New to detecting, now what?

[FAWCETT1]

I have never detected before and I'm really looking forward to it. I live in NW Ohio and I have always had a passion for history, especially the Civil War.

I have purchased an XP Deus w/remote and WS4, a pinpointer, a digging tool, and some silver and copper coins for a test garden. I have only been able to air test so far because the ground is frozen and snow covered for 16 days in a row, so I haven't been able to put together the test garden yet.

I have been reading the manual, Andy's book, forums, and watching every XP Deus video on YouTube I can find.

I have also been researching sites to hunt and have obtained permission from 3 landowners for when the weather breaks.

So, what else should or can I do to be as prepared as I can for when the weather permits. I'm sure I haven't thought of everything.

Thanks in advance for your comments and advice.

 

[beepsilver]

It DOES sound like you're prepared for your first outing...the only other suggestions I can give you while you wait for the weather to break is

keep watching videos
do some air testing indoors away from metal to learn the Deus sounds/settings
once you are ready to get out in the field, see if you can find another Deus user near you to hunt with so you can get additional input from them in order to reduce your learning curve
attend a Deus bootcamp
dig iffy signals until you begin to recognize differences in depth, trash vs relics/coins, etc.
carry spare pinpointer batteries
have an alternate charging source in the field in case your coil loses it charge prematurely
dress for the conditions and carry bug/tick repellent and sunscreen
bring plenty of water and food (and toilet paper for emergencies)
cover your holes
clean your Deus after every outing

Good luck!

 

[Arns]

Where are you located ?

 

[Sleepyjim]

Practice listening to what the Deus says, bury some coins and junk and practice, but nothing will help as much as really hunting.....


Jim

 

[Charles (Sabre)(Tx)]

Welcome to an exciting and fascinating hobby! You seem to be on the right track and are getting well prepared ahead of time. Good luck to you. Just remember...patience and persistence are definitely virtues in this hobby. Just when you think you want to give up...a glimmer of silver or gold will surface and reignite that fire that keeps you going. The rewards can be many...not only in treasure finds...but in good folks too! Again...welcome to the group and Happy Hunting!

Charles

 

[CZconnoisseur]

Older homesites are great places to start if you want to find interesting things right off the bat. I agree the more time you spend hunting the more familiar you will be with good targets vs junk. If it's halfway repeatble, I would say dig it - since many times you will be in for a nice surprise!

GL & HH

 

[sprchng]

So, what else should or can I do to be as prepared as I can for when the weather permits. I'm sure I haven't thought of everything.

Thanks in advance for your comments and advice.[/quote]

Go to Lowe's or Home Depot and buy a 5 gallon bucket of drywall mud and a 4' dowel.
Take them home , remove the lid , put the dowel in the mud and stir for three hours with your swinging arm
Repeat daily until the weather allows you to go detecting and you will wonder why the days are so short

 

[CT Todd]

Can I go with you

 

[mudpuppy]

Turn back Now! Put the whole works up for sale and take up golf or something easy, or send me $1000, let me kick you in the pills, and call it a day!! You will thank me later!

Ok, seriously... heres what an old guy told me when I was new to this, I ran into him out detecting... he either took pity on me, or was trying to get me to quit...I dont know....He said:..."dig 1000 pulltabs, and dig 1000 pennys with nothing but a screwdriver, as fast as you can"

And so I did as commanded...it taught me so much about dirt and metal and human travel patterns and how to be really fast on retrieval without making a mess...seriously, you will someday 'click' with your rig, but that takes as many targets as fast as possible if you want to compress your learning curve...concentration and paying attention to all the nuances of this sport, not just mastering your rig....but to begin with, yes, practice now out in the driveway or where ever you can!...try single coins, then stack a few multidenoms, then do some tight multidenom spills...get to know your rig and its tones...learn how deep and where the target is so you dont dig a hole the size of a garbage can lid...manipulate the coil height, theres a lot of tricks probably best learned on your own in field.....

NW Ohio has some really old dirt...you should be fine, just dont go to any public parks with a shovel or in the middle of the day, or when there are any people around...you will get tossed, and thats a part of this too...it will click someday if you keep at it...it doesnt take long if you are seriously addicted, my second year into this, I did a 10,000 coin year with nothing but that damned screwdriver!......sprchng's drywall mud was good advice!, and so is Turn back Now!
Mud

 

[TexanWest]

Be careful recovering your targets, nicking clad coins is OK, but nicking an old coin of value will ruin your day.

Work on pinpointing with surface targets that you can see.

It takes experience, even us old guys need about 100 hours with each new detector before we feel confident and know what we are seeing and hearing.

Find somebody with a XP DEUS, that can help you.

Coins are easy, if you hunt for jewelry, you will probably dig around 200 pieces of trash for each ring. But, rings are worth more than most coins. You are going to find stuff that you never knew existed. Enjoy your new hobby!

 

[silverseeker 2]

If you get a chance, I would attend a Boot Camp seeing your
brand new to the Deus and the Hobby. This will seriously step up the
learning curve and you get to meet a great bunch of
people that just love detecting and a great way to meet
new people in this hobby. I have met some great guys in
this hobby and talk often with a few. Well at least you
bought the BEST out there in my opinion. You just cannot
go wrong with a Deus!!! JMHO
The Deus is AWESOME!!! Wish you the Best in your
new adventures...

silverseeker 2

P.S. I don't Promote Boot Camps for anyone , just the fact that it helps out tremendously
in learning this great machine that FINDS the goods, along with great day out in the field.

 

[FAWCETT1]

Lima

 

[FAWCETT1]

Thanks for all of the responses. There were some good suggestions. I can't wait to get in the field.

 

[Low-Boy/LCPM]

I would dig just about any good tone even buzzy ones. You will find more that way and a lot will be trash but good way to get to understand your new machine. When you start getting lazy and don't want to dig a hole then it is time to rest or go home..Sometimes I can hunt 8 hours and some times I want to leave after three..but I do dig most hits if it is an old site. Some iron targets will be locks, keys, axe heads,,,and more they are fun to find and keep...buy some cases on Kellyco and hang your finds on the wall so you can see your work and watch it grow. I have about 20 cases in my house they all look great and makes me feel that this hobby has been good to me and I have saved some nice history just wasting away in the dirt..

 

[Easy8]

Get a good spade the lesche works well for me also get a pinpointer they are worth the money

 

[Dign-nbama]

Practice,, Practice,, Practice.. with the machine,, as well as digging your holes, leave it like you found it.. it helps us all in the long run no matter what State you live in..