Let's go directly "to the field" to put into practice some basic techniques that will help you start looking for your "treasures" in a fun way and without too much effort!
Let's start!
Tip 1: What is the first thing to do when going out with the metal detector?
The very first thing you need to do when you decide to go out with your metal detector is: check the battery charge!
Most often, even the most experienced detectorists neglect this control.
There is nothing worse than going a long way, assembling the equipment, taking the accessories and.. find out that you have the metal detector batteries discharged!
After checking the batteries and charging everything, (metal detectors, headphones, excavation tools, pinpointers etc ...) you are ready to go! Or almost.. DO NOT forget about the water supply, especially on the hottest days.
Always carry with you the eco-friendly aluminum DetectorShop bottle and support with us the culture of eco-sustainability that animates so many metal detector enthusiasts.
In summer, with the scorching heat, it is frequent to incur dangerous heat stroke.
So WATER ALWAYS with you!
Now you're ready to go!
Tip 2: Where to go for your first research adventures?
Personally I advise you not to move too far from home for the first outings. Look for a place close enough that will allow you in case of any problem to be able to return quickly and safely.
If you have not yet done research, I recommend starting with flat places, not too physically demanding and easy to reach, for example, the free beach or a beautiful lawn.
An important recommendation is to stay away from areas with archaeological or landscape constraints. Each municipality and province has maps that are online and can be consulted.
Stay away from castles, old churches, monuments or other ancient constructions, because they will probably be subject to constraint and you risk a criminal complaint.
If you want you can also watch some DetectorShop videos on the legal aspects that we have published on our Youtube channel.
Tip 3: Now that I am in the field of research what should I do?
If you have the metal detector disassembled, proceed calmly to its assembly. If your machine has a wire plate, first adjust the length of the rods so that you can brush in a comfortable position and then wrap the cable around the rod.
I recommend... always pass the first round of cable OVER the rod and not below! This is to avoid that if the plate were to bend, the cable will not stress the connectors with the risk of damage.
Tip 4: DO NOT be in a hurry to move!
Many beginner detectorists tend to set the sensitivity of the metal detector very high and start as rockets pointing towards the center of the field for example.
It seems silly, but many seekers, even the most experienced, have the belief that the targets cannot be found in the first meters of the field, at the edge of the search area. This is just a psychological matter!
Very often, over the centuries until today, people tended to rest right on the edge of the fields, perhaps near trees for shade, and it is precisely there that they may have lost something.
Tip 5: How to set up the metal detector?
Set up your metal detector with a program or discrimination setting that eliminates the iron to the foil and perform the ground balancing procedure, if your detector allows it.
You will find in the manual included with your metal detector how to set the discrimination in the way I suggested and how to balance... it will be very simple!
If you have a detector that allows you to perform the balancing, if the procedure is not successful, try to move a few meters and repeat the operation.
Maybe there is some metal object buried and the machine cannot calibrate itself properly. Now, with the machine calibrated to perfection you can start brushing!
I recommend, try to move the plate at a constant speed and above all always at the same height from the ground, about 1-2 cm. Do not crawl the plate on the ground because it may give you false signals.
Advance on the ground SLOWLY, trying to overlap the "brushed" so as not to leave unfathomed soil.
Tip 6: Trust your ears, not your eyes.
Try not to always look at the screen of your metal detector, focus your attention on the beeps it emits. Very often your detector will have a low sound for ferrous objects, one or more intermediate sounds for medium conductivity objects such as foil or tin... and one or more high sounds for those with high conductivity, such as bronze, copper or silver.
At the sound of the detector do not stop brushing immediately, especially if it is a high-pitched sound. Review it...
If passing the plate in the same place, the detector no longer sounds, most likely it is a false signal, or a misinterpretation of the instrument ... and there is no buried object.
If, on the other hand, going over it the detector continues to reproduce a certain tone in a more or less constant way, we will know that it is actually detecting a real metal target. If the sound is high, it is likely that the object is a noble metal:
- Copper
- Brass
- Bronze
- Silver
For example,... and it is time to investigate better...
Keep brushing as you are doing and yes, now look at the display... Detectors with numerical indication will provide a number (called VDI) which is usually:
- Low for ferrous objects
- Intermediate for aluminium and foil
- High for noble metals
Other detectors, especially the cheap ones, instead of VDI will have notches, others, those a little older, even an analog hand, but the principle is the same.
Read the manual of your detector to understand how to interpret these indications. But remember that no metal detector can provide you with the certainty of the identification of the object.
Tip 7: What to do if the signal is solid and consistent?
Always remember that your metal detector is not foolproof and has technological limitations.
So try to put it in the best conditions.
When you think you've detected a potentially interesting target, keep brushing from different angles. If your detector has a built-in centering/pinpointing function, turn it on to try to center the object as much as possible.
The more you can center the object under the plate, the better the quality of the information that your detector will be able to provide you, perhaps avoiding you to make empty holes.
Well, now that you have a potentially interesting target in the center of the plate, it's time to dig to extract it. But for the most effective excavation techniques I refer you to another episode of "Guide to the use of the metal detector for beginners"...
For today I want to leave you with this beautiful mystery, what will be below?
Here is the "magic" of metal detecting, the charm of the unknown and discovery.