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Welcome to Metal Detecting Tips
Metal Detecting is an extremely enjoyable and exiting hobby.
It is a hobby where you can be outdoors with friends and family, where you can keep active and get some beneficial exercise while at the same time enjoying the adventure of searching for and finding long lost coins, relics and jewelry.
The Metal Detecting Tips Website is written by experienced, ethical, Metal Detectorists and Relic Hunters for other Metal Detectorists and Relic Hunters.
Whether you are an experienced Detectorist or a new metal detector user our aim is to bring you information that we have learned and found useful over the years to help your metal detecting more enjoyable and productive.
We will share, hints, tips and advice in our blog posts.
We will also be putting together a Metal Detector Buying Guide to help you in you metal detector selection.
We will also show you some of the more popular and effective metal detectors on the market.
Our blog will consist of articles from Metal Detectorists and Relic Hunters all over the world, all aimed at helping you become more successfull in your detecting.
If you'd like to contribute and share your metal detecting stories, advice or tips then email us.
Also if you have a metal detecting club or youtube channel you'd like to share then please let us know.
Please spend a few minutes exploring our website, check out our information and let us know what you think.
We hope to see you again soon,
Kev JT,
Metal Detecting Tips
Our Metal Detecting Buying Guide
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Metal Detecting Code of Ethics
I WILL respect private property and WILL NOT trespass without the land owners permission.
I WILL NOT destroy property, buildings or what is left of ghost towns and deserted structures.
I WILL NOT litter, always pack out what I take in and remove all trash dug in my search.
I WILL leave all gates and other accesses to land as found.
I WILL appreciate and protect our heritage of natural resources, wildlife, and private property.
I WILL use thoughtfulness, consideration and courtesy at all times.
I WILL abide by all laws, ordinances or regulations that may govern my search, or the area I will be in.
I WILL fill all holes, regardless how remote the location, and never dig in a way that will damage, be damaging to, or kill any vegetation.
I WILL report the discovery of items of significant historical value to a local historian or museum in accordance with the latest legislation.
I WILL be an ambassador for the metal detecting hobby.
We here at the Metal Detecting Tips and Metal Detector Buying Guide Website have been detecting for a few years. Here are 10 tips for new metal detectorists that we wish someone had told us when we grabbed our first metal detector. We'll be adding more tips of the trade over time, but we think the tips below will get you started off nicely.
1 Without trying to put you off metal detecting, Most of what you will dig up from the ground is junk! Patience and perseverance will be the key to successful metal detecting. There is a lot of junk in the ground and generally you will have to dig a lot of it to find the good stuff, but the good stuff is there too! So don't be put off if you're digging bottle caps and foil. The next target just might be an old coin or jewelry!
2 Research! If you are looking for older items then think about the older places within your town. Visit your local library, hit up Amazon for local history books or check out the local historical society or speak to some of those old timers! They can be a wealth of knowledge and may be able to tell you about that old swimming spot, old store, school or gathering place that has long since been forgotten.
3. Practice makes perfect! Take your metal detector into your backyard and just start detecting! Try placing different coins, pieces of jewelry etc onto the ground and put your coil over them. Do you notice any difference in the signals? Also try some junk items, like pull-tabs, bottle caps, nails etc. And again make a mental note of what the metal detector does when you pass the coil over them. Maybe even grab a book, there are a few beginners guides that you can download pretty cheaply from Amazon.
4. Practice again! As well as learning your metal detector you will need to learn how to dig a nice neat hole, also known as a "plug" in the metal detecting world. Use a sharp gardening knife like tool to cut a small neat flap in the turf and peel it back gently. Use a small hand digger to take earth out and consider laying the earth onto a drop-cloth to keep it neat. Once you've found your target carefully replace everything and stamp the grass flat so it looks like you've never been there!
The best way to lose areas to metal detect is to leave a mess, so make sure that you are good a digging a nice neat plug so that you can go back another time to try your luck again! Also, consider getting yourself a pinpointer. A pinpointer is a small handheld detector that you can keep on your belt, once you've dug your hole run your pinpointer over it and it'll tell you where in the hole, or plug it is. It'll save you time and frustration and will minimize damage to the ground.
5. Take your junk away. Look at tip number 1 again. You will be digging lots of junk and rubbish. You should never leave it in the ground or you'll be digging it up again, and certainly don't leave it on the ground either or you'll get yourself in trouble. Get a junk bag or pouch and take your junk away with you to dispose of. There are some great metal detecting pouches on Amazon, its an essential piece of kit!
Removing your rubbish and trash is also a great way to show people that you are doing a valuable service if they ask you what you are doing you can show them the trash that you are going to take away from the area, thus leaving the area better than you found it!
6. Be nice! You will probably get people stopping to see what you are doing and what you are finding. You are an ambassador for the metal detecting hobby so be pleasant. Show them the rubbish that you are taking away and show them how neat and careful you are being. Also, you never know if that person may be a property owner who would love you to come along to search their property for them. Being nice pays off!
7. Slow and low!! Swing your coil nice and slowly, keep it flat to the ground a couple of inches above the surface and try to overlap your sweeps somewhat. Imagine that you are painting the ground with the coil. You don't want to miss anything so take your time and be consistent.
