Metal Detectors

Detectors for the Hobbyists to Professionals...

What do hobbyists and security experts have in common? Quite simply, they use metal detectors to find metal objects. Since their development, metal detectors have been used for a wide variety of activities, from fun and recreation to work and safety. For hobbyists, metal detectors open up a fun and fascinating world of treasure hunting. For security concerns, metal detectors are used to search for weapons. Beyond recreation and security, metal detector technology has been instrumental in locating metal objects for many reasons.

Metal detectors have come a long way, from the simple one-coil BFO, to today's sophisticated machines. Modern top models are fully computerised, using microchip technology to allow the user to set sensitivity, discrimination, track speed, threshold volume, notch filters, etc, and hold these parameters in memory for future use. Compared to just a decade ago, detectors are lighter, deeper-seeking, use less battery power, and discriminate better. We can expect to see more improvements as designers continue to apply the latest Electronics and Computer technologies to the task of making ever better metal detectors.

The Hobby of Metal Detecting

Coin Hunting - searching for coins. Some people enjoy searching for old coins at historical sites and ghost towns and some people enjoy searching for coins that people have recently lost at public places, such as parks, beaches, sporting fields, schools, fairgrounds or concert areas. Sometimes called coin shooting.

• Relic Hunting - searching for historical items. Many people are interested in looking for items with historical significance and value, such as US Civil War weapons.
• Treasure Hunting - searching for hidden treasures. Treasure hunters research stories of lost treasures and try to find the lost and hidden treasures of gold, silver, and jewelry, or any other buried treasure or hidden loot.
• Gold Prospecting - searching for gold. Some people use metal detectors to find gold and gold nuggets.
• Beach Hunting - searching the beaches for lost money and jewelry.
• Jewelry Hunting - searching for lost jewelry, at beaches, parks, stadiums, concert areas or any other public area.
• Competition Metal Detecting - similar to the geo-caching searches with GPS devices, competitions are held to find hidden objects and test one's metal detecting abilities for sport.

While there are many public places open to metal detecting, it is always a good idea to make sure it is not a place off limits, such as National Parks. If you are interested in searching personal property, you should always get permission beforehand. If you plan ahead and do some research you can find great places to go treasure hunting. You can find many places by searching the internet for places that are not off limits. When you go metal detecting, remember to bring a digging tool and to always leave an area in the same condition as you found it.

Functional Uses of Metal Detectors

Metal detectors are not all about searching for lost treasures. For many, metal detectors are all about work and non-recreational functions.

Security - Metal detectors are used to search for weapons using large walk-thru metal detectors or handheld scanners. Includes airport security, building security (offices, schools, courtrooms, government buildings, or prisons), event security (sporting events, concerts, fairs).

• Archaeology - Metal detectors help archeologists find metallic items with historical value.
• Geology - Metal detectors help geologists locate soil or rock formations with a metallic composition.
• Construction - Metal detectors are used to locate wires and pipes in walls and floors, and steel reinforcing bars in concrete.
• Demining - Metal detectors are used to find land mines so they can be removed and make the land safe for people to live and work.
• Military - Metal detectors were used in the Second World War to detect mines. They are currently being used by soldiers in Iraq to search for weapons and ammunition.
• Food Safety - Metal detectors are able to detect foreign metal objects in food.
• Item Recovery - Metal detectors can be helpful in searching for lost items, such as jewelry.