Getting Started With Detecting
So, you’ve seen some swag shared on the community and maybe starting to yearn for the seven soils. Claim ye own artifacts and doubloons, perhaps?
All you need is:
- a detector
- a pinpointer
- a digging device like a trowel
The Detector
What exactly is a metal detector? Well on the simplest level its a fancy stick with a weird circular flat end that makes a beeping noise when you move it over a metal object.
You swing it around with the head near the ground in a back-and-forth S pattern and hope you find a beep. More fancy detectors have more beep tones and let you tune out undesirable beeps like scrap iron.
Buying the detector
The detector is the most important tool to invest in. They come at many different price points. The cheapest are around 60$, the middle tier brands are 120-180$, and the fancy name brand Garrett ACE 300 starts at 270$.
I would recommend starting with a cheap sub 100$ one. If you find the hobby is something to continue with after a season or two then save up for a better one if needed. The difference the money makes is mostly in how fancy the controls are with extra digital microprocessor signal tuning.
The detector I have is made by Bounty Hunter probably an older version of their 150$ Discovery 3300. Its lasted well over the decade so I feel somewhat confident in recommending them as a brand (though I never handled the newer detectors). The cheapest detector Bounty Hunter makes is the 70$ TK4 traker 4 which is all old school analogue with dials and meter.
Whether you think the 70$ should go to go a no-name brand digital detector or a name brand analog one or just go for the 150$ name brand digital is all up to you and your budget.
The Pinpointer
The next thing you will need is a pinpointer. A pinpointer is a small mini-detector that emits a stronger or weaker signal the closer it gets to directly touching a metal object. The big detector gives general proximity, this small detector actually goes in the hole/plug you dig to sus out the object from the soil.
Buying the pinpointer
These are much cheaper than the big detectors. The no-names start at 10$ and the name brand Garrett is 40$. Its worth noting that dry land pinpointer make sounds but if you are interested in water detecting in a creek or anywhere like that you probably want to get a waterproof pinpointer that vibrates. Again I recommend just get the cheap 10$ or middle budget 20$ just to start with.
Digging Tool
The final piece of needed equipment is something to dig with. Chances are you have a metal trowel lying around which does fine! Feel free to use it starting out, but the leverage and mechanical force needed for digging plugs will quickly wear regular gardening trowels out. A small shovel works and some people pefer that. I recommend getting a proper heavy duty metal detecting trowel. Its more knife-ish and offers better leverage for the plugs. I personally got this one and am LOVING it so far.
What To Do Next?
Take some time to familiarize yourself with the detector and pinpointer by testing them out on household metal objects. After your confident it all works, the only thing left to do is find a signal in the back yard. Its time to d-d-d-duelig!
The Process
Put your arm into the detectors wrist support and grip the handle. Make sure the head is pointed parallel flat to the ground as close as possible almost touching the soil.
Sensitivity & Discrimination levels
Nows the time to adjust sensitivity and discrimination settings. A lower sensitivity means less likely to hit ghost signals or objects too deep into the soil, but if its set too low it might not pick up small objects like coins or jewelry. I recommend turning it down a notch or two but you should be fine just leaving it be if its too much complication.
Discrimination allows you to tune out scrap iron, but I recommend you leave it alone your first few sessions. Iron is good practice and anything made of iron is likely to be a bigger object making it easier to find.
Sweep & Mark
Slowly sweep the detector back and forth left right left right and start walking.
Eventually your detector will make a beep, you’ve maybe found something! Run it back and forth over the spot that you think made the beep. If you can get it to consistently hit a signal within a small area of a foot or so, you’ve done the best you can.
If your detector has a pinpointing function, you can push and hold the pinpoint button right after the signal is hit to more precicely lock down the spot to dig.
Make a mental note of the exact spot you think the signal is coming from and put your trowel in there so its marked. Then set your detector down with its head facing away from the hole. Its time to turn on the pinpointer and get digging.
Pinpointing The Plug
The plug is essentially a fancy hole that you intend to fill back up in near pristine condition. Its a method to peel back the ground layer without tearing out the lawn grass.
Before you begin cutting, take your pinpointer, turn it on, and sweep the ground around where you marked the signal. You might get lucky and have the pinpointer find a hit, indicating exactly where to dig.
Start by cutting a 6 inch to 1 foot long straight line in the soil as deep as your digging tools blade length. Then on one end of the line begin another cut to form two sides of a triangle.
Make sure your angle is wide for a big obtuse triangle for more searching area. Leave the third side alone as thats where the grass holds onto the plug when you peel back. Use your digging tool and pry up the plug which should now be ready, pulling up the tip where the two lines connect up and over the uncut side.
Now take your pinpointer and shove it in the hole. Pray you got lucky and hope it beeps somewhere. If it does, your in the home stretch. Just start digging in the direction it beeps/vibrates. The more beeping/vibrating the closer your getting. Often I’ll scrape the object with my trowel thinking its another stone only to notice metallic shine from the scrape spot.
If you didn’t find anything with the pinpointer, thats okay too! Mentally prepare for this outcome as its a likely one. Maybe your plug was 6 inches too far to the left, maybe the object is more than a few inches into the soil and not worth getting, maybe its a ghost signal. You can try making another plug adjacent/nearby or just cut losses and move on.
In either case, when its time to fill up the hole make sure you do your best to get all the dirt and rocks back in there, that the grass is relatively clean and work the plug back in so its flush and nobody can tell it was ever there. Its proper ettiquite and your personal responsibility as a detectorist to not make a permanent ugly hole when on public lands. So its good to practice your plugs in the back yard first ideally where theres not much footpath.
The Booty
Whatever you pull out is going to be absolutely layer-caked in dirt which is easily cleaned with warm water, soap, sponge, brush, and cloth.
I hope whatever you pull is an exciting and memorable piece like a car part, or gold plated locket face, paint can, a quarter, ect. But even if its not and just a pull tap or a piece of mowed aluminum can scrap, keep it. Be proud of your finds no matter how small. Get a display case and show those pull tabs off as if they were fine jewels. Try to remember the exact day and moment you pulled each one.
At the end of the day, its about the journey and the experience. Being active, swinging the detector, digging the hole, pinpointing the booty, those moments are the real treasure. A neat metal nick-nack to show off is a nice bonus.
Speaking of, I hope that if you do find something be it scrap or jewelery or artifact, that you show it off here.