Hi And Help - Noob In Co

[Joe D.]

Welcome Kelly,

  You already have enough excellent suggestions for detectors above, so I  won't add to that! But I welcome you to the forum, and think you should spend a little time in the detector review section, reading up on the suggestions above to make a more informed decision! Your son's age??, may be a factor in your decision process!

   Mostly, that revolves around what types of things are you; (your son), going to be detecting for, ie coins, relics, gold nuggets, etc! And the types of locations, ie, parks, school yards, farm fields, beaches, water, etc.. 

    Also, there are local ordinances, and laws against detecting at certain locations, that you will need to be aware of, (those can be looked up in your local area)! And permissions for private property!   As well as "Proper Detecting Etiquette" to follow for anyone who detects, such as filling all hole's, removing dug trash, making as little disturbance as possible, ie, three sided grass plug so as not to kill the grass! To name a few!

   And one more thing that is not always mentioned; but especially for kids, who can get easily discouraged! Any detector, no matter the price, will detect alot of trash!! It's just part of the hobby!! And there is no way around it! But that's the only way to find the good stuff too! Just a heads up!!

    These things, and more are simple to learn, and go a long way to making detecting an enjoyable and legal hobby! But they are important to know about before diving to deep! 

   One more suggestion that may help, is to see if you have any local Detecting Clubs, and/or Dealers (for instruction) in your area, that your son could get his "feet wet"! They are a wealth of information, and another avenue to enter into the hobby!

   I hope you find what your looking for, and feel free to ask as many questions as you like, as they come to you; their free!!

Good luck!!👍👍

[Kellyb]

F350Platinum, Valens Legacy, GB_Amateur, kac, Steve Herschbach:

I cannot convey how helpful you've all been! I appreciate the information about used models, pinpointers, spades, the rules of detecting, dealers, models and everything else - thank you! Today I called Gerry in Boise Idaho and bought the Nokta Makro Simplex. It'll be here before my son's birthday so hopefully I'll have time to read up on it before it arrives. There's not doubt I'm going with him when he takes it out. Sounds like so much fun. I'll let you know what we find. Thank you again or taking your time to help me out. And thanks Steve for managing this hub!

All the best,

Kelly