Anyone get unwanted/incorrect advice while metal detecting?

[sparkgirl]

So I figure I'd take advantage of last weekend's heat wave (40 F ) and do a quick hunt on the beach to break my cabin fever. So I'm swinging along, doing my thing, when an older gentleman comes up to me and says, "Let me give you some advice on metal detecting...You want to drag your coil right on the ground - that way, you have more depth"....blah, blah, something to that effect. Among the things wrong with this advice (besides damaging my coil and disrupting my swing pattern) was that I wasn't even looking for deep targets that day...in fact I had my sensitivity turned way down because the ground was mostly frozen and I didn't want to dig more than 2 - 3 inches...I didn't want to waste any of the precious daylight left, so rather than arguing the point I politely said, "thank you" and continued on my way. I doubt this guy has even held a metal detector.

What about you guys? Ever had someone give you advice or say something wacky to you while detecting? Or is it just because I'm blonde and a girl

 

[war-digs-it]

Next time, tell him to come up with a better pickup line. He may be used to some of the lower end detectors that are designed to skim over the terrain, I had one (Whites Prizm II) and liked it until I picked up a Minelab Excal and got wet. I have had people tell me I will never find anything with a detector and found it hard not to pull out the gold I have just found.

 

[BARKER]

HI SprkGirl; How many times do you breath per day ??

Kind of sums that up. But in all honesty, I have had every piece of "advice" you could humanly think of over the years just like 99.9% of the Folks here. We all have our own solutions to the prob. Mine is to ask them if they ever had an Engineering Degree. If they say no then I say thanks and keep on walking. Leaves them scratching their heads and me smiling. Good Luck. Just be careful. Some off them can be real jerks. One guy tried to tell me he lost a Presidential Rolex while swimming here. I asked him "which President ??" He left. Lastly, If "ANYONE" gives you a hard time SCREAM for help. They'll leave. Your safety is worth more than all the gold on Earth ok. PEACE:RONB
Good Hunting.

 

[SusanMN]

It a bit of a guy thing, when it comes to tools they feel they need to share their knowledge. Although for the most part I have received mostly good and respectful advice. Unless it is someone who is giving off a weird vibe or it feels like unsafe spot, I enjoy meeting and talking (or listening) to fellow hunters for a minute or two before getting on with my hunt.

 

[BigWaveDave]

I would have told him that the out-dated detectors yes, but not my AT pro!

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I've had that happen far too many times. Lot's of lonely people in the world who just want to be wise and important. But I'm always polite, smile, a very short chat, and then excuse myself. Had a whole group of kids - sometimes the worst - tossing cents in front of me, and I kept finding them. Finally they went away (probably out of cents), and I'd paid for about a 10th of a battery. But they'd had a good time too. I did not show them my annoyance. You never know, sometimes you might get tips or introductions to somewhere else to search which might pay off.

We get far too much of a bad rap as it is, so we have to be ambassadors of the hobby. And we don't need enemies.

Now, of course a gal out detecting alone needs a very nice and sharp digger, and perhaps a tazer too!

 

[Joe hunter]

I've had people tell me they already hunted that area ,so

 

[BC1969]

I second what Deepseeker says, I love it when folks come and either give advice or are just curious, that opened a lot of doors to me over the years.
Tasers tickle! Just not in a good way lol.

Mike

 

[sparkgirl]

I've had that happen far too many times. Lot's of lonely people in the world who just want to be wise and important. But I'm always polite, smile, a very short chat, and then excuse myself. Had a whole group of kids - sometimes the worst - tossing cents in front of me, and I kept finding them. Finally they went away (probably out of cents), and I'd paid for about a 10th of a battery. But they'd had a good time too. I did not show them my annoyance. You never know, sometimes you might get tips or introductions to somewhere else to search which might pay off.

We get far too much of a bad rap as it is, so we have to be ambassadors of the hobby. And we don't need enemies.

Now, of course a gal out detecting alone needs a very nice and sharp digger, and perhaps a tazer too!

That's exactly what I thought - I'm very nice and respectful to all the people I encounter...even helped a guy find his wedding band he had just lost in the lake...haven't ever had any issues requiring a tazer, but I think my Lesche would do just fine lol...

 

[Frankn]

That's exactly what I thought - I'm very nice and respectful to all the people I encounter...even helped a guy find his wedding band he had just lost in the lake...haven't ever had any issues requiring a tazer, but I think my Lesche would do just fine lol...

I saw your ring comment and had to post this.
I was detecting on the beach at Ocean City. I noticed a young guy watching me. I hit a heavy wedding band and held it up to inspect it. He came walking over and said, " I see you found my wedding band I just lost." I Held it up close and inspected it, then said, "Sure just tell me the inscription and I will give it to you."
He turned around and walked away. Hay, there was no inscription! Frank...

 

[Uncle Jeff]

That's exactly what I thought - I'm very nice and respectful to all the people I encounter...even helped a guy find his wedding band he had just lost in the lake...haven't ever had any issues requiring a tazer, but I think my Lesche would do just fine lol...

