Any metal detectorists here?

[ZOFCHAK]

<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The travel bug and the treasure bug seem to be close cousins, so I figure there has to be a few people here into metal detecting. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img">&nbsp;&nbsp; I'm die hard into water detecting (Scuba and Hookah) and once I get on the road full time (This Fall) I hope to be supplementing my income with some of my finds.&nbsp;&nbsp; The ability to travel with the warm weather means that I can extend the detecting season year round and hit some target rich touristy areas instead of sitting here waiting for the Michigan lakes to thaw.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Anyone else out there digging up the beach and filling their finds bag with pull tabs?

 

[SirJoey]

<br><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>I'm into it, but I can't get out anywhere to do any detecting. At least not yet. I've pretty much covered my own property here, which is 3 acres, &amp; found 11 cents I think it was, &amp; nothing else but junk.</strong></span><br><br><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>Really been wanting to go to a beach, which so far, I've never got to do. I've had the detector for about a year &amp; a half now, but still haven't gotten to use it anywhere other than here on my property.&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/frown.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"><br><br>Pretty discouraging to have STILL not gotten to really use it, after a year &amp; a half, &amp; after dropping $400 on the darn thing. I know, by most standards, that's a small amount to pay for a detector, &amp; it's considered a low-end unit, but for ME, $400 is like a KING'S RANSOM!&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/eek.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"></strong></span><br><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong><br></strong></span>

 

[highdesertranger]

yes i do but mostly for gold.&nbsp; you say underwater,&nbsp; for like jewelry or treasure or gold.&nbsp; i do underwater for gold.&nbsp; dredging with a hooka.&nbsp; don't give up joey even the cheapest detector will find treasure there was a story around christmas where a kid in england made a big find with a ultra cheap detector sorry i don't recall the details.&nbsp; zofchak were bouts you located.&nbsp; highdesertranger

 

[ZOFCHAK]

yes i do but mostly for gold.&nbsp; you say underwater,&nbsp; for like jewelry or treasure or gold.&nbsp; i do underwater for gold.&nbsp; dredging with a hooka.&nbsp; don't give up joey even the cheapest detector will find treasure there was a story around christmas where a kid in england made a big find with a ultra cheap detector sorry i don't recall the details.&nbsp; zofchak were bouts you located.&nbsp; highdesertranger

<br><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I'm in Southeast Michigan, and there's not much natural gold for me here. Mostly I detect for lost coins and jewelry in the Great Lakes and the many inland lakes. I mainly target abandoned and redeveloped vacation areas that were popular in the early 20th Century. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; SirJoey, what highdesertranger said about even the cheapest detector finding the goods is totally right!&nbsp; In fact for gold jewelry it's even more so.&nbsp;&nbsp; The high end, top of line land detectors are extremely good at discriminating out unwanted targets, but they are not perfect. Many times users can get into the habit of only digging perfect targets, and they end up skipping over some great finds. With the lower end machines the discrimination may not be as refined, which means you end up digging more targets and in turn can end up with some shallow gold that others may have missed.

 

[Willy]

&nbsp;Yup, I detect 'n prospect for gold. Got an MXT Pro and a TDI. Weather is warming up and will be hitting the back country soon. ..Willy.

 

[SirJoey]

<br><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>At the time I bought my MD, I justified the exorbitant (to ME) expense of the darn thing to myself by hoping I would be one of those rare, lucky guys who found something (or some combination of things) which would make the detector pay for itself. Longshot, to be sure, but I was hopeful, &amp; actually still am, for that matter, if I can ever get out somewhere where the finds might be fruitful.</strong></span><br><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong><br>Here's me unearthing priceless treasure in my yard <br>nearly 2 years ago, shortly after buying the detector:<br><br>[video]<br><br><br><br><br>And yet MORE treasure beyond compare:<br><br>[video]<br><br></strong><strong style="font-size: 13px;">As U may be able to tell from the vids, digging in my yard is like trying to dig through asphalt! I really wanna do a beach, cuz people lose stuff there regularly, &amp; the digging would be easy in sand, a big plus for an old man with a bad back &amp; bad knees!&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"></strong><strong><br></strong><strong><br><br><br><br></strong></span>

 

[Willy]

&nbsp;Well, just keep at it. My detectors have been paid for many times over with my finds. I've actually downsized to only 2 units. I've found that the 'best' detectors for me are the midrange units like the MXT, with basic controls and blistering performance. I've had a number of 'top of the line' detectors and basically found myself paying for bells 'n whistles and spending more time fiddling with the detector than actually hunting. If you live in an area with mild ground, then the lower end machines might suffice, but we've got some of the worst ground in the world here.. so heavily mineralized that some detectors I've tested would 'overload' if brought to within 6" of the ground, regardless of sensitivity or gb setting. That necessitates&nbsp; a fast and accurate ground tracking system on a VLF, or a PI (with gb). This is why the MXT and TDI are my choices in detectors.. though I might pick up a backup VLF. ..Willy.

