advice needed

[Picketwire]

This is especially for people who almost quit detecting but didn't. What advice would you give to a person who has as expensive a detector as he can afford but is disappointed that his finds seem to have dried up and is ready to quit the hobby? Or simply what kept you from quitting?

 

[rodbuster]

I have been there many times over the years, started detecting in 1972 with a Whites coinmaster. At that time finds were easy and silver was everywhere and in my area not very many people detecting. What worked for me was to rethink my approach, its exciting finding old coins but for me also exciting finding clad as at the end of the season cashing in the clad and applying it toward one of my hobbies. I have hunted with others that look for silver and would pass over clad as its not worth the time to dig it up because the VDI numbers indicated clad. Clad is being lost everyday so I try to search areas out that are well used, sure there is trash but also coins. Without the pressure of finding certain coins and just detecting for the fun of it I am back to the beginnings with the idea you never know what today will bring. If a area isn't yielding any finds I look in my log book to get a idea of where I have had success in the past and give it a try. Keeping a log has payed off for me and at the end of the detecting season I can see what areas I have done the best with checking the end of season totals for each areas. When I started hunting beaches there was no one out either on the beach or in the water, my friend and I would make different types of scoops because there was not many commercial products on the market. In my area beaches are hit hard and I don't hunt them as much as use to but still enjoy my dry land searches as lost treasure is still out there to be found. These are ideas that worked for me and maybe could help you also, think outside of the box and rethink your approach as this may recharge your batteries to keep your treasure hunting. Good luck and I hope this helps you

 

[IDXMonster]

Like Rodbuster, been there done that. What has kept me in the game on PUBLIC LAND is getting more skilled at this hobby every time out. Every time. Whatever that means to you…hunting more deliberately, hunting down scale, learning as much as there is to know about the machine you have…ANYTHING to up the odds.

 

[BigTony]

Like Rodbuster, I too am a coin shooter and just want the fun back in the hobby. I lost the urge a few times over the years. Whether it was my hearing loss or lack of good targets, no matter the excuses are there for us all.
one time I felt I could not compete with other hunters in finding silvers, so I read books and manuals to find gold in dirt. That made me happy for awhile and I learned plenty about signals.
Next I concentrated on frequencies, changing them every hunt and that made me happy to find more coins in places I had hit.
I also tried just finding nickels, I know it sounds like a waste of time but - it’s a hobby…..go out and enjoy it because there are many who can’t get out maybe medical reasons. Go detecting after it rains, your depth and amount of signals will increase.
Tony

 

[Picketwire]

hunting down scale,

I am not sure what you mean by "hunting down scale."

Thanks to all of you. This is exactly what I am looking for.

 

[BigTony]

He could mean lower numbers but let’s wait for Kevin to respond.

 

[Ronstar]

Another aspect to consider is starting the process of researching your towns history. We all like to hit coins and jewelry but finding bits of info and history about where you are hunting can be real eye opening. Example: I recently found a token for a local hardware store. Research showed the store only existed 1921-28, thats 100 years ago! Found out family of the man who started it still here, I had no idea. Go to a library and read up, then go and look at that area. Sometimes knowing the history gets your foot in the door when the property owner gets their interest up with your knowledge.
But as was said, sometimes just going for an hour is more relaxing than pounding for four and not getting targets because your agitated.

 

[fwcrawford]

The others have given great advice to you already…. Like some stated…. Don’t take it too seriously and have fun.
No one makes great finds everytime they go out, and I have been to some great sites and was disappointed at the lack of old finds.
Last Sunday after doing a few chores around the house, I decided to go just down the road and try around an old cabin that I have been to several times and besides two or three wheat pennies and a few modern coins, this site has not really given up much.
The only reason I tried it again is to try a small coil there that I recently got, the landowner had just mowed the area, and most of all, it was very close.
I only searched for an hour, but surprisingly, working my way back to my truck, I found a 1923 Mercury dime… my first silver from there.
Only other two items I found worth mentioning was an old buckle and a copper rivet.
I did not expect to find anything, but this short hunt re kindled my interest in this site.
I had just about written it off.
Just get out have have fun… eventually you will find something and get back in the right frame of mind!!
Any time you can get out to detect is a good day as far as I am concerned.
Good luck!!

 

[still looking 52]

It's the little things that keep me metal detecting, I usually go with my brother so that means we have fun just planting little orange flags when we get a good signal for the other guy to see what his detector reads before digging the target.
Just simply eating breakfast together before the hunt and talking about where we might go and our " NEW" magic settings that are sure to get us more silver is exciting.
Also I don't get my expectations to high, if I can get a few deep faint signals it's good enough for me.

