My first year in review...

[JoeVal]

Today marks the end of my first year of metal detecting. The year was filled with many learning experiences, as well as some great finds (I won’t bore you with all the images). In this year I purchased and operated a Bounty Hunter Land Ranger Pro, which found lots of interesting finds. It’s also a great coin shooter, and is now my wife’s machine for dry sand and parks when we vacation in Florida in the winter.

I then bought a Tesoro Tiger Shark which drove me batty. I was too new to the hobby to appreciate what a great beach machine it was, and sold it shortly after I bought it. Now I wish I had it back.

After that came the Garrett AT Max, which I hated the sounds from the day I turned it in. Within a month I bought my Minelab Equinox 600, and spent many long hours learning the nuances of that machine, and it kept rewarding me as I learned. Today the 600 is my backup machine, because a few weeks ago I purchased anEquinox 800 just for the advanced features. (Thanks to Minelab for the veteran discount plan. We appreciate it!) I sometimes enjoy just coin shooting, so I have a program setup that just finds nickels, dimes, quarters and silver. It’s quiet and efficient, not to mention how nice it is not listening to all the junk and ferrous signals.

I found 25 rings over the last year, and was able to return one class ring to its owner. My wife has claimed a couple of the silver rings as well as a very nice silver pendant and chain found with the Bounty Hunter.

I’ve met two fellas this past year that have a passion for metal detecting, and they have both become friends of mine. Interestingly, we all bought Equinox machines as well. We enjoy hunting together, and we never care what we’re finding as long as we get to swing the coil,over the ground. When the hunt is over, then it’s often long sessions discussing techniques, machines or any number of subjects. Great guys!

Here is the year's closeout hunt results for the last four days, and my clad totals year to date and for the previous 12 months. It’s not about the money, as I have enough money to live comfortably. The totals represent the amount of time I’ve been fortunate enough to spend outdoors doing something I enjoy, especially when I see many of my fellow retirees who are unable to physically do what I’m able to do. Tracking the finds and coins are just a small way to keep score.

 

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[A2coins]

Great post gotta love this hobby

 

[Loco-Digger]

Congrats on a great first year. The 1st season is normally the best for clad totals since you probably hit every school and park in a 30 to 50 mile radius of your house and hunted every available moment. All that clad helps cover gas and upgrades. I roll and deposit my clad into a bank account I created for dirt fishing. The only coins I run through a coinstar are the pennies. I'd hate to give away 12% of all the clad, but it's not as bad to swallow when it's just the pennies. Going forward your clad totals will continue to decrease since people aren't carrying as much change as they did in the past. I was lucky to find 2 virgin public areas that gave up over $500 in clad in my 1st 2 seasons, one of those sites also gave a handful of keepers. Now you can sell a machine or 2 to add to your hobby funds. I keep 3 in my arsenal, my main machine (F75LTD), and F2 used as a backup/loaner, and a dedicated water machine (1280x Aquanaut). The longer you keep them and not swing them the more they depreciate

Good Luck and Happy Hunting

Loco

 

[Iffy Signals]

Awesome! I started as a kid but really bounced in and out of the hobby until 3 years ago. Like you i had a bunch of machines never really giving each a chance because of jumping on the new best thing. Ive learned my lesson and realized there is no perfect detector. Yet haha!. Who am i kidding i still have a problem with buying the new best thing and prob always will. Congrats on your first year!!