Ultimate Guide to Metal Detecting for Beginners

Ultimate Guide to Metal Detecting for Beginners

Metal Detecting for Beginners , How do I get better at metal detecting? That is a great question and can only be answered with a series of tips and experiences that we will share with you in this article. From beginners to expert metal detectorists, we cover every aspect of metal detecting for beginners you might encounter. In this comprehensive article of tips we cover the range of questions we have heard over the years from thousands of treasure hunters around the world. Expert detectorists who have traveled the world in pursuit of the hobby share their top tips and advice. How do I learn to metal detect? We have tips for everyone from beginners to pros and from weekend beach combers to the most hard-core relic hunters.

You may be asking yourself, how do I know if I should metal detect? The truth is, anyone can enjoy the hobby. If you are up for adventure and ready to open up to some new experiences, the answer is you should start the hobby. Many people wonder what are the benefits of metal detecting for beginners? The benefits are many, You can get out and enjoy the outdoors, get in some exercise and possibly even come away with something of value. The hobby and its benefits are unique to each individual.

With a new metal detector in hand, most excited beginners bolt to their back yard or the closest patch of open land and fire up their detector. An enthusiastic attitude is definitely the way to go, but don’t let a pocketful of trash on your first time out discourage you. Digging up trash in the beginning is how it’s supposed to be… you are learning a new machine and hobby. After your initial day of metal detecting for beginners, every expert will tell you the same thing: Read Your Manual! Your manual will describe the factory recommended settings and explain what to do if you’re getting a lot of chatter on the standard settings.

Metal Detecting for Beginners FAQs

Before you get into the nitty-gritty of metal detecting for beginners, you actually need to choose your metal detector! Here are a few different things you should look out for.

Who’s Using It?

Will you be using your metal detector, or will the kids be using it? Most likely, it’ll be both. You need to make sure your detector is suitable for all ages and is height-adjustable. Most entry-level models will have an adjustable stalk so both children and adults can use them comfortably, but it’s worth confirming before you buy.

Consider Your Terrain

Where will you be using your metal detector? This is an important thing that many people don’t consider! As we’ll go into later, metal detectors work differently on different kinds of terrain. If you’re using it on sand, it’ll work a bit differently to the way it does on rocky earth. This is because the signal from a metal detector can travel further through loose surfaces (like sand or loose earth) than it can through hard surfaces (like rock).

If you plan on using your metal detector in all kinds of terrain, you’ll need an all-terrain metal detector. These models are much more versatile as they have a stronger signal that can be dialed back if necessary. However, if you know you’re only going to be using your metal detector on fields or at the beach, you might not need to spend the extra money on an all-terrain model. A basic entry-level unit should be more than good enough!

Accessories

When it comes to treasure hunting, you’ll need more than a metal detector to run a successful expedition. You’ll also need a trowel, a storage bag for your finds, a pickaxe for harder terrain, and some headphones (so you can hear where the signal is strongest – especially useful on windy days!). All of this adds up to a few extra costs on top of the purchase of the metal detector itself, so bear this in mind. Of course, you could simply pick up a metal detecting for beginners kit that comes with all of this stuff included and save yourself some money!

Detection Depth

This is one of the most important things to look out for when it comes to metal detectors. How deep does its signal go underground? In an entry-level model, you want your maximum depth to be at least 13cm underground. This is deep enough to find some surprisingly interesting things! Obviously, models with a higher detection depth are usually better, but they’re usually more expensive. Between 13-16cm is a good detection depth for novices – it’s deep enough that you’ll actually be able to find things without costing an arm and a leg!

Discrimination

There are tons of great finds buried out there, waiting for you to dig them out of the earth. There’s also a lot of junk buried out there, too! Luckily, there is a way to tell the trash and the treasure apart – pick up a metal detector with discrimination. This is a setting that basically allows you to set how picky your metal detector is. At low discrimination, your detector will pick up tin cans the same as gold coins.  As you increase the discrimination setting, it’ll start to reject the junk by sending out a negative signal. Of course, if you increase the setting too much, it’ll actually reject some valuable metals, so you’ll need to experiment a bit.

A good test is to scatter a few different metal objects out on the floor. Choose a good variety – you want junk like tin cans and foil as well as valuable stuff like coins and rings. Run your metal detector over each of them once, then increase your discrimination setting slightly and do it again. Keep doing this and you’ll soon learn what the perfect settings are for your metal detector and what all the different signals mean.

What is the difference between Motion & Non-Motion detectors?

Motion detectors are the more recent model of “switch on & go” machines, which first appeared in the early 1980’s. Before this, all detectors were Non-Motion.