 

[Picketwire]

You guys could talk a bum out of his last sandwich!

 

[Picketwire]

I don't want to give the wrong impression. I am hooked already. I have a friend and are looking for new "angles". All of your advice has been most helpful even if it wasn't originally for me.

 

[Highlifter1000]

What works for me is just enjoying what the good Lord has provided by way of parks....fields.. permissions etc. I truly hunt without expectation and when I do find something nice I'm excited. I quit hunting on two occasions. One was the lost of my mother to brain cancer and the other to a beat up body from my years in oil and gas. But the funny thing is I always came back because detecting made me whole.

 

[jim tn]

After almost 50 years with the hobby, too, I still find the dang thing pretty exciting and challenging. Since I retired in 2006, there are not a lot of days when I haven't been out swinging. The hobby presents me with a few hours of fresh air and exercise and I treat each outing as a challenge. A challenge to find one old coin or jewelry item. So far the need to stay active and being challenged for me has kept the hobby alive. HH jim tn

 

[Picketwire]

My friend is having the same problem I had at one time, the detector says it is something good but when dug up isn't. I told him they all can give false signals. He said "I might as well use all metal!" I told him that might be a good idea because he could size targets better. Thanks to all for more information to use on him. It's kind of funny. I have another friend that has a Bounty Hunter Maverick, loves the thing and I am pretty sure will have it till "death do us part".

 

[straker]

This is my source for finding sites to metal detect. Seek the sites where people congregated outside.

 

[Monte]

This is especially for people who almost quit detecting but didn't. What advice would you give to a person who has as expensive a detector as he can afford but is disappointed that his finds seem to have dried up and is ready to quit the hobby?

Advice? It would be to ask them if this is a hobby that that they are really interested in? Continue by asking them what got their interest in the first place and ask them if they have put in the effort, on their part not the detectors part, to try and achieve that interest level?

I would then remind them that, like any hobby or activity, it takes time, effort and patience to "learn-the-ropes' and gain the knowledge and skills for success. Also, that any detector can work and find desired targets in 'average-condition' sites with proper settings and sweep speed, but search coil choice can also play a vital role.

You do not need the most expensive detector or the one with the most gadgety features. However, you should invest in one that provides the best in-the-field performance in your budget.

Finally, a reminder that none of us are going to enjoy a successful outing each and every time. We all can be skunked at times or have a very low production day. But to carry on and do the best we can to improve our skills, to learn our equipment better, and to try and find new and different sites to hunt.

Or simply what kept you from quitting?

I always remind people how I got started in this great hobby in early 1965 and what it is that I have continued to do as time progressed to maintain my interest in several ways.
I had some newspaper photos in my shop or den going back to an article in April of 1969 where I was down in the special collections room of the county library doing research on ghost towns and railroad activity of the mid 1800s. I also had newspaper articles showing me detecting old homesites in 1982 , and detecting some ghost town sites with a couple of metal detecting clubs in the late '80s and early '90s. The point I make is doing research and also sharing my time and efforts with others. Naturally, that was also back in the day when thee were a lot of people out detecting, frequently, and also a lot of metal detecting clubs here in the USA coast-to-coast.

It points out to people that one of the things that has helped maintain my interest in this great sport, is being able to get together with friends who I have met along the way, either individually or in a club or group environment. I let them know that that hunting with others brings some satisfaction For both me and them when any interesting finds are made, it also helps me learn more about people, about detecting, about site work, and about metal detectors. I emphasize that by reminding them that no one knows it all and we should always be wanting to learn more as that helps maintain our interest and activity.

And I also comment on my sources of information which used to be antique books, antique maps, and antique people. Sadly, today, we do not have any "antique people" and I describe that group as those born in the latter 1800's and very early 1900's such that they might have been about 15 years old or older when the Great Depression Era started and would have had information about old sites then or prior to that.

Today we have to work hard to locate any existing old maps or books or personal histories to do our research. And research is a key to finding newer places to hunt resulting in better, older and interesting finds, thus maintaining our interest.

Monte

 

[Draco]

For those who are disappointed when they do not hunt anything important. Tonight's departure (I just got back at the time of writing this post) You can't always win. Sometimes the terrain conditions are not the best. Today the sand was very high and the bedrock was very deep. Just take out trash, but I don't care. This is a productive site in the past and will try again when the sand goes down.