How Many Hunters Out There Keep A Log of What is Found Where?

This GPS feature on the new Minelab has me thinking. What are people going to use it for? I see you mark waypoints during your hunt. I assume you will be marking good finds. Won't you still need to write down what was found where? I mean you can not type in Seated found here can you? And if you place 20 markers on the map will you not have to remember which target went where until you get home?

Then there is the people that say they will use it to grid a hunt. A fine gesture. Is it accurate enough to keep you straight? I'm sure it isn't accurate enough to monitor your coil. I have been reading where people have said it will make sure you search the entire area. Really? I even heard one guy say he will use it to hunt a beach. I beach hunt. At best I do a W pattern up and down the sloap. The beach is too big to hit it all. And tomorrow the beach will be different. In the water? I can hunt low tides like most. Then you get out. What is a GPS going to do there?

I'm not trying to be smart or talk bad about a detector I hardly know anything about. I'm just asking about this one feature. How practical is it?

You want to know what I think? I think Minelab uses this feature on Mine detectors. It is pretty important to know where the landmines are isn't it? They incorporated it into the hobby detectors. But is it practical and worth $$$?

Minelab has been working with archaeologist here recently with professional amateur training programs...trying to get each side to accept the other side...

I know in England the Archaeologist want to know where finds are found if they are significant...this might be a tool to helps the archaeologist have a better acceptance of the amateur hunter...if it is a historic find and the detector can log a waypoint exactly with time date etc maybe even depth found? it will give minelab sort of an ambassador like attitude in the field of detecting...

All speculation but Detector companys need to do more to promote the helpfullness/usefullness of the "hobby" as some call it to keep our right's and detecting privelages from going away...

Maybe this is a step towards an onging quest to unify with trust both side's?


Keith

That's a good one. But I'll tell you what I have learned about detecting. There might be trends to finding the good stuff. But over all you just never know what is going to be found next. And that is maybe the greatest thing about this hobby. Every hole is a new adventure.

I remember everywhere I have found things over the 12 years of hunting, I have on CD's and a memory stick of all the hunts finds and close ups of the better finds, it's funny, because I haven't really hunted that many places, maybe 30 to 50 sites over the years, houses, playgrounds/schools, farm fields and the woods around they, and cellar holes, they all have been within 5 miles of my home, can't wait til next year when I can start to wander

The log is stored in my head. Like Caretaker, I do remember finds....even years back.

it may just be my paranoia..... but i dont want people knowing where and what i am digging as im digging it. if the gps system can record your exact location then chances are it can record what signal your getting off you detector. scary to me personally

Yep....here's 2 of over 160 pages in 2 scrapbooks:



Great way to keep up with your finds...............see ya yardhunter

Google Earth is an excellent place to store tracks and finds locations. I use my Garmin Dakota 20 GPS to record all my tracks and significant finds and easily download them to GE. Hopefully I can discern patterns where coins are lost and return to unhunted sections of areas of interest.The data I store is only accessable to me. As an example here's a site I've been pounding hard:




I hope the CTX 3030 will have the same GE interface capability to download and store the information I use.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/10/2012 06:36AM by Yeasty.

Very cool Yeasty. I imagine that is something like we will see from Minelab.

I DO keep track of my finds/locations, and if the GPS is accurate enough, I could see this being a kind of cool feature...but not essential for me.

Steve

Google Earth is excellent and free to all, lets hope that it can be used and that the accuracy of the engine is top notch.

I had everything memorized, but a system crash wiped it out and I had no backup. Where in H did all these zinc pennies come from?????

Past(or)Tom
Using a Legend, a Deus 2, an Equinox 800, a Tarsacci MDT 8000, & a few others...
with my beloved, fading Corgi, Sadie

I DO, BUT NOT AS GOOD AS YEASTY.

You have covered maybe a quater to a third of that site Yeasty, I like it. How is that Dakota 20 GPS?

I really like the Dakota 20. It does everything I need and more. The interface with Google Earth is excellent. I make a folder in GE for each area and store each track and find location in it. That Google Earth pic above is kind of decieving. Most of the open areas are/were impenetrable sticker patches. Hopefully they will get a bush-hog in there.