine is well seasoned 12 years later.

A test garden is good IMPO for testing after a day of weak, silent hunt trips, and when I add new gear or a new metal detector.

Why not have a simple test ability at home? It doesn't replicate a day inn the field but it is an added tool.
Click to expand...

Does a test garden have all types of items that you'd come up against in the field? All types of coins of different metallic content at various depths and angles? All types of other pieces of metal of different composition, depth, and angles? Pulltabs, screw caps, shredded aluminum, cans, rusty items, and who knows what else? If anyone wants to have a test garden, that's up to them.....go for it, do what you want but IMPO it's better to learn out in the field, real time. Most people make a test garden consisting of coins and nothing else. While waiting for the test garden to become "well seasoned" you can be out there learning right away.
 
diggin4clad said:
Does a test garden have all types of items that you'd come up against in the field? All types of coins of different metallic content at various depths and angles? All types of other pieces of metal of different composition, depth, and angles? Pulltabs, screw caps, shredded aluminum, cans, rusty items, and who knows what else? If anyone wants to have a test garden, that's up to them.....go for it, do what you want but IMPO it's better to learn out in the field, real time. Most people make a test garden consisting of coins and nothing else. While waiting for the test garden to become "well seasoned" you can be out there learning right away.
Click to expand...

No, to all of your questions. The word "all" isn't what coin gardens are about.
 
FreeBirdTim said:
A test garden seems silly to me. Get out in the real world and learn by trial and error. Dig everything to start. That's the best way to learn your machine and figure out which signals and numbers are trash and which are worth digging.
Click to expand...

Couldn’t agree more. Try it out in your own yard and you’ll probably find items that are worth digging. Then get out there on a site and dig everything that you think might be good. After digging a few thousand iron nails and scrap metal you’ll learn what the good signals sound like. The main thing is get out there and enjoy it. You’ll be hooked in no time
 
Some people can read War and Peace and come away thinking it's a simple adventure story. Others can read the ingredients on a chewing gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe. - Lex Luthor

To each their own. I use my test garden to test how a new detector is going to respond to gold mostly and to help me set the adjustments I need. Then it is out to live hunting.
 
I did dig a test garden in my back yard, but pretty much found it of no use. You can simply throw down some coins and aluminum trash to get pretty much the same results. Want to know the difference between a modern penny and a wheat? Get one of each and throw them on the ground.

Why on top of the ground? because it takes many years for the ionization or halo effect to really take effect on buried metallic objects. This makes long time (20+ years) buried coins and rings to develop an effective halo.

I have a nearby very busy local park along the river. That is my real life test garden. Only 5 min away. There are areas where there are tons of aluminum trash with some clad and rings mixed in. So that will give any detector a work out. There is a volleyball court and totlot which is easy to hunt wide open without any discrim. There is shallow water to do some clad and ring hunting in the water.

there is an open field where they play soccer and other games and just the average amount of aluminum junk. There are two areas of woods along the river where there was once an old late 1800's building and I have found some relics.

So go find some local parks and do all you testing there. This is the most realistic way to learn a detector. And you must dig all targets to really get the info in your brain on how your detector is reporting targets at various depths and mixtures of iron.

In your case I understand your own acreage will be a great location to test, but yes go to a nearby park to recover more good and bad targets to learn your detector.
 
I say,it,s your world.Live in it as you wish.I wish you all the luck there is in your hunting,may your coil lead you to amazing stuff.Jim.
 
In my experience having a test garden has been a big help and an eye opener. I put it in shortly after I purchased my Equinox. It has been in the ground for 3 1/2 years now.
Yes the halo effect and all that - but- it has been nice to get an idea of what you hear and see with your detector when detecting. I definitely recommend it.
It was an eye opener on how coming from one side you can pick up a good signal ... but coming from the other side it would give a bad signal that you wouldn't dig. It has taught me to slow down and check every "one time" good signal from each side. It may be telling you there is a good target next to a bad one. Using the 6" coil doing this has uncovered a few dozen silvers in a hunted out park. Swinging the big coil over a signal that is not good may actually be two targets blending together. You can try to separate them slowly approaching from every angle (even using the 11" coil).....again the test garden taught me this first hand.
Another eye opener was the coins on edge and how I get a great signal from one direction but none from the 90 degree direction.
Also with all the detect modes and possible setting combinations of the Equinox it was helpful to have a good base to use when testing/comparing them.
It was also beneficial to have first hand knowledge of how the moisture content of the ground affected the signal. Dry summer conditions make it hard to get the 9" silver dime but when the ground was saturated I would get a diggable signal.

Yes I agree you learn things getting out there and digging but a test garden can be a jump starter. I personally learned much of what I know at an accelerated rate because of the test garden.

To each their own methods... good luck out there. I included a map of my test garden. I thought about adding one of the gold rings I found to my test garden but can't bring myself to put "MY PRECIOUS" back in the ground.:chaplin:
 

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Test gardens will give you an idea of what kind of sounds your looking to find. But as stated above, best way to learn your new machine is getting out there and listening to it.
 
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