Best Tip I've heard in 49 years of metal detecting.

Texas Jay

Bronze Member
Feb 11, 2006
1,147
1,354
Brownwood, Texas
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, Garrett Scorpion Gold Stinger, Garrett Ace 350, Garrett Ace 250, vintage D-Tex SK 70, Tesoro Mojave, Dowsing Rods
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Probably the best metal detecting tip I've heard in my 49 years of hunting came from the late Charles Garrett when he said that you need to put 100 hours on your detector before you can really understand its capabilities. Truer words have never been spoken. Too many people, who are just starting out in this amazing hobby, allow others to talk trash about their "beginner detectors" and take their unwise advise to move up to a "deeper, better, or more expensive" metal detector before they've used the one they have for even 10 hours or less. I bought a Garrett Ace 250 several years ago but only this year decided to give it a real workout and learn what it could do. So I've let my more expensive detectors collect dust for the past few months and have used the 250 exclusively. Yesterday, I logged my 105th hour on that little detector and it has performed amazingly well. I regularly hunt with guys who use detectors that cost at least 3 times and as much as 10 times the cost of my Ace 250 and I usually come out with the best finds of the day. Let the other guys sit around at the coffee shop, bragging about their expensive detectors, while you get out in the field with yours and make some truly remarkable discoveries. Above all, have fun!
~Texas Jay

Central Texas Treasure Club

 

Upvote 12

Treasure_Hunter

Administrator
Staff member
Jul 27, 2006
48,462
54,906
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
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Minelab Matt

Hero Member
Oct 19, 2014
548
603
S.Wales UK
Detector(s) used
Minelab X-Terra Pro
Deteknix Pi Pinpointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
There's a huge difference. This OP writes about detecting and treasure hunting, free of charge, to help others while Drayton and his kind write to make money and stretch the truth to sell detectors.
~Texas Jay
Exactly....like Minelab put a Equinox in Gary's hand and he made out like it's the only detector he uses snd it's the best etc...lol....just to boost sales coz Gary is on Minelab's payroll....fact.

I like real experts like Calabash digger.

Matt.
 

Ol' Kentuck

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Jun 12, 2018
767
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Exactly....like Minelab put a Equinox in Gary's hand and he made out like it's the only detector he uses snd it's the best etc...lol....just to boost sales coz Gary is on Minelab's payroll....fact.

I like real experts like Calabash digger.

Matt.


Jest checked out yer boy Calabash on his MD Blog. First thing I noticed is tha huge Kellyco ad with hot links to buy detectors.

:dontknow:
 

Irishgoldhound

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Jul 15, 2013
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He just signed up and one of his first posts towards me is/was “wow!..do you hunt in a jewelry store??...lol””. To come on a forum and your first comment is to make a stupid, sarcastic joke to someone??...sorry that’s an insult to me. I didn’t appreciate that remark.
 

Treasure_Hunter

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Jul 27, 2006
48,462
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Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
It was not an insult so let it go.
 

Treasure_Hunter

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Jul 27, 2006
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Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Jest checked out yer boy Calabash on his MD Blog. First thing I noticed is tha huge Kellyco ad with hot links to buy detectors.

:dontknow:

He does not work for Kellyco, I know everyone who works for Kellco, he is not paid to do any reviews either.

Below the ads it states "The blog is out of all relation to the manufacturers or sales."
 

Ol' Kentuck

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He does not work for Kellyco, I know everyone who works for Kellco, he is not paid to do any reviews either.

Below the ads it states "The blog is out of all relation to the manufacturers or sales."



So the big hot links in the ad on his blog that say SHOP NOW don't go directly to a sale site to buy detectors?
 

Treasure_Hunter

Administrator
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Jul 27, 2006
48,462
54,906
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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
So the big hot links in the ad on his blog that say SHOP NOW don't go directly to a sale site to buy detectors?


Anyone can posts links to any vendor site on their blogs, if they go to a non supporting vendor then his blog would not be allowed to be posted on TNet. As stated I know everyone who works for Kellyco and Calabash is not a paid employee nor paid to do detector or product reviews.
 

Treasure_Hunter

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Staff member
Jul 27, 2006
48,462
54,906
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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
Maybe it wasn’t disrespectful to you but to me it was.
If you felt it was then you report it to mods and mods decide if it was a rule violation, you do not attack a member and you do not tell them to leave our forums.
 

Treasure_Hunter

Administrator
Staff member
Jul 27, 2006
48,462
54,906
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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
Please let it go and move on Irishgold.
 

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OP
OP
Texas Jay

Texas Jay

Bronze Member
Feb 11, 2006
1,147
1,354
Brownwood, Texas
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, Garrett Scorpion Gold Stinger, Garrett Ace 350, Garrett Ace 250, vintage D-Tex SK 70, Tesoro Mojave, Dowsing Rods
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I reckon ye missed tha part about worth payin fer. :laughing7:






Still laughin. :notworthy:

I reckon ye missed my earlier post on this (my) thread where I clearly stated that, unlike Gary Drayton and other for-profit detectorists, I don't charge for my writings and tips. You didn't have to pay a penny to read my original post on this thread (if indeed you bothered to read it before criticizing me), did you? One can take my suggestions and advice, from 49 years of detecting, or ignore them. It makes no difference to me. It's a win-win for me either way. If you take them and use them, I get pleasure from knowing I helped someone. If you choose to ignore them, I get the pleasure of telling you "I told you so."
~Texas Jay
 

Minelab Matt

Hero Member
Oct 19, 2014
548
603
S.Wales UK
Detector(s) used
Minelab X-Terra Pro
Deteknix Pi Pinpointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
In the words of Rodney King...."Can't we all Just get along" lol.

