Cell Phones

Silversmith45 · Jul 11, 2017

How many of you have found cell phones. I used to find cell phone batteries but lately I have found actual phones. The most have broken screens but some of them still were working.

I found one that looked brand new that was identical to my back-up phone. I figure that I can always use the battery. I have left messages with their contacts when I was able to but have never received a reply from any of them. I think some are thrown away when the screens are broken as one was back under a tree. I was told that I could have the screen replaced in one for twenty dollars but I didn't need it. It still works and I use the camera in it. The broken screen doesn't have anything to do with the picture quality. I had a boy ride up to me on a four wheeler while I was detecting. He asked me if I had phone his phone. I hadn't but looked where he had been looking without finding anything. Three days later I found it about half a mile from where he thought that he had lost it. It had snowed since then and it was in three pieces. I stopped by the address he had given me but they had moved. It wasn't worth anything anyway. You never know what you will find.

Tom_in_CA · Jul 11, 2017

I've found a few on the beach before. And one (dry sand) that could actually still power up (once I recharged it). I went through lots of effort to re-unite it with the owner . Like calling all sorts of contacts in the book, took it to the phone store (who said privacy prevents them from revealing owner's ID, blah blah).

Eventually did track down an owner. But in the intervening few weeks, they had ALREADY gotten it replaced (insurance?). I told them my address and they could come pick it up. Or they could send me an SASE and I'd mail it. They never even followed through to reclaim their own phone. It was just a yester-year clam-shell simpler phone (not the expensive smart phones of today). So I guess they just didn't even care. So I floated it on ebay and got a few bucks for it

Another time I found one, contacted the owner, and they drove an hour to pick it up. Handed me a $100 tip

Saoirse · Jul 11, 2017

I've found quite a few on the beach, always broken or corroded beyond rescue.
I once found a big chunky divers watch in a similar condition!

tnsharpshooter · Jul 11, 2017

Most of my sites,,no cell service.
Haven't found a single one.

Dflan83 · Jul 11, 2017

I've found a few phones but all have been broken and or not working. With phone manufacturers now jumping on board with waterproofing phones, I suspect more water hunters will find phones in working order.

amc rulz · Jul 11, 2017

I keep the gold pcb's in them when they are junk. I also keep all the electronics I tear apart, such as laptops, mother boards, processors, etc, I know it takes a lot to get any weight, but it adds up over the years. Besides, I just get satisfaction from tearing apart electronics period, I have since I was a kid.

GroundSweeper · Jul 11, 2017

I've found a few, one was a really nice one and I worked hard to find and return it to the owner. Barely got a thanks. Next time I find a phone I'm leaving it there.

joefont · Jul 11, 2017

Silversmith45 said:
....I used to find cell phone batteries but lately I have found actual phones....

I found my first cell phone a couple of weeks ago.....WITHOUT the battery!

emesis · Jul 11, 2017

Found a galaxy phone 3 springs ago. it was under 3 feet of snow for 2 months. I had a charger that fit the phone. It powered up and its owners name was on the screen, but it needed a pass word to access phone numbers. My daughters boy friend found the owners number in 5 minutes. I called her and arranged a meeting at the local starbucks and returned the phone. She wanted to give me a reward and i refused.

sandgroper · Jul 11, 2017

Found a cheap flip phone buried deep inside a sandpit once. Also found an iPod Shuffle at a local beach, which I was able to return because the owner's name was on the back. Turned out it belonged to one of the lifesavers! He had some pretty cool music on it too! :lol:

TK-421 · Jul 12, 2017

I still haven't found a phone yet.

Pretty sad about that too, because my husband does small electronics repairs (among other things) and he'd love some free spare parts for repairing phones.

I'm sure it will happen one of these days, though. Especially as phones become more waterproof and people feel more comfortable keeping them in their pockets as they enter the water...

Beyonder123 · Jul 12, 2017

No phones, but I have found an iPod second generation. Non working.

Mud-puppy · Jul 12, 2017

I generally find a half dozen per season on the beach...fresh drops, easy to return if they have "Dad" listed on the speed dial! :laughing:

Cwsearcher · Jul 12, 2017

I have found 3. Two were obviously trashed an discarded. One I was able to locate the owner from a photo of the owner holding his paycheck with the number amount and the written amounts different. On one I found the battery in the river and two summers later found the phone.

I Dig WV · Jul 12, 2017

only cell phones ever I see are stuck to peoples ears.. :lol:

...an they not watchin where they walkin.. :laughing:

zeemang · Jul 12, 2017

Even if they look like they got run over by a truck newer iphones, 6 and 7 bring BIG money on ebay...

007tallguy · Jul 12, 2017

last year i hauled 4 out of the lake with my ROV, only 1 was complete but it was ancient and non working. and the one that was modern enough to have SIM and SD cards in it was under for too long, i couldn't even format the SD card. :no:

Beachscanner · Jul 13, 2017

I've found several in he wet sand but they were so waterlogged I trashed them.

NectarDetector · Jul 13, 2017

Mud-puppy said:
I generally find a half dozen per season on the beach...fresh drops, easy to return if they have "Dad" listed on the speed dial!

You've gained a little weight, but who am I to judge? :lol:

dirtydog · Jul 13, 2017

I've found a few in the water and out. I've returned three. One I wish I hadn't. I found it in the dry sand under a hat. no one around anywhere. It was almost dark so I called the last number that called him. The lady answered and very bluntly told me his wife worked at a restaurant near by. She hung up so I called the next number. it must have been his wife. She was angry and hung up. I kept on detecting and a way down the beach I found the guy. He had been out surfing and was looking for the phone. He was nice and thanked me. About 30 minutes later I got a call on my cell and a lady cursed me out. for finding the phone. I was a gentleman and hung up on her. It was his wife and the first lady was his girl friend. I told my wife the next time I'll throw it in the ocean. :mad:

Cell Phones

Silversmith45

Elite Member

Tom_in_CA

Elite Member

Saoirse

tnsharpshooter

Supporter

Dflan83

Elite Member

amc rulz

GroundSweeper

joefont

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emesis

Full Member

sandgroper

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TK-421

Senior Member

Beyonder123

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Mud-puppy

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Cwsearcher

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I Dig WV

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zeemang

007tallguy

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Beachscanner

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NectarDetector

dirtydog

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