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Metal Detector for Xmas.. Have a few questions.

KelsKels

New Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2011
Messages
3
Location
Walla Walla, WA
Hey guys! Ive been researching stuff about metal detecting for a few months now and I was gifted a metal detector today! I read the guide and tried it out in my back yard. (Didnt find anything but my sprinkler heads lol) I have quite a few questions though, but Ill try to narrow them down to just a few. :)

1. How can you tell how deep an object you detect is?

2. Is there a proper way to store it? I read in the manual that it should be kept away from metal. So Im unsure where would be a safe place to put it. Where do you keeps yours?

3. Do you ever go out at night? I dont really want any attention or for people to think its strange.. so Id really like to go out at night. I live in a small town, so most places are empty past 11 pm.

Thanks so much for your time guys! Hope you all had a merry Christmas :)
 
Hello and welcome to the hobby. Let us know what make and model detector you received and we will be able to help you better.
 
First off welcome to the hobby, warning it can become addicting.
1. I'm not familiar with this brand and model but after glancing through an owners manual I believe you should start to develop a feeling for object depth with use based on the loudness of the signal and the amount of needle deflection on the meter. You may want to create a test garden in your backyard, clear an area of all metal objects - use your detector to be sure there are no nails bottle caps or pull tabs there, and then bury coins at various depths. Keep the coins well spaced apart 8 to 10 inches, and mark locations with plastic stakes or keep a well measured map of the area. Water the area, some suggest sprinkling a little fertilizer or salt to help speed up the halo effect. Then using your detector pass it over the coins to experience the difference of the different depths and sizes of coins. You can also do air tests by just holding the coil up and having someone else pass coins by the coil at different distances from the coil, but this will not be a true indication of how the coin will be detected in the ground.

2. Don't worry about storing your detector near metal, you could keep it in an iron box if you wanted. Once it is turned off, it doesn't matter if it is near metal. I keep one of mine in a storage bag, in my office, one on the back porch and a small one I keep in a metal drawer at my workbench. Take care of your detector, wipe or brush it down before storing it away and if you don't plan to use it for more than a couple of weeks I'd strongly recommend removing the batteries. You don't want to find that a battery went bad and leaked acid in your new toy.

3. I've never done any night hunting, but I know that there are people that prefer it. My favorite time for parks or possibly crowd areas is fairly early in the morning. Some people may think metal detecting is strange but it's really no different than any other hobby. Many newbies have this image in their head of the geekie-nerd walking along the beach wearing sandals with socks, a big over-sized hat ... and they are afraid of being seen in that light. But that geekie-nerd has a lot better chance at finding a cob, lost gold ring or other piece of bling. If you are going to worry about what other people think, then you choice of hobbies will be pretty limited, you don't even want to know what I think of golfers.

Don't worry about your detector not being a top of the line model, it's better to start out with an inexpensive machine to determine if this is a hobby you want to stick with. You will find things you like and don't like about every machine and the experience will help if or when you decide to upgrade. And a person with low cost machine that has had many years experience with will do better than somebody that is just learning a new machine. Good luck and I hope you have fun with it.
 
:welcome2: from the Great Lakes State of Michigan.

Hey guys! Ive been researching stuff about metal detecting for a few months now and I was gifted a metal detector today! I read the guide and tried it out in my back yard. (Didn't find anything but my sprinkler heads lol) I have quite a few questions though, but Ill try to narrow them down to just a few. :)

I'll try to help a little:yes::

1. How can you tell how deep an object you detect is?
Depending on your detector, you will either have constant depth monitoring read out, pin point depth read out, or, if your detector doesn't have a screen, you will quickly learn how deep an item is by the sound volume from your detector. This last method sounds like trial and error, but you'll learn quick, and soon be able to gage depth as well or better than display machines.

2. Is there a proper way to store it? I read in the manual that it should be kept away from metal. So I'm unsure where would be a safe place to put it. Where do you keeps yours?
As long as the detector is dry and protected from extremes in temperature, you should be fine. Mine sit in my closet, although the wife is threatening to make me keep them in my workshop in the basement.:lol:

By the way, make certain you pull the batteries out before you put it away!

3. Do you ever go out at night? I don't really want any attention or for people to think its strange.. so Id really like to go out at night. I live in a small town, so most places are empty past 11 pm.
I won't hunt at night because of the gang bangers. In my town, it's safer to hunt in the mornings. Other areas would have different situations. You soon become immune to the idea that people think it strange. Some will ignore you, some will want to talk to you, some will want to see what you found, some will want to try and claim what you found as theirs (particularly rings and jewelry). You will learn real quick to be nice, be polite, be noncommittal.:laughing:

Thanks so much for your time guys! Hope you all had a merry Christmas :)


Merry Christmas.

HH
 
congrats on getting your new 'tector! :waytogo:

the test garden is a great idea! try some various coins and other metal objects, both on the surface and buried and make mental notes about how each item "sounds" and how they react on your meter when you pass your coil over them.
you should notice fairly quickly that a coin right on the surface will only give you a quick momentary "blip" as you swing over it, while something deeper will give you a more sustained signal and not just a "blip".
work at it and train your ear to what the machine is telling you and practice! it does take a little bit of time to catch on to it, but you'll be finding the goods in no time! :D
and not storing it near any metal?? :?: if it's turned off, i can't see what it would matter where you store it. if you're not going to be using it for extended periods (more than a couple of weeks), remove the batteries.
good luck with it and keep us posted as to how you do and what kinds of goodies you're finding! :yes:

Pete
 
Congratulations on your new detector! Read the manual for sure but before you get too far into it, go out on your yard and fiddle around with it!
 
Hi and congrats on the new machine. I'm not familiar with that model, but if there is a pinpointing button on it that is what you use to tell depth. I wouldn't dare detect here at night between the thugs and the skunks out after dark its unsafe. Also I think metal detecting at night will attract more attention than it does in the daytime from both police and nosy neighbors who like to call the police when they see someone outside. Also its hard enough seeing objects hidden in dirt in daytime so I can't imagine doing it at night even with a headlamp. I was really self conscious the first few times I went out too, especially in tot lots where the little buggers would follow me around staring. So I try to go to playgrounds when its early morning and kids are in school or its too cold for them to play. Go to schoolyards when kids are not in the school because in some towns strangers on school premises will get questioned by police. Really if you put your headphones on and keep your eyes to the ground you don't notice whether people are looking. And so what if they are. Some folks will stare at anything and I have found some are staring because they are interested in the hobby and are just curious to watch. I have people come up who were going to say something rude, but they will ask "do you really find much with that?" and "i've always wanted a detector". So you can meet new friends that way. As long as you aren't breaking any rules where you are detecting don't worry about others. Just get a good digger and learn proper techniques so you don't leave behind unsightly holes as that is what can get detecting banned for everyone. HTH and HH.
 
Wow! I didnt think Id get so many replies. This definitely is a friendly forum lol. Thanks so much for your advice! I was worried about where to store it.. but from all your answers I guess it isnt such a big deal. Im planning on going out to an abandoned barn near my house later today. Ill be back to post anything I find! Thanks so much for your welcome! I really do appreciate it. :)
 
Wow! I didnt think Id get so many replies. This definitely is a friendly forum lol. Thanks so much for your advice! I was worried about where to store it.. but from all your answers I guess it isnt such a big deal. Im planning on going out to an abandoned barn near my house later today. Ill be back to post anything I find! Thanks so much for your welcome! I really do appreciate it. :)

Hope you check under where they kept the animals as supposedly that is a hiding place where farmers buried things. Guess not many robbers want to dig around in manure in hopes of finding money, so probably was a good hiding place.
 
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