A guide to finding treasure with your Metal Detector
In this article we tell you how to get started detecting with what you have and how to find bury treasure with it – even if its not a $500 detector! You can click on this link to read our guide to Beginners Metal detectors to give you an idea of good beginners metal detectors.
Your Metal Detector CAN find Buried Treasure if you try!
I just finished talking a guy into trying out his new metal detector. It turns out that this girlfriend had purchased a metal detector for him for his birthday but it was not one of the High Dollar ones he had read about and he thought it was no good. So for over a month now he hasn't even tried it! Look, most of us will never have the money to put into a $1000+ machine. do they work great? sure! BUT that does NOT mean that anything less then that won't! Don't buy the marketing hype! Thats like saying that unless you have the latest $200 basketball sneakers for your kid he can't play!
The fact is that it is this : It is as much about learning how to use the Metal Detector you have, about researching good places to go, about LEARNING how to metal detect and recover what you find, as it is having the best machine!
Your Metal Detector CAN find Buried Treasure – but can YOU?
I review a lot of detectors and have used quite a few over the years.
Most of the detectors on the market now or really good…as long as you stay away from the under $100 ones. And even many of those of those will find buried metal, They just lack the depth, discrimination and durability to do the job for anyone wanting to get serious. But YOU CAN START WITH ONE OF THOSE!!!
And if you can afford one of the many other inexpensive ones like the Garrett Ace 150, 250 and 350, the Fisher F2, even some of the Bounty hunters in the $100 – $200 RANGE THEY WILL will find coins below 6 inches, far enough to find some of the old stuff. And they WILL FIND GOLD AND SILVER JEWELRY!!
And Once you get used to your detector enough – ANY DETECTOR -and this is the key LEARN to use your detector – you will be able to discriminate between trash and treasure.
Learning how to use a Metal Detector
So give what you got a whirl and take the time to learn with it.
FIRST – READ THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL.
ALL OF IT.
ALL OF IT.
ALL OF IT.
If you lost it or don't have it then look it up on line. If you can't find it there then call a friend that has a detector or look up a metal detector hobby club on line and ask someone there. Just do it.
Bench or air test your metal detector
This is often best done outside away from houses and metal. Many detectors will beep or home in houses or near cars, fences etc.
Start by following your instruction manuals start up procedure.
Then get different items you are hunting for AND a few garbage ones (like nails, or pull tabs) and passing different objects over the coil at several inches distance.
Test out good things you want to find like A penny, a dime, a quarter, a gold ring, etc. Notice the sound it makes when it positively identifies these. Notice what they register on the meter or graphic screen (if your detector has those).
Now test out the trash -nails, tin foil, etc. And note how the metal detector tries to filter out the bad ones.
This is called air testing or bench testing. It is the first step in learning how your detector works.
By waving (not super fast) different "good" items in front of the coil at different distances you can note how the sound changes for items that are further away. Most detectors have a clear "Good" sound and meter reading for good objects, even when they are farther away. The sound may be fainter but it is usually that same sound.
Now go Use your metal detector
It doesn't have to be at the perfect location or on the big trip that is going to net you a fortune. As a matter of fact you are better off starting someplace easy and close by. Your house, a local school etc.
Don't forget to bring a small hand trowel to dig with, a pouch to put things in you find and a long screwdriver is good to probe into the ground gently to try to locate the exact spot where the buried item is. Believe it or not a lot of what you find will be a few inches down and when you press a screwdriver into the ground you will quickly learn to feel a coin,,,or tin can!
Bring a few coins to test with and after setting up your detector air test them> after that throw one in the grass and sweep over it again making sure it works. Then start detecting for real!
You can click on this link to read our article on the Best Places to Metal Detect to get some ideas on where to go. Again, don't go searching for high dollar gold on an expensive multi day trip for your first outing. Learn how to use the detector locally first. Once you start making finds and understand the controls and use of your detector then it is more fun to take on more challenges and search for greater rewards!
OK thats it for this Your Metal Detector CAN find Buried Treasure article.