Starting a new hobby...Maybe

[abunaitoo]

Antigun government is doing their best to make it hard on us here.
Range is a city park.
After the range closes, 4:00p, a bunch of us stay to talk story and just relax.
I hunt for shells and bottles/cans in the trash.
We then go out to eat dinner.
City is trying to shut us out at 4:15p. Some of the other parks in the area close at 11:00p at night.
Range was never closed. No shooting, but open to the public.
Guys still want to go to dinner, so the plan is to go to the beach park before going to dinner.
Other than dinner, my reason for staying late is to look for treasures at the range.
Didn't plan to sit in the park for 2 hours waiting for dinner.
I've always wanted to try metal detecting.
So today I found a good deal on a metal detector.
Still learning, but kind of excited to try it.
Guy I got it from lives on the other side of the island. He goes to the beach to find stuff.
He, his wife and kids go to. Good family bonding activity.
Told me he finds all kinds of stuff.
Showed me some jewelry he found, said lots of coins, and sometimes cell phones!!!!
He tried to return finds to the owner if possible.
Maybe a new hobby that has a better payout than cans/bottles.

[bedbugbilly]

It can be a fun hobby . . . .

My wife bought me one for my birthday quite a few years ago. Every once in a while I'll get it out and go exploring. I've used mine to explore around old houses . . . . I had a beautiful collection of roofing nails that I found but I've misplaced them.

I took mine up to a beach in northern Michigan one time . . . I found a dime and a penny and accumulated anoghter beautiful collection of pull tabs from cans . . . . .

Now, I pretty much use mine to locate survey stakes on the farm or for others when they have trouble locating theirs . . .

I say all of this in jest as I know there are many successful treasure hunters out there. You never know what you're going to find that someone lost many years ago . .. . . if you don't look, then you won't find anything. It can be a fun hobby.
Where I'm at in Michigan, we don't have old battlefields and the like but my dream has always been to be able to go over an area such as that that is privately owned just to see what is there, if anything.
the rule of thumb is if you dig, put it back so it is as you found it.

Good luck with your new hobby . . . it's something the whole family can enjoy. :-)

[lightman]

Its a fun hobby. You should find some nice stuff with all of the beaches around you. A friend recently gave me a Civil War era mine ball for my collection.

[popper]

I used to design those - you want one that will work around salt water. Doesn't have to be an under water type but even beach salt will kill the signal. Iron, lead and aluminum show up real good, gold not so much. jewelry is Cu alloy.

[OS OK]

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm_Fbx0tAqAOB3cA4d1GnXw

This kid lives to hunt...hunts everywhere. Might give you some ideas when outfitting yourself.

[Jniedbalski]

Aluminum always comes in good. After digging a huge amount of it you can slow down and find the old coins or gold if there is any have fun it’s a great hobby

[bangerjim]

You gotta have more that just this boolit hobby! Or you will go insane. I have 4 hobbies I alternate around thru the year. Recently I am back at one of my originals - creating and performing MIDI music with synthesizers/workstations. As with any good hobby, it is not cheap! Just spent ~$6K on a new arranger/workstation board that does everything.

I tired “electronic” treasure hunting early on. Good luck! And hope you have a lot of patience.

[marlin39a]

I have a metal detector I play with now and then. I've found modern coins, not much. But I've found plenty of old pop tops and bottle caps.

[WILCO]

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm_Fbx0tAqAOB3cA4d1GnXw

This kid lives to hunt...hunts everywhere. Might give you some ideas when outfitting yourself.

Good video. Thanks.

[Jniedbalski]

The water machines and the salt water ones usally are expensive. The general mid priced ones are good for parks woods and yards. If you get a manual ground balance you can use it on salt water beaches. You just got to tune your ground balance to the ground you are hunting. The most change I found in one day was 78$. A bank in town was building a new branch close to the house. They had a sand pit so the kids could find change on the grand opening. Well they didint find it all. I have hunted parks huge amounts of trash, but usally around the band shelters you can find rings gold and silver. Usally just small cheep rings 30$?to 100$ new. I have went to civil war sites and found cannon balls and pieces, bullets ,buttons and other stuff. I once had ten to twelve civil war bullets in my pocket. Round balls. Three ring Minnie’s and other bullets. They come out white like chalk from age and oxidation. Well coming out of the washer and drier they come out shiney like you just casted them. I have found some really cool stuff but the junk out numbers the good stuff 20 to one. Just keep digging and dig it all. I found out that using discrimination setting high up you loose a lot of good stuff. But in parks in spots you have to use it. On civil war hunting we dig everything.”

