Help, i can't find anything with my metal detector!!!

A question I find myself screaming into the cold and wet morning air as I walk my dogs.

Yes there are over 100 flood warnings out there, and yes the coming weekend is going to be very wet.

This doesn’t always mean bad news for the detectorist, though the same can’t be said for farmers. Poor farmer Giles is unable to seed those fields as he can’t get on them; poor fellow, his tractor will sink.

This year I have noticed there are lots of stubble fields still waiting for the farmer’s attention. This is something that is increasingly irritating farmers as their income is taking a bath along with their land.

My advice is to go and see that farmer who has refused you several times over the last few years and ask him again. This time be armed with a £5 ready to put under his nose. It’s not a lot of money in the great scheme of things, but just might tip the scales in your favour.

Remember he is losing money on that field each day he can’t seed it. He is like anyone else trying to earn a living, give him an opportunity and he will take it.

So go put your rain coat on and pop off to that farm that as always tempted you. Have a chat with the landowner and wave the fiver. It could be the start of a beautiful relationship for you and your detector.

Good luck to you all, and if this post inspires you to go door knocking please let me know how it goes.

Clodhoppers dig 29th September 2013.

The day was set to be warm and dry, although we were deep in September. The clods were gathering in the farm car park in droves, it was going to be a well attended dig.

Ayit the dig organiser was taking in the dig fees and busily speaking to the farmer and dig members. Jax was selling the raffle tickets (which is the only fundraising the club does), and to be fair they were sold quite quickly. Without the funds raised by the raffle, the club would be potless. The monies raised goes towards paying for its and bobs what we use for the day to day running of digs.

At 9am Ayit made a quick speech, informing of out of bounds fields and field boundaries. The masses were then released into the wilderness.

On first impression the fields were littered with lots of foil, causing some indignation. This was reflected in the finds for the first three hours which were not the most encouraging.

At lunchtime, a fair few of the detectorists returned to the car park for refreshments. This is the time where if you listen well enough you will hear where the best finds are concentrated. I feel this happened as a few suspected Roman pieces were located in the far field. 

Encouraged by a quick view of the finds, a fair few members headed towards the fields. The afternoon finds improved on the back f this and this is reflected in the few nice bits of roman that appear in the video.

Here is our club video, i hope you enjoy.

What to expect on your first rally, and what to take with you.

So the time has come when you feel confident enough to sign up for a rally.

But what is a rally all about?

A rally can be one of three things in my humble opinion;

1) A club event for members only. This is a very safe event with a club where you have become a member. Clubs often put on events for their membership on tried and trusted land. There won't be any toilets available on most of these digs, so make sure you have not had a Vindaloo and 12 pints of larger on the previous evening.

2) An open event put on by an established club. These events are put on every now and then to generate income into the club, and also to bring in new members. They are generally well run and reliable events with friendly marshals and readily available information. It is a very safe bet for someone who wishes to dip their toe in the organised dig scene. Again, there is probably not going to be a toilet available.

3) An open event put on by someone who wants to generate an income or turn a profit. These events are put on solely to generate money, and run like a business. This should not put one off attending, as some of these digs are fantastically successful and a ball of fun.  Events of this type can be full weekenders (camping), where entertainment may be available on the evenings as well as refreshments. It can be a truly amazing experience. On the other hand it should be noted that occasionally fraudster's have seen these events as a great opportunity to help relive you of your hard earned. If you do plenty of research and stay in touch with events through forums and magazines you should be safe. Don't hand any money over until you are sure it’s a good thing. These events often have toilets (thunderboxes) available. 

So what can you expect to find on arrival at a rally?

Well I can tell you this, the first open rally I attended had me struggling to find the location of the farm (make a u turn, you have arrived at your destination, turn around where possible grrrrrr!). I knew I was in the postcode area, but leafy tree lined roads obscured my view and I could not see the cars in the adjacent field. I did however happen upon a strange fellow wearing a Roman helmet knocking directional placards into the verges. Well it isn't every day you find a Roman legionary carrying a lump hammer in the middle of nowhere.

