Detecting a large tract of land for an iron object.

[landman]

When looking for an iron chest of something on several acres, what instrument(s) would you use? What comes to my mind is:
1.) Magnetometer with Pulse induction metal detector with 12 inch loop to pinpoint any interesting signals.
2.) Pulse unit with 18" loop
3.) Two Box with eagle eye or metal detector for pinpointing if needed.

What say you?

 

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[Kentucky Kache]

Those sound like 3 great choices.

 

[Siegfried Schlagrule]

I would walk the land with a good compass first. siegfried schlagrule

 

[chipveres]

What I actually used two weeks ago and found to work:
1. Garrett master hunter with two-coil attachment.
2. Radio Shack detector with 8" coil as pinpointer and depth gauge.
3. Homemade probe with 3 feet of 1/4 inch steel rod on a handle.
4. Strong shovel.

What I liked:
1. The the Treasure Hound would nearly pinpoint at the center of its front coil (+- 3 inches)
2. It never showed a false signal. All objects over half-scale on the meter were real.

What I didn't like:
Electric fences. If I never hear another electric fence it will be soon enough.

What I wished for:
More range. I walked two-foot lanes. If I were certain the target was iron (it wasn't) I would rent a walking magnetometer and broaden the lanes to five feet.

What I found:
1. A truckload of scrap metal.

Chip V.

 

[landman]

So that is how wide a magnetometer swath is, 5ft.?

 

[landman]

I would walk the land with a good compass first. siegfried schlagrule

What would this do to help in your search? I really enjoy all your posts BTW.

 

[Timberwolf]

You might want to check with Rob in KS.
He has a homemade device with a large coil, that would allow you to cover a lot of ground quickly.
They are used to find meteorites.

TW

 

[BamaBill]

I'm thinking that the reference to using a compass is referring to the fact that large iron objects can distort magnetic fields if there isn't too much ground over them. Good Luck locating it!

 

[Siegfried Schlagrule]

I would walk the land with a good compass first. siegfried schlagrule

What would this do to help in your search? I really enjoy all your posts BTW.

From the 1700s on pirates used a jacob's rod to search for treasure. A jacob's rod was the ships compass mounted on a pole like a walking stick. The compass would pick up the aura created by the rusted metal bands on the chests. By checking the deflection of the needle and walking a box around the object you can get a rough idea of where it lies. From there you can probe until you find the spot to dig. Given the detectors you say you have it should be a simple matter to block off a small search area and then work it with those devices. I have personally used this method to find an old steam tractor that was deliberately buried in a farmer's field and the new owner heard the story and wanted to dig up the tractor. The tractor was over ten feet deep. I have also found other things with this method. Sorry for the late reply. either I forgot to set a notify on this topic OR it expired. I'll put it back on again so that I can read any followup questions you may have. siegfried schlagrule

 

[Kentucky Kache]

I would walk the land with a good compass first. siegfried schlagrule

What would this do to help in your search? I really enjoy all your posts BTW.

From the 1700s on pirates used a jacob's ladder to search for treasure. A jacob's ladder was the ships compass mounted on a pole like a walking stick. The compass would pick up the aura created by the rusted metal bands on the chests. By checking the deflection of the needle and walking a box around the object you can get a rough idea of where it lies. From there you can probe until you find the spot to dig. Given the detectors you say you have it should be a simple matter to block off a small search area and then work it with those devices. I have personally used this method to find an old steam tractor that was deliberately buried in a farmer's field and the new owner heard the story and wanted to dig up the tractor. The tractor was over ten feet deep. I have also found other things with this method. Sorry for the late reply. either I forgot to set a notify on this topic OR it expired. I'll put it back on again so that I can read any followup questions you may have. siegfried schlagrule

The tractor was over ten feet deep.
And how far away from the target did you notice a signal/deflection, and how strong was the signal/deflection?

 

[landman]

Did you mount your compass? How big was it? How many feet above ground did you move it?

 

[Siegfried Schlagrule]

I would walk the land with a good compass first. siegfried schlagrule

What would this do to help in your search? I really enjoy all your posts BTW.

From the 1700s on pirates used a jacob's ladder to search for treasure. A jacob's ladder was the ships compass mounted on a pole like a walking stick. The compass would pick up the aura created by the rusted metal bands on the chests. By checking the deflection of the needle and walking a box around the object you can get a rough idea of where it lies. From there you can probe until you find the spot to dig. Given the detectors you say you have it should be a simple matter to block off a small search area and then work it with those devices. I have personally used this method to find an old steam tractor that was deliberately buried in a farmer's field and the new owner heard the story and wanted to dig up the tractor. The tractor was over ten feet deep. I have also found other things with this method. Sorry for the late reply. either I forgot to set a notify on this topic OR it expired. I'll put it back on again so that I can read any followup questions you may have. siegfried schlagrule

The tractor was over ten feet deep.
And how far away from the target did you notice a signal/deflection, and how strong was the signal/deflection?

