Yehuwdiy
Jr. Member
- Jan 6, 2016
- 36
- 24
- Detector(s) used
- Nugget Snoop Pro, Garret Euroace
- Primary Interest:
- Metal Detecting
Raining here. All finds sitting in an electrolysis bath. Time for a post!
Whilst detecting today I was asked by three people, in less than and hour, what I was doing. They were all genuinely interested and nice folk. I ran through the usual patter (looking for metal objects, taking away all this trash, digging neat holes etc.) and in between conversations started thinking about what advice I would give to a new mder. Keep in mind that this is only my 7th proper year (let's not count mucking around with mum's Minelab detector when I was a kid).
There's a lot of advice out there, but what works for one person may not work for all. Below are my thoughts, feel free to add yours and I'll amend this original post to include popular comments!
When metal detecting what are your priorities?
1. Have fun --> avoid frustration
2. Pick up trash
3. Enjoy nature and some light exercise
Having fun?
When first starting out you'll get frustrated. Seriously, you'll become convinced that at least 30% of the earth's mass is made of tin cans, ring pulls and bottle caps. So why the heck would anyone keep going? Well, when you do find something neat it's a huge adrenaline rush. Whether it be a 1 cent coin or an axe head that is thousands of years old doesn't matter, you'll always get a rush. But good finds can be few and far between. As you get better the number of good finds tends to go up, but there are always lean times. So what to do? To quote the Simpsons:
Principle Skinner: Oh, licking envelopes can be fun! All you have to do is make a game of it.
Bart: What kind of game?
Principle Skinner: Well, for example, you could see how many you could lick in an hour, then try to break that record.
Bart: Sounds like a pretty crappy game to me.
Principle Skinner: Yes, well... Get started.
Make a game of it, sage advice. Where you live and the amount of time you have available will greatly influence your mding 'style'. For example, given where I live it's unlikely that anything I find will be more than 40 years old (trash, modern coins and occasionally jewellery). Also, most of the ground is HARD so digging deep targets is a pain and not fun. As a consequence I target modern, shallow, coins and my 'game' is to try and get one coin from every year of production. Every time I pull a coin out of the ground the face value is of no consequence because if it's from a year I don't have to me it's 'priceless'. What will your game be?
Avoiding frustration
Zen: A Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism emphasizing the value of meditation and intuition rather than ritual worship or study of scriptures.
Kung Fu (gōngfu): Chinese term referring to any study, learning, or practice that requires patience, energy, and time to complete.
Starting out it's easy to watch YouTube videos and get all excited about finding treasure. If you're lucky enough to live in a country/area with an extensive history this may be possible. But for many of us the reality is far less interesting. But that's ok. Ask anyone who hunts, fishes, exercises regularly...etc. etc. what it is that they get from the activity and all of them will at some point mention the feeling of rhythm, calmness and peace generated by living in the moment, by repeating actions and rituals.
Sound a bit 'out there'? Maybe. But after a few months of swinging you'll start to notice that you've developed a rhythm that seems to make time pass without notice and that patience is something that you are practising rather than focussing on maintaining. As you develop an affinity with your detector you will start to hear things and recognise response patterns that you would never have imagined possible - you'll develop an intuition about what is and isn't a good target.
Zen and Kung Fu will happen - but here are a few strategies to help avoid some frustration to start with.
1. If you have the time and patience to go 'all metal' and dig everything, go for it. If not, don't sweat it. I started out a bit OCD and had to know I'd gotten everything. After using a few different detectors it became obvious that no machine is perfect, no machine finds everything and no machine responds to targets the same way. You'll never find everything and no site is ever truly 'dead'. So, if you're getting frustrated by rubbish/trash - turn up the discrimination, let some objects go unfound and only dig the things that have a higher chance of being good.
