The purpose of this website is to share my experiences on the fascinating hobby of metal detecting so
perhaps others may get a better idea of what it is all about.
I have been metal detecting on and off for the last five years until recently when I decided to take the hobby a little more seriously. During the last
few years I have slowly developed my skills, tweaked my techniques and have been absolutely amazed at the discoveries I have made. When I look out over the
soft rolling hills and across the fields of the countryside I will never view them in the same light as I did before I started the hobby of metal
detecting.
One of the common misconceptions about metal detecting is that people think they can just go out and expect to find the mother lode first time
when in reality it can take many years to become successful. When starting the hobby don’t expect too much too soon, yes there may be those select few who
are very lucky but have they learned the ropes and will they be that lucky next time. You have to start with the basics and learn from the bottom up, there
really is no other way than hard graft if you want to be successful. Yes luck does play a part in it but you will quickly learn that there is no better
substitute for making good finds than experience. Don’t get me wrong I’m not trying to discourage you I’m just trying to explain that time, effort and the
right attitude are all just as much a part of metal detecting as the finds
When I first started the hobby back in the early 90s at the tender age of fourteen I used nothing more than a simple C-Scope with two controls, one for
threshold and the other for ground balance. It was hard going back then, I had no way of distinguishing between iron and other more precious items, but I
just kept on going! Eventually after a few trips down a local footpath I found two old pre-decimal pennies, “argh! Success” I cried and ever since then I’ve
been hooked.
So what would be my advice for all you beginners out there? Well I think the best thing to do would be to read plenty of magazines, visit lots of
websites and ask people who are already detectorists for advice, listen and learn and you will soon be on your way. Try to save yourself some money and use
an older less complicated detector at first and see if you really like the hobby. Learn your detector by passing a few old coins over the coil and listen to
the audible difference between signals. Do the ground work and learn the ropes, because then you will waste less time digging up junk and more time finding
the goodies. Above all never give up even if you find nothing at first, keep going! Just remember when people are finding hammered and roman coins all
around you don’t despair, you will most certainly get something decent in the end.
As well as a metal detectorist I am also a keen coin collector which helps with grading, pricing and looking after old coins as and when I find them.
If you are a beginner and would like a few tips on cleaning grading and pricing of old English coins please click on the links available. It is important
if you wish to sell items such as coins on the market what to expect and to understand how and why particular coins are worth more than others. |