Optimism

[Black Pearl]

An hour on the beach and all we found was a bit of wood with a nail in.....could have been worse.......it could have rained.

Click image to view large

[ChrisLumix]

Don't knock a bit of wood with a nail in!

 

On the other hand, DO knock it, and your kitchen door will be fixed  

[Denis]

What make of detector BP?

[bugmeister]

Look on the bright side... you had a walk in the beach in fine weather (and remembered batteries as well   )

[FUJI]

Hi, BP,

YOu have started something now.....if that boy does find anything really interesting he will be hooked for life, on Metal Detecting and not Cameras like his dad.

It looks to me like a child's detector, these need a little getting used to because they seem to sound off at anything.........To have some success, he must learn to pre tune it to the ground conditions about to be detected on.

1: Hold the detector (OFF) up in the air, well off the ground, then turn the sensitivity dial until it sounds off, then wind it back slowly until it can only JUST be heard.......Now lower the search head to the ground, most go louder at this point, but, whichever, once again wind the sensitivity back until the signal ( at a no signal point) can only just be heard.....only then will the detector be usable at its best.

To search properly, use headphones so that the tiny signal is amplified but still can only just be heard, or even just as it is quiet.........Search by sweeping the search head from side to side keeping the underside at a constant centimetre above the ground, work slowly and with concentration........at the merest hint of a signal, use a small trowel to discover what it has found.....back fill beach holes as you go...

I began serious Metal Detecting after using a cheapy like yours to find a bit that fell off my old ZENIT film camera over 30 years ago, I became totally hooked, until I had three detectors, lots of amazing finds including a (reported) Roman Hoard, lots of Medieval and later silver, tons of artefacts, plus I used to pay for all parking and coffees whenever we went on a well used beach.

It was only the breaking of both legs that stopped me in my tracks.....I still have a go occassionaly.....

If he does get really keen, I might be able to pass on a professional Beach Detector......please let me know.

Good to see a kid enjoying the great outdoors.

FUJI

[colinb]

Good to see a kid enjoying the great outdoors.

FUJI

 

Agreed 

 

better than sitting in the study messing about on a computer

 

... oh hang on er... that's what I'm doing   

[Black Pearl]

Denis:

Its a Precision Gold - Beginners Metal Detector. My mum said she would buy it for Dylan so went on Amazon and it got decent reviews.

Thomas got a childs one but he was too busy playing with his remote control spider this morning to brave the cold.

 

Fuji that is fantastic advice. I sort of got there but I'll give your fantastic advice a go tomorrow.

God inly knows if he finds anything worth money but we did find something so know it does work.

[Leon]

there are loads of people on Youtube who make fairly hefty lumps of money doing this hobby, I was having a nosey myself but setup costs for serious stuff is like the price of a very nice camera!

[Denis]

You are right there Leon, the good kit you can expect to pay out between £300 and £600, I have an old (now) C-Scope CS2MX that is really good for finding coins at depth. I also found a huge Roman brooch,  3 inches long, that has been dated to the first century. That came out the ground right after my mate swept the spot with his 'Bounty hunter' machine.

[NannyFerret]

I have a friend in Shrewsbury who goes metal detecting and he has had loads of finds including some very rare old coins worth about £400.

Good luck, Dylan. I'm sure as you get more used to it that you will have some good finds.

[Kobione]

People still find the odd small gold nugget on our block, with modern detectors. We have heaps of old shell cases, nuts & bolts and plough shares that have been found - and I collect those.

 

Just tell us if you're heading our way, BP - The Potato Patch would probably yield something!!

[annie]

what a brilliant present for a boy who lives near the coast....