Note to the "Newbies" from a "Newbie"

Airwolf222b

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2013
Messages
74
Location
Gilbertsville, Kentucky
Hey guys and girls. Welcome to the exciting world of metal detecting! Soon you'll be digging up millions of dollars worth of lost gold and jewels. And by "Millions" I mean thousands, and by "gold and jewels" I mean pull tabs and bottle caps. :grin: Seriously you'll find some great suff. But if you're brand new to the hobby, and this forum, then I'll show you some of the things that helped me out. I just started too!

  • Remember that this isn't a chat room, it's a forum. What I mean by that is you may not receive an answer to your question immediately. Be patient. I know you're excited to get started and so was I. But some of the members have been doing this for years and years and years. They just may not feel like answering your question, don't know the answer or maybe haven't even gotten around to reading it. Also remember it is VERY difficult to hear someones "tone" in a forum. What you take to be bashing or rude, could be light hearted joking. So in closing...be patient and respectful.

  • Asking what kind of detector you should buy is like asking someone what kind of car you should buy. What's your budget? Do you have a brand of choice? How often do you plan on hunting? Where do you plan on hunting? Just like cars, most all of them will get you from point A to point B. But more info is needed. To make it easy on you...If your budget is $100 then go to hobby lobby or radio shack. Because thats where you'll find the detector you can afford, they're decent enough detectors, and thats where I got my first. If you're looking at $250 for a budget then you'll probably be told a Garrett Ace 250 or a Fisher F-2(What I own). The next detector everyone seems to agree they love is the AT Pro. Its about $600ish. Then the E-trac. And it's over $1000. Outside of that lots of people have favorites, but those seem to be the ones I see the most talking about. So simply asking "What should I buy?" will get you no where. Do you want a Ferrari or a Ford Focus.

  • Lot's of terms on here that are hard to understand...you can go here to figure them out and learn all about em'. http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=473

  • Remember, you are a direct representation of the entire metal detecting community and we to you. Fill your holes. Pick up your trash. Always ask permission. Be friendly and courteous. It doesn't take many bad apples in the bunch to have a couple unhappy citizens in front of a city council lobbying to have us blocked from a lot of public locations.

  • Also a lot of your questions about getting started and what to do can be found HERE

  • There are lots of "stickys" in the forum that are must reads. I just linked to 2 of them above, but read them all before asking too many questions. Most of the answers can be found there. I know it's easier to just ask, and I'm tempted to ask without looking too, but it's tiresome for the long time members to answer the same questions everyday. I've only been around for a little over a month, and even I've seen the same questions asked a dozen times or more. Once I looked for about 5 minutes before asking a question about the Fisher F-2. While I was waiting for a response I stumbled across the exact answer I was looking for not 5 minutes after I asked the question. I felt like such a...um...newbie.

In closing, please be respectful and kind. I've been a part of a few different forums over the years and this one is truly one of a kind. A wealth of knowledge and info can be attained here, be patient and you'll absorb it. Be respectful and you'll receive it. And trust me, in a few months or less, you'll be one of the guys on here answering questions.
 
Thank you Airwolf, that is VERY helpful!

Also, a big WELCOME to all our new members. :yes:
 
Well done, sir! Those simple tips, if observed, will help save a lot of time, typing, and possible hurt feelings.
 
Great post I think it should be a must read for all new members when theey sign up I wish it would have been there when I first signed on
 
Speaking of chat rooms, we actually do have a forum chat room to ask questions in. The floating blue CHAT button on the right side of the screen will tell you if anyone is in at the moment, and the Chat button under the sites name at the top of the screen will get you in. HH and GL
 
Great post.

One thing to add is a lot of answers can be found by using search button. Most questions have already been asked and can be found by simply searching for them.
 
Well said, Airwolf! Thank you!

I think YOUR post should become a 'Sticky', or at least a 'Featured Thread'! :yes:

:hat3:
 
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