Welcome New Subscribers

Thank you to the new subscribers to "The Digger." Each month I try to bring new and fresh ideas and articles that pertain to the hobby of metal detecting. But each month is a work in progress and a challenge to keep "The Digger" ongoing. As I often mentioned, I try to avoid redundancy but do at times post stories or articles that were previously in past issues of "The Digger." I do this so that new subscribers get a chance to read them.

Of course, I always welcome emails, comments, and any ideas that you would like to see in "The Digger."

Thanks again for subscribing.

Frank

Thanks For the Emails and Support

It’s hard for me to answer every email I receive from subscribers. But I do read them all. I receive between 250 and 400 emails each day. However, I do answer a few that have specific and important questions.

This does not mean that I want you to stop emailing me or commenting. Your comments are much appreciated. And they do help me to recognize that “The Digger” is appreciated.

Thanks to all, Frank

Take a Stand!

It’s about time that the metal-detecting community grows a pair and takes a stand against the beauracrats and government officials in cities, towns, and villages across the country that are stealing our right to metal detect. There is not a week that goes by when I do not get an email from a hobbyist that was told he or she can’t metal detect inside a park, on a beach, along a creek or river bed, or even on private property with permission from the owner. Fuggittaboutit…These roguish zealots are nuts. They have fewer brain cells than a Kardashian.

During my fifty-plus years in the hobby, I have witnessed more mindless muttonheads making crackbrained decisions on why metal detecting is not allowed in certain areas. And most often, these peabrains have no idea if there even is a law or an ordinance against metal detecting. They just spew their anti-detecting venom because they can.

Unfortunately, too many hobbyists cave into the fuddled garbage that comes from the pieholes of these nincompoops. If this happens to you, take a stand and ask to see the law or ordinance that does not allow metal detecting in the area you want to search. If you are told “no” you cannot metal detect, by one of those legumes, and then you just walk away mad and tell yourself you’re finished with the hobby then you lose, and so does the hobby. And that is exactly what the dolts want to happen.

Take a stand. Ask to see the law. Most times if the question is asked, “where’s the law?” then the spoonies give in.

To Find More Stuff

Know Your Detector

Closets everywhere are filled with dusty metal detectors. Many are purchased, used a few times, and then set aside to collect dust. Excuses as to why the detector morphed from a relic finder to a dust collector range widely.

“This hobby sucks. I thought I’d find more than pull tabs and rusted car frames.”

Yes, one fellow that gave up the hobby told me that when he found and dug up a rusted frame from an old car that was buried in a farm field, he was “tossing his detector in a basement closet for good.”

Then I hear, “my metal detector sucks. It only finds junk.” While I understand the frustration of these people, what needs to be said to them, and everyone else in the hobby with the same attitudes is this.

The problem with not finding anything more than junk is not the fault of the detector, although there is one metal detector manufacturer that makes detectors that couldn’t find even that rusted car frame. No, the problem is with the user. Most often, the person that is complaining about not finding enough goodies and wants to quit the hobby are the same individuals that have never learned how to correctly use their detector. Some areas are indeed more trashy and picked over from years of detecting from others, but even those areas can produce good finds if the user understands how their metal detector functions.

I tell newbies when they buy a detector from me to have patience and to learn their detector. That means at least fifty hours of metal detecting and digging every signal. You should get to the point where just by listening to the tone admitted from the detector without looking at the display screen, know what your detector is sounding off to.

Understanding the sensitivity control on your metal detector and how it is affected in certain soil conditions is also important, and will affect what you are finding. You can only learn how your detector operates in different soils by adjusting the sensitivity level in highly mineralized soil.

Digging all that junk is disheartening. We all want to find those old silver coins and gold rings. But patience in metal detecting is a virtue. It takes time and practice to become proficient at finding more keepers. Yet, by practicing with your metal detector, in different soil conditions, your rate of good finds to junk will get better.

A Piece From The Past

In Wicks Gulch New Mexico, Goerge Wells, a placer miner found a large gold deposit. Sometime in the late 1880s, the Wells claim was either sold or given to Henry Whitehead. Whitehead then accumulated 2500 ounces of gold. He buried the gold inside a cast-iron kettle somewhere near his cabin which was located on his claim. It is not known if the gold was buried inside the cabin, or outside. Whitehead was killed by robbers who tried to force him to tell them where the gold was buried. The gold treasure was never found.

From the files of F.W. Pandozzi

Father, Son Team Unearths and Preserves History

“They’re “beeping buddies.” They are also amateur history junkies and treasure hunters.” Father and Son Team

Biggest Coin Hoard in a Decade Worth $180,000

“It’s always big news among Britain’s metal detecting hobbyists when a hoard is found, and a new one from Buckinghamshire is the biggest in a decade.” Biggest Coin Hoard in Decade Worth $180,000

Metal detectorist discovers 'Exquisite' Tudor necklace linked to King Henry VIII

“ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: Charlie Clarke had only been metal detecting for six months when he found buried treasure in 2019.” Metal Detectorist Discovers Exquisite Tudor Necklace The next story is a follow-up article that I posted in The Digger a few months ago.

A Metal Detectorist is suing the FBI, Claiming he Alerted Them to 7 Tons of Civil War-era Gold

And They Took it Away in a Secret Overnight Dig

“The court-ordered release of a trove of government photos, videos, maps and other documents involving the FBI’s secretive search for Civil War-era gold has a treasure hunter more convinced than ever of a coverup — and just as determined to prove it.” Follow Up -Metal Detectorist is Suing The FBI

Death Be To Traitors

Finally, after years of research and writing, I have completed my book, “Death Be To Traitors.”

And for my subscribers to “The Digger,” I am offering this book at a reduced price of just $4.95. This price is a discount of 50% off the price at my website at $9.95.

The book is a digital eBook in PDF format and contains 265 pages. So it can be read on most devices. There are no soft cover or hard book copies available.

For more information and to purchase “Death Be To Traitors”, click the following link.

special-subscriber-price.html

They’re Itch’in to Come Back

In past issues of “The Digger” I allowed my friend Clem Digger to write his metal-detecting stories that include my other friend Clyde Loop. The title of the stories was, “The Metal Detect’en Ventures of Clem and Clyde.”

The reason why I stopped letting Clem write his stories was that I received some emails from subscribers stating they were offended by the use of improper English used by Clem in his stories. Some also stated that they were insulted by having two characters who clearly were from the southern U.S. and also whom many would call hillbillies or rednecks. Some thought that by allowing Clem to write his stories that I was poking fun at Southerners, hillbillies and rednecks. And of course, I was not. So, I caved in to the few that were offended and stopped posting their adventures. However, I have received emails from many more subscribers that want the return of my two friends.

After much consideration and realizing that I will probably lose subscribers if I bring back “The Metal Detect’en Ventures of Clem and Clyde,” I decided to do a survey to get an idea of what the response would be and the approximate number of subscribers I would lose by bringing back Clem and Clyde stories.

The survey is at the link below. It should not take long to answer. There is only one question asked in the survey. And for those who are new to “The Digger” and are not familiar with Clem and Clyde's antics, you can visit them in back issues, 3-22, and 4-22.

Thanks, Frank clem-and-clyde-survey-form.html

I Am Now at Substack

“The Wide World of Metal Detecting and Treasure Hunting” I am looking at doing a possible podcast, and MORE articles at Substack. My Substack

Back Issues

If you’re new to “The Digger” and you’d like to see back issues, or if you know anyone that may be interested in “The Digger” you can direct them to the “Back Issues” page for their review. The Digger back issues

Thank You

Frank

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