More than most hobbies, metal detecting has it's roots in science, with the practical aspects of ferromagnetics and the application of electrodynamics based in the physical sciences. Now, it's complicated...and the standard hobby VLF (very low frequency) metal detector is not, as many novice people seem to believe, a toy. It is a sophisticated instrument. As such, it's sophistication varies with the quality of the device, which usually translates into the price of the machine. Higher price, higher quality...not always so, but mostly so. Of course on social-media, a place much like Alice's Wonderland, you will run into comments like "It does not matter!!! You don't need an expensive machine...you can find just a much treasure with a cheap machine!" Of course these comments are usually made by the group with the cheapest machines, while adding another two inches of flattened beer cans to their growing stack of crushed tin.
But lets not get off track...something I do better a derailed train. The subject is DEPTH as always, when newbie's and surprisingly enough, experienced users, get into an argument over whose machine will go deeper!!! And the unsaid component of that thought; whose machine is better!
The fact of the matter is a machine's maximum depth varies with the metal detector's control adjustments, amount of power output to the search coil, the type of search coil (concentric, wide-scan, monoloop, etc), the size of the search coil, the conductivity of the environment it is being used it (dry soil, wet soil, magnetic soil, dry sand, wet sand, in fresh water, in salt water, et al), the expertise of the operator, proper adjustment of the audio threshold, and, importantly, wearing headphones. Another interesting conversation I caught in some group somewhere were members who gave their considered opinion on NOT wearing headphones. You gotta love em' because listening for those quiet whispers is a key aspect of squeezing out extra "depth" from a signal, the difference between stomping mindlessly over a fringe target, or releasing an 1854 Barber quarter from it's dirty little prison. The reasons for NOT wearing headphones were "They are too hot!" in the summer, they were bulky and annoying. One person said they might wear em' if there were trucks going by! Do tell?
One thing I think I can credit social media with is the amazing amount of disinformation and the spread of poor practices by people who are dispersing it from another social media group somewhere else. When I see someone mention watching YouTube videos and Face Book group conversations being the deciding factor in a metal detector purchase, I shudder a bit. A lot of cash is at stake, and for someone who has no idea how to choose a metal detector, these sources can and do offer up a lot of biased baloney. Their best bet would be to find a legitimate metal detecting club first, and/or a legitimate metal detecting dealer and get advice directly from the experts...face to face.
Several dealers I can vouch for are Phil Myer's metal detectors in Florida's Tampa area http://www.myersdepot.com/ and Carolyn Harwick in the Orlando, Florida area https://www.kellycodetectors.com/ Call em' and get the the information that will put you on track and get deep into the hobby!
