Bobby Elgee asked:

 by Bobby Elgee; Sights Unseen Paranormal 

Today, I used my EVP machine and it recorded a ghost’s voice. I also utilized my Ghost Image Capture Device to take a picture of a ghost. Another investigator used an Electric Detector that picks up spirit energy. I also used my Indoor Battery-Powered Illuminator–fancily called ‘a torch’ by our friends across the pond–to light up some ghosts in a dark room. We also used an interesting invention, a Television Spirit Capture Device, which records video of dead people. Finally, we analyzed all this research data on a computer that is specifically set up with programs–like Photoshop and Itunes–that help to find ghosts. 

Does the above paragraph sound as asinine and ignorant to you as it does to me? Interestingly enough, there are ghost hunting teams that use language similar to what I’ve typed above. To me, reading a paragraph like this makes a couple of things painfully obvious: 

1. The person writing it has absolutely no technical expertise whatsoever. 

2. They aren’t even coming close to practicing debunking. For people like this, everything is a ghost. 

Sorry, for venting…the moral to this story is KNOW YOUR EQUIPMENT. I have a lot to learn, that’s why I do research, read my owner’s manuals, and depend on experts and consultants to help me research potential evidence. 

None of the technology used in ghost hunting was originally designed to find ghosts. Be accurate in your description of the equipment you use. Know what it was originally designed for, and the theory behind using it to detect possibly paranormal events. 

Otherwise, you risk looking like a fool. Not sure about you, but I’m enough of a goof ball as it is, so I like to cover all my bases. 

Now, you’ll have to excuse me because my Electoplasma Initiator/Personal Massager is ringing.

 

Ghost Equipment

Mara Mark asked:

All gold detectors are based on the same technology. Of course there are different types and models but they are all variations of the same electromagnetic technology. A magnetic field is created inside the gold detector that reacts with the magnetic field of a metal on the ground. The metal detector has the ability to convert this reaction into a signal that tells you that metal has been found on the ground.

The most important aspect of gold detectors is tuning. You have to carefully calibrate the gold detector to properly receive the signals from the ground, depending on what you are searching for. Often, this process must be performed (usually by pressing a button) every few minutes depending on the gold detector type.

Another important factor is motion. Some gold detectors require a fairly slow swinging action while others need a much quicker action. For best results you have to use the speed which is considered as optimal by the manufacturer. Carefully read the gold detector’s manual before performing any searches.

Last but not least, frequency. Most gold detectors operate in low signal frequencies between 5-10khz and 15-20khz. The reason for that is because low frequencies go deeper into the ground. If you are targeting objects like rings, coins or similar objects then low frequencies between 5-20Khz is what you need. Some multi-frequency gold detectors (which are very expensive) have appeared in the market the last few years, claiming advantages in gold detection and depth performance. In my opinion all these claims are overstated.

I’ve noticed that not a single gold detector manufacturer ever specify the detection depth of their machines. This is always confusing. The reason is that there are many things that affect the depth detection like the ground type, moisture etc. Gold detector manufacturers will not specify a specific depth range (eg. 10 meters) because another manufacturer will immediately specify a higher range (e.g. 11 meters). In my opinion gold detector depth range is almost the same for all brands of the same type.

Another half-truth is that the deeper you can go into the ground the more treasure you can find. I think that this is not the case. The deeper you go, the less you will find. If someone would burry a treasure 300 years ago how deep do you think he would dig? I think the average depth would be about 10 meters. Archeologists discovered treasures hidden for thousands of years, buried in the ground in less than 5 meters in depth.

gold metal detector

Joseph Buffalo asked:

If you want to have some fun and have an entertaining treasure hunt, try the Western Ghost Towns.

The ones I’m referring to are the ones you need a four wheel drive vehicle to get to them. The key to finding these ghost towns is “research”. The first place most people start is buying a book on ghost towns in the area they are going to treasure hunt. It is best to have a topographical map of the area also. Another good source is the local historical society. They usually have old photographs of long gone ghost towns.

Let me say something about old black and white photographs. All the building depicted in the photograph appear further away than the actual distance at the ghost town site.

We were searching a long gone town in SE Arizona. We had to four wheel it for about 1-1/2 hours to get to it. We had the Typo map; an old picture of the town dated 1888. There were some visible adobe foundations at the site. We were looking for the old saloon site. Standing on a small rise we thought it was approximately 50 yards away. Fortunately there were other mounds of dirt and hills we good triangulate. We actually were almost standing on top of the saloon foundation.

Looking at the old picture we determined where the front door would have been. Most of the building would have had wooden walks, with separations between the boards. If some one dropped a coin on the walk, most likely it would drop through the floor. Since we didn’t have a picture of what the saloon looked like inside we had to guess where the bar might have been.

