Night park detecting with the Ace 250

[Goldpick]

Ended up all over the place last night, started at the sea and ended up looking through a park or two in town, this time running with the smaller coiltek coil on the Explorer. No pre-decs this time, the oldest finds were two heavy copper discs/buttons dug within a foot of each other, I honestly have no idea what they are. There appears to have been a mount on the rear, no markings on the front, and the rear also has rings on it - I polished one up for a clearer view. Oldest coins were both 1966 1&2c coins.

Most of the cruddy coins were found with the explorer, the better condition ones and the small silver pendant were found with the Ace.

 

[Guest]

They could be the bottoms of a picnic
Table legs to avoid table sinking in soil.

 

[silver]

Or maybe they could be old toy wheels.

 

[Goldpick]

From doing a bit of research, seems they may actually be buttons dating back to the 1800's, either way, they were excavated from a pretty deep hole using the Explorer, so don't think they are modern.

Had a couple of parcels to pick up today, one was the new stainless sand scoop from Latvia, and the other a second hand Platypus DD coil for the Explorer. Hopefully this coil will retain the depth if the stock coil, but perform better on trashy sites, I found the small elliptical coil excellent for target separation, but felt it was lacking in the depth department.

I certainly wasn't quite prepared for how large the sand scoop was, it's massive in the flesh. I reckon SA Bogan has done pretty well to break the same scoop, as it looks very solid.

 

[Guest]

Nice scoop Goldpick. I own one similar and used a fibreglass handle from a shovel I purchased which had a metal tube inside it.

If you work with the scoop and don't apply massive pressure to it or use it to pry rocks it should last you a while.

Can't wait for this weather to clear though.

 

[Goldpick]

Tell me about it, getting sick of sanded in beaches all the time with not a gutter or cut in sight.

Funny you should mention about the fibreglass handle, I just picked up a new trenching shovel for a measly $7.50 from Mitre 10, with a lovely dayglo orange handle and two rubber grips. I did the same, cut off the shovel rivets, cut the top section, pulled the handle out, re-rivetted the internal steel tube in place, and mounted it on the scoop. The clamps hold the handle in place just fine, no slippage, and much lighter than a wooden handle. Not sure whether I should have wrapped the lower clamped section of the fibreglass handle with something, or leave it bare.

Maybe I should go back and buy a few spares for that price.

 

[Guest]

It might be an idea to use loctite blue 243 so the nuts don't loosen.

http://www.loctite.com.au/3320_AUE_...tredDotUID=productfinder&redDotUID=000001G2QU

They are a good scoop just work with it and don't force it and you should be fine.

One other idea is to visit a steel welding shop and get them to weld you some stainless tube above the first u bolt say
4" in length then drill a hole through it drop in the handle bolt up both u bolts then bolt the extra top bolt.

This will give you added strength if you ever need it.

 

[Goldpick]

Good idea, I've got some loctite here, so will wack some on.

 

[Sa_bogan]

Easy said then done wolf, you find out the rock is a big mother when your a few scoops down and it's impossible to dig them all by hand. I've found the full stainless scoop very heavy and it doesn't buckle when I'm moving the rocks

 

[Guest]

Easy said then done wolf, you find out the rock is a big mother when your a few scoops down and it's impossible to dig them all by hand. I've found the full stainless scoop very heavy and it doesn't buckle when I'm moving the rocks

No not really. I only detect sandy beaches.

I would not move large rocks for safety reasons.

If i had to move rocks that would be the job of a small
Pry bar not a sand scoop.

Each to their own though.

 

[Sa_bogan]

Well have heard of people using a pry bar but the is only so much one can carry plus when the sand is eroded there are plenty of rocks.

 

[Guest]

You don't carry anything.

Use a tyre tube throw a sieve in the middle and silicone
It in place. Attach rope to tube and attach it to yourself
Then leave the bar ontop of tube and secure it in place
And let the tube follow you. Its a good safety feature as
Well if you kneeling down half wet and need to hold onto
Something your tube is there or if you need to empty
Your scoop you can do it in the seive..

