Who here is into Metal Detecting?...........

I just thought it would be an interesting thread, to see who was into metal detecting, and what detectors you use?, also lets here your stories, about what you have found?, where?, etc. I dont have any yet, but plan on doing it this summer.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I am/have been...have an older White's 5000 "D" (not sure about the specific model - I'd have to dig it out).

Found lots of old coins (silver & wheatback pennies), rings, artifacts, etc...

You have to be very careful digging & replace your divots, make it look like no one had ever dug a hole...nothing worse than leaving a "moonscape" behind you! It's that "respect" thing!

I'll post more later, gotta run now...late for an appointment...

Hello Bigmikey,

I have a Whites Goldmaster II.

I wish I could say that I have found tons of gold with it, but that is not the case. I have found some.

Lots of coins and lots of trash.

I once found a Canada Dry Root Beer can. I did not know that Canada Dry made Root Beer.

My first "find" was a 55 gallon drum that was almost completely rusted away. It was buried about 4 feet deep. After the first foot, I knew it had to be something like that, but kept digging just to be sure.

I caught wind of a rumor that small nuggets had been found at a gravel pit. I went there and got hit after hit. All bullets and shot. It seems I got taken for a little ride. The locals use that pit for a shooting range.

Hope you have a great time with yours.

Tom

Thats cool, I never knew canada dry made rootbeer either /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif. I cant wait to get out there and find something. Thanks for your stories guys. Cant wait to hear more /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

I've been quite addicted to detecting for many years. I started my own business last year making metal detector products, but decided I wasn't really into small business, so I shut it down.

I run a forum at http://cadetecting.proboards4.com - California Metal Detecting.

I use a Minelab Explorer most of the time. I enjoy beach hunting, old adobe sites, and demolitions. I recently found an 1839 1-reale at an old adobe site. That's pretty old for out here in CA, where there's little history before 1850. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Stop by my forum and say hey. There's about 600 of us there.

I just started last summer with a Minelab 800? model. I used it quite a bit over the summer and into the fall. I didn't really find anything interesting yet. I am still getting used to the sounds and how to "dial it in". I am looking forward to plenty of hunting this spring and summer.

I like to go to places where there aren't many "if any" people around (curious people sort of "get in my way" - especially 800 children chasing you around and "helping" you dig & find things - perhaps there is a "right place at the right time for "crowds"?).

Remember no site is ever "hunted out". I've found lots of unique items on old homesteads/farms/sports fields that were "supposedly hunted out" by others. Funny, how people drop coins, pocket items, jewelry and such everwhere and don't seem to pick them up. Most of my finds were just a few inches or closer to the surface. The ground conducts/reacts differently with different moisture & mineral content at different times. I've gone over areas where one of my buddies (who has the exact same detector as mine) has "hunted" and found things he's missed.

I never tried any beaches...may be interesting in Alaska, but I think some of the more populated beach areas in the Lower 48 would yield better results (jewelry and who know what else?).

You should ALWAYS get permission to hunt on private property! I've found lost items for folks and they were very appreciative. I was "rewarded" by their reactions & verbal thanks - never took a financial reward (feels better that way!).

Seriously, practice "plugging" (cutting around the item once you have it pinpointed - and then replacing the "plug" so it looks like no one ever dug there if at all possible) and/or using a rounded off "probe" to find your items...being careful not to scratch them. One bad scratch on an old valuable coin and you may end up with just "an old coin" instead of a "collectible". Of course most of my finds are "collectibles" to me...

When I was stationed in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan...I'd heard of stories/history of the old logging camps. The workers lived in tents with wooden floors and played cards with $5 gold coins. It had been said that the coins would fall between the slats of the boards and were "lost". I always wanted to hunt some of those sites, but never got around to it. Historical site research is a very real part of your "experience"...puts you in touch with a site, as you "hunt" - you can think about history, the people that were around those areas living their lives, "losing their valued treasures" for us to find....

Oh, and LEARN your equipment! Study the manual, listen to any tapes provided and learn how to "tune it in"...Many of the newer detectors have features I've probably never even thought of or heard of. Tuning mine to reject minerals in the ground has to be done correctly, or I'm tuning "out" items. Also setting it to reject aluminum can "pop tops" can cause it to skip over items (especially nickles and some rings).

Ok...<metal detecting babble mode off...>

Dont everybody jump in at once /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif, I know there are more stories out there, lets hear em..

Just bought a Nautilus detector at a yard sale.

Would appreciate metal detector forum links.

TIA
Joe

lol im not laughing at metal detecting but that scene ina movie when the guy was looking for stuff with one and found another metal detecter . id like to have a metal detecter the ones they adddvertise on tv

Kinzli, nice site, will spend some more time there, even tho I'm not in CA.

I've got five controls on this thing - Audio Set, Ground Set, Junk Set, Junk Rejection, Zero Ground - would like to find some site that tells me what these adjustments mean and how to effectively use them.

I bought a cheapie Radio Shack metal detector, used, at a hamfest recently. I'm planning on playing around with it this summer to see if this is something that I want to get into more seriously. With this particular unit I can probably look forward to finding a lot of bottle caps.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

Most the serious metal detector folks I have known over the years have used metal detectors from White Electronics.

One fella tried to explain it as the difference between a VW Bug and a Ferrari...

Photon, had a Radio Shack for a couple of days a few years ago, took it back.

Jar, from the reading I did yesterday, there are several good brands.

Bought a cheapo from Wal-Mart a year ago. There's lots of farm land where I live with friendly folks who will let you walk around (As long as you don't spook the cows). The detector I had could tell if something was cylindrical. I was searching in a place that some union forces had marched through and found something about 6-7 ft long and cylindrical. I also got several hits at the base of the object on either side of it. I was thinking..."Cannon!!!!" After much digging and excitement, I found a rusted out tractor drive shaft and various other parts. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon6.gif

where ya find stuff is at the beach like in south fla

Thanks. If I decide to get into this hobby seriously, I'll keep that in mind. I just bought this cheapie unit on a whim because I don't know whether I'll take to this particular hobby. Time will tell.

Kinzli, you've got a very nice forum over there. Looks like many good people.

Joe

Hey Joe, yes, lots of good people there on the forum, all very willing to help.

For those interested, Whites makes a good detector. US-made, decent quality. Another brand to look at is Minelab - Made in Australia.

Detecting's a lot of fun, and you'd be amazed at what's in the ground, and how cool stuff looks after being in the ground for 100, 200+ years.

Hope you enjoy the detector Joe, keep us up to date on what you find!

Metal detecting guys- please help identify this

My dad & I went metal detecting today and I found this token made of copper- I
guess that's what it's called and what it's made of. It's 1 inch in diameter.

On the front, I can make out 18TH PRESIDENT 1869 1877 ULYSSES S. GRANT

On the back, I can make out THE AMERICAN CAL???- (I'm guessing CALVARY)
SECOND LIEUTENANT IN MEXICAN WAR ROSE RAPIDLY FROM CAPTAIN TO
GENERAL OF ???? FORCES IN CIVIL WAR THE SILENT MAN OF APPOMATTOX
UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER

Anyone have any idea as to the origin of something like this or how old it is or it's
value? I've had no luck at all searching the web for info.


Front of token

Back of token