Beach Search Patterns "How do you search yours?" Part 1#

Searching beaches can present a number of problems for the novice detectorist. The beach you're planning to search could be huge! Or maybe it’s covered in signs that you read about, scallops, tide marks, cuts and so on. Then again you may be on the clock. The great thing about learning about the beaches your search is that no matter what machine you use this information will stand to you for years to come.

The Quick Search.

If you are just scouting a new location or stopping by at a beach you always liked the look of. it can be more beneficial to target the more productive areas first. Areas such as the low tide mark, towel line, paths and handy seating locations. Remember even if you're only pulling up newer coins, pull tabs and other common junk targets. These finds can be very handy when you profile your new location.

Tip: always keep a small note pad and pen handy. Sketch your new beach and mark your finds and other characteristics roughly. You can review your notes later and build a new plan of action for next time.

If the location has common markers such as scallops, cuts, gravel bars and sand riffles hit these first and see what you come up with. Take note of the feel of the sand under your feet squashy soft sand normally means you're far from the hard pack and heavy gravel under the surface of the beach.

Items will sink down to the denser hard pack and rest there and your detector may not reach the entire way pass the sand overburden. This is why beach detectorist get weak in the knees after a storm has stripped the light sand from the beach exposing the hard pack and gravel.

If you’re new beach is smooth and relatively gravel free a new search pattern is required. A repeating "W" search pattern works out best.

This works well because you can cover larger portions of the beach looking for lines of targets. If you find a target halt the "W" pattern and search in a straight line for a bit. You may have found a streak of targets or a small pocket of targets. Some detectorist will search in a spiral pattern starting from the location of the first find.

Even if you are short on time during your session take five minutes to look over the beach from a vantage point. Just like your targets you should make a quick note of anything that stands out. When you head home fire up google maps and see if what you have experienced on the ground translates to patterns found on the map view.

Normal Search Patterns

On a normal day detecting on the beach I like to search left to right from the high tide mark following the tide as it heads out from the shore. Of course if you arrive on the beach and it has some nicely defined markers or it has been stripped I like to concentrate on those markers. I still follow the left to right pattern but only over these hot areas.

If you are digging targets look for changes in the sand, gravel or clay you are digging. I always find the good targets reside in the layer of dark, almost black layer of clay. This layer is below the gravel and crushed shell layer. Normally it stinks too! So you will know it forever more after that first time. This layer is so tightly packed that metals that the sea would normally devour can survive much longer.

Periodic Table By Electrical Conductivity

Here is a very useful graph showing how conductive or restive known elements are. When metal detecting the conductivity of you target plays a huge part in deciding what to dig.

Below is the same data in a list format. I've highlighted the good stuff.

Garrett AT Pro International Tones and Their Meaning

Having had the time to put some hours on the Garrett AT Pro International over a few months I've come to the conclusion that all detectors should come with a library of short audio clips to help new users to train their ears at home. Yes I know there are plenty of instructional video clips on youtube. But most of these videos have an audio stream that is out of sync with the video itself. Also many detectorists shoot videos that are far to dependent on the visual identification display on the detector itself. Im pretty sure that I'm not alone in saying that my hearing ability is far faster at processing the feedback from the machine then keeping my eyes glued to the detectors display looking at numbers that are displayed in a delayed fashion. In other words you hear the audio signal first and shortly after the display is updated. Yes the display is updated within milli seconds but I find this is enough to get on my nerves!

Anyway back to the topic of this post. The short audio clips below are examples of the feedback you get from your Garrett AT Pro International. I have used these to help me understand the makeup of the ground i am covering without the need to keep looking at the VID display. Also even though Garrett have a standard mode they recommend to new users I'd say just skip this mode and head straight into Pro Audio and learn from there.

I have included the STD audio clips just for reference.

So I hope someone might find these useful enjoy.

Garrett AT Pro International Pro Audio Mode

Garrett AT Pro International High Tone Pro Audio Mode


Garrett AT Pro International Iron Audio Bottle Top Sample Pro Audio Mode


Garrett AT Pro International Iron Audio Coin Sample Pro Audio Mode.


