6/25/23 Report - Changes in Treasure Hunting and Metal Detecting Technologies Over the Decades.

 

Written by the TreaureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treaure Beaches Report.

Yesterday I mentioned that blowers (mailboxes) have been used in treasure salvage since 1962.  That is over sixty years ago, and they haven't changed much in all that time.  

Metal detecting has been going on for a long time and hasn't changed a lot when compared to things like telephones and other technologies.  To me it is surprising how little metal detecting has changed over the decades.  The technology has improved some, but for me it is more a matter of tweaking rather than any revolutionary changes.  For decades there have been claims about metal detectors that can actually show you the shape of the target in the ground.  I don't know what has happened with that, but I haven't seen it anything like that either advertised recently or in the field.

The biggest changes in metal detectors might be the improvement in depth and target ID.  To me, those are small incremental advances - nothing really revolutionary.  As I look back over several decades, I'm actually surprised by how little metal detecting has changed in those years.

One of the most creative or innovative things I've seen in recent years is the recovery tool developed and used by Robert J.  Instead of using a scoop, he developed a tool that employs an electric drill and auger to lift targets into a bucket, instead of using a scoop.  

Below is how Robert J. described that.

I'm a daily reader of your blog and have been for years now.  I was reading your blog today and had to smile a little.  I'm a systems engineer by trade and am always looking to make a better mousetrap. The auger was one of my attempts.  Not sure if I'm the one you saw, but as far as I know I was the first to use it.  If it was me you saw, I would have most likely been on one of the more popular treasure coast beaches last Winter and had a protected cordless drill attached to an auger bit inside a bucket.  If not, imitation is one of the greatest forms of flattery!

Believe it or not, the "post hole digger" works much better than you would think it would. It especially shines in the shallow surf where traditional scoops can be frustrating.  The wave action actually helps to retrieve the object by sifting the lighter material (sand/shell).  It's also capable of quickly digging multiple targets without the concern of losing them.  Last November, my record was 11 musket balls and multiple other various pieces of lead in the bucket when I finally emptied.

There are however a few cons with the auger apparatus.  For one, it only weighs a pound or two more than a scoop but doesn't drag as easily behind you and is certainly bulkier.  Two, my drill clutch wore out after a year.  I guess not too bad since I estimate I dug well over 1000 holes.

I have made several improvements and variations to my original "post hole digger" now and am just waiting for the right conditions to put the latest version to use!

Of course, there are other innovations. For example, Warren D. has experimented with scoop handles and has come up with designs that are more effective and ergonomic than the scoops most detectorists use.

It just seems to me that both treasure salvage and metal detecting has changed very little over the years.  Of course we all benefit from technologies that are not specific to those activities.  GPS is a huge change for treasure salvage.  And we all benefit from general purpose digital technologies.  We always have a quality phone, camera, and other digital technologies at our fingertips.

Of course there are advanced technologies like LIDAR and submersibles, but th arose kinds of things are not generally used by hobbyists and beach detectorists.

It takes a lot of varied skills to develop new tools.  And it takes even more for those advances to become widely accepted. 

I suspect that detectorists are not characteristically early adopters. I know I am not, although I have been an innovator in the fields of biofeedback and computer science. Like John P., I enjoy exploring new solutions, but when it comes to making a purchase, I often prefer the tried and proven products. There are times when I love to experiment and solve problems, but it is time consuming, and you can't do it in every area of your life.

For one thing, metal detecting is just a hobby.  That is little different for treasure salvage, which involves greater commitment and investment.  

There is always a better way.  That is my belief.  But it takes a lot to develop a better solution, and it takes a lot more for an innovation to be widely adopted and successfully used.

Sometimes things fall into place.  It can involve accident or luck.

The mailboxes were originally conceived by Mel Fisher to send clear water to the bottom so divers could see what they were doing.  It was then discovered that it actually had the benefit of moving the sand.

Successful and widely adopted innovations involve several stages.

• Idea generation: brainstorming and selecting the best concept to pursue.
• Advocacy and screening: pitching and evaluating the idea for its feasibility and potential value.
• Experimentation: testing and refining the idea through prototypes and feedback.
• Commercialization: launching and marketing the new product or service to the target market.
• Diffusion and implementation: spreading and adopting the innovation across the organization or society.

It takes a lot to come up with revolutionary new ideas.  That is why they are so rare.  Creative people may come up with great ideas but not be interested or able to develop them.  It requires knowledge of the activity or discipline, and when people are doing something relatively satisfactorily or successfully according ot their own standards or criteria, few of them will not be motivated to change things very much.

Failure can be a good motivator, but it can also cause people to quit.  You can use failure as motivation.  Or you can simply raise your standards beyond what you are currently doing, and let that be the motivation.

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If you've come up with alternative solutions or approaches to treasure hunting or metal detecting, tell me the story.  I'll be glad to hear from you.

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Treasure Coast Penslar Bottle Find.

Penslar sold products like toilet water and face creams.  I'm not sure what this bottle held.

Below is an old advertisement showing some of the Penslar products.

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Bret has dissipated, and Cindy will do the same before doing anything for our beach conditions.

Expect west and south winds and a one foot surf for the next several days.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net