Metal Detecting Book for Beginners | By Mark Smith

One of the best book that I recommend for beginners is Mark Smith's "Metal Detecting: A Beginner's Guide to Mastering the Greatest Hobby in the World".

According to the book, the world is filled with treasures and I do agree with it. Through this book, it teaches you on how to claim your share of those treasures.

This book consists of over 200 pages of information that clearly explains everything on how to find and recover your own treasure.

If it happens that you already purchased one of those reliable cheap metal detectors that I recommend, the next step would be to gain a lot of insight. 

But through this book, those insights that you need are already compiled where all you just have to do is to read, understand and apply.

You might be thinking why some metal-hunters are quite good at finding valuable items such as gold coins, jewelries, relics and other worthy findings. 

The reason is that, they have the knowledge of "where" and "how" to search for them. This book will guide you in these aspect as well.

Features of Mark Smith's Metal Detecting Book


1. Not just for the Beginners

Mark Smith's Metal Detecting Book isn't actually just for the beginners. It's because there are plenty of useful tips that some professional treasure hunters may have not known yet.

2. Secrets of Metal Detecting

There's actually a hidden secret to a successful metal detecting. Mark Smith will reveal these best guarded secrets to ensure a great success on your findings.

3. Illustrated Diagrams

The book is complete with illustrated diagrams consisting of actual pictures that best describe the topic being explained. Most of these illustrations actually teaches you how to locate the treasures and safely recover them.

4. Metal Detector Explained

Mark Smith will explained everything that you need to know about metal detectors. 

You get to learn how a metal detector exactly works, choosing the best MD, metal detecting with kids, metal detecting in various places (such as private properties, creeks, rivers and lakes), and other necessary equipment that you will need.

5. Recovered Findings

You get to learn how to identify the items that you have recovered. 

Once you learned how to identify your findings, you will be able to distinguish gold, silver, copper, jewelry and other various forms of metallic properties.

Other than identifying your findings, Mark Smith will also teach you how to clean your findings and sell them for money.

 
Overall, Mark Smith's Metal Detecting Book for Beginners is a reading material that offers plenty of tips that can give you a good start.

Fisher Gold Bug MD Review

One of my best recommendation when you intend to find big or small pieces of gold is the, "Fisher Gold Bug" metal detector. 

It is complete with all the necessary features that you need for a successful recovery of a hidden item. With this tool on your hand, you will have the confidence of not missing your target.

Fisher Gold Bug metal detector isn't only designed for gold materials but also other metallic objects as well. 

Thus, it is perfectly suited to all metal detector hobbyist who are in search of different metal items. Not just any random junk metals though. 

It's because this tool has an easy to adjust settings which makes it reliable in searching priceless items to add into your set of collections.

Features of Fisher Gold Bug MD


The Fisher Gold Bug metal detector is actually a good addition into your other detecting tools. 

It's for the reason that, it's simply the best tool designed with features that can absolutely locate the best items buried underground.

Metal hunters have only one goal, this is finding the best pieces of metal underground. And with this tool, finding them makes it an easy task. 

This is the reason why this product is suddenly gaining popularity among treasure hunters.

Here are the following product features of Fisher Gold Bug metal detector:

1. Fisher Gold Bug uses a power supply of 9 volts which has a gain and threshold adjustments.

2. It supports a headphone jack with sizes of 1/2 inch and 1/8 inch.

3. It has an LCD Screen display with two digit number which is from 0 to 99. This number is used as a basis for the identification of the buried target.

4. This tool has been designed by the manufacturer to be as light as much as possible and with the best ergonomics.

5. Fisher Gold Bug is proud to feature its "No-Motion" pinpoint function which allows you to utilize a computer assisted ground grab and balance. 

What this function actually does is that, it gives readout of the ground phase and mineralization of the ground.

6. You get choose and operate this tool in two different modes. "Discriminate" items or detect "All-Metal" (which uses 19kHz operating frequency).

7. This tool has a super sensitive 2 Tone VCO which has an indicator that indicates both the depth and signal strength that is being picked up.

