Something else you can do to get started is to set up a test bed. Take the type things you will most likely encounter and use them to learn your detector. There are several ways to do this and it just depends on how much time you want to spend. One thing to remember is that dug ground is not the same as undisturbed ground. It is probably worth your time to make a test bed where the items are underneath a layer of undisturbed soil. I would suggest getting together things like: modern Lincoln cents, wheat pennies, Indian head cent, Jefferson nickel, buffalo nickel, clad dime, silver dime, clad quarter, silver quarter, silver ring, gold ring (pick up a small one at a pawn shop that has had the stone removed), aluminum pop top, aluminum pull tab, crushed aluminum can, small pieces of aluminum foil, roofing nail, galvanized nail, 1 oz lead fishing sinker, piece of copper pipe cut the size of a ring, a piece of steel wire (straight), a piece of steel wire curled up, junk from around the house, old wrench, hammer head, other small metal objects that are pieces of something bigger (springs, door striker plates, etc). Just collect what you can and what you can fit in the area.
Use a post hole digger to dig a hole that you can reach down into. Dig it about 24" deep. You can then reach down into the hole and push items into the sides of the hole. Place a plastic marker (milk jug top works well) on top of the ground that tells you what is underneath and how deep it is. Four per hole is a good number. Fill in the hole and you are good to go. Put in as many items at as many depths as you have time and room for. This investment will pay off as you learn the machine. You can practice on it, review sounds of targets, have friends over to test their skills and detectors.
Just a suggestion to get you started on the right road as soon as possible.
Daryl
