Whether you are looking for a metal detector just for fun and family entertainment, or you would like to prospect for gold or other valuable items, knowing a little about metal detector types can help you to make the right decision as far as what brand, model, and type of metal detector is going to be right for you. There is more to consider than just the price of a metal detector, as you will find out once you begin shopping around.
What Is A Metal Detector?
A metal detector is a device that will help you to find various types of metal that may be buried in dirt, sand, grass, or even in water. Among those metal detectors that can be used for searching and water, you will find metal detectors that are waterproof, water resistant, and those that are designed to be used completely underwater, often by a scuba diver.
A metal detector is able to find pieces of metal by sending a signal which then bounces off metallic items that are hidden. Depending on the metal detector that you purchase, you may be notified of a hidden piece of metal by way of an audible noise over a set of headphones, or many of the more modern metal detector types now have LCD screens that will give you a visual display of what the metal detector has encountered.
What Should You Consider Before Making Your Purchase?
For people who are new to metal detectors, the most important consideration is usually price. You can find extremely affordable metal detectors that will help you to get started in this hobby, and you can even buy affordable metal detector kits that will enable you to put together your own device, which many people find is a lot of fun.
If your goal is to go out and find mysterious treasure, then it is definitely worth investing in a higher-end metal detector, and preferably one that has a visual display screen. You will still want to utilize headphones, since these can help you in the right direction of metallic items, but a visual display can make it much clearer and prevent you from wasting time picking up items that are obviously of no value to you.
What Types Of Metal Detectors Are Available?
The most common types of metal detectors are coil types, which means that they have small coils that are used to send signals through the ground. These coils are extremely sensitive, and they usually require some kind of cover to prevent them from getting damaged over time. When purchasing a metal detector, it is usually a good idea to take a look at the price of metal detector coils and coil covers because you may need to replace these at some point in the future.
Other types of metal detectors are industrial metal detectors, such as those that are used in certain areas of the world to look for bombs or improvised explosive devices (IEDs). A type of metal detector that you may come in contact with on a regular basis is an industrial or door frame type of metal detector, such as the kind you would walk through before entering an arena, a government office building, or an airport.
These are obviously not designed to find treasure, but to prevent people from bringing guns, knives, or potentially dangerous items into a restricted area. They use pretty much the same technology as the kind of metal detector that you would use to find gold in a riverbed or to find coins and jewelry in the sand on the beach.
Which Brands Are The Most Popular?
Among the most common brands of consumer metal detectors are those made by Garrett, Teknetics, Tesoro, Titan, Viper, and White’s. These companies all make different metal detectors for different uses, from affordable consumer ones for casual use to extremely high end, commercial and industrial models that are used by government agencies, businesses, and professional treasure seekers.
Where Can You Get The Best Price On A Metal Detector?
Buying any kind of metal detector and a local store is usually pretty difficult, and you may not get much of a choice in terms of options. Traditionally, low-end metal detectors were sold in hobbyist stores or electronics stores such as RadioShack, but now going online is going to be the best way for you to see the full range of devices that are available as well as accessories and determine just what price point you would like to enter the market.
Although you should never expect any metal detector to pay for itself, if you find the right metal detector and put in some effort, you may be able to eventually come across a few treasures that make the purchase of your metal detector worthwhile.
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