Trash vs Treasure

[TroyLPN]

Hi, I just got my Garrett 150 last week and have been out digging about 5 hours so far. Mostly around old family home sites and in my backyard. So far I've found: 5 pennies, 2 quarters, 1 beer can, one pepsi can, a small piece of iron fence, a made-in-china spoon, a piece of barbed wire, a pickle jar lid, and a 1977 license plate. So how much trash did you experienced diggers unearth before you found a goodie? And what is your trash-to-treasure ratio now that you know what you're doing? Also my Garrett seems to read everything as "coins". Even the Pepsi can. Do I need to invest in a better detector or just learn to use the one I've got?
One more question. There is an old railroad depot near my finacee's house that was also the site of a Civil War skirmish. I'd love to prospect around there, but no one seems to know who I would even ask permission from. Would the railroad company possibly still own the land? The tracks were torn up years ago. There is also an old abandoned church nearby. Who would own the land that a church was on?
Thanks for any input!
TroyLPN

[PAPPY]

There is nothing wrong with you 150...Keep studying the manual and practice with you instrument. The railroad everywhere owns a LOT of land and it is very likely the railroad still owns the land you are speaking of. It is very possible the railroad owns the land the church was on. Go to your register of deeds office and track...No pun intended...It down...PAPPY

[TroyLPN]

Thanks for the quick reply! If the RR still owns the land would it be safe to assume that no one would probably care or even notice if I just kinda happened to have my detector and shovel with me while I did a self-directed tour of the premises? I'm afraid if I wrote to them the answer would be "no" just because the depot looks about ready to fall in and they'd be afraid I'd sue them or something if it fell on me. This is really a remote area and I've lived about 10 miles from it all my life and didn't know it was there. Until my finacee' (he says it was a blonde moment for him) showed it to me last week. I'm trying to convert him with no luck so far. Anybody have any insights to share about the implications of a "mixed" marriage? (detectorist and non-detectorist)

TroyLPN

[PaDigger]

Hi there and welcome to the hobby! No, don't upgrade just yet, like Pappy says, learn to use the detector you have!

Yes we do dig a lot of trash compared to goody finds, unfortunately a lot of what I have dug was in my own yard but put there many years ago by someone else.

My Ace 250 also reads a lot of things as coins too, but I use this to determine if its lying to me called GUESTIMATE, very slowly go over the small area crisscrossing, paying attention to how much of an area I get good ding dings, if it is dinging the size of a can it usually is, then I Guess before I dig, I dig a lot more than I should but only this way will I ever be sure there was not a $5.00 gold piece in that hole!

As far as the hubby goes.......... well there are several discussions on that on other forums,

my wife has not once even looked at my detector except to move it when I leave it in the wrong place but she does get real excited when I bring in 1918 silver dimes, buffalo & V nickles and even the wheat pennies or Indian heads from the 1800's, can't wait till I find a gold ring

My advice is tell him you are not doing this to get rich, it is a hobby, you enjoy it and it is a healthy and fun thing for you to do!

A day at the court house where the deeds are recorded is some times necessary to find out who owns what and that is the place to start to get permission!

Sounds like you have some prime detecting sites to do, get er' done!

They are
CORRECT DON'T UPGRADE AS OF YET.
You have a good machine , it is just a learning curve so far. You have some nice places to get used to the machine. I wish I had such places around here. We will be anxiously awaiting to see your finds.
Remember you won't know what is down there unless you dig it all up.

[RingDancer]

Hi TroyLPN, and welcome to the forum! All good advise here! I dig alot of trash along with the good stuff! You aren't going to know exactly what is down there if you don't dig it all! You have to decide how much you want to dig! If it is an old place with not alot of newer traffic I start out digging everything from my foil signals and up and then go back and get some iron. I am not familiar with your machine, but with mine I can pinpoint my object and with this feature I can tell how large the item is usually, if I am after coins, deciding on whether I want to dig or not. When I am in a newer area and I get really really tired of digging alot of trash I start digging only my quarter and up signals, hoping for quarters and some silver jewelry! But remember when doing this I am missing alot of the good stuff! Like a silver dime or IH or wheaties GOLD etc. With learning your machine and learning what it is telling you...you will get better on deciding on whether you want to dig or not. Not sure if this is good advise or not, just my way of doing things! I have had to learn on my own...reading manuals and help from the forum! Read and practice... you will be a pro!!!!!

As for the husband...I have tried and tried, but just not his thang!!!!! He sure loves it when I come in with an old coin, old axehead, or some of that GOLD!!!

REMEMBER (You won't know what's down there if you don't dig it all)
Sometimes you got to go threw some trash to get to the gold!!!

Happy hunting to ya and show us some of those great finds!!!!
Pat

[billintx]

I have a fisher 1236x2 and the ace 250.Guess who went into retirement recenly....yep the 1236x2 probably the second deepest not id detector made is now out in the norht forty while the new whipper snapper 250 is singing its glorious bing bing...Alasa sometimes that bing bing is a 12 oz can al that big does set the aces off as coins.The way to tel since you dont have a pipoint on the 150 is to practice on a coin to see the edge of the coil that goes off when the coil is near the coin,then use that same edge to outline the object. Its been said before and i Truly belive it. If the outline is 6 inches across what chance is it that that id of a dime is a 6"dime. THink about it practice practice practice.Experiment to alls good in detecting even in ones own yard.
My wife's engagement ring #2 is one i found detecting 20 plus years ago. It appraised at over 400 dollors.She loved it and kept it these many years.Think she'd go detecting........Nope but she sure does leave room to let my detectors lay where they want to.And she ALWAYS repeat ALWAYS luvs seeing me go out cause unlike fishing hunting and bowling or golf.I always bring home money in one form or another.SHe does luv seeing the things i dig up and has used a few as decorations. So hun let fiance do as he will he will respect you for you and your passion.
P.S. Remeber to always wear your finest jewerly and lots o change when detecting.....

[TroyLPN]

Didn't get to go out today cause it was raining here in Dixie. Thanks for all the great advise though. Still no luck on determining who owns the RR depot. My hubby-to-be was supposed to "ask around" sometimes that will get you more information here than a trip to the courthouse. Honestly though I'm more drawn to the old church. It's about half a mile from the depot, quite overgrown and situated on an old roadway. The roadbed can still be seen if you know what you're looking for and according to my research the Yankee Invaders used it quite extensively during the War of Northern Occupation.
Anyway, this weekend is supposed to be nice and I'll be sure and post an account of my adventures and photos of all the pepsi cans, pickle jar lids and snakes I find.
BTW, we are going to Gatlinburg on our honeymoon in 2 weeks. Anyone know of any good sites to prospect? I know the State Parks are off-limits. Hubby-to-be actually asked me if I was taking my detector with me.

TroyLPN