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10-29-2020, 06:43 PM
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Metal detecting
Thinking of getting into metal detecting and looking real hard at the Garret AT Pro. Anyone here have or used this model and what do you think of it?
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10-29-2020, 06:51 PM
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My metal detecting hobby was the longest 3 hours of my life. I found a quarter and a fork.
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10-29-2020, 06:52 PM
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Might want to join this forum.
Pretty dedicated and knowledgeable membership in all things metal detecting.
I use a White's so no help!
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10-29-2020, 08:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mistered
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thanks for the link. I have a Minelab Explorer XS
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10-29-2020, 08:37 PM
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Well known and highly respected brand. If you like being outside it's great exercise and a lot of fun. Don't expect to strike it rich, but you never know!
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10-29-2020, 08:45 PM
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Story from Monday 2 weeks ago. Lost my cell phone while on the tractor plowing up a food plot. My wife pinged it and showed up on GPS over view as being in the north end of my field. I took off back over and walked the field at sundown and found nothing. By then phone was dead. But at least I knew about where it was. Next morning early I went to Harbor Freight and bought a metal detector for $60.00. Back to the field. Started walking the field. Sweeping it ahead of me. Down and back up. When I got midway the north end of the field. The detector went off. I started digging. About 7 inches under the dirt I found my phone(unharmed!). Halleluya!!!!!!. So spending $60.00 saved me spending $800 to $1000 for a new phone. I had bottom plowed the field and came back and harrowed it twice. Sometime then it had fallen out of my pocket.
Good luck with your better detector. Hope you find lots of goodies.
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10-29-2020, 09:57 PM
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You can't go wrong with a Garrett. Personally I have a Fisher F44 which I really like, my metal detecting buddy (my BIL) has a Garrett ACE400 which seems to work fine. The PRO is a step up in options from the ACE400.
As others have said, go join the metal detecting forum, lots of good info and people there, and you won't get rich metal detecting. Weve been doing it for 3 years now and I havent come close to paying for my gear yet. The fun isn't in making money, it's in the search and research when you find something interesting.
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10-29-2020, 10:02 PM
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I lost a hearing aid a couple years ago, in some thick dead grass. I knew it was in a 20’ diameter circle. I borrowed an old detector, but never found it. I tossed my other hearing aid on the ground, and the detector never picked it up.
Guess a broken detector.
A friend in Ks goes frequently where military camps were in the 1800s. He finds lots of old fired cartridges, bullets, occasional brass buttons, etc.
I’ve never done it but sounds like fun.
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10-29-2020, 10:35 PM
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without hearing aids, how do you hear your wife telling you to wash the dishes?
Quote:
Originally Posted by df06
I lost a hearing aid a couple years ago, in some thick dead grass. I knew it was in a 20’ diameter circle. I borrowed an old detector, but never found it. I tossed my other hearing aid on the ground, and the detector never picked it up.
Guess a broken detector.
A friend in Ks goes frequently where military camps were in the 1800s. He finds lots of old fired cartridges, bullets, occasional brass buttons, etc.
I’ve never done it but sounds like fun.
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10-29-2020, 11:29 PM
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I go way back in metal detecting. Back in the 70s my brother and I assembled a Heathkit metal detector. It was probably primitive by today's standards but it worked to some degree. I remember finding a bunch of coins and a silver medal on the beach at Ocean City, MD where my parents and I stayed after I graduated from school. The hotel had no qualms about it because I told them their beach would end up cleaner because I would find a lot of snap-tops from cans. I still have all the good stuff I found.
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10-30-2020, 01:29 AM
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Depending on your budget, I'd recommend the Equinox 600 or 800. I had a Garrett Ace 400, good middle range detector. Found $500 in change, used this towards a Nox 800, truly one of the best machines you can buy. It retails for $900, but Minelab offers a 15% discount for military (DD214). You won't outgrow this one.
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10-30-2020, 07:10 AM
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You guys should watch a BBC comedy series on Amazon Prime called "The Detectorists" about a metal detector club searching the English countryside for buried Roman treasure.
