AMDA coin shoot with a DFX...tips?

[kamikaze]

Will be attending my first coin shoot this weekend. I have a DFX but have never used it in a crowd. Doesn't seem to have any info on tuning out inteference from other machines. Any tips?

Anyone else going to be at AMDA's Laughlin event?

[Grandpa John]

kamikaze,

I used my DFX on coin shoots and haven't had much interference, a few other detectors will cause some interference. Try to stay at least 10' away from others if possible and change directions if bad. Use the largest coil they allow and you can move fairly fast with the DFX, most of the coins are usually only a couple inches deep and you can pick them fast. Good Luck John

[AZBirddog]

kamikaze

Go to the Golden Nugget in Laughlin and see the Hand Of Faith Nugget

all 61lbs of it. It is BEAUTIFUL.....AZ

[Paleface]

kamikaze

Go to the Golden Nugget in Laughlin and see the Hand Of Faith Nugget

all 61lbs of it. It is BEAUTIFUL.....AZ

My wife and I stopped in there yesterday and took a look at that magnificent chunk of gold,

what a sight to behold. Hard to imagine something like that standing straight up on end in the ground when it was found by Kevin Hillier in Victoria in 1980 using a metal detector.

The Hand of Faith is the largest gold nugget in existence. The Welcome Stranger nugget, also found in Victoria is the largest nugget ever found. It was around 2100 ounces......

WOW

Jim

[Mike C...]

Hi Gaine everything is buried real shallow at most hunts- :headphones: -so you don't need to have your sensitivity cranked up--I would keep it low and that will help you avoid alot of cross talk-when I was there last year with my toysoro I did'nt notice any crosstalk at all even with 80 plus beepers out there--good luck out there-its a blast :icon_mrgreen: -I won't be going this year-maybe next year :innocent0009: -Mike C... :ph34r2:

[AZ4AU]

Hello Gaine,

John B. and I will be there with our DFX's and can give you some tips if needed , target recovery is key and moving at a very fast pace is what its about . See you there .

[kamikaze]

Hi AZ4AU, I saw a couple of DFX's today, with Bigfoots. I was wondering if anyone there was from the forums. Mugsy and I will be there again for the "big hunt" and will look for you both. See you tomorrow!

Mike C, sorry you missed the hunt. This was the first coin shoot for my Wife and I but she was talking about next year so I guess she had fun. She found a couple of coins in her first hunt and even more the 2nd. I didn't find nearly as many coins as Mugsy or the others but at least I found a few. Musgy found a few tokens and sure would like to see my Wifey finds a token. If she does, I think that will cinch the deal and she'll be hooked. :icon_mrgreen:

AZBirdog, I took a walk to the Golden Nugget tonight to pay homage to the Hand of Faith nugget. I've seen it before when it was in Vegas but I never tire of seeing that awsome chunk of gold. I can not help but dream whenever I see it...

Thanks for the tips everyone. Wish us luck for tomorrow!

[jim straight]

Well... Gosh... I did not go to the event. Bad me; at the last minute I decided not

to mail my entry fee... Not the money... But it is a hard weekend for me.

Instead I went to the San Bernardino Valley Prospectors Rendezvous at Rancho

Jurupa Regional Park in Riverside and entered their hunt. Close to home... Easy

weekend for Dear O'l Me...

Now looking foreward to the annual West Coasters Rendezvois which will also held

at Rancho Jurupha Regional Park sometime in 2009...

Now about the DFX and tips. My buddy uses one with the bigfoot... he always does well with

it... He recoves a handful of coins and usually more than his share of tokens. But he

knows how to use his DFX and how to fast pinpoint with the bigfoot. However, some do well

with a simple turn on and go detector with a smaller coil.

Most seeded hunts are of the same mold: the coins are thrown in the grass or weeds

or just a little cover kicked over the shine... But more care may be taken with the tokens.

But usually... a trick... is to just use your hand to recover... too slow to use a pinpointer

or a scratcher... Move fast... keep concentrating on the ground with eye out for any exposed

coins... Quick pinpointing and retrieval of targets is the key. Be ready at the gun... you need

to be fast and organized as the first few minutes are the best time to recover targets/tokens

that may be just a foot or so apart. Do not waste a second to look at the found... sometimes

it could pay to recover/hold several targets before reaching and putting them in your pouch.

