LSUROCKS
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2011
Posts: 137
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Post by LSUROCKS on Jun 9, 2011 14:07:38 GMT -5
Was just wondering if anyone here does any metal detecting. I started a few weeks ago and I am totally hooked. Let me know if you do and what kind of stuff you find.
Preston
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Post by johnjsgems on Jun 9, 2011 14:55:41 GMT -5
No, but been thinking of it. I worked with a guy out here that poked around where the original town dump of Yermo was. He found all kinds of interesting things. My favorite was a braided horse hair bridal with bit. He found old coins also. What kind of detector do you have?
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Post by jakesrocks on Jun 9, 2011 15:02:54 GMT -5
I've done a bit here in N.E. South Dakota. Haven't found anything yet, except a bunch of modern coins. Recently got permission to detect an old abandoned farm, and have an old one room school house about a mile from me that I want to check out. I use a Minelab Exterra 70. Don
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Post by johnjsgems on Jun 9, 2011 15:24:34 GMT -5
Don or Preston, I guess my real question is what does it cost for something that would work well? I see prices all over the place and would hate to waste money on something that didn't work. Speaking of schools the guy I mentioned found a brass coin looking school award up at the old Yermo site as well. For those that know the Calico Mountains, the original Yermo sat on the hill above where the inspection station on the 15 is now.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,472
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 9, 2011 15:36:18 GMT -5
I used to do a lot of detecting back in California. Had a couple of fancy Garret Rigs. Sold my stuff when I moved because here in Texas, almost all land is private or restricted so there's not a lot of places around here to collect. Used to find a lot of coins, a few rings, medals ( my old office was on an old military base), lots of live ammo, old mining junk and horseshoes, a few watches etc etc. Was in Ventura County so a lot of the older coins were Mexican stuff but still found a lot of silver more modern stuff and jewelry. Really liked the Garret as it would shoot and ID coins pretty deep and had a ground balance feature which came in handy on my ranch in the gold country as the ground there was very metallic. Fun hobby but all the friggin squatting and digging used to give my shot old knees fits. Had a rechargable battery pack which lasted just long enough for me to detect on my lunch hours at work. Was a very cheap way to detect. I never made a big find but was on the base one day and another guy with a Whites detector found a massive men's gold ring with what looked to be a big diamond not fifty feet from my detecting path. *L* Missed it by that much...Mel
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LSUROCKS
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2011
Posts: 137
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Post by LSUROCKS on Jun 9, 2011 15:48:08 GMT -5
John I have a Bounty Hunter Time Ranger which sells for around $300 right now. It has all the features of a $1000 machine and works awesome. The most popular machines out there are the Garrett ACE 250, Fisher F2 and the Tesora Compadre those will run you about $250 brand new with some accessories. Go to www.kellycodetectors.com and check them out they are in the top 3 detector companies out there and you can get a crapload of free accessories when you get thier detectors. If you have anymore questions please let me know.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,472
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 9, 2011 15:50:19 GMT -5
John: I did quite a lot of research before I bought my detectors and Garrett had the best deals. Whites are good too but usually more expensive. Best thing about Garrett is they have package deals where you save a bunch of money and they have excellent customer service. Got mine years ago so no correspondence to today's models but mine came with three coils, case, rechargable battery pack and quick charger, earphones ( got to have them), instructional guide and a couple of books, and a digging tool and beach scoop. Machine was durable ( I had mine at least ten years before I sold it and it still worked perfectly) and it was easy to use and accurate. If it said a silver quarter was at a certain spot and depth, it was there but you do have to get used to the coil before you get real accurate with your digging. The tiny coils are good for nugget hunting etc and the large for coin shooting deep coins. I preferred to use the medium coil, about 10", most the time once I got used to it.....Mel
Oh yeah, I think I did get my detectors from Kellyco now that LSU has mentioned it.
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Post by texaswoodie on Jun 9, 2011 16:32:02 GMT -5
I have a Garrett Ace 250 but I seldom have time to use it. I've found some silver coins and a ton of junk but have yet to find a gold ring.
