Metal Detecting....

[gollumcat]

...anybody do it?


Never done it at all before, but it interests me. I have a couple places in mind that I think I'd get some hits on(old factories, abandoned towns, etc)...but I really know nothing about it, other than there is a place around the cornert that rents detectors for $17 a day.

Any advice would be welcome.

 

[Deeeefense]

I've heard of people finding meteorites with these things that are sometimes worth a ton of money.

 

[UKserialkiller]

Down here in Florida. Metal detectors are a hit on the beaches. There's one area near the east coast of Florida (I wanna say St. John's county) that has a long lost burial of gold buried under some hill. No one has ever found it.

I've always wanted to try to find it.

 

[BlueRaider22]

Knew a retired couple that did it as a hobby. They said that they rarely find anything worth value, but it's fun. They'd go around to old farm sites and see what's around. Occasionally they'd find interesting things, but rarely valuables. Their home was decorated with old bottles, buttons, nails, etc.....pretty cool if your a history buff.

 

[HymanKaplan_rivals48997]

My wife is pretty proud of the weight I've lost, since I bought mine...

 

[We-Todd-Did]

Originally posted by HymanKaplan:

My wife is pretty proud of the weight I've lost, since I bought mine...

 

[bthaunert]

Originally posted by HymanKaplan:

My wife is pretty proud of the weight I've lost, since I bought mine...

One of the most ridiculous lines ever from a commercial! Nice work.

 

[dorkmeister]

Drink beer while you do it and bury your beer cans so you can find them in a couple years

 

[gollumcat]

All good advice. I'm wondering if anybody has anything a bit more practical.

 

[BBUK_anon]

Originally posted by gollumcat:
...anybody do it?


Never done it at all before, but it interests me. I have a couple places in mind that I think I'd get some hits on(old factories, abandoned towns, etc)...but I really know nothing about it, other than there is a place around the cornert that rents detectors for $17 a day.

Any advice would be welcome.

I have a friend in Marion County that is an expert and spends a lot of his free time digging for things he ccomes across using his metal detector. He swears by the White's brand. (I have seen a lot of his finds and he DOES make some dough at it.) It is something I want to do for a while now but it never seems to work out. I mentioned buying one just yesterday.

 

[Big Blue 1977]

OP's big haul:

 

[UKRob 73]

I've always wanted to try it, but just never could do the Velcro shoes with black socks.

 

[WildcatfaninOhio]

Originally posted by UKRob 73:
I've always wanted to try it, but just never could do the Velcro shoes with black socks.

You'll have an easier time once you pair these with ridiculously-large plaid shorts and a sun hat.

 

[neilborders]

Sounds like a real blast!

 

[AustinTXCat]

Originally posted by gollumcat:

All good advice. I'm wondering if anybody has anything a bit more practical.

Real quick.

My first exposure to the treasure hunting thing came when I served in the US Army. Back then, we used AN\PVS-3 Vietnam War-era mine detectors during numerous practical exercises. Found some older coins (1940s-50s), though nothing rare or spectacular.

Since then, I purchased a cheap Garrett for my daughter as a Christmas present around 6-7 years ago. Her mom (my-ex) uses it quite a bit, but as with everything else, you get what you pay for. Better quality detectors start north of $800.

Obtain permission before hunting on someone's land. Be respectful. Bury holes you dig. There are user groups in KY; we've had one here in Austin since 1963. Practical knowledge is invaluable, so perhaps hook up with a user group.

More later, as I must ride to work.

 

[AustinTXCat]

Originally posted by gollumcat:

All good advice. I'm wondering if anybody has anything a bit more practical.

Okay, back for round 2.

Prospecting on private property is the way to go, as the practice is forbidden on many state and federal lands. Numerous municipalities ban prospecting in parks. There are, however, always exceptions. Check around. Ask questions. Again, try finding a user group or club in your area. Seeking advice = good.

One can probably locate a decent starter rig for around $300 new. Performance may vary. Stick with Garrett, White or maybe Fisher. Water-proof gear costs more, but worth the added expense if you explore creeks or lakes.

According to various sources, Kentucky hosts 14 ghost towns.

Remember the concepts of time and place. These factors are crucial when planning searches. Places where folks lived and interacted over long time frames hold lots of potential. Prime opportunity targets are usually abandoned houses. From another perspective, places where people temporarily gather in large numbers (i.e. outdoor concerts) are also great, especially for finding coins and jewelry. Best to visit those locations as soon as possible after an event.

I hope to purchase another metal detector later this year. Anyway, good luck.

 

[gollumcat]

Thanks Austin. What I have in mind is an abandoned business(mill) with several ruined buildings set up in a linear fashion

 

[AustinTXCat]

Originally posted by gollumcat:

Thanks Austin. What I have in mind is an abandoned business(mill) with several ruined buildings set up in a linear fashion

Sounds exciting. Depending on the age of the facility and purpose, no telling what lies at the location. May require lots of work, but pain and success usually go together. Best of luck. Hoping for a good outcome.

For such an endeavor, I'd take a serious look at a Garrett AT Pro. Good range. Greater sensitivity than lower-end models.

Over in the United Kingdom, some truly stunning discoveries of "hoards" (gold, silver, antiquities, etc.) have happened since 2000. In many cases, finders kept a nice share of the booty.

 

[gollumcat]

Well for this first effort, I think I'll have to take whatever my local reantal place has. After that I'll go from there.