8. The best metal detector for prospecting different sizes of gold nuggets.

Pros and Cons of Fisher Gold Bug Metal Detector


All I can actually tell about Fisher Gold Bug metal detector are on the pros or positive side. It's because throughout my experience in using this tool, I never encountered any flaws on it.

Pros

In the Philippines, it is actually common to find Japanese treasures that are hidden inside old rocks and trees. 

Items that are hidden on this objects doesn't require powerful or deep penetrating metal detectors. The best tool to use for these hidden items are accurate locators such as this Fisher Gold Bug MD.

With the Fisher Gold Bug MD on my hand, I was able to use it to detect and confirm the presence of gold bars, jewels and relics inside a certain object.

Cons

As I stated above, I do not have any bad experience in using my Fisher Gold Bug metal detector when it comes to the side of its technical features. 

However, the only disadvantage about this product is that, you need to purchase the headphones separately.

Using headphones actually allows you to maximize the tool's function.


Overall, you may find that Fisher Gold Bug is not a cheap metal detector. But based on my own personal opinion, the price is simply on the appropriate range. 

The technical features and high quality materials used to build the equipment actually speaks for the actual price.

Garrett Pro Pointer Pinpointer Detector Review

One of the most popular pinpointer device is the "Garrett Pro Pointer" metal detector. Many metal detector hobbyist prefer this tool due to its small size and 100% waterproof.

I actually own a Garrett Pro Pointer and it really helped me a lot on my searches particularly in pinpointing small buried objects that my metal detector can hardly point the exact location.

The most interesting feature that I like most about Garrett Pro Pointer is its simplicity which is perfect for complete beginners. 

It's microprocessor already does the process of automatically adjusting its circuitry settings which ensures maximum sensitivity. 

This means, you don't have to go through the trouble of adjustments and fine tuning which is simply a waste of your valuable time.

Another feature of the Garrett Pro Pointer that I like is its pinpointing tip and side-scanning capability. I usually perform side-scanning first. 

Once the object is confirmed, I use the pinpointing tip to accurately determine the spot.

If it happens that a certain object has been picked up, the Garrett Pro Pointer will alert the operator in two ways. It produces an audible sound and vibrating alarms at the same time. 

The advantage is that, you can use this tool without removing your headphones.

Other features of Garrett Pro Pointer includes an LED flashlight which allows you to detect on dim locations. 

There's also a sifting blade which you can use to scrape away soil when recovering a certain detected item. And, a woven belt holster for easy portability.

According to the manufacturer, this tool is also capable of detecting metal pipes or nails on the walls.

Garrett Pro Pointer Product Summary Features


- The manufacturer ensured the design to be water resistant which makes it suitable for any type of weather conditions.

- Equipped with microprocessor circuitry that automatically does the best adjustment for you to attain maximum sensitivity.

- If target has been picked up, an audible sound and vibrating alarm will surely alert you of what it found.

- The tool offers an LED flashlight so that you can still use it on low-light conditions.

Pros and Cons of the Garrett Pro Pointer


When it comes to the pros and cons of the Garrett Pro Pointer, the pros actually outweighs the cons. In fact, there aren't any cons that I can say about this product. 

I've already been using it for several months now and I still observe no flaws.

Pros

Garrett Pro Pointer really does everything that is mentioned on the product description. So if you ask me, it is one of the best metal detecting pinpointer tool available on the market today.

Aside from the useful features of the tool, I can say that the manufacturer have used high quality materials which makes it highly durable. 

It doesn't easily break regardless of how rough the way you handle it even without care.

It is also 100 percent water resistant. This tool really came handy when me and my crew had an underwater project. 

The item we were looking at that time was an old barrel of drum that got covered with thick mud making it hard for us to find without the help of a detector.

We could use a bigger hand-held metal detector but it would really be a hassle. So we're glad that we have the Garrett Pro Pointer which allowed us to find the covered item with ease.

Cons

As I stated above, there aren't any cons of this pinpointer that I can say about. The only reason why some people says that it's a bad product is due to its expensive price. 

Garrett Pro Pointer actually costs almost comparable to the price of a large hand-held cheap metal detector.

Overall, Garrett Pro Pointer is one small device that proves a worthy useful tool to every treasure hunter around. 

