New to detecting and first beach hunt

Whit30

New Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2017
Messages
2
Hello,
A few questions I have regarding my first hunt and first beach hunt. I have an XLT and I finally dusted it off to start my new hobby. I am moving to California in a couple of months so I shipped it ahead for my recent trip to take to the beach. Being the XLT, I stayed in the dry sand mostly and a little in damp sand.
Realizing I have much to learn on pin pointing, sound and graph verification I did find a bounty of .32 total and actually was glad to find it knowing each target could eaisly have been something more valuable. I bought a metal sand scoop for the trip and know I now need a sand shovel and a pin pointer. It was crazy looking in the sand for items and not being a good pin pointer with the coil. I ran into what seemend like the target kept moving as I dug and while searching, hitting a signal only to stop and research slower and find nothing. Or having a very light barely noticeable tone. I think had i been able to dig deeper, and rescan, It was due to depth that it was weak? I was in the preset coin/jewlery mode. In this mode, does it still show the depth of the item? I never figured how to determine depth. I do not have the operators manual but will try to find a downloadable version. Should I be using another preset program rather than coin/jewlery? Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. As I progress in the hobby, since the Cali beaches will be my primary target for a while, should I consider selling it and getting a different machine like the Garrett AT pro or another that you suggest so I can search the water and one more suitable for a beach environment? I have to say I loved beach combing as much as I thought I would and can't wait for my first "real good find" until then, I know I will learn more each time I go out. Thank you for any tips and advice in advance.
 
Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. As I progress in the hobby, since the Cali beaches will be my primary target for a while, should I consider selling it and getting a different machine like the Garrett AT pro or another that you suggest so I can search the water and one more suitable for a beach environment?


I'd encourage you to bring a coin, a ring, a pull-tab, and a soda can to the beach and then bury them. Learn how the machine reacts. Then keep burying them deeper and deeper. You'll get that first hand experience of why a fast sweep speed may not get a signal, or how some sweep signal and other's don't.

With a better understanding of how a targets size or depth affect the detector, next, you need to understand how your machine works in different environments. Specifically, it will work great in the dry sand and stable soils, but in soil that has mineral deposits or in wet sand at the ocean (conductive salt), there are increased challenges in learning to deal with false signals. Is these challenging conditions you will learn to adjust your machine to avoid the false signals and just dig solid targets.
 
I recommend multi frequency detector or pulse induction detector if you
want to go near the water. Atpro not so great in saltwater.
 
You don't need a pin pointer at the beach, just a good scoop.
 
You don't need a pin pointer at the beach, just a good scoop.
You don't need a pin pointer at the beach, just practice! :yes: Welcome to the forum. Many of us have done pretty well with PI detectors on California beaches. You may want to consider one depending on your local beach conditions. :yes:
 
Thank you everyone for your replies! They all are very much appreciated!
 
I'd encourage you to bring a coin, a ring, a pull-tab, and a soda can to the beach and then bury them. Learn how the machine reacts. Then keep burying them deeper and deeper. You'll get that first hand experience of why a fast sweep speed may not get a signal, or how some sweep signal and other's don't.

With a better understanding of how a targets size or depth affect the detector, next, you need to understand how your machine works in different environments. Specifically, it will work great in the dry sand and stable soils, but in soil that has mineral deposits or in wet sand at the ocean (conductive salt), there are increased challenges in learning to deal with false signals. Is these challenging conditions you will learn to adjust your machine to avoid the false signals and just dig solid targets.

I'm with what Dave said. Master what you have and then maybe move to the next machine. Welcome from Fl and good hunting.
 
hello... not that i would call myself an expert in any way... but a few tips.

first DaviDs gave some great advise and testing... something i do on a regular basis..almost daily before i hit the water. Ground Balance and test a few metal objects.

i dont discriminate at all... BEACH MODE i call it... trash can be GOLD... my whites can tell me im hitting trash and i dig and up comes a ring !! you will dig a lot of trash, but hopefully not pass over something good. i dont even look at my lights... i just use my headphones... learn your machine.

all you need is a scoop... any scoop. find you target... do a cross on it as best you can to narrow it down... i dont have a pinpoint on my machine, but if i turn the coil sideways on a tough target i can usually narrow it down better. then take a scoop...pull scoop away and check hole... if its still in the hole... dump scoop and go in for a new scoop... check hole again... no signal... you have it in the scoop... if im in the surf, i just shake it in the water and see what i have... if in the sand, i spill it out and spread it out thin with my foot and go over it with my coil to locate it... then a little shallow scoop or i usually just see it at this point... saves time and effort bending over and checking things.

if in soft sand and you are having a problem finding it in the scoop or it may be falling through your holes in the scoop.... put your machine down and pick up a hand full of sand where you think it is and pass it by the coil... when it beeps... its in your hand :)

i am not saying that pinpointers are bad... they are great... just saying you dont need to have one to work the beach.

also... i forgot to mention.. when in all metal mode.. you will reach deeper with your machine... just digging can move an object down deeper at the beach.

good digs !!!
 
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