Myers Depot Metal Detectors

Detecting Tips to share

Florida Tabdigger

Florida Tabdigger

Elite Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2006
Messages
2,610
Location
Southwest Florida
I thought I would share some tips I have learned over the years and get some tips back from others.
Wet soil - after a good ground soaker you will get a lot more depth. The wet soil increases the conductivity of the soil and gives the target a larger halo.
When you find a "honey hole", work it again sweeping in the other direction, for instance N & S and then E & W. Sometimes you will pick up targets missed the other direction.
Hunt grass and dirt parking lots, MDers often overlook them. I have found more in them than anywhere else.
DIG EVERYTHING. I cain't emphasize this enough.
Keep your coil cable tight against the shaft. I have mine taped so it cannot sway while sweeping. This will make the detector more stable and allow a higher sensitivity setting to be used(at least with my BH).
Don't show off you finds to a local metal detecting club. I made this mistake and have been kicking myself ever since. Talk about vultures...lol Yes I'm greedy :P
Find old railroad maps of your area, you will find where all the old towns were before they were gobbled up by the larger ones.
Well thats all I can think of right now.
 
Re: Tips to share

Good tips !!  Except for the moisture one = we dont get any moisture :)

Old houses somtimes have dirt on top of the original lawns. But usually off to the sides it slopes down to the old level. And around trees they cant fill up with dirt or the tree will die so they leave the old level.


Dig it all = I will add to Tab's statement.

Go under tree branches that are low to the ground as others frequently dont do this. One time I dug 2 eagle buttons under a low branch that others had missed.
Lots of times the dirtier the person - the more they have dug.


I used to have the word 'penny' on my coil to remind me to tell anyone who asks what I am finding. Now it's natural to say "just some pennies". They dont need to know what goodies you are getting.

I put some marks with liquid paper to indicate my settings usually used on the detector AND on my ear phone knobs. Sure is easier to reset after walking into a tree branch or such.

When detecting swing sets detect way out 10-15 feet as heavy coins & rings are thrown out there. Also, it's the "bail out" area for kids.

Keep questionable items dug to look at when you get home. Sometimes they turn out to be something. One time I dug what looked like a pull tab bent in two. It looked different tho so I put it in my pouch for later. At home it turned out to be an insigna C from company C that was stationed at the old CW fort.

Happy hunting, steve in so az
 
Re: Tips to share

If you live near beaches, invest in an underwater unit. 90% of the hunters on the beach never get their feet wet. I have a Whites surfmaster PI and have made some good finds in waist deep water. Also if you hunt relics and don't mind digging iron, the pulse units are the way to go. I have dug .22 cal bullet heads at 14 inches. Of course you don't want to use one for all-around hunting, only out in the woods where there isn't so much trash.
If you do hunt the dry part, get there first thing on Monday mornings before the other MDers get there.
I met a retired guy who lives on the beach that has a collection of treasures that make mine pale in comparison and he goes out before sunrise on Monday mornings and hunts where people lay out on their towels.
 
Re: Tips to share

Welding rods with tops bent in a circle provide a place to tie a ribbon to. This makes a good set of markers when detecting an area. particularly when the grass is high.

Stick a digital clock on the detector box for time if you dont wear one.

When under a porch or such take your detector coil off the shaft and make it a handheld unit.

Walking backwards while swinging will cause you to go slower.

By far my best sources of info on sites has been the older maps in the library. University or Historical Society libraries are light years ahead of public libraries for research.

Steve in so az
 
Re: Tips to share

Keep a chalk board or bulliton board up and put your sites to detect on it. Even if it's only an idea to think about. Otherwise the thoughts become lost.

A tapered handle of a hammer or a pool cue make a good ring holder for polishing. I use an old cooler motor with a felt wheel attachment from the hardware store for a polishing wheel.

The more you see your finds on a wall or shelf display the more you will be encouraged to get back out digging.

Stones to replace lost ones in dug items can be bought at a jeweler or , better yet, a jewelry supply house for not a whole lot of money.

