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| Beach and Water Detecting Tips | |
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I highly recommend getting a loop angle support for your coil. These supports
will keep your coil at the correct angle to the ground while searching even when fighting the surf. |
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When metal detecting in the surf, use a long handled scoop to dig your finds. The scoops
with a curved "loop" handles are great because they will give the best leverage
and tend not to turn when digging. If you aren't using a wood handled scoop, attach some foam
rubber to the handle - it will keep the scoop upright in the water if you drop it. |
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When hunting in dry beach sand, using a wire mesh beach scoop instead of the scoops with
the punched holes makes it easier to sift the sand out, especially if the sand is a bit
damp from rain or mist. |
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New Tip: If you tend to get tired quickly, get a long handled wire mesh beach scoop. These
scoops allow you to dig without crouching or bending over, this saves energy allowing you to detect longer
without discomfort. I use one from Reilly's Treasured Gold.
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When hunting on the beach, take along a stout screwdriver in addition to your short handled beach
scoop. If you hit a layer of shell you can use the screwdriver as a pick to get through - just be careful about
possibly scrathing your find.
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New Tip: Hunt the towel line. On most beaches there is a strip of beach just above the high
tide mark where the majority of beach goers set down their towels and chairs. This can be one of the most productive
areas to search and since it is in the dry sand it is very easy to dig targets. This is typically one of the first areas
I hunt on a beach, lots of dropped coins and a good chance of jewelry.
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| White's BeachHunter ID Tips | |
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The best way to carry your Beachhunter is to either hip ot chest mount the
machine. You should have received a yellow and black nylon pouch with your unit, to use it
unhook the control box from the handle and slip the control box into the pouch, secure it with the
plastic clasps. Slip a belt through the loops to carry it at your waist. To chest mount you will
need an additional strap to hang around your neck. |
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To get the best depth with your unit, you need to run it on as high of sensitivty as
you can. I am lucky being in South West Florida that I can typically run at MAX sensitivity in the
dry sand and just above the preset in the wet without getting false signals.
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One of the main issues with the BeachHunter is that the coil floats, there are
several ways to stop the coil from floating including tieing a sand-filled sock to the lower rod,
using ankle weights, etc. Since I hipmount the unit the floating coil is not really that big
of an issue, additionally I do a lot of regular beach hunting with the unit so the lighter coil
is nice in that regard.
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Make sure to clean your unit thoroughly after submersing it in salt water. Taking the
time to do this will keep your machine looking like new for a long time and protect any parts from
the corrosive effects of salt water. Make sure to separate the lower rod and rinse the inside of the
whole shaft assembly. After rinsing and drying the control box, remove the battery compartment plug
then rinse off the plug and dry.
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| White's Spectrum XLT Tips | |
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Spectrum XLT owners can find custom programs on the Web. Just do a search from your favorite
search engine on "XLT custom programs", you will be sure to find some. |
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Investing in a small loop coil is well worth it. I have hunted trash packed parks with
my XLT with 5.3 coil with very good results. The larger coils just don't allow you to separate out the
good targets well enough in areas of heavy trash. If you can pick one up a used one on e-bay or a
treasure hunters classified section it can save you $40-$60 bucks. On the topic of extra coils, getting an
additional lower shaft makes swapping out coils a lot easier, they are relatively inexpensive.
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| Research Tips | |
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To find the best detecting spots in your area, head to the local history section of your
town or city library. You will find information on where the early residents of your area
lived and congregated. |
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A great way to find virgin detecting spots is to read old newspapers from your area. Most libraries
have copies of early newspapers on microfiche for you to read, when you find interesting articles you can typically
print them for a nominal fee. Look for local fairs, concerts, religious events, etc. the location of any type of
gathering may yield results.
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| General Detecting Tips | |
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New Tip: Read everything you can find about your detector. This includes reviews, personal
web sites, technical papers, books, etc. You will probably be surprised about how much is written about your detector of
choice. Besides, it being fun reading how others are finding great stuff and it is an easy way to learn more than
you might be able to on your own. |
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New Tip: Like a lot of detectorists, I practice detecting in park and school playgrounds with
sand or wood-chips under the swings and monkey-bars. It is easy digging and there are typically a lot of targets. Most
detectorists will only hit the hi traffic areas: the swing sets, under the monkey bars, etc. This allows the open areas
and perimeter to accumulate targets. Next time you are out, give the perimeter and those open areas a few passes - I
think you will be surprised. |
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I wasn't able to get really experienced with my detectors until I created a test garden
to experiment with detector settings on known targets. Find a spot on your yard free of
metal items and away from interference like buried lines. "plant" coins and
trash items at various depths. Make sure you plant some trash items near to or partially
covering good items. When finished, play with the settings on your detector(s) to learn
how they effect what you will find in the field. It is especially important to know how
your detector reacts to trash items partially covering good targets. |
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Don't be afraid of asking permission to search the yards of private homes. They are the
last and largest untouched areas to detect. The best (and safest) way to ask permission
is to write the home owners a letter, then followup with a phone call if you have their
number. The worst that can happen is they say no, if they do move on to the next one. |
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Practice retrieving objects in your own yard before you make a bad name for yourself on someone else's property. There is simply no reason to dig sloppy holes. Carefully pinpoint your target and mark the spot with a small item like a golf tee (wood or plastic). If your detector can read depth, use it... Items 0-4 inches deep should be easily retrieved with a blunt tip screwdriver if you pinpoint with accuracy. Items deeper than that will probably need to be plugged. Cut a deep 4-6 inch wide three sided plug then flip the plug open towards the uncut side. Use a drop cloth and place any dirt from the hole onto the cloth. Retrieve the target, making sure to check for additional targets then slide the dirt back into the hole and tamp down the sod back into place. If the soil is dry it is a good idea to keep a jug of water/fertilizer mixture and apply to any holes have dug. |
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©2006 by MCS