Archeological Metal Detecting Certification...?

[controlfreq]

I ran across a link to this a while back and it has so far been a dead end. Any one here ever hear of an Archeological Metal Detecting certification? It sounded sort of interesting.

Thanks
John

 

[Critterhunter]

I get skitish when I see any kind of organized "certificates". Usually it's an end to a means to then choose who gets to do something. Just look at all the useless certifications the government now requires for doing certain things. EPA refrigerant licenses come to mind. Just a way to get money out of people. The questions on that federal exam are a joke, and are almost all useless to the realities of the field. Metal detecting certifications and next thing you know only those with enough money and connections get to play on public land.

I saw the same thing happen with the AMA insurance for RC planes. Now they control many public venues. You don't pay to belong to them and you don't get to fly at even some public parks. AMA's testing is also pointless. It was written for the days of large gas RC planes and old technology. Most modern electric RC park size plane people have big issues with AMA's reach. One group I used to fly with had the great idea to approach a park we already were able to fly at and the police loved to come watch. But they wanted to approach the city and get special permission in writing so it was all legal like. Guess what happened? City said AMA only, and as a result our group of 30 people or so on a Sunday morning shrunk down to just a few guys, with everybody else bailing. Nobody owns the sky, and this park was so huge that we stayed tucked in a back corner far away from people and would land right away if anybody even came near, so there was no risk. And home owners insurance covers the risk anyway if you have the right insurance.

 

[controlfreq]

I see your point and do not disagree, but there is a flip side. The city could have just as easily said NO entirely, sort of like some places do with metal detecting. Some ***** digs holes and leaves them, so all decent people get banned from using their detectors. ... and it's been so long since I got my EPA card to handle refrigerant, I don't even remember what was on the test. (I do remember getting the chiller endorsement, and at that particular point in my life, I had never even seen one; I just read the book, took the class, and passed the test...)

But when I certified to SCUBA dive, it was a very good experience. I learned a lot about the "do's and don't's"; most of which you only get one chance to do it right... but yes, when the government bureaucracy gets involved, it does muddy the water a bit.

I saw a reference to this certification somewhere online and I just wanted to see what it's all about, if anything at all. Maybe it would help me be a more educated, conscious, practitioner of the art as opposed to some othr guy with a toy from SprawlMart out digging holes everywhere...

thanks for your input
John

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Critter-hunter, I loved your story about your experiences in the RC controlled planes hobby. How "telling", eh? And your analogy is right: the same psychology happens in metal detecting too: There might be a place where no one has ever had a problem detecting before. But lo & behold, someone thinks "wouldn't it be nice to get the ok in writing, so that we don't risk arbitrary capricious questioning by a cop or gardener in the future?". Or "let's go ask at city hall, to make sure it's ok to do", or whatever. And just like in your story, someone in authority tells them "no you can't" or hands out silly rules that ....... previously ...... weren't even there. It's the old psychology of "no one cared, till you asked" routine.

And control-freq, to answer your question about how a "license" or "permit" would still be good, to deflect busy-bodies or bootings, here's my answer to that: You/we should NEVER go looking for "permits" or "licenses" to PRE-EMPT such a thing (lest you merely get the scrutiny brought to your "pressing question", as stated in the first paragraph). Instead, any such petitions, permission-seeking, permit ideas, license ideas, etc.... should only be to combat some rule already in place. NOT as a pre-emptive measure (lest you merely get a "no", where no one ever cared before).