How To Metal Detect Around Cellar Holes
Metal Detecting Cellar Holes at Abandoned Homestead Site
Guide to Successful Treasure Hunting & Searching Strategy
TABLE of CONTENTS:
• Introduction - page 1
• Sensitivity Settings - page 1
• Discrimination & Search Coils - page 2
• Searching a "Virgin" Site - page 3
• Searching the "Hunted Out" Site - page 5
Introduction
The information presented in this article is based on my personal experience that has been gained primarily from metal detecting around cellar holes (or root cellars) scattered in remote wooded areas of the Catskill, Shawangunk, Taconic and Adirondack mountains in Upstate New York.
The Catskill Mountains in Ulster and Greene Counties of New York State
Even if you live in different geographic zones where the cellar holes are not present, do not be easily discouraged or disheartened by the title of my article! Of course, other areas require different search methods and detecting techniques due to their geographic and historic specifics, nevertheless, some of the practical approaches to site searching described in this article may be effectively applied to those areas as well!
Also, there are as many different metal detecting styles as there are many metaldetectorists in this hobby. Nevertheless, sharing my search techniques with you might give you new ideas on how to improve your own detecting style.
As most of the abandoned homestead sites situated in the remote wooded areas can be easily located through the detailed 19th century maps such as Beer's Maps, they have been searched many times over many years. Nowadays, it is hard to find a "virgin" site, therefore, you will be dealing with the hunted out sites most of the time.
But sometimes, depending on your level of experience, abilities and level of research, you might come across a desirable "virgin" site. That is why I included both cases - searching the "virgin" and "hunted out" sites, into this article full of metal detecting tips.
But first, I would like to explain a few things about your metal detector's Sensitivity and Discrimination settings and the search coils to select for metal detecting around cellar holes.
Sensitivity Settings
Always remember that too much sensitivity can do more harm than good. All detectorists have been after more depth from their metal detectors to get the deeply buried coins or to rehunt the same areas and find deeper coins. So we all crank up the sensitivity to the maximum, but only a few of us get the desirable results.
Only the Full Brand Spectrum (FBS) or multi-frequency ground reject detectors (such as Minelab Explorers, Minelab Safari and Minelab E-Trac for example) are able to separate the effects of external interference from weak target signals.
The single-frequency and dual-frequency detectors get jammed when their sensitivity levels are too high because the interferences are also intensified. It could be compared to the effect of driving your car in the fog with high beams on.
Just as the millions of tiny water droplets suspended in the air shorten the distance the headlight's high beam can travel through the fog, the millions of oxidized iron particles in the "negative" nonconductive ground matrix "cloud" the weak signal of a deep coin when the Sensitivity setting is high.
Turning down the sensitivity level enables you to hear weak signals as the audio distraction caused by false signals, ground mineral effect and partially rejected junk targets is reduced.
Instead of trying to determine the ground conditions and trash density, start your search using maximum sensitivity settings and then gradually reduce them to the level of detector's stability. This technique will save you time and allow you to easily tune your detector for maximum performance in current conditions.
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