[Plate plinker]

If you can go to a park or venue where a event was recently held, people seed the ground with jewelry and coins during these events.

[woodbutcher]

:grin: Many years ago,I bought a metal detector.Mom and Dad laughed.First day out to the beach,I found a real Rolex and three Spanish gold coins.Came home with a little over $900.00 bucks.Mom and Dad quit laughing.That was my best day.Usual was 10 to 20 bucks in coins.This was along what is referred to as the"Gold Coast"in Fl.Vero Beach to be exact.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[Digger]

Hit my soft spot here ....
Been detecting since high school , dad taught me how to pan for gold ,prospecting and it all comes together with the history that I find fascinating in our past .
Time has brought me here to the N. Nevada area being rich in mining and logging history so metal detecting (when I can find time ,rarely anymore ) comes with it .
few years back, picked up a Fisher Gold Bug detector , has been with me ever since , have found a nugget or two locally , found a beautiful small diamond ring ,turned around and gave it to the wife, picked up a buffalo head nickel along with a class ring I have returned to the owner ... these on the shores of Lake Tahoe .
Same area , my partner and I were wading in shallow water using our machines in an area with history and he found a beautiful ships lantern that had come off of one of Tahoe's early steamers .
So much fun .
And yes , you will go thru so much trash but you will "learn" what your machine is telling you , just time using it.
I use it with chasing down areas with history and doing so , I learn so much that is lost to the general public ...
With this combination of detecting and history , so much of this particular area has been covered in the past with the prospectors and loggers that with a little imagination , one can go into the mountains or desert , stop and think ... where would they have camped or worked .
Look around and start detecting .... many times I have found the clues , bits of metal and what not and go from there.
So much fun to be had.
Could keep on with more stories but will have mercy on everyone here.
By the way ...
here's a link:http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/forum.php

[Geezer in NH]

My old White detector found lot's of beer can tabs , bottle caps, nails and screws. However it did find a diamond engagement ring at a beach. I advertised it for a while in all the local papers for 3 months but it must have been a tourist no one claimed it or had reported loosing it with the police. (sorry)

Jeweler gave me 3K for it so it must have been worth a lot.

Can be a fun hobby and if I were you I definitely would embrace it!

The detector could also find lead on a backstop also.

Be Happy you actually have a public owned range. NH does not have a one big peeve of mine all mt taxes paid for guns and ammo and the F&G has None 0 None. They don't mention that on North Woods Law.

[William Yanda]

I would wager that that white is lead oxide, a very soluble form of lead. For those concerned about exposure the white stuff makes sirens sound, lights flash and messages about avoidance sound at a very loud volume.

[popper]

Most Fed & state parks are closed to 'treasure' digging. Trinkets & stuff MAY be OK, check with local regs. Picking up 'trash' is probably OK but if you have a garden tool - you're digging. Fines vary. A gutter spike (nail) with a 'handle' is a good 'probe. Might be a weapon in Hi.

[ShooterAZ]

I've been metal detecting for around 25 years. I like to find the "older" stuff, coins, relics, etc. In this hobby, it pays to do research. It's all about location. Lately I've been scouting out the old wagon trails in my area and have had some pretty decent success. Another key is patience, because it takes time to learn the machine, and to be able to get the machine over the good stuff.

[pertnear]

I'd be all over it if they made a model that detected arrowheads!...LOL :awesome:

[abunaitoo]

Tried it out at the range yesterday. Just trying to see what it does and start to learn how to use it.
Found lots of brass hidden in grass. Didn't find ant treasures.
I can see how it could become addicting.
Need to gather up some tools before hitting the beach.

[Arkansas Paul]

I definitely think metal detecting would be fun. However I have several hobbies and they are all expensive, so I don't really have the funds for another at the moment.

As of right now I enjoy pipes and cigars, casting and reloading, shooting, fountain pens, and golf. None of those are cheap. And I'm not ready to give any of them up right now either. Honestly I don't see myself giving any of them up. I love them all. But maybe some day I'll find room for another hobby.

[popper]

Which one did you get?

[abunaitoo]

Minelab 505
Got two for $200
Seller and his family were up-grading, and wanted to pass them someone at a good deal.
Both seem to be working fine.

[Geezer in NH]

Nice!!!!!!