Frozen Ground Detecting?

[SkiWhiz]

I am soon to get a new detector (please hurry Tony) at least I hope I am, if my trade in allows it. I was wondering since it is starting to freeze up here (New York) at night but we have no snow yet, if a person could use a detector on say a school grounds. If the ground is only froze alittle on the top and get a nice sunny day I would like to try out my new machine when I get it. Will a detector work through the frozen "crust" on the ground or not, or does it cut down on the depth. Thanks! Steve. I forgot to ask: Will it hurt the detector (Tesoro Cibola) by using it in the cold.

[z118]

SkiWhiz,

I am also in upstate and have been detecting for about two months. I went to a school and a park this weekend after some pretty cold nights, and the first 2-3 inches of the ground where frozen. Getting targets out of the ground like this is more difficult than usual, but the detector still works the way it always would.

[hoser]

SkiWhiz head for the woods where there is a lot of leaf cover on the ground. I have gone there when the temps have frozen the "uncovered" portions, and been able to dig quite easily. Besides, you just might be surprised at what you will find in the woods.

[SkiWhiz]

Originally Posted by hoser

SkiWhiz head for the woods where there is a lot of leaf cover on the ground. I have gone there when the temps have frozen the "uncovered" portions, and been able to dig quite easily. Besides, you just might be surprised at what you will find in the woods.

Not to doubt you hoser, but I can't imagine finding anything in the woods we have. We have 300 or so acres (dairy farm) probably about 60 acres are woods but most is more less what I would call a swamp. No one ever goes back there besides us to cut wood, and if freezes well enough maybe snowmobile through it. So what could possible be there? Steve.

[hoser]

SkiWhiz, look at my avatar. Thats a silver FRANKLIN Half I found in the woods on the side of a very steep hill. You would never have guessed that anyone would have been there in that spot. Woods are my favorite hunting grounds. Never, and I do mean never, underestimate what may be laying in wait for you there.

[WThesing]

Just bear in mind that there had to be some human activity wherever you hunt, or you are wasting your time. I use a Lesche "Mauler" for heavy duty (and fast) digging. A little frozen ground is no problem until it freezes down about 4 or 5 inches.

[wymanwvp32]

Could the Cold Weather Mess up your machine? My Explorer SE should be here on wendsday and i know i'm gonna want to go out and try it.

[Jason]

Cold weather can make a LCD screen VERRRY sluggish. Try using your cell phone after leaving it in the car overnight in cold weather. Also, it can adversly effect batteries, makes your fingers numb, makes you nose run, and just too dang cold to function!

[Hrsetrder]

If you are using the Cibola , then you have no worrys with the depth being affected. Great machine on depth , compare it to any . You will dig targets up to your elbow with it. I super tuned mine and dug several good targets at depths to at least my elbow ( no Joke!) Take a shovel with you if you go relic hunting with the Cibola , you'll need it. Only thing that I would be aware of , is when you hunt in cold weather , you have to be especially careful not to hit the coil on any rocks or solid objects. You can almost bet the farm you will crack the coil housing since the plastic becomes very brittle in the cold and loses what flex (if any ) it had.
HH , David

[SkiWhiz]

The concern I have detecting in the cold is would there be any chance of condensation to the electronic parts once the detector came from outside the cold to the warm air inside our homes. I know that electronics and water don't mix very well. Steve.

[Jeff R]

Ski, I find 90% of my finds in the woods. You don't find as many finds but it's the quality not quantity that counts.

Originally Posted by SkiWhiz

Not to doubt you hoser, but I can't imagine finding anything in the woods we have. We have 300 or so acres (dairy farm) probably about 60 acres are woods but most is more less what I would call a swamp. No one ever goes back there besides us to cut wood, and if freezes well enough maybe snowmobile through it. So what could possible be there? Steve.

[DougF]

When bringing a cold detector into a warm house, you could wrap the electronics part in a plastic bag until it warms up, this is what is recommended for cameras. Seal it up as best you can. Once it reaches room temp., you can take it out of the bag.

[badboy]

Sounds like good advice they are all giving you already about hunting the woods. I might add you don't want to be digging plugs in some lawn after it is froze as it will be seen by others as a not so nice dug hole. Most of the guys who are in it for the long run are hunting the woods now.

[tommyb]

Do you look by big trees, only on the path, or just any random spot?

[DFX-Gregg]

Skiwhiz I detect in cold, but right now in Illinois we are averaging around 10 degrees. Last time I hunted a few weeks ago it was snowing and in the teens. The ground was frozen at that time about 2-3 inches. It does slow your recovery time down a ton. That was my last day for a while because your first concern should be>>>am I damaging property due to the frozen ground. If this is an area other than the woods I think that should be our first question. I decided because of the frozen surfaces that I was causing some damage to park property and quit for the season. Just a first thought....we have to preserve the condition of the ground if we want to come back, and so others can hunt. DFX-Gregg