2. Put yourself where the action is. It's ok to wander through the woods/forest/bush randomly hoping to find something neat. But, spending a few minutes to find a good 'site' will pay dividends. To do this you need to become both a historian and a student of human nature. Take my local park as an example. Over a two week period I took my daughter to the park every afternoon. I played with her whilst also observing what people did and where. My find rate from the park went from 1-2 to 7-10 good finds an hour (my average mding time per week, sad but true). I then looked up when the park was made, 1968 was the answer. I also found newspaper records that indicated weekly afternoon cricket games. I then went at those times to the park and detected the shadow areas of the big trees - bingo. None of this was onerous and all of my research totalled maybe an hour of online work. But in the end I saved many hours of fruitless mding.
3. As mentioned in #1 it's ok to leave stuff behind. I've recently started putting very strict criteria on what I will and won't dig. I know I'm leaving stuff behind but I'm also digging very little trash. With only 1-2 hours a week to detect I've not got time to dig everything. For example, if a signal isn't 'solid' for a full 360 degrees and within a certain couple of notches on my display then I don't dig. This leads me to #4...
4. Search how YOU want to search, in a way that works for your life and circumstance. For me if a target is deeper than 6 inches/15cm I don't want to know about it. My current machine will easily punch 10-12 inches down - but the only time I use that much power is when the digging is easy i.e. at the beach. Otherwise I'm at 1/3 power and only digging perfect targets. Other people will go to a local football field and dig 12 inches down, power to them and to you if that's how you want to md.
5. Don't be afraid to leave a problem area and to come back to it when you have more time or the right equipment. There are whole sections of my local park that I can't detect due to insane levels of trash. One day I'll get a sniper coil and return to these spots, but until then I've got better things to do with my time! If you hit a trashy spot don't be afraid to walk away.
Digging a hole
Whether you use a spade, a spoon, a knife or a Doberman to dig makes no real difference as long as you're comfortable with the result. I use a spade (sharpened with a file) and dig a three sided plug. There is a certain satisfaction to be derived from replacing a plug and leaving no trace that you were ever there. If you are going to dig in sensitive areas (such as playing fields) it pays to practice digging plugs in your own yard first. Further down there is a section called 'What is a hole' that give s more detail about digging holes. Regardless of your tool(s) here are some basic ideas/concepts to consider.
1. Before digging, scan the immediate vicinity of your target for an area with no signals. This will be the hinge side of your plug as when you flip the plug out you'll want to scan it with your detector. Knowing that if there is a signal it's coming from the plug not an object in the ground underneath is useful to say the least.
2. Always leave a 'flap' of grass attached to your plug. Better for the grass and neater when you're done.
3. when you push your cutting tool into the ground push slightly towards your target with each 'stroke'. If you pull back on the digging tool you risk 'breaking' you plug and having it fall apart as you try to neatly extract it from the ground.
4. Unless you're coin popping dig a reasonable plug so that flipping it back out of the hole accidentally is more difficult.
Locating your 'find'
So, you dug a hole. Neat. Now how do you find the darn thing that made your detector go 'beep'? Well, to start with there are really only two options - it's either in the hole still or it's in the plug. Here's my procedure (no pinpointer).
1. Go ahead and run your detector over the plug. If you get a beep, cool - go to Step 2. if not, scan the hole. Get a beep? Cool, put your cloth down on the ground (you did bring a cloth right?) and scoop some more soil from the hole onto it. Repeat until the beep comes from the pile of soil and not the hole. Occasionally you'll dig a plug and neither hole nor plug will beep anymore. Three things may have happened:
a) when digging you broke up the 'halo' surrounding an iron object and now the discrimination on your detector is seeing the object as iron and not sounding off. Triggering 'all metal' or 'pinpoint' modes is a quick way of confirming this.
b) your find is stuck to that clump of dirt still on your shovel (more likely on wet or clay soils)
c) the find is now out of range of your detector. It may have come out of the plug or the side of the hole and fallen to the bottom of the hole. Maybe you dug a BIG plug and the find was close to the surface and now has too much soil on it. Personally I flip the plug back into the hole and scan the area again. If it sounds off then I assume it's closer to the surface. If it doesn't sound off, then I flip the plug back out and scoop the loose soil from the bottom of the hole onto my cloth and scan that. Obviously, it is at this point that a pinpointer would come in handy.
