da Hobo
Jr. Member
Being single, independent and retired is a somewhat difficult life. 
I stay up when I want and get up when I want.
Saturday morning, March 25, my landlord called me at the early hour of 9:45am getting me out of bed with a statement and question. As I tried to understand him he proceeded to tell me he had a friend who had recently lost something in her backyard and he recalled I was into metal detecting and wondered if I might have a few suggestions as to what they could do to try and recover the lost item. He told me she knew the area that she lost it in and she had gone to the Acme (Walmart) Metal Detector Specialists and bought a cheap detector but it didn?t seem to work. Could I help?
The item in question was the match to her other platinum post mounted diamond earring. They had actually used the remaining earring under the new detector to get an idea what they were looking for (at least they seemed to knew something about what they were doing) and the new detector didn?t even beep with the earring right in her hand under the coil!
Was there any hope?
I told him to contact the friend and see when it would be convenient for her and I to meet and call me back. I was available most any day it wasn?t raining or freezing. That Sat evening he called me and asked if I could come over (about 30 miles from me), if given appropriate directions, on Sunday (today) about noon. I said ?of course, I?ll see you then.?
When I got to the home I expected a small, normal residential backyard. When I got there the house was setting on about 2 acres out in a recently developed country side with an almost full sized play ground in the back. She had been playing baseball with kids when she noticed the missing earring yet was sure she knew it?s general location. I questioned that but was ready to give it a try.
We went to the backyard and she got the earring she still had and I tested it under my ACE 250. Let me tell you this . . . . platinum, in small sizes (this was a small post), is not easy to pick up!! I adjusted and tested and adjusted again. It was obvious that it was going to be tough. The one good thing, besides her feeling that she knew where it was lost, was the fact that it had happened just a few days ago and I expected it to be right on top of the ground.
She told me her and the kids were playing baseball and she was pitching when she thought she lost it. Okay, let?s give the pitchers mound a good look.
To ?assist? me in my efforts
I had their dog, about 6 kids between 11 and 14, the earring owner, her husband, my landlord and his wife. In addition to my ?helpers? the contractor who had built this house didn?t seem to find a need for a dumpster, there was metal just about everywhere.
I sweep the pitchers area back and forth and crisscrossed and in an ever increasing pattern for about 40-45 minutes and found nothing. About then she said, ?Well, I was batting the ball also. Maybe it was lost around home plate.? Okay, so I shifted the search to center around home plate. By now the kids had left for more fun places and I was only getting ?help and suggestions? from the four adults.
I swept that area for maybe 15-20 minutes and wasn?t getting any good signals there either and was feeling a bit depressed and annoyed by all the ?help.? Just about then she mentioned that, ?Oh yes, of course I ran to First Base a couple of time also.? The area was growing larger and I knew this target was going to be difficult to find at best. I changed search areas again and started sweeping the First Base line.
I was sweeping slow and wide across this unmarked baseline heading towards First Base and once again not getting any decent signals. Lots of them from 4-6 inches and some down to 8 inches but this target was going to be on top or just under the grass I was sure.
I approached the First base itself and had this negative feeling. I was about 2-3 feet from the ?end of the line,? that being the point where I was about to say, ?I?m sorry but it just doesn?t seem that I?m going to find it?
I reached the base location and was sweeping around it by several feet when there was a small faint ?beep.? My trusty landlord had been hovering right next to me all along and jumping on just about every beep he heard. I sweep this ?Beep? spot a couple more times and was about to kneel down and use my pinpointer when the landlord paused, put his hand on my shoulder and bent down and dug in the grass.
When he got up he was holding a platinum post mounted diamond earring between his fingers. The lady owner went ballistic! She jumped up and down, screamed, hugged just about everyone and then turned to her husband, who by then had given up and was setting on the patio sipping a cool beer, and said, ?See Smarty, I told you we?d find it! I told you I wasn?t going to give up!!? Needless to say I was quite pleased myself.
As I was wrapping it up and putting things back in the car she tried to give me a reward but I told her ?No way. I enjoyed the opportunity and the day out in the sun. I?m just glad I was able to help.? I told her that one of the biggest joys of this hobby is being able to return rings, jewelry and heirlooms to their rightful owners whenever it was possible. I called it a day well spent and headed for home.
For those who will ask, . . .
I discriminated just about everything out except about 2-3 bars either side of the example earring and tried to minimize the sens but that platinum was so small I finally settled on about 4 bars of sens and since I expected to find it on the surface, when I got a swallow signal (2") I used the pinpointer and eyesight. As for the certain to be asked ?Where?s the pics I didn?t have my camera but I think my landlord may have taken a picture and if so, I?ll try to post it later.
What a great way to start out my 2006 season! I have only been metal detecting about 10 months now and this has been my biggest find so far. Over the winter I have been researching some old pioneer trails, stage coach lines and Indian location within 25 miles of my home and hope to have an interesting year ahead of me.