Non-Motion detectors are manually tuned, a very similar process to tuning a radio to your favorite station. Occasionally you need to retune as the signal may have drifted off station and this is what happens with a Non-Motion detector, but it can very simply be re-tuned, sometimes with an automatic re-tune button. The other defining characteristic of this kind of detector is that it runs with a faint hum as you scan the ground, giving a raised tone as you pass the head of the machine over a metallic signal. It will continue to give this raised tone when you hold the head of the machine static over the signal area. In other words it will still give a signal when there is no motion.

Motion detectors are automatically tuned machines and run silently as you scan the ground, when you pass the head of the machine over a metallic object it will “beep”, but will only do so if the head of the machine is moving, all be it a slight movement. When the head stops moving so will the signal even if it is right underneath the search head. So motion is required to locate the target signal. These Motion detectors are simpler to use and many are fitted with a “pinpoint” switch to allow temporary conversion to Non-Motion Mode to help locate the target. The depth capability at one time was inferior to that of Non-Motion detectors, but advances in electronics have allowed them to successfully detect at greater depths, and now some of the deepest seeking detector models are Motion detectors. They also have benefitted in their discrimination abilities, which will be explained later.

How deep will I be able to locate targets?

A usual question, but quite hard to answer. There are many contributory factors involved in answering this.

The size of the object. A larger pre-decimal penny will be located at a greater depth than a new decimal penny simply because of its mass.
How the object lies in the ground. If the same object such as a pre-decimal penny is lying flat it will be located at a greater depth than if it is on its side.
The type of object. Ring shaped objects can be picked up at great depths because the detector looks at the item as a solid. So a bangle will give a good signal at depth, but a torque with a greater amount of metal content, because it is not a complete ring will not, as the detector only picks up on the “terminal ball”.

The same would apply to chains, as each link although it appears to be a complete circle has in fact a small gap where it is joined to the next ring.
Finally soil conditions. Both moisture content and mineralization affect the machines penetration abilities. If the soil is very dry or heavily mineralized, penetration will be reduced.

Are Metal Detectors Difficult to Operate?

Yes and No! Most are quite simple, both Motion & Non-Motion. Some top of the range machines however are not as “switch on & go” as they suggest, especially if you want to get the most out of them. We are happy to advise you on this aspect, as well  as each machines suitability for usage in certain areas.

What does Mineralization or Ground Effect Mean?

The ground contains quantities of iron oxides of which some soils are more prolific than others. These oxides have built up over many centuries on land mainly worked and farmed by humans. Other land can contain magnetic iron oxides, which are purely natural. Metal detectors are affected by this ground mineralization and this is referred to as ground effect. Beaches also have a ground effect caused by the electrical conductivity of salt water.

Can you use a detector on the beach as well as inland?

Yes you can use metal detector on the beach , Dry sand is the same as detecting on an inland site. Wet sand is however different, being known as conductive. Non-Motion detectors are used successfully on wet sand with no problem. Motion detectors can be inappropriate apart from a selected few which have been manufactured to cope with this effect. Please ask advise as to suitable models if you wish to detect with a motion detector on wet sand.

Do you need a license to use a metal detector?

No,  However it is now required on some beaches that a permit be obtained.

Best Metal Detectors for Beginners

There are many metal detectors, so it is necessary to choose a metal detector suitable for metal detecting for beginners so that you can control it easily and reach your goals quickly. Here are the most prominent metal detectors for beginners:

Gold Monster 1000

The Gold Monster 1000 device is one of the devices specially designed for metal detecting for beginners. The device is very simple and easy to use and works automatically. It can detect gold up to 2 m underground. The Gold Monster device can detect gold easily. It is the ideal device for searching for metals on beaches, because it is waterproof to a depth of 1 m and its control box is rain-resistant.

Simplex+

The Simplex+ Metal Detector is designed with modern technology to keep pace with the continuous development in the field of metal detection. The device is designed by Nokta, a leading manufacturer of metal detectors. The device is waterproof and can be used for mineral exploration on beaches. The user interface is easy and simple, suitable for metal detecting for beginners. The device can detect metals up to two meters underground and has four search modes that cover a wide range during detection.

Garrett ACE 400

The Garrett ACE 400 is an American metal detector. The price of the device is inexpensive compared to the features it offers. The device’s design is modern and the user interface is easy and suitable for metal detecting for beginners. The device settings are very easy, which enables you to control the search depth, sensitivity, and frequency to get the best experience while detecting metals. You can distinguish between different types of metals using this device.