Getting started with metal detecting is easy! So easy, in fact, there isn't much basic equipment you need to get started.
Why Metal Detecting is the Perfect Hobby
Metal detecting is the search for valuable objects with a metal detector. Metal detectors come in a variety of configurations for use on land or underwater. These valuable objects are usually antiquities, such as coins, jewelry, relics, gold, and other artifacts.
Metal detecting involves taking your metal detector out to an area with a high probability of having valuable objects there and then using it until you find something. If you've never used one before, a metal detector usually gives off a sound when it detects something.
Different metal detectors will give different sounds for finding different objects - iron vs. copper vs. gold, etc. All you need to start as a hobbyist is a simple handheld metal detector. Read metal detector reviews before purchasing a model that may be too basic or advanced for your needs.
A wide range of detectors is available on the market. An entry-level metal detector may be all you need if you're just starting out. A reliable, easy-to-use, and versatile metal detector may have enough features for an amateur hobbyist to learn from while spending less than other metal detectors.
What Is a Cheap Yet Good Quality Metal Detector for a Beginner?
In order to learn how to become a beginner metal detectorist, it does not necessarily have to be an expensive endeavor. Generally speaking, in any hobby, a good rule of thumb is "you get what you pay for." The good news is that today, with all of the advances in technology, you can find a good quality detector without breaking the bank!
One of the most inexpensive and best quality metal detectors for beginners is the Garrett Ace 400. The Garret Ace 400 is a high-quality metal detector that offers all of the basics you'll need to get started.
The Garrett ACE 400 has advanced capabilities like Iron Audio, digital target ID, and frequency modification to help you discover more riches while reducing waste. Headphones, a coil cover, and an environmental cover are included. The metal detector reviews on the Garrett Ace 400 boast its high-performance capabilities for beginners. When looking at metal detector reviews, look for their easy usage and convenient features, especially as a beginner.
Benefits of Metal Detecting
Metal detecting takes you to different terrains out in the fresh air. It can be a very relaxing hobby while enjoying the peaceful tranquility of nature. Locating old coins, jewelry, and relics (items of interest from past generations) stimulates the mind as you're learning about their history, value, and the people who once owned them. You will also learn a great deal about your city when you embark upon a treasure hunt. Before setting out, it's a good idea to do some research in the town room of your local library. This will help determine which types of treasure are most likely to be found in your neck of the woods. If you are near the ocean or beach, you may want to hunt for lost coins and jewelry along the shoreline.
How to Get Started Metal Detecting
- Metal detector
- A digging tool
- Headphones
- A carry case for your equipment
- A pouch to hold your treasure and trash
Most beginners like the idea of searching for coins with their metal detectors. It's simple and is almost always fruitful. Even if you come back with just a few dollars in loose change each time you go out, your metal detector is producing results! Jewelry such as rings and watches are other great finds with a metal detector. You can attempt to find their long-lost owners, sell the items or give them away. Among the popular relics to search for in the U.S. include Civil War pieces such as colonial buckles, buttons, swords, and musket balls-as well as more common jewelry and knives. Old coins are highly collectible, and a hot commodity easily found with a metal detector. You can search for Indianhead and Wheat pennies, Buffalo nickels, Barber dimes, Liberty and Washington quarters, gold coins, and early colonial coins.
Let's take a look at how metal detecting works, what you can find, and the different types of metal detecting now that you've learned more about the hobby and how to start. The invention of the metal detector, which was intended to find a bullet that had hit US President James Garfield during an assassination attempt, was credited to Alexander Graham Bell. This early model wasn't nearly as sophisticated as modern metal detectors despite its rudimentary design.
Using Google Maps' satellite view will give you a good idea of where there might be valuable finds on someone's property. If you can see landscaping that looks like it was done by hand, then that means the landowner has landscaped around valuable finds before. However, if you're researching an area for metal detecting and all you find is undeveloped land with run-down houses - well, don't waste your time! It may be city or government property, so you will need to research the area before going.