Dousing rods? Whats the big idea? Do they work:

[MackDigger]

I know that they have been used to find water and artifacts for hundreds and hundreds of years and I just watched "America unearthed" on history channel where this guy was unearthing artifact after artifact with nothing but two coper rods! No scientific explanation but it's been working! Anyone ever try this? Explained and discus please. I just bought a at pro did my gf waist her money and should go get coper rods lol (kidding).

 

[bofusmosby]

There does seem to be something to this, but for me, I'd rather have a metal detector. There was a guy (Carl Anderson) that used to manufacture and sell (maybe he still does) dowsing rods and equipment. A very good friend of mine and him were good friends, and went hunting with him many times years ago, and the funny thing is, he NEVER brought his own dowsing equipment, but would bring his metal detector. This should tell you something. LOL

Years ago in St. Pete Florida, a metal detector club invited someone who claimed that with their contraption, they could find gold with it. He even stated that this thing could locate even a single small 1 gram nugget. We invited him out to give us a demonstation of how it works. Well, un-be-known to him, we had buried a $10 gold piece, and several large gold rings of various Kts within 10 feet of where he had set up his equipment. We even buried one about 50' away. Guess what? He couldn't find ANYTHING! If not mistaken, his contraption was priced at over $2,000, and we had a number of club members there that had the funds, and we going to purchase this from him if this guy was successful. He looked very foolish trying to explain WHY his unit wouldn't work.

I'm not saying that this stuff is all hog-wash, and that dowsing rods never work. What I AM saying that in over 40 years in this hobby, I have NEVER seen a successful recovery in person. Sure, I've seen it on TV, and read about it in books, but until I see this happen before my eyes, I don't put much stock in it myself. Of course, this is just my opinion.

 

[gunsil]

America Unearthed is another bunko show, you will get more truth watching the Kardashians or Honey Boo Boo, and they are about as trashy as you can get. My uncle swore he could dowse for water but I never saw him do it. Personally I believe that the tooth fairy uses dowsing rods to find the kids who just lost a tooth!!

 

[etex]

Yes, they work. For the people selling them.

 

[GTzer]

Only positive I know of- A MD club invited a dowser to demonstrate. He showed how to make your own rods. He would make and sell you a pair if you wanted-but they were only 5-$7.00. His demonstration was 75-80% accurate on water only hidden under various containers.
He seemed pretty realistic. His thoughts were that there has to be something to it because he & the dowsers he knew could consistently produce the same % rates. He stated he never saw anyone that could do 100% and didn't know of anyone that could produce the same results with gold or silver.

 

[goldkey]

There's a forum here on L-rods and dowsing..........Sceptics abound........There's definitely more to it than snake oil.
The basic principle of them is that they work as a result of electromagnetic energy. All metals have this energy. All metals
also have different frequencies. I carry them with me and use them as a directional locator to hot spots on large open areas.
Doing it this way I only use 1 rod made of brass with either gold or silver attached to the rod. That's called baiting the rod.
As with any detector......don't knock it until you have tried it....................

 

[jewelerguy]

when I was about 12 years old, me and a friend made our own by cutting two wire coat hangers into 'L' shapes and tried the act of 'dowsing'. we walked slowly around his yard holding them in front of us loosely and pointing forwards. they did in fact work. when ever we passed over something of metal, the wires would cross. directly under the cross would be the target. we actually found two pennies and some other junk items. looked like voodoo, but it did work. however, an electronic detector is sooooo much easier!

 

[Jason in Enid]

Dowsing has a lower success rate than random chance. You're better off just digging random holes.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

I think there is something to it, but as with a detector, it is more the operators ability to connect with ever senses guide them to what they seek. Kind of like when you have a thought pop into your head that is dead right but you can't explain how you know this.
At a MTHA meeting I saw a person use an L rod to find which direction a member had parked their car, they got it right.
I have also read where one couple successfully used them on the beach to find rings and stuff.
I call it intuition, that's as close as I can figure it out.
I personally would try it, just haven't done it yet!
I get enough strange looks and comments just swinging a detector! Lol!

 

[WHADIFIND]

Before anyone just dismisses something they don't understand, (and I can't say I do either), I have had many people tell me that my style of using the detector is akin to a douser. There are many times when I absolutely measure/grid/document exactly where things are found. Especially, when the conditions warrant. Like, if I found several indicators of age. I'm likely to grid. But, the experts will tell you, gridding takes a LOT of time and you only cover a tiny area of a large field.

BUT! Most of the time, I simply enjoy allowing the Lord to just take my coil in whatever direction he chooses. It gets tough sometimes. We, humans, simply need to have our way.

Still, when I do, I have seen with my own eyes times when the coil just changes direction. Almost as if it's pulling me along behind. Then, and this is most every time out), bingo! Something really nice comes to light. I know that some have followed my meager findings through the year. I leave it to them as to whether I find nice stuff. I think I do.

When I find these things, almost always, it's by my giving the detector it's "head". When I find something particularly good I always look around me. Not really to see exactly where I found it but rather to see ALL that land that I didn't go over. Here was this gold ring/coin/etc. and I walked right over it! I could've gone in ANY direction. If you could see the path I walked it would be a drunken master's path. Even crisscrossing and doubling back! But, I walked straight over the best item of the day.

