Metal Detecting For Beginners

OK, you have your new machine and now you want to use it effectively. Here are a few ideas to consider to make your learning go easier.

Adjust the length of the down rod (s) of your metal detector and the angle of the loop to the down rod so the loop is parallel to the ground and your upper arm is vertical to the ground when in a resting stance.

You want the loop to extend out far enough so that it will not be in the way of your feet when slowly walking. You will tend to walk faster than you should if the loop is extended further out on a longer down rod.

Sweep the loop from side to side stopping the swing slightly past where your left foot would be if you are swinging the detector in your right hand. This would be opposite for left handed people. If you sweep all the way across your body you will become fatigued too quickly.

Try to keep the loop parallel to the ground surface, as close to the ground surface as possible, without actually “kissing” or scuffing the surface. Learn to slightly overlap the loops path as you swing it from side to side to insure the area to be detected is searched as near 100% as possible.

New treasure hunters have a tendency to not keep the loop parallel to the ground and to raise the loop too high off the ground. They also tend to sweep the loop up into the air at each end of the swing. New treasure hunters need to practice keeping the loop parallel to the ground throughout the entire swing, start to end.

Remember, generally speaking, the loops signal will penetrate the ground a little deeper than the loop is big. If the loop is held one inch off the grounds surface, you are only giving up one inch of treasure seeking depth. A loop held six inches off the ground will mean you are losing six inches of your machines treasure seeking ability and possibly missing many great finds!

When you go too fast you’ll miss searching the area between each loops swing if you are not overlapping on each swing. The frustrating part of the hobby for all treasure hunters is too much land to cover with a limited amount of time with an average loop size of 8” to 10”. All of us have a tendency to go too fast. It seems the slower and more carefully you search an area, the higher the quantity and quality your finds will become.

The speed at which you swing your loop varies with the type of detector you've purchased. Practice swinging the loop at the speed recommended by the manufacturer. Lower priced units may require a slower sweep speed than higher priced units that operate effectively at faster loop speeds. Even top of the line machines will provide better depth and target ID when you slow down over an “iffy” signal received while going faster.

Sometimes mean spirited kids or adults will try to “prank” you by tossing coins in the water, on the beach, or in a grassy park ahead of you and watch you work for the penny's thrown. The best thing to do here is move off to a lesser used area quickly as possible.

Perhaps you'll be asked by a prankster to find a nonexistent jewelry item that was never lost. A good way to combat this is to tell the person you are hunting for another item lost by a friend and that you have limited time to search. Ask the person to write down their name, address, and phone number along with a detailed description of the lost item. Tell them if you should find it you'll give them a call. If the item was in fact lost, they will give you all possible information.

Heres how to defeat the “spotters and claimers” scam. Unfortunately, there are folks who have lots of experience in observing and trying to take advantage of new detectorists. The spotters and claimers will work in pairs. The “spotter”, a nice looking man or woman will come up to you and try to start a conversation with the ultimate goal of persuading you to show them any nice jewelry you've found. Don’t fall for it, even though you are so proud to have found a really nice item and would love to exercise your bragging rights.

After a close examination of your found jewelry, the spotter reports back to the “claimer” an exact description of the jewelry you've recovered and just shown to the spotter. A few minutes later, the claimer will then come up and say they were talking to someone near them down the beach or another part of the park and he (she) said you found a nice (ring / bracelet / watch / necklace) that may be theirs.

The “claimer” will then describe the item to you as if they had owned and worn it for years, and ask if you've found it. If you say no, then they act all indignant and start yelling that the other person saw you had what looks like the item they lost. They may threaten to call the police if you don’t immediately give it back.

If you answer yes, that you have in fact found an item of that description, then expect that you will be asked to give it to them. The only way to defeat these people is to never show what you've found to anyone except a trusted friend or family member.

When people are close by and you find a nice jewelry item, it is always the best idea to keep it concealed in your scoop or palm the item so that it cannot be seen until you can remove it unobserved.

You may enjoy hearing about a question asked one of my detecting friends and the response he gave one day at the beach. My buddy was working the moist sand at the waters edge and I was trailing behind him about 20 feet working in the water about knee deep.

I happened to look up and see an absolutely stunning young lady about “20 something” wearing a very skimpy bikini walk up behind my buddy and stop a few feet away to watch him as he was moving his detector from side to side to pinpoint a target. He scooped up the target and shook the sand from his scoop. As he was peering into the scoop, the gal walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and about broke his chin as it dropped to his chest when he saw the stunningly beautiful gal.

She asked him, “Does that machine find treasure?” He instantly responded, “Well young lady, I used to think so, but with you standing there, … it ought to be smoking right now and it isn't!”.

She just looked at him and shook her head from side to side and told him in a semi-disgusted tone, “Cute, real cute”, and walked away to continue walking down the beach. Oh well, I guess that response wasn't the best for advancing our hobby's reputation!

BARBER: An old silver U.S. coin featuring the bust of some guy who looks like he needs a haircut.

LEAVEITRIGHT: An obvious piece of worthless debris too heavy or large to carry away for proper disposal. "Leave it right where you found it." Not to be confused with a whatzit or dunno because you are absolutly certain the leaveitright has no use to you and is too heavy to carry away for proper disposal.

TREASURE: An understanding wife or husband that acts as if they are interested and share in the excitement of what you've recovered during a day of detecting as you explain in minute detail what the objects may be. Treasure is most often defined by non-detectorists as money, bullion, or jewels hoarded up in reserve for future use.