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First real detecting, a full report
walkerminus1
Posts: 244 ✭
So we managed to get rid of all 42 kids this weekend and my wife wanted to go and try out the metal detector. We went to the soccer/baseball complex down the road. They had soccer games the day before (I know because I coach two of my daugthers) and so we started at the first group of fields (3 fields). Walking down the parents side of the field, I got a pretty good signal and was able to pinpoint it with the Ace 250's pinpointing feature. It was saying a nickel 6 inches down. So we dug it up with the hori hori but it wasn't in the plug that i pulled. ran the detector over the whole, nothing. Maybe a halo again? I'm no angel so I hope a halo doesn't come to represent me in this detector game. So we fill the whole and head a little farther down and get hit again. This time it's reading a dime 4 inches down. Before I can even whip out the hori hori, my wife spots it on top of the grass (I saw it about the same time, but she technically saw it first). My first find, a 2000-P dime on top of the ground. Hey, it's the first thing so it's getting a spot in my soon to be created metal detecting box of treasures to keep.
On to the next field, I'm sensing a nickel only 4 inches down. Start to dig and yes!!! My first dug item and the second thing to be entered into the soon to be created metal detecting box of treasures to keep, unfortunately, it was the foil top to one of those single serving Pringles snack packs. but hey, it's the first metal to be dug out of the ground so I'm keeping it.
At the next field, we didn't find any marbles, but we did find two soccer balls that were left behind. Dug another piece of foil out of the ground, but since it's not my first, it will find it's way into the garbage. Oh yeah, found a 2001 nickel about 2 inches down. This thing is brown as brown can be and when I first saw the side of it I thought it was a penny and the detector was wrong. Since this nickel was the first item of value that I actually dug, it also is going into the soon to be created metal detecting box of treasures to keep.
So we leave the first group of fields and skip all the way to the only playground area in the sports park. It happens to have pee gravel instead of wood chips and is located on a few feet away from the port-a-crapper. So it stinks in more ways than one when it comes to playgrounds. I did find a 1980-D quarter. Since this wasn't my first of anything find, I cleaned the rock dust off it and my wife took it with her to work this morning. She will be feeding it to the vending machine any time now. Moving out of the playground past the backside of the bleachers I hit a solid signal. It ended up being a bolt that was snapped off the bleachers, probably during construction of the bleachers. At this time, I have 6 finds, 3 coins, 3 trash items.
I decide to walk down to the smaller of the two concession stands but am disappointed when I see they have put down concrete around the stand. Just last year when my boy played his last baseball game, it was still just dirt around the concession stand. I hit all around the outside of the concrete but only find trash.
At that time we had to hit the road as we had a lot to do, plus I'm starting to get sleepy now and don't feel like typing any more. So i will end it with saying that I'm glad I was able to find and dig something of value (though not much value), it lets me know it can be done. I look forward to becoming better with it, then I will hit some of the area's I hope to hold some good items.
Rob
I believe I need to find some better items if I want to be digging in VTH IV.
On to the next field, I'm sensing a nickel only 4 inches down. Start to dig and yes!!! My first dug item and the second thing to be entered into the soon to be created metal detecting box of treasures to keep, unfortunately, it was the foil top to one of those single serving Pringles snack packs. but hey, it's the first metal to be dug out of the ground so I'm keeping it.
At the next field, we didn't find any marbles, but we did find two soccer balls that were left behind. Dug another piece of foil out of the ground, but since it's not my first, it will find it's way into the garbage. Oh yeah, found a 2001 nickel about 2 inches down. This thing is brown as brown can be and when I first saw the side of it I thought it was a penny and the detector was wrong. Since this nickel was the first item of value that I actually dug, it also is going into the soon to be created metal detecting box of treasures to keep.
So we leave the first group of fields and skip all the way to the only playground area in the sports park. It happens to have pee gravel instead of wood chips and is located on a few feet away from the port-a-crapper. So it stinks in more ways than one when it comes to playgrounds. I did find a 1980-D quarter. Since this wasn't my first of anything find, I cleaned the rock dust off it and my wife took it with her to work this morning. She will be feeding it to the vending machine any time now. Moving out of the playground past the backside of the bleachers I hit a solid signal. It ended up being a bolt that was snapped off the bleachers, probably during construction of the bleachers. At this time, I have 6 finds, 3 coins, 3 trash items.
I decide to walk down to the smaller of the two concession stands but am disappointed when I see they have put down concrete around the stand. Just last year when my boy played his last baseball game, it was still just dirt around the concession stand. I hit all around the outside of the concrete but only find trash.
At that time we had to hit the road as we had a lot to do, plus I'm starting to get sleepy now and don't feel like typing any more. So i will end it with saying that I'm glad I was able to find and dig something of value (though not much value), it lets me know it can be done. I look forward to becoming better with it, then I will hit some of the area's I hope to hold some good items.
Rob
I believe I need to find some better items if I want to be digging in VTH IV.
4/92
4/123
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Invested $216.76
Return on Investment $0.68
Found but keeping $.15
4/123
-----------
Invested $216.76
Return on Investment $0.68
Found but keeping $.15
0
Comments
I got a pretty good signal and was able to pinpoint it with the Ace 250's pinpointing feature. It was saying a nickel 6 inches down. So we dug it up with the hori hori but it wasn't in the plug that i pulled. ran the detector over the whole, nothing. Maybe a halo again?
If you had a strong repeatable signal and could pinpoint it, chances are there was something there. I've never used a 250, but use a GTI1500. Every now and then I'll have the same exact scenario as you. 95% of the time it will be an item that rings just inside my descrimination setting in-ground to give me the audible signal, but once it's out of the ground, reads outside and won't give me audible, but I can see the signal led light up. When that happens, I switch modes to relics or custom to turn on all notches and usually find the item then. I looked at Garrett's sitet and if it was reading the Nickel slot in-ground, it could have slipped left or right under the iron or pulltab notch, which would probably be off in most modes.
I did find a 1980-D quarter. Since this wasn't my first of anything find, I cleaned the rock dust off it and my wife took it with her to work this morning.
I'm kind of anal about keeping my common change finds. I keep everything, throw it in a spreadshet of what I found, have it sorted in the treasure box (Plano tackle box) and usually only cash in the clad every winter. I like to cash it in all at once as it's usually $100+ and use it for supplies (batteries, headphones, etc).
"You Suck Award" - February, 2015
Discoverer of 1919 Mercury Dime DDO - FS-101
Northern California
Minelab Sovereign GT with 180 meter and Sunray probe.
Keep practicing till you can tell the machine what is under the coil and not the other way around.
<< <i>I believe I need to find some better items if I want to be digging in VTH IV. >>
Research....it's all about research.
<< <i>Nice report!
Keep practicing till you can tell the machine what is under the coil and not the other way around.
How do you tell the machine what is under the coil and not the other way around? Do people get to the point when they can skip a lot of trash because they know not to dig even though the detector tells you to?
<< <i>Research....it's all about research.
I think I have a few good placed in mind, but was wanting to wait a bit until I've improved my skills somewhat. Or should I just go for it now?
4/123
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Invested $216.76
Return on Investment $0.68
Found but keeping $.15
<< <i>How do you tell the machine what is under the coil and not the other way around? Do people get to the point when they can skip a lot of trash because they know not to dig even though the detector tells you to? >>
That was what an old time detectorist has told me. All it really means is learn your machine inside and out.
Go for it! That is a good way to learn. Take your time, have fun. Take notes.
Good Luck
Jerry