What Does The Future Hold For Metal Detecting?

[Michigan Badger]

What do you think is going to happen to our hobby over the next couple decades?

In regard to:

1) metal detectors
2) laws
3) attitude toward the hobby
etc.

Do tell all....

 

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[DCMatt]

1) The detector of the future? Not just for metal. It will analyze soil content, then search for any anomalies.

2) Laws? Archaeological and academic organizations will continue to lobby for new laws. As most MDers are just regular folks having fun with a hobby, they won't know about new laws limiting their access to areas or their ability to search and/or dig until it is too late.

3) Attitude toward the hobby? The only "attitude" I've ever gotten is from the local government historical resources conservator. Her attitude was that all MDers are just a baby step above grave robbers. I am a middle class, computer systems analyst. MDing for me is a fun, interesting hobby. I do it as much for the history lesson as for the trinkets that come out of the ground. Recently, I read a published report from my county regarding protection of "historical areas". In the report, they said they got MUCH of their information from a local metal detecting group. How's THAT for irony!?!

DCMatt

 

[Burdie]

I am afraid the laws will restrict us more and more as time moves on. I see this happening more in the higher population areas. With the State leaning towards your land not really belonging to you is scary. That is another post.

The attitude I see is you are going to take my possible valuables that may or may not be there. Yet they have no intention of buying a detector to find out. Then again maybe they are. Sales on detectors are high I hear.

What is the future of the detector? My guess is not much will be different. I see detectors today like our vehicles. They all get us to point A to point B. One has some thing that attracts you to it. Bigger wheels, smaller engine, size, or just looks. Some detectors have lots of bells and whistles. Some do not have these extras. I see lots of things on a detector that does not really help in finding that prize in the ground.
Burdie

 

[stoney56]

DCMatt pretty much said it. To add to it, I see the Gov. continuing to grab land and making it a National Reserve w/no MDing in any area where rumors of possible treasure sites are located. They'll be able to set up ground sensors, jammers that operate on MD frequencies, unmanned air reconnaissance drones, etc.

Laws in change to where you have to file a flight plan per se of the area that you are going to dig and it's interfaced with archeological data so if it's an area that they plan on digging within the next 150/200 years, it's not allowed.

I see detectors with ground density radar and a view screen showing the approximate size and shape of and object that is either more or less dense than the adjacent soil. It would also show any noticible difference in temperature variations.

 

[bakergeol]

In the year 2035(If man is still alive)

Lucas Badger the grandson of the late great detectorist "Michigan Badger" was slowly unwrapping his new detector from Kellyco down at the local park. It was a Minelab GPXX38999. Kellyco's price was only $25,899 and it included a Hughes 9000 coin core driller. Although it has taken Lucas most of the summer working at Mc Donalds to pay for it, it was well worth it.

The GPXX3899 incorporated underground imaging of all metallic objects. It was good down to 3 feet. It only weighted 1.5 lbs and had a large 1 foot screen on the handle. When the detector beeped the screen lite up showing all metallic objects directly beneath the coil. One could readily recognize nails, pull tabs and coins just by the shape on the screen. For a positive ID one centered the object in the middle of the screen and pushed the ID button. The depth and the spectrographic analysis then appeared on the screen showing the metallic analysis AL-100% or AU-100% etc.

Lucas had been patiently detecting for a half hour when suddenly a small coin shaped object appeared on his screen. His heart was in his throat when he noticed the coin was light not dark in color. Could it be SILVER!!!!! Slowly he centered the coin in the screen and pushed ID. 20" and AG 90% suddenly appeared on the screen. At last!!! Silver!!!!. He quickly set up the coin core, centered it and put in the correct depth. He watched as the coin core hummed and quickly cored down to 20.5 inches. After removing the last 1" of the core, he quickly replaced the dirt core back into the hole. He slowly removed the dirt and his eyes finally focused on his prize. A 1957 silver rosie. What a day!!!!

Grandpa was sure right- What a wonderfull hobby.

George

 

[The Beep Goes On]

In the year 2035(If man is still alive)

Lucas Badger the grandson of the late great detectorist "Michigan Badger" was slowly unwrapping his new detector from Kellyco down at the local park. It was a Minelab GPXX38999. Kellyco's price was only $25,899 and it included a Hughes 9000 coin core driller. Although it has taken Lucas most of the summer working at Mc Donalds to pay for it, it was well worth it.