Matt.
 

Dragonscout

Full Member
Nov 1, 2018
192
242
Warner Robins, Ga
Detector(s) used
MXT PRO (formerly) - Tesoro Mojave, and Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
To all of you that had com.e ts in this thread I appreciate your input. As a returning noon I would be happy to spend time with each of you to learn more about our sport. As a disabled vet, I laugh,sometimes inappropriately to know my service allows us all the luxury to argue with each other over our collective sport. If any of you ever get to Warner Robins, Ga, the coffee and Krispy Kremes are on me!! And Treasure Hunter you're the bomb-diggity!!!
 

Ol' Kentuck

Hero Member
Jun 12, 2018
767
1,310
Primary Interest:
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To all of you that had com.e ts in this thread I appreciate your input. As a returning noon I would be happy to spend time with each of you to learn more about our sport. As a disabled vet, I laugh,sometimes inappropriately to know my service allows us all the luxury to argue with each other over our collective sport. If any of you ever get to Warner Robins, Ga, the coffee and Krispy Kremes are on me!! And Treasure Hunter you're the bomb-diggity!!!


Thank ye fer yer service, Scout, and fer tha luxury ta argue. :notworthy: :usflag:

Wife sez I'd argue with a fencepost, and obviously she's right, as usual. :laughing7:
 

stevemc

Bronze Member
Feb 12, 2005
2,121
277
Sarasota, FL
Detector(s) used
Whites Surfmaster PI Pro and Whites Surfmaster PI, Minelab Excal NY blue sword. 2 White's Dual field pi, Garrett sea hunter pi II (but don't use it for obvious reasons) 5' x 3 1/2' coil underwater Pi
Primary Interest:
Shipwrecks
So true. In the old days of just turn and go, todays complex detectors are really set up to find stuff and have a good separation of sounds and numbers for each. It is hard when there is red clay soil or lots of iron around to make this work right. And depth of each different thing. Depth can change the sound or number of hits. Only when you really work with it can you say, “ I want to move up to something better”. If there is. Seems like they really have it down now to finding and “ naming” what is down there , fairly good. Like stainless steel bolts and gold rings. Same number. Aluminum beer tabs and gold or silver rings. Old Spanish silver alloy cobs and lots of things. They sound alike. Takes a long time of use to be proficient at it.
 

seascene

Jr. Member
Feb 14, 2015
87
84
Sailboat coastal British Columbia
Detector(s) used
Presently Anfibio Muliti. Sold my MXT sport, TDI pro and Macro Gold Racer Just got April 2023 Deus 2 and Cscope 4 Pi (England made)
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
A very interesting, enthusiastic thread. Please PM me if you think my question warrants such. I did refer to an adventure being planned to the wilderness of coastal British Columbia in 2019 last week: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/jesuit-treasures/153540-jesuit-treasures-they-real-254.html

The turf is rugged... shallow soils over rock. No trash because minimal to no human activity except a frenzied sea otter trade 200yrs between 5 nations and indigenous peoples at rendezvous points outer coastal islands ... currency Spanish silver (what has been left behind ..intriques me). I loved the posts about Ace and Tejon and at heart and lifestyle (living on a boat) resonates. However, some of the searching will be on coastal salt beaches at tide out. Would these (favourably priced) detectors suffice in such conditions. Please feel free to PM if that suits. Thank you...
 

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Dejure

Jr. Member
Nov 30, 2023
40
60
Probably the best metal detecting tip I've heard in my 49 years of hunting came from the late Charles Garrett when he said that you need to put 100 hours on your detector before you can really understand its capabilities. Truer words have never been spoken. Too many people, who are just starting out in this amazing hobby, allow others to talk trash about their "beginner detectors" and take their unwise advise to move up to a "deeper, better, or more expensive" metal detector before they've used the one they have for even 10 hours or less. I bought a Garrett Ace 250 several years ago but only this year decided to give it a real workout and learn what it could do. So I've let my more expensive detectors collect dust for the past few months and have used the 250 exclusively. Yesterday, I logged my 105th hour on that little detector and it has performed amazingly well. I regularly hunt with guys who use detectors that cost at least 3 times and as much as 10 times the cost of my Ace 250 and I usually come out with the best finds of the day. Let the other guys sit around at the coffee shop, bragging about their expensive detectors, while you get out in the field with yours and make some truly remarkable discoveries. Above all, have fun!
~Texas Jay

Central Texas Treasure Club
Well said. I have some pretty nice woodworking equipment and an air controlled shop to play with it all. Still, a few videos make it clear some character in India with a crap circular saw can do some way amazing things that, often, could leave me in the [saw]dust.
 

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