Question....does cold and snow affect it at all?

 

[IdaCat]

I toss all my old junk metal, washers, nails, and Chuck E Cheese tokens around places frequented by metal detector dorks.

 

[AustinTXCat]

Originally posted by gollumcat:
Well for this first effort, I think I'll have to take whatever my local reantal place has. After that I'll go from there.

Question....does cold and snow affect it at all?

Cold affects the battery. If renting the night before your search, keep the detector indoors until ready for use. Conserve battery power as much as possible when outside.

EDIT: If possible, visit the rental place a day prior and find out what model is for rent. Look up the user manual online.

This post was edited on 1/28 6:32 AM by AustinTXCat

 

[BBUK_anon]

Originally posted by AustinTXCat:

Originally posted by gollumcat:
Well for this first effort, I think I'll have to take whatever my local reantal place has. After that I'll go from there.

Question....does cold and snow affect it at all?

Cold affects the battery. If renting the night before your search, keep the detector indoors until ready for use. Conserve battery power as much as possible when outside.

EDIT: If possible, visit the rental place a day prior and find out what model is for rent. Look up the user manual online.


This post was edited on 1/28 6:32 AM by AustinTXCat

Darn you ATC, you got me thinking again about a detector. You and that blasted OP. The wife is against me even thinking about one. I think I will look around at a rental of one and see if the wife may like it. We do outdoors stuff a lot.

 

[AustinTXCat]

Originally posted by BBUK:

Darn you ATC, you got me thinking again about a detector. You and that blasted OP. The wife is against me even thinking about one. I think I will look around at a rental of one and see if the wife may like it. We do outdoors stuff a lot.

It is a cool hobby and certainly brings participants outside. I used my daughter's detector here in Texas for a couple months before gifting it to her. Mainly found coins and junk. No home runs.

My mom's house in Middlesboro was built in 1897. Couple years ago, my ex, our daughter, my then son in-law and I prospected a little around my mom's place -- she currently rents it out. Found a few old bottles nearby, as the detector picked up on the metal caps.

As with any other hobby, one receives what one gives. Really good detectors featuring all the high-speed options are pricey, but also increase potential for nice returns if used correctly.

 

[WonderBraa]

It's for the ******

 

[gollumcat]

Well......found a1943 nickel . Got me out of the house though.

 

[AustinTXCat]

Originally posted by gollumcat:
Well......found a1943 nickel . Got me out of the house though.

Roughly $2. Congrats! Keep at it. Like I said, in such an environment, ya never know. Good luck going forward.

 

[wildcatwelder_rivals]

Bought my kid one a few weeks ago, but it will be spring before we get out and "treasure hunt". We fish a lot of private ponds on friends property, so I foresee him using some at those times when the fishing is slow.

 

[WonderBraa]

Your kid prlly has tons of friends if he likes metal detecting

 

[CatsFan4Evr]

I don't do any metal detecting, but I do hunt for Native American artifacts in plowed fields and creeks. Kentucky is loaded with prehistoric relics.

 

[wildcatwelder_rivals]

Originally posted by WonderBrow:
Your kid prlly has tons of friends if he likes metal detecting

What a great post!! Did it take you a while to come up with that, or did it just pop into your head?

Actually, he's quite popular, but thanks for your input.

He's never done it, but thought it would be cool; apparently 4-5 of his friends at school got one for Christmas, so I got him one for his birthday last month.

 

[WonderBraa]

No it came to me pretty fast. I figured if he was doing something as dumb as detecting metal for fun then his friends must be lining up out the door to do the same.

 

[wildcatwelder_rivals]

Originally posted by WonderBrow:
No it came to me pretty fast. I figured if he was doing something as dumb as detecting metal for fun then his friends must be lining up out the door to do the same.

He's 10 years old; I fully expect the detector will be gathering dust quite soon.

Fishing and basketball are his big passions, btw.

 

[AustinTXCat]

I purchased a Garrett 200 metal detector last year. Meh, so so performance. Discrimination on that unit sucks. Really gotta tune it in.

 

[numberonedad]

Been doing it for over 30 years. Founds lots of good stuff and lots of junk. Although I'm not one of these guys that do it real often. I have an underwater detector and usually do it here at the beach or in the keys. Years ago when I lived in Ky, we went on vacation to Hilton Head and I found a Rolex that I got 13 grand for. By far the most valuable thing I found

 

[funKYcat75]

I can detect metal pretty much by just looking at it.

 

[Get Buckets]

Been doing it for over 30 years. Founds lots of good stuff and lots of junk. Although I'm not one of these guys that do it real often. I have an underwater detector and usually do it here at the beach or in the keys. Years ago when I lived in Ky, we went on vacation to Hilton Head and I found a Rolex that I got 13 grand for. By far the most valuable thing I found

You pay tax on it, Ace?

 

[numberonedad]

You pay tax on it, Ace?

Nope! Sold it to a friend of mine that was a jewler. He did a few small repairs on the watch and got, I believe he told me 18 grand for it

 

[Col. Angus]

Metal is usually given away by the blistering guitar solos 3/4 the way through the song and screaming vocals.

 

[mustnotsleepnow]

I've always wanted to try it, but just never could do the Velcro shoes with black socks.

LMAO

 

[Free_Salato_Blue]

I purchased a Garrett 200 metal detector last year. Meh, so so performance. Discrimination on that unit sucks. Really gotta tune it in.

Just get a $1 coat hanger and my $100 guide.