Metal Detecting App

Hello everyone. I have been brainstorming for a while about a metal detecting/arrowhead hunting/ magnet fishing app that I am going to create. I have some previous development experience. I think I have come up with a pretty solid idea and I wanted to gauge the community interest.

I am planning to create a social networking app where you can post your finds and interact with others (similar to Instagram). There will be a maps feature (that only you can see) where you can take a photo of your finds and upload information and track exactly where you find them. Your map data will be encrypted and stored on a secure server so you don’t have to worry about losing your secret spots. The maps will allow you to create your own spots/locations that you can name or save where you can log all items found at that location. There will also be a tracking/gridding feature similar to onx hunting app. You can start a ‘hunt’ and a line will follow behind you. You can save your hunts and overlay them on the map so you know what areas you have covered during each hunt. This maps feature will be rolled out in the original release of the app and the following features won’t be developed until later.

There will also be a marketplace feature, where people can choose to buy and sell their finds, coins, or other related items.

You will be able to make posts in photo and short video format. This will be similar to Instagram, with followers, likes, and messaging, but will be specific to this niche.

Lastly, there will be a messaging/groups feature where you can connect with others and set up group hunts/group chats. Let me know what you think about this idea. My goal is to create an all-in-one app for treasure hunters.

If interested, please fill out this Feedback and beta tester form
Would this be a Free App?
 
Would this be a Free App?
I am thinking of having a basic version for free, but then charge 4.99 a month for premium features. I know that might be a turn off for some people but apps aren’t exactly cheap to create and maintain so that would keep it going.
 
If you are inspired to do this then go for it. It’s hard to guess what the site will look like and how user friendly or useful it will be without seeing it. The market will be what it is. I personally am put off as soon as I see there’s a charge unless I think I can make money by using it but that’s just me.
 
If you are inspired to do this then go for it. It’s hard to guess what the site will look like and how user friendly or useful it will be without seeing it. The market will be what it is. I personally am put off as soon as I see there’s a charge unless I think I can make money by using it but that’s just me.
Yeah I understand that. I guess my thoughts on it are that most people can find enough clad every month to make up for the fee! But it is ultimately up to the user to justify if that is worth it to them.
 
So, you think I would violate the privacy of the people using my software just so I can possibly find a couple coins in the ground. If you are that paranoid, then this app isn't for you! I am trying to make a tool to help people with a hobby that they are very passionate in. I have no interest in getting new metal detecting spots out of this.
then make it offline, without an account. and what are you gonna charge 4.99 for? another issue is no one wants to pull out that brick to do input during a hunt. hands are dirty. in some cases it will be bitter cold or raining, etc. if your gonna do this its going to have to be impossible for you or anyone on the dev side to have access to user data. can't be an "i promise". there are already treasure hunting apps out there. and i refuse to download and use them. they all want an account, want the user to send data to some cloud server. what could possibly go wrong? one day you have a giving beach to yourself, the next day some metal detecting club from california flys in with 20 or 30 members. who knows how they got the location. i won't even use a hiking app or geocache app for detecting. its a good idea , its just almost impossible to ensure user privacy in the modern data age. good luck.
 
Hello everyone. I have been brainstorming for a while about a metal detecting/arrowhead hunting/ magnet fishing app that I am going to create. I have some previous development experience. I think I have come up with a pretty solid idea and I wanted to gauge the community interest.

I am planning to create a social networking app where you can post your finds and interact with others (similar to Instagram). There will be a maps feature (that only you can see) where you can take a photo of your finds and upload information and track exactly where you find them. Your map data will be encrypted and stored on a secure server so you don’t have to worry about losing your secret spots. The maps will allow you to create your own spots/locations that you can name or save where you can log all items found at that location. There will also be a tracking/gridding feature similar to onx hunting app. You can start a ‘hunt’ and a line will follow behind you. You can save your hunts and overlay them on the map so you know what areas you have covered during each hunt. This maps feature will be rolled out in the original release of the app and the following features won’t be developed until later.

There will also be a marketplace feature, where people can choose to buy and sell their finds, coins, or other related items.

You will be able to make posts in photo and short video format. This will be similar to Instagram, with followers, likes, and messaging, but will be specific to this niche.

Lastly, there will be a messaging/groups feature where you can connect with others and set up group hunts/group chats. Let me know what you think about this idea. My goal is to create an all-in-one app for treasure hunters.

If interested, please fill out this Feedback and beta tester form
I come from a software development background on DEC minicomputers and the PC. The metal detecting market space is tiny compared to creating an app for children on the iPad or iPhone. I have four young grandsons under 10 and they live on the iPad and iPhones. They convince grandma to buy the better apps. If you are going to spend time developing a sophisticated app, better go for the huge young market. Just my opinion.
 
