Hubby and I have been talking about getting into metal detecting for quite a while now. (as if we need another hobby)

After much research and putting a bit of money by every month we finally got our detector of choice. It came in yesterday afternoon.

By the time I'd assembled it and made sense of the instructions the sun was setting. My little boy couldn't believe his eyes when we dug up a crushed soda can! He was beside himself with excitement when we dug up a rusty U-bolt! He took off into the house to scrub it. The first words out of his mouth when he awoke this morning were: "can I go see that rusty old thing we found"? I guess this will be the begining of a "Rusty Old Thing" collection! Well, that's our "best Find" so far. At least we know it works. Our house is fairly new and in the woods. I doubt that there has been much going on here until recently. Looking forward to searching more interesting places when hubby comes home from the field.

Just wondered if any other homeseaders are into detecting.

Pauline in NC

-- Pauline (tworoosters_farm@altavista.com), October 31, 2000

Answers

Me. I like detecting. I like it because everytime my detector beeps I just know it's a pot of gold. Then after I dig up an old coin or piece of junk or whatever, I still have that feeling that I found treasure. I figure just about anything that's worked it's way down about six inches under the ground is treasure. It's a great hobby. The more you learn about your equipment the less trash and more "good stuff" you'll dig up. I've been detecting about 15 years and upgraded my detector just last year.

-- Shooter (jcole@apha.com), October 31, 2000.

When DJ and I took mine out together for the first time, we found the old beer can pull tabs (the ones we used to make chains out of). He felt like an archeologist, since he was born in 1990 and had never seen a pull tab. They sit on the shelf with our other "antiques".

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), October 31, 2000.

My hubby has a White brand he bought used/ & our son-in-law & grandsons have it borrowed!!! As they are hooked!!!!!!! My son-in-law has a jar he is putting the money, he finds with the detector!! My daughter said, she was so glad they cover up their holes good as the whole yard would be turned over!! For our 9 yr old grandson's birthday he wanted to go on a treasure hunt--so we all went out with the metal dectector! My daughter found nice cheap ones for the boys for their birthdays--so now Grandpa & Dad & the boys all treasure hunt!!!! They have found all sorts of things--ALL TREASURES!!!! ha My son-in-law goes in, on the net--& reads & has programed more things into the detector. They spend any extra time they have hunting treasure!! They love it & they do it together--& each thing they find is like Christmas!!! My son-in-law always jokes & says he hopes Grandpa never wants it back!!! ha It is a great hobby for our family!!! We all enjoy it! Sonda in Ks.

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), October 31, 2000.

Shooter, Thanks for that quick answer! Do you have any experience with the White's 6000 pro XL?

Pauline

-- Pauline (tworoosters_farm@altavista.com), October 31, 2000.

Pauline, I don't know much about the White. My detector is a Garrett and so was my other one. What do you want to know? Maybe I can help.

-- Shooter (jcole@apha.com), October 31, 2000.

There used to be a house here on my farm, but it's been flat for quite a few years. I'd really like to have a detector to go over the area. One thing I'd really like to know is if they every had a well drilled. If they did it was probably a 6" poked hole with a tin or galvanized casing.

I've been hoping to find a good deal on a used detector, but so far no luck. I just can't justify buying a good one, and I don't want a junky toy.

==>paul

-- paul (p@ledgewood-consulting.com), October 31, 2000.

Hey paul, we got our 1st on from a rental center, they are rented out to find undergroung wires and such. I think we paid $30 for it, and it worked fine. My husband bought a new one for me for christmas, look around where old clothes lines would be and outhouses.

-- renee oneill (oneillsr@home.com), October 31, 2000.

I've always wanted a metal detector!

I recall reading in Rock and Gem magazine a number of years ago that it is possible to use one to find fire agate.[Of course,I do not live anywhere near any fire agate!]That would be sooo neat!Fire agate is very beautiful...Anyways,

God Bless,~~~Tracy~~~

-- Tracy Jo Neff (tntneff@ifriendly.com), October 31, 2000.

The Applegate Trail ran right through my land, and later the stage coach route. Someday I'd like to follow the route; who knows what I'd find? I did find one BIG spike, and two large square nails, fifteen inches inside a 36 inch black oak which I cut for firewood after it blew down ten or twelve years ago. Also, there's an old spring which someone developed with stacked flat rocks, and I'm the first person to ever live on this land, so I assume it's the stage coach line's spring. The oak with the spikes was right near the spring.

JOJ

-- jumpoffjoe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), October 31, 2000.

I've been wanting one for a while. I found web sites and got the catalog allready. They sure do cost a lot. But, my good good friend is getting one for Christmas this year from his wife!! Our house is between 100 and 200 years old. I KNOW there is treasure up here somewhere! I am always pulling things out of the ground, neat old things. I looked for the treasure the whole time we gutted this house, looking for the metal box. We have a hand dug well with flat stones too and a fantastic OLD hand water pump on it that is comming inside the kitchen when Steve can get it off.

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@msn.com), October 31, 2000.

My uncle has had fantastic luck/skill with his metal detector, we all live not too far away (2 hours) from "The National Road", old route 40, where it runs through western PA and into WV and OH. He has found hundreds of Revolutionary War era coins, buttons, etc., around the area of Braddock's grave in western PA, but any area adjacent to the"Old Pike" has produced artifacts from that era. He can "read" his detector really well, can tell when it's picking up "junk" metals or precious metals mostly, saves him a lot of digging. Good luck, and happy hunting! Annie in SE OH.

-- Annie Miller (annie@1st.net), October 31, 2000.

Hi Annie, We also live in SE OH-just a stone's throw from Nat. Rd. Blessings,~~~Tracy~~~

-- Tracy Jo Neff (tntneff@ifriendly.com), October 31, 2000.

I've had one for 7 yeaars and use it to find nuts & bolts that get droped on the ground when working on equipment, checking for metal in old hedgerow trees before cutting, I've never used it for treasue hunting tho.

-- Hendo (OR) (redgate@echoweb.net), November 01, 2000.

Oh Wow! Lots more people than I ever imagined! Thank you all for your input. The "antique pull tabs" gave me a chuckle. Hubby wants to get Joshua a kids detector sooner or later. Sounds like Sonda's family are having a great time.

I really envy those of you who are living in old houses or on old home places.

I've been doing some research at the library and it looks like there were some "goings on" here in the Civil War. Sherman sent some of his troops to destroy the town. They did a pretty good job according to the book I was reading.

What I was most interested in was the railroad. Our land backs on to what used to be a railroad line. Long gone now and almost totally over grown with woods. I sat up late last night scrutinising topo maps and arial photographs of the place (there's actually an arial photo of our house on the internet!)and I'm begining to think this track was the original one built about 1885. Can't wait to go hunting back there when hubby gets home. Also can't wait to take the detector home to England with me next year. Some very old stuff to be found there.

Shooter, the only question I had about this detector concerns the initial tuning. It says to hold the disk out about waist level, push the Auto GEB switch to AIR and wait for the beep. Then bring the disk to the ground, pull the switch to AUTO TRACK and wait for another beep. Well this machine beeps the moment I put the switch to AIR (no wait at all). I've waited and waited but no other beep occures after that. When I lower it to the ground and pull the switch back there is a beep after about 3 seconds. It seems to be working fine so I think that first beep must be the one to go by.

I'm getting much more comfortable with it now. Be glad to start digging something worthwhile!

Had a laugh this morning. I was on the phone to my Mum back home, complaining and worrying about my son Joshua who just doesn't eat. She was offering all the advice she could think of "try him with some mashed potatoes" "a hot dog" "baked beans"... I told her I'd tried EVERYTHING and he just won't eat. She says "well don't keep worrying, love, he'll eventually come around" Then my dad pipes up from behind "wrap him some sandwiches up in tinfoil and burry them in the back yard!!

I'm about tempted to do that!

Pauline

-- Pauline (tworoosters_farm@altavista.com), November 01, 2000.

Hey Pauline, if it's working that's all that matters. You might practice by burying some coins, like a quarter here, a nickle there and a dime over there, at depths of about two to four inches. Move the detector over them and notice the sounds. With practice you will be able to determine what is trash and what is good stuff. Of course if you dig trash and all, you won't miss anything.

Some detectors have discriminators that allow you to dial out pull tabs and nails etc.

Remember, your detector won't detect stuff lying on top of the ground as well as stuff buried a little and also, your detector won't work if you hold it still. Keep it swinging back and forth.

I find it to be a great hobby and also that kids like it just because kids get excited by finding anything so detecting is a good family thing to do.

-- Shooter (jcole@apha.com), November 01, 2000.

I don't have one, but I know a guy that does, and he is into really old maps. He studies where things USED to be. He knows where the old pioneer trails are, where main highways used to run, that kind of thing. If you look at Route 66, it changed every couple of years, so the roads in your area may not run where they did 10, 20, 30 years ago. Check into the history of your county, who knows what you'll find!! Sounds like fun!!

-- Matthew Harris (matt777harris@webtv.net), November 02, 2000.

Matthew, Where does your friend get his old maps? I'd like to find one of this area.

Shooter, do you have many problems getting permission to hunt places? I'm kind of shy about asking. We just came back from the feed store and I spotted a few interesting places. One an old church. Think I'll call the pastor and see if he will let us look around there.

Pauline

-- Pauline (tworoosters_farm@altavista.com), November 03, 2000.

I had a great uncle that searched for years for his fathers fruit jar full of gold coins. His father buried the fruit jar after finding my great uncle playing with the gold coins one morning. Unfortunately, he died without telling where he buried the fruit jar. My great uncle had an idea or two where the gold was, so he bought a 'metal detector' to find it. He never did find his pa's gold. I found his 'metal detector', after he'd thrown it out in the back pasture dump. It was a geiger counter. I confronted him, told him the geiger counter would only find radioactive materials, and got a good cussin out of it. My great uncle went to his grave thinking he'd missed the gold, when in fact he could've walked by it a hundred times.

-- Phil (phillipbriggs@thenett.com), November 03, 2000.

Man now you guys really got my interest peaked.... I have been wanting one for about 20 years now but like a lot of other folks i just have trouble justifying spending that much money, What with all the gadgets and stuff i would definately be interested in everybody's opinion one their best choice for a new commer to the field.... there is a rock beach ( along with abandoned cabins) near our place that everybody uses for the swimming hole.... guaranteed i would find SOMETHING LOL thanks and feel free to email...Im in Missouri

-- Doc (ThisisDoc@aol.com), November 06, 2000.

I found a practice bayonet for a flintlock rifle used in the Battle of Kings Mountain. (Donated it to the KM Park Museum)

The new Detectors have a lot of buttons. I like the older Fisher 1220- X. Its light, easy to read dial and runs a good 4-6 hours on one set of rechargeable.

Detecting is a fun hobby. Please remember to TREAD LIGHTLY and always repack any holes you dig.

-- Kenneth in NC (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), November 06, 2000.