Greetings from NC (I'm for real now! - as of 2/10/19)

k2gleaner

Elite Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2019
Messages
519
Location
NC
Update (Feb 10, 2019): Bought an almost-new ("Used Once") AT Pro today off Craigslist!

An almost-newbie here, looking for my first detector. My 11yo son is eager to try this, too, given his love for finding anything in the dirt - shark teeth and coins.

I've seen the "first detector" poll and appreciate it being there. What's hard for me - in all hobbies - is that I start to look up the range of available [guitars, cameras, detectors, etc] and price myself out of buying something before I even get started.

That being said, I fear to get a low-priced MD, end up getting tired of digging nothing but what you call can-slaw and nails, never being sure if I'm missing the good stuff, etc.

I don't think I have super-high expectations here but we'd like to find some older coins, maybe some civil war bullets, jewelry etc. My buddy said he lost his class ring during high school near the soccer field 30 years ago. I'd like to have a go at that.

Watching aquachigger and nuggetnoggin on YouTube hasn't made me crazy but it does have me thinking Garrett must be THE brand. Coming here makes me realize not necessarily. My idea is to look for a used AT Pro that has become somebody's regretted purchase or dust collector.
 
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An almost-newbie here, looking for my first detector. My 11yo soon is eager to try this, too, given his love for finding anything in dirt - shark teeth and coins.

I've seen the "first detector" poll and appreciate it being there. What's hard for me - in all hobbies - is that I start to look up the range of available [guitars, cameras, detectors, etc] and price myself out of buying something before I even get started.

That being said, I fear getting a low-priced MD, end up getting tired of digging nothing but what you call can-slaw and nails, never being sure if I'm missing good stuff, etc.

I don't think I have super-high expectations here but we'd like to find some older coins, maybe some civil war bullets, jewelry etc. My buddy said he lost his class ring during high school near the soccer field 30 years ago. I'd like to have a go at that.

Watching aquachigger and nuggetnoggin on YouTube hasn't made me crazy but it does have me thinking Garrett must be THE brand. Coming here makes me realize not necessarily. My idea is to look for a used AT Pro that has become somebody's regretted purchase or dust collector.

What part of NC are you from. I live in central NC and the soil around here is fairly high in minerals. Make sure to get one with ground balance. The AT Pro would fit that bill. In my mind the Garrett is a great detector for the price. It makes me happy. I think going and using it is the most important thing.
 
Welcome from South Carolina !!!!

IF you do decide to get an AT Pro this video I found online can help you start learning how to use it, this is part 1 of a 4 part series they made, after part 1 you should see where you can click for part 2 and so on -



:mder:_____:mder: _____:mder:_____:mder:
 
Welcome from the Triad! No matter which detector you buy there will be a "learning curve". It takes time to become familiar with any metal detector, and to learn to interpret what it is telling you. And the sad truth is that, for any good target, there are junk targets to which your detector will respond in almost (if not exactly) the same way. So you can't expect the detector to tell you exactly what is under the coil. The difference between a gold ring and a pull tab, or a piece of "can slaw" may be very subtle. So dig everything at first, and don't be discouraged by the ratio of junk to good stuff. You will get better the more you detect.
 
Howdy from New Bern! I have both and AT Pro and an Equinox 800. I just moved back here from Phoenix, AZ and decided I wanted something that dealt better with salt water sand and still gave me the flexibility for relic hunting. Heard the AT Pro wasn't going to cut it at the beach, so I got the Nox. Been very happy with the Nox so far. But if you're not getting in that salt water right away, I've been super happy with the AT Pro for years!
 
Thanks for greetings, everyone.

IF you do decide to get an AT Pro this video I found online can help you start learning how to use it...
I appreciate it, GKL.

No matter which detector you buy there will be a "learning curve". It takes time to become familiar with any metal detector and to learn to interpret what it is telling you. And the sad truth is that, for any good target, there are junk targets to which your detector will respond in almost (if not exactly) the same way. So you can't expect the detector to tell you exactly what is under the coil. The difference between a gold ring and a pull tab, or a piece of "can slaw" may be very subtle. So dig everything at first, and don't be discouraged by the ratio of junk to good stuff. You will get better the more you detect.

Thanks for the advice. I understand none of these are miracle-identifiers but it does sound like as you learn more and more, you can become adept at figuring out what some stuff MIGHT be with a better unit. I think you understood my concern, though. 😉 If we could do all we wanted with a sub-$100, that’s what we’d be using. 😊
 
:fmdfwelcome:... from the cold & snowy state of Minnesota! :lotsasnow::snowtruck::snowballfight: Thanks for joining, we're glad to have you with us. :yes:

Personally, Garrett is my favorite brand, so I would definitely recommend the AT Pro. :mder:
 
Welcome from the i-40/95 area of NC.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
A deep aluminum can will make a detector thing that it is a shallow coin. I even wound up digging a few of them today. I forgot to raise the coil above the ground about 8 inches. If its still there it is not a coin. But when you first start dig everything that gives the same reading every time you swing the coil over it. As you learn you can do some cherry picking but gold rings can ring up anywhere and everywhere on the numbers and sounds.
 
Welcome! Nice Intro by the way...You really cant go wrong with the AtPro..You know this! You've seen Aquachiggers historic find....The good thing about getting the Pro, it is well respected as an Infield PERFORMER! So hey...its not like you are out any money if you dont think this Sport is for you...It has a following and holds a steady resale value......So you aint out nothing financially for giving it a whirl....

A guy should be able to pay it off in Clad alone in just a few months of modest usage..or pull the AA batts and use them in your smoke alarm, garage door opener, or TV remote.
 
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