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10-30-2020, 08:56 AM
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Another detecting site...with forums dedicated to just about all different brands of detectors. There are hunt clubs as well...probably a lot of experienced detectorists in the your area. Read up.
Find's Treasure Forums
and another..
TreasureNet - The Original Treasure Hunting Website
I spend a lot of time detecting old home sites, especially in rural areas. Research and permission from property owner are most important for my hunting locales. Public parks and beaches are fair game, but most have already been hunted over and the pickings are slim. People tend to be impatient and give up too soon, so you may consider looking for a slightly used detector on ebay.
Last edited by jughed440; 10-30-2020 at 09:18 AM.
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10-30-2020, 09:25 AM
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I used the one from work to find my wife's wedding ring twice. A handy little device.
I was looking at a Garret 400. Metal detecting would be a good hobby during this time of distancing.
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10-30-2020, 10:48 AM
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In 1933 the Federal Government confiscated gold money. Starting in 1933 a lot of gold money was buried or otherwise hidden. Some of that gold is still where it was hidden, check around the chimneys at old home places and nearby trees. Always get permission to search.
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10-30-2020, 11:01 AM
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I use a Whites, and have found a lot of good stuff, but my hearing has gone bad, and I think I miss a lot of hits as a result. Get a good one - not the cheapest - unless you desire to dig up a lot of pull tabs and other junk. Most importantly, repair all your dig holes ! Metal detectorists are their worst enemy in the PR department. Leave the areas like you found them.
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10-30-2020, 11:23 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JcMack
You guys should watch a BBC comedy series on Amazon Prime called "The Detectorists" about a metal detector club searching the English countryside for buried Roman treasure.
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Loved that show, quirky British humor.
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10-30-2020, 02:05 PM
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I've often thought of getting one to explore the small island that I live on. Now my interest has been renewed and I'm not sure if I should thank the OP or not however it doesn't look too strenuous so it could be a nice hobby for an old geezer.
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10-30-2020, 02:47 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Deceasedeye
In 1933 the Federal Government confiscated gold money. Starting in 1933 a lot of gold money was buried or otherwise hidden. Some of that gold is still where it was hidden, check around the chimneys at old home places and nearby trees. Always get permission to search.
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What is the customary arrangement wih the property owner about what is found? Is there an agreement to share or is it just the finders?
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10-30-2020, 03:56 PM
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The landowners I've dealt with, except for one, was always great. They didn't want any of the finds, but were always appreciative in seeing what I dug up. My one exception was a vicious old pfart that wanted me off his place immediately - probably didn't want me discovering his still or something. Ask first. Some cities have ordinances about it, and NEVER detect in or near a cemetery.
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10-30-2020, 06:32 PM
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Well after searching the web and looking at different detecting sites and researching numerous metal detectors I went ahead and got the AT Pro. Hopefully it will lead to many enjoyable days in my soon to be retirement. Thanks for all of your input.
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10-30-2020, 09:01 PM
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Make sure you get one that works underwater...I got into working creeks, looking for gold. The first time out it was early September, spawning time for landlocked Sockeye. I was working my way along a beautiful year round creek taking advantage of low water to search hidden pockets, had my eyephones on humming to myself listening for that tone, looked up and right across the creek was a nice black bear working riffles for spawners. We both eyeballed each other for a couple seconds before going back to business, I loved that...he minded his, I minded mine. It did have me checking myself because a little further up that drainage and your in a grizzly habitat, just the other side of where this creek starts on the other side the Granby river starts, that drainage supports a healthy grizzly population. A couple of the guys used to work the public beach at the other end of the lake, I worked the far end and found a few interesting items. I got to where I could adjust all the scrap out and concentrated on the heavy tones of precious metals. I loved that deep BONG. It also came in handy once while trying to locate a property marker, worked like a charm. For the life of me I can't remember the name, its been a dozen years I sold the unit off when we left Canada.
