Learning tip

[Hightone]

Many detectorists plant a test garden. Here is a fast and easy way for someone new to detecting to learn what their detector is saying.

You will need:

A pencil
Some straws (the thinner the better)
Some coins, pull tab and bottlecap
A mister (I use an old Winex bottle)


In an area that you have made sure there is no metal below the ground, make about 4 or 5 dirt piles about 1 inch high and 3 to 4 inches in circumfrence, about 2 feet apart from each other. Place the coins and pull tab into the dirt piles, sliding them in at about a 90 degree angle to where the coins and pull tab are just below the surface. The bottle cap can just be buried in one of the piles.

Now use the mister to get the top of the piles nice and damp making sure the coins and trash are surrounded by damp wet dirt. Push the pencil next to each coin and trash into the dirt to make a small hole. Remove the pencil and insert the straw to where only 4" remains above the ground. If need be you can cut the straw with sissors. You should now have some dirt piles with straws telling you where your targets are and the depth using the top of the straws is 4" down. (follow me on this as there is a reason for doing it this way).

Use your detector, starting to scan just above the straws, to scan until you see you are flipping the straw back and forth. Listen and watch your display, if you have one, and get used to what each target is telling you. Move at 90 degree positions to see how the sound and display may change depending on how you approach the angled targets. Once you get used to the target ID, you can cut your straws down to 3", 2" and so on. You can even start at 6" if you want. You can also reposition the coins and trash to be on edge or flat with little effort.

Remember that the water is conductive and helps to simulate a coin that has been buried for a while. Though a test garden might be best for real world conditions, for someone that has trouble distinguishing the sounds and displays, this is reletively easy and cheap.

Hope this helps those new to detecting.

Dan

[JEBar]

Dan...

thanks for taking the time and effort to post this info ... I've heard of such a garden but didn't have a clue how to actually put one together

Jim

[Hightone]

Actually.........this is in lieu of.

Planting the garden is burying the coins, logging their depth and marking where they are and what type. My method is makeshift, but works in a pinch and can be changed easier.