Compass

Wow, just saw this response and it brought back memories. Back in the 70's we hunted several times around the Coxcomb, Iron, Granite, and Rice areas but on one trip we went to to the Amboy and Essex camp sites. I don't remember finding much compared to my older, more experienced, friends but I do remember seeing a jet-black, round piece of rubber laying on top of the sand. However, it set off my detector and I saw that it was a Walking Liberty half, probably exposed by the wind or rain. One of the guys on that hunt was pulling coins out of one of the flash flood washes but I don't think my detector could handle the mineralization. If you look closely at the satellite views on Google Maps you can still see the grid lines of the campsite roads and airstrip on sides of Rice Road.

Welcome to the forum FLOT and thank you for your years of service. Looking forward to seeing some of your finds from the PNW.

"At least all of the targets had repeatable, sequential numbers with no oddballs, all over the place numbers like I have seen with some other SMFs sometimes (Garrett APEX.......). I am definitely liking the extra IDs in general however." Glad to hear this as I think the expanded TID scale is the most appealing improvement to me. Thank you for the review!

Congrats on some really beautiful finds! Pretty impressive for the first time out with a new detector. Your objective feedback is appreciated!

I like that he still has an objective perspective even after such a good hunt. He sure seems different but genuine as well.

Thanks PI-Man, I have a feeling that there is more competition in Florida than in California. However, when I run into 6 other hunters at 2am on my favorite beaches that is a little discouraging. Fortunately, that has only happened a few times and when it does that usually means that there are lots of targets to be had. That's why I like hunting in bad weather because it culls the herd a bit. 🙂

Congrats on the big silver! It's amazing that no one spotted that after it was dropped.

What an awesome ring - congrats!!! Could that be like a wax seal ring with its reverse relief?

So, I started detecting long before pinpointers were a thing and never thought there was a need for them. For the last several years I've been a beach/water hunter 99% of the time and felt even less need for a pinpointer. Yesterday I did a park hunt for the first time in a long time and tried the pinpointer that I had along. It was AMAZINGLY helpful but could also mean that my dirt hunting recovery skills aren't what they used to be. 🙂

Nice! Big silver is always welcome and I always like finding those that have been there a while. I was out yesterday and did okay on coins but only a few pieces of junk jewelry. The wind made it challenging to hunt but it sure was nice having the whole beach to myself.

Wow - beautiful collection! We also used to go out there often in the 70's and I have fond memories of the group campouts my detecting friends and I had. Several years ago and the last time I went out there I made a video: Good times! media-center-public-room-california-desert-training-center-brochure.pdf

Thanks Jerry, Yes, I would have thought that a silver coin might make an appearance. Hunting up in the dry sand is not my cup of tea - way too tiring!

Nice job! The one with the red stone looks good in the picture.

Very unusual find. I think that you are on the right track but I wonder if it might be some other diety? Most of the other moon goddess pendants seem to have a rounder more feminine look? Silver is always welcome!

I concur....digging "1"s and zinc penny signals in a park is hardcore - well done!!

Thanks VL, Yes, I kind of have a goal of making $15 in finds any time I drive to the beach to cover the cost of gas. Coins, jewelry, knives, tools, sunglasses, paper money, etc. all factor in. 🙂 I used my TDI (similar to the AQ) and, yes, it was tough going. Detecting on the firm, smooth, wet sand is so much easier than working the soft, undulating, dry sand.

Thanks, yes, too many times the surprises are the disappointing ones. I really was hoping for more targets or older ones. I wonder how deep a coin or ring will sink down to in the dry sand over time? Thanks F350Plat, I try to be discreet but, if I thought it was gold, I would have probably tried to get a better look at it when I got to the car. No stone - here's another pic:

After many years of metal detecting I'm amazed that I still discover nice finds days or weeks after a hunt. A week ago there were bulldozers making winter sand berms on a local beach so I decided to hunt behind them hoping that they would uncover some goodies. Targets were few and far between so I only hunted an hour or two before heading home to beat rush hour traffic. I finally emptied my finds pouch this morning and looked more closely at a small ring that I had assumed was silver. It was dull and a bit rough but when I examined the inside expecting to see "925" I saw "14K" instead. A quick acid test confirmed that it was gold and it cleaned up without much effort. At 2 grams it isn't the biggest ring but $65 in scrap gold value covers gas for a couple more hunts so that's a win!

Thanks RVP, That was over 2 months ago and I haven't found much of anything since. Patiently waiting for some winter storms to shake things up!

Thanks Joe and good luck! Be safe out there.

Wow! Scary story and good lesson, especially, for night hunters. I love those target rich hunts - congrats!

I've given this matter some thought since I can only hear from my right side and may eventually lose that as well. I always use headphones but the bonephones may allow for situational awareness if they make them for the Nox. (?) The new Manticore will have a handle vibration mode and , I believe, some Noktas already do. They also used to make a vibrating adapter to plug into a headphone jack that you could place on your body somewhere to feel vibrations when a target was detected. Good luck and keep us posted.

Awesome results with a great treasure to trash ratio - I see lots of jewelry in the picture - congrats!

You never know but I would be more concerned if his scoop had more signs of wear like a ground down tip. Personally, I don't like to see other hunters where I hunt but there are often newbies who don't have local knowledge or experience.

Well, I was thinking door knob at first but hairpin and door knob are not much stranger than the real answer!