Garrett AT Pro International low Tone Pro Audio Mode


Garrett AT Pro International Medium Tone Pro Audio Mode.mp3


Garrett AT Pro International Proportional Audio


Garrett AT Pro International Tone Roll Audio Demo Pro Mode Bottle Cap Tone Roll Example

Garrett AT Pro International Standard Audio Mode

Garrett AT Pro International Tone Roll Audio Demo STD Mode Bottle Cap


Garrett AT Pro International Tone Roll Audio Demo STD Mode US Nickel


Garrett AT Pro International Tones High Tone STD Mode


Garrett AT Pro International Tones Low Tone STD Mode


Garrett AT Pro International Tones Medium Tone STD Mode.

Easy Homemade Gold Sucker

Other tube id 1 1/2″ type 125 PVC

Inner tube is 1 1/4″ Type 40 PVC
Length is about 3-4 feet.

The handle is made from 1/2″ PVC end caps and a 1/2″ tee with a couple of short pieces of 1/2″ PVC pipes to connect. The handle is bolted thru handle to the end cap.

Use 1/8″ file for O-ring grooves. Depth of O-ring grooves must be about 1/2 of the dia of the O-ring cross section. Note: I have excluded part numbers as this design is from 1994 and part numbers chance. Because of this you may need to have a poke around your local hardware providers to find an O-ring that gives the best seal.

With the crevice sucker attached, the plunger may be pumped several times until the material reaches the top of the 1/2″ pipe. Another possible attachment would be a 1 1/2″, 45 or 90 degree tool instead of the normal crevice sucker.

Since the gold sucker is normally used with the bottom open, you may be asking “how do you keep the stuff from falling out the bottom?” The short answer is ya gotta be quick. Try to keep your bucket or pan as close to the spot you are working ans almost submerged so you don't have to move the sucker very high or very far. It also helps if you can get into a rhythm where you are still pulling on the plunger while transferring the material. Clean up any material that falls out every now and then.

Credits for the design go to William F Westcott (1994)

VLF metal detectors and their operating properties

There are many good explanations on how a VLF metal detector operates available all over the web. They range from very hi-tech to not so much. When I decided that I needed to have a better understanding of all the voodoo involved I knew that I would be wading through some very heady material that I was going to have problems wrapping my head around. So here are the conclusions I have drawn based on my own research I hope I've been able to lay it out in a clear and concise manner that you can understand. If you have anything of value to add, corrections or ideas please comment and let me know.

Quick overview of a typical VLF (Very Low Frequency) Metal Detector

A basic metal detector consists of a control box and search head mounted on a shaft.

The Search Coil / Head

The guts of the search head consists of two coils made of copper. One coil is the “transmit” coil and the other is the “received” coil.These are normally written as TX Coil and RX Coil. These coils are electrically separate from each other (As in they don’t touch each other) and exit the search head via a normally waterproof connector that runs along a set of wires up into the control box.

The Control box

The erm “Brain” of the machine. To be honest this little box will be your friend but also your worst enemy, well at least at the start anyway. Internally the control box consists of the detectors circuitry, batteries, control knobs, buttons, speaker and maybe a visual display of some kind. Different brands or detector will have varying names for the functions of a their detector. But VLF metal detectors as a rule of thumb have the ability to produce a noise relative to your target via the control boxes internal speaker or via a set of headphones. Ability to discriminate targets based on their conductivity. With a lot of modern machines you also get a visual display the shows numbers indicating your target this differs depending on the brand of detector you're using and even how deep it is (More on this later because nothing in life is that simple). We now know the parts that make up the detector we can have a look at how the thing actually works. The control box generates an electromagnetic field in the transmit coil. As you swing your detector over a metallic object that object interacts with the magnetic field this change in the magnetic field in picked up by the RX coil. The change received by the RX coil is slightly different depending on the conductivity and size of the target. These changes are processed by the control boxes circuits. On moderns machines much of the analyse is carried out by a processor. The processor contains software that is developed by manufactures for their machines this software is a closely guarded secret. But in general the signals generated and received are analysed by complex algorithms that are designed to give better separation between targets and also better identification of those targets.

