New Member First Post

[KirkTN]

Howdy all,

I am the brother of John37115 and Uncle to Caleb-in-TN, I'm just here to defend myself. I've been hearing about how much fun John and Caleb have been having here at treasurenet telling folks things like they've been skunkin ole Uncle Kirk. Well they might have got lucky a time or two, but as I recall I put it to 'em both a view times... Yep, I'm as crazy or crazier about this mistress we call metal detecing. I Got so hopped up reading treasure hunting stories online the other night that when I finaly did hit the hay, I dreamed I was pluckin' gold coins out left and right. I woke up tired but by the time I had a cup of coffee and that first cig. I was ready to hit it, Well, I didn't find any gold that day, but I did find my first barber quarter in an old church yard just down the road. Brother John and I had found a number of newer coins there, a view wheats and an old gold plated sunday school pin. Needless to say this old quarter made my day. It's got a pretty bad nick on the side. I don't think I done it as I learned a long time ago after nicking a 1914d wheat as a boy,  that you best back off the pinpoint mark at least 3 or 4 inches and cut a nice little horse shoe to keep from makin' such bone head mistakes. Anyhow, I'd like to post a few more recent finds from the {Grandpa of the South} which is the oldest fairgrounds in the state of TN. I've found some real nice dimes there in the past few weeks. Well, this has been fun and I feel proud to be a new member here.

 

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[Pepper2004]

Hi Kirt TN, great find! Looking forward to seeing more of your finds.

 

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[KirkTN]

Thank You Ma'Ladies

KirkTN

 

[KirkTN]

Hey Gonehunting, I've been researching some and came across this map.

Hey, I've got relatives that live in Atoka. I didn't realize that there was a battleground in the area. I know there was a lot of activity around Collierville, but I've never heard of anything in Atoka. Can you give me any more details? If you guys get an excursion together I'd love to tag along.

If your familiar with Atoka, where Ethan Allen sits is where the Union was stationed with their cannons. they starting shooting at the cs at where the museum is now..about 1 mile or less. after the shooting started the cs retreated and alot of the cs soldiers were left, dead and wounded. a chase insued and the cs were backed up against Boggy and some escaped but most didn't. When you get down I'll show you were some were supposedly caught, there is a cemetary from the battle right south of museum. I went last year on private land to the east and found an 1892 ih at 1 1/2 in in the ground. supposedly the train stopped in that area to look at the battle ground.(don't know if that is true).
I actually live in Ardmore now. but go to Atoka often.

 

[Bridge End Farm]

Thanks Bridgeendfarm,

Hey man, I've been reading up on the DFX some, how do you really feel about it? What kind of depth are you gettin, and how easy is it to operate?

Thanks KirkTN

I really like my DFX and find it was pretty simple to use. I started out with a 5900 DX Pro I bought in a thrift shop about 4 years ago. I took it to my local MD shop to have it checked since I figured it probably didn't work. Turned out it worked great and my 10 bucks was well spent. I started visiting the MD shop regularly shooting the bull and getting tips and pointers. While I was there when a fellow walked in with it for sale for a little over 300. I thought it was hot but the MD dealer knew him and assured me it wasn't. It came with only a pinpointer, AA battery pack, 3 coils and sticks of which are stock ecilpse 9.5 , ecilpse 5.3 and a big DD 1400 (which I really don't like, heavy and like swinging a football around on the end of a stick). I have had it about 3 years now. I use the 5.3 the most mostly do to trash areas I frequently hunt. At the beach I usually use the stock coil. I tweak the DFX here and there depending what I am doing or at times I go with the presets. It does get a little squirelly if the batteries fall below 10 volts. DFXGreg has one that he is having problems getting under 6 inches or so. I hit targets regularly in the 7-10 inch and that not using the DD coil. The deepest I ever found something was around 14 and it was very old brass ladies powder pack. about 2 1/2 in in diameter. I gave it to my MD shop to display as a TY for all the free tips and advise I had gotten from it. My terrian is a lot different than DFXGREG's or yours. Florida soil is very percable (pourous). I leave mine in tone mode and once I hit a target I then try to id it. Like any other machine you get use to it as you use it, you learn it's own personality and the way it speaks. I can pretty much tell by the tone if it worth digging. I did discover that a very precious metal like pure gold 24 ct my DFX machine tone goes quiet as it sweeps across it unless I am in prospecting mode. I found a very very nice piece of jewerly once just digging the lost tone. I always thought it going quiet I was just passing trash. I thought the machine was broken and took it in to the MD shop. There I was taught that pure gold is a very hard id unless your machine is programmed only looking for it. Thats where the experts on here and your local club come in aid. Many operate the same machines and have years of experience in them and the art of MDing. It is a true art and like anything to get good at it requires practice. I have learned more from watching and listening to folks, reading boards then taking thier pointers out and experimenting with them. I have seen at local hunts a guy take a high good quality machine over an area and pick up coins and then another person follow the same path and pick up coins the other one missed with the same type high good quality machine. I personally I believe regardless of what machine you use the only way to know for sure what is beneath you is to dig. And no matter how many times you hit a site it is never totally hunted out as soils shift up and down frequently from mother nature and her critters. If it is trash my VDI will bounce around pretty well but if it gives me a pretty stable VDI I almost dig every target I hit. I have found good stuff right along side with trash If it goes quiet I now switch to prospecting and check it. It's pinpointing is very accurate but you can turn any coil sideways (up and down) and pinpoint. The depth at times I find inaccurate it could say 4 inches and I find it at 2. And the height you swing at plays into depth. I use 2500 mah rechargeable batteries in the pack and it does get squirelly if it falls below 10 volts which is very rare on a all day hunt.
I never usually fall below 11. The best place to find jewerly in florida is the beach and most of it is in the water. Some of my friends think I am crazy with my DFX cause I get really pretty close to salt in it. I am always running the tide line or sandbars and try to hit the beach at it's lowest tide. There have been times I had to snatch it up real quick not to have it submerse in water. I do my best to keep it clean after a hunt and just like a gun the better you take care of it the better it performs. I am buying (layaway) an excaliber II for my beach and diving hunting. Not sure as it is a tone detector and no type of display. They say it is a good land dectector too but I sure like them pics, depth and VDI marks my DFX has given me lol
If your ever down my way your welcome to use my DFX and play with it if you like. I am sorry I rambled a bit, the DFX is a darn great machine, but there are others that are just as good. The most important are it comes down to what you can afford. I was saving up for a new DFX (9-1100.00 bucks) when what I got crossed my path right place right time so to speak. The excaliber II I have on layaway is a pay as you can deal which makes it easier on my budget

Best things I like are
instant trigger pinpoint
lighted displays with vdi and depth
adjustable
easy change between mode
extremely lite
you can save different personal programs on it

Don't likes
Batteries need to be hot for best results (charged)
not waterproof (love to be able to take it underwater)

Good Hunting to you

 

[dave in iowa]

nice find kirk, look forward to more of your posts .

 

[KirkTN]

Thanks Dave, I look forward to your post too! Have a good one.


KirkTN

 

[Gonehunting]

kirk just got the new xterra 70, give me a few weeks to feel comfortable with it.. and well hit those spots in Atoka..so far it is surpassing what i thought it would... check out xterra 70 in the comparisons under minelab...

 

[lockman209]

Welcome to the site KirkTN and nice find

 

[tsgman]

Welcome to t-net!!

 

[KirkTN]

Thanks Yall I'm lovin' this site!!!!!