Sometimes it is best to walk into the sun and out of the shadows... Keep eye on those to your

right and left; if all jump towards the center work the perimeter... each hunt is different. Do

not use too much sensitivity, you are not digging to China. Most hunts require headsets...

make sure they are set right for your needs before the hunt. Naturally make sure your detector

has good batteries and nuts and bolts okay... No floppy coil. Make sure you are personally ready;

gone to the bathroom and had a drink of water... Avoid heat, keep covered and if necessary

pace yourself to last the hunt as some huntfields yeild targets and tokens the full hunt, while

some huntfields are hunted out in just a few minutes. Some hunts last only 30 minutes... some

45 and some an hour... Ocasionally some last longer. Some hunts have RULES and more RULES.

Some hunts are relaxed...

Been attending organized hunts since 1974... They are fun. Best yet is meeting old friends.

But our ranks are thinning... I guess Jim Walker is now the greatest and longest survivor...

[kamikaze]

My Wife and I had a great time. She found a couple of coins the first hunt and a few more in each following hunt. In the "big hunt" she actually did pretty well and found almost 50 targets. The 2nd hunt on Saturday was a team hunt and she got a bunch of tips from her team mates that really helped. I could give her basics but being my first coin shoot too, I couldn't offer her finer points and actually needed tips myself.

I finally found my first token during the big hunt but wished my Wife had found it instead because that would have certainly hooked her to detecting for sure. Mugsy found several and went home with a few rounds and silver dollars. Overall, we all had a great time and can hardly wait for next year.

Thanks for the help everyone! And it was pretty cool meeting AZ4AU and John B...

[jim straight]

Gosh Kamikaze... I hope it is okay I butt in somemore... You both did great. I'm

impressed. Everything was new to you... You learned fast. The glass is more than

half-full. Wow. For you wife to locate and recover about 50 targets in the main

Sunday event is impressive.

Now that you both have experienced what to expect, next year will be EASY.

[Allen in MT]

These hunts are a blast, I have been attending the hunts in Spokane and Tri-Cities for a number years and even sponsered a couple here in MT and have won my share of prize and then some Including 4 detectors and 3 gold coins to date, but you have to move. I usually use one of the lighter turn on and go detectors w/open center coil. Alot of times you can see where the planter went into the ground. You see alot of different styles and digging tools. Most all targets are with in the top 1 1/2 inch. Digging or scraping with your fingers can get sore so if this is the way you want to go get a bottle or tube of New Skin and apply it on your finger tips. Wont wear out your skin so fast. Put your recovery apron on your leg below the knee and you won't have to streighten up each time to put your coins in your pouch. Watch and observe as there are alot of trick to the trade and the most of all is to have fun

Allen in MT

[kamikaze]

Jim, your comments are always welcomed and do not consider it butting in. And yes, I was proud of her. I had always told her that the people who metal detect are the greatest people around and she saw that first hand when more than a few came to give her tips and instructions. And to think that they would be the very one's competing to find the same targets. I think she will be attending next year.

Allen, I just wish that there were events closer to home for us to attend. As it is, we have to fly to get to any hunt... On the other hand, it's a great excuse to take a trip! :icon_mrgreen:

[jim straight]

Gosh... Kamikasi and all.... At one time events such as these were very well attended

and popular with hundreds attending. I attended my first one in 1974 at California

City which was one of many that were sponsered by the PCSC in Downey CA.

Back then the BFO's were still popular and I used a Bounty Hunter-I with a hardwired

6-inch coil. I did everything wrong and found very little; but I was hooked, so I

understand your excitement. Did you notice some of the participants were using "old"

detectors, some of the machines date back to the late 1970's?

The big seeded hunts are now getting rare. I guess they are the ones that are still

hosted by the FMDAC on the East Coast such as at Myrtle Beach in South Carolina

which is out of my league. However, there are many smaller clubs that put on local

seeded events. Some are outstanding such as the Westcoasters Rendezvous held at

Rancho Jurupa regional park in Riverside CA.

You are correct that these events bring out the best in those attending. Notice that

you have already made life-long friends.

[Keith M.]

Allen,

I see that you've attended hunts in the tri-cities area. I take it you mean for the club there-- S.W.A.T.H. I've been going there for at least the last 8-9 years, but this year I had to miss it. They put on a good hunt with good prizes, in fact I've also won a detector and a nice $20.00 gold coin plus many other prizes. Maybe we'll meet at next years hunt.

Keith