Is there a beginners guide here?

[rpg25]

Is there a beginner's guide here?

Perhaps I am blind but I have been searching around the boards looking for a guide for beginners and have not been able to find one. I have picked up tips here and there but I was hoping there would be a "sticky" with complied information for new detectorists. Anyone know where I might be able to find something to help me out so I get off on the right foot?

 

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[gerryk]

Look for a club near you. Some clubs have seminars at each meeting which can help. By joining a club you my find some mentors.

 

[smokeythecat]

I can compile a "sticky" here. Always detect at a place you KNOW it's allowed and you have permission or it's public (like a public beach). Get the best machine you can, preferably one that is light weight and easy to use and learn the machine. Swing low, sweet loop. Go slow and keep the loop very close to the ground. You're not chasing snakes. Set the discriminator low and dig all but obviously junk targets. Repeatability of a signal tone is a good sign. If the signal breaks up, it's probably not a good target. And don't throw anything away unless you KNOW what it is. Goodies lurk. Good luck.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Perhaps I am blind but I have been searching around the boards looking for a guide for beginners and have not been able to find one. I have picked up tips here and there but I was hoping there would be a "sticky" with complied information for new detectorists. Anyone know where I might be able to find something to help me out so I get off on the right foot?

There are a couple of thousand "guides" here. Why don't you give us a general idea of the tips you are after - equipment, hunting technique, locations, whatever, and we will try and answer your questions or point you to the info!

 

[rpg25]

Sorry for being so vague. Was hoping for something along the lines of do's and do nots, figuring out good spots, going about getting permission, etc. There are a lot of veterans here and I'm sure there are rookie mistakes that they see everyone make. Looking to avoid those.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Sorry for being so vague. Was hoping for something along the lines of do's and do nots, figuring out good spots, going about getting permission, etc. There are a lot of veterans here and I'm sure there are rookie mistakes that they see everyone make. Looking to avoid those.

OK, I'll kick it off with "Places" to metal detect! One of the most important factors in our hobby is location - where are you hunting? If you are looking in local playgrounds or parks, you are looking in the same places that everybody else has since 1975. You need to start trying to research places people gathered in the PAST (1870 - 1950). Start thinking outside the box, and be prepared to do a little work with your head, not just your machine. Your local library, and historical society are excellent reference pools. Good Luck!

A Few Sites to Get You Started:

1) Old Schools
2) City/Town Parks
3) Circus/Fair Sites
4) Old Churches
5) Old Homestead Sites
6) Swimming Holes and Areas
7) Picnic Groves
8) Athletic Fields
9) Scout Camps
10) Rodeo Arenas
11) Campgrounds
12) Ghost Towns
13) Beaches
14) Old Taverns
15) Roadside Rest Stops
16) Sidewalk Grassy Strips
17) Amusement Parks
18) Rural Mailboxes
19) Reunion Areas
20) Revival sites
21) Fort Sites
22) Winter Sledding Areas
23) Lookout/Overlook Sites
24) Church Supper Groves
25) Fishing Spots
26) Fishing Camps
27) Resorts
28) Old Barns and Outbuildings
29) Battle Sites
30) Band Shells
31) Racetracks
32) Rural Boundary Walls
33) Roadside Fruit and Vegetable Stands
34) Under Seaside Boardwalks
35) Flea Market Areas
36) Ski Slopes
37) Drive Ins
38) Canal Paths
39) Vacant Lots
40) Motels
41) College Campuses
42) Farmer Market Areas
43) Town Squares
44) Urban Yards and Backyards
45) Disaster Sites
46) Areas Around Skating Ponds
47) Hunting Lodges and Camps
48) Mining Camps
49) Railroad Grades, Stations and Junctions
50) Hiking Trails
51) Waterfalls
52) Rural Dance Sites
53) Lover's Lanes
54) Areas Adjacent to Historical Markers
55) Old Gas Stations and General Stores
56) Fence Posts
57) Chicken Houses
58) Bridges and Fords
59) Flower Beds
60) Playgrounds
61) Old Garbage Dumps
62) Cloth Lines
63) Military Camp and Cantonment Sites
64) Wells and Outhouses
65) Abandoned Houses and Structures
66) Areas where Old Trails Cross County or State Boundaries
67) Piles of Scraped Soil at Construction Sites
68) Old Stone Quarries
69) Areas Around Old Abandoned Cemeteries in the Forest
70) Junctions of Abandoned Roads (crossroads)

 

[Doodle Bug]

Great list Terry!