Staby Staby Staby lolllll

 

[dale68]

well

What the old gent told u was correct-- for some machines from 25-30 years ago, it's called scrubbing the coil. It also is very hard on the coil. Treasure hunting is gathering information and evauating it. Often sucess is the result of just 1 scrap of info or a paticular strategy at a location. I'm glad to talk to people(as long as they aren't wierd or obnoxious), sometimes it opens access to other (or info on ) places.

 

[TheRingFinder]

Whenever I'm detecting the beach, the girls always come up and say "wish I had a swing like that in my back yard" - That insures me I am swinging the coil at the right height and speed.

 

[BARKER]

HI Spark girl; My main concern for you and others. "SAFETY". I met a lot of nice people over the years. I've met quite a few not so nice nut jobs. I actually had three of them arrested. No regrets. !!! I'll explain via pm's if you guys want. Your SAFETY is Paramount to anything ok. Please keep your eyes open and your cell phone handy ok. PEACE:RONB

 

[choppadude]

I've had people tell me they already hunted that area ,so

Yeah me too. I just pull out a handful of coins from my pouch and say "Boy, you didn't do a very good job then!" LOL!

 

[Peyton Manning]

So I figure I'd take advantage of last weekend's heat wave (40 F ) and do a quick hunt on the beach to break my cabin fever. So I'm swinging along, doing my thing, when an older gentleman comes up to me and says, "Let me give you some advice on metal detecting...You want to drag your coil right on the ground - that way, you have more depth"....blah, blah, something to that effect. Among the things wrong with this advice (besides damaging my coil and disrupting my swing pattern) was that I wasn't even looking for deep targets that day...in fact I had my sensitivity turned way down because the ground was mostly frozen and I didn't want to dig more than 2 - 3 inches...I didn't want to waste any of the precious daylight left, so rather than arguing the point I politely said, "thank you" and continued on my way. I doubt this guy has even held a metal detector.

What about you guys? Ever had someone give you advice or say something wacky to you while detecting? Or is it just because I'm blonde and a girl

well once I heard what I thought was a wacky suggestion ( wear some clothes when you are on the beach) but I did not discover the brilliance of the idea till late in the day. OUCH!

 

[Joe hunter]

Yeah me too. I just pull out a handful of coins from my pouch and say "Boy, you didn't do a very good job then!" LOL!

i love finding things Where somebody already hunted maybe I try harder so it's kinda an in your face thing

 

[YumaMarc]

I haven't had so much unwanted advice as people wondering what I'm doing. I've been approached by the police three times because bystanders didn't know what "that thing" I was using was, or I might be a terrorist and up to no good, or "is that radioactive?". Once I was close to a railroad track when approached by the sheriff's deputies saying someone had reported me "spiking the rails". When it became obvious what I was doing, and that I didn't have a clue what spiking the rails meant, they just left. Always the police have been nice, more interested in the detector than in busting me.

The most common advice I get is that the place has been cleaned out and I shouldn't waste my time looking. Once a friend and I were searching a vacant lot that once had been the site of an old hotel. At least three people stopped and told us we would not find anything there because it had been hunted a zillion times. We weren't doing too well, so I suggested we try around the perimeter where the ground was hard as concrete (folks from Arizona know what I mean). We got out our heavy-duty picks and went to work. Over about a week of off-and-on searching the perimeter, we found at least twenty five Mercs, eleven Buffs, a 1901 Barber quarter, several Rosies and a couple silver Washingtons. All from this supposed worked-out area!

 

[rickn1]

I have gotten some good advice from the strangest people, however. One day I was out with my headphones on and I got a tap on the shoulder. A young fella about 17 yrs old " Here we go stereotyping' "but you know the type " pants at half-mast, cap on backwards, etc, etc." He says to me, " having any luck?" me " nope new to town." him " Well why don't you try over there ( points to a hill about 2 blocks away) there used to be an old community hall, they tore down because of asbestos and stuff", He wished me happy hunting and moved on. I wandered over and had a pretty good hunt for the rest of the day, lots of 30's and 40,s silver. So I learned, Don't be too quick to judge others

 

[jeff of pa]

So I figure I'd take advantage of last weekend's heat wave (40 F ) and do a quick hunt on the beach to break my cabin fever. So I'm swinging along, doing my thing, when an older gentleman comes up to me and says, "Let me give you some advice on metal detecting...You want to drag your coil right on the ground - that way, you have more depth"....blah, blah, something to that effect. Among the things wrong with this advice (besides damaging my coil and disrupting my swing pattern) was that I wasn't even looking for deep targets that day...in fact I had my sensitivity turned way down because the ground was mostly frozen and I didn't want to dig more than 2 - 3 inches...I didn't want to waste any of the precious daylight left, so rather than arguing the point I politely said, "thank you" and continued on my way. I doubt this guy has even held a metal detector.

What about you guys? Ever had someone give you advice or say something wacky to you while detecting? Or is it just because I'm blonde and a girl

Well he gave you great advice. Perhaps not for your immediate situation, But
Excellent advice.

Coil Cover & slow scrubbing of the coil is my habit since 1999.

is there a chance you were Swinging fast coil,
6" off the ground, with an bow to each side
where your coil bowed up & detected the air ?

Not a rude accusation, But I have seen some do this
& then wonder why they can't find anything.

Again, I wouldn't call him rude, or wrong. Just perhaps giving
friendly advice you didn't want.

advice Whether you want it or not