Your first metal detector?

PullTabPete

Hero Member
Jun 14, 2012
784
777
Michigan
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Excal II E-trac EQ 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I had a Radio Shack or Sears detector back in the late 70's as a kid, I don't remember finding silver for sure but know I found a few wheats. I bet the detector is still in my mother's attic, I'll have to go check one day.

Took the next 30 years off from detecting but glad to start back up around 2011, Wish I wouldn't have missed out on the 80's and 90's detecting now but nothing I can do about that now.

Pete
 

eldorado

Full Member
Mar 19, 2009
136
125
Northwest OHIO
Detector(s) used
started out with compass nugget.1970? have had many over years, current choice is Garrett ACE 350. collection includes: ace 250, AT Pro, ATX, Whites 6000, whites classic, still have my compass too.
My dad bought a Compass Yukon Nugget detector i think 1970? I believe he was suppose to use it , however I think I dominated it ,, Found so much stuff with that detector, because I used it,, at ten years old a fellow has time to do stuff like treasure hunting. I am 60 now and still have that detector,, it works just fine. Good topic
 

Horst

Sr. Member
Apr 13, 2017
319
1,206
Germany
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800 + SDC2300
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
my first MD was a type of MD to find electric cables in a wall. I attached a threaded target arrowhead with ducktape to it. I could then screw it on my arrow and look for my lost arrows hiding usually 1" under the surface. By that time there were no pinpointers which would have made it easy. A Whites GMT followed then a SDC2300 and the Whites GMT I traded in for an Equinox 800.
 

creskol

Gold Member
Jan 14, 2007
13,623
22,667
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
5
Primary Interest:
Other
Got my first detector just over 50 years ago... View attachment 1773967

My father built it from a Heathkit kit. He built the circuit board, wrapped the coil
on an empty 8" tape reel, and it had an on/off switch and a tuner.

My first was a Heathkit, too, I built in Electronics Class back in 1968.
 

OP
OP
DetecTom

DetecTom

Full Member
Nov 18, 2019
107
122
Long Island,NY
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 600|Whites IDX Pro
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
These are all really great posts. I really appreciate hearing all about everyone’s first detectors. I had no idea there was so much variety over the years!
 

AstralDruid

Sr. Member
Oct 22, 2019
406
515
Detector(s) used
Garrett ACE 250i Nel Hunter
Equinox 600 15" coil
XP-Mi4
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Garrett Ace 250..

what a machine, i mean really.... just does what it is supposed to do, easy to use, durable...
Still going strong with a Nel DD added this year, is intruiging for my kids..
IMG-20191017-WA0001.jpg
 

ColonelDan

Hero Member
Jan 19, 2014
998
2,163
Central Florida
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Deus II
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
Bought my first detector in 1970...a Jetco Mustang

Jetco Mustang.JPG

I then made a huge upgrade to the Jetco Treasure Hawk :laughing7:

Jetco Treasure Hawk.jpg
 

Waterbug

Full Member
Jul 6, 2005
110
142
Iowa
Detector(s) used
White's DFX, XLT & GoldmasterV/SAT
Fisher 1280x
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
White' DSCF0157.JPG s Gold Master from Sears catalog in 1975
 

Rad1sh

Full Member
Sep 22, 2019
175
272
Olympia, Washington
Detector(s) used
Nokta Makro Simplex White Coinmaster ( Burghandy)
Garret Ace 250 Tracker IV
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Mine was the maroon whites coinmaster. I have since collected about 6 detectors. I think I am starting a herd.
 

sprailroad

Silver Member
Jan 19, 2017
2,639
4,116
Grants Pass, Oregon
Detector(s) used
Garrett A3B United States Gold Hunter, GTA 1000, AT Pro, Discovery Treasure Baron "Gold Trax", Minelab X-Terra 70, Safari, & EQ 800, & Nokta Marko Legend. EQ 900.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
A Garrett " A3B United States Gold Hunter ", bought it used, and did not have a clue about how to really use it. Four knobs, two of which were "10" turn for precise adj. of GB & Threshold, but that Garrett was the "hook", many years and 6 machines later, I'm still doing it.
 

civilman1

Gold Member
Nov 29, 2005
9,386
1,685
PA-MD
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Garrett Infinium LS,White's MXT's and Surf II Lot's-O-Coil's
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Whites Coinmaster 4000/D series
 

Horst

Sr. Member
Apr 13, 2017
319
1,206
Germany
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800 + SDC2300
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
thank you for starting this interesting thread!!!!
 

A2coins

Gold Member
Dec 20, 2015
33,807
42,606
Ann Arbor
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Radio shack with the orange coil
 

A2coins

Gold Member
Dec 20, 2015
33,807
42,606
Ann Arbor
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I bet back in the 70s if I used it more I could have found tons more silver with it then I do now with my Nox today
 

OBN

Gold Member
Dec 30, 2008
6,528
7,009
Maryland Waters
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
"Excalibur"..
"AQ" Impulse
Primary Interest:
Other
1989 bought a White PI 1000 Treasuremaster..had it for 3 or 4 months, used maybe 4 times..family life had to sell...best target..trash.

2007/08..seen retirement coming...family grown up.......I'm single....MY time.........Minelab Explore XS and a Minelab Excalibur.

My first good target with either..a wheatie.
 

CoinmasterIV

Jr. Member
Jan 31, 2013
55
45
Detector(s) used
All of them! ;-) Been land hunting since 1973 - water since 1986. E-Trac/Whites Spectrum XLT/Tesoro Tiger Shark/Excalibur II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
<------ Whites Coinmaster IV.....1972. And I still have it to this very day! And it still works. :-)
 

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