First metal detector.

[FlyingProspector]

Hey everyone. Just picked up my first metal detector after a bunch of research on bang for buck if you will.

Let me say, I do realize that many of you will say I should have spent more and got something better, but I know many would say to start exactly where I am. My thought process was this, let me start simple and make sure this is even for me, although I'm sure I will love it as a gold fever bitten treasure hunter.

I got the bounty hunter tracker 4 since hundreds of reviews and forum threads promised this bad boy to be a very solid entry level md for the money. Lets hope so! I think I will just set her on all metal and then explore from there.

Now for the price. I would've held off on buying one for quite a while if I hadn't stumbled upon this little jewel; the 40% off coupon at hobby lobby! $68.19 out the door? Shut up and take my money! It is rare that I find anything cheaper in a store than I do on amazon, not to mention 30-40% cheaper. So I figured I can't beat it. Some people say you have to sign up and get their emails to get the coupon but all I did was download the hobby lobby app and hit the coupon button and there it was. So to anybody interested, there you go I hope I helped out.

Now, if anyone can give me some advice as a newb beeper swinger, where to start? Sure there's parks, fields and old mining claims and what not, but what are some other good places to start??

Thanks and hopefully I'll be around this forum for a while.

 

[dimedigger]

my best places have been old home sites

 

[olfacere]

I would suggest gathering a small selection of target items and some common trash items to perform an air test. Short of digging holes to plant targets and then watering them in, the air test is the best method for learning how different targets sound on a particular machine. I went all out with mine and ended up taking measurements of field shape in all metal mode, depth potential of various items in all metal mode, and discrimination settings that would knock out each target. So, I now know that my detector's "detection circle" is 2 inches wide at 8 inches deep on full sensitivity. These are good things to know when spacing swings.

 

[FlyingProspector]

Good info thanks guys. And what's up with the 9 volts? Why couldn't they make an electronic like normal people that uses double a's or something? lol

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I see you're from "Lodi". Would that be "Lodi, CA" ? If so, there's a forum specific just CA hunting, called the "Kinzli" forum. There's several readers/posters there from the Lodi, Stockton, Sacramento, etc.... area. Lots of old parks up and down the central valley. And sometimes some old-town urban demolitions to keep an eye out for.

 

[FlyingProspector]

Tom. Thanks for the heads up! I signed up but apparently I'm not cool enough to post yet

 

[FlyingProspector]

Oops. Accidentally hit the send button on my iPhone. Anyhow, yeah I'm on the hunt for good spots for sure. I went out to a spot today and picked up all this stuff. Can anybody identify anything cool here? Mostly bullets and old old square nails. But the one on the top far right, I'm guessing its a shotgun slug? Because its really solid and heavy.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

What forum name did you make up to use? Let me know , and I'll let the moderator there (a friend of mine ) know to hurry up the process for you

 

[FlyingProspector]

Oh great thanks. Same name as here.

 

[iCandy]

My first detector was a bounty hunter...& other than slow recovery time....it served me well for a newby!!! Good luck bud!!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

flyingprospector, I see that you are now approved and can post/read on the main pages there. Go to the main forum, let them know "Lodi". There's some fellows from around Stockton, etc... that will chime in.

 

[FlyingProspector]

Ok will do Tom. icandy is the recovery time the amount of time it takes to sound off?

 

[RobRieman]

Hi FP. Recovery time is the time it takes after processing the first signal before it can process the next one. An item close to another can be missed with a swing if there is not a fast enough recovery time. It can mask the other object. Such an example could be a nail masking a coin that are near to each other.

 

[FlyingProspector]

Oh ok thanks that makes sense.