Captn SE
Silver Member
- Apr 1, 2007
- 2,774
- 13
- Detector(s) used
- Minelab Explorer SE; X-1 Target Probe; Pro Coil, 6x8 SEF, Coiltek Platypus Elliptical, Sunray X8, Expl. 1050 coils
My Best Year Ever!! CAPTN_SE's '07 Totals!!!
Hello Everyone and Happy New Year to All!!
Today is a bittersweet day with now many fond memories of last year still fresh in my mind. 2007 was a year I will never forget. It surpassed all my previous years of md'ing combined. I met and have detected with many knowledgable and enthusiastic md'ers in '07. I consider all of them my good friends. I have also helped many here on Tnet with their Explorer detectors, giving them hints/pointers and intial setup advise; more than a hundred questions from newbies and experienced hunters. I really did feel like a "CAPTAIN".
All of these finds you will see would not have been possible if I had worked a 40-50 hr. week like I have been doing in the past 15 years. '07 was unique. In mid '06 through the beginning of '07, I came down with chronic fatigue syndrome and stayed on medical leave/disability for the duration of that time. My disabling chronic fatigue was caused by a wheat/gluten intolerance (celiac) which hampered my body's ability to absorb key nutrients/minerals in my food. Being fatigue was a definite understatement. I could barely walk up 5 stairs to my kitchen in Dec. '06. It was very depressing and frightening. Before this all happened, I was an avid runner(30-40Km/wk) and backpacker. Under a strict diet, I also needed to get outside and keep my body moving, which my doctor said would benefit me more than being immobile all day. I decided to try detecting again, after taking a near 15 year hiatus from a hobby I thoroughly enjoyed back in my teens. I brushed off the dust from my Whites 6000 Di Pro and started swinging my coil at a local park. At first, I couldn't even detect for 15 minutes. Each time I bent down to recover my find left me completely exhausted,and my muscles twitching profusely. While at home, I found Tnet and a local CA detecting forum on the Net. Everyone's finds inspired me to continue to go out and detect a little each day, no matter how bad I felt. Within weeks, 15 minute detecting days increased to 30 minute days. Within months, I was able to detect for a few hours, and feeling much better than I had in a while. My finds weren't that great in the beginning(I managed a few silver coins), but it was just my increased stamina that I looked forward to each and every day I got out detecting. After meeting up with some avid md'ers in my area early in Jan. '07, I decided that I wanted to take my hobby to the next level. With their advice, I traded my old detector in for a Minelab SE. The machine was so different than my older detector. I wasn't sure I made the right decision, but didn't give up. In short time, I was starting to get the hang of the machine, while my body was healing in the process. It didn't take me long to find my first silver coin. I struck silver on my second hunt with my SE. I was ecstatic. Looking back on some of my first posts with my SE, I see I was finding 1 to 2 silver coins for each hunt. As the months went by, and my knowledge of my machine and my stamina started to increase, my old coin finds were equally rising. Soon, I could detect over a half a day, and was starting to find 3 to 4 silver coins each hunt. This inspired me to continue, creating an obsession to hunt whenever I was able to. My silver fix grew, and my finds started to get even better. My 3-4 silver days started to increase to 5-6, followed by a few 8-12 silver days. Almost everyone on the detecting forums started to wonder who I was, and a few began questioning whether I was actually finding my coins. After meeting with about 7-8 other md'ers in my area, it didn't take long for them to see I was an honest person who was leeching the ground of old coinage at a better than average rate. I had such a great time with everyone I've hunted with in '07. The comeraderie/friendships/competitiveness was priceless! I even got to travel to Iowa/Nebraska with a couple of my best buddies and had a wonderful week hunting there. Over 90% of my finds in '07 came from a total of 55 parks within a 60 mile radius of my home. That's a lot of turf!! Today, I'm about 80% back to my old self in terms of my stamina, which I consider my greatest achievement in '07. I'm very glad I found Tnet and my local forum (Kinzli) in '07. I've made many lasting friendships, while also making a few green with envy. Thanks to all for helping to inspire me, and for making '07 my best detecting year of my life.