The GPXX3899 incorporated underground imaging of all metallic objects. It was good down to 3 feet. It only weighted 1.5 lbs and had a large 1 foot screen on the handle. When the detector beeped the screen lite up showing all metallic objects directly beneath the coil. One could readily recognize nails, pull tabs and coins just by the shape on the screen. For a positive ID one centered the object in the middle of the screen and pushed the ID button. The depth and the spectrographic analysis then appeared on the screen showing the metallic analysis AL-100% or AU-100% etc.

Lucas had been patiently detecting for a half hour when suddenly a small coin shaped object appeared on his screen. His heart was in his throat when he noticed the coin was light not dark in color. Could it be SILVER!!!!! Slowly he centered the coin in the screen and pushed ID. 20" and AG 90% suddenly appeared on the screen. At last!!! Silver!!!!. He quickly set up the coin core, centered it and put in the correct depth. He watched as the coin core hummed and quickly cored down to 20.5 inches. After removing the last 1" of the core, he quickly replaced the dirt core back into the hole. He slowly removed the dirt and his eyes finally focused on his prize. A 1957 silver rosie. What a day!!!!

Grandpa was sure right- What a wonderfull hobby.

George

Awesome - I really enjoyed reading that! Thanks George.

HH!
TBGO

 

[Ricardo_NY1]

In the year 2035(If man is still alive)

Lucas Badger the grandson of the late great detectorist "Michigan Badger" was slowly unwrapping his new detector from Kellyco down at the local park. It was a Minelab GPXX38999. Kellyco's price was only $25,899 and it included a Hughes 9000 coin core driller. Although it has taken Lucas most of the summer working at Mc Donalds to pay for it, it was well worth it.

The GPXX3899 incorporated underground imaging of all metallic objects. It was good down to 3 feet. It only weighted 1.5 lbs and had a large 1 foot screen on the handle. When the detector beeped the screen lite up showing all metallic objects directly beneath the coil. One could readily recognize nails, pull tabs and coins just by the shape on the screen. For a positive ID one centered the object in the middle of the screen and pushed the ID button. The depth and the spectrographic analysis then appeared on the screen showing the metallic analysis AL-100% or AU-100% etc.

Lucas had been patiently detecting for a half hour when suddenly a small coin shaped object appeared on his screen. His heart was in his throat when he noticed the coin was light not dark in color. Could it be SILVER!!!!! Slowly he centered the coin in the screen and pushed ID. 20" and AG 90% suddenly appeared on the screen. At last!!! Silver!!!!. He quickly set up the coin core, centered it and put in the correct depth. He watched as the coin core hummed and quickly cored down to 20.5 inches. After removing the last 1" of the core, he quickly replaced the dirt core back into the hole. He slowly removed the dirt and his eyes finally focused on his prize. A 1957 silver rosie. What a day!!!!

Grandpa was sure right- What a wonderfull hobby.

George

Awesome - I really enjoyed reading that! Thanks George.

HH!
TBGO

Ha,ha,ha! Man this is good. Almost makes you want to consider a metal detecting fantasy/creative post to see who comes up with the best portrayal of what a detector will be like in 30 years.

 

[Michigan Badger]

In the year 2035(If man is still alive)

Lucas Badger the grandson of the late great detectorist "Michigan Badger" was slowly unwrapping his new detector from Kellyco down at the local park. It was a Minelab GPXX38999. Kellyco's price was only $25,899 and it included a Hughes 9000 coin core driller. Although it has taken Lucas most of the summer working at Mc Donalds to pay for it, it was well worth it.

The GPXX3899 incorporated underground imaging of all metallic objects. It was good down to 3 feet. It only weighted 1.5 lbs and had a large 1 foot screen on the handle. When the detector beeped the screen lite up showing all metallic objects directly beneath the coil. One could readily recognize nails, pull tabs and coins just by the shape on the screen. For a positive ID one centered the object in the middle of the screen and pushed the ID button. The depth and the spectrographic analysis then appeared on the screen showing the metallic analysis AL-100% or AU-100% etc.

Lucas had been patiently detecting for a half hour when suddenly a small coin shaped object appeared on his screen. His heart was in his throat when he noticed the coin was light not dark in color. Could it be SILVER!!!!! Slowly he centered the coin in the screen and pushed ID. 20" and AG 90% suddenly appeared on the screen. At last!!! Silver!!!!. He quickly set up the coin core, centered it and put in the correct depth. He watched as the coin core hummed and quickly cored down to 20.5 inches. After removing the last 1" of the core, he quickly replaced the dirt core back into the hole. He slowly removed the dirt and his eyes finally focused on his prize. A 1957 silver rosie. What a day!!!!

Grandpa was sure right- What a wonderfull hobby.