Curt
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Post by NatureNut on Jun 9, 2011 17:41:15 GMT -5
We bought a Garrett Ace 250 package before we left last year. It was funny, I was getting extra keys made and got to talking to the guy at the locksmith shop. They have a club and do metal detecting for the local PA historic parks to find revolutionary war artifacts and such. One of the members had a good deal on a package so Bill and I bought one for ourselves for Father's Day and my birthday. We've used it a little on our travels. Not as much as we wish we did. Bill doesn't have the patience for using it too long. But, we had alot of fun using it on the beaches in the Pacific Northwest and I think the best thing we found was a silver wedding ring. The locksmith guy recommended getting two extra things... a pinpointer and a sand scoop. The pinpointer is awesome and does exactly what the name says, helps you pinpoint the item. You can use the point right in the dirt and dig around for it. Here is a link to the sand scoop: www.golddiggermetaldetectors.com/sandscoops_aluminum.php#STRAIGHTI do hope to use it more. Jo
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Post by kap on Jun 9, 2011 17:44:14 GMT -5
Have not had mine out in a while but I love my White's. The best find I have is a Mens nugget ring with a Diamond in the center I found it in Biloxi Miss. on the beach. I have a few coffe cans full of coins and other jewelry. Keith
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rockncajun
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2009
Posts: 344
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Post by rockncajun on Jun 9, 2011 19:06:40 GMT -5
Just got my Fisher a few months ago and haven't had time to use it yet. You know, rocks rocks rocks
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Jun 9, 2011 19:40:11 GMT -5
What Mel said. Louisiana is the same as Texas, there's no place it's legal to detect. Everything is in private hands.
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Post by johnjsgems on Jun 9, 2011 19:46:00 GMT -5
So will the $250-$300 all purpose units do well for relics, coins, and finding a fortune in gold nuggets? Lots of old mines not far away.
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wyobrian
fully equipped rock polisher
GO VIKINGS
Member since February 2009
Posts: 1,739
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Post by wyobrian on Jun 9, 2011 20:12:27 GMT -5
I got a used Garrett GTI 2000 for $50.00 works Great i think it was used only one time.
Brian
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Post by NatureNut on Jun 9, 2011 21:44:37 GMT -5
John, we did a test in Quartzsite on some gold nuggets and gold dust in a vial. My Garret Ace 250 against one made for gold (can't remember what it was, but can ask). Mine did okay, it did detect a couple of the nuggets and the dust, but the other was much better. I was told to just keep it on "All Metal" and it would pick up whatever is there. You'd be surprised all the stuff you find. Yes, you'll get your share of foil and pop tops, but that's part of cleaning up the Earth while you're doing your thing.
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Post by johnjsgems on Jun 9, 2011 21:46:14 GMT -5
$50!!! That's the exact model I need. I looked at the link above. Too many choices, too confusing.
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blessed
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2010
Posts: 329
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Post by blessed on Jun 9, 2011 22:12:54 GMT -5
There are several good detecters on the market to choose from. Buy a name brand. I have a white's spectra,good machine, but expensive. I haven't found much of anything. Haven't been out in several years. Blessed
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Post by gr on Jun 9, 2011 22:22:21 GMT -5
I don't any more but, in 1974, going thru boot camp in SanDiego, my wife and I would hit the playgrounds (especially around the swingsets) and find enough change to help us make it to payday. Never found much on the beaches though. Thought we hit the mother load though one day. My whites detector started singin real loud; only to find someones buried aluminium dinnerware.
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snuffy
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Jun 9, 2011 22:35:12 GMT -5
I've got one,dont use it anymore. I searched around old homesites in the area. Finally figured out that the poor folks around here didnt go around slinging coins out in the yard.Didnt pull out coins with a set of keys crawling up on the wagon with mules.Places rich in history would be a different story,but nothing close to me.
snuffy
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,472
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 9, 2011 22:58:33 GMT -5
I agree with Snuffy. Working with the AG dept I got access to a few old homesteads and was expecting lots of Indian head Pennies etc. After many hours of detecting I decided two things were true in the area of California I was working. Number one was in those old days folks did not lose a lot of coins or much of value at all. They were just more careful with money than we are today. Second, for older coins sedimentation is a big deal in that area and any old coins were buried very deep beyond the detector range. You must have an area where the soils are very shallow. Only real old coins I found were at sites that were being graded or along creeks where the coins plainly washed out of deeper deposits. And even then, most the coins were from the WWI era. I used to throw all my modern coins into a pot and every now and then, I'd cash them in and buy me a nice older coin but I actually found very few. Got to say though that in a good park or schoolground it was easy to find enough coins to make lunch almost any day and some days a good bit more....Mel
PS: It was hard to get rid of dug coins in California too as the copper clad coins turn nasty looking in the soil. Was necessary to burnish them a bit in the tumbler to clean them up a bit and still. lots of stores turned them down and banks did not like them either.
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