 

[Goldpick]

Tonight was pretty much the first night I have really given the Explorer a proper shot at beach detecting, especially considering I actually found a section of beach worth detecting. Most of the previously deposited sand had been nicely eroded off the beach, leaving a scalloped out beach. Targets were consistently popping up between the high tide mark and the drain, including sinkers, a dog tag, coins and best of all, three rings, two of which are 925 silver, and one silver plated copper snake ring. On average, most targets were down 20cm and deeper, some well over a foot.

Loved the new scoop, sort of wondering how I managed to do without it in the past. Also extremely happy with the Explorer SE Pro, it ran very quiet at near full sensitivity, and in all-metal with minimal iron discrimination It certainly craps over the Infinium for user friendliness and accurate target identification, no more digging bobby pins.

 

[Sa_bogan]

nice ring finds! i like the sapphire ring for sure

works well in the rocks wouldnt you agree

 

[Goldpick]

Thanks Bogan, the scoop digs holes effortlessly, only take a couple of scoops to get down 30cm or so, and good for prying the odd rock out of the sand. The fibreglass pole was a success, didn't slip once, think I might go and grab a second one whilst the pricing still stands.

I could have spent all night digging at this spot, I'm sure there were plenty more targets to dug, but I was pretty much spent by that stage.

The sapphire ring, despite looking recently dropped, has a pretty bent up band on it, so am guessing it has had a few encounters with some rocks under the sand. The other plain 925 ring has an asian motif on it, not sure what it means - initially thought it was a wedding band, but 00:28 pretty much gave it away as being silver, then confirmed by the hallmark.

 

[Dreamwalking]

Goldpick.. .. A great collection of finds .. looks very very impressive .... especially the sinkers, they would catch the eye of any fisherman.
Thumbs Up to you.

 

[TTKooAu]

Yes GP, nice rings! Sounds like your new machine is the goods and the scoop is delightful!

 

[Heatho]

Nice finds Goldpick, if that Sappire ring is the real deal it will be worth a bit.......... Looks over 5ct.

 

[Sandta]

Well done mate... That ring sure looks impressive

 

[silver]

Hello Goldpick, I found this on the web to help you in your search for that elusive florin. I've just copied some and pasted it(research purposes) and I will put in a link to the page where I found it at the end.

In The Adelaide Park Lands Patricia Sumerling recounts tales both enchanting and bizarre from their earliest European settlement until the present day. Where once the Aborigines held their corroborees there are now the many ethnic groups to hold their cultural festivals and dances. They are now also used for weddings, jogging, circuses and flying model aeroplanes.

Fireworks, balloon ascents, tightrope acts and parachuting were replaced later by rifle shooting, army and police training and the digging of air raid shelters. The Park Lands have also been used for some illegal activities such as betting, gambling, fist fights, bashings, sex, rape and murder. However the dominant activity during their entire history has been sport. Sport of any kind has been played, among the earliest being, hunting, horse racing, coursing, kangaroo chasing and ostrich racing.

Among the more organised sports have been athletics, polo, baseball, rowing, archery, netball, lacrosse, tennis, hockey, cycling, cricket, swimming, golf, lawn bowls, horse racing and many, many others. Patricia Sumerling has something to say about every one of them. Her story is illuminated by hundreds of black and white photographs. The book is not only very informative but also interesting and a pleasure to read.

Review by Nic Klaassen

Patricia Sumerling was awarded Historian of the Year in the South Australian History Awards, presented at Government House on Monday 29 July 2013.

The Adelaide Park Lands, a social History by Patricia Sumerling,
with chapter references, index, bibliography and numerous colour and black and white illustrations,
is available at $49.95, from
Wakefield Press

http://www.southaustralianhistory.com.au/parklands.htm