Predictions for the future...

[Oldguy]

In 10 years detector manufactures will develop new discrimination technology that uses something other than conductivity to choose targets. With this new technology we will be able to discriminate gold rings and gold coins from aluminum junk.

In 9 years all parks, schools, and public land will be closed to metal detectors due to uneducated or uncaring people causing property damage recovering targets.

 

[bootyhoundpa]

Aluminum masking would be a significant advancement if gold could still be found while using it..

 

[Goldstrike]

The technology is already out and actually you have it!! It's called eye's!!! (just being funny here)!!! In the mean-time, we dig and eyeball the target but seriously...yes, I think that technology will sooner or later be on the market and I for one, welcome that day!!!

 

[DonM]

It won't matter what new technology comes along because most public places will be off limits thanks to all the morons running around digging holes and then not bothering to cover them up......most hunters are responsible people when it comes to this issue but the mouth breathers who watched one of those digging tv shows and who ran out and bought a detector and a shovel because they just know that they're gonna find something valuable just like those guys on tv are going to be responsible for the death of this great hobby. That's my rant for today.

 

[Elton]

You may be right on the detector technology..But not correct on the detecting sites...

Small towns will always allow detecting.It's the big city attitudes that will fall pray to "NO DETECTING".... Schools due to over reaction to security may well be banned ....

 

[nge]

Need oscilloscope for a screen. All metals give different wave lengths....yes, even gold and aluminum! .....nge

 

[mudpuppy]

in ten years all money will be plastic or digital. all schools will be internet based, and the buildings converted to prisons. in ten years, if you are above ground, nobody will care what you do, since the rest of them will be below ground safe from the fallout. All jewelry will be stainless steel, no PM's..

Our final frontier as urban detectorists will be hunting for gold/silver jewelry dropped pre 1990, with which we will trade in equal weight for more batteries! wearing a lead suit....
Mud

 

[ironsight]

A safe, light weight, compact ground penetrating radar scanning system that would show the form factor on a LCD screen in HD. Good bye corroded nails! LOL

 

[dirt doctor]

in ten years all money will be plastic or digital. all schools will be internet based, and the buildings converted to prisons. in ten years, if you are above ground, nobody will care what you do, since the rest of them will be below ground safe from the fallout. All jewelry will be stainless steel, no PM's..

Our final frontier as urban detectorists will be hunting for gold/silver jewelry dropped pre 1990, with which we will trade in equal weight for more batteries! wearing a lead suit....
Mud

Sad to say , so far I think you're prediction is the closest so far mud .

 

[Hightone]

I can see a time coming where the coil detects a place to take a snapshot transfered to the LCD screen. You would use a thumb control (like on the XBox 360) to move the pic around to get a true idea of size and shape. Pull tabs will be distinct from coins and jewelry. Hope it's in my lifetime.

 

[Metaldetective1975]

We might not need detectors at all. There will be a smartphone app for that purpose, with a pinpointer. Just wave the pocket-sized phone over the ground and it will tell you a coin's composition, denomination, date and the numismatic grade. Zincoln's will hopefully be automatically discriminated.

For relic hunters, it will tell you the artifact type, when it was lost and if it is military, which war, which army lost it and when, in which battle, and who won the battle. A list of casualties will be an optional app.

There will be no need for anyone to identify any unusual or unidentifiable artifacts, since the app will do that for you.

I hope they will have underwater phones by then.

 

[Mega]

My prediction is that in 10 years time we will still be digging roman,saxon, and silver hammered coins,oh and the odd big hoard over here in the UK Detectors may have changed though as well

 

[Dancer]

In 10 years a penny of any kind might be a good find.

 

[Furious T]

I hope that in 10 years time I am still fit and well enough to detect....I also hope in ten years time I will have the mental capacity to remember the right and wrong way to go about it.

 

[CladDog]

Not plugging a brand here, but I think in 10 years most detectors will have a setup very similar to XP Deus. Waterproofing will probably be standard and the ability to search on single or mutliple frequencies will be common.

However, the person who develops the detector that can analize the conductivity of targets and limit it to gold targets only can probably patent that techology, retire, and live off the royalties in style.

 

[GKMan]

I think there will be less clad to find in ten years, since other forms of payment via your smartphones or smartwatches will be standard for everything so people won't be handling coinage as much.

Good Riddance Clad!

 

[ChicagoJohn]

I pray for permit and its better than not allow in park or public places! I don't mind to pay 20 dollars fee for a year in any public place in Illinois!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Trust me: You do NOT want "permits" for anywhere. Much better that there simply be no specific laws/rules either way. Ie.: simply not addressed either way. Oh sure, this doesn't stop someone from saying you're running afoul of "altering" or "disturbing" type verbage, sure. Ok then, just pick low traffic times and avoid such kill-joys !

I know you think "permits" would solve all that arbitrary interpretation stuff, but trust me, it won't. I know it *sounds* so good to the ears, and your eyes wax romantic with images of just being able to detect nilly willy anywhere, right ? Ah but I wish it were so simple too. Stop and look at the landscape across the USA, for ANY place that ever dreamed up or had "permits" for md'ing. And you'll see that it's NEVER what you or I want. They will invariably be riddled with silly rules like "yes but you can't dig". Or "not within 15 ft. of any tree". Or "only on sandy beaches". Or "digger shall not exceed 3" in length". Or "turn in all finds to park office". Blah blah blah. And humorously, a whole host of places that used to have permits, will ....... one year .... just have them yanked/rescinded altogether. Why? Because think of it: The minute you have something that needs an express "allowance", is the minute that it's just one-more-thing on bureaucrat's radars as something to have to reconsider year after year at their annual review /policy meetings. And sure as sh#t : One year they'll look at their metal detector permit process and think to themselves: Gee do we really want all these yahoos running around destroying our parks? Or "gee does the archaeologist sign off on this?", etc...

So trust me: As much as "permits" rolls-off-the-tongue, it's must better that the rules simply be silent on the subject, and it not be addressed either way.

 

[ironsight]

...a whole host of places that used to have permits, will ....... one year .... just have them yanked/rescinded altogether.....
...Gee do we really want all these yahoos running around destroying our parks? Or "gee does the archaeologist sign off on this?", etc...

Yeah, a permit program in most cases is the beginning of the end.

However once in a great while with some fast talking, connections, the right credentials, etc., getting a detecting permit in strict 'off limit' places like government properties can be gotten usually with minimal strings attached.
Sometimes all these places typically want is to keep old corroded iron artifacts for their local museums and could care less about old coins.

 

[togg77]

In 10 years OBOLA will have destroyed our country.