5 Effective Ways to Improve Your Metal Detector

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Cory Haasnoot

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For anyone who is setting out to get even more into metal detecting, there is so much to learn. It’s an easy thing to get into, metal detecting; the real challenge comes from mastering the process. For example, one thing that you will likely find confusing about the whole experience is how to make it even better.

Many newbies to metal detecting will have fun…but might not be sure how to make the most of the experience. If you are someone who wants to make metal detecting even better, then you are in the right place!

With this article, we’ll break down the most effective ways to improve your metal detector. There are often little tricks of the trade that you can use to help make sure that a metal detector works even better. The challenge for you probably stems from making an intelligent decision about what you can afford, or what changes you actually need.

In a bid to help make sure you can get the best experience possible; we’ve put together a list of the most effective ways to improve your metal detector. Try these out, and you’ll enjoy the whole experience much more!


What are some of the best ways to improve the metal detector experience?

1.      Setting clear parameters

Garrett AT Pro Control Console.

When you go out metal detecting, one of the first things you will likely notice is just how much stuff is actually caked under the ground. That’s why having modes that allow you to look for certain kinds of metal is going to be such a useful add-on. You have two options mostly; look for all capable metals or look for a specific kind of metal only.

Discrimination is what this is known as, and it’s one of the only good forms of discrimination in the world. By being able to cut out having to look through various stashes only to find that it’s not what you need, this allows your metal detector to only alert you when it comes across a metal that matches your needs.

This is useful for you to help you avoid pulling up and excavating some garbage while leaving some worthwhile prizes stuck in the ground. We highly recommend that you look to do this ASAP, as it will ensure you buy a metal detector that can do the job to the best standard based on your search expectations.

2.      Cut out the sound

Metal detector and shovel leaning against a post on the beach.

One of the most effective ways to make sure that you can enjoy a more satisfying experience is to cut out the sound when metal detecting. To do this, the best thing that you can do is invest some of your hard-earned into noise-canceling solutions.

Cutting out the sound is an essential part of making sure you can enjoy the full experience. Since metal detectors are so laden with electronics, it’s naturally very sensitive compared to what you might normally deal with. Everything from your smartphone to electric fences or even power lines could interfere with the signal, though, so you have to keep that in mind as you go about your experience.

One of the best things that you can do to avoid that problem is to get a Noise Cancellation function. These are sometimes known as an Auto-Tune system, and it’s going to do a very good of making your life a whole lot easier. Not every metal detector comes with one by default, but you can often install a tuner. If not, invest in a detector that does have one!


3.      Noise cancellation – part two

Following on from the above, it’s vital that you take the time to invest in some noise-canceling headphones. When used right, something like this can be essential for making sure that you can modulate the sounds that you hear back. When using headphones, you can find it much easier to triangulate a source of a sound and thus work closer to where you actually need to.

We recommend that you look to get involved with the noise cancellation tool as it will quite simply make your job a whole lot easier than it might be today. Many times, trying to differentiate one noise from the next can be surprisingly tough. Headphones amplify the sound so that you can better determine where the audio came from, allowing you to quickly and easily swoop in and deal with the situation as intended.

Keep all of this in mind, as it should go some way to making sure you can make a wise decision with regard to your noise cancellation needs. If you find that a location is too busy or too crowded with potential finds, this allows you to shut off the irritation and instead hear it accordingly.


4.      Get the right balance

Metal detector Search for underground sections

Another vital part of having a metal detector today stems from having the right ground balance. The ground that is beneath your feet is going to be made up of several key minerals. It could be anything from the sale from the beach water to iron that has come from human presence in the area. It’s hard to say for sure, but one thing that you do need to know is what kind of land you are standing on.

Stand on the wrong kind of land, and you can get all kinds of false readings. So long as you buy a metal detector with the Ground Balancing feature, you should be able to really enjoy the experience. This will help you to monitor the mineralization levels of the ground, meaning that it will be able to help know what is simply the ground, and what is a worthwhile discovery being stored underneath.

If you don’t want to spend many an hour digging up something that you really should have saved some time digging up, then this is an essential add-on to your collection. Such an item is going to quickly and easily put in place the right balance, making sure your searches are more accurate and far less frustrating.


