swingspeed

My Detecting Tips

Beach Detectorist
Jim Vokes ~ April 16, 1999

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Instead of the various aprons offered to place detected objects into, consider wearing a pair of Army Camo Pants purchased at the local military supply store... They are strong, tough, have many large pockets and are relatively inexpensive...

I have two pair, one set that fits normally and one set that is large enough to fit over dress clothes for the times when you are on the road and discover some "sidewalk construction' (hint, hint!) or old cellar hole!

Shhhh.. don't tell anyone this tip!

. How about a good fishing vest! PLENTY OF POCKETS, ZIPPERED AND VELCRO. You can carry nail clippers, magnifier, glasses, camera, cell phone, maps, minilights, food, water, etc.

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When doing an old church or school yard... Check the edges of the sidewalks very carefully... I have found many old coins right up against the sidewalk at these type sites that are supposed to be hunted out!!!

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To eliminate brown spots when detecting lawns, cut your plug in a wedge or pie shape leaving one side to hinge the grass.. Leaving the roots connected like this while retrieving the target will encourage growth and eliminated the dreaded brown spots... When removing some of the dirt, don't forget to use a drop cloth to place the excess dirt on.

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I have maps from the 1800’s for the surrounding counties and villages. First I look for and mark the old schools, churches, railroad stations, parks etc. to actually go locate and verify. Sometimes they still exist which is great and sometimes they are now a vacant field which is BETTER. I then look at road names - i.e. - Church Street, Railroad Ave., Stone Falls Rd, Academy St. Grove St. - well you get the idea, for additional leads.

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Here is a list of things that I take detecting to make life a little easier!
. 1.   Fishing Vest with lots of pockets
2.   Pair of carpenter kneepads which you can buy at Walmart’s for about $10.
3.   Drop cloth to place the dirt from the hole on to be neater!
4.   Dry Socks
5.   Jug of water to wash hands.
6.   Bottle of water for drinking.
7.   Paper towels
8.   Hand lotion
9.   Pair of light gloves for digging.
10. Pair of heavy gloves for digging.
11. Baggies to put over meter in rain and many other uses.
12. Can of good bug spray repellent!
13. Roll of electrical tape.
14. Roll of duct tape.

When I am hunting a site which is known to have been hunted a lot, I stand for awhile and just look the site over, maybe circling the building if there is one.

Then I determine the VERY LAST place I would ever hunt and that's where I go First.

Ex: in the woods, behind the bushes, under the bushes, the very edges of the sidewalk, behind the backstop of a ball field, etc. It can be virgin territory!

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Here is a really great way to practice pinpointing. Have a friend tape a dime to a large piece of cardboard. Then lay it coin down on the grass in an area that is free of metal objects. Now attempt to pinpoint the coin through the cardboard.

When satisfied, place a pin through the cardboard and see how close you pinpointed. Try to visualize the spot on the coil where the coin actually was.

After a few times doing this, you will become quite accurate and also learn something about your particular machine.

When searching for a house site in a farm field, look for pieces of red brick, colored pottery and cups. If youf find them, you are definitely in the right area! Good luck!