Happy New Year,
CAPTN SE
Dan
Hello Everyone and Happy New Year to All!!
Today is a bittersweet day with now many fond memories of last year still fresh in my mind. 2007 was a year I will never forget. It surpassed all my previous years of md'ing combined. I met and have detected with many knowledgable and enthusiastic md'ers in '07. I consider all of them my good friends. I have also helped many here on Tnet with their Explorer detectors, giving them hints/pointers and intial setup advise; more than a hundred questions from newbies and experienced hunters. I really did feel like a "CAPTAIN".
All of these finds you will see would not have been possible if I had worked a 40-50 hr. week like I have been doing in the past 15 years. '07 was unique. In mid '06 through the beginning of '07, I came down with chronic fatigue syndrome and stayed on medical leave/disability for the duration of that time. My disabling chronic fatigue was caused by a wheat/gluten intolerance (celiac) which hampered my body's ability to absorb key nutrients/minerals in my food. Being fatigue was a definite understatement. I could barely walk up 5 stairs to my kitchen in Dec. '06. It was very depressing and frightening. Before this all happened, I was an avid runner(30-40Km/wk) and backpacker. Under a strict diet, I also needed to get outside and keep my body moving, which my doctor said would benefit me more than being immobile all day. I decided to try detecting again, after taking a near 15 year hiatus from a hobby I thoroughly enjoyed back in my teens. I brushed off the dust from my Whites 6000 Di Pro and started swinging my coil at a local park. At first, I couldn't even detect for 15 minutes. Each time I bent down to recover my find left me completely exhausted,and my muscles twitching profusely. While at home, I found Tnet and a local CA detecting forum on the Net. Everyone's finds inspired me to continue to go out and detect a little each day, no matter how bad I felt. Within weeks, 15 minute detecting days increased to 30 minute days. Within months, I was able to detect for a few hours, and feeling much better than I had in a while. My finds weren't that great in the beginning(I managed a few silver coins), but it was just my increased stamina that I looked forward to each and every day I got out detecting. After meeting up with some avid md'ers in my area early in Jan. '07, I decided that I wanted to take my hobby to the next level. With their advice, I traded my old detector in for a Minelab SE. The machine was so different than my older detector. I wasn't sure I made the right decision, but didn't give up. In short time, I was starting to get the hang of the machine, while my body was healing in the process. It didn't take me long to find my first silver coin. I struck silver on my second hunt with my SE. I was ecstatic. Looking back on some of my first posts with my SE, I see I was finding 1 to 2 silver coins for each hunt. As the months went by, and my knowledge of my machine and my stamina started to increase, my old coin finds were equally rising. Soon, I could detect over a half a day, and was starting to find 3 to 4 silver coins each hunt. This inspired me to continue, creating an obsession to hunt whenever I was able to. My silver fix grew, and my finds started to get even better. My 3-4 silver days started to increase to 5-6, followed by a few 8-12 silver days. Almost everyone on the detecting forums started to wonder who I was, and a few began questioning whether I was actually finding my coins. After meeting with about 7-8 other md'ers in my area, it didn't take long for them to see I was an honest person who was leeching the ground of old coinage at a better than average rate.
I had such a great time with everyone I've hunted with in '07. The comeraderie/friendships/competitiveness was priceless! I even got to travel to Iowa/Nebraska with a couple of my best buddies and had a wonderful week hunting there. Over 90% of my finds in '07 came from a total of 55 parks within a 60 mile radius of my home. That's a lot of turf!! Today, I'm about 80% back to my old self in terms of my stamina, which I consider my greatest achievement in '07. I'm very glad I found Tnet and my local forum (Kinzli) in '07. I've made many lasting friendships, while also making a few green with envy. Thanks to all for helping to inspire me, and for making '07 my best detecting year of my life.Happy New Year,
CAPTN SE
Dan
Of all the lessons you have taught Tnet members this year, the main one I "put into my heart and hold with metal detecting love" is your unuttered motto: Never give up! 