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10-30-2020, 09:49 PM
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Several years ago there was an article in the Peoria Illinois newspaper about metal detecting.
There’s a club in the area that spends one maybe two weekends a month searching parks and such. It paid for a nice vacation every year according to them.
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10-31-2020, 11:40 AM
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I have a White's M-6 I snagged off of ebay years ago. A killer coin shooter, and I've been happy with it. Detectors are like guns, everyone has their favorite, all you can do is read reviews, and find one in your price point. It's a fun hobby, although the older I get, the harder it is to get up after kneeling for a signal. Have fun...
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10-31-2020, 04:32 PM
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Here’s my Bronze Age stash:
All but the large coin in upper-right were found with a White’s in Holland, France, and Belgium.
There was a Roman road about a mile from the house in which I spent my teens, so the surrounding fields were decent pickings.
The packet describing dangerous ordnance to avoid was many multiples of the thickness of the manual. Thankfully, I found nothing large.
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10-31-2020, 05:11 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sgt911
My metal detecting hobby was the longest 3 hours of my life. I found a quarter and a fork.
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That's GREAT!
I have around 800 brand new unused .40 S&W cases and about 300 factory rounds too.
I was walking down a trail one day and decided to pop off a reload at who knows what, and instead of the empty ejecting to the right, it flew right over my head and into some seriously dense undergrowth.
On three different occasions I spent about 20 minutes each time trying to find that one stupid case!
Never found it...
Wish I'd of had a metal detector then.
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10-31-2020, 05:19 PM
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the AT Pro finds small gold, good machine. Ive got a minelab Excalibur I like that shallow water at miami beach and in the keys, it also has a discriminator on it so I don't have to dig all those bottle caps. Like another gentleman said its great exercise and can be very rewarding good luck
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10-31-2020, 05:34 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PatriotX
Here’s my Bronze Age stash:
All but the large coin in upper-right were found with a White’s in Holland, France, and Belgium.
There was a Roman road about a mile from the house in which I spent my teens, so the surrounding fields were decent pickings.
The packet describing dangerous ordnance to avoid was many multiples of the thickness of the manual. Thankfully, I found nothing large.
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My fork looked nothing like those. It was pretty crusty but I could make out "mad n hina" so I figured it was a jewel from the mysterious far east. The quarter I found was old too, it dated back to the Gerald Ford dynasty.
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10-31-2020, 05:55 PM
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I also have the Garrett Ace 400. It works well enough to find all the good stuff. most important accessory is a pinpointer...saves tons of time finding the treasure in your plug you dig, or below your plug.
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11-02-2020, 10:31 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spricks
I also have the Garrett Ace 400. It works well enough to find all the good stuff. most important accessory is a pinpointer...saves tons of time finding the treasure in your plug you dig, or below your plug.
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Agree with this. Do yourself a favor and just go ahead and budget for a quality pinpointer. I know it's hard to pass up as those cheap Amazon knockoffs but my advice is to just spend the $$$$ on a real name brand quality one.
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11-05-2020, 06:19 PM
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Thanks to you fine folks I ordered an Equinox 600 and a bunch of accessories last night. It didn't start out to bad with the military discount but ended up a whole lot more with accessories.
Last edited by beaverislander; 11-05-2020 at 06:35 PM.
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11-06-2020, 02:41 AM
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My son has an AT Pro. He is happy with it. Better than his old Fisher F2. The Fisher was great until you got in damp soil or areas high in iron. Like any detector, it requires time to learn it's capabilities.
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11-06-2020, 08:34 PM
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A buddy had one back when. A neighbor heard about him having one a few weeks later and went to his house asking if he could help he find a gold chain she’d lost in the grass. Well that was right up his alley. A chance to be a hero! Back and forth he went, up and down the yard. Not a peep. The neighbor was walking with him watching the “head” of the detector. All of the sudden she hollers and there it is, right where he’d just swept. Never made a sound. I don’t think he even looked at the manual. He wound up giving it away. This was and older unit that had knobs to manually set the ground balance and discriminator settlings.
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