Steve in so az
 
Re: Tips to share

Walking backwards while swinging will cause you to go slower.

Sure will!! Have a hard time moving ON MY DERRIERE!HaHaHa!
 
Re: Tips to share

Great tips!

Don't forget to hunt the fringe(outside area). Everyone always hunts the inside. Think outside the box.

Learn to read the signs of old age. 100+ year old trees. Houses with sandstone/cut-block foundations. Houses with a barn/well house/windmill in town. Houses with ornate awnings.

Never pass up a vacant lot.

Know what your detector is capable of. Put yourself to the test. Cover up that screen and dig by sound. You might be surprised. Knowing your detector leads to trusting your detector.
 
Re: Tips to share

There is one thing that gets me, thats the fact that we includining myself buy these expensive machines that tell us what not to dig but we really should buy a machine that just beeps and dig everything. why?
 
Re: Tips to share

Froze - that's what I have been doing for many years with my Fishers - just sounds that I interpret. I think the makers go with human inclinations for $$ :) Steve in so az
 
Re: Tips to share

I wear nitril gloves that I get at the local Farm and Fleet.
25 gloves for $2.50. They keep my hands clean and make hunting more enjoyable. I find the extra large size fit my medium sized hands just right.
 
Re: Tips to share

I can explain how I metal detect- Im a little more lazier but I :

Don't leave a spot just because you get just a few pennies. I remember I hit 2-3 pennies 3-4 times before I found something good.. however, you should leave a place for awhile if you do not find even one coin.

I don't detect every signal right away. First I swing across the area (park,school) etc. in coin mode. After that I sweep in jewerly and then switch to (gold area) dimes, quarters and half dollars.

Always make sure after you find a coin to sweep back over the area a second time, i've found quite a few coins bunched together.

A small maglite light is always good to take with you for night hunts and also to check the dates on the coins (clad etc).
 
Re: Tips to share

I read about this in a book. A THer when asked about his finds,pulls out a bunch of rusty nuts and bolts and replies"Nuts and bolts,nuts and bolts thats all I ever find".

I used this once when approced by a shady charecter,who was with 6 of his buddies. They laughed and left me alone.

I now carry my own supply of "nuts,bolts,and pull tabs".

If you make your detector look like junk by using duct tape in strategic areas, it will be less attractive to others.
Find the center of your detectors coil. Where it pinpoints, and mark it on top of the coil.

Read,read,read about THing.

When going into woods during hunting season,wear hunters orange. Or you could be shot. This applies to areas where no hunting is allowed too. There could be poachers or the owner of the land hunting.

Wear fatigues. CARRY AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. Bring a pain reliever & bottle of water.

Not sure about this one.But I was hunting one day and my car alarm went off. So maybe turn it off before hunting. It draws a lot of unneeded attention.

Needless to say,always let someone know where u r.Carry a cell phone,mace or something to protect yourself from dogs,etc.
 
Re: Tips to share

There is one thing that gets me, thats the fact that we includining myself buy these expensive machines that tell us what not to dig but we really should buy a machine that just beeps and dig everything. why?
Click to expand...

The target ID should only be used as another source of target information not the major source. While they are a good indicator at shallow to moderate depths my experience has been it's better to rely on the sound even at shallow depths.

Once you have learned how your detector SOUNDS on various targets the visual indicator can be a valuable source of information. I think a lot of people depend far too much on their visual and not on the sounds.

In short. The visual can be a valuable source of information but don't let it become a crutch. If it sounds right I don't care what the display says, I dig it anyway.

For example. Both of these read in the junk range but because they had the right sound I dug.

string.jpg

ttks.jpg
 
Re: Tips to share

For those MD'ing in areas that get snow, I've found the tops of hills where people sled in the winter is a good place to detect.  I imagine that as kids and adults plop themselves down on their sleds, stuff falls out of their pockets, and I doubt many people are willing to dig into the snow to retrieve a few coins they may have dropped.  The same seems to hold true for the bottom of the hill, where I am guessing things fall out of people's pockets as they get up.