2. Ok, you've found the general location of your target (now in either a pile of dirt on your cloth/ground or in the plug). If you have a pinpointer, go nuts. If you don't then:
a) for loose soil on a cloth, start grabbing handfuls of dirt and waving them in front of your coil until you get a beep
b) for loose soil on the ground, use your foot/shovel to divide the pile in half, scan the piles to find the one that beeps, repeat the process until you either find the target or have a small enough pile to use method a)
c) for a target in a plug, the approach you take depends in part on the type of soil you are digging in. Generally though, you will be able to use your detector to locate more precisely the target's location in the plug. At this point you are still trying to maintain the integrity of the plug so as to not make a mess. One method is to 'crack' the plug in several directions around where you thing the target is (without breaking up the surface roots of the grass). If your not digging in grass then just break the plug where you think the target is. Either way, this can be a very quick way of locating a target as often the target will weaken the plug and a crack will naturally run through that location.
Talking to the public
1. Be nice and highlight your trash removal efforts.
2. Point out how neat your plugs are and what you do to look after the grass when cutting a plug.
Health
1. Gloves are not a necessity, but broken glass and jagged rusty metal are frequent occurrences - your call!
2. Mding (swinging, digging, bending, walking etc.) can be a surprisingly physical activity. More than a few hours at a time can be taxing and leave you sore the next day. As time goes on you'll figure out that little things like strapping your arm in, shovel length, detector length (extension), headphone type (in or over ear) etc. all make a significant difference to your comfort and enjoyment of mding. Listen to your body and make small changes to slowly build up a system that works for you.
Basic equipment
Like any hobby you can spend as much or as little as you like on equipment. The basics are a:
- metal detector, and
- digging implement appropriate to your intended search location.
That's it.
If you want to go overboard you could also find two plastic bags, one for good finds and one for rubbish. I once saw a detectorist on a beach with nothing but her detector and a stainless steel mixing bowl. She was pulling up targets just as fast as I was. Just goes to show, you don't need that $100 digging tool or $200 pinpointer in order to have fun and find stuff.
After several years of detecting what do I use? A flat edging spade (garage sale - $5) with a 'D' handle, a bum-bag with a big pocket for rubbish and a small pocket for good finds, a detector and a tea-towel. Parks, fields, playgrounds, beach...I use the same kit. If I could add anything what would it be? A good pinpointer, a White's TRX to be exact.
Digging tools will occupy your thoughts more often than you'd think - almost as much as detectors. Whatever you use needs to work for you and the location you'll be detecting in. There are many excellent specialist digging tools out there. If you have the budget then go for it. Otherwise, garage/yard sales, charity shops, your local dump shop (recycling centre) or local hardware store are all good sources of cheap and effective digging tools. Your criteria should be:
1. can I comfortably use this implement for extended periods?
If your mding for even a couple of hours, especially when starting out, you'll be digging a lot of holes. If you are reasonably fit and free of limb then perhaps a gardening/digging knife will suit your needs (i.e. you get down on the ground to dig). Personally, I like using a spade to have leverage, digging power and to be able to dig before getting down to the ground to locate the target - my back couldn't handle being on the ground for the entire process.
2. do I want to use the implement one handed?
This is why I use a D-handled spade. I dig one handed whilst holding my detector in the other hand. I can then scan the plug and hole for the target without getting on the ground.
3. will the implement get to my intended search depth?
A digging knife probably isn't the right tool if you're hunting relics at 12+ inches. Conversely, a 6 inch screwdriver is fine if you're hunting shallow coins in a park. Think about how deep you want to go and choose a tool accordingly.
4. will the implement get into the ground I'll be digging in?
