How did you old-timers do it!!

Truth

Gold Member
Apr 13, 2016
14,332
32,142
Abita Springs La....Born in New Orleans
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
EQUINOX 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I would like to give a shout out to all the old-timers who've been metal detecting way way way before me. I've been metal detecting for 2 years, I had to ship both of my Garrett pin pointers to Garrett, but that's another story within itself Ugggh. Needless to say I went metal detecting without them and boy well it's aggravating. God bless the pin-pointer and God bless the old-timers who did it for 20 years before us without them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

BARKER

Bronze Member
Nov 1, 2011
2,056
1,795
BOSTON
Detector(s) used
Whites DFX, Garrett GMH, Toltec 100, Whites PI 3000, Fisher 75, Whites Silver Eagle 2, Whites Beachcomber, and several others from 1968 to Present
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hi Truth 1253; May God Bless You & All of Yours. Thanks. How do we do it ?? VERY SLOWLY.!!! :laughing7: Actually We have learned to follow the latest technology and We have come to know the older areas that the others just don't see because We have developed a fairly sharp eye for the details others miss. On supposedly hunted out areas We have learned to lean back on the tricks We learned so many years ago. 48 years in my case. That is why We make the finds the others miss in those areas. Also We have developed a LOT bigger database of friends We have met in ages past that others just don't know gaining Us the Permissions the others can't get. We have also come to be able to "read" the land or area by just Our eyesight alone. We can tell where the Folks were way back then in what is now called Modern areas. Especially in Parks & Beaches.
As time goes on you too will develope your own set of tools and experiences just like We did ok. So Happy Hunting & Good Luck. PEACE:RONB :leprechaun-hat:
 

Last edited:
OP
OP
Truth

Truth

Gold Member
Apr 13, 2016
14,332
32,142
Abita Springs La....Born in New Orleans
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
EQUINOX 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Hi Truth 1253; May God Bless You & All of Yours. Thanks. How do we do it ?? VERY SLOWLY.!!! :laughing7: Actually We have learned to follow the latest technology and We have come to know the older areas that the others just don't see because We have developed a fairly sharp eye for the details others miss. On supposedly hunted out areas We have learned to lean back on the tricks We learned so many years ago. 48 years in my case. That is why We make the finds the others miss in those areas. Also We have developed a LOT bigger database of friends We have met in ages past that others just don't know gaining Us the Permissions the others can't get. We have also come to be able to "read" the land or area by just Our eyesight alone. We can tell where the Folks were way back then in what is now called Modern areas. Especially in Parks & Beaches.
As time goes on you too will develope your own set of tools and experiences just like We did ok. So Happy Hunting & Good Luck. PEACE:RONB :leprechaun-hat:

I have all the respect in the world for my elders in any facet of life. As far as I'm concerned you all are modern-day pioneers. Your knowledge is priceless and your brains are sharper than people will give credit to. that is why I've pounded it into my children's heads to always always respect your elders. May God bless you all in health and good fortune. God Bless.

P.S. And yes I'm jealous of your knowledge. Lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

pa plateau hiker

Bronze Member
Jul 15, 2012
1,087
1,302
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I have been detecting for over 40 years and have never used one, never felt the need for one.
 

DeepseekerADS

Gold Member
Mar 3, 2013
14,880
21,725
SW, VA - Bull Mountain
Detector(s) used
CTX, Excal II, EQ800, Fisher 1260X, Tesoro Royal Sabre, Tejon, Garrett ADSIII, Carrot, Stealth 920iX, Keene A52
Primary Interest:
Other
I used to use a blunted point probe. After a while you could tell the difference between a rock and a hard coin :)
 

Jason in Enid

Gold Member
Oct 10, 2009
9,593
9,229
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The pinpointers sure help!

First, in the old days you didn't find DD coils, they were all concentric type which pinpoint MUCH easier. Second, we used things like brass rods or ice picks to find the target before before we dug. Different skill sets had be perfected to hunt like that.

I was one of those guys who always said "ah, I've never used one and I don't need one now" until I finally used one, LOL. Now I wouldnt want to hunt without one!
 

McKinney_5900

Bronze Member
Jul 30, 2010
1,140
929
The pinpointers sure help!

First, in the old days you didn't find DD coils, they were all concentric type which pinpoint MUCH easier. Second, we used things like brass rods or ice picks to find the target before before we dug. Different skill sets had be perfected to hunt like that.

I was one of those guys who always said "ah, I've never used one and I don't need one now" until I finally used one, LOL. Now I wouldnt want to hunt without one!

I honestly would have quit this hobby within my first month 6 years ago if not for dropping $127 on a pinpointer. It was HOT(Texas) and I quickly discovered detecting was hard work in this soil. Coins here blends to the same color as the dirt. Why make it even harder work for not spending the paultry sum of a pinpointer?

