Newly retired, new hobby

[Kellyjrey]

Hello everyone, I just retired and have started a new hobby, metal detecting. I've been rock hounding for awhile and seems both these hobbies go well together. Other than practicing in my yard and learning how to use my detector I have a BIG ZERO for experience. I have found a gold necklace, several coins and more nails than I care to count, I'm looking forward to making my first trip to one of the local parks, gotta start somewhere I guess. Any help or tips would be very much welcome. I look forward to hearing from everyone, especially local Arizonans with any help I can get.

 

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[Peyton Manning]

you already found a gold necklace?? I hate you already! ( ok just kidding)

I have been at it for 2 years and still waiting to find gold

 

[Loco-Digger]

Welcome to Tnet and to the hobby. What are you using to dig plugs? Do you have a pin pointer? Or do you plan on running handfuls of dirt over the coil to locate the target? Do you hunt in all metal mode or do you use tones?

 

[digging440yrs]

Welcome aboard

 

[Peyton Manning]

I still don't have a pinpointer, but I would like to get one this spring

 

[kingskid1611]

Welcome to your new addiction. It will keep you moving. Now as far as tips....sounds like you are already ahead of me. Good Luck and Happy Hunting

 

[vpnavy]

Welcome Aboard! Take a look at Sub-Forums: Arizona for information (i.e., clubs, etc.) directly related to your state.

 

[I C THE LITE]

Welcome to the retirement and metal detecting. Best advice I can give you is you need patience, don't plan on finding gold or anything good for that matter every time you go out. Go slow, listen to your machine, wear gloves, buy a Lesche digger, find a hunting buddy if you can and join a local metal detecting club if there are any. It's an amazing hobby. I have been doing it on and off for 40 years. Recently retired also which allows you to detect whenever you want. Good luck and enjoy.

 

[Enginefitter]

Welcome from NE Ohio.

Engine

 

[smalltowngirl13]

Hello and welcome to TNet...

 

[Captain Caveman]

Welcome aboard TNet! Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

 

[Kellyjrey]

Welcome to Tnet and to the hobby. What are you using to dig plugs? Do you have a pin pointer? Or do you plan on running handfuls of dirt over the coil to locate the target? Do you hunt in all metal mode or do you use tones?

Thanks for the reply. I have some hand gardening tools for plugs, I just got a pin pointer this weekend and I'm using tone mode. In all metal mode working in the back yard I think I found every nail left behind when they built my house. Amazing, considering its block construction, how many were in the yard and about half the yard is swimming pool.

 

[Loco-Digger]

Thanks for the reply. I have some hand gardening tools for plugs, I just got a pin pointer this weekend and I'm using tone mode. In all metal mode working in the back yard I think I found every nail left behind when they built my house. Amazing, considering its block construction, how many were in the yard and about half the yard is swimming pool.

I found it easier to learn the hobby by discriminating out iron and foil when I started and liked the 3 tones feature. Are you very familiar with what tones the good targets make? You can also ID the depth of the target by knowing the max depth your detector can locate a target of that tone by simply slowly raising the coil up as you swing over the target. For example if your detector can hit a quarter at 7 inches and the detector is letting you now by the tone that it's a quarter, by slowing raising your coil each swing until the sound become faint. Visually ID the number of inches the coil is from the surface of the ground and subtract that from the known max depth for that target and now you know approximately how deep the target is in the ground.

 

[Kellyjrey]

that is probably some of the best advice I've gotten. Was going to go to one of the parks today and as I was gathering up my things, the storm clouds are gathering up for another rain, 3 days in a row now. Now I have time at home to sort of re-visit an experiment my son set up back in November. He buried a penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half-dollar and a chunk of aluminum foil. A week later I got home from a trip to Iowa and found 4 pennies, 3 nickels, 2 dimes, 3 quarters the half dollar and a gold necklace. I didn't bother to think about the depth, guessing they were about 3-4 inches. After 38 years working with electronics and all, it never hit me to think about pre-determining depth of objects. Well, it's on to the yard and digging some holes and putting your advice to work. Thank you loco-digger.

 

[Crappies-n-Coins]

My best tip: When I get tired from detecting, I take a nap

Welcome!

 

[Kellyjrey]

Thank you for the welcome and advice. I thought I had all bases covered, but found out this afternoon using my old gardening tools to dig a plug was not a lot of fun. As my son got home from work and sort of snickered at me, he brought me one of his old hunting knives(sharp on one side, serrated on the other) worked real well. So, off to Amazon I go to see what the lesche digger is you mentioned. huh, imagine that...very similar to my son's knife. It is on the way for a friday delivery. Right tool for the right job. A bit pricey, but, I'm going to guess it's worth the 35.00. (Thats what I paid on Amazon, anyway). Thanks again for the advice. Next up in the future will be a better detector, but will learn the hobby with what I have now and enjoy not having to go to work.

 

[bootybandit]

Welcome to TNET!

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Welcome to the forum! Have fun and learn the hobby.