For some of the places I hunt a digging knife wouldn't be able to get into the ground, you need a pick and shovel. What is your ground like? Will a plastic trowel cut it? Will you need a good foot-rest on your shovel and a longer handle for leverage? Once again, consider factors that will impact on your ability to retrieve targets. The other thing to consider is how neat you need to be. At a couple of sites I hunt using a pick is fine, no-one cares how much of a mess I make. But in most locations you will need to leave things as you found them, particularly in parks, playgrounds and on sports fields.
Buying used vs new equipment
Buying a used detector in many ways makes sense. Notice I didn't say 'when you're starting out'. I still buy used detectors as I can get a much better detector for my money. Can you ever be certain that you're not being ripped off? No. But if you buy local, or from an established member of a club or forum, then your chances of the person being honest are much higher. There are some good guides online that outline rigorous testing methods for used detectors. To be honest it's more than I can ever remember 'in the moment'. My tests are simply throwing an array of different targets on the ground and scanning them (checking to see what responses the detector gives) and then wiggling the coil in the air (if it sounds of continuously then there may be a problem with the coil). That's it. If the detector has modes you could also cycle through them. If you want to be really prepared you could look up what batteries the detector takes and bring a fresh set with you. 'The batteries are flat and I don't have any spares...but it does work' has happened to me before - needless to say I came back with batteries.
If you're buying new then seriously consider a local shop over an online vendor. The advice and support they can give you when first starting out will be invaluable. However, if you're like me then there are no local shops, you have to buy online. In this case go with established vendors - there are several affiliated with this forum that you can check out. Buying from online auction sites can save you a lot of money, but there are risks.
Age of devices is also a point to consider. Whilst a detector form the 1980s will still find you stuff, it will typically be heavier, use more batteries and have a higher likelihood of developing 'gremlins' that may or may not be able to be fixed. Generally speaking, newer detectors will give you far more consistent and deeper finds, be more reliable and use fewer batteries. In many cases they are also easier to use and offer features simply not available in earlier machines. Form the mid 90s on metal detectors really hit their stride. They became more ergonomic, lighter, smaller and more usable. If you find a machine for sale - Google it. Ask for advice on forums. Us detectorists are a pragmatic bunch, you'll get honest answers!
-----------------UNDER CONSTRUCTION------------------
What is a hole?
My first apartment was definitely a hole - but that doesn't help much here. The simplest definition of a hole is an opening made in any solid surface. But as detectorists we need to have a variety of digging techniques and holes at our disposal. Tool choice and sensitivity of location will often dictate hole choice. Below are the most common types of holes you will need to make. Please note that having a pinpointer will often change how you dig - this has been noted below when relevant.
The mole
This is where the digger makes no effort to either dig a neat hole or to fill it back in. Don't be a mole. Moling a playing field, playground/'tot lot' or any other public place just isn't cool. People get annoyed and pretty soon no-one is allowed to detect in that area. Worse, you will give detectorists a bad name. There are enough popular TV shows that do that ('boom baby' should be enough to illustrate that point). It is possible to start out with a neat plug/hole and to then start moling. This most often happens when pinpointing with the detector was less than accurate and the digger is forced to widen/deepen/undercut the original hole in search of that elusive target. Having a hand-held pinpointer, and learning how to accurately pinpoint with your detector, reduces the likelihood of this happening. Also, having a piece of cloth (an old tea/hand towel works well) to put dirt from your hole on to - which you can then neatly tip back into the hole - serves to decrease 'the moling effect'.
The cone
A conical 'plug' most often dug using a a knife or trowel. Basically any hand-held digging tool lends itself to 'the cone' as separating and removing the cone of dirt form the ground is a simple and natural procedure. However, there are several pros and cons to this method of target retrieval - these are detailed below.
