Newb

[chaseadams]

Hello,
I am new to the site and treasure hunting. I have a couple questions I am hoping someone can answer for me.

I got a Bounty Hunter Quicksilver detector and so far it seems pretty accurate. Then again, I have never owned a detector before.

I was wondering what the difference is between different detectors. Are the more expensive ones more sensitive, more accurate or do they just have more features?

I can't really afford an upgrade right now either. If anyone could give me some tips I would really appreciate it.

Thanks!

 

[vpnavy]

Until someone pipes in - I searched

and found Difference in detectors? (Jan 23, 2013)...

 

[lonewolfe]

Hello,
I am new to the site and treasure hunting. I have a couple questions I am hoping someone can answer for me.

I was wondering what the difference is between different detectors. Are the more expensive ones more sensitive, more accurate or do they just have more features?

Thanks!

The answer is "D" = ALL of the above and more.

No insult intended but a $139 detector brand new retail is a kids toy and if you ever hold a real detector in your hands (made in the USA Brand Name Detector or even a Minelab made by the Aussies) you'll see what I mean.

 

[Jarl]

Yeah, they are more sensitive and accurate, for sure I would think. I would say, since you aren't in the market for a more expensive upgrade, do a lot of location research and put your detector to the test in those places...after all, no matter how good the detector is, chances are slim if in the course of time little to nothing 'fell' in that location right? You have to dig in the history books and the ground both. Your inquiry is hard to answer in certain terms, as it is broad, but you do get what you pay for to a great extent, but that does not mean that you can't find good stuff with an entry level detector, though your depth, discrimination and pinpointing might be limited. If and when you upgrade, make sure you figure in for a decent pinpointing probe. I can't imagine detecting without one(I use Garrett ProPointers)...cuts your recovery time dramatically by helping you locate when in the hole more directly. This is good because you wont risk as high in damaging your target with your trowel by digging blindly into the target area.

When you say it seems 'pretty accurate' what specifically do you mean? Do you mean that it can locate a target on spot or that it tells you accurately what the target is? In any case...again, increase your odds of finding what you want by first getting 'near' to those potential areas. Research-Location-Luck...eventually you'll win.

Hmm, additionally, check in your area for other detectorists and see if you can meet up with them and perhaps you could get a chance to use a few different detectors. Nothing like hands on shopping.

 

[ret-detector]

Welcome...

from Central Florida!


ret

 

[chaseadams]

Thanks

Thanks for the info guys.

What I mean by accurate is that I have found little tiny pieces of tin foil over 6 inches deep and it has been spot on every time. Then again, I don't know what it's missing either.

I guess I am stuck with a kids toy then, I can't afford a different detector right now.

 

[JSpinner]

Hello from Idaho, chaseadams.
I have a BH Fast Tracker. I've had pretty good luck with mine. It is not the cheapest MD, but it does pretty well for me. I can't afford one of those super fancy MDing machines, either, but I am not disappointed. I still find coins, old fishing lures (some worth a lot of money, now) and have even come upon tiny pebbles of gold in the rivers and dry beds. Mine is totally submersible, so I can stick it into the ponds & water holes. I use ear phones and adjust my settings to knock out the foil and junk stuff. My target seems to be right on, and balances itself so I don't have to 'play' with it. We have a lot of gold, here in Idaho, so I've been researching areas of interest.
Until I can get an upgrade, I can't tell whether I'm missing anything, but I don't really feel I'm missing very much. I don't care to dig down 4 or 5 feet. I'm searching pretty much for the surface stuff...easy to get.... or lodged between rocks and in bushes. Most the coinage wouldn't be much more than 6 - 10" down, anyway... unless it had been bulldozed or plowed under, in my opinion. So, if you're just looking for surface 'easy' stuff, you should be pretty satisfied with what you have for now. I don't intend to become a hardcore treasure digger. I just like getting outside and enjoy the surprises of the hunt. Good luck to you. Prosper in 2013 -JSpinner

 

[Jarl]

Well, you should be able to notch out some trash to an extent, but you're gonna have to dig the trash as some good targets fall into the range of trash...annoying as it is. 'Dig everything' is the common adage. 6" sounds like a decent depth...I find the majority of my coins at 2"-4". What some detectorists do is scan the surface, using less depth sensitivity, squaring off a manageable area and meticulously going over it from north to south, then from east to west then starting over and increasing their depth sensitivity on following rounds(north-south...east-west). Some detectorists even go diagonally too. Yes, this is meticulous and time consuming. The idea is to pick out everything on or close to the surface that might mask out the deeper targets, but you can find good stuff at these shallow depths, just depends on where you are. If you do this grid method, then try it in each mode your machine offers. Generally, I have heard people using 'all metal' to grid search, then after a surface pass they increase their discrimination knowing that the surface junk has less of a chance to interfere with deeper 'good' targets. This provides as a theoretical approach so it isn't 100%, but is a logical method it seems. Do a lot of bench testing with your machine. Take an iron nail and a coin, scan them separately, then pinch them together and scan them by the coil again...see what happens. Most likely your machine is going to read the nail and not the coin. So I suppose this is why people use all metal mode to grid search, because once the nails and other junk is gone, chances of target masking have been reduced hopefully enough to find something good on additional passes. But, with everything...machines, tools and methods, there is some balance of pro and con. You might feel like you're just a subterranean garbage man, but, hey...gotta dig. Yeah, foil is really annoying.

 

[Jarl]

Additional note: I don't mind finding trash, I know it's part of the game, so I accept it. Certain trash is indicative of possible good targets in some cases. I would suggest saving your junk metals(Iron, brass, aluminum, lead, zinc etc) that you dig so you can scrap them for cash. What weighs up pays up. Get a little something more for your time and effort.

 

[joe_dirt]

Enjoy whichever detector is within your budget. Of course like other things, you get what you pay for, but don't be bothered by anyone saying it's a kid's toy. It's a metal detector. Have fun with it!

 

[chaseadams]

Thanks for all of the helpful info! I plan on getting a better detector in the future either way. Just glad to get in to such a fun hobby!

 

[TerryC]

Don't worry about your detector. It will do fine for now. It is as good as any for a newbie. Just don't let it get comfortable in the closet! TTC

 

[TempUserName]

Several people have had good results with Bounty Hunter machines. The biggest predictor if you will find something good, is the number of hours you spend swinging your detector. Keep going out have fun, and when the funds permit get a good White's or Tesoro.