Choosing a Metal Detector
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Are you looking for a great hobby or dreaming of finding buried treasure? Then metal detecting may be the rewarding hobby you are looking for. It can provide hours of enjoyment and exercise outdoors and you could find enough ‘buried treasure’ to pay back your investment in a short time. Metal detectors cost from about $400 to over $1500 so before you invest decide a few things about how and where you are going to use your metal detector to ensure you buy one appropriate for your purpose. There are metal detector clubs in most countries and joining one could help you to get started and become effective much faster by listening and learning from the ‘old hands’.
Types of Meta Detectors
There are three types of detectors available, motion, pulse and multi frequency detectors. For treasure hunting on land or fresh water a motion detector would be the best buy. If you intend to use your detector in salt water choose a pulse type. A multi frequency detector would be suitable for either but is more expensive. Some advanced land detectors have sophisticated features to display the type of metal and the depth. Detectors designed to be used in water do not have this feature but can be used in shallow water or even completely submerged. A cheap model that can only detect metal at a shallow depth will probably only yield poor quality ‘treasure’, in other words a lot of junk! Spending more on a better quality machine will allow you to detect at a greater depth and result in better quality finds.
Metal detectors can find object buried to about twelve inches below the surface. The depth depends on a number of factors, for instance the type and quality of the detector,the type of metal, the size of the object and the composition of the soil. Soil with a high mineral content will interfere with detection and reduce the depth penetration. Other metals will also interfere. Before you purchase a machine consider where you will be using it. if you are only going to be detecting on land there is no need for a machine capable of being used in water. Some machines are much better for finding silver for instance than gold. Start by looking at the types of detecting below and see which one appeals to you.
Types of Treasure Hunting
Relic Hunting - looking for historic relics, for instance buttons, metals from the Civil War era.
Treasure Hunting - specifically searching for gold and silver. In the sea searching shipwrecks.
Coin Shooting - hunting for old gold and silver coins
General - Looking for gold nuggets or other valuable metals
Beach Hunting - Searching in dry sand for jewelry and coins
Water Hunting - Finding jewelry and coins by wading in shallow water
Functions
Now you have identified what you will be using your metal detector for it’s time to look at the functions available.
Depth - Detectors are designed to work at different depths so check the specifications of the detector.
Alerts - Detectors use various means to alert the operator when a target has been detected. Audio, or visual alerts are most common. A cheap detector will use the same tone for any type of metal while a more expensive machine may have different beeps depending on the metal of the target. The top of the range detectors may have distinct tones for different types of target, for example one tone for gold, another for coin.
Detection Modes - Settings on many detectors can be used to change setting depending on the type of metal you are looking for. this could be coins, jewelry, relics or gold. Some detectors work in many modes at the same time while others allow you to search in each mode individually only. Setting a mode for the type of metal you are searching for can help to eliminate false negatives.
Ground Balance - Highly mineralised soil can interfere with detection so many detectors have setting to allow you to adjust for this. More expensive models can automatically make adjustments for minerals in the soil and eliminate false signals.
Sensitivity - Sensitivity can be adjusted on most detectors so they are less sensitive to ground minerals or any other objects. This can be useful in eliminating junk but can lead to missing some objects. Beginners should start with by looking at all targets except for areas with high levels of junk until they get a feel for the machine.
Metal Discrimination - Some machines can be set to eliminate signals from iron, others have enhanced sensitivity for gold or silver
Weight - You will be using the metal detector for extended periods of time do it is important to check the weight and ensure it is comfortable for you to use. Some can be mounted on a waist box to eliminate arm fatigue.
Batteries - Most detectors use AA batteries with operating times varying between two hours to over 30 hours. Rechargeable batteries are a good idea and always carry some spares with you.
Budget
Now you have an idea of the features you need it is time to look at the various models available and choose one within your budget. A good secondhand machine will allow you to purchase a detector with more features at a lower cost than buying new. Check out our Whites Metal Detectors and Tesoro Metal Detectors for some good value new and used machines.
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