I think i need that book ... Metal detecting for dummies

[vickilynn]

Hi I,m Vickilynn from Maine!
Ive been looking for treasure most of my life,as a hobby ,digging in old dump sites and bottle dumps and found some pretty cool stuff doing this all by knowing where to look researching and luck.
So my family thought it would be a great idea to get me a metal detector for mothers day. All those years of putting up with those brats finally paid off , I was so excited!!!!!!!!1 now I can really find some buried treasure. So I came up with a plan of what I thought was the steps to sucssessful coin shooting , I watched the video that came with my Whites prism 950 V. Then I went out in the yard and buried various coins.( I don,t have a lawn yet as we just built our house) I began practicing finding the coins and giddy with excitement that it showed a quarter when i buried a quarter and a penny and so on.Then I printed out 6 copies of a long listed code of ethics and hoped in my truck and headed to what I was told a little old school house.
Ok so this metal detecting was going to be harder than I thought It seemed to be working ok but all my signals were all junk... a tin cup and a metal doorknob latch thingy , even with the highest discriminator no coins. So i thought well maybe they were just some pretty poor kids went to this school or whatever or inexperience I'm fine with that.But I had better luck without the detector!!! lol
Day off 5 days later I finally get a my second time out and I am not going home penniless .Ok I'm back with a buffalo WOO HOO but the date is unreadable.Very happy though with my first find.
I still am having a hard time pinpointing as my holes are big as dinner plates!I I think I am a detector dummy. I have been researching some old maps in my area and have some questions would be wonderful to converse with others who have used old maps Tips whatever . Ps I love this place.
Vickilynn

 

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[flyinguy]

hi and welcome! we all struggle at first. don't get discouraged. i've hunted old schools and got nothin' but rust. i've been t.h.ing for about 24 years. i've also had some great luck at others. some of those kids were poor. some careful. i don't know your machine but with mine i can reduce the target foot print by setting the coil on the edge and hitting pin point again. that makes it very accurate most times. good luck and most of all, enjoy!

 

[vickilynn]

Smart thinking Flyinguy,
thanks!
When I researched that area there was a school house was on the map in 1881. I don't know if it is the same building in the same exact place or not that is standing there now as I did see some school books in the little shed out back from the 40s. There is very little lawn that I never got a signal from. I found the nickel under the apple tree out back where it is woodsy. The maps only shows the school in that vicinity So I will keep hunting.
Thanks again Vickilynn

 

[al-nm]

schools always sound good but sometimes that isnt a good thing. its the first place almost everyone goes to. so sometimes the hardest place to find anything older. notice where i live almost everyone with a detector just does the schools. think that comes from most people just dont want to deal with asking anyone for permission to hunt on their land.

 

[djabend]

You found a buffalo nickle?
I have yet to find one of those yet
but I am still looking, because I know that's the only way I will find one.
It only gets better from here
HH,
Donny

 

[bootybay]

Hey Vicki, welcome to tnet.... yea I too am a waiting on the detecting for dummies book...lol.. but it sure is fun getting dirty isnt it... I love it.. and I have yet to find a buffalo nickel so your way ahead of me.. just practice pinpointing you will get alot better.. I know it... its a serious addiction..

have fun and happy hunting
bootybay ( rae)

 

[Sandman]

Welcome to the forum and the hobby. It is exciting to me now as it was many years ago when I first started. It isn't how much I find, just the thrill of the hunt.

Good Luck,
Sandman

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Welcome to Tnet Vickilynn,
You don't need a Dummy Book....you just need more experience......rebury your test coins and then stick a toothpick above them.....when you detect over them,try and pinpoint and listen for the tone of the beep....your toothpick marker will let you know exactly where it is so you can learn to NOT dig huge holes.....

You are in a great state for detecting and a Buffalo on your first venture is a great find! Researching old maps and historic places \events is the key to finding great spots....think out of the box when detecting .....think where you would play or hide or sit and talk or have lunch if you were an 1800's schoolkid...don't forget the trail to the outhouse....and you are right...most kids wouldn't have had much money...but they would have pocketknives,trinkets,medals and watchfobs passed to them from their parents...old schools also have a dump close by and some cool bottles can be found with a little scoping of the terrain....Good luck .....there are so many talented people here that you will get all your questions answered!
Christy

 

[watercolor]

Vicki, welcome to TNet!

With all the 24,000-plus folks here that share a common interest as you do, you'll find this site is an archive of information.
There's not one question I've thought of that hasn't been addressed in whole or part.

Oh, and about your newly found Buffalo, congrat's. . . (I have yet to find my first).

