Hello, new guy from Indiana

[Polish]

Hi there, just joined the site a few minutes ago but wanted to say hello.

Quick back round, prior to 6/22/09 I never used or thought about a Metal Detector in my entire life. However on a whim I was looking around Google for ways to get free money, yes you read that right and came upon a metal detecting website. Well long story short I stayed up WAY to late that night looking at all the amazing things people have found and I was instantly hooked. The next day on my lunch break at work I drove to 3 places trying to find one with no luck. Then back at work I was pretty bummed out because I am impatient and really wanted to have one in my hands that day. As luck would have it I called Gander Mountain and they kept Bounty Hunter detectors in stock, I was there right after work picking up a Tracker IV. I wanted the more expensive one with the fancy display but couldn't justify it until I can prove to myself I can find stuff. So I went home and started digging holes in my yard. I found an old letter opener or knife, not sure. It says Taiwan on it so I don't think it's anything special. Then I found lots of trash, nails, can, and metal scraps. I tried going to a playground but after finding 2 nails and having some kids show up I headed out. It was once again way to late for but determined I read the manual again and went out in my yard beeping away at about midnight. I had to find something other than garbage and sure enough I found not one but two pennies, now I know it seems trivial but I was very happy. I tried a friends house last night but had no luck, just a bunch of trash. Tonight I am going to a local park in hopes of finding some better stuff.

I also became fascinated with old coins by reading all these stories so I dumped out my change jar and found a couple oldies from the 60's but nothing special. I also have a coin collection I've slowly added to since I was a child. I don't really know if any of it is special and most it is change from all over the world. However there are a few older US coins, once I'm around a bit I'm sure I will know whats what but for now all the terms are like Portuguese to me for the most part.

One thing I do regret now is when I was about 13 I had 5,500 pennies, my grandparents had given them to me. Now like any greedy child I cashed them in and only saved 5 or so. I am sure in there were some treasures because they were all Wheat Pennies or some even older I'm sure.

Man do I kick myself for that one now.

Anyway, as typical for me I typed way to much. If you took the time to read this all thanks.

-Oh and if anyone in or around NE Indiana (Fort Wayne) would like to get together I'm game, I know very little but learn very quick.

Edited - because I just noticed I had put 55,000 pennies. Woops, it wasn't that many. It was 5,500 because I ended up with $55.

[Lowjiber]

Welcome to our forum family from California.

Take your time and learn the hobby. Finds come slow, but they're there.

[Howey01]

Hello werlcome to the forum from KY. Howard

[Bearharold]

Welcome to the forum glad to have you join us . Take your time and learn what your machine is telling you and you will be finding better stuff soon. The play area's are a really good place to start learning , but you have to learn the times of day when they are busy with kids and when they are not . Congrats on your new Detector should serve you well .

HH Harold

[Polish]

Thanks all.

I'm looking forward to learning as much as possible, when something interents me like this I tend to soak up information much better.

[dan]

It's good you didn't spring for the pricier Bounty Hunter right away. You may find you want to go with a Garrett, White's, or Tesoro next.

The Garrett Ace 250 is probably the most popular beginner detector right now. You can get one (with a lot of freebies) for $212. Go to YouTube and watch a ton of videos of the Ace 250 in action.

[Polish]

I did see the Ace 250 in my research but couldn't find one local and I wanted one right away. It does seem to be very good for beginners though as I've seen many great finds posted.

I am kind of bummed at the moment, I just called our local parks department and she said I am welcome to walk around with a metal detector but there is no digging allowed. I explained to her that it is kind of needed and that if I can't dig that it's useless to try, she said "Yup, but I don't make the rules"... I just said ok and hung up. There goes that plan. No idea where I can go now since I had like 6 parks lined up to keep me busy for a while but since they are all off limits to digging that completely ruins that.

[Kansas Dave]

Welcome to the forum

[tungsten]

Welcome from CT good luck and happy hunting!!!!!

[Siggi Palma]

Welcome to the forums from Iceland

[Polish]

Thanks again all.

Well call me a rebel but I decided to go to a park anyway after work but only carried a small hand shovel in my pocket. I just scoured sandy areas by a river/playground where even though I did have to dig some it was easily made invisible when I found my treasure, er trash... It was soft sand for the first inch or so followed by some more solid dark sand. Much easier to dig than my yard and making the holes dissapear was effortless. There was plenty of grassy areas but I left them be since it would require real digging and the sand I could pretty much just push around for the most part. No different than a child playing with a bucket. I took all the trash I found as well, I figured if anyone gave me a hard time I would show them my good deed. Not sure how anyone could get mad at me for taking various nails and sharp rusty metal from the sand around playground equipment. However I was pretty let down after finding pretty much just trash. The first or second find was a Nickel and that got my hopes up I had a good spot but after that nothing but garbage for an hour. Not sure where I'll go tomorrow but after reading how everyone finds so much with the Tracker IV I must just not be in the right place. I've got a freind who has a couple acres in the country I may try for a bit tomorrow after work, if it works out I'll spend a few hours there Sunday. If not off to the School Playgrounds I go.

[kristen924]

Hi there! Actually I just moved out of Fort Wayne on May 1st
I live in Virginia now and am homesick, nice to see someone from home!!

[dan]

You can do some pretty good digging without really digging by using a screwdriver with a blunted point/blade. Sink it into the ground SLOWLY (so you don't scratch a coin) until you feel the coin, then pop the coin out by pushing the blade of the screwdriver under the coin and slowly prying it up.

I wouldn't carry a shovel of any kind into an area where digging is not allowed.

[kristen924]

What about going to the lakes in the Angola area or Coldwater...lotta little beachy spots. Or the Chain o lakes

[Polish]

Kristen,

You actually read my mind. I'll be going up to Angola soon as my Father lives on Crooked Lake. I am within walking distance from his house to one of the sandy beaches, so I am *hoping* that I can score some nice finds there.

Dan,

Thanks for the tip, I'll use that method in the parks for now on since I guess technically it wouldn't be digging and I'd be in the clear. I guess you'd call it prodding? I'm not real comfortable digging up grass in parks anyway, even if it were ok I hate to dig a bunch of holes in a nice park just to find trash. That is why I stuck to the sandy areas today near the water and the playground because it was just sand I could mostly move around with my feet. The thing is there are no signs posted at all and I only spoke to the woman answering the phone at the Parks Dept. so I am not really sure how well she was informed anyway. I can't imagine a DNR official approaching a group of kids playing in the sand telling them to stop digging because it's against the rules.

[BlueDuck]

Hello and welcome from Idaho....

[DryTortugaSteve]

Arrgh!.....Greetings from sunny Fla. Its always nice to see people from my home state of Indiana on this forum. I see you have already met fellow Hoosier and treasure hunter Kristen from your area. As for myself, I grew up just south of you in Anderson....but would spend the summers on Lake James just north of you. Anyways, post some pics of your finds and glad to have you aboard.

[Dusty Eagle]

Welcome to the forum Polish.
Dusty Eagle

[IntoIt]

Welcome to the forum,
I was in Goshen for ahwile. I`m a little amish.

[PhilB]

Welcome to the forum. I'm south of you a ways in East central Indiana right off 27. If you know where Winchester is at, I'm 6 miles east of it. If you ever get down this way, let me know and maybe we can do a little hunting. Just so you know, good finds can be made with a Tracker IV. I found my first diamond ring with a Tracker IV. When learning your detector the woodchip play areas at elementary schools are great places. The digging is easy and there is less trash than at a park. You might also try hunting parks at smaller towns outside of Ft Wayne. How about the county fairgrounds, I hunt the one here in Randolph Co and Jay Co.