George

Truly awesome George! I enjoyed it something fierce. Thanks! 8)

But you forgot the part about being seen by CIA satellite and arrested that evening for the unlawful removal of items of intrinsic and historical value.

Badger

 

[joecoin]

Pity, if he had spent an extra $46,324 he could have gotten the optional TG-6839 holographic projection module allowing 3 dimensional viewing of all sides of the target AND the optional STEALTH-X cloaking device to keep those pesky CIA robots from knocking on the door.

 

[MD Dog]

I got all them things and a really good deal from TonyinCT III.

 

[~MetalDigger~]

We should have this technology for this now, those plans are in a drawer somewhere around here.

 

[The Beep Goes On]

I would rather apply an anti-gravity field to all the metallic items in an area and watch them come flying out of the ground and deposit themselves in to my gravitic pouch ...it would kind of take the fun out of it though...

HH!
TBGO

 

[deepskyal]

Living in the "Land of Taxes" where they just passed a 10% drink tax and 2 dollar a day rental tax on rented cars to pay for public transportation, I see Metal Detecting going the same way once some council member sees someone in the park enjoying themselves without paying some kind of tax.
It will become a permit only hobby and you'll have to have a license, just like for hunting or fishing.
Some places it already is!

I dont see a lot of changes in detectors, but probably newer designed coils. Look at the double d.

As long as greedy archies roam the earth...and articles about how MD'ers are raping the land of resources for future generations....the attitude towards us I believe will remain static. If we're aloud our forum, we'll have our say.
Al

 

[Ray S ECenFL]

Metal detecting equipment will slowly improve as it always has. Don't know if any break through technology will be developed, but we can hope. Units will be come lighter and more sophisticated.

The laws ( God help us) will become more restrictive. We must be vigilant or the politicians and other groups will make it impossible for us to persue our hobby. I think more states will be issuing 'permits' for our hobby for whatever reason they can dream up, but basically for the income at our expense. Politicians love to control peoples lives and dig into their pockets.

I don't see much change in attitude towards the hobby. You will always have those people who think a guy with a metal detector is also a grave robber after the sun goes down. Not much you can do about that. It is unfortunate the some states want the buried relics to stay in the ground till they rot away into dust by making it against the 'law' to dig in various areas because the politicians think that the only ones who can dig up a relic has to be an archaeologist. That alone will hamper our hobby if it gets too widespread.

Ray S.

 

[bavarianminister]

I suspect we will be finding ameros not dollars!

 

[MD Dog]

I suspect we will be finding ameros not dollars!

Those would be the new ceramic ameros your talking about right ?

 

[bavarianminister]

Ceramic? What's up with this?

 

[MD Dog]

Well I figure the only way the Govt. can produce coinage that lasts longer than a couple months in the ground (To keep us and the archies happy) and afford to make it on the cheap they'll eventually switch to ceramic coins. So all we gotta do is come up with ceramic detectors.

 

[Parkit]

I'd rather see ceramic coins than zinc pennies! With the thinnest copper cladding imaginable the cent is still too expensive to produce and rots in the ground in about 6 months around here.

Personally I'm kind of tired of going to a school or park and finding 125 coins, and 107 of them being pennies, half of which go in the garbage because they're corroded. It's great exercise and it keeps me busy, but with gas at $3/gallon it sure isn't profitable.

I'd like to see pennies, dimes and nickels fall by the wayside in favor of a revamped monetary system including 1 and 2-dollar coins. Get rid of the dollar bill so that the coins actually get into general circulation. It would take a few years to seed the ground, and of course people are going to look for a dollar that they drop, but I'm getting to the point where I'd rather dig up a total of 8 coins in 3 hours and have 8 coins that were WORTH something.

 

[Willy]

The future holds the majority of the big metal detecting companies either going belly up or switching over to corporate interests. The Chinese will flood the market with cheap, well built detectors and the present MD makers will be so busy sitting on their lazy butts counting profits that, by the time they wake up and smell the coffee, it will be game over. The major exception will most likely be Bounty Hunter, Garrett will hang on for a bit but eventually drop the hobby division, and Tesoro will go the HQ route with small regional sales and specialty hobby detectors. Minelab will go the way of the dodo, concentrating on military mine detectors and their audio/other products.. their already overpriced and the shipping/exchange rate/duties will kill them. White's will be White's and hang on for a while, till they close their doors due to nonexistent profits. Ever more restrictive laws re. metal detecting and a nation-wide recession, an economy bled dry by the Iraq war, and the general collapse of the US dollar as global currency will only make things worse. Anyway, there you go. Have a Merry (?) Christmas. ...Willy.