What kind of Tot Lots?!

[Mvgirl]

Hi, Im new to metal detecting and want to know what kind of tot lots/playgrounds are good to hunt. I means there's school playgrounds, neighborhood playgrounds (like small ones down the street), and more busy playgrounds in beaches and parks. Also which spots on playground also you find most of the good stuff? So far I've done a park down my street and found a 1919 dime, a 1958 dime, a silver brooch a buried pile of 50 pennies (modern), and at least $10 in clad. In a different small run down park with grass growing in the sand TWO 925 silver rings!!! I'm thinking i should start using my MD with no descrimination because first of all any machine cold miss good stuff that way but also mine is only a bounty hunter jr. that I got for $80 so doesn't do a great job. (I know I know I REALLY want a better one!!!)

 

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[xr7ator]

Well obviously you want to work the one's where folks have lost the most! Just keep working it. If it were me I'd work the areas where the old stuff is being found and don't forget to dig the iffy targets as most public spots have been hit more than once since the 70's. I like finding old stuff over a high producing clad area.
I always like to work areas that are under construction where they have removed or moved some dirt around. Hit areas that others don't or won't for some reason..think ouotside the box. The little patch next to the entrance of the park. Everyone goes into the park and detects but no one checked up there!
You'll have that BH paid for in no time with finds. This will allow you to justify paying for another machine. Good luck up thar!

 

[Mvgirl]

Thanks xr7ator! I've found $52 in clad but the sad thing is that $27 is spend on batteries... it costs $5 bucks every time I need new ones because I need two 9 volts. (And that's on sale!!!) It won't take rechargeable ones. Also I spent $16 on a MD spade because a garden one is too hard to use.

 

[T.C.]

Thanks xr7ator! I've found $52 in clad but the sad thing is that $27 is spend on batteries... it costs $5 bucks every time I need new ones because I need two 9 volts. (And that's on sale!!!) It won't take rechargeable ones. Also I spent $16 on a MD spade because a garden one is too hard to use.

You're doing very good for a newbie. It's not the cost of the detector, it's knowing what it is telling you. If you want to upgrade, save all of your finds and pull the trigger on one with more bells and whistles. It sounds like you need to find somewhere cheap to buy batteries. I get mine at the Dollar Store and they seem to last for more than one outing.

Keep up the good work and welcome to TNET!!

 

[Mvgirl]

Thanks for telling me that! It's nice to hear because sometimes I tend to get frusterated thinking that I'm not doing well or thinking that I need a good detecter to find something worthwhile. I've found 3 silver coins, oldest 1919 dime. (other one 1958 dime and 1968 quarter that I found on my yard) Also two wheat pennies (one on my lawn, other when camping), a silver horse brooch, a hoard of 50 pennies (not old), and two silver rings found at one small park, and a ring which I'm not sure is silver or not (no markings, does not stick to magnet... see my other post). Well the batteries last more than three outings and I go for at least an hour and a half to three hours, so its not that they are not lasting.

 

[xr7ator]

You're welcome and one other on the batteries. I use 9 volts in my pinpointer. (If you don't have one of those, you'll need to save up for one. A good pinpointer will save you a LOT of time and you'll be able to dig many more targets per outing.)
Anyway, on the batteries, I use Rayovacs. They say right on the package that they last as long as duracell or energizer and I believe it. Matter of fact, some reports online will state they last longer. They are much better on pricing and last time I was at Lowe's hardware they had 12 packs on sale for $9.97. KILLER DEAL. At Christmas time for the last few years they sell a double AA 36 pack for $5.97. Another fantastic deal. My Garretts use double AA's and they last so long I don't bother with rechargables, even though my ATX came with them and can be used in any of my Garrett's.
I tried the dollar for two 9 volts at the dollar store and they don't last long at all.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

You are doing very well, congratulations!

GL & HH

 

[Loco-Digger]

You never know what's there until you swing your coil over it. Back when I started I hit and gridded almost every park, sports park, school, and other public lands within a 40 mile radius of my house. Hopefully you will find some sites like I had, they were so target rich that both gave up over $200 in clad. Clad does add up and can fund upgrades. Just know that hitting an area at a different angle can possibly have your detector beep on a teraget since the item may have been masked due to your previous angle of attack. I'd grid the heck out of those areas where you dug some great targets. I'd only disk out the iron unless you're in a real trashy area. I used to disc out everything and then notch nickels and zincs back in. The more I detected the less disc I use. I now only disc out 1-4 maybe up to 9 depending on the site. My machine's iron range is 1-15. Knowing your machine does not allow for notching, keep doing what you are doing and after you upgrade to higher end detector I'd go back looking for the gold rings at all your previously hunted sites. That is unless you like digging trash. I try to keep my trash to good target ration at 1 to 5 at most sites, but when I hit real old sites I do dig more trash hoping it will unmask some good deeper targets.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting.

