New, Young, and Eager to Learn

[Koby]

Hello all,

My name is Koby, I'm a junior in highschool and live in Long Island, New York. I'm a member of the Antique Automobile Club of America and the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with friends, playing basketball, and attending garage sales. (I know I'm an old soul :P). I'm interested in getting started in the hobby and have a few questions to ask of some of you experts!

I've never been metal detecting, and I don't know anyone who does. Where do I start? I stumbled upon the treasurenet.com forums while doing some license plate research a couple weeks ago, and have had a blast browsing through the forums, looking at pictures of peoples discoveries. I figured it was time for me to register a username and get myself started.

Are there any books that I should check out that give an intro to metal detector use? (yes, I'm a teen that reads books, I know crazy haha)
What should my first metal detector be? I see alot of posts about Ace 250s?
Are used metal detectors a bad idea? I'm only a part time working highschool student... money is tight.
Where should I do my detecting? Is it legal to do it everywhere or do you need a permit?

I'm not particularly in a rush, I plan on really getting started seriously in August when I'm home for the whole month.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading.

Koby

 

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[GMD52]

Welcome from the shores of Lake Champlain. Take your time and study your interests here on Tnet, Many good people to learn from.

 

[ret-detector]

Welcome...

from Central Florida!


ret

 

[vpnavy]

Welcome aboard from the great state of Pennsylvania (USA)!

You might consider browsing Sub-Forums: New York for information (i.e., clubs, hunts, finds, legends, maps, etc.) directly related to your state.

 

[MinnesotaStateUniversity]

Hi Koby,

Welcome to the forum!

If money is tight, make one Edaboard.com is great for tech. info.

Just a thought.

Cheers from another student across the country!

 

[yelnif]

Hello Koby and welcome from Oklahoma. A teen who reads books in this day and age is a rarity- good for you.
I'm not the expert you are looking for @ books but I have learned a lot from this site. There are numerous 'experts' here (among others) who are very willing to help you in identifying your finds.
As far as detectors go the Ace 250 is a good entry level MD'er for coins and jewelry. You will need to spend time with it to learn what it is telling you. You will dig pull tabs and bottle caps- get used to it, as this is part of the learning curve. Buying a used MD (contentious subject) is often what a lot of newbees' do. If the MD is working properly it is the least expensive way to try out the hobby. If you like MD'ing you can always upgrade.
Where to hunt is kind of an open question. Anywhere that you can, with the land owners permission, or that it is not prohibited is the answer. Some places do require permits- ugh! You can check the web ( municipal, county, state, fed.) for the area you want to hunt. If it doesn't say you can't then you can hunt. Start with your own back yard is my recommendation.
Probably the MOST IMPORTANT thing to learn is how to recover the object WITHOUT leaving any trace that you were there. Practice digging your 'plug', make your treasure recovery, and fill the hole, and replace the plug so as to leave no sign behind. If you find 'trash' in the hole, take it with you (dispose of it later) so you won't have to find it again. pita. Leaving unfilled holes or dirt lying around is one of the reasons that MD'ing has gotten a bum rep. There are numerous u-tube vids about doing this properly. Check out 53Silver as I know he has produced numerous vids on the hobby, both technique and comparison of MD'ers. Learn how!!!
Even though the web is not a book, it is a library of info. that I use for research and answers and I believe you have come to the best place to get started-Good Luck.

HH yelnif

 

[hamiddetecting]

Welcome

 

[killerclown]

Welcome to the site from Georgia!!!!

 

[smalltowngirl13]

Welcome aboard Koby!

 

[Metal Detecting Stuff]

Welcome, there are lots of great tips on the forum. Also see if there is a detecting club in your area, they can help you with places to go, rules, regulations, etc.

Wayne

www.metaldetectingstuff.com

 

[Urban Grund]

Welcome from Michigan!