Keeping track of your finds

[LiveBlues]

Hi everyone,

Do you keep a record of your finds, and if so, what do you use?

I am a database programmer and have already started working on a program for this purpose (while impatiently waiting for my DFX), so I thought I would solicit ideas from you all as to what would make up the perfect detectors database program. I have put a lot of thought into this, but I am sure there is plenty that I have missed.

Thanks for any input!

[DougsGraphics]

LiveBlues,

I suspect most here keep some record of what they have found. I've been just populating a spreadsheet at this time, but have wanted for a while to import it to a db (I've also worked as a db programmer in past lives). Just haven't found the time to work it and have been continuing to determine the features I want. Right now, I enter all the data on one spreadsheet, and then summarize several ways in pivot tables for my own gratification -- gotta know when I have paid for my detector, you know!

Some of the 'challenges' that come up are that I continue to find new and interesting things to track. Things like buttons, button covers, tokens, chains, rings, foreign coins, "collector" coins, earrings, pins, bullets, keys, tags, and charms, for example. These could be lumped into a general item table, linked to each hunt, with an indexed field that contains a description like the tags I've given here. Then one might have a field to indicate face value, and one to indicate precious metal value, or some such thing, so you can track the monetary roll-up of your finds.

Of course, you have to count coinage and clad. Hunts have to be tracked and tied to location. You might have a field to describe ground conditions. You of course need a link to thumbnail views of pictures of some finds. You probably want to be able to link pictures in general to the hunts...

Anyway, you've no doubt been thinking about this a lot, as have I. If you figure out what you want/need, it might be just what others want as well.

Happy Hunting!

[LiveBlues]

Doug,

Thanks for the well thought out response. It actually caused me to have a complete shift in direction. I was originally thinking of it as just a way to enter finds, but now I am going to have it centered around each hunt. Everything else will fall into place.

Thanks again!

[dri-wash]

Sounds like a great idea,,please let me know when it is done and how much it will be...$$$

Tom

[LiveBlues]

dri-wash,

Thanks for the kind words. I started this mainly as a personal project and I hadn't really thought about selling it. I hope nobody (including the mods) see this thread as an advertisment.

This won't be a self contained program, with the type of programming that I do. It requires a multivalue database to run. Multivalue databases are typically used in a multi-user business environment. I am developing it on one called openQM (or just QM). While QM is still more business oriented, it is much more reasonably priced than any other multivalue database per user license, which made it attractive to me to play around with for home use. The program will also require a terminal emulator called Accuterm, which acts as a GUI server. QM provides a user license for Accuterm when you buy a QM user license.

Once it is complete, if anyone has access to these two components, I would gladly give you my software for free.

I am getting ahead of myself though. I have a lot of work to do.

[greenwenvy]

Have you checked out i-detect? I've seen their site and the screen shots make the program look pretty nice. Whites sells a special version that has the ability to save White's DFX and XLT programming information (Save up to 50 programs).

Here is the link to their site Ginkgoware "i-detect" Metal Detecting Software Journal
and here is the link to White's version White's Electronics Metal Detectors

Depending on which one you'd get it's $24.95 to $29.95. Hope this info was useful!

Cheers