How it all started

This hobby/obsession started in the fall of 2017 after I had watched all 3 seasons of the comedy drama "Detectorists".  The show accurately portrays what metal detecting is all about and I had always had a fascination with the idea of finding cool stuff buried underground.  I highly recommend watching the show - even if metal detecting is not your thing, it's a delightful drama.  As of this writing it's available on Amazon and Netflix.

So I did a lot of research and purchased a metal detector and all the equipment.  Here's what I started out with:

Garrett ACE 300 metal detector

GP pointer (pin pointing detector)

Lesche hand digger

 

Lesche T-handle shovel

Garrett finds pouch

I share this so that other newbies can benefit from my experience.  I have since confirmed that this kit is pretty much the ideal starter kit.  The ACE detector is affordable and a good beginner machine, and the other tools are not too pricey.  I may have spent almost $500 for everything.  Here I am posing with the full tool kit.

I had everything by early December 2017 and started detecting around my house.  It was exciting to hear the bleeps and learn the signals and how to use the machine.  I quickly turned up some coins and metal scrap and was hooked!

Then the snow started and the ground froze.  Here in Maine we tend to have hard winters that run until as late as April.  So with nothing to do outside, I started watching YouTube videos - every night!  My list of favorites (shown at right) are the "Rock Stars" of the detectorist world and they make very entertaining videos.  I watched very carefully so I could see what equipment they used, and how they used it.  I called it going to "YouTube University" and I watched literally hundreds of hours over the winter. They are all very kind and don't use too much jargon, and when they do - they explain it.  Some fun jargon terms are "can slaw" which is chewed up aluminum cans that have been hit by a lawn mower.  And "clad" which refers to modern coins that are just plated metal and not solid silver.

When the ground finally thawed in early April I was ready, and right away I was digging up some amazing finds!  Read my next posts to follow along in my adventures...