Metal Detectors

Metal detectors use electromagnetic induction to detect metal. Uses include de-mining (the detection of land mines), the detection of weapons such as knives and guns, especially at airports, geophysical prospecting, archaeology and treasure hunting. Metal detectors are also used to detect foreign bodies in food, and in the construction industry to detect steel reinforcing bars in concrete and pipes and wires buried in walls and floors.

In its simplest form, a metal detector consists of an oscillator producing an alternating current that passes through a coil producing an alternating magnetic field. If a piece of metal, which is electrically conductive, is close to the coil eddy currents will be induced in the metal, and this produces an alternating magnetic field of its own. If another coil is used to measure the magnetic field (acting as a magnetometer) the change in the magnetic field due to the metallic object can be detected.

Many people use consumer metal detectors to look for coins on the beach. Most metal detectors are good to detect metal only within a foot or so below the ground. The detection depth depends on the type of metal detector, type of metal in the buried object, size of buried object, type of metals in the ground, and other objects in the ground.

There are five major types of hobbyist activities involving metal detectors:

• Coin shooting is looking for coins after an event involving many people, like a baseball game, or simply looking for any old coins. Serious coin shooters will spend hours, days and months doing historical research to locate long lost sites that have the potential to give up historical and collectable coins.
• Prospecting is looking for valuable metal like gold and silver
• Relic hunting is very similar to coin shooting except that the relic hunter is after any type of historical artifact, relic hunters are usually very determined and dedicated not only to the research and hunting that they do but also to preserving historical artifacts. Coins, minie balls, buttons, axe heads, and buckles are just a few of the items that are commonly found by relic hunters.
• Treasure hunting is looking for items that are rumored to be hidden
• Beach combing is hunting for lost coins, jewellery lost on a beach, such as those in Florida, California. Beach hunting can be as simple or as complicated as you wish to make it. Many dedicated beach hunters also familiarize themselves with tide movements and beach erosion.

Tropical Treasure House has a variety of metal detectors, headphones and other accessory items for your beach combing activities.  

Click here to see our entire selection.