You’ve come across the exciting hobby of gold prospecting or treasure hunting either through a friend or family member or you’ve seen a tv show or movie that has captured your interest and you are now entering into the world of purchasing a metal detector however your knowledge about detectors is little to none, what do you do? Not to fear, below we will look at some of the key points to look for when purchasing a metal detector.
Metal detecting is a great exercise to get you outside in nature and get away from the stresses of modern life and city living, however to get the most out of looking for gold or treasure you want to make sure you have the right equipment. You’ll want to ask yourself a few questions about what you want out of your new hobby before you delve into the specifications of the metal detector you will be purchasing.
What do you want to get out of gold prospecting or treasure hunting?
You might be only a hobbyist and that is as far as you’ll likely take this new hobby, you may just want to get outdoors and hopefully find something valuable. For others this may become something serious that you want to turn into a serious money making enterprise where you invest serious money into quality equipment.
Now admittedly you probably won’t know this until you’ve spent some time out in nature with a metal detector so for this reason if you can borrow a friend or family members metal detector or even from a local metal detecting store to get a feel for the hobby. There may even be places where you can hire a metal detector to use before you decide to make a purchase.
Another thing to take into account when purchasing a metal detector is the potential resale value. Like cars, some metal detector brands tend to keep their value more than others and this should form part of your thinking when buying a metal detector either one you may upgrade at a later date or if you don’t wish to pursue this hobby in the long term.
What locations are you going to be visiting with your detector?
The location you are looking to visit for your gold or treasure hunting expedition will determine the type of metal detector you will purchase. If you are looking at using your detector at a variety of locations you will obviously you a more versatile detector such as a multi frequency metal detector.
If gold is going to be your focus then you would obviously purchase a metal detector that You might be looking to focus on finding gold so you would be aiming to buy a gold metal detector. Alternatively you might have some great underwater locations to look for treasure and would need to purchase a waterproof metal detector for your expeditions.
The more specific the location or the material you are searching for will likely allow a cheaper model than a multi-frequency metal detector that will allow you to visit various styles of locations with various depths.
What is your budget to purchase a metal detector?
Knowing your budget before you go looking for a metal detector is important. Metal detectors can be quite expensive with some metal detectors on the market for high 4 figure amounts, so knowing your budget first can help you determine the important specifications (combined with the area you will be using the metal detector) that will form part of your metal detector purchase.
For example let’s say you have a budget of $1,000 and you want to go prospecting in an area where gold is found fairly deep which would require a metal detector with significant depth. This price may not be compatible for the type of metal detector that you desire given your prospecting location and you may have to compromise some of the specifications on your potential metal detector or you might even want to look at the option of purchasing a 2nd hand metal detector, a topic we’ve discussed previously.
Now that you’ve taken the above points into account when looking at a metal detector purchase let’s delve into the specifications you should be looking at.
Main specifications to look for when buying a metal detector
Before we get into the specifications of a metal detector let’s look at how a metal detector works. According to the Minelab website “Metal detectors work by transmitting an electromagnetic field from the search coil into the ground. Any metal objects (targets) within the electromagnetic field will become energised and retransmit an electromagnetic field of their own. The detector’s search coil receives the retransmitted field and alerts the user by producing a target response.”
- Range/Depth of the Detector
For a detector to access greater depths (such as for gold), the detector must be able to access lower frequencies. While the range of the detector is part of the equation to access these greater depths the make up of the ground and the location of your hunt is also a factor in how deep your detector will work.
- Size of the Coil
Coil diameter size is also a factor in how deep your metal detector will be able to work. Again there are other variables at work when looking at depth however a larger coil will in most cases allow a deeper range.
- Preset modes
Most metal detectors these days come with preset modes, particularly multifrequency ones. This can be a great help for beginners or those new to prospecting and using a metal detector.
- Ground Balance
All ground material is made of up small traces of metal. Ground balance is the ability to allow your detector to ignore these metallic traces when you are using the detector. Some of these ground balance settings are preset by the manufacturer or the metal detector, others can be changed depending on your situation and location.
There are usually 3 types of ground balance, Manual, Automatic and Tracking
- Discrimination
Involves the detectors ability to identify the relevant target. For example if you have a metal detector on the beach a detector with a higher level of discrimination will be able to determine the different between a coin and an old discarded soft drink can. This is very beneficial as it takes allows you to only stop for potential valuable finds rather than stopping every time a foreign metallic object is found.
Once you’ve found your metal detector you’ll also want to have some other equipment to help you dig up your find. This will include a suitable digging and excavation tools, protective equipment such as gloves or protective eye wear, storage and holding equipment such as a carry bag, water or liquid to wash away dirt or grime from your find, etc.
One important point to take into account when prospecting or looking for treasure. Always check any local laws or regulations when visiting a certain location for prospecting or looking for artifacts or treasure. Different countries and states have different rules and regulations. What may be legal in one jurisdiction may be illegal in another.
Searching for gold and treasure can be an exciting hobby that will lead to many good times ahead. Making sure you have the right equipment will make sure a more enjoyable time is had and one which could be potentially more profitable. Do your research when looking for a metal detector and don’t be afraid to spend some money in getting a good quality metal detector, one which will last you for a long time. Generally you get what you pay for and investing in a quality metal detector will enable good prospecting times ahead.