Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
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| World War I Metal Detector. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_detector |
People are often impressed by the rate of technological change and there is reason for that, but when it comes to metal detectors, the basic form has remained mostly unchanged for the last half century or more.
Above is a photo of a World War I metal detector. The thing you'll probably notice first is the two coils. That is very much like the two box detectors used for large deeply buried targets. One example is the Fisher Gemini (shown below).
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| Fisher Gemini Two Box Detector. |
I still have one of those, and the last time I used it was to find a septic tank.
But when you think of hobbyist metal detectors, you probably think of the most common form with a round coil (actually two coils, both transmit and receive coils in one case) at the end of a rod assembly with forearm cuff at the top, and an attached control box just ahead of the hand grip. That basic assembly has remained little changed over the last half century.
Before the current rod assembly style, the rod handle either extended from the control box or curved from behind the control box up and over the control box and did not provide forearm support. You can see that on many vintage Garrett detectors.
Detectorists in general are most concerned with detecting depth and target ID. I'd say detection depth in general has increased some over the years as has target ID, but not as much as was promised by some of the manufacturers. I remember adverstisements claiming that a detector would let you see what was in the ground before you dig it. Some very expensive detectors do provide some decent target images but not having the detail that you might want. On the hole, while hobbyist detectors do provide some target ID, detectorist always want more and better target ID.
But what I started to talk about today first is the rod assembly, as described above. The most common configuration allows the detectorist to easily walk around. Making the proper rod adjustments helps.
There are times when I've used something other than the typical rod configuration. There have been times when I wanted something else.
The metal detector shown below does not have a long rod. You might want a shorter rod when diving, for example. A very short rod can also be good when metal detecting on a steep hill. I've talked about that before. See The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 9/22/16 Report - Pigeon Island. How To Metal Detect a Steep Hillside. Spys In The American Revolution.
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| Handheld Metal Detector. |
Here is an illustration showing how the short handle works on a steep hill.
The short handle configuration is easy to pack too. There have been times when I don't want to bother with the entire rod assembly when traveling or just want to carry my detector in a back pack. A short rod besides being easy to pack, makes you detector less conspicuous.
I once took a Tesoro metal detector without the rod assembly on a trip. I used only a short piece of wood as the handle. I drilled the short wood handle so I could attach the coil. The wood handle was only about a foot long. I used a belt mount, which I haven't seen anybody use in recent years.
Back in the day when metal detector control boxes were heavier and the handles not as ergonomic, people would use a belt mount. I have also seen a few people hang the control box from a strap around their neck.
There are also times when you might want a longer rod. Below is an example.
I recently posted an extended handle I used on a recent trip. That is shown below.
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| Garrett Ace With Extended Handle. |
On a trip up North, I used a piece of wood to lengthen the handle. The wood extension fit into the top Ace rod. I found the long rod surprisingly easy to swing and use. The long handle fit nicely under my arm and made for easy swinging. It also allowed me to easily reach places that would otherwise be more difficult.
The extension was easy to make from a piece of scrap corner molding I happened to find. I didn't have to take the entire Ace rod assembly on the plane. That is one advantage - not that it is difficult to take a metal detector on a plane, but I like to travel light.
So what I am saying today is that if you have the coil, control and control box and optionally headphones, you don't have to use the stock rod assembly and there are occasionally benefits from modifying the rod assembly, which is easy to do.
There are situations when you might want to carry your detector in a disassembled state and put it together on site.
You also might want to be creative with your digging or recovery tools. I've shown scoops with extra-long handles, for example. but sometimes you might want to go low profile. There are times when you might only need a screwdriver or knife as a recovery tool. That of course depends upon the situation. If diving, you might only need to do a little hand fanning.
With the new wireless technologies and phone apps that should allow additional creative solutions.
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| Source: nhc.noaa.gov. |
I wasn't expecting much out of Sara and it doesn't look like it will do much. I do expect some cold fronts to come through this month.
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| Source: Surfguru.com. |
We are still having big high tides, but the surf will be decreasing.
Good hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net