A Rocket, A Silver Necklace And A Gold Ring!

[mn90403]

Last Friday I went to my PCSC meeting in Downey, California and saw our panning contests for the year.  We also had our displays of the month but I forgot to get the picture.  Part of my display was telling everyone about the Golden Heart Return.  Thank you for all that looked at that thread and made comments about gold was coming to me soon.

That, a rocket launch and the tides motivated to get out to the beaches after the meeting on Friday night.  The launch schedule was for 12:47 AM.  By the time I made it back to Santa Monica is was almost 11 PM so I just went to the beach.  There had been some nice waves come in, but the beach had been detected!  I decided to continue anyway.

Earlier in the day I had detected a park before the meeting using the Equinox 800/6.  I got the quirky idea that I wanted to leave the small coil on as I had found 4 gold rings on the beach with it the first time I used it nearby.  So off I went to see the rocket launch and detect.

Detecting on the beach with a 6 inch coil as opposed to the 15x12 is naturally quite different.  The lightness of it can make me swing it too fast but it is sensitive enough and can go 7-8 inches deep on a quarter.  It is a bit fun.  When it was time for the rocket launch there was a delay of 30 minutes.  It caused me to walk up the beach closer to the Santa Monica Pier.  I wanted it in my pictures with the rocket.  I had seen one before by 'accident' out detecting one night when I didn't know the schedule.  This one I had the schedule on my phone.

I detected my way up the beach and got a few coins and then a nice high pitch.  I had my light off but I could still see something hanging from my scoop.  It turned out to be a 25 inch, 17 gram, .925 silver, round, box chain with a little pendant.  It had been washed up with the waves and missed by some of the other detectorists looking further down the hill.  I can only imagine what they got.  Yahoo was all I could say.

A few minutes later the rocket did launch and I made a video.  It is a little long.  The rocket becomes visible about the 1:50 mark.  I didn't realize that the formatting would not be full screen.  This video makes it very difficult to see.  It looks much better on my phone.

 

I've seen several of the SpaceX launches now from Vandenberg and Santa Monica.  They normally head south so they get closer during the launch.  These launches remind me of watching the Apollo launches when I grew up in Florida.

After the launch I detected more and found the stainless-steel ring pictured.  It was successful for the night.

The next night, Saturday I decided to use the 800/6 on another beach.  At first it was not able to find any targets.  I wondered if I had the coil working correctly but then I found a 'wet patch.'   I was standing in the waves with my boots on getting wet but finding just about all of the coins and trash within a 50 ft area.  I had the right coil for this job.  My calf boots were filling with water but I was still getting targets.  A combination of wind, waves and tide moved this patch to a spot where I could detect it.  I found 6 $1 coins which I don't normally find.  All of it was shallow.  Each wave would move something else up.  These are rare times but I was glad I had the small coil.

I walked away several times to find another wet patch but there were none so I returned to find more.  That was my session.

Sunday night I decided to see if more targets had been missed.  I walked about 5 miles with very limited success.  Detectorists must have known there was not much about because I didn't see anyone or any dig holes.  At the end of the session I heard a 6 and it was solid.  I was hopeful it would be a ring and it was.  I didn't realize it was gold until later.  As I was circling the spot where I found the ring ... the battery icon started blinking and the volume crashed.  I had just found the ring before all power went out.

I've learned a lot about the 6 inch coil in the last 3 days.  I found one part of an aluminum can at 15 inches and if you go really slow you can find coins at 10 inches.  It is easy to use on the slopes and cuts and it detects 'bigger' than its size.  I can hear a target/break in the threshold by getting within 7-8 inches of it while swinging fast.   Then it becomes like the moth to the flame of enhancing the target location.

This small coil is a tool and if I know there are big waves and moving targets again I'll use it.  I think it can also help on detecting a long cut where the wash downs and the wash ups are shallow and quick to recover.

[Skull diver]

The 6" is a tool for sure...Never again without it even if on my old Ctx.

 

[Valens Legacy]

Nice hunt with some very nice saves.

Good luck on your next outing.

[rvpopeye]

Good plan !  I use my 6 most of the time .

[Compass]

Sweet gold ring M - congrats on the silver too! I use my 6" coil at the lake most of the time because it's easier to swing in the water and helps with pinpointing. Yes, it is surprisingly deep for its size.

[TampaBayBrad]

Nice! You're long walk and staying power paid off in the (very) end!

[CPT_GhostLight]

Great hunts, mn90403, well done! Congrats on the gold ring, silver necklace, the coins, and other goodies, it looks like your Karma came in! 😎

[Joe D.]

   Love the launch and the finds!👍 I'm around the area you were describing in Florida! Although Cocoa Beach Pier isn't nearly as festive as yours, I do get to see some nice launches from just South of Cape Canaveral on a regular basis! Only wish I was up here when the Shuttle was active, as those were a sight to behold!! Good luck at your beaches in the future!🍀👍👍

[mn90403]

I saw the last Shuttle launch from the beach and a couple of others before that.  When I was growing up my mom knew the significance of the Space Program and she would drive down in the middle of the night and we would watch the Gemini and Apollo launches.  Now those were sights and sounds!