Thus, you will most likely won't regret buying one even at the cost of its expensive price. When I first purchased my tool, I simply treated it as a form of investment.

Why You Should Build Your Own Homemade MD?

There's actually a great benefit in "building your own homemade metal detector". It can actually save you money and at the same time, gain the knowledge of building your own working unit.

I actually own several homemade metal detectors that I built and up until now, they are still surprisingly working. 

It's because any technical issues that suddenly comes up, I am able to fix it right away because I am very familiar on how the circuitry works. This is comparable to an "unlimited warranty" of a certain product.


But before you intend to build your own metal detector, you must have a good background or knowledge in electronics. 

If you have none then I suggest that you should enroll from a short electronic vocational course. And in just a matter of few months, you can now start building various electronic stuffs which includes a MD.

What Type of Homemade Metal Detector is Best to Build?


Based on my own personal experience, the best type of metal detector to build are the Pulse Inductive (PI) MDs. 

These are MDs that sends out pulses of electromagnetic field down into the ground. 

If it happens that the magnetic field came contact on a certain buried metallic object, it will cause the magnetic field's polarity to be reversed reflecting the pulse signal back out to the surface. 

The reflected signal will then be picked up by the search coil and processed into an audible sound.

Most circuit-schematics shared online are PI MDs. Although, you have to consult people who already made attempts in building the project to confirm if it's a working schematic or not. 

You have to know that not all circuit-schematics of metal detectors being shared online are working. It's because the majority of them actually don't work.

Can a Homemade Metal Detector Used for Detecting Gold?


Any metal detector can actually detect gold. It's all about adjusting the operating frequency of the MD. According to the experts, a metal detector that operates at a high-frequency can accurately detect gold. 

This means that the higher the frequency, the better sensitivity of the MD to pick up large to tiny pieces of gold.

Although, there is a problem with high-frequency MDs. A homemade MD detector operating at a high-frequency tends to become unreliable because it can also detect iron minerals which is pretty bad. 

Unless, you can build a discriminator which seems impossible to build on your own.

Moreover, if you decide to build your own homemade metal detector, another important factor that you need to consider is to make sure that all of the electronic components or parts needed are still available on the market. 

It would be pointless starting out to build a project then suddenly, you end up being unable to complete it because one important component is missing.

Electronic Parts

I would also like to warn you that, building your own homemade metal detector can be quite addictive. 

I've already seen some people build their own MDs but really never put them to an actual use.

Pulse Induction Metal Detector | Gary Chemelec

The first homemade metal detector that I successfully constructed is Gary's Pulse Induction (PI) Metal Detector

It is actually not for beginners because it involves a lot of electronic components that must be properly connected on the PCB circuit board.


I went through a lot of trouble in building the project where it took me almost two months of troubleshooting for it to properly work and achieve the best setting adjustments. 

Although, when it comes to the sensitivity and accuracy, the problem really isn't from the electronic circuit part but the search coil.

Search Coil of Pulse Inductive Metal Detector


The search coil of a pulse inductive metal detector may consist of a single coil which act as the transmitter and receiver. 

Some search coils may have two or three coils working together for a more efficient processing of the signal.

So how does it work?

Taken from the name Pulse Induction MD, a pulsating current goes through the wire of the search coil. 

And as a result, a pulse of electromagnetic field is produced which travels way down into the ground. 

When the generated pulse reached the end, the magnetic field will reverse in polarity and at the time, collapses very suddenly. 

This reaction causes a sharp electrical spike. The electrical spike will only last for a few microseconds before another current will run through the coil for a repeated process.

Commercial PI metal detectors sticks to the standards of about 100 pulses per second.

If it happens that the transmitted pulse of electromagnetic field came contact to a certain metallic object, the pulse will create an opposite magnetic field around the target. 

Then when the pulses collapses resulting into a reflected pulse, the generated magnetic field around the object will cause a longer delay of the reflected pulse before it will completely disappear.

Assuming that a certain object has caused a delay on the reflected pulse, the "sampling circuit" will pass the signal into the monitoring device called "integrator"

The integrator will then interpret the signal which will be amplified and then converted into a direct current (DC). 