Pros: Relatively quick, flexible to target size, if done properly can be low-impact on grass, if pinpointing is accurate target retrieval is easier due to less soil being removed
Cons: Requires digging whilst on the ground (can be difficult or messy in some areas), tool length and target size dictate depth that can be dug without moling, less leverage to remove plugs, only shallower plugs can be cut if a 'hinge' of grass is to be left attached, with a less skilled digger there is a greater chance of target damage
Whilst detecting today I was asked by three people, in less than and hour, what I was doing. They were all genuinely interested and nice folk. I ran through the usual patter (looking for metal objects, taking away all this trash, digging neat holes etc.) and in between conversations started thinking about what advice I would give to a new mder. Keep in mind that this is only my 7th proper year (let's not count mucking around with mum's Minelab detector when I was a kid).
There's a lot of advice out there, but what works for one person may not work for all. Below are my thoughts, feel free to add yours and I'll amend this original post to include popular comments!
When metal detecting what are your priorities?
1. Have fun --> avoid frustration
2. Pick up trash
3. Enjoy nature and some light exercise
Having fun?
When first starting out you'll get frustrated. Seriously, you'll become convinced that at least 30% of the earth's mass is made of tin cans, ring pulls and bottle caps. So why the heck would anyone keep going? Well, when you do find something neat it's a huge adrenaline rush. Whether it be a 1 cent coin or an axe head that is thousands of years old doesn't matter, you'll always get a rush. But good finds can be few and far between. As you get better the number of good finds tends to go up, but there are always lean times. So what to do? To quote the Simpsons:
Principle Skinner: Oh, licking envelopes can be fun! All you have to do is make a game of it.
Bart: What kind of game?
Principle Skinner: Well, for example, you could see how many you could lick in an hour, then try to break that record.
Bart: Sounds like a pretty crappy game to me.
Principle Skinner: Yes, well... Get started.
Make a game of it, sage advice. Where you live and the amount of time you have available will greatly influence your mding 'style'. For example, given where I live it's unlikely that anything I find will be more than 40 years old (trash, modern coins and occasionally jewellery). Also, most of the ground is HARD so digging deep targets is a pain and not fun. As a consequence I target modern, shallow, coins and my 'game' is to try and get one coin from every year of production. Every time I pull a coin out of the ground the face value is of no consequence because if it's from a year I don't have to me it's 'priceless'. What will your game be?
Avoiding frustration
Zen: A Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism emphasizing the value of meditation and intuition rather than ritual worship or study of scriptures.
Kung Fu (gōngfu): Chinese term referring to any study, learning, or practice that requires patience, energy, and time to complete.
Starting out it's easy to watch YouTube videos and get all excited about finding treasure. If you're lucky enough to live in a country/area with an extensive history this may be possible. But for many of us the reality is far less interesting. But that's ok. Ask anyone who hunts, fishes, exercises regularly...etc. etc. what it is that they get from the activity and all of them will at some point mention the feeling of rhythm, calmness and peace generated by living in the moment, by repeating actions and rituals.
Sound a bit 'out there'? Maybe. But after a few months of swinging you'll start to notice that you've developed a rhythm that seems to make time pass without notice and that patience is something that you are practising rather than focussing on maintaining. As you develop an affinity with your detector you will start to hear things and recognise response patterns that you would never have imagined possible - you'll develop an intuition about what is and isn't a good target.
Zen and Kung Fu will happen - but here are a few strategies to help avoid some frustration to start with.
1. If you have the time and patience to go 'all metal' and dig everything, go for it. If not, don't sweat it. I started out a bit OCD and had to know I'd gotten everything. After using a few different detectors it became obvious that no machine is perfect, no machine finds everything and no machine responds to targets the same way. You'll never find everything and no site is ever truly 'dead'. So, if you're getting frustrated by rubbish/trash - turn up the discrimination, let some objects go unfound and only dig the things that have a higher chance of being good.
