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 Replies: 19 / Views: 3,364 |
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Valued Member
United States
60 Posts |
Well after looking at metal detectors for the past year and keeping an eye on this forum I got a nice surprise when my girlfriend presented me with a Garret Ace 150 for my birthday! On our weekend camping trip we put it through its paces. Just a quick search around the campsite turned up 3 pennys and a plethora of nails, tacks, bottle-caps, melted aluminum cans. staples and assorted pieces of wire. I was too excited to take it out of all metal mode and risk missing something. Walking down to the lake shore turned up more nails etc. When searching the beach where a few kids were playing a solid ping turned out to be a loaded .270 Winchester Cartridge. My first exciting find! The next day on the way back home from the lake a short stop at the local ski resort to search under the lifts proved interesting. Again there were a lot of less desirable nails, wires, bolts, etc. A quarter also popped up on the ground as well as a button and a few snowboard/ski boot connectors. Once home we went to search the garden. As I start to dig my first beep, which turned out to be a nail, my girlfriend holds up a coin that had surfaced from a recent watering, a 1941 Mercury dime! Its a shame I never had a chance to find it with the detector. The following search of the garden turned up many more nails, a quarter, a few random chunks of iron, and an old shoe horn. Hopefully a more thorough search next weekend will turn up more silver! I can't wait till after the vegetables are picked so I can search the whole thing. Well that is the story of my first detector hunt. Let me know what you think and I'd love any tips for a new hunter. If anyone wants to see pictures I can take some! |
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Valued Member
Canada
95 Posts |
Congrats on your finds. My birthday's in December, so if I start hinting now---.Is your machine heavy? Is it the most expensive one of that line? Does it use a battery? Any further info would be great.
Oh--and GOOD LUCK in future hunts.
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Valued Member
United States
69 Posts |
cmgiscool, Quote:
Well after looking at metal detectors for the past year and keeping an eye on this forum I got a nice surprise when my girlfriend presented me with a Garret Ace 150 for my birthday! If your girlfriend is that supportive of your hobby, you should "upgrade" her from girlfriend to wife - and you can tell her I said that. You are very fortunate. -Joseph Curwen, Gent. |
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Valued Member
 United States
60 Posts |
Quote:
Congrats on your finds. My birthday's in December, so if I start hinting now---.Is your machine heavy? Is it the most expensive one of that line? Does it use a battery? Any further info would be great. Hi Saint Ninian, Its not very heavy at all. I thought it would be a bit heavier than it is. It uses four AA batteries and it seems to have very good battery life. I know the four batteries it came with lasted through the weekend so probably 3 to 4 hours of being on searching. Its actually the least expensive of its line, I know the next step up in the line is also very popular with beginning hunters. |
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Valued Member
United States
60 Posts |
Quote:
If your girlfriend is that supportive of your hobby, you should "upgrade" her from girlfriend to wife - and you can tell her I said that.
I let her know what you said and it defiantly made her smile. I'm very lucky to have someone so supportive, In fact she searched through $60 in nickles with me last night helping to find a silver war nickle and a dateless buffalo. |
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Moderator
 United States
56855 Posts |
cmgiscool, Quote:
girlfriend presented me with a Garret Ace 150 for my birthday! Does she have a sister  Sounds like you both are having a great time MD-ing and have found a couple of nice finds already and I am sure you will find even nicer stuff once you get familiar with your detector. Saint Ninian, Quote:
My birthday's in December, Mine too,the 19th. Happy early bday  John1  |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
4208 Posts |
Ive always wanted to detect my garden - unlike America, we have the chances to find really old stuff - even if there isn't much silver over here.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
863 Posts |
Yea the UK has a lot more history and therefore it is more likely to get lucky. who knows what your house is sitting on
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
4208 Posts |
My house isn't that old - 1870s. But very close to it is the older part of town - settled just as the romans bugged out.
I really should, my house is a rich mans house. It has servants quarters and all. Could be gold..
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1436 Posts |
Since the metal detector beeps are different for different types of metals, I would recommend practicing burying the different types so you can hear the different tones. It'll make a world of difference when you're out actually looking. And have your girlfriend re-bury the dime, but not tell you where it is so you look for it.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2661 Posts |
Quote:
Since the metal detector beeps are different for different types of metals, I would recommend practicing burying the different types so you can hear the different tones. It'll make a world of difference when you're out actually looking. And have your girlfriend re-bury the dime, but not tell you where it is so you look for it.  I have a 250. When I got mine I put things of differing metallic content in some used Air-Tites and practiced with those for several weeks. This helps out a whole lot, but I still dig nearly every target depending on where I am hunting. The practice of digging every target has paid off since gold rings will sometimes ring up as pull tabs on the Ace series detectors, found 2 in the last 3.5 years as well as 4 silver rings and a silver chain. I have several quart jars full of clad coins and lots of Civil War relics. I would recommend getting the 10x14" DD Excelerator Search Coil for ACE 150 & 250. It cuts battery life in half, but will get you down to around 20" in the right soil conditions. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1511 Posts |
Ya she's a keeper!! My girl is the same way, no detector. But she comes home with coins for me almost everyday! I'm going to have to hint about a detector... :)
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Valued Member
United States
60 Posts |
Quote:
Does she have a sister Sounds like you both are having a great time MD-ing and have found a couple of nice finds already and I am sure you will find even nicer stuff once you get familiar with your detector.
Haha no she does not. I am looking forward to getting to practice more this weekend. I still need to watch the DVD that came along with it. So far for me the hardest part is pinpointing where the find actually is. Does anyone have any hints? I have heard some people can figure it out so exact they can just stick a metal rod in the ground and hit what is making it ping. |
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Valued Member
United States
60 Posts |
Quote:
BenByfield Posted - Today :18 Hrs 0 Min ago
Ive always wanted to detect my garden - unlike America, we have the chances to find really old stuff - even if there isn't much silver over here. I'm a bit jealous! For an american I am fairly lucky as far as the age of where I am searching goes. The garden is located in an area that used to be an orchard on one of the early Oregon settlements. But that's only a bit over a hundred and fifty years. I also happen to know of a vacant lot that is scatted with trash from the 1930's based on the types of old mason jars I have found. I can't wait to get the detector out there! How often do people in places with such old histories find really old objects like from the Romans and such? |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
4208 Posts |
CMG, I have a relative who would metal detect near a roman settlement in the north, it took quite a while for him to find anything, I think he got 5 or 6 coins before laying it to rest. Some people find like 10 roman coins on one field where a plough has churned up a roman settlement.
As for really old stuff, it wouldnt be a hunt if you didnt find something from the early 1800s or late 1700s. Generally, you can find stuff back to the 10th century like lead weights. Its all about location as to age. (celtic and saxon stuff is much much rarer).
On a similar vain, people do just dig up old stuff when gardening. Theres at least 1300 years of continuous settlement in my area, so if you go down to the river you can find old pottery laying about. you cant dig anywhere without hitting bricks and old tiles.
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Valued Member
United States
60 Posts |
BenByfield,
Thats awesome! Where I live there is barely 200 years of history. I guess the good side to it is that its all pretty well documented so knowing where to look shouldn't be too hard.
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Replies: 19 / Views: 3,364 |
Posted 07/31/2012 11:50 pm
