Dumb question

[skeeter86]

how deep is considered surface detecting my town has some strange rules as far as detecting goes !

 

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[dirtscratcher]

Probably no digging? I would carry a screwdriver and learn to pop coins out that are a couple inches deep. Just probe the ground until you feel the coin and then get under it and pop it out. Should be able to find videos on you tube showing how it is done. Good luck.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

how deep is considered surface detecting my town has some strange rules as far as detecting goes !

First off, let me ask you how you got the info that only "surface detecting" was allowed? Is this something you read in rules somewhere? Or something some desk-bound bureaucrat tells you is allowed when you ask "can I metal detect?" If it was the latter, then welcome to the "no one cared TILL you asked" club. And if it was the former (that this is an actual real rule written down), I'm betting that such a rule came about by the same way: someone way-back-when went in asking "is md'ing ok?" type of thing. So they invent a rule to "address the pressing issue".

 

[Diggin-N-Dumps]

I play the role of the dumb southerner...lol.....In fact I have had polive talk to me while i was "technically" trespassing...But i have had BAD luck asking about it

 

[cudamark]

how deep is considered surface detecting my town has some strange rules as far as detecting goes !

If it's an actual rule, there should be a definition somewhere there in the ordinance. I've hunted a couple of places like that (probe only, no digging) It's amazing how deep you can recover a target with just a probe when you set your mind to it! . The area I hunted had soft ground so that helped a LOT. After I carefully pinpointed the target, I stuck a tapered bar (like a big tapered punch) into the ground and wallowed it around a bit to make a pretty good sized hole. I then stuck my electronic pin pointer (tiny tek) into that hole to see if I was half way close to the target. If I got a signal, I then used my regular probe (screwdriver) to carefully poke around until I hit the target. I then use some real long handled forceps (with rubber coated jaws) to grab the target and and pull it up and out. Takes a bit of work, but, if it's an area with nice old coins, it can be worth it. If your area just has deep clad, I'd find another place to hunt.

 

[TreasurePirate69]

First off, let me ask you how you got the info that only "surface detecting" was allowed? Is this something you read in rules somewhere? Or something some desk-bound bureaucrat tells you is allowed when you ask "can I metal detect?" If it was the latter, then welcome to the "no one cared TILL you asked" club. And if it was the former (that this is an actual real rule written down), I'm betting that such a rule came about by the same way: someone way-back-when went in asking "is md'ing ok?" type of thing. So they invent a rule to "address the pressing issue".

Do you ever give it a rest?

 

[cudamark]

New people joining here all the time. Do you want to tell them? I'd just as soon let Tom be the lightening rod!

 

[TreasurePirate69]

New people joining here all the time. Do you want to tell them? I'd just as soon let Tom be the lightening rod!

That assumes that everyone agrees with his position and it should be clear that I do not. Would you appreciate it if I made it my mission to make sure I chimed in on every single new post about permission to push my own agenda? I think after a while you'd get REALLY tired of my pushing an agenda that you don't agree with. And so....

 

[TreasurePirate69]

By the way, instead of Tom (and me) hijacking yet another person's thread to push an unrelated agenda, how about we stick to the topic at hand huh? Isn't that what the forum is about? Tom is welcome to his opinions and I am welcome to mine. But constantly hijacking other people's threads to push your agenda is another matter entirely.

To answer the original question, as others have said, surface detecting means no digging. I think you could get by with a probe or screwdriver but I would use it sparingly if you don't want to break the rules.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

I use a screw driver most of the time makes for less of a hassle all the way around.

I got to detect a park in Maine by just using a screw driver, I assured the patrol officer that if any one had a problem with me doing that I would stop. They watched me but no one complained. Maybe they couldn't figure out what I was doing with the screw driver! I wasn't digging.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Tom is not pushing his own agenda, Tom's reply is relevant to the question, whether it is Tom posting it, myself, Cuda or a dozen others....The end is still the same, how deep you can detect is based on the actual law not the perceived law which many times are not the same...

If a member thinks a thread is being hijacked, please report to mods, don't attack the member or get in arguement over it.......








American by birth, Patriot by choice.

I would rather die standing on my two feet defending our Constitution than live a lifetime on my knees......

 

[cudamark]

I think informing people of the difference between the letter of the law and it's actual meaning/application/enforcement is something we should constantly remind our fellow detectorists......newbie and veteran. We want to keep everyone out of trouble without having them give up their rights in the process. If we can do it without asking biased human beings, that should be our goal. If we can get the same results by using an alternate method to keep in the good graces of the powers that be, I would think everyone would welcome that info. If not, it's fairly easy to ignore the advice and click on the next post or thread.