 

[SirJoey]

<br><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>Wow, that's encouraging, Willy! Gives me hope that it might actually be possible to come out ahead in the long run, if I could just get out somewhere decent to hunt!</strong></span><br><br><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>I've always figured only a very select few ever find enough stuff of any value to make their detectors pay for themselves, but I've always HOPED that maybe I would be ONE of 'em!&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"><br><br>And yeah, my ground sux here. In those vids, the ground was actually moist, &amp; it was still very hard to dig. It's all hard clay here. And when it's DRY, FORGET IT! It's like concrete!&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/frown.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"><br><br></strong></span>

 

[ontheroadagain]

How do you detect under water? that would be really cool.

 

[ZOFCHAK]

How do you detect under water? that would be really cool.

<br><br><br>&nbsp; Not my video, but this shows how it's normally done.&nbsp;&nbsp; I just wish the places that I hunt were this clear! I'm normally digging through foul smelling mud with near zero visibility. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"><br><br><br>

 

[ontheroadagain]

Well that's pretty darn cool! How is everything water proofed?<br><br>Like the head phones and detector? It looked like the detector was wrapped in foam and black tape? not sure.

 

[ZOFCHAK]

The detector he is using is a Minelab Excalibur which is factory built to be waterproof to 200ft. The plastic has just been added to protect the cable from the rocks, sand and corral.&nbsp; The headphone speakers are set in silicone and everything else is completely sealed.&nbsp; Sound travels well underwater, so you hear the signals just fine.

 

[ontheroadagain]

hip-pity hop $1500! that's is a lot of cash. I guess I won't be trying that any time too soon.<br>Really cool though. who doesn't secretly wish they could hunt treasure!

 

[ZOFCHAK]

hip-pity hop $1500! that's is a lot of cash. I guess I won't be trying that any time too soon.<br>Really cool though. who doesn't secretly wish they could hunt treasure!

<br><br><br>&nbsp;Yeah the Excalibur is expensive, but they can actually be had for about $1100-1200. The $1500 price is the suggested retail and many dealers will sell them for less. That's pretty much the best diving detector made, but there are others that cost much less such as the Tesoro Tiger Shark&nbsp; or Garrett AT Pro (Wading only). <br>&nbsp; Also, you have to take into account that the three gold rings in that video are worth about $500 just as&nbsp; scrap.&nbsp; Obviously, you're not going to find multiple gold rings on every hunt, but I have had days where I found many more.

 

[ontheroadagain]

are there any decent websites that explain how to use the different knobs and dials and sounds.<br>I wish there were detectors that button settings for gold, silver, depth. <br>I bought a cheap one ($100) a few years ago and couldn't figure out how to tell the difference between a good or bad hit (trash like pop tops)

 

[ZOFCHAK]

are there any decent websites that explain how to use the different knobs and dials and sounds.<br>I wish there were detectors that button settings for gold, silver, depth. <br>I bought a cheap one ($100) a few years ago and couldn't figure out how to tell the difference between a good or bad hit (trash like pop tops)

<br><br><br>&nbsp; You can check out the diving/beach forums at Findmall.com and Treasurenet.com for more information. Unfortunately, as good as detectors have become there is still not really a foolproof way to tell the difference between some gold jewelry and a pull tab.&nbsp; Aluminum and gold of the same size and shape can give almost the exact same signals on just about all machines. Also gold is made in so many different shapes and purities that it can read all the way across the board. One of the main advantages of hunting in water is the lack of other metal trash that you will normally find on land.&nbsp; Yeah, you're still going to dig pull tabs, pop cans and fishing sinkers, but not anything like you would detecting in a park.

 

[ontheroadagain]

I just looked up findmall.com and it is just what I need. thanks

 

[Mouldy]

Thanks a lot guys.&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"> Now I've spent 8 hours looking at metal detectors and reading forums... Makes me want to get one.

 

[Willy]

&nbsp;Just remember, the best ID system is between your ears, and the ultimate is a shovel and your eyes. ..Willy.

 

[Mouldy]

Well I ended up picking up an AT Pro. Only have 2 hours on it, but learning a lot and having fun so far. We are getting 12 inches of snow today, so no hunting for awhile...