Most of the buildings in these old ghost towns are not very big, so you can set up a string search pattern area to make sure you cover every inch. It was a lot of fun researching the site.

Our finds that day were over 50 100 year old square head nails, 3 “V” Nickels, one worth $35-$50. Older pennies, and a few quarters. We were hoping for a Gold coin, but maybe we will find it over the next hill. Happy treasure hunting.

Treasure Hunting items at; Treasures

prospecting equipment

Alan Jones asked:

When we really want to do something new it is easy to get pumped up and excited, the reality then kicks in on the challenges of getting started with our newly found subject. To get started with Gold Detecting the first move is to research what tools and equipment are needed, this is where it starts to get very confusing. There are so many different types of Gold Metal Detectors on the market from various manufacturers and suppliers at a wide range of prices, we can easily put off doing anything at all.

So where do we start, well sometimes it’s a question of ‘just doing it’. A good way to get up and running is to buy a very basic Gold Detector and learn by practicing your new found venture. The quality of the Metal Detectors supplied by our leading manufacturers is generally excellent, the difference between one product and another is mainly in the specification and of course the price. Compare two leading brands with similar specifications and the price and quality will usually be similar. Also look out for discounts on many models especially the lower priced ones which are attractive to people getting started.

Basically the same technology is used for most gold detectors. There many different types and models but they are all based on the same electromagnetic technology. When a magnetic field inside the gold detector is created it reacts with the magnetic field within metal on the ground. The metal detector can analyze this reaction and convert it into a signal that shows that metal has been located nearby.

Tuning is a very important factor of gold detectors  The gold detector has to be calibrated correctly to properly receive the signals from the ground, this can vary depending on what you are prospecting for. This process may need to be monitored every few minutes depending on the type of gold detector.

How you use your gold detector has a great bearing on your success rate. With some gold detectors a slow rotating action is required and others may prefer a faster action. For best results you should read the guidelines in the manufacture’s manual and follow their recommendations. Detection depth is not easy to specify by the manufactures due to various factors including ground type and moisture. It is usually not that important as you are just as likely to find your treasure close to the surface, it can also save a lot of digging!

The other key difference in the specification is the frequency. Low signal frequencies between 5-10kHz and 15-20kHz are used for most gold detectors. The reason for that is that if you are looking for objects like coins and items of jewelry then low frequencies between 5-20KHz can be used as low frequencies tend to go deeper into the ground. The multi frequency gold detectors tend to be more expensive and are therefore used by the more established gold prospectors.

So back to our original discussion, look around for a basic low cost Gold Metal Detector from one of the leading brands and just get out there and enjoy learning about Gold

Detecting, you never know what treasures you might find.

prospecting supplies

Peter Bankss asked:




Treasure hunting is a rather contagious pastime. For some, it can become an obsession (in the best sense of the word!). People worldwide are fascinated with the hobby of treasure hunting.

Coming across a valuable item in your treasure hunt can be a real thrill. Even an item that may not have monetary value could be personally attractive to the right hunter.Part of the thrill is in the chase; not knowing what you may find lends a sense of mystery and intrigue to the treasure hunt.

In years past, a treasure hunt could have been a very dangerous quest. Pirating was rampant, with several competitive and devious hunters often after the same prize. Quite often, the myth or rumor of a valuable buried or sunken treasure led to bloodshed and fighting between hunters.

Before airplanes became the preferred method of worldwide travel, those in search of life in a new land would travel by ship to their new destination. As it could take months to sail from one continent to another, passengers were unsure if they would even return to their home land. They would pack up all of their worldly possessions to take with them to the ‘new world’. One might pack several trunks of furs, coins, jewelry, dishware, and other valuable goods to take with them to their new life.

These ships laden with valuable items were prime targets for pirates.Ships were always on the look out for pirates that may try to board and rob, or  even kill, the passengers onboard. While this high seas robbery is certainly not called treasure hunting, it demonstrates just how vulnerable these ‘treasures’ were. People traveling away from home were not only vulnerable to theft while sailing; these pirates had no qualms about robbing a ship after a natural disaster struck.

Ships sailing far from home had to endure terrible storms, barrier reefs,extremely high waves and more as they slowly made their way from one point to the next. Unfortunately, many ships succumbed to the dangers they faced, and sank.

Before GPS and radio, it was really anyone’s guess where they ship may have gone down. Tales and fables would develop about the location of the sunken ship and its possible contents. For example, if a royal family member or businessman was on board, one might assume that quite a bit of valuable merchandise sank with the ship.

If the ship was not immediately located, an air of mystery would develop around the tale as it was passed down through generations of curious people. Those will the resources and desire would undoubtedly go in search of the ship in an effort to recover some of the ‘treasures’ on board. These expeditions were treasure hunts in the truest sense of the word!

A treasure may also be something that a person unfortunately lost. Of course, if you find a valuable item, you should make every attempