1/15/15 Report - Todays Beach Conditions. Getting To Know A New Detector. A Few Notes On Buying A Detector.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.BlogSpot.com.

Two Treasure Coast Beach Views This Morning Near Low Tide.

 

 

As you can see from the top picture the North winds caused some fresh cutting.  Not much though.

 

I went out to test out a new detector.  It took me a little while to get the settings how I wanted them, but not too long.

 

I only spent a little over two hours with this detector, so am far from mastering it.  I was pleased with the performance even though I need to spend a lot more time and learn a lot more about it.

 

One thing that was difficult for me this morning was interpreting the signals.  With detectors that I have used a lot, I know what they are telling me.   Not nearly as much with this detector.  That will take a little time.

 

It is known as a "heavy" detector, and when you pick it up you can feel that it is indeed heavy, but it didn't swing heavy.  In actual use it didn't feel any heavier than what I have been using.

 

It always takes me a while to feel comfortable with a detector that I haven't used a lot.  Testing with test objects helps. 

 

I took coins and gold for test purposes.  The response to both seemed good.

 

There are a lot of good detectors to choose from.  I know there are people who will swear that one particular detector is the best.   I think there is always more than one good choice.

 

A lot of people want advice on what detector they should buy.  I can't answer that question.  I believe that the choice of detector is a highly personal one.   It depends upon so many factors.  It depends upon where you hunt and what you want to find.  Most people know that.  But it also depends upon how you hunt, your personality, and even your arsenal.  

 

By arsenal I mean what other detectors you have or use.  Different detectors will serve well for different hunts and even different stages of a hunt.  I've talked about all of that before.

 

I might start out detecting a site using one detector and then follow up with one or two other detectors.  

 

If you are just trying out detecting, I'd suggest that you select an inexpensive and easy to use detector.  Some inexpensive detectors perform very well for the price.  I've gone over that before using one particular example. 

 

If you stick with the hobby and decide you want to invest in a more expensive detector, the first detector will still be a nice backup, plus you'll probably find that it does certain things very well, and is worth keeping around.

 

For beginners I highly recommend visiting a shop where you can get a demonstration of any detector that you might consider.  Not only will that help you understand what to expect from that detector but it will also help shorten the learning curve.

 

Even if you are an advanced detectorist, it is still good to personally see a detector in operation before you lay down the money.  Take test targets with you.  I don't care how deep a detector will detect clad coins unless that is what I want to find.  Take small gold test targets or small cobs if that is what you want to find. 

 

You can read all the literature you can find and watch all the Youtube videos, but once you start actually using a new detector, it is likely that new questions will come up.  Of course, you can settle most of those by actual experimentation, but you want to learn all you can before you make your choice and commit to a particular detector.

 

That isn't what I started out to talk about today.  I'll get back to that some other day.

 

 

Copper and Encrusted Coin Found This Morning.



The first coin I found with the detector I was testing was a deep and heavily encrusted coin (See above.)  Just a penny though.  I think it was the most encrusted coin I ever found.  The crust was almost round and almost the size of a golf ball.   Most of it was removed before I could see any of the coin and before the photo was taken.

 

Another find from this morning was in a clump of rock. It seems to be a point, but not like a point from a blade.  It is triangular in shape.  You can see that in the second photo.

 

That was in a big clump about the size of two large fists.

We still have a North wind and will have the same tomorrow.  Too bad there isn't a bigger surf.

Beach detecting conditions will remain poor overall.

Happy hunting,
TreaureGuide@Comcast.net