I need some expert advice

[bushido]

Hi everybody... My name is Paul and I am fairly new to MD'ing. About a month ago I bought an inexpensive machine and fell in love. Next I purchased a DFX from a local dealer. I have been hunting several times and here is my question. What do you do when you find a good target? By this I mean do you set your machine down, take off your head phones or do you just unplug them. I have tried both ways and when I left the head phones I got tangled, when I unplugged them I would forget to plug them back in. Another thing is that I am right handed and hold my machine with my right hand but it is a pain to dig and scrape with my left hand. I'm just trying to get some " on the job " advice from all you old timers out there so as to save me time with my learning curve. All info will be appreciated, tried and tested. Thanks guys, take care...Paul

 

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[Charlie P. (NY)]

I'm right handed & run the headphone cord behind my back. When I knee or squat I set my detector down off to my right and slightly behind so the cord is away and off behind me.

You don't want to be unplugging the headphone for every target. It will eventually wear out the contacts! Especially if it gets gritty while loose.

 

[treasurejack]

I'm right handed & run the headphone cord behind my back. When I knee or squat I set my detector down off to my right and slightly behind so the cord is away and off behind me.

You don't want to be unplugging the headphone for every target. It will eventually wear out the contacts! Especially if it gets gritty while loose.

Ditto! I also set my detector off to the side a fair distance from where I will be digging so my digger won't set if off evey time it gets too close to the coil. However, I always make sure it's close enough that I can sweep the dirt in my hand over the coil to see if the target is in that handful of dirt.

 

[hollowpointred]

i leave my phones on and just set the machine down beside me. the cable on the phones usued to drive me nuts but i got used to it after a while.

 

[Nashoba]

I'm right handed & run the headphone cord behind my back. When I knee or squat I set my detector down off to my right and slightly behind so the cord is away and off behind me.

You don't want to be unplugging the headphone for every target. It will eventually wear out the contacts! Especially if it gets gritty while loose.

Ditto! I also set my detector off to the side a fair distance from where I will be digging so my digger won't set if off evey time it gets too close to the coil. However, I always make sure it's close enough that I can sweep the dirt in my hand over the coil to see if the target is in that handful of dirt.

Double Ditto!

~Nash~

 

[Jeffro]

I run my cord down the front, but its a coiled cord so it shrinks up, never gets in the way. My detector goes in my lap as I kneel, with the coil to my left side. I dig with my right hand, and plop it into my left, easy to get to the coil to see if I'm holding the target. Works for me!

 

[treasurejack]

I run my cord down the front, but its a coiled cord so it shrinks up, never gets in the way. My detector goes in my lap as I kneel, with the coil to my left side. I dig with my right hand, and plop it into my left, easy to get to the coil to see if I'm holding the target. Works for me!

Yep! A "coiled cord" is a HUGE plus!

 

[paul1410]

Hi Bush. Welcome to Tnet. A lot of good ideas previously posted here.

Another source you may want to check out is youtube. Just type in "detecting", there is a whole bunch of detecting videos to see.

HH

 

[beavis]

Hey bushido!!!! Welcome I"m pretty new at MDing also, and i learned a valuable lesson. MAKE SURE YOU DON"T TEST A HANDFUL OF DIRT WITH A WEDDING BAND ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It took me a few looooong seconds to figure out why a target was there in my hand. but not when i spread the dirt out on the ground I should be embarressed about that, but i'm to old to worry or care. Have fun Mding man!!!!!!!

 

[Dick from IA]

I run my cord down the front, but its a coiled cord so it shrinks up, never gets in the way. My detector goes in my lap as I kneel, with the coil to my left side. I dig with my right hand, and plop it into my left, easy to get to the coil to see if I'm holding the target. Works for me!

First of all, Welcome Bushido. This is a great place to learn and make some friends, too.

Next, I got a tip here from Jeffro. Never thought about the detector across the lap. I'm a lefty so just have to do it in reverse. Thanks Jeffro

 

[Sandman]

Good advice here from everyone. You might want to lay a piece of cloth on the ground to place any dirt. This way you can dump it all back in the hole. Any coin that falls out of the dirt on the cloth won't get lost in the grass. Experiment to find what works best for you. Have fun.

Good Luck,
Sandman

 

[Jeffro]

Good advice here from everyone. You might want to lay a piece of cloth on the ground to place any dirt. This way you can dump it all back in the hole. Any coin that falls out of the dirt on the cloth won't get lost in the grass. Experiment to find what works best for you. Have fun.

Good Luck,
Sandman

Another really good tip, Sandman. I have a hand towel with an eyelet attached to a shower curtain clip, it hangs on my belt loop. Good for just this purpose, and wiping the mud off my fingers afterwards.

 

[treasurejack]

Good advice here from everyone. You might want to lay a piece of cloth on the ground to place any dirt. This way you can dump it all back in the hole. Any coin that falls out of the dirt on the cloth won't get lost in the grass. Experiment to find what works best for you. Have fun.

Good Luck,
Sandman

Super idea! A treasure hunting cloth! Man.....why can't I think of stuff like that?
(don't answer that please. lol)

 

[bushido]

Thanks a bunch everybody, you all have been a great help! Lot's of good techniques and ideas. Now if these 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. 12 hour shifts will end I can get out hunting again. Take care and happy hunting...Paul

 

[Eu_citzen]

i leave my phones on and just set the machine down beside me. the cable on the phones usued to drive me nuts but i got used to it after a while.

Yup same here, if it annoys you take the headphones off (don't unplug take them from you head)

 

[W6PEA]

Hi everybody... My name is Paul and I am fairly new to MD'ing. About a month ago I bought an inexpensive machine and fell in love. Next I purchased a DFX from a local dealer. I have been hunting several times and here is my question. What do you do when you find a good target? By this I mean do you set your machine down, take off your head phones or do you just unplug them. I have tried both ways and when I left the head phones I got tangled, when I unplugged them I would forget to plug them back in. Another thing is that I am right handed and hold my machine with my right hand but it is a pain to dig and scrape with my left hand. I'm just trying to get some " on the job " advice from all you old timers out there so as to save me time with my learning curve. All info will be appreciated, tried and tested. Thanks guys, take care...Paul

Try one of the Swingy Thingy's
I have one for my detector and it works great.

 

[swingman]

I swing the detector with my right hand - all my 'phone cords are coiled. When digging, I put the machine on the ground to the right (most have a support at the top end), keeping the coil far enough away from my digging tool. The cord I put around the detector screen (if there is one) to keep it out of the way.
I suggest getting an electronic pinpointer, if you don't already have one. It helps locating a target in the hole, especially when it's hard to pinpoint it accurately (e.g., a coin on edge, or a deeper target). Always check the sides of the hole - the majority of difficult-to-find targets are in the sides, not deeper in the middle of the hole. Even when the target is on your drop cloth...it helps finding it w/o risking scartching it. Welcome to the hobby, and HH!

 

[goldencoin]

Hi everybody... My name is Paul and I am fairly new to MD'ing. About a month ago I bought an inexpensive machine and fell in love. Next I purchased a DFX from a local dealer. I have been hunting several times and here is my question. What do you do when you find a good target? By this I mean do you set your machine down, take off your head phones or do you just unplug them. I have tried both ways and when I left the head phones I got tangled, when I unplugged them I would forget to plug them back in. Another thing is that I am right handed and hold my machine with my right hand but it is a pain to dig and scrape with my left hand. I'm just trying to get some " on the job " advice from all you old timers out there so as to save me time with my learning curve. All info will be appreciated, tried and tested. Thanks guys, take care...Paul

thats why i don't use headphones

HH
-GC