I am not sure what you have read about major companies being hacked, but a majority of the time they don’t even get to the users actual data. They might only get access to your name or other information. It is extremely rare for them to get access to to all of your data, especially if the proper security measures are taken.

As for the monetization, I will need to eventually charge something since making an app isn’t exactly free. I was thinking of making the core features of the app free, but then charge for premium features. I may allow you to save 200 items on your map, then you will have to buy premium for 4.99 a month (This is only a coffee a month).

It's not paranoia if it's true. The frequency of data breaches is irrelevant, as it only takes one time to have important data exposed. Once it's out there it's, at the least, a big hassle to undo and/or mitigate any damage. Not every breach is going to expose sensitive data, but any exposure can give a foothold to the groups that make use of these data, and help them to find targets for future goals. Even if you think a certain datum is innocuous, if exposed, it can point a criminal in the direction of the data they desire. With the advent of AI, it's much easier to make use of small bits of data to correlate them to a single person. Yes, most of us won't qualify as a potential target, but that doesn't mean we won't be used as a test run. The way privacy has been going for the last couple of decades, most things that would have been considered a data breach are now given away freely by the pubic en masse. Anyone who uses a smartphone, on default settings, is constantly giving out there GPS location and are, subsequently, targeted for advertising based on their proximity to certain businesses. With most devices now constantly talking to each other, many times by default(you have to tell most devices to not to do it), very little of our lives are not being recorded for future use.

With all that said, and in reference to your original question, you really have to ask how many of us, young or old, are that hardcore about detecting that we would want to map out every single find, report them, overlay maps, and need a central repository for research, and whatever other features you decide to include. Me, personally, I avoid giving my actual information whenever possible. Yes, I know I have to give my info to banks, government agencies when needed,etc., but on the internet, I often give false information. Your idea for an app is good, but, as others have pointed out, is there really a demand for it? When I do research for a site I do it at home, before I go detecting. I don't grid, and I, more or less, meander around a site, and enjoy being outdoors. I remember where I find most things, and I'm not trying to reconstruct the habitation of an area. I'll leave that to the archeologists. If you examine all the detectorists in this niche hobby, I think you may find that very few of us are organized enough to want access to the features you're proposing. I could be wrong and I'm one of the few who doesn't grid, and map everything. I basically make use of the free resources available to me to get a general idea of where to hunt. I definitely don't want to be doing it out in the field; I have enough stuff to carry as it is. For me it would be more of a distraction, and I'd be spending more time on my phone than actually detecting.


As I said, it's not a bad idea, but you may want to further examine if enough interest is there, and how many people would be willing to pay for it. Good luck in whatever you decide!
 
then make it offline, without an account. and what are you gonna charge 4.99 for? another issue is no one wants to pull out that brick to do input during a hunt. hands are dirty. in some cases it will be bitter cold or raining, etc. if your gonna do this its going to have to be impossible for you or anyone on the dev side to have access to user data. can't be an "i promise". there are already treasure hunting apps out there. and i refuse to download and use them. they all want an account, want the user to send data to some cloud server. what could possibly go wrong? one day you have a giving beach to yourself, the next day some metal detecting club from california flys in with 20 or 30 members. who knows how they got the location. i won't even use a hiking app or geocache app for detecting. its a good idea , its just almost impossible to ensure user privacy in the modern data age. good luck.
The only way to ensure that your data isn't being sent back to the home office is for the application to be open source, so you can look through the code and see what it is or isn't doing.
 
Hate to discourage anyone. If the startup cost is low, then go for it. I've got a few ideas in my head, but never act on them. I always remember this ad when I think about some crazy idea I have...


 
Hate to discourage anyone. If the startup cost is low, then go for it. I've got a few ideas in my head, but never act on them. I always remember this ad when I think about some crazy idea I have...


Interesting yet true. <<<Political diatribe deleted.>>>
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The next person that makes a politically oriented comment on this thread gets an all expenses paid 30 days vacation from the forum
All expenses paid huh ? I could use some extra gas $. Plus , the storms are starting to stack up. Get me out hunting more , stacking Gold !🤣
 
I think it's a fun idea! This sounds similar to an app that my brothers have used (minus the social media aspect), called Tekt-o-trak. At this time, I'm not in position to utilize a pay-for app, although I certainly understand the logic behind charging fees. I would, however, be interested in the free version. Would the free app still contain the social networking feature?

I'd like to note that while metal detecting is a good hobby for those of us who are self-described "loners," I think there are also quite a few of us who thrive in the company of others. I wouldn't classify metal detecting as a hobby consisting only of introverts. (For myself, I think I'm sometimes a bit of both! ;))
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom