am i missin something

astro-nut

Jr. Member
Sep 12, 2008
52
0
southwest fla
Detector(s) used
whites spectra, dual field, beachhunter300, minelab quattro
I have been going to the beach regularly since i just 4 minfrom the beach here in port charlotte fla. i go hunt for an hour tovtwo hours a day all i have found is lots of bottle caps pulltabs a cig lighter and 58c what am i doing wrong i have various machines but i using the dual field tring toget the hang of it are there different tones i should try to listen to ???
 

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olepossum

Hero Member
Apr 9, 2008
939
27
st. joseph missouri
Detector(s) used
old school whites cion master 6/db and dfx 300 ace 250
i have a dfx 300 with the super 12 inch coil and i wasnt having much luck untill i went to using just the straight coin and jewelry then i started using just coin depending on the area on what setting i use with you at the beach use coinjewelry beach but try all three in a 10 x10 area see which one works better for you you will find it when you start putting more finds in that apeon
 

erikk

Hero Member
Jan 6, 2007
908
1
Punta Gorda FL
Detector(s) used
EX2',CZ7a pro,Excaliburs 1000 & 2, F-75's ,Garrett Sea Hunter & Infinium LS PI , 1235X
astro-nut said:
I have been going to the beach regularly since i just 4 minfrom the beach here in port charlotte fla. i go hunt for an hour tovtwo hours a day all i have found is lots of bottle caps pulltabs a cig lighter and 58c what am i doing wrong i have various machines but i using the dual field tring toget the hang of it are there different tones i should try to listen to ???

These beaches are getting hammered. If you are not there at or before sunrise forget it. Some people even are hunting them at night & sometimes I am one of them!
 

Treasure_Hunter

Administrator
Staff member
Jul 27, 2006
48,305
54,466
Florida
Detector(s) used
Minelab_Equinox_ 800 Minelab_CTX-3030 Minelab_Excal_1000 Minelab_Sovereign_GT Minelab_Safari Minelab_ETrac Whites_Beach_Hunter_ID Fisher_1235_X
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Lot of competition, and not as many depositors due to time of year. Like erikk says you will need to hit it either very early in the morning, or at night, and also hope you get a storm with a lot of surf action to turn the sand over and remove some of the top sand........
 

Sandman

Gold Member
Aug 6, 2005
13,398
3,992
In Michigan now.
Detector(s) used
Excal 1000, Excal II, Sovereign GT, CZ-20, Tiger Shark, Tejon, GTI 1500, Surfmaster Pulse, CZ6a, DFX, AT PRO, Fisher 1235, Surf PI Pro, 1280-X, many more because I enjoy learning them. New Garrett Ca
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Start by laying out some different coins and rings on the sand and make sure your detectors can respond to them. This is the mode you should use. It it makes any noise, scoop it up.

When there are a lot of others hunting the same places, you need to hunt longer and harder when they are not there. Things are slow now with less beach visitors so to find the stuff you either have to hunt at night or go to places that might not have as many hunters.

Good Luck, :icon_thumleft:
Sandman
 

Diver_Down

Silver Member
Dec 13, 2008
4,373
2,000
St. Augustine, FL
Sandman said:
Start by laying out some different coins and rings on the sand and make sure your detectors can respond to them. This is the mode you should use. It it makes any noise, scoop it up.

When there are a lot of others hunting the same places, you need to hunt longer and harder when they are not there. Things are slow now with less beach visitors so to find the stuff you either have to hunt at night or go to places that might not have as many hunters.

Good Luck, :icon_thumleft:
Sandman

To elaborate what Sandman suggested with a test grid: Start with a known grid size and mark the delimiters. I prefer to clean a test grid ahead of time to eliminate any targets in the area before planting the grid with known test targets. (Sometimes this isn't practical if you don't have another machine on hand). Wrap the test targets in post-it notes and disperse them throughout the grid at various depths. Place some coins on edge and others flat. Then go slow with the test detector and clear the grid taking note of the tones and the conditions (on edge, 8" depth, etc.) of each recovered target.
 

DaChief

Bronze Member
Sep 16, 2007
1,035
36
Middle Tennessee
Detector(s) used
-------(Water)------- Garrett Infinium (Relic and Coin) Minelab Sov. Elite
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The only thing I can add to what all of my esteemed collegues of Finditology have said is make sure to stick to the basics of technique in treasure hunting with a hand held detector.

1. Go Slow
2. Overlap your coil swings.
3. Make sure your coil is staying flat to the ground at all times about 1/2 inch off the surface througout each swing from side to side. (No Pendulum swinging).
4. Go Slow
5. Work a definite pattern to insure you do not cover the same ground that you have effectively worked already. That has been mentioned above where it is said to work a grid.
6. And did I mention GO SLOW.

The only time I see my finds get less and less is when I forget the basics. No need to hunt if you don't do it right. I am not saying that is the case in your situation but even I lapse into sloppy hunting techniques and I know better than to let that happen.

You can go to a beach an pick out the folks quickly who are wasting their time. They swing the coil like a clock pendulum about a foot off the ground most of the time and they are moving like they are trying to make it to the finish line in a sprint championship or like a kid trying to beat the others to the golden egg in an Easter Egg Hunt.

I have hunted many a Civil War battle areas that I have been told were "hunted out". That is usually followed by "no need to waste your time with that one". I go anyway, use good techniques and come out with buttons, bullets and an occaissional Belt Buckle. The key is always GO SLOW, HUNT AN IDENTIFIABLE PATTERN AND KEEP THE COIL LOW TO THE GROUND & GO SLOW AGAIN.

There is nothing more important in this hobby than good basic techniques and taking your time.

Good luck.

DaChief
 

txkickergirl

Silver Member
Jan 4, 2007
2,782
25
George West, TX
Detector(s) used
SOV, EXCAL, CZ20, & more
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
DIG IT ALL... It took me almost a year to catch on and find my first ring. Others around me were pulling up 5-6 and me nada, it was dang frustrating. Then bam...I found my first one, and every since then I started finding good stuff. I can't explain it. I guess I just had to do my time in the trenches.
 

JP

Bronze Member
May 5, 2006
1,103
12
Florida & San Salvador, El Salvador
Detector(s) used
Excalibur 1000, Garrett Infinium LS, Garrett Sea Hunter II, Ace 250 (for my 12 year old son)
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I went with some friends to CWB one night to one of the restaurants there. When we went back to the car around 10 PM I saw a few people already out there hunting.

I have been there at 6 am thinking I was the first one there only to realize once the sun starting coming up that there were 6 other hunters out there.

Do they get it all....of course the answer is no. Remember if their coil doesn't go over it they aren't going to find it. It's probably best to concentrate on an area and work slowly digging everything.

Good luck.
 

D

digum smacks

Guest
no you arent missing anything at all,because theres nothing there to miss,me and 100 other people got most of it.you want to get more you have to get a machine that will go 4feet in the ground,because the top 12inches are about barron
 

JoeSWFla

Full Member
Jun 15, 2007
181
2
All of the above.Dachief has it right.Good technique is the way to
go.If you have limited time to hunt ,like me,you may have the
tendency to want to rush.The grass is always greener,or the sand
is more golden,somewhere else.Best to work an area systematically.
Look for cuts or conditions that help,or hunt where there is less
competition.But most of all,just have fun,and enjoy the hunt.Let
the finds come when they come.HH Joe
 

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