This DC current signal will be processed into the audio circuit where it will be finally converted into an audible sound that alerts the operator.

Gary Chemelec's PI Metal Detector Design


I will not be sharing Gary's PI metal detector on this post where I suggest that you should visit his own website to get a copy of his circuit-schematic diagram.

This is the link to his website:

http://chemelec.com/Projects/Metal-1a/Metal.htm
http://chemelec.com/Projects/Metal-2a/Metal-2.htm

If you are not quite good at building electronic projects, I suggest that you should purchase the complete kit. 

Gary's complete PI metal detector kit already consists of all the necessary parts that you need. All you just have to do is to follow the instruction from the manual in order to properly assemble it.

You can also ask help from Gary if you have trouble in building the kit.

Overall, pulse induction metal detectors performs great on high conductive soil or ground. It is actually quite good at detecting deep buried objects as compared to any other designs. 

However, PI detectors are not good with discrimination which is the major draw-down of the equipment. The reason is that, the reflected pulse length of various metals are really hard to separate.

Buying your Metal Detector Online

The best places to buy your metal detector is actually via online because it gives you all the complete lists of available products to choose from. 

Other than that, you also get to choose the best product by reading the reviews of other people who already bought and tested the item.

When it comes to buying the right metal detector for you, it actually involves several factors. It is important that you really have to choose the type of MD suited for the job.

Here are the following factors that you need to consider when purchasing your metal detector online:

1. Objects to Detect

The most common activity with metal detectors is finding old coins and other lost valuable accessories on the ground. 

These items aren't usually buried too deep because they were just most likely dropped accidentally by some individuals in the past. 

The perfect metal detector in finding these lost items are those that have good discriminating features and high-accuracy in pin-pointing the target.

Old Coins

Another common activity that importantly involves the use of metal detectors is hunting for gold nuggets or flakes. 

Using ordinary MDs can be very unreliable when detecting gold nuggets due to the reason that high-mineralized rocks can cause interference making the equipment very unstable. 

Thus, the right MD for the job are those that are designed to detect gold. These kinds of detectors actually operates at a very high frequency as compared to the standard MDs.

Some treasure hunters prefers to choose deep-penetrating metal detectors. It's because they aim to locate large and deeply buried treasures deposits.

And finally is the underwater-treasure hunting. Any equipment that is not designed to be waterproof or water-resistant will most likely get damaged when used underwater. 

So choose the right metal detector that is designed to be submerged underwater.

2. Ground Conditions

It is important that you need to consider the ground condition of the area that you intend to conduct your metal detecting activity. 

Ground conditions can really affect the sensitivity of a MD quite badly making it very unstable and hard to adjust.

Ground Condition

3. Regular Use

If you intend to use your metal detector regularly then you have to choose products that are designed with high quality materials which could stand rough handling. 

With these kinds of materials used, the equipment is sure to last for a long period of use.

Regular Use of Metal Detector

You should also consider buying from the manufacturers that offers "iron-clad warranties" or unlimited warranty. 

Take advantage of such offers because you can always send your equipment for repair once it started having some technical issues.

4. Technical Functionalities

Some metal detectors are designed with sophisticated settings that are quite hard to adjust. Only operators with good technical understanding can successfully handle such equipment without problem.

Metal Detector Adjustment

If you aren't that much technical, it's best to choose MDs that are user-friendly. These kind of equipment have microprocessor circuitry that already does the job of adjusting the settings automatically.

5. Budget

Metal detectors in the market varies in prices. There are those that are quite very expensive while others are cheap. 

As an advice, don't settle for the price in your decision of buying your MD. An expensive MD doesn't always mean that it's the best product out there. On the other hand, cheap metal detectors are most likely of low-quality.

Budget

Don't settle down for a MD just because it's completely cheap or it is what you can afford with your budget. 

It is actually much better to save your money until you can afford to buy one of the best reliable metal detectors that I recommend.

For beginners, I suggest that you should check this post about the best and cheap metal detectors that I recommend.

Overall, consider all those factors discussed above when buying your metal detector online and you won't have any regrets in choosing the right one that works for you.