CC - The information was that it was on the next farm over so I had a starting point of the centerline fences. The new owner bought the adjoining farm but he did it from the fourth owner after the tractor was buried so he didn't have a precise location other than in the field. The field I searched was about 40 acres. I walked it with a handheld lensatic compass (military style) held waist high. I walked corner to corner and center to center. I basically stepped off five paces and then looked to see if the needle had deflected from the known bearing to the sighting point. The needle will bounce a little while you walk. I put scuffs where I thought i had deflections and rechecked when I was done. I then walked ten foot rows and had it down to two areas which I wanted to check. I used a detector with no luck on the one spot and a warbling broken signal on the other. A little digging revealed the old trash heap / dump with the warbled signal. I suspected that was what it was from where it was located. At the other site I dug down a foot and checked again. I only had a six foot probe and it didn't hit anything either. I dug down another foot and still had no signal. The third foot down got me a faint signal and the fourth foot let my probe hit it. We continued digging until we verified that it was the tractor and then I left the guy to dig it out or cover it up as he pleased. I was using the largest available coil on a White's Goldmaster 66TR. I started getting deflections out about 10 feet. I probably could have walked a spiral inbound but didn't think of it. If you just walk and look for deflections without stopping you would need to watch for only massive deflections. I'm not sure that would work on smaller targets. Technique should work well on bottle dumps and bigger targets. I haven't tried it recently because I don't walk as well on broken ground as i used to. If it works for you you'll quicken your search. If it doesn't you are out a little time. Either way you should have or get a compass and they are way cheaper than PI detectors.
LL - Compass was hand held. Height was waist high. Palm sized lensatic compass should be available at any army-navy surplus store or fancy ones at most sporting goods stores and some hunting supplies places. good luck. siegfried schlagrule P.S. just remember that this will only work for iron. If it is in brass, aluminum, copper or stainless steel you will not find it this way.

 

[Kentucky Kache]

My lensatic compas will show deflection over my car hood, but not beside the car.
It shows deflection when beside smaller rusty objects, but from only a few inches away. I can understand how something as large as a tractor, and rusty, would work.
Thanks.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

HI: regarding compasses, google "Spanish Dip Needle". You can also rent small modern dip needles, check google again, "inexpensive magnetometers."

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[landman]

I thought to give this a try. I took my inexpensive compass and passed it over my dumbbell. Sure enough the needle swung 90 degrees every time I passed over it. The distance was about 4-6 inches above the 25 lbs. piece of iron.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

HI: You want to respond to the vertical magnetic field component, not the horizontal one. Hence a magnatized needle - indcator - with horizontal pivots, free to indicate in the vertical plane.

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[landman]

I got you. Does anyone know where to buy a Spanish Dip Needle?

 

[Gottahung]

I got you. Does anyone know where to buy a Spanish Dip Needle?

...Spain?

 

[spyguy]

The first and foremost "tool" you'll need is research! Once you've got all the specs then you have to ask yourself: What would this area I'm searching have looked like at the time the treasure was buried (i.e. distinctive trees, hills, rocks etc.)
Next, you'll definitely want a 2-Box style detector for several reasons:
1). It's the most efficient way to cover a large area.
2). The smallest object it can detect will be the size of a softball. Thus eliminating tiny trash fragments and small junk metal saving you hours of needless digging.
3). There is no discrimination so that's an advantage when looking for something made of iron.
4). When a 2-Box sounds off "DIG HERE!" it really means something substantial lies under your feet.
5). It's much cheaper than ground penetrating radar, a magnetometer and other useful (but for most of us) out of reach equipment.
HH
-spyguy

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

HIO CACHE: Check here-->







Picture no 1 is the front face in normal working position

No 2 is in transition for the front face to the top face.

No.3 is thenormal working view.

To use, the compass is aligned to magnetic North by placing it on it's side, then rotating it to place the N needle on "N". you mark it's alignment carefully, then rotate it vertically keeping the same alignment with magnetic N and commence scanning.

A magnetic anomaly will be indicated by a deviation of the needle. Since it is a vertical change you can establish where the body lies.

Don Jose de La Mancha

p.s This particular unit was manufactured by Agua co in Cincinatti, Ohio