Metal detecting can be a fun hobby, an interesting challenge, or a source of extra income. It's all up to you. But what you choose will determine which metal detectors are best for you, as discussed in this article.
You can find metal detectors ranging from $50 toys sized for kids to $10,000 professional rigs, and everywhere in between. What's appropriate for you will depend on how you approach metal detecting. For anything beyond a few weekends of puttering around you'll want to steer clear of the "toy" detectors. They just won't have the sensitivity for serious hunting, and are likely to find as much trash as treasure. But fortunately it's unlikely you'll need to purchase a detector at the opposite end of the spectrum either.
If you're interested in metal detecting just for the fun of it, there's quite a few detectors in the under $200 price range that will keep you engaged for quite a while. If you're on a budget, or aren't really sure how much you'll like treasure hunting, this is likely the best place to start. On the other hand, detectors in the $300 to $500 price range will typically have improved performance and more features. They'll be more sensitive, and better at discriminating junk from worthwhile finds. Many offer features that help identify the type and depth of the find. This will keep you more engaged, and help you find more treasures in less time. All this can be especially important if you're looking to metal detecting to supplement your income and you have access to some "profitable" sites. If that's the case, you might even consider detectors in the $500 to $1,000 range. Beyond that, you're really into professional highly-specialized detectors.
Exactly what sort of things you want to hunt for will further guide you in selecting a metal detector. If you're looking for coins, jewelery, and other lost items near the surface many inexpensive detectors will do just fine. But spending a little more can save you a lot of time. Check if the detector you're considering has good "metal discrimination" or "junk elimination." A good detector can actually estimate the type of metal, and save a lot of digging for cans and other iron trash. On the other hand, if you're hunting for relics at historic sites, you'll want good sensitivity for iron itself and won't mind spending a little time digging up modern junk if that means you're less likely to miss an historic find. Some metal detectors are even specialized for finding gold nuggets, but there's only a few places in the U.S. where you stand a chance of finding any! But don't forget about small gold jewelery.
You should also check if the detector you're considering is appropriate for where you'll be looking. If you're planning on the usual hunting on sandy beaches most inexpensive detectors will do fine. But if you want to go even a little bit into the water you'll want to be sure the search-coil is submersible and the display is "weatherproof." This applies to fresh-water searching as well. You can also find a few detectors that can be used completely underwater for snorkeling or even scuba-diving depths. These can be surprisingly affordable.
Additionally, there is the issue of "ground balance." Any decent detector will have at least a manual ground-balance adjustment. This lets you quiet the speaker and only have the detector squeal when it finds a target. Adjust it too high and you won't hear much over a target. Adjust it too low and you'll have a constant squeal that doesn't change much. If you expect to be hunting over mixed terrain involving different moisture levels, soil types, etc. then spending a little extra for a metal detector with automatic ground balance is a worthwhile investment.
iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software
No comments:
Post a Comment