Aerial Drone Detection

[G. I. Digger]

I retired a bit over two years ago and now have the time to do the things that were on the back burner for years. Bought a few hot rods, metal detecting, rc planes/helicopters, firearms, and srudying for ham radio license. I love all of these hobbies but the metal detecting is so intriguing as it is so ever changing. I now read an article about Aerial Drone Detection. We have a few drones, actually called quadcopters, but would never thing of using them for metal detecting as I think it takes the fun and suspense out of the hobby. However I am sure some folks will think this is the best thing to come along while combining two hobbies into one. I like both of these hobbies but I believe they should be standalone hobbies. Any opinions?
Rich

 

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[G.I.B.]

I'd like to use one on a couple of islands along the coast. They are not inhabited. I'd like to see down between all the trees for evidence of long lost structures.

What would be wrong with that?

 

[SusanMN]

I don't see that using a drone ruins the metal detecting hobby at all. I mean it's not like there are piles of treasure lying on top of the ground. A drone might help you find an old site but then so does google earth. You are still going to have to hike in there and detect to find anything.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I fly R/C (mostly fixed wing) and don't bother with cameras. But I can see the attraction of overhead real-time viewing of a site. Google Earth & the like are handy and I have used them to pre-select likely hunt sites. A drone might be handy for that.

But I still think sometimes the good finds are where the items were lost regardless of how attractive that area looks. ;-)

 

[Palmetto Pony]

IMHO responses to your question can dictated by the type of MD'ing someone does. I concentrate on relic hunting. I would view drones as just another research tool to help in locating potential sites. If you're the type of person that just likes to randomly go out into the woods for the pure enjoyment of wandering around and whatever you find is what you find, then using a drone would obviously degrade that enjoyment factor.

I hunt for specific "lost" sites. I use any tool available to narrow my search before I put boots on the ground. In the end, no matter what you utilize you still have to put your behind in the brush. Combining a drone with all of your other research resources/tools, hitting the woods/area and finally locating the site is still only part of the battle. Bottom line is you still have to fire that detector up, swing it, find it and dig it. The pay off is when you can finally lift that prize out of the ground, which in my opinion the greatest joy of the whole search and the hobby in general.

-just my two cent piece!

 

[1320]

Drones with video capability are extremely helpful searching cliff faces in my neck of the woods. A few of the John Swift silver mine searchers do this. I've been told that using a drone to search the rock shelters saves tons of time and adds an element of safety to their pursuit.