Metal Detecting discussions and finds

My first "finds" literally right outside my front door and metal detected for about 5 seconds. 2 nails, a 1951 wheat penny, a 1960 penny and a half a brick. Haha. I may venture away from my front door to lessen the impact on my yard. I'm digging good plugs but I can improve. My house was built in 1955 and the 1951 penny was about 6" down.

 

Good deal! Not a bad start!
If you’re finding Wheaties, there’s a fair chance that there is silver in the ground!

 

Hah! Someone is going to need more fixes…

Nice start!

 

Thanks! I'm sure I'll find all kinds of junk that was just thrown in the yard from when the house was built. I thought it was weird that the detector was showing in the coin range with a number of 26 but then found a nail! Then swing the detector over the dirt again and found the penny.

 

How close together were they?

 

Many coin detectors have difficulty processing signals from very rusty/corroded nails, especially if they are bent. The longer nail you have pictured is a great example.

 

Very SWEET finds!!! Definitely NOT a bad start!!!

 

Everything was within a foot of each other, maybe a little less.

 

Hey guys... here's a question I can't find an answer for. Headphones... I want to use my Bose ear buds. So I plugged them into an adapter jack and plugged that into the detector (Garrett Ace 350). I get no sound.

Incidentally that jack works on other devices to convert output into the same headphones (tried them on an ancient stereo, and also on the output for a guitar amplifier). It's not the jack, nor headphones that is the problem.

So, what gives? Why does it seem like I "must" use a set of headphones that has the huge old fashioned plug size? Something in the programming and software internal to the detector it seems. Sorry but I forget the actual size readings for whatever the dumb old jack size that the detectors use.

I cannot, I will not go around on the beach with those bulky headphones! I want small, in-ear type, or at least just small discrete old-fashioned walk-man type. (I realize "old fashioned" is in the eye of the beholder. I'm 45. I remember when walk-man's first came out. Yes I know some of you were around when vinyl records were the only form of home music other than radio. I'm talking like Y2K size "old fashioned".)

So, why is it that everyone only seems to sell big bulky over the ear type headphones for detecting? I see in searching how people don't want to compromise on pitch frequency differentiation as one means to say using big headphones is better. But seriously, it's not rocket science. Shouldn't I be able to plug anything in there and just know I'm "compromising"?

But again, my problem is that I cannot plug something in, period, unless it is a set of headphones that has the huge plug size. What is my workaround?

 

Some detectors only use a mono plug, is your adapter for stereo?

 

So, this is snipped from the user manual. As you see, it is 1/4". Some internet digging makes me think that standard is a mono output for MDs, two channels from a mono source. That internet writeup also mentioned this as a "ring and tip" arrangement. So... do I need an adapter jack that is likewise made, to recieve mono source 2 channel headphones? I'm talking out of my anus by the way, just a "google expert". Please let me know if this helps any of you smart people solve my dilemma.

 

According to the picture your detector accepts a stereo input. So have any headphones worked with the detector? Maybe the detector’s audio input jack is messed up.

 

Yeah... I am going to go home and take a look at that adapter. As I am reading up on stuff I see what you mean, that the headphone plug in the picture is a TRS setup. I think I might need to look if that jack I own is also a TRS setup at it's tip? Then if a jack is TRS, its connection to your standard TRS headphone should work? I'll keep y'all updated.

 

@OnHartung'sRoad
Let's try to plan a group meet as my truck is finally done. I just need to drive it for a little to make sure things are well with the engine.

Anyways, I want to learn the process of what I consider "open field metal detecting". Meaning, what to look for as far as search areas out in the desert/mountain places. The beach and parks are easy. But vast open land is a whole other thing. I know you don't just put the coil to the ground and start swinging as that would be highly inefficient of time and energy. I highly imagine you have to know how and where to search looking for key locations/spots and things to take into consideration while hunting.

My truck as it sits in the shop...




@JaCado let's plan a Santiago Peak trip.

 

With gas being $5.00 + a gallon... I am not seeing many trips in the near future. I need to raise prices

 

Yeah, I do hear you on that one. Something is going on with the economy and other things behind "closed doors" that we will never really know, but I digress.

 

The war with Ukraine/Russia is gonna make it worse than covid, economically.

 

Day 2 of making holes in my yard. It's definitely true what they say about learning your machine. I stopped digging anything 20 and below on my Minelab Vanquish 340. A 20 means a roofing nail, 23-24 are pennies and I found a 1999 dime that was reading 31ish. Unfortunately, aluminum reads in the high 20s. But 3 more coins and a bunch of junk.

 

Strangely the Minelab was reading 38-40 at one spot which should mean a quarter. But the only thing I found was a rusty nail. It was buried with a bunch of small granite rocks since it was right next to my driveway which is a bunch of granite rocks. Lol. Not sure if that was throwing it off.

 

Cool! Looks like you’re getting the hang of it!
Don’t forget your nickels. I’m guessing that they will read low to mid-teens.
The granite shouldn’t affect your machine unless they are very mineralized.
Stick with it, you’re on your way!