"I was one of those guys who always said "ah, I've never used one and I don't need one now" until I finally used one, LOL. Now I wouldnt want to hunt without one!"

I've also see that posted many times also.
 

OP
OP
Truth

Truth

Gold Member
Apr 13, 2016
14,332
32,142
Abita Springs La....Born in New Orleans
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
EQUINOX 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I honestly would have quit this hobby within my first month 6 years ago if not for dropping $127 on a pinpointer. It was HOT(Texas) and I quickly discovered detecting was hard work in this soil. Coins here blends to the same color as the dirt. Why make it even harder work for not spending the paultry sum of a pinpointer?

"I was one of those guys who always said "ah, I've never used one and I don't need one now" until I finally used one, LOL. Now I wouldnt want to hunt without one!"

I've also see that posted many times also.

Louisiana boy here. Wet wet HEAT


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

against the wind

Gold Member
Jul 27, 2015
24,797
24,977
Port Allegheny, Pennsylvania
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
E-trac, Excalibur, XP Deus, & CTX 3030.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I don't know how many handfuls of dirt I passed in front of a coil to find that well hidden coin. Been at it since 1970. I purchased a pro pointer in 2012. I have given away a few since then. I now own 2 pro pointers and 2 Garrett Carrots. I won't leave home without two.
 

eyemustdigtreasure

Silver Member
Mar 2, 2013
3,602
5,581
California
Detector(s) used
Fisher Gold Bug Pro
Tesoro Cibola
Nokta Pointer; Phillips SHS5200 phones
Nokta Macro SIMPLEX +
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I don't know how many handfuls of dirt I passed in front of a coil to find that well hidden coin. Been at it since 1970. I purchased a pro pointer in 2012. I have given away a few since then. I now own 2 pro pointers and 2 Garrett Carrots. I won't leave home without two.

I know the wisdom of having backups...!
Before pinpointers, I used to pass large amounts of dirt over my coil with a plastic Frisbee,
to locate the metal, that I was a-chasing...!
 

OP
OP
Truth

Truth

Gold Member
Apr 13, 2016
14,332
32,142
Abita Springs La....Born in New Orleans
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
EQUINOX 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I know the wisdom of having backups...!
Before pinpointers, I used to pass large amounts of dirt over my coil with a plastic Frisbee,
to locate the metal, that I was a-chasing...!

Y'all really really earned your finds back in the day.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Tnmountains

Super Moderator
Staff member
Jan 27, 2009
18,716
11,709
South East Tennessee on Ga, Ala line
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Conquistador freq shift
Fisher F75
Garrett AT-Pro
Garet carrot
Neodymium magnets
5' Probe
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
They learned to pin point with their machine. The exact spot most times. When you have never had... or seen a certain tool you do not miss it. Plus they were the first one in on most spots and they found a lot.
 

BARKER

Bronze Member
Nov 1, 2011
2,056
1,795
BOSTON
Detector(s) used
Whites DFX, Garrett GMH, Toltec 100, Whites PI 3000, Fisher 75, Whites Silver Eagle 2, Whites Beachcomber, and several others from 1968 to Present
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hi; Yup, ProPointers did not exist back then. We learned by trial & error but we never gave up. I still don't have one but I'm thinking about getting one --- MAYBE.!! When you've been digging as long as We have you get kind of set in your ways. Never had one & I don't miss them but I hear how much time they save digging which in my case would be a blessing for my back & legs. I think I will try one. I Posted about it a while ago. Just been to busy to get serious about it. Happy Hunting. PEACE:RONB

PS: Hey guys, didn't you love those BFO detectors back then ?? :laughing7:
 

lastleg

Silver Member
Feb 3, 2008
2,876
658
Yeah Barker with my Mahan BFO I didn't need a pinpointer. The non-ferrous target was right below
the little coil where the arrow said it would be.
 

BARKER

Bronze Member
Nov 1, 2011
2,056
1,795
BOSTON
Detector(s) used
Whites DFX, Garrett GMH, Toltec 100, Whites PI 3000, Fisher 75, Whites Silver Eagle 2, Whites Beachcomber, and several others from 1968 to Present
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hi lastleg; Yup, I went Hi Tech. I had a RadShack Job. I loved it.!!! :tongue3: :laughing7: And you didn't need headphones either. :laughing7: AAAAHHH The good ole days.!!! PEACE:RONB :leprechaun-hat:
 

pa plateau hiker

Bronze Member
Jul 15, 2012
1,087
1,302
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Are you kiddin me!!! Lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, yes, I have been detecting all those years. I know my machine and how to use it without the need for a pin pointer. Thank you for your concern.:thumbsup:
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top