I have an interest, but little knowledge

[Ernie]

Hello all. I joined this forum because I have recently taken an interest in metal detecting. I currently do not own a detector as I tend to research carefully before I make a purchase. I am open to suggestions on this subject and look forward to your advice.
Part of the reason for my interest is because of the known history of the location of my property. I live in Fredericksburg, VA with my property adjacent to the Fredericksburg civil war battlefield. There is so much history in Fredericksburg aside from the Civil War, and detecting my property sounds really exciting.
As far as the purchase of a detector, I would probably stay economical initially, to see how well I enjoyed the process. Also, I feel that the number one problem with detecting would be in gaining permission to dig, which could severely limit the fun and practicality factor beyond my property. Thanks in advance for any suggestions on how to start and where to begin.

[CODY]

Welcome from Mississippi. I have only been in the hobby myself since May 2011. I think I have done fairly good on finds. As far as a machine, you will get many answers. IMHO it really dosn't matter. If you understand MDing and learn the langauge (what your machine is telling you) You will be good to go. I personally use Fisher. A lot of folks here use minelab, Garrett etc. All good machines. I would suggest a mid price machine to get your feet wet. Heck..... the first time you turn the soil and see a silver coin or civil war button staring back at you, you'll be hooked. As far as asking permission, look in the general discussion forum. There are several post on the subject. Its not that hard. Just remember, all they can do is say no. When you are hunting someones property, just use common sense. Treat it as it were your own. Good luck and HH

[del]

Earnie , welcome to American Detectorist .
just a few questions to ask yourself when thinking about purchasing a detector ,
- where will i be using this machine (beach , parks and schools , farmfields ect) and what kind of ground or mineralization will the machine have to tackle. do you have the bad red clay down where your at Earnie
-what am i specifically going after to find ( coins , jewelry , relics or a combo of all)
-what do i want to spend

answering these questions will aid you in the right choice for a machine , then do alot of reading on the machines and reviews . the more specifics you can give us the better we can recommend a machine thats more suited to your needs. i'm glad you found us here and please ask alot questions , thats what we're here for .

Dan

[Ill Digger]

Hey Ernie!
Welcome to the forum from the cornfields of Illinois!
I think Del and Cody covered the basics thumbsup01
Your in a great part of the country for metal detecting! Your bound to find lots of great coins and relics!

[Fire Fighter 43]

Welcome to the forum and the hobby. It sounds like you have a great place to get your feet wet. I've been detecting for 35 years and worked my way up to the top machines. I've been a Whites user for most of those years and I have been using a Minelab Etrac for the last two years. In my opinion the Etrac is the best machine for coin hunting. I have heard a lot of good things about the Garrtet Ace 250. It is inexpensive and has good depth. I would suggest you check out the Ace. Good luck with this fantastic hobby.

[jkress]

Welcome aboard Ernie. It's great to have you here with us.
Your property sounds like it holds lots of fun potential. :->
My first machine was an Ace 250. I found a bunch of silver coins and interesting relics with it.

Once you start getting hooked on old coins and relics... gaining permission is just a tiny hurdle between you and the next treasure. thumbsup01

[aloldstuff]

Ernie, welcome from western MA. Seems like a lot of good information has been posted here to help you out with your decision. Looking forward to your posts and good luck.

[OxShoeDrew]

I look forward to seeing what you find from that battle. What do they do with the actual battle sites....archaeological digs...professional metal detectorists?...leave them untouched? Welcome from the nutmeg state.