HH to you all and I look forward to hearing about great finds found by others in the months ahead.
Hobo
I stay up when I want and get up when I want.Saturday morning, March 25, my landlord called me at the early hour of 9:45am getting me out of bed with a statement and question. As I tried to understand him he proceeded to tell me he had a friend who had recently lost something in her backyard and he recalled I was into metal detecting and wondered if I might have a few suggestions as to what they could do to try and recover the lost item. He told me she knew the area that she lost it in and she had gone to the Acme (Walmart) Metal Detector Specialists and bought a cheap detector but it didn?t seem to work. Could I help?
The item in question was the match to her other platinum post mounted diamond earring. They had actually used the remaining earring under the new detector to get an idea what they were looking for (at least they seemed to knew something about what they were doing) and the new detector didn?t even beep with the earring right in her hand under the coil!
Was there any hope?I told him to contact the friend and see when it would be convenient for her and I to meet and call me back. I was available most any day it wasn?t raining or freezing. That Sat evening he called me and asked if I could come over (about 30 miles from me), if given appropriate directions, on Sunday (today) about noon. I said ?of course, I?ll see you then.?
When I got to the home I expected a small, normal residential backyard. When I got there the house was setting on about 2 acres out in a recently developed country side with an almost full sized play ground in the back. She had been playing baseball with kids when she noticed the missing earring yet was sure she knew it?s general location. I questioned that
but was ready to give it a try.We went to the backyard and she got the earring she still had and I tested it under my ACE 250. Let me tell you this . . . . platinum, in small sizes (this was a small post), is not easy to pick up!! I adjusted and tested and adjusted again. It was obvious that it was going to be tough. The one good thing, besides her feeling that she knew where it was lost, was the fact that it had happened just a few days ago and I expected it to be right on top of the ground.
She told me her and the kids were playing baseball and she was pitching when she thought she lost it. Okay, let?s give the pitchers mound a good look.
To ?assist? me in my efforts
I had their dog, about 6 kids between 11 and 14, the earring owner, her husband, my landlord and his wife. In addition to my ?helpers? the contractor who had built this house didn?t seem to find a need for a dumpster, there was metal just about everywhere.I sweep the pitchers area back and forth and crisscrossed and in an ever increasing pattern for about 40-45 minutes and found nothing. About then she said, ?Well, I was batting the ball also. Maybe it was lost around home plate.? Okay, so I shifted the search to center around home plate. By now the kids had left for more fun places and I was only getting ?help and suggestions? from the four adults.
I swept that area for maybe 15-20 minutes and wasn?t getting any good signals there either and was feeling a bit depressed and annoyed by all the ?help.? Just about then she mentioned that, ?Oh yes, of course I ran to First Base a couple of time also.? The area was growing larger and I knew this target was going to be difficult to find at best. I changed search areas again and started sweeping the First Base line.
I was sweeping slow and wide across this unmarked baseline heading towards First Base and once again not getting any decent signals. Lots of them from 4-6 inches and some down to 8 inches but this target was going to be on top or just under the grass I was sure.
I approached the First base itself and had this negative feeling. I was about 2-3 feet from the ?end of the line,? that being the point where I was about to say, ?I?m sorry but it just doesn?t seem that I?m going to find it?
I reached the base location and was sweeping around it by several feet when there was a small faint ?beep.? My trusty landlord had been hovering right next to me all along and jumping on just about every beep he heard. I sweep this ?Beep? spot a couple more times and was about to kneel down and use my pinpointer when the landlord paused, put his hand on my shoulder and bent down and dug in the grass.
When he got up he was holding a platinum post mounted diamond earring between his fingers. The lady owner went ballistic! She jumped up and down, screamed, hugged just about everyone and then turned to her husband, who by then had given up and was setting on the patio sipping a cool beer, and said, ?See Smarty, I told you we?d find it! I told you I wasn?t going to give up!!? Needless to say I was quite pleased myself.
As I was wrapping it up and putting things back in the car she tried to give me a reward but I told her ?No way. I enjoyed the opportunity and the day out in the sun. I?m just glad I was able to help.? I told her that one of the biggest joys of this hobby is being able to return rings, jewelry and heirlooms to their rightful owners whenever it was possible. I called it a day well spent and headed for home.
For those who will ask, . . .
I discriminated just about everything out except about 2-3 bars either side of the example earring and tried to minimize the sens but that platinum was so small I finally settled on about 4 bars of sens and since I expected to find it on the surface, when I got a swallow signal (2") I used the pinpointer and eyesight. As for the certain to be asked ?Where?s the pics I didn?t have my camera but I think my landlord may have taken a picture and if so, I?ll try to post it later.What a great way to start out my 2006 season! I have only been metal detecting about 10 months now and this has been my biggest find so far. Over the winter I have been researching some old pioneer trails, stage coach lines and Indian location within 25 miles of my home and hope to have an interesting year ahead of me.
HH to you all and I look forward to hearing about great finds found by others in the months ahead.
Hobo
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