Lost a ring? Engagement, Wedding, Anniversary or Sentimental ring? Thinking about trying to use a metal detector to find it?
I lost my wedding ring and rented a metal detector to help me find it. Several months later, after hearing the story of my success finding the ring, my uncle asked me to come over and look for his wedding ring. It had been lost 10 or so years ago during the construction of a small retaining wall under a deck at his home.
After my initial 4 day ordeal looking for my own ring I was a little apprehensive about the prospect of finding his ring, but at least it wasn't under water like mine had been, plus he had a pretty good idea of where it should be. So, he rented a metal detector, coincidentally the same one I had used to find mine, and on a nice Sunday morning I went over to start digging. We broke out the shovels, a wheel barrel, a bucket and coffee.
He showed me the area, about 20 square feet, and we considered that it could be at a depth of up to a foot or two near the front. I took off my own ring and placed it on the ground to get a feel for what a good strong hit should sound like on the metal detectors speaker and then I started working the area.
In less than 5 minutes I got a good strong hit and sure enough, there was his ring! We spent more time pulling out the tools than we actually spent looking for the ring. After 10 years in the dirt his ring was back on his finger and I was now 2 for 2 finding lost wedding rings.
So, with all that in mind, here are my beginner's tips for finding a lost ring with a metal detector.
TOOLS -
Once you start actually searching, work in an orderly pattern. Pick out the area you want to search and work in a methodical way. There are many different patterns you could use. One method that seemed to work for me was to do the border first, all the way around and then work left to right, front to back. However, the exact pattern isn't as important as the fact that you use one. You need to know that when you've covered an area you have really covered it.
If you hit a beep and you feel it's worth digging, move the detector around side to side and front to back until you have a pretty good idea exactly where the target is. Digital detectors (which I haven't used) will have a little indicator screen that will help you narrow in on it. Once you've decided to dig, use your plastic trowel and bring up a small area. Put the dirt and grass into your bucket and then check the area again. This will help make sure that you got the item. Don't start sifting through the bucket until you're sure you have gotten the target out of the ground.
After you are sure that the target is out of the ground, use the detector on the bucket and see if the target shows up in there. If it does, then you know you got it and something is in there. Search the bucket until you find it and the bucket reads clean (no beeps) from the detector. If it wasn't what you were looking for, get it out of the way. Don't just throw that little piece of foil or penny back into your search area (I learned this the hard way when I spent 5 minutes to find the target I had just spent 5 minutes to find and then tossed in my search area).
After you have dealt with each individual target, you must put the dirt and sod back! Don't leave the park or yard looking like a mine field! It is up to you not to destroy or deface property.
Keep working the search area until you have covered the entire area. From time to time, set your test ring and a penny on the ground and re-tune your ear to hear the difference.
GOOD LUCK!!!
If you aren't successful, can't find a rental shop, or just don't want to deal with it, there are people who do this as a side job / hobby. Expect to pay $50 to $100 to have someone search for a couple of hours. They are skilled at this and may have a better chance of finding the object that a novice.
Metal detectors are electronic equipments used to locate metal objects that gold coins found with metal detector are hidden in baggage, ground or on the person?s body. Metal detectors are used for various purposes such as security maintenance, item recovery, archaeological exploration, and geological research. Main parts of metal detectors are control box, shaft, and search coil. Control box which has speaker, batteries, and microprocessor coordinates all activities. The performances of the detectors depend on the features of various parts. Best rated metal detectors are classified according to their performances.
Metal detectors commonly used in airports, hotels, government buildings, and other public places are of the walk-through type. Best rated walk through metal detectors have high target selection, low rate of false alarm, consistent detection, and a two way directional system. Some models that are market favourites have one eighth of an inch thick aluminium shielding panels, which are highly sensitive and easy to handle. Portable walk through model is a best rated metal detector with a simple mode of operation. They are lightweight and require no primary calibration. Prices of walk through metal detectors depend on the brand and features. Usually the prices range from $3000 to $6000. The best-rated metal detectors of this type are Garrett Magnascanner PD 6500, Garrett Magnascanner CS5000, Ceia metal detectors, and Sentrie LC.
Schools, courtrooms, sports events, and public areas use hand held metal detectors. The best rated hand held metal detectors are cheap, lightweight, sensitive, and radiation free. This model is easy to use, reliable, and requires less maintenance. Commercial, professional, all-purpose, beach, gold metal, relic metal and 2-box deep searchers are different types of hand held metal detectors. Garret Enforcer G-2 is the best rated hand held metal detector capable of identifying even very small metal objects. Waterproof metal detectors are also available to recover lost objects from water. Best rated waterproof metal detectors are Mine lab Excalibur 1000, Fisher CZ 20, Head hunter pulse, and Whites Surf Master PI Pro. Tesoro, Whites, Prizm series, Fisher, Garret, and Bounty Hunter are some brands which sell the best-rated metal detectors.