As it happened, the legionary was the chairman of the club who had put the dig on. You see, the thing with metal detecting is that it does attract some very colour full characters. Ok, some are verging on the eccentric, but that's the kind of thing that makes the hobby so interesting to me. 

When you finally arrive at the car park, you will usually be shown where to park. Be careful, as detectorists tend to park up and lay their machine out at the rear of the vehicle with machine leaning on their shovels. Now it would not be a good start to the day if you drove your Mondeo over a couple of Deus which had been left out in full display while their own quaffed on a cup of tea! 

Once parked up you will need to find the main man, not difficult if he wears a large red Greco Roman helmet!

On most reputable rallies you will be required to show your detecting insurance. This is best gained by either becoming a club member, where the club is affiliated to either FID or NCMD. Alternatively by joining either organisation direct. Now here is the hardest part of the day! Take your wallet/purse from your pocket and remove the required amount of money/fee. Now pass it to the person who is coordinating things. Members pay less than visitors, so anything from £5 to£45 dependent on the type of dig. You will usually be required to sign in and show your FID/NCMD card at this point.

Now you’re almost there, just a little while longer. You may have been handed a bird’s eye view map of the land, marking out the fields available, put it in your pocket you will need it.

It’s highly likely the organiser will want to brief everyone before the off, listen carefully to what they say. They are most likely to be able to point you in the best direction for finds. They usually give you a briefing on the dig rules and regulations.

Something i always like to do is to strike up a conversation with fellow enthusiasts. Not everyone wants to speak, but you will offend no one by trying. It’s a good thing to do for several reasons. One of which is that when out in the middle of nowhere , you can always say hello again and find out where the finds are coming up. Don't be shy, it’s good to talk.

Early doors at a rally in the West Midlands.

So the whistle goes and there......off.

Well here goes! Ok a quick check before i set off, water for drinking....check, spare battery.....check, map....check, snack....check, small plastic wallets for best finds...check.

(I always think it a good idea to have somewhere safe to put anything interesting hence the plastic wallets.)

 Some of the detectorists will have done hours of study on the land and will be telling everyone where the features and likely hot spots are. You can follow these guys to the hot spots if you so desire, no one will complain. They are not always on the right track though; however you can't beat good research.

The organiser will sound off to let you know you can get underway. I always find it an amazing sight when 80 or so detectorists do a charge of the light brigade up the field.

At this point I will say don't allow yourself to be intimidated by all of the guys with whistle and bells detectors! If they don't walk over it they won't find it. Hold your head high and enjoy your day out, after all you have paid for it.

The organiser will want to photo any nice finds you have, he will probably tell you where to meet for photos and at what time in the day to be there. There are often marshals dotted about; you can ask them any questions you may have. Remember the map in your pocket; you can be up to a mile away from the start point. The map will help steer you around the field without having a red faced neighbouring farmer loading up his 12 gauge because you are in the wrong field!

So enjoy your day and make friends, ho and don't forget to find something.

Good luck and god bless.

Metal detecting, a beginners guide.

It has come to my attention that many people may want to dip their toe into the world of metal detecting. This blog aims to give you a beginners guide getting yourself started.

So your thinking of going metal detecting?
I would say that your first step into the much maligned and misunderstood world of metal detecting would be to find some land that you can detect upon. This is often the hardest thing you may ever have to do in the hobby. Please remember, that field you walk your dogs on belongs to someone. In fact everywhere you think you could go with your detector will require some sort of permission from the owner, and that applies to beaches.
A favourite of detectorist is farm land,  if you know any farmers well enough you could have a good start point. Be polite when asking for permission, not everyone likes detectorists. Alternatively you could join a club, however this can be a little unnerving when you turn up to a dig with 30 or 40 seasoned searchers with their expensive machines etc. I will add that these clubs are in fact very friendly places where you will get a load of help and advice. They will have regular digs which you will be welcome to attend. I suppose it depends on the individual whether you join a club or not.
When attempting to gain access/permission to land, you will need to observe a few pointers. Try to look at your visit to the farm from the landowners point to view. You will be interrupting his/her working day, so be submissive and considerate, its all about timing. Don't turn up in your detecting gear, he/she will think you have decided that you will gain permission(look tidy). If you can engage him/her into a conversation on detecting you are half way there, answer all of his/her questions confidently. Insurance is a good selling point so have your membership card with you(see below). Carry an agreement document with you, but don't push it yet,(unless asked) documents scare everyone! Carry a business card with you, or even a letter with your name and phone number, it makes them feel secure. Finally I always carry a nice bottle of red with me, I make sure the farmer can see it when i first speak to them (I just think it makes them feel that there is something in it for them). So good luck and don't give up, the more you knock the more you learn.

