I need some help to start detecting

[leemiller24]

Just signed in today and I am in hopes of finding some assistance with my new Garrett ATPRO detector. I live in a rural area an hour or so near Augusta, Ga. I have some places I can hunt, old farm areas etc. Does anyone have by pointers they would car to share? I want to eventually head out to the beach areas of Florida and find an old Spanish coin, yes I know probably wishful thinking, bt that is the goal. Any assistance would be great, and this is my first metal detector.

 

[baylorhall]

I would suggest start in your own backyard. If you have never used a detector before you might want to begin in standard mode. If your yard isn't super trashy, put it in zero mode, turn off your iron audio, set the iron deal up to max of 40. Then start digging. You might want to bury a few coins so you can practice pinpointing. There are a bunch of videos on youtube that will show you how to use your machine. After your yard, move to playgrounds with the woodchips or gravel. Learn to dig a plug in your own yard before trying it in a park or someone else's yard. You are lucky to be in an area that has some history! good luck!

 

[Santo10]

Welcome to the hobby.

As far as hunting goes.....look for old homeplaces, swimming holes, dirt parking lots, or places where people would like to congregate.
For homesites...the first places to check are under the clothes line and where people would get out of their cars.

In non-beach areas, you will find that you have to dig a little more. You will dig up some junk, that's just part of it. Even sometimes the junk is fascinating. Coins almost always give a coin signature signal...be it nickel, zinc, or silver. However....gold can read anywhere from tin foil to silver. You have to determine if you are willing to dig a lot of junk to try and find gold. For me, I dig those signals at the beach, but rarely on homesites.

Start with talking to people you know for ideas and hopefully permission to hunt their property. Ideally you want homesites built before 1960 so there is a strong possibility of pulling a silver coin or two.

Beach digging is a different animal. You really are looking for jewelry, but will take a coin or two.

The biggest thing is to remember to have fun, and to make a few friends along the way. Odds are you won't get rich....but enjoy trying.

 

[chrisplay2004]

Practice, practice, practice and Bury them holes!

 

[leemiller24]

I definitely am not in this to "hit it rich" unless you count the find, no matter what it is, as rich. I took it to the beach last week and found a silver quarter, however since reading a bit, I should have been in the surf. So I am looking to get better with it, anything- tips, what not, I am looking forward to learning. I actually own a piece of property that had an old factory (torn down pre 1960s) on it. As soon as I get back home, I am going there!!!