New and need basic help in the following areas

[lawman0210]

Hello,
My name is Ken and I have just started detecting. I have a garrett gti 2500. I am in York, Pa with roots to Baltimore, MD. My interests are in jewelry, old war artifacts, and old coins. I need help with these items:

1. How to start basic research on battles, landmarks, resorts etc.
2. How to compare maps old to new
3. How to get the most benefits out of a handheld gps
4. How to enter gps coordinates into a mapsite to locate a certain spot.
5. Basic explanation of coordinates. I have seen people enter in specific sites (I'm so stupid I don't know how to enter them in here using the symbols to give an example.
6. 1 or 2 areas that would interest me to get started detecting near York PA.
I am willing to be someones lacky and learn as an apprentice. I am available any day of the week

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

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[Gypsy Heart]

Hi Ken ...Welcome to Tnet
I might be able to help with a couple of your questions.
I would begin researching the areas that are the closest to you first and that interest you in hunting.
Do a google search for PA battlesites,Forts and camps . There are so very many in your area that it wont be hard. Look for old taverns and Inns...a great place to detect and often in out of the way places.

I keep journals on all of the places I research and hunt....and when I hear a tidbit,get a map etc ...then I put them in order with the sites.
Your library is a great source for info and I search the old plat maps,town historian records,etc.

I love to collect atlas's and old maps...
I usually take an old map...say 1810 and then place it next to one from the 1840's...to see what changed...what is there now....then place that one next to a modern day map....alot of areas could change in just a few short years...entire towns totally gone after the railroads came through....But thats the best part...you find where an old crossroads was and find out it was a small town...now just cornfields.

Check out your local historical society or geneology club online...they are a great source for old photos,maps etc .

Good Luck

 

[lawman0210]

Thank you Gypsyheart

 

[bruizr]

you can also do a search of newspaper archives (many are available on line or at the library).
talking to the locals will get you tips not found in print. good luck,god bless and welcome aboard!

 

[Trescher]

Using Google Earth Pro I am always comparing old maps with the current topography of my local area. It is easy, you just pick the image, rotate a little as necessary, and then you can adjust the transparency back and forth to see the before and after.

I have even gone as far as using 4 different highway maps from 4 different years to see the changes over the last 80 years or so.

If you don't have Google Earth Pro, you can always scan or import the images to Photoshop (or similar tool) and using layers, put everything on top of eachother and change the transparency accordingly. It is a very revealing method. I can spend hours doing this, looking for things. (And I find them.)

I have even written some software to take 5 maps; satellite, topographical, appraisal district, rivers and lakes, etc. and combine them to give a historical perspective of the area that I am interested in.

 

[lawman0210]

Trescher,
You certainly are more advanced then I. Can I use google standard to do this on do I need the pro? The pro cost 20.00 a year?

 

[Trescher]

Trescher,
You certainly are more advanced then I. Can I use google standard to do this on do I need the pro? The pro cost 20.00 a year?

I don't know as I haven't used the standard, but from what I can tell of the docs it looks like it supports that feature.
Download it, try it and let us know; it's free.

Using maps like Sanborns, you can see where houses and communities used to be 100 years ago.

The standard is advertisement supported, the plus is $20/yr, the Pro is $400/yr.

 

[lawman0210]

Trescher.
I was able to overlay a map like you said using google . I was even able to change the opaqness of it. My question is how do you move the map and adjust it once its be over layed?

 

[Trescher]

I looked again and I am not using Pro, just the regular Google Earth 4.0 beta.

To change the size, angle or opaqueness, make sure that the overlay is checked in the Places window, then right click on it and choose Properties.

To move the overlay drag the big + in the middle. To change the angle, drag the diamond on the left side, and to resize, drag any corner or side.

You can also change the transparency from the properties box.

I will usually add an overlay, and then zoom in and out, change the transparency, rotate and resize, until I get the majority of the rivers or roads lined up. Keep in mind that roads and rivers move over time as construction projects see fit, but being exact is not necessary.

Have fun and be sure to post anything cool that you find.