So you know where you can go, what next?
Well its safe to say you won't get very far without a metal detector.
It's time to dust off your piggy bank and empty it of it's contents (don't worry you will soon re-fill it with the coins you find).
Now this is a decision only you can make, however I will try to steer you through your Two options;

• Buy new.
• Buy used.

NEW.

 We will firstly tackle the new machine options, of which there are many.

A very popular product at the moment are the Garret range of ACE and EUROACE machines. These machines are in constant demand and usually command a good re-sale price should you want to get rid of it.

These machines are good basic machines at the lower price (ACE) and very capable machines at the higher price (EUROACE).

It would be wrong if i did not say other brands are available, because they are, and they all have good and bad points. I will however add that the very low end machines which you buy from electrical retailers and catalogue stores are not a good option in my opinion. 

USED.

This would be the option I would take (knowing what I know now).

There are many machines available on auction sites as well as sites such as the one associated with metaldetectingforms.co.uk find it here. The metaldetectingforum site is amongst the best you can find with readily available knowledge from forum members and the admin team, I heartily endorse its use.  

The machines you should be looking at in my opinion will be ones that are "out of fashion" but still very capable of producing the goods. One such machine which I have some experience of is the Whites Spectrum XLT. You can pick these machines up for about £200-£250 if you are quick, and in the right place at the right time This machine is one which you can play with the settings and change numerous programs on it. It's maybe a bit adventurous for some one who wants to switch on and go. 

There are very good machines from all of the major manufacturers which are switch on and go and available second hand in the £150 to £300 range. I could not possibly give you the names of all of these machines, but what i will say is watch the test videos on You-tube and get as much advice from the forums as possible. Look for Norfolk wolf videos on you-tube, the guy was a legend and has some comprehensive footage. If you pick up a good second hand machine, you won't want to change it in a hurry. if you pick up a low end new machine and get addicted to the hobby, I guarantee you will soon want to upgrade.

One final point is where you are going to detect. If you are planning on ONLY going on beaches, you are best to buy a specialist beech machine, again many are available. Do your research.

So you purchased a machine, what now?

Well you will now be well advised to get some insurance. This can be done by becoming a member of the NCMD or FID both well respected and reliable national bodies which represent detectorists. I strongly recommend you join one of these bodies before you set foot on a field/beach. The cost of membership is not prohibitive, so go for it. You will require membership if you are joining a club or attending a rally.

Now finally before you dirty your trowel, get out the detecting code of conduct and read it from front to back and through again. Here is the NCMD code of conduct.  

Don't load up the car just yet!

You will now require a few accessories which are essential. First and foremost is the shovel/trowel. Without this you might as well be baking a cake in a refrigerator. If your chosen shovel is not up to the job and breaks while detecting, your day will be ruined, so choose carefully! I endorse the Draper mini round nose shovel, cheep and reliable. Others may want a full length shovel, or a small hand trowel. Don't be fooled into thinking that trowel you have knocking about in the greenhouse will do the trick. It will most likely bend or snap in no time. Secondly you will require appropriate clothing and footwear, though not essential it is highly recommended. after all, you could detect naked if you wanted, but where would you put your finds.........!

Finally you will need something to put those most precious of finds into (you will find them one day honest). I have plenty of pockets in the trousers I wear. I do however carry those small seal-able plastic pouches for those finds that get the heart racing .