One thing I have found out since I started MD'ing, the more (junk) you dig, the luckier you will become

Take care & HH!
watercolor

 

[Tom_in_CA]

No amount of printed text can mimick the type of sounds,& type of sites in your area (based on hunting pressure, which you, as a newbie, would have no way to know), can chase. The best bet is to hook up with someone proficient in your area, who's routinely coming into the monthly club meetings with oldies. See the type of places they hunt, hear the type of signals they choose to dig (flag signals for comparison), etc..... There is no amount of printed text that can compare with actual hard-knocks experience.

It's got to be pretty hard for people just getting into this hobby now. Just judging from my area, I remember when ........ anyone with a detector could pick up a history book, or just head down to the nearest school yard or park, and dig silver! Now pity the poor person who is starting now, going for the same leads, pounding the same old parks

 

[vickilynn]

Morning!
You can imagine how excited I was to read all your welcomes & words of encouragement this morning thank you thank you!!!
I am thinking that I do have an advantage as to the fact that treasure hunters in my area are rare. I do know of a lady a few towns over but I am suspecting that she stays put as there are 20 or so silver mines there.
I only learned of her when I went to the local gunshop to purchase headphones for my md .They only mentioned 1 older gentleman who had purchased 1 as perscribed by his doctor to get some exercise. Otherwise I don't know of any in this county.

My next venture.....
Many years ago my fathernlaw mentioned of a place that a person could only access by boat, where he describes old bottles pouring out of the river bank. Back in the 30s a man made dam was made and it put 5000 acres under water supposedly no houses were lost but a road was and access to a small area where there was a hotel school and p.o It was the first community in my town dating somewhere between 1803 and 1830.The only clues I have so far are I found a map from 1881 with an area marked FALLS also a local old timer confirmed you cant get they-ah from he-ah unless you got a boat.
Sorry so long 1 more thing I want to add... after inspecting the map I realized it shows a store & P.o right on my road,but I thinking the words store on the map may not necessarily mean general goods.Any thoughts? Thanks Vickilynn
hmmm .....I need a TN name

 

[Cynangyl]

Welcome to Tnet!! So glad you are here and very much looking forward to seeing what you find on your boat trip too! Sounds like a great place to detect!

 

[Eu_citzen]

Welcome to us crazy bunch of hole diggers!

When doing research...Talk to old timers(elderly people) they have a lot of info to share if you want to listen!
Maps are excellent as are your eyes which can spot things you never thought of being a "CLUE" of where to detect. House foundations and windows can tell some stories of the age of the building if they are original.

Also try to "think as they did" aka where would you build a house? close to the river and on top of a hill where very popular here in Sweden. Water to drink and clean cloths etc. The hill as "defense" against floods and sometimes also for the view.

A store where you buy things...What do you almost always bring? right money! I'd be all over it after permission that is.

To practice pinpointing look up a beach with sand, easy digging and great practice for pinpointing.
Even a playground with sand would do well.

The others are correct practice makes perfect.

 

[Bridge End Farm]

Welcome first of all, Sounds like you got some nice places to play and discover. I think your doing great if I may throw in my 2 cents

Others have hit on it and that's practice, the more you do like anything the more you get better. The toothpick idea is a great one to help you learn pinpointing. You can also turn your coil sideways and it will help pin point the target as you X the spot.

Lastly things don't look today like they did 100-300 years ago. So you have to do what you are doing and that is reseach of the area like internet, library, land records, etc. You mentioned and been my greatest tool personally is listening to the old timers of the area.

Enjoy and have fun, always make sure you spray on stuff for the bugs.

 

[johnnycat]

I have golfing tees stuck in the ground in my test garden to help with pinpointing and testing. The toothpick trick also works. I saw where a guy used to place coins under a piece of cardboard, pinpoint and then jab a ice pick (anything thin and sharp) into the cardboard to see how close he was to the coin. Probably doesn't work as good as a coin in the dirt but, its practice and that's all you need. From the places you mentioned it appears you are well on your way. Oh, welcome.

 

[djabend]

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[liftloop]

wwwooowww hi ther wecome your of to a good start finding a bufflow nickel ive been at it for two monthes and no bufflow

 

[flyinguy]

vickilynn, no blond about you! look at all the free info you got from these great folks. it will just keep coming when you need it. Bill ( P.S>) my daughter is a beautiful natural blond and sharp as a razor)

 

[vickilynn]

LOL djabend I bet page 3 says if you have found that you have dug to china and you still can not pin point your beeps go back to page 1.
I was actually surprised bout all the congrats I am getting bout that buffalo I look at all the wonderful stuff you have all found and drool I figured you all musta found millions of them...now if I could only read that date.
Ps
skunked today but I didn't mind - maybe tomorrow
Vickilynn

 

[vickilynn]

wow ! the word resize comes to mind.........( sorry bout the big pic)
I just wanted to add A great big thank you to all of you who made me feel so welcome cause I feel like I just got a whole bunch of wonderful friends and thats the best treasure I could ever find. THANKYOU!
Vickilynn