Dousing, per se? I don't know. But, if my wandering and allowing my feet go where they're led, has to have some property of the technique.

Just my thoughts. I endeavor to not second guess things I don't understand.

Thanks!

 

[goldkey]

Dowsing has a lower success rate than random chance. You're better off just digging random holes.

Then you have never used an L-rod.......have you?
Too many people on here always have an opinion on things they haven't a clue about.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Then you have never used an L-rod.......have you?
Too many people on here always have an opinion on things they haven't a clue about.

I don't have to. I have watched numerous people claim to find things with them, but they can never seem to do it when someone is with them. That is the definition of a fraud. Excuses, excuses, excuses.

 

[goldkey]

Before anyone just dismisses something they don't understand, (and I can't say I do either), I have had many people tell me that my style of using the detector is akin to a douser. There are many times when I absolutely measure/grid/document exactly where things are found. Especially, when the conditions warrant. Like, if I found several indicators of age. I'm likely to grid. But, the experts will tell you, gridding takes a LOT of time and you only cover a tiny area of a large field.

BUT! Most of the time, I simply enjoy allowing the Lord to just take my coil in whatever direction he chooses. It gets tough sometimes. We, humans, simply need to have our way.

Still, when I do, I have seen with my own eyes times when the coil just changes direction. Almost as if it's pulling me along behind. Then, and this is most every time out), bingo! Something really nice comes to light. I know that some have followed my meager findings through the year. I leave it to them as to whether I find nice stuff. I think I do.

When I find these things, almost always, it's by my giving the detector it's "head". When I find something particularly good I always look around me. Not really to see exactly where I found it but rather to see ALL that land that I didn't go over. Here was this gold ring/coin/etc. and I walked right over it! I could've gone in ANY direction. If you could see the path I walked it would be a drunken master's path. Even crisscrossing and doubling back! But, I walked straight over the best item of the day.

Dousing, per se? I don't know. But, if my wandering and allowing my feet go where they're led, has to have some property of the technique.

Just my thoughts. I endeavor to not second guess things I don't understand.

Thanks!

I agree with you Whadifind............too many times I have felt compelled to go in a certain direction and wind up finding my best finds.

 

[goldkey]

I don't have to. I have watched numerous people claim to find things with them, but they can never seem to do it when someone is with them. That is the definition of a fraud. Excuses, excuses, excuses.

"I don't have to" means you aren't qualified to have an opinion!
If it works for me......then maybe it could work for you also.........

 

[WHADIFIND]

I don't have to. I have watched numerous people claim to find things with them, but they can never seem to do it when someone is with them. That is the definition of a fraud. Excuses, excuses, excuses.

Did you ever think that having people around who are harboring negative thoughts, might, just maybe, interfere with this "magic" we don't understand? I have had many people scoff at my attempts to prove that a metal detector is worth it's price. Easier to do by the way. But, many is the time when I tried to show them, only to find absolutely nothing! At least, while they were there.

I don't say this in proof of the technique working, just that there are way too many things to consider, that I don't fully understand.

 

[nfunk]

I used to work as a corrosion engineer for a natural gas company and had to bore several 10" by 10 feet holes beside one of our gas lines at several locations. The water company sent a guy out with a dousing rod to locate the water line and when I saw what he was doing I said, "you got to be kidding." He guaranteed that it works, so I said fine and he marked the location of the water lines at several locations. Well the next day I came out to bore the holes at least 5 feet from the located water lines and on the opposite side of the gas main locations, and at each location I bored a through the water main, water everywhere. The director came out after the third location jumping up and down yelling out us, and told us that he would bill the company thousands of dollars for each repair. I told he could try, but we would not pay for the repairs since the water main wasn't located properly. I contacted the Statewide One-Call center and informed them and they said this isn't the first time this has happened with this water company, and to ignore any bills from the company. The company threaten to a law suit, and I told him go ahead since I have an attorney on staff waiting to justify his existence. Well several months later, I noticed that they stop using dousing rods and started using probe rods for locations.

 

[WHADIFIND]

.....Well several months later, I noticed that they stop using dousing rods and started using probe rods for locations.

And, this, is evidence that something we don't understand, doesn't work. Right? You've explained an instance where it apparently didn't. There are plenty of people who can give the opposite side and "proof" . I remain unconvinced that something we don't understand nor can easily prove/disprove, doesn't exist. That's all.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Did you ever think that having people around who are harboring negative thoughts, might, just maybe, interfere with this "magic" we don't understand?

More of those "excuse" things I mentioned earlier.

 

[WHADIFIND]

More of those "excuse" things I mentioned earlier.

Sooner or later, EVERY person should learn the difference between, "excuses" and "reasons". Trouble is, these modern times are teaching more and more that if we cannot prove/touch/see. It doesn't exist/never happened. So, I am not surprised when faced with one who has chosen the latter rather than the former. Saddened, dismayed. But, not surprised. An unwise use of the short time I have left to try and explain/convince.

Enjoy!

 

[ATpro5]

Ahhh, Another One Of Those Todays Finds Threads That Actually Doesnt Include A ''find'' . But... People Will Continue To Post On For Days Bickering Back And Fourth. Common People.