First try :-(

[Narked1]

Took my new Mine-Excalibur out today to give it a try in a friends backyard here in Egypt. It's a villa that's around 60 years old that was rebuilt over the foundation of a villa that is much older. Learning to MD here and have no idea what I am doing! Got to the villa and was told to help myself to the backyard. Went around back and found the gardener was still working (lotsa strange looks from him). Pulled out the Excalibur and started MD'ing and was getting hits all over the place! I'm thinking to myself "WOW! first time out and I've got 20 hits in ten minutes!" Finally realized that I was chasing a water pipe, and old railroad rail from the train tracks behind the villa, and an electrical cable that was buried in the ground running to a light pole in the backyard. The gardener finally came over and asked if there was an electrical problem. Found out from him (speaking in Egyptian Arabic) that the power company here uses metal detectors to track electrical cables and sub-contract to other companies to find land mines! Can you imagine? "Honey! I struck it rich! BOOM!"

Anyway, found lots of buried re-bar until I turned up the discrimination a bit and then got 5 good hits on the other side of the yard. Got two Egyptian coins that are worthless.....20 piasters each (about 3 cents on the current exchange rate) and the other three I couldn't dig because the gardener didn't want me to leave a hole in the sod that he had just planted. Put the headphones on the gardner and threw some practice targets out (gold, silver, brass, steel) so that he could understand what I was doing. He thought it was so cool that he spent the next 20 minutes MD'ing while I sat on the patio drinking a beer. Call it a cultural exchange, if you will. He actually found a key in the flowerbed where he changes his clothes at the end of the day that he had lost a year or so ago in a flowerbed that was for the previous tenant's front gate!

All-in-all, I learned a bit, had some fun, and found enough money to buy a small bag of potato-chips from the corner store. Can't wait to get into the water and dive my favorite site where I find Graeco-Roman "stuff" all the time.

Just wanted to share a newbie's experience.

 

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[treasurekidd]

Sounds like a good hunt, especially for a first time, and it sounds like the gardener is now a Treasure Hunter too. Good work!

 

[Southcacalaky]

Glad to see someone in Alexandria detecting, I worked there for a year and a half at El Roseltine. Tell you about the mines if you like, Email me if you like HH Art...Don't worry about the strange looks, Got them all the time...

 

[Bavaria Mike]

You will get better with experience, look forward to seeing the finds! HH, Mike

 

[spotz]

Making friends with the gardner is a great way to open some doors. I was in Alexandria in 99 on a tour. Neat place. I really enjoyed the sun rise in Cairo at Giza. Breath taking!
Spotz

 

[ZumbroKid]

Try finding something from the lighthouse if they let you in that area. It would make a good post to hunt the site of one of the ancient wonders of the world.

 

[Leon]

Very nice...
Sounds like ya had a great time,, That what it's all about...
Good luck & Happy hunting~

 

[birdman]

Sounds like high adventure to me! Diving those sites would be amazing.

 

[Narked1]

Southcacalaky,
I'm still working at Ras EL Tin, probably on a related project. Been here almost 8 years. Looking to try and detect out at the Graeco-Roman Pier at Montazza (the manager of the dive center owes me some favors), that, plus a little "Bakhsheesh" nevers hurts either!

And to all of the others that responded, thanks for the support. And yes, I will get better with time and practice (hopefully). Still a little "irked" that the gardener picked up on MD'ing faster than I did.

Will post what I find this next weekend, if anything.

 

[Narked1]

Oh, forgot to mention a couple of things in my last post.

First, using a Metal Detector in Egypt is illegal if you don't have a permit from the Ministry of Antiquities, or are licensed by the Power Company.

Second, there is soooo much stuff buried here that it pretty much makes it impossible to find anything! Targets everywhere!

Now, a technical question. I've had numerous hits on various items. However, I haven't figuired out how to determine depth. How do you guys and gals determine that? Looking for a little insight here as I only have about 3 more weeks in the diving window to go and play underwater before the waters turn visciously cold here.

 

[tallpaul]

ive applied to the egyptian antiquities and govermant for a pemit, a licence to hunt there, still waiting for them to decide, as soon as i get the all clear if i do.,, iam off there straight away,, i'll find the gold and stuff,, that would make me buzz better than the florida hunt i have comeing up,,, infact cant wait to see what good finds i can muster up in florida on the wabasso beach way there, the detecting god is surely by my side just lately,,.

 

[Crutch]

Don't assume that junk is everywhere. That place has been inhabited forever, so many open spaces will have something to offer even if there isn't a home or national landmark sitting on it.

Can't wait to see the neat find that are waiting you.