As time marches on and technology improves metal detectors get better and better at what they do. Whatever technology proves best maybe just improved versions of what we use now or maybe there is a new technology just around the corner?

Gold what is it, Where is it and How to Spot it.

Yes that's it, it doesn't look like much but it's been making people weak in the knees for thousands of years. The value of gold continues to grow because of its use in the electronics industry as a semi conductor.

The Properties of Gold

Gold is a very heavy yellow metal. It has a specific gravity of 19.3 this means that if you were to fill a test tube with gold it would weigh 19.3 times more times the weight of that test tube if it was filled with water. as a comparison lead (which we all know is heavy) has a specific gravity of 11 so gold is almost twice as heavy as lead. Gold is resistant to most naturally occurring chemicals so it doesn't tarnish and is never destroyed. Gold is also very malleable and ductile. It can hammered so thin that 250,000 sheets would make a stack just one inch high. One ounce can be drawn into a wire thirty five miles long. gold is never found pure in nature. It is usually found in a alloy along with copper, silver or platinum.

How do i know that the stuff in my pan is gold?

By its weight! - If you're panning technique is correct, the gold will be found at the bottom of the pan. As you gently swirl water around in your pan, gold acts differently than other material. It won't move as easily as the other material .
By its appearance - Because gold does not have much of a crystalline structure, it doesn't really sparkle or glitter - it shines. It also looks the same under in sunlight or the shade.
If in doubt, whack it with a hammer - extreme?. yes but, If it flattens, its gold. Now if it shatters, it isn't gold. This approach is not recommended.
You can drop it into some nitric acid. if it doesn't react it is probably gold. if it dose, it isn't. Nitric acid is pretty dangerous stuff so do not get it on you of breath the fumes. Be sure to follow proper handling procedures.

Once you see gold in your pan a few times you won't have any problems spotting it again.

Mini High Banker

This small High-Banker is relatively easy to build. I was able to bend all the pieces using some scrap steel angle-bar stock as bending guides in my bench vise. I used a rubber hammer to "refine" the edges. If you have access to a brake (sheet metal bending tool) so much the better. The thinner the aluminum stock, the lighter the completed unit will be. A definite advantage if you plan to pack it into the back country.

Some of the pieces are welded together using Flux less Aluminum Repair Rod. I found this rod very easy to use after just a few practice tries on scrap aluminum. You don't need sophisticated aluminum welding equipment, all you need is a propane torch.

1.) Start out by cutting sheet aluminum pieces 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9,11 and 12 to plan dimensions. Note: the sheet aluminum thickness is not critical. It all depends on how rugged and heavy you wish to make your mini-banker. Slight adjustments to fit may be necessary when you bend the pieces. PC8 & 9 should be at approx 1/8" thick aluminum or steel.

2.) Lay out and drill 7/16" holes in PC2. Make sure the holes along the bend are as close as possible to the line. This reduces water loss over the end of the box. An alternate method would be to cut out this section and weld in a piece of expanded metal as a classifier.

4.) Drill 5/32" holes as indicated in PC7, 8, and 11. Drill a 5/8" in PC2

5.) Cut PC5 to plan dimensions. PC5 is floorboard matting from old Volkswagen Vans. It has a checkerboard square pattern that works very well for trapping the coarse gold. To give it some rigidity, glue the smooth side to PC4.

6.) Cut PC10 to plan dimension. PC10 is expanded metal screen.

7.) Mark pieces 1, 3, and bend 90 degrees.

8.) Bend the sides of PC2, 90 degrees, making sure the finished piece will fit inside PC1.

9.) Bend sides of PC6, 90 degrees (make sure it is slightly smaller than the inside width of PC2 so the weld will not interfere with the fit inside PC1). Bend the end tab in line with the hypotenuse of the sides.

10.) Weld the gravel guide trough (PC6) on the bottom of the Loader Box (PC2). Make sure the end of the trough is approximately 13/4" back from the end of the box. This allows room for the classified gravel to pass between the trough and the gravel stop (PC12).

