Find the Arc 4+

MicroE

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Sep 5, 2002
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O.K. I am stupid.
Let's just get that out of the way up front.

Now for the problem......

I was mowing the lawn 3 weeks ago (using a riding mower) and my Arc4+ fell out of my pocket. I didn't realize this until the sun went down.

A small dark green flashlight is well hidden in the dark green lawn.

The lawn is about an acre of with lots of bushes and trees and my wife's flower gardens along the driveway. The lawn is on a hillside with the house in the center of the rectangle.
I have looked and looked (about 2 hours total) but cannot find the Arc4+.

I do not own a metal detector.
I have mowed the lawn once since the loss of the Arc and the mower did not "find" it.
Any ideas?
 

Christoph

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make a grid pattern and search a small section at a time and use a metal leaf rake you will here it hit it worked for me
Chris /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 

jtice

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May 21, 2003
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West Virginia
Try leaving out a bowl of 123 cells on the porch.





ok ok im sorry. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
Im suprised the lawn mower didnt find it.
Sounds like you might have to round up some buddies and form a search party. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Good luck, hope you find it.

-John
 

sween1911

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Slowly and carefully, form a line with some friends and walk up and down and across the lawn. Oddly enough, the things we think we lose in the places where we think we lost them might not be there at all. Was it in your pocket? Think back when the last time you had it in your hand. Could it have fallen right near the door when you went outside? Under the bed when you went to put it in your pocket? Where the lawnmower is kept? Don't trap yourself into thinking "I _KNOW_ it's out there in the grass" when it might be someplace you overlooked.

I know, I've lost my treasured lights/knives/gadgets etc and gone nuts looking for them. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Good luck!
 

smokinbasser

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Try finding a camo mini maglite in a yard(I know,I know why bother for just a MM) but it was before ARC was around. I had a friend who possesed a nylon wallet in camo pattern and to me that was counterproductive. I would much rather have a wallet in blaze orange just in case I did drop it.BTW if the neighborhood kids know your a flashaholic I'd bump the reward up to 20 bucks
 

MicroE

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[ QUOTE ]
jtice said:
...Try leaving out a bowl of 123 cells on the porch....
-John

[/ QUOTE ]

John---LOL. Maybe I should try whistling to see if Lassie will come home.

I already checked all of my shirts and pants. I cleaned and reorganized the bedroom closet in the process!
Checked jackets, lawnmower area, shelves, workshop, etc.

I like the idea for using the kids.
Maybe I can turn this into a total yard cleanup. I'll offer the kids five bucks to pick up the twigs and "Oh by the way, kids. If you happen to find a small flashlight I'll give you an extra $5."
 

Banshee

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Rake the lawn or borrow/rent a metal detector would be the best methods
 

Eric_M

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Aug 8, 2002
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Spray the whole yard with Roundup. Within 24 hours all the grass will have turned brown and the Arc4 will be easily found.

Simple solution.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

chmsam

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Ditto for the mower. Lots of nooks and even a few crannies for it to hide in. And I won't even start a flamewar about "John Deere green" vs. other tractors/mowers.

Other than that, howsabout fixin' up a pretty strong magnet on the end of a rake? It's cheaper than a metal detector, geeky enough to work for CPF'ers, and will find all sorts of crud you'd rather not run over. Besides, you wouldn't have to bend over to pick the light up (very important to an neo-geezer like me).

Of course, if that happened in upstate NY, in a few weeks you could probably find it in the snow.

BTW, don't offer the kids any beer or girlie mags, whatever you do. They've already drink better beer than you do and they've got Internet sites you would not believe.

And, sorry to say this, but in dog years, Lassie is dead. Timmy is still down the well. And I wonder what SkyKing's niece looks like now? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif

Ah, shoot, she's probably older than I am. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ohgeez.gif
 

chmsam

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Yep, Penny. And the plane was SongBird.

Back on topic, what's the best device we can come up with to find this light? How about using a big ol' lawn vacumn and wait until you feel a heavy thunk in the bag. Of course, I don't think the light would go through the bag, but if you've got a brother in law you don't much care about, tell him to stand right back there just in case, so he can catch it. How high do those bags hang? Better have him hold it, oh, about waist high, maybe a touch lower, and in real, real close. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

In the true CPF tradition of course, I'd suggest that you could wait until two a.m. or maybe three a.m. (and you probably won't be mistaken for someone coming home from the party after a wee bit too much cheer) and use your 10 million CP Thor to see if you could get a reflection off the light. The neighbors will understand. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rant.gif

I've always found that the best way to find something solid and even better, really sharp, in the lawn is to finally convince the wife to get "romantic" in the yard in the middle of the night. Sure to find it then. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

Hope these suggestions are useful. Are there any others? You know you have friends here at CPF, and with friends like us... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink2.gif
 

georget98

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Aug 28, 2002
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Hyannis, MA
[ QUOTE ]
chmsam said:

Other than that, howsabout fixin' up a pretty strong magnet on the end of a rake?



[/ QUOTE ]

Isn't an Arc 4 aluminum? Not good magnet fodder.

Walk around the yard's perimeter at night and every few feet scan the entire visible area of the lawn with a bright light (do you have one? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif) Watch for the glint of reflector.
 

MicroE

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[ QUOTE ]
Eric Maier said:
...Spray the whole yard with Roundup. Within 24 hours all the grass will have turned brown and the Arc4 will be easily found....
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Since I have many pine trees (about 40 feet tall) I will needing A LOT of RoundUP and probably an aerial dispensing system.

Poor Lassie. Say it isn't so.

Tonight I will search again!
 

MicroE

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Northern NJ, USA
[ QUOTE ]
georget98 said:
...Walk around the yard's perimeter at night and every few feet scan the entire visible area of the lawn with a bright light (do you have one? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif)

[/ QUOTE ]

I should be able to find a bright light around here somewhere.
I think I have a couple of 4-D M@glites laying around that I use like roller bearings so I can slide the snowblower around the garage....

Hey, what's this thingy labeled "Sherfire Lumasomthing"........
 

X33

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UK
What about passive Infrared Night vision? Maybe the local Sheriff has one? Shouldn't the metal stand out on that one? Otherwise it looks like grid search. Sorry to hear. I put reflective tape round some of my lights for axactly this scenario. Obviously not my arc4 as I don't want to spoil it. Good luck
 

RonM

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Nov 10, 2000
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If I had dropped my Arc 4+ on the lawn, there's no way I would have risked mowing again until it was found!

Metal detector is your best bet. Borrow or buy one. This is an Arc 4+ we're talking about here.
 
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