Hi everyone, I’m new to this forum and metal detecting in general. I’m looking to buy my first detector and I could use some advice on which one to look for. I have a very specific purpose in mind for it. I’m hoping to find one that can sense a small piece of steel at a depth of 3.5’.
What I’m hoping to locate is an object that was buried as part of an ‘armchair’ treasure hunt. There’s a book written in 1982 called “The Secret” which holds clues to the locations of 12 treasures buried all over North America. The ‘treasure’ is a ceramic key, inside a ceramic container, inside a plexiglass box. At this point, only two have been recovered. The first one was found intact, but the second one was partially broken. Fortunately, the damage revealed that there is a small allen wrench embedded in the key as a support. It looks to be about 2-3” long and less than 1/8” thick, presumably made of steel. That’s what I’m hoping to detect.
I think I have a good idea of where they were buried, but in several of the locations things don’t look the same now as they did in 1982. Certain landmarks that are needed to find the exact dig spot are long gone. That’s why I’m hoping a metal detector could help pinpoint the right spot.
Someone else who’s been working on this hunt posted online a while ago about burying a mock-up of the treasure box and claimed they were able to detect it. Theirs was buried 2.5-3’ deep and they used a Radio Shack Discovery 2000 metal detector. Now, the book states the treasures are buried “at a depth of no more than three to three and one-half feet.” So, while their test is very encouraging, it wasn’t done at the deepest possible depth. Though, to be fair, the two that have been found seem to have been around 2' deep or less.
One other possible wrinkle, a few may have been buried in close proximity to metal fencing and poles. That would probably interfere with the signal, right? Is there a way around that, like some kind of shielding to stick in front of the fence or something?
So, what do you guys think? Is this a reasonable challenge for a metal detector? Does anyone have any experience finding similar sized iron/steel items at those depths? I see a Discovery 2000 on eBay for $46, but are there any other models that might be better suited for this task? I don’t mind buying used. Can I find something under $200 that would work for this, or is that unrealistic?
I’d really appreciate any guidance you guys can offer!
What I’m hoping to locate is an object that was buried as part of an ‘armchair’ treasure hunt. There’s a book written in 1982 called “The Secret” which holds clues to the locations of 12 treasures buried all over North America. The ‘treasure’ is a ceramic key, inside a ceramic container, inside a plexiglass box. At this point, only two have been recovered. The first one was found intact, but the second one was partially broken. Fortunately, the damage revealed that there is a small allen wrench embedded in the key as a support. It looks to be about 2-3” long and less than 1/8” thick, presumably made of steel. That’s what I’m hoping to detect.
I think I have a good idea of where they were buried, but in several of the locations things don’t look the same now as they did in 1982. Certain landmarks that are needed to find the exact dig spot are long gone. That’s why I’m hoping a metal detector could help pinpoint the right spot.
Someone else who’s been working on this hunt posted online a while ago about burying a mock-up of the treasure box and claimed they were able to detect it. Theirs was buried 2.5-3’ deep and they used a Radio Shack Discovery 2000 metal detector. Now, the book states the treasures are buried “at a depth of no more than three to three and one-half feet.” So, while their test is very encouraging, it wasn’t done at the deepest possible depth. Though, to be fair, the two that have been found seem to have been around 2' deep or less.
One other possible wrinkle, a few may have been buried in close proximity to metal fencing and poles. That would probably interfere with the signal, right? Is there a way around that, like some kind of shielding to stick in front of the fence or something?
So, what do you guys think? Is this a reasonable challenge for a metal detector? Does anyone have any experience finding similar sized iron/steel items at those depths? I see a Discovery 2000 on eBay for $46, but are there any other models that might be better suited for this task? I don’t mind buying used. Can I find something under $200 that would work for this, or is that unrealistic?
I’d really appreciate any guidance you guys can offer!