11.) Weld the gravel stop (PC12) to the end of the sluice box (PC1).

12.) Fit PC3 on the end of PC1, drill four holes for #6/32 sheet metal screws. Install screws.

13.) Lay the two PC8's inside the sides of the sluice box. Trim the three PC9's to fit between the two PC8's. After you have a good fit, remove from the box and weld PC8 at each end and one in the center. This forms the riffle bar frame.

14.) Place the PC4-5 assembly in the sluice box firmly against the gravel stop, then butt the end of the miners moss at the end of PC4-5 assembly. Place the riffle assembly on top of the miners moss and drill two 1/4" pivot holes through the side of the sluice box and riffle assembly. Install 1/4" x 20 nuts and bolts. The riffle assembly should be installed so that it compresses the miners moss against the bottom of the box.

15.) Round the ends of PC11, place in the box as shown in the assembly drawing. Be sure it compresses the riffle assembly when you drill for the pivot bolts.

16.) Position PC2 inside PC1 as shown in the assembly drawing, mark and drill holes for 1/4" x 20 bolts. Install nuts and bolts so the two boxes can pivot freely. Note: the end of PC2 must overhang PC1 at least 1/2" so the larger classified gravel won't drop into the sluice box.

17.) Drill and install the braces (PC7) using 10-32 bolts. Drill extra holes about an inch apart in line with the first hole so the box can be set at different angles to suit varying field conditions.

18.) Assemble the spray bar and install using 6-32 machine screws.

The mini-banker will work well with a flow of water as low as 5 GPM since no riffles are used . The low flow is even desirable because it allows the very fine gold to drop into the miners moss. There are many gas and electric pumps on the market which are small and lightweight. The disadvantage of electric pumps is you need to drag a heavy battery around. My preference is one of those small 2 cycle gas pumps that weigh in at about 6 to 8 pounds. In addition you could add legs and/or build a 20 to 30 gallon container to use as a recirculating water setup. I'll provide plans in a future issue of several different modifications for the "tinkerers" to try.

Copyright © Jerry Bowen, Jan 10, 1994

Tips for Gold Panning

Here are some tips for gold panning.
With Gold at well over $1000 an ounce, not only is panning for gold a good way to have fun it can also be a profitable hobby. Gold panning is an easy hobby to get started as the only equipment that is absolutely needed is a gold pan and a container to hold all the gold that you find. Not just a hobby for those in Alaska or California, gold is well distributed across the United States and chances are that gold can be found in the streams near you.

A great tip for finding more gold when panning is to practice at home. Small lead shot used for loading shotgun shells or lead shaved off of fishing sinkers and other lead items can be used to practice cheaply at home. Mix the lead with sand and small gravel and practice until you can reliably pan out the lead.

As gold is even denser than lead, if you can catch the lead you will almost certainly catch the gold in your pan. When tossing out larger rocks from your pan, turn them over in your hands and give them a quick look. You don't want to be throwing away gold that is stuck to the rock. Quartz rock is especially likely to contain gold. Shake the rocks in the water as well to knock off any loose material that also may contain gold.

Another great tip for gold panning is to use a drop or two of dishwashing liquid in your pan. This is especially useful when panning extremely fine gold. The soap will help to keep the small flakes of gold from floating on the surface of the water. While gold is denser than water, the very small flakes will sometimes float due to surface tension.

A magnet is a useful piece of equipment to add to your gold panning kit. When you are trying to separate gold from black sand, the magnet can be used to attract and remove the black sand so that you can get to the gold. Special magnetic tools are available for this purpose, but regular magnets will also work. Another useful tip for panning for gold is to pan in places that are difficult to reach and that are uncomfortable to work. Most areas that are easy to access and easy to work probably have been worked over numerous times, but the less easy places might harbor a lot of gold for you to find. These are just a few tips that can be used to make gold panning more successful. T

he best tip for gold panning is to simply spend more time panning for gold.

Published by J. Motes Motes has been published in a variety of national and regional publications on subjects ranging from frugal living to rabbit hunting.