I have also discovered (this morning, in fact) that detecting grass in the morning after a frost offers a cool benefit - as you swing your coil, it knocks the frost off the grass, leaving a completely visible sign of exactly where you have swung.

In my mind, the most important tip is have fun!  All that matters is that you enjoy the time you spend detecting.  Don't get bogged down too much in worrying about how good your detector is, whether or not that last sketchy signal you didn't dig could have been a gold ring, or if whether or not you are finding enough stuff.  If you are having fun, that's all you need to know.
 
Re: Tips to share

When in an old area get out of your car , if possible, and walk with the detector. You will see a lot more to detect than riding by slowly in the car.

Be open to digging/collecting more than the immediate subject. Some trips are saved by finding old bottles, RR date nails, sifting an old dump, etc besides the same old coin popping.

As towns grow the original homes sometimes turn into businesses. Find the main road and look at the businesses - do they still have a grass area out front ?

Estate sales = I visited one at an old house and talked with the owner who was selling out. He told me when he was to be out and when the new owner was to take over. and gave me permission to detect when he was gone but still owned it. Maybe buy something of his to sweeten the conversation.

I used to be the yearbook sponsor at a high school. I noticed some old pics of the district in the books and went to a few to detect. I would not have known they were that old. You can see yearbooks in school libraries usually.

Steve in so az
 
Re: Tips to share

Gabe, I'm in the Fort Myers area. I did some detecting on Saturday and came up with a 64 quarter along with $2 in clad at a park and old home.
 
Re: Tips to share

Detector, Nice tax token, I have found four so far, Alabama, Missouri, Colorado, and Washington on a WWII training base. Another neat find was a Palmolive Soap token I found at an old homesite dated back in the 30-40's. Also found there was a Adams Tractor watch fob. I found one like it on line for sale for $75, and a brass Yardley lipstick that has fancy ecting on it. I'll take some new pictures and post them.
 
Re: Tips to share

Tabdigger, I agree with all the wonderful tips on this thread. Except one, that is. I, myself, belong to a club here in Fort Wayne, IN, and it's a great club. I feel you are generalizing about clubs, as the fellows in my club are great guys. I'm the only woman in it, and they've been very helpful. They know I am an avid hunter, and participate in just about every activity we have, and then some. I was the only member who just went to the FMDAC Convention and Treasure Hunts in Myrtle Beach, SC. There I met many great members of the FMDAC, to which our club belongs. The Federation of Metal Detector and Archaeological Clubs. Many of the folks there who have been hunting for 30 years and more gave me wonderful insights and tips, for which I am very grateful. I don't know what kind of problem you had with the club you went to, but I've found nothing but great fellowship with ours. Just my $.02, and do not mean any disrespect.

Trudy
 
Re: Tips to share

I'm sure no 2 clubs are alike, but my experience was a bad one. Most of the members are retirees and were as greedy as I. They would meet with the main body of the club at overhunted places and when they would get a great location from a new member they would not share it with the rest until they hunted it out. I envy your club experiences. All I intended to say is get to know the members before you give out your hot spots or you will find one or two of them at the crack of dawn hunting it out without mentioning the spot to the others(and telling you not to tell anyone else as well). I have 3 buddies I work with who have purchased detectors after seeing what I have been finding, we have alot of fun. That is how a club should be.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

maxxkatt
Tom's Theme Song
Replies
3
Views
147
cellrdwellr
cellrdwellr
FliesOnly
A weird question
Replies
11
Views
301
KingTotsalot
KingTotsalot
MasonDixonMding
Research works out fast.
Replies
1
Views
184
hoser
hoser
hoser
Coffee and doughnuts
2
Replies
21
Views
497
Rock Jock
Rock Jock
L
Detecting/hunting buddy in Sullivan County, NY... and good towns that are ok with it?
Replies
13
Views
237
Don
Don
Back
Top Bottom