anyone use a metal detector

[rawze]

i just bought a white's xlt metal detector-just what i needed another hobby

[Bayou Titan]

I have a Jetco metal detector that I bought when I was in Jr. high school. Metal detecting is lots of fun. Go to old building and home sites because you will find old stuff there that is of value. Schools and parks have usually been picked over pretty good by other coin seekers many times over, so I would try other places. I have had good luck at places way out in the woods where old houses used to be. You can tell where old houses once stood by flower bulbs that bloom in the spring.

Whites's is a good brand of detector.

[talkslow]

I used to be into relic hunting quite a bit until I got married. I live close to a bunch of Civil War battle/camp sites and found a great deal of loot (junk - as my wife would call it). Not sure how close you are to Murfreesboro, but I'm sure there are many areas of historical significance in TN. This is a great hobby for a history buff since you will feel compelled to find out how this piece of metal ended up at this site.

A word of caution -- DO NOT take a metal detector on any Federal historic sites. These sites are under control of the Department of the Interior and they strictly enforce no-metal detecting laws. There are plenty of public and private (with owners permission, of course) sites to enjoy the hobby.

Have fun!

[jd1973]

A great place to go for info on sites is the state/county/city historical society. Old maps are great for researching undiscovered sites. River crossings are especially fruitful.
JD

[caltitan]

I use detectors at work sometimes when drilling/digging in streets or parking lots. They help to locate some buried utility lines. Other than that, I guess the only relic I've ever found with them was a buried shopping cart. We have a Radio Shack metal detector and a CST Magnatrak pipe locater.