Metal Detecting

my04tone

my04tone

Forum Founder - RIP Tony
Joined
Nov 27, 2010
Messages
569
Location
Melbourne S.E, Australia
I was metal detecting strictly for gold in the 90's and could never get away enough to warrant keeping expensive gear so i opted out. Fast forward to March 2012 and i am up in the gold fields and the thoughts of metal detecting are back, so upon returning home i researched an all rounder detector which would enable me to shoot for relics and coins and try for some gold if i was up in the triangle without breaking the bank, just incase i didnt want to do it anymore.

I found a mid range detector that was getting rave reviews, it was the Garrett ATPro, so i got one shipped in from the U.S.A for $580, $200 cheaper than in Aussie. This machine is waterproof to 3 metres so it meant i can hunt the beachs and rivers as well as the bush i love so much. I added to my kit a pro pointer its like a tiny metal detector for sticking in the holes, and it gives me a signal off the metal item i am looking for, i also bought some Lesche digging tools (the best) an M85 and a Little Eagle also from the U.S.A and i was off and running.

Things were slow at 1st as i learnt the different modes to hunt in and how to knock out iron targets and learn what is and isnt a bottle cap etc, today i am still finding bottle caps and ring pulls but i am also finding money, gold rings, old relics etc and i am out on average probably 20hours a week have lost 7 kilos and am fitter than i have been in ages, believe me a few hours digging and swinging can fix you right up.

In 4 days time it will be exactly 6 months since i started in earnest and i probably know the history of more areas in Australia than i ever did. To say i am hooked is an understatement and this hobby has probably saved my life fitness wise, so instead of sitting around playing my guitars in my back room and drinking beer, i am out in the fresh air and doing a lot of physical exercise. They say you use 90% of your muscles metal detecting, i started with 1 hour hunts and now its not uncommon for me to be out for 8.

Heres a run down of the last 6 months (i will be out again tomorrow but dont expect the tally to rise much)

Total Finds since the 16th April 2012
Spendable Decimals: $403.75
Pre Decimals:3xFlorins 6xShillings 7xSixpence 8xThreepence 36xPennies 24xHalf Pennies
Foreign: UK:1/2p(new pence) 1p 5p 50p Japan:1yen Singapore:50c Thailand:5 Baht U.S.A:1cent 1quarter NewZealand:10c 2x20c Canada:1cent(1964)

Oldest find: I dug this old Queen Victoria Penny yesterday in a spot i wouldnt have though of.
vikclean.jpg

yungvik.jpg

The macro pix make her look worse than what she actually is :iconwink:

I have a saying for this hobby "You Never Know What You Will Find Next"
and its always what you dont expect.

Any questions i am more than happy to answer them :cool:
 
my04tone said:
...Any questions i am more than happy to answer them :cool:
Click to expand...

If you hang the coil from a tree, way above the ground (to avoid any effects) then wave a wedding ring beneath the coil, at what distance can you still detect it?

The only reason I ask is because I have designed a number of metal detectors over the years, and would be interested in how a modern, store-bought unit compares.
 
sjm said:
If you hang the coil from a tree, way above the ground (to avoid any effects) then wave a wedding ring beneath the coil, at what distance can you still detect it?

The only reason I ask is because I have designed a number of metal detectors over the years, and would be interested in how a modern, store-bought unit compares.
Click to expand...

Air testing doesnt really give you a real indication of the depth a machine can handle, only the varied ground conditions do. I have dug a piece of old shot from a shot gun it was the tip of my fingers to my elbow, thats 18", 12" digs arnt too uncommon 2"to 10" are daily. A good way to air test is get a ruler lay your machine on a bench, coil up and measure in from the end of the ruler.

I dug this old 14k gold ring 6" under in an old park and had a very clear signal, the earring was about 10" and also clear

14kg.jpg
 
Great, thanks for that - sounds like you're having fun and getting decent results. I was recently involved in developing a ground penetrating radar, and we were seeing at a resolution of a few mm at depths up to around 90cm. The idea was to sweep with a metal detector and identify areas of interest, then run the GPR over and get a sense of exactly what was down there. We could see clear pictures of bottle caps, ring pulls, nails, barbed wire etc. No digging required! Unfortunately, the technology is too expensive for the hobby market, but it's invaluable for sensing mines and IEDs.
 
Sounds like you've found (or should I say got back into) a very interesting hobby my04tone :raz:

Regards
Mr Turbo
 
sjm said:
Great, thanks for that - sounds like you're having fun and getting decent results. I was recently involved in developing a ground penetrating radar, and we were seeing at a resolution of a few mm at depths up to around 90cm. The idea was to sweep with a metal detector and identify areas of interest, then run the GPR over and get a sense of exactly what was down there. We could see clear pictures of bottle caps, ring pulls, nails, barbed wire etc. No digging required! Unfortunately, the technology is too expensive for the hobby market, but it's invaluable for sensing mines and IEDs.
Click to expand...

Minlelab have a machine the CTX 3030 which shows you on its screen wether its junk or a dig, you are up for $3000+ for the machine, but i will maybe upgrade to it in March, that or the XP Deus from France. There are ground penetrating radars in use and one has recently turned up a huge cache of roman coins in the UK, but its far behond the price of mere mortals and it would take the fun out of it for me i think.
 
mr turbo said:
Sounds like you've found (or should I say got back into) a very interesting hobby my04tone :raz:

Regards
Mr Turbo
Click to expand...

Its a bit like going bush in the car, you plan and plot and hope you get it right, i still have to drive offroad into the scrub, but i jump out and see if i can find some relics or coins from the past, i love bushwalking so now i just add my detecting kit to the pack and lug that around. Or the other option? go down to the local park and find some spendable coins :iconwink:
 
I'd love to do some gold detecting. I love walking around the bush & with gold at >$1700 per oz who needs a better reason!

So for a beginner what model would you go for?
 
Well my04tone, your article has inspired us. A couple of weeks ago, on a very hot day, I headed into the City to do battle with ASIC. After eventually finding a carpark (I live here but rarely go into the city) ... I set off to resolve a pressing issue.

Just underway & the phone rang. Six missed calls actually... Kev had taken the kids for a swim in the creek while I was doing battle in the City. He was frantic.... While showing the kids how to skip rocks on the water, he watched... in slow motion... his gold ring come off his finger and slowly settle to the bottom of the creek. He searched for hours, but no joy.

I have always believed things happen in life for a reason.... so.... today our detector arrived! Everyone is excited... soooo... keep everything xxxed for us when we go back to the creek!
 
Probably better off with a shovel and sieve since you already know the exact spot at which it sunk. Hopefully the current is not too strong!
 
ahh thanks sjm.. we were trying not to disturb the spot too much and were "feeling" for it because every time you step or move the water turns cloudy & you can't see. If there's no joy today, we'll do another trip tomorrow with different tools. It's not a fast creek - more a kindof tidal waterhole.....
 
Gravel Rocks... the detector arrived from America this morning... sooo... after not reading the destructions and racing down to where the ring was last seen, to actually find it took about an hour all up... Gotta tell you though, I was very surprised.. I didn't think we'd ever see it again. Metal detector more than paid for itself on its first trip. Will be some more trips soon... now we have been bitten by the bug!
 
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