So, you have purchased a new or used metal detector from our online store or elsewhere. Now what? To be successful with your new metal detector, you need to keep a few things in mind and put them into action.
The most important factor in success with metal detecting is to know your metal detector like you know your best friend or even better. In order to do this, you must read every word of the manual that came with your metal detector. After that, read it again and again. Learn what each control does and what every feature is all about. Refer to the metal detector manual often with any questions you may have. For a used metal detector that might not have come with a manual, visit the manufacturer's website as most have downloadable manuals for their older models. Also, be sure to watch any DVDs or videos that came with your metal detector.
After getting intimate with the manual, it is time to get your metal detectors outside and practice. Practice does make perfect! Bury some coins, rings and various junk items in your yard and experiment with each control and feature. Vary the depth of the buried items to see how it affects the response of your metal detector. Another method is to dive right in and search your yard, a local park or a nearby school yard. Listen and watch your metal detector at each target. Dig every find. This requires some work but it is the best way to get to know your metal detector. It took me about twenty hours of practice to begin to be proficient with the White's XLT when I first started using it. I must have read the owner's manual at least fifteen times and carried it along on every hunt! Knowing your metal detector is the most important key to being successful and happy with your purchase!
Finding the right place to search with your metal detector is very important. Becoming knowledgeable about your area's history is highly recommended. The best place to start is at your local library. Find where all the old houses, gathering places, parks, schools, churches, etc. were located. Remember, if people were there, they more than likely left something behind for your metal detector to find. The larger the number of people at a location indicates a higher probability of finding something of value with your metal detector. Talk to the older folks in the community and ask about the places people used for picnics, social gatherings, ball playing and the like. Talking about the old days will also brighten their day!
Patience and persistence are important factors in making finds. My late Father, rest his soul, was always interested in using his metal detector but just didn't have the patience for it. He would swing his metal detector for about an hour or less and just give up. I can still hear him say, "There just ain't anything here!" Even if I was not finding much, I would hang in there and would usually find at least a few old coins. The moral of the story is not to give up on yourself or the metal detector. That find of a lifetime might be under your next swing of your metal detector!
Good ole common sense plays a major role too. Always try to put yourself in the shoes of those that might have gathered or lived where you are using a metal detector. This logical approach has served me well many times over the years. If searching a site that had a grass or gravel parking area, imagine all those folks dragging out their car keys along with a bunch of coins. At old house sites, think of where the clothes line might have been located. The wife might have missed some coins in the pant pockets on wash day and out they fell when hung on the line. My best Indian Head penny find was made using this logic. Look at any old trees or stumps and imagine the people relaxing and children playing under their shade on a hot summer's day. Behind the old school imagine the kids rolling down the hill during recess with all their pennies, nickels and dimes flying out. You get the idea. All those lost goodies are buried there waiting for you and your trusty metal detector to come along!