2. Put yourself where the action is. It's ok to wander through the woods/forest/bush randomly hoping to find something neat. But, spending a few minutes to find a good 'site' will pay dividends. To do this you need to become both a historian and a student of human nature. Take my local park as an example. Over a two week period I took my daughter to the park every afternoon. I played with her whilst also observing what people did and where. My find rate from the park went from 1-2 to 7-10 good finds an hour (my average mding time per week, sad but true). I then looked up when the park was made, 1968 was the answer. I also found newspaper records that indicated weekly afternoon cricket games. I then went at those times to the park and detected the shadow areas of the big trees - bingo. None of this was onerous and all of my research totalled maybe an hour of online work. But in the end I saved many hours of fruitless mding.
3. As mentioned in #1 it's ok to leave stuff behind. I've recently started putting very strict criteria on what I will and won't dig. I know I'm leaving stuff behind but I'm also digging very little trash. With only 1-2 hours a week to detect I've not got time to dig everything. For example, if a signal isn't 'solid' for a full 360 degrees and within a certain couple of notches on my display then I don't dig. This leads me to #4...
4. Search how YOU want to search, in a way that works for your life and circumstance. For me if a target is deeper than 6 inches/15cm I don't want to know about it. My current machine will easily punch 10-12 inches down - but the only time I use that much power is when the digging is easy i.e. at the beach. Otherwise I'm at 1/3 power and only digging perfect targets. Other people will go to a local football field and dig 12 inches down, power to them and to you if that's how you want to md.
5. Don't be afraid to leave a problem area and to come back to it when you have more time or the right equipment. There are whole sections of my local park that I can't detect due to insane levels of trash. One day I'll get a sniper coil and return to these spots, but until then I've got better things to do with my time! If you hit a trashy spot don't be afraid to walk away.
Digging a hole
Whether you use a spade, a spoon, a knife or a Doberman to dig makes no real difference as long as you're comfortable with the result. I use a spade (sharpened with a file) and dig a three sided plug. There is a certain satisfaction to be derived from replacing a plug and leaving no trace that you were ever there. If you are going to dig in sensitive areas (such as playing fields) it pays to practice digging plugs in your own yard first. Further down there is a section called 'What is a hole' that give s more detail about digging holes. Regardless of your tool(s) here are some basic ideas/concepts to consider.
1. Before digging, scan the immediate vicinity of your target for an area with no signals. This will be the hinge side of your plug as when you flip the plug out you'll want to scan it with your detector. Knowing that if there is a signal it's coming from the plug not an object in the ground underneath is useful to say the least.
2. Always leave a 'flap' of grass attached to your plug. Better for the grass and neater when you're done.
3. when you push your cutting tool into the ground push slightly towards your target with each 'stroke'. If you pull back on the digging tool you risk 'breaking' you plug and having it fall apart as you try to neatly extract it from the ground.
4. Unless you're coin popping dig a reasonable plug so that flipping it back out of the hole accidentally is more difficult.
Locating your 'find'
So, you dug a hole. Neat. Now how do you find the darn thing that made your detector go 'beep'? Well, to start with there are really only two options - it's either in the hole still or it's in the plug. Here's my procedure (no pinpointer).
1. Go ahead and run your detector over the plug. If you get a beep, cool - go to Step 2. if not, scan the hole. Get a beep? Cool, put your cloth down on the ground (you did bring a cloth right?) and scoop some more soil from the hole onto it. Repeat until the beep comes from the pile of soil and not the hole. Occasionally you'll dig a plug and neither hole nor plug will beep anymore. Three things may have happened:
a) when digging you broke up the 'halo' surrounding an iron object and now the discrimination on your detector is seeing the object as iron and not sounding off. Triggering 'all metal' or 'pinpoint' modes is a quick way of confirming this.
b) your find is stuck to that clump of dirt still on your shovel (more likely on wet or clay soils)
c) the find is now out of range of your detector. It may have come out of the plug or the side of the hole and fallen to the bottom of the hole. Maybe you dug a BIG plug and the find was close to the surface and now has too much soil on it. Personally I flip the plug back into the hole and scan the area again. If it sounds off then I assume it's closer to the surface. If it doesn't sound off, then I flip the plug back out and scoop the loose soil from the bottom of the hole onto my cloth and scan that. Obviously, it is at this point that a pinpointer would come in handy.
