Drop a dime on the ground and "play" with it - get used to the tone that the dime produces in the detector. Then try a larger coin, a nail or two, etc., so you can compare the differences that each metallic object produces. Try burying a finishing brad point down in the ground if you want a challenge - maybe paint its head orange so you can find it visually and not lose it. What you are doing is simply calibrating your personal detecting technique - the speed of your swing, narrowing down a hit, etc. Oh, and have fun! (I gotta wait until the ground thaws in about 3 months ...)