Now off you go, and be careful!

I always let the farmer know when I am going onto his land, you may establish other arrangements.

No matter what you dig up, please remove it from the land (unless it looks like ordnance). If it looks dangerous call the police, the farmer would prefer it removed than it blow his tractor to hell. Large iron objects (and you will find them) should be placed out of harms way in the hedgerow. Smaller junk can be removed/recycled by yourself. Let the landowner know what you have found if its interesting, it often opens more land up to you. Finally adhere to the code of conduct on the aforementioned link (NCMD). This includes recording finds with the Portable Antiquities scheme. And understanding and complying with the treasure act of 1996 here. Remember that when you are out with your metal detector you are an ambassador for our hobby. Do nothing that might give it a bad name.

Good luck and god bless.

A day in the wilds of Ludlow.

On Sunday i had double booked myself in to covering the out of hours phone for work, and going on an organised metal detecting rally with the club i hold membership with.

On Saturday evening my good wife had decided that we order a Chinese curry in for a treat. My son Darren loves a curry, and my wife is partial to a a bit of Chinese as well! Anyway, i had a mixed meet curry (i usually have noodles). My son also had a mixed meet curry, with spare ribs and sweat and sour pork balls. The wife being a veggie had a plain curry and rice.

About 2 hours after i had eaten mine, i started feeling a bit queezy! i asked the others if they felt sick, which they did not. it wasn't long before i was on my knees in front of the porcelain thrown! i soon hit the sack feeling pretty sorry for myself. My son told me the next day that he had felt sick on the night as well.

Well i woke up on Sunday feeling like i had been in a car crash. I was determined to go on the rally so began filling the vehicle with my goodies. i had my call out phone with me and my work folder with all of my contacts details in it. About half way through my journey i had a call out for Nottingham which i passed to the engineer (we cover heating breakdowns). That's going to be it for the day i thought as i arrived at the venue at 8.30am. It was a picturesque valley occupied by almost exclusive pasture land. I looked at my phone and noticed a very poor signal, this was worrying. a quick walk around the first field showed that the higher part of the field gave a boost to the signal on my phone. then, my phone goes off again. Another call for Nottingham, which i passed to the engineer. At this point i decided to set my phone calls to go to the engineer in Nottingham should i have no signal. We later had another call for Boston, which took the engineer over two hours to reach. However the volume of calls had put me on edge and upset my rhythm on the fields.

The searching began well, with me finding a Victorian half penny within the first 10 minutes. i then went on to find another two Vicky's within about 20 meters of the first one. However i was concentrating my search to an area where i knew i had a good phone signal, rather than where i thought the better part of the field was. I eventually moved to the next field which had no phone signal, i quickly moved onto the highest of the fields which had a signal but did not look as attractive. By looking attractive i mean that the field which had no signal, had a old barn in it as well as ruins of an old house. i found very little over the next couple of hours. one of the lower fields produced a Georgian penny but that was about it.

I have made a few friends on the few rally's i have attended. frequent stops for a chat are sometimes the highlight of the day. I spoke with the guy who got the club the permission on these fields, his forum name was "Ayit" sadly i don't remember his real name but will make an effort in future to recall it. He had found similar to what i had found.  Another member had found a large roman crud, basically a bronze disc with no discernible markings. He later found a cut quarter hammered silver coin i believe from near to the old house. I later found out that quite a few hammered silvers were found near to the house, with one of the members finding as many as five. Another of the lucky fellas found a silver roman brooch which i have a great desire to find some day. i also heard that he may have found a Celtic coin. Again i only know his Forum user name which i believe is Woody (well done woody)

I had to leave at about 3pm as i had an hour and half drive home, and was still on call. The wife was going to the cinema on the evening and i did not want to arrive as she went out.

All in all it was a very enjoyable day. There may be another rally on the opposite side of the valley, which looks even more appealing. its south facing and has some interesting field markings. Lets hope i am not on call that week as i would be really p***** off if i could not have a whole day at it. Thanks to JJ (organiser) the marshals and  all who attended.

woz.