2. Ok, you've found the general location of your target (now in either a pile of dirt on your cloth/ground or in the plug). If you have a pinpointer, go nuts. If you don't then:
a) for loose soil on a cloth, start grabbing handfuls of dirt and waving them in front of your coil until you get a beep
b) for loose soil on the ground, use your foot/shovel to divide the pile in half, scan the piles to find the one that beeps, repeat the process until you either find the target or have a small enough pile to use method a)
c) for a target in a plug, the approach you take depends in part on the type of soil you are digging in. Generally though, you will be able to use your detector to locate more precisely the target's location in the plug. At this point you are still trying to maintain the integrity of the plug so as to not make a mess. One method is to 'crack' the plug in several directions around where you thing the target is (without breaking up the surface roots of the grass). If your not digging in grass then just break the plug where you think the target is. Either way, this can be a very quick way of locating a target as often the target will weaken the plug and a crack will naturally run through that location.
Talking to the public
1. Be nice and highlight your trash removal efforts.
2. Point out how neat your plugs are and what you do to look after the grass when cutting a plug.
Health
1. Gloves are not a necessity, but broken glass and jagged rusty metal are frequent occurrences - your call!
2. Mding (swinging, digging, bending, walking etc.) can be a surprisingly physical activity. More than a few hours at a time can be taxing and leave you sore the next day. As time goes on you'll figure out that little things like strapping your arm in, shovel length, detector length (extension), headphone type (in or over ear) etc. all make a significant difference to your comfort and enjoyment of mding. Listen to your body and make small changes to slowly build up a system that works for you.
Basic equipment
Like any hobby you can spend as much or as little as you like on equipment. The basics are a:
- metal detector, and
- digging implement appropriate to your intended search location.
That's it.
If you want to go overboard you could also find two plastic bags, one for good finds and one for rubbish. I once saw a detectorist on a beach with nothing but her detector and a stainless steel mixing bowl. She was pulling up targets just as fast as I was. Just goes to show, you don't need that $100 digging tool or $200 pinpointer in order to have fun and find stuff.
After several years of detecting what do I use? A flat edging spade (garage sale - $5) with a 'D' handle, a bum-bag with a big pocket for rubbish and a small pocket for good finds, a detector and a tea-towel. Parks, fields, playgrounds, beach...I use the same kit. If I could add anything what would it be? A good pinpointer, a White's TRX to be exact.
Digging tools will occupy your thoughts more often than you'd think - almost as much as detectors. Whatever you use needs to work for you and the location you'll be detecting in. There are many excellent specialist digging tools out there. If you have the budget then go for it. Otherwise, garage/yard sales, charity shops, your local dump shop (recycling centre) or local hardware store are all good sources of cheap and effective digging tools. Your criteria should be:
1. can I comfortably use this implement for extended periods?
If your mding for even a couple of hours, especially when starting out, you'll be digging a lot of holes. If you are reasonably fit and free of limb then perhaps a gardening/digging knife will suit your needs (i.e. you get down on the ground to dig). Personally, I like using a spade to have leverage, digging power and to be able to dig before getting down to the ground to locate the target - my back couldn't handle being on the ground for the entire process.
2. do I want to use the implement one handed?
This is why I use a D-handled spade. I dig one handed whilst holding my detector in the other hand. I can then scan the plug and hole for the target without getting on the ground.
3. will the implement get to my intended search depth?
A digging knife probably isn't the right tool if you're hunting relics at 12+ inches. Conversely, a 6 inch screwdriver is fine if you're hunting shallow coins in a park. Think about how deep you want to go and choose a tool accordingly.
4. will the implement get into the ground I'll be digging in?
For some of the places I hunt a digging knife wouldn't be able to get into the ground, you need a pick and shovel. What is your ground like? Will a plastic trowel cut it? Will you need a good foot-rest on your shovel and a longer handle for leverage? Once again, consider factors that will impact on your ability to retrieve targets. The other thing to consider is how neat you need to be. At a couple of sites I hunt using a pick is fine, no-one cares how much of a mess I make. But in most locations you will need to leave things as you found them, particularly in parks, playgrounds and on sports fields.
Buying used vs new equipment
Buying a used detector in many ways makes sense. Notice I didn't say 'when you're starting out'. I still buy used detectors as I can get a much better detector for my money. Can you ever be certain that you're not being ripped off? No. But if you buy local, or from an established member of a club or forum, then your chances of the person being honest are much higher. There are some good guides online that outline rigorous testing methods for used detectors. To be honest it's more than I can ever remember 'in the moment'. My tests are simply throwing an array of different targets on the ground and scanning them (checking to see what responses the detector gives) and then wiggling the coil in the air (if it sounds of continuously then there may be a problem with the coil). That's it. If the detector has modes you could also cycle through them. If you want to be really prepared you could look up what batteries the detector takes and bring a fresh set with you. 'The batteries are flat and I don't have any spares...but it does work' has happened to me before - needless to say I came back with batteries.
If you're buying new then seriously consider a local shop over an online vendor. The advice and support they can give you when first starting out will be invaluable. However, if you're like me then there are no local shops, you have to buy online. In this case go with established vendors - there are several affiliated with this forum that you can check out. Buying from online auction sites can save you a lot of money, but there are risks.
Age of devices is also a point to consider. Whilst a detector form the 1980s will still find you stuff, it will typically be heavier, use more batteries and have a higher likelihood of developing 'gremlins' that may or may not be able to be fixed. Generally speaking, newer detectors will give you far more consistent and deeper finds, be more reliable and use fewer batteries. In many cases they are also easier to use and offer features simply not available in earlier machines. Form the mid 90s on metal detectors really hit their stride. They became more ergonomic, lighter, smaller and more usable. If you find a machine for sale - Google it. Ask for advice on forums. Us detectorists are a pragmatic bunch, you'll get honest answers!
-----------------UNDER CONSTRUCTION------------------
What is a hole?
My first apartment was definitely a hole - but that doesn't help much here. The simplest definition of a hole is an opening made in any solid surface. But as detectorists we need to have a variety of digging techniques and holes at our disposal. Tool choice and sensitivity of location will often dictate hole choice. Below are the most common types of holes you will need to make. Please note that having a pinpointer will often change how you dig - this has been noted below when relevant.
The mole
This is where the digger makes no effort to either dig a neat hole or to fill it back in. Don't be a mole. Moling a playing field, playground/'tot lot' or any other public place just isn't cool. People get annoyed and pretty soon no-one is allowed to detect in that area. Worse, you will give detectorists a bad name. There are enough popular TV shows that do that ('boom baby' should be enough to illustrate that point). It is possible to start out with a neat plug/hole and to then start moling. This most often happens when pinpointing with the detector was less than accurate and the digger is forced to widen/deepen/undercut the original hole in search of that elusive target. Having a hand-held pinpointer, and learning how to accurately pinpoint with your detector, reduces the likelihood of this happening. Also, having a piece of cloth (an old tea/hand towel works well) to put dirt from your hole on to - which you can then neatly tip back into the hole - serves to decrease 'the moling effect'.
The cone
A conical 'plug' most often dug using a a knife or trowel. Basically any hand-held digging tool lends itself to 'the cone' as separating and removing the cone of dirt form the ground is a simple and natural procedure. However, there are several pros and cons to this method of target retrieval - these are detailed below.
Pros: Relatively quick, flexible to target size, if done properly can be low-impact on grass, if pinpointing is accurate target retrieval is easier due to less soil being removed
Cons: Requires digging whilst on the ground (can be difficult or messy in some areas), tool length and target size dictate depth that can be dug without moling, less leverage to remove plugs, only shallower plugs can be cut if a 'hinge' of grass is to be left attached, with a less skilled digger there is a greater chance of target damage
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