8. Recheck your holes. If you dig a target take your time to double check the hole with your metal detector again. Often people lose a pocketful of coins so there may well be more in the ground for you to find, either in the same hole or very close by!
9. Knock on some doors! The key to finding really good stuff, is to have good places to use your metal detector. So it looks like you will probably have to ask people if you can go metal detecting on their property.
When you do go, make sure you've done your research and know that you may be in a good area. Make sure that you are clean, neat and presentable. No one wants someone scruffy and seedy looking around their property! Be nice and polite, and explain what you may hope to find, like old coins, buttons etc. Maybe even have some examples to show them.
10. Never go metal detecting anywhere without permission! Avoid getting yourself into trouble by making sure that you are allowed to be there and use your metal detector. If you are going to be metal detecting in a public place make sure that you know and understand your local laws and bylaws.
Never go onto private property without the permission of the owner. People can and will be protective of their property so avoid unnecessary conflict by making sure that you know who owns the land you want to use your metal detector on and make sure that you get permission first!
10 Metal Detecting Tips
Beach Metal Detecting Tips
So you want to try beach metal detecting?
We have a bunch of great beach metal detecting tips to get you started in the right direction. Follow this and you should start finding some stuff in no time.
Make sure you have the right beach metal detecting equipment. Beach metal detecting is different to relic hunting or park metal detecting in that you need different tools to do the job properly. For park metal detecting a small hand digger tool is best, for relic hunting you need a relic hunting shovel. But for beach metal detecting, if you intend to metal detect on sandy beaches you will need a sand scoop. There are a couple of different types of sand scoops to consider.
Firstly there is the hand scoop. This is a small unobtrusive scoop that you would use by kneeling down on the sand and scooping out the sand until you find your target. This works well on soft, dry sand but can be hard on compacted wet sand. It can also be hard on the knees if you are often kneeling down on sand, your knees can become raw. Imagine kneeling down on sandpaper for a while and you will get the idea. Also, if you keep having to stop low to retrieve your targets you might find that your back can get sore. On the plus side though, hand scoops are relatively inexpensive.
The other type of scoop to consider is a long handled sand scoop. The benefit of one of these types of scoops is that you won’t need to kneel down very often, saving your knees and back. You use them by inserting the scoop into the sand behind the target you want to dig and then pushing your foot against the back of the sand scoop and scooping out a wad of sand where you think the target is. These scoops are great if you intend to use your metal detector in the water, you can retrieve your targets without ever going under water yourself. However the downside of the long handled beach metal detecting sand scoop is that they can be quite expensive.
Elsewhere on the metal detecting tips website we have already discussed how to select the best metal detector for what kind of metal detecting you intend to do, however it is worth touching on a few things again in relation to beach metal detecting.
If you intend to use your metal detector in the water you will need waterproof capabilities. Some metal detectors have coils that can be used in shallow water as long as you don’t get the control box wet. Other metal detectors can be used entirely under water. Make sure that you fully understand your metal detectors waterproof capabilities before you take it anywhere near water. If you are new to metal detecting and haven’t yet chosen a metal detector then be sure to check out our metal detector buyers guide to help you choose the metal detector that best fits your needs.
So now you have your metal detector and scoop you are ready to hit the beaches to start beach metal detecting. Firstly you need to check and make sure that you can legally metal detect there. Do you have permission? Do you need to ask for permission or is it a public beach that doesn’t need any permission to metal detect? It’s vital that you know this information before you start detecting to ensure that you are allowed to metal detect so that you can relax and enjoy your beach treasure hunting without having to look over your shoulder throughout your metal detecting trip.
Another of our beach metal detecting tips is pretty simple. Be courteous to other beach users! No doubt the beach that you intend to use your beach metal detector on will have a lot of visitors. If not then it should have, because you are going to be looking for the stuff that people drop! But we’ll get to that part soon enough.
The points we are getting to here is that if you are beach metal detecting then watch out for other people using the beach. Don’t be a nuisance. Keep a respectable distance from people who are sunbathing or spread out sleeping. You really don’t want accusations made against you so it’s best to err on the side of caution and give people their space. If you see people playing beach volleyball, throwing a Frisbee or a ball around then keep away from them. Also don’t leave holes uncovered. Treat a beach as you would any other metal detecting permission. Always, always fill the holes that you have dug. Also, just as importantly always remove any trash or dangerous items that you find, such as glass, nails, sharp pieces of metal etc. No doubt curious beach goers will be inquisitive and you will get people asking you about what you are doing. Be friendly; Show them your junk pouch and that you have removed glass etc. You’ll get a good reputation and you’ll be less likely to attract negativity from other beach users. Negativity can happen, I’ve seen YouTube videos that make me cringe with guys leaving junk on the surface, not filling their holes and getting in between people who are lying on the beach. These kinds of things will attract trouble, so be friendly, courteous and smart and you’ll have a much better beach metal detecting experience.
Another idea if you intend to do beach metal detecting on busy beaches is to simply pick times to metal detect when the beach isn’t busy. Go early morning, or later in the evening, or on week days instead of weekends. You will probably have a better beach metal detecting experience if you have less people around.
Speaking of other beach users, that leads me on to another beach metal detecting tip that many people may not consider, but I have heard this happen to beach metal detectorists far too often. Be careful showing people that you don’t know your good finds, particularly if... (continued here)
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