5.      Get the correct sweeping speed

Metal Detector. Man with metal detector , he uses it to find archaeological treasures in the grass

While not every metal detecting fan will know this, but getting the correct speed is so important. The speed is a big part of making the right choice with regard to your metal detector. Most detectors are built for a slower and more methodical form of sweeping. If you go around sweeping too fast, then you are going to skim over useful targets and not have a chance to pick them back up.

Keep this in mind, as many of us will go down the route of buying a high-end metal detector and then fail to use it properly. In a bid to help you avoid such a mistake, we recommend that you look to make the wise choice of working slowly and methodically to make sure you correct the sweeping speed.

The speed that you are capable of sweeping at is a much more important part of the metal detector experience than you might have assumed. Keep this in mind, and you should find it a bit easier to go about making a wise choice – either buy something meant for skimming or get used to working a little slower than they would have intended.


Other ways to make metal detecting even more fun

Now that you know about the kind of key features that a good quality metal detector could or should have, let’s take a look at other ways that you can make metal detecting more fun. We recommend that anyone who is serious about trying out metal detecting looks to try and use the following methods to their advantage. Do this, and you should be far more likely to see progressive improvements in the way that you take part in metal detecting.

Implement each of these tips, and you’ll improve the experience.


Know peak season

Before we look at anything else, we want to look at just how vital it is that you learn all about the local peak season. Some areas will see more people than normal during the summer months, while some are more winter-friendly. Try and always look for a way to make sure that you avoid peak season, though.

Always try and go after peak season if you can. This often means that all host of goodies and quality products are found that you might not have found if you arrived during the people-heavy peak. Going out during the peak often means expensive permits, lots of competition, and a more aggressive mood than you should get when taking on some so relaxing and fun.

Try and avoid peak season, though, and you are almost certain to come back in a more positive mood and generally more likely to have found something.


Bring the right tools

First off, make sure that you spend some time looking into each of the tools that you might realistically need. The right tools are a vital part of the process, and they will often play a pretty crucial role in improving everything.

The right tools will help to make your day easier, and it includes at least having a good pair of gloves and a pair of digging tools. Something that can cut through the ground is useful but try and look for something that allows you to dig deeper without much strength needed.

In terms of making the experience more fun, too, be sure to pick and choose from the best tools for comfort. Shoes with good grip and waterproofing make sense. So, too, does packing some insect repellent if you are going to be in an area with any signs of infestation.

Prepare for the weather

What good is a day spent out in the sun if you come home all sunburnt? Try and make the right calls based on the weather. A good way to learn about the weather is to watch the weather forecast, but also to pay attention to the shipping forecasts. This gives you a good idea of how likely it is that you can guess the weather. If the weather is warm, then bring a lightweight jacket in case it changes and put on plenty of sun protection

If it’s raining heavily, bring a cover for your metal detector and a waterproof windbreaker. This helps you to be ready for the otherwise challenging weather, allowing you to just get on with the experience and have a good time while you do so. Like many outdoor activities, the weather is a defining factor here so keep this in mind.


Bring some storage pouches

The last point on gear – make sure that you bring some kind of storage pouch with you. Something for storing metals or other finds, and stopping them from rubbing against one another, is very useful. Try and find some way to compartmentalize each find, as it will make it much easier when the time comes to look through and evaluate them all.

Basically, the more effective and vigilant you can be in your decision making now the more effective you are going to be when it comes to storage. Take the right time to look into storage options and bring separate storage for each kind of metal. You don’t want to go to all that work digging them out, only to find that you have damaged or contaminated them during transit, do you?

Take the time to invest in some useful storage options moving forward.


Invest in a proper detector

Minelab E- Trac metal detector.

By using all of the above, you now have a rough criterion for what kind of features to look out for. While not every session will need every feature, we highly recommend that you invest in a proper detector. Something that has 3-5, if not more, of the above attributes, could be a wise investment for you. As ever, though, just make sure that you take some time to look into the detector and the feature that it has.

With a bit of looking around, you should have a complete idea about the detector and what it actually means to you. So, take the time to look closely and you can work out what kind of detector you are investing in. If it has 1 or 0 of the features described above, it’s probably not going to be useful enough for you on a regular basis.

If you’re looking for a solid metal detector that has all the features you need for a successful hunt you will want to check out the Garrett AT Pro.  The AT Pro is a top of the line metal detector that will make your metal detecting very enjoyable.