"The Earth is saturated with history, all we need to do is extract it." - Doodle Bug

 

[TerryC]

I think you started a nice thought to pick up on. Start a beginner's manual forum. Have it edited by the moderator's to keep the redundancy out then "package" it as a download. That would be GREAT! TTC

 

[dimedigger]

if you hit the "hunt starts here" tab there is a beginners guide, but not near the list of places to hunt that soloman gave

 

[gerryk]

if you hit the "hunt starts here" tab there is a beginners guide, but not near the list of places to hunt that soloman gave

I must have missed something, i cant find the tab your talking about.

 

[dimedigger]

it's just under the home,forum,whats new big tabs in gray where new posts etc is

 

[River Rat]

TreasureNet - Guide

 

[gerryk]

Ok i will have to go to the laptop for that, as i dont see any of that on the ipad.

 

[hikerdude]

Ok, I have hunted my yard a couple dozen times. It amazes me, I keep finding stuff, and I am learning how to use my maching. It's close, I don't spend gas money, it's always there, I don't spend MDing time driving, theres a bathroom close, drink and food is nearby, if it gets hot I don't have to worry about leaving my jacket behind when I drive off because I left it hanging on a tree, the neighbors are friendly, and it's ok to dig every little sound, your in no hurry. Spend time in your own yard learning how to use your maching, it will pay off for you.
Good luck

 

[cudamark]

That assumes someone has a big enough and old enough yard to keep your interest up. My yard lasted about 10 minutes before I had to move on! This site has many resources for the beginner......maybe too much at times. KellyCo also has one in their "library"

 

[rpg25]

That assumes someone has a big enough and old enough yard to keep your interest up. My yard lasted about 10 minutes before I had to move on! This site has many resources for the beginner......maybe too much at times. KellyCo also has one in their "library"

Fortunately my house was built in the 1920s (I believe even earlier) and is in an older part of town. That being said, our property is a double plot. The original owner/builder bought space for two houses and built one so he'd have plenty of property. This means I have a lot of room to work with! Pretty sure I'm gonna find some awesome stuff where the garden used to be, by the shed (its as old as the house), and the garage (as old as house).

 

[rpg25]

Update

I've purchased an Ace 250. Kinda pumped! Went out for 10 minutes on day one and popped a 1974 quarter. I'm a long way from mastering my machine but I'm on my way. Anyone else have the 150 or 250 and wanna share a lesson picked up in your hunts? Fidgeting as I sit here. Snowed yesterday and spring starts tomorrow. Hopefully it warms up and I can do some damage in my backyard with this bad boy

 

[Jay In NewKen]

Anyone else have the 150 or 250 and wanna share a lesson picked up in your hunts?

Quick lesson? I suggest dig everything you can in your backyard. Experience is the best teacher. Also, not only are you trying to understand what your MD is telling you, you're also learning how to cut nice plugs and leave your yard looking as if you never swung a coil over it.

 

[rpg25]

Quick lesson? I suggest dig everything you can in your backyard. Experience is the best teacher. Also, not only are you trying to understand what your MD is telling you, you're also learning how to cut nice plugs and leave your yard looking as if you never swung a coil over it.

That's why my next investment will be a good digging/plug cutting tool. The plugs I was cutting yesterday were subpar to say the least and kept falling apart.

 

[Jay In NewKen]

That's why my next investment will be a good digging/plug cutting tool. The plugs I was cutting yesterday were subpar to say the least and kept falling apart.

To be honest, you can get away with a good quality garden trowel. I used one from Lowes for awhile that never bent or broke. Still have it actually. A digger tool is a nice-to-have though. Cutting the plug a little deeper does help it not fall apart. Say, about 3".