First thing to do is pick a good area this should be where people visit frequently like parks and beaches. Other good places are areas now deserted by people where artefacts can still remain buried decades later. Historical sites can often come up rich in old coins and antiques. Before going onto any area check first that you are allowed on the property and seek permission where necessary.
The proper technique is essential for swinging a metal detector in order to find anything. When you hold the coil too high the ground depth is lost and you will miss any objects there. Also if you swing the coil to quickly the result will also be to miss any buried objects. And if you walk too quickly, you may pass over a target completely oblivious to its presence.
Pretend you are painting the ground using a paint roller on a pole without leaving any unpainted gaps. Slowly sweep from side to side at a speed where the paint would have time to evenly coat the ground. Move forward slowly at the furthest point of each sweep again only enough to maintain painting without any gaps. This is the most effective method of using metaldetectors. Remember if you are leaving any unpainted spots these areas are not being checked and they could be where the real high price treasure is hidden.
As far as the height above the ground goes, you want to hold the coil as close to the ground as possible. Obviously, if you're working in tall grass you're maybe 3 or 4 in. above the ground. On the other hand, on a smooth flat beach surface, you can easily skim the coil right over the sand. Remember, the higher the coil is above the surface the more depth you will lose. If they've got a old coin that is 6 in. below the surface, and your detector can detect 8 in., and the coil is 3 in. above the ground, you will miss that target. If the coil had been directly upon the ground you would be able to detect that target.
You have found a good spot to hunt and got permission, you have a metal detector, what else do you need? Well for beach hunting as well as other types of hunting you will need to start with at least two zippered or Velcro pouches, like a belly bag, or you can use a builder's pocketed apron, one will be used to hold your good or questionable findings, the other you will use for obvious trash dug up, when beach hunting you will need a sand scoop, preferably with a wire mesh basket, wire mesh scoops tend to be lighter than perforated stainless steel baskets, you want the holes small enough to prevent a half dime from slipping through, if they are bigger you might miss out on small rings as well, for other types of treasure hunting you will need a sharp serrated digging tool, many of which look like a hunting knife, but if the blade is shaped like a trowel shovel it will be easier to dig through hard rocky, packed dirt, especially if there are dense tree or shrubbery roots to cut through to get down to your prize, in this case a long metal probe is useful for narrowing down where to dig, by inserting it around the area where you got your ping, you can tell whether it is buried deep or shallow, and with numerous probings you can determine the general shape of the object before digging it out of the dirt. Always wear leather gloves when digging to protect your hands from glass, sharp metal objects, or sharp stones.
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