Attaching a GPS to a metal detector

[Groovedymond]

I know many of us have them and use them to mark where things were found and such, however, my idea uses them more effectively.

How many times have you searched an area, only to find out that you overlooked a small patch? OR... went over an area too fast and missed a find?

My idea is to use the GPS to map what you have searched. After you search a field, you upload the GPS unit into a computer, and it shows you your sweeping patterns.. where you searched... and, where cross-overs happen of sweeps, it color coats them. Where you swept too fast and etc... could be easily pin pointed so you could go back to that spot and thoroughly search it.

 

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[BuckleBoy]

If you have any luck with this idea, or get a program up and running, let us know! I'd buy it! The only problem I see is that most GPS readings in really rural areas don't have the type of accuracy for a project like this... But if it ever gets that accurate, this would be a GREAT tool for those big old open fields, virgin Civil War campsites, and perhaps even large yards!

Cheers,

Buckleboy

 

[Functional]

I know many of us have them and use them to mark where things were found and such, however, my idea uses them more effectively.

How many times have you searched an area, only to find out that you overlooked a small patch? OR... went over an area too fast and missed a find?

My idea is to use the GPS to map what you have searched. After you search a field, you upload the GPS unit into a computer, and it shows you your sweeping patterns.. where you searched... and, where cross-overs happen of sweeps, it color coats them. Where you swept too fast and etc... could be easily pin pointed so you could go back to that spot and thoroughly search it.

There seem to be differing opinions on the accuracy of GPS receivers. A couple of years ago, I was talking to a surveyor who works for the highways department here in British Columbia, thinking I might have use of his services to survey a claim I was thinking of staking. He told me that he had compared a common commercially available GPS unit to the official survey readings and the GPS was accurate to within a few millimeters. A lot depends on the area you use a GPS in. If there are high mountains surrounding you, then the GPS likely won't receive signals from all the available satellites.

It may be possible to use GPS for this, but it might not work in all situations. I've seen GPS units that attach to a camera and mark each picture with the GPS coordinates. I thought it was a cool idea, especially for people who make significant finds and shoot a picture of it on the spot. But I suspect they might want to crop the picture before posting it on TNet with the location.

Anyway, I think your idea is quite possible, its just that it might not be practical. There is a variety of logging and imaging software out there and even a data logger made out of an old GameBoy, (I think it had GPS added onto it).

Personally, I'd like to see something like this that uses a "heads-up" or "clip on" display that would attach to your glasses or be worn on your head. There are several models of these on the market, including some for RC, (Radio Controlled, or Remotely Controlled), racers and airplanes equipped with digital cameras. The display could help not only with viewing where a person had missed spots in their swing, but also in displaying a pinpoint for a signal based on the readings from the metal detector as you sweep over a target.

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[bushlight]

My handheld garmin 60cs is a couple years old.And i have seen it read accuracy of 2 feet.

 

[eddiebhome]

I have used my Lowrance H20 when covering areas. It shows my track as I go back and forth across an area and lets me see where I haven't been yet. I know the accuracy is not really great, but it does help me to have some idea of ground that I have and haven't covered. Would love to see one incorporated in a detector, able to switch the LCD screen back and forth from detector display to GPS. But to have a good quality GPS added to the price of a good quality detector would probably push it out of the range of most folks (unless you've got a lot more spending money than I do).

Eddie

 

[99thpercentile]

This is how I do all of my work looking for unexploded ordnance. We typically use survey grade real time kinematic (RTK) GPS systems that cost about $40,000. I use a Trimble 5700 system for most jobs. The metal detectors that I have are manufactured by either Geonics or Geophex. The PDA loggers that I used are either off the shelf HP iPAQs or Juniper Systems Archers and Allegros. In UXO detection and discrimination surveys we don't do anything in real time, and we have to be able to show coverage of the entire site. The data is downloaded at the end of each grid and then processed to create anomaly maps. The next step is usually to do inversion modeling on the data to determine what type of target caused the anomaly. Than we create a dig list that is prioritized from most likely target to least likely target. The EOD team starts excavating at the top of the list and works down.