But if you want a starter metal detector to get your feet wet you would want to check out the Garrett Ace 300. The Ace 300 is the perfect metal detector for the beginner and it won’t break the bank.


Invest time into the detector itself

Just about any detector worth buying today will come with a physical or PDF manual to read through, as well as an instruction video. Make sure you watch them and read them thoroughly, as these videos are going to utterly determine the success and/or failure of the experience overall.

Make sure that you make the wise choice to invest some time into learning how to use the director properly. Many people will start playing around with a detector without even learning a fraction of its full power and potential. Make sure that you take this out of the equation by investing the hours needed. You might be shocked at some of the features that slipped through the net!

Invest some time into learning more about the actual detector, though, and using it without mistakes and frustration is going to become a much easier experience.


Always bring a spare part

Even though you might know that detector off-by-heart by now, it could still have some problems. When a part gives out on you twenty minutes into a day-long session, it’s so disheartening. That is why having spare parts for all of your essential parts is a must for anyone taking metal detecting seriously. We encourage that you look to bring spare batteries, spare metal detector strapping, extra coil bolts, and the second pair of headphones.

The second pair of headphones can be useful if you find the audio to be off on the other pair. Something as simple as changing to a different brand of headphones, though, can allow for a crisper hearing experience in some areas. As ever, though, look to have spares and extras to help make sure you’re always able to soldier on if something does break.


Keep moving around

One of the easiest ways to ruin the metal detecting experience, though, is to keep on coming back to the same old places. This isn’t a video game; artifacts aren’t going to just magically appear if you keep on coming back. Instead, we highly recommend that you look to keep moving around as you should find it much easier to get a good idea of areas which are prolific for finds, and areas which lack much variety.

However, try and have a rotation of 6 weeks to 3 months for coming back and reviewing an area. Every few weeks to few months, new goodies might have been dropped. If you keep combing the same areas week-in, week-out, though, you are going to find that it is going to have a negative impact on the fun of the experience.

Much of the thrill is finding something, so don’t over-invest in the one area.


Learn the value of patience

An easy way to ruin the experience of being involved in metal detecting is to simply not have enough patience. This is a patient person’s experience; if you are not able to sit for long periods of time without activity or discovery, this is not likely to be something that you will actually enjoy.

So, do yourself a favor and invest some more time into being patient. Patience is all about giving you the chance to enjoy the experience, not just the discovery of something as you work. Get used to that, and it soon becomes so much easier to go ahead and have fun.

Fishing is a fun experience not because you get lots of bits, but because of the serenity of the day and the camaraderie with friends. Well, a metal detector is very similar: so long as you don’t expect a find a minute, you can really enjoy the experience and really value the finds at the same time!


Always make sure you are allowed

Section of a warning sign at the abandoned Furber's Scrapyard in Shropshire, England.

Lastly, one of the biggest mistakes that we see a lot of people make when getting involved in metal detecting is trespassing. Make sure that you have the permits and the legal requirement to go and enter that particular piece of land. A failure to have the right kind of licensing is almost certain to land you in hot water with the government or the local authority!

Going metal detecting is fun, but it also has to be legal and above board. Before you start taking items and precious finds from someone else’s land, make sure you have a permit to actually go detecting. Nothing is going to help to ruin your experience quite like deciding to try and get involved in a private piece of land. Remember to always get permission before committing to any metal detecting activity outside!


Summary – Effective Ways to Improve Your Metal Detector

As you can see, there is a fair amount to consider when it comes to metal detectors. You have a lot to think about in terms of their features, but then also in their individual functions. Our advice to you would be that you should look to spend more time trying to understand these changes, and what they will mean to you personally.

Not every change mentioned above is one that you should look to make. On the contrary, you should only make these changes if it is going to actively improve how you go about your metal detecting.

With the information above, you should feel far more confident about the concept of improving your metal detector. Is it easy? Not really – but using the above tips will certainly make it a whole lot easier.

It’s a hard thing to get right, but it’s easy enough to make the change as you would have intended. There are numerous effective ways to improve your metal detector experience; you just need to know which ones work best for you. So, which of the above ideas will you try out first and foremost?

Thanks for reading! I hope you got some useful information from this article. If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them in the comments section below. Until next time Happy Treasure Hunting!

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Author: Cory Haasnoot

Cory Haasnoot is an author, entrepreneur, metal detecting enthusiast, antique, coin collector, and founder of Treasure Seekr.

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