 

[Loco-Digger]

When it comes to batteries, I get a 12 pack of 9Vs and a 60 pack of AAs for Christmas. My wife appreciates the fact that I am easy to buy for during the Holidays. The 9Vs are for my pinpointer and the AAs are for my detector. I get 40 hours of swing time using 4 at a time. I was so obsessed with the hobby when I started that I hunted about 1,000 hours those 1st 8 months. If I wasn't working eating or sleeping, I was detecting. The wife was glad I finally found a hobby I was passionate about and gave me carte blanche. She wasn't so accepting the next year. I still had every weekend (sun up to sun down) and maybe a night or 2 a week. Four years later and now I detect on the weekends and average about 4 hours each day. It's a great hobby and you seem to be doing very well with your current machine.

 

[Argentium]

Sounds like you are off to a fine start ! I like kind of obscure , older neighborhood parks - if you know some people who might give you permission to hunt older yards , that could be very good ! If you have access to some public land that is in the forest near your town , especially if there is a lake or river - people have camped and picnicked in these locations for generations. Hit up your library (or the internet ) for history around your town . If you happen to be a church goer , or have other social activity , let people know of your interest in "recovering history " . Have fun !

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

Your doing great! It took me 3 or 4 months of detecting to find a silver coin. Try soccer field sidelines (probably better when the youth season is over in a month or 2). I would stick with your coin mode or a jewelry mode if you don’t mind digging pull tabs.

 

[Mvgirl]

Thanks everyone for being so kind and thoughtful... your tips are great too! The only thing that bothers me about this hobby is that it's hard to just enjoy a park without scanning it for good MD spots!!! �� CHECK OUT MY NEW POST!!! I JUST FOUND A HUGE SILVER RING TODAY!!!

 

[fistfulladirt]

Ring? Excellent, good for you! Pics?

 

[boogeyman]

You're off to a good start!!!! A couple hints. Get the app for the city & county parks, helps find the more out of the way / less hit parks & can be transferred to Google earth to set up a route. Even in big cities the parks dept webpages are a wealth of info on what's been happening there for years & coming events so you be there before the others! Keep up the good work!!!

 

[Mvgirl]

You're off to a good start!!!! A couple hints. Get the app for the city & county parks, helps find the more out of the way / less hit parks & can be transferred to Google earth to set up a route. Even in big cities the parks dept webpages are a wealth of info on what's been happening there for years & coming events so you be there before the others! Keep up the good work!!!

Thanks boogeyman!

 

[CASPER-2]

I think most people new to the hobby should hunt in all metal - dig it all and you
will learn your machine better - cant tell you the amount of silver & gold ive pulled
next to or under junk that others have passed up
youll find an article I wrote on digging it all here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/casper-2/
good luck

 

[against the wind]

I noticed your enthusiasm, excitement, thirst for knowledge, willingness to ask for pointers, and your obsession. Yep,, you're definitely one of us.
All the treasure hunters in Winnipeg are up against a new but determined coil swinger.

 

[kenstein]

it's hard to just enjoy a park without scanning it for good MD spots!!!

Now you're understanding the addiction

Thanks boogeyman!

...bet you never said THAT while growing up

 

[FreeBirdTim]

I rarely do tot lots, but there's one thing I always look for when I do hit them. Some of them have mulch or cedar chips covering the ground around the play area. Easy digging and I find a lot of silver rings, not to mention quite a few coins. Best part is you don't leave any evidence of digging, so no one will ever know you were there.

 

[Mvgirl]

I noticed your enthusiasm, excitement, thirst for knowledge, willingness to ask for pointers, and your obsession. Yep,, you're definitely one of us.
All the treasure hunters in Winnipeg are up against a new but determined coil swinger.

My family are like, "Oh yah? That's nice. How many hours do you think it took to get all that though?"�� I'm like, "Oh my goodness this is the best way to spend my time 'cause I get a little moola and sometimes TREASURE!!!"�� I think if you are not the one finding stuff it's not super exiting. My Dad teases me; "I like your new hobby, now the house is so peaceful because your out of the house for a couple of hours!"��