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Beach Renourishment


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Was reading with interest forums on metal detecting after beach renourishment which happens often here on Tybee Island. The locals were saying it's not worth it but I went out anyways. Bought a Garrett Pinpointer and wanted to try it out. Found out I need to read instructions when I couldnt even get it to detect a quarter, lol. Was trying to figure out exactly where in the dirt should I start. Where they first place it further up on shore, or close to the ocean where they sand has been washing out to sea? It's the first time in a long time that I got to go metal detecting and that's why I went. Found a quarter, pencil, ice bucket and toy truck. On another question was looking in the White's catalog at the VERY expensive metal detectors, like the $1500 ones. Says they are for finding large amounts of treasure? Why wouldnt a regular metal detector detect that?

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You seemed to have done pretty good with a pinpointer! Those are used to narrow down the search once you come across a target and have dug it out with a shovel or hand digger. I don't bother with a pinpointer on the beach as the salt tends to make them sound off and I am a bit lazy and just use my scoop so I don't have to bend over.

Detectors rang in prices are pretty wide. Usually the more expensive ones have more bells and whistles but not always essential. If your planning on hitting beaches, parks and fields a waterproof detector might be the better choice. There are couple of new models out that are targeted to the new guys and have many of the functions preset to make it easier. They also perform very well. Minelab Vanquish and Nokta Simplex. Next tier on all terrain machines by price would be Garrett AT Pro, AT Max, Minelab Equinox 600, 800, Makro Kruzer series and Nokta Amphibio series. After that your hitting the 1k+ mark in price.

Best thing if find a machine that fits your budget, purpose and is comfortable to use. Big favorite out there is the Equinox 800 but it is on the upper range in price.

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2 hours ago, marieregina said:

On another question was looking in the White's catalog at the VERY expensive metal detectors, like the $1500 ones. Says they are for finding large amounts of treasure?

When I  was looking for a metal detector for multi-purpose use I did get the Equinox 800 for that reason.

The price was right and will do more than the upper Whites in my opinion.

The Vanquish is also one that I have my eye set on and is at a lower price yet. I have only heard good things about it.

 

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Sorry if my post was confusing. I could NOT get my pinpointer to work, even holding a quarter in my hand so I need to read the directions.

I have a coinmaster and it's pretty good for the beach. The problem is that they just dug up 8ft of sand an dumped it on the beach to rebuild it so I dont think I'll be finding stuff anytime soon.

Was just wondering why a regular inexpensive detector cant find treasure, described by White's as large, deeply buried items, caches of coins and treasure chests?

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1 hour ago, marieregina said:

described by White's as large, deeply buried items, caches of coins and treasure chests?

Depth is a relative word used for advertisement by some of the manufactures.

When they say deep it usually means 6-10 inches below the ground.

Rule of thumb is 1 inch per $100 for the price of the unit, and never expect to find anything several feet below the ground without special units made for that.

There are several units out there that cost tens of thousands that will go very deep, but for everyday use they are not worth the money. The Vanquish is showing to be a very good entry level unit that will give results like the Equinox 800.

There are several post on this forum about the quality of it, and I suggest that you look into one of those.

 

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How Deep Can I Detect Stuff?

Most items you will dig will be less than a foot deep and only huge items more than two feet deep. People in this hobby spend another thousand dollars to get another inch or two of depth. $300 can get you a top notch detector these days. Good locations and hours are the key to success.

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I was imagining you crawling around on the beach with a pinpointer LOL. I have a dedicated pulse induction machine I use on the beach and use my others on land. I do like my SeaHunter mk2 and depth is pretty descent, goes deeper than my vlf's in the salt without the hassle of ground balancing but it is weaker on small high conductors and small jewelry. Discrimination on it is pretty poor and you really need to keep your coil speed consistent to get consistent results. At best I can trim out the small iron but still find loads of deck spikes and big iron. Stock headphones are harsh so I recently tossed on a pair from my other detector and the machine is so much nicer. Lastly on the SH is the stock coil is great in the water but too small to comb a beach so by the time your done your in the $700+ mark.

With that being said, a machine like the Vanquish I would guess would do really well. Be nice if someone with the 12" coil posted their results at the beach with it. My guess the elliptical coil on the Vanquish might be a bit better or more stable than the stock 11" round coil on the Nox 800. That would be a good comparison of machines.

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Your sense of hearing plays a big part in what your detector is telling you. Sometimes it is a very obvious signal, but sometimes a signal is a hesitation only. You have to really be paying attention to interpret these noises. Deep targets are tough, and listening carefully pays off, dont let your mind wander when scanning....

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58 minutes ago, alaskaseeker said:

Your sense of hearing plays a big part in what your detector is telling you

My luck has ringing in my ears all the time, so I have to pay extra close attention to what the machine is telling me.

I will hear the tones, and check the VDI that is shown to decide when to dig.

This is a hobby that takes time to learn your equipment to become good at it, so take your time and have some fun.

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  • 4 weeks later...

If you haven’t already purchased a detector I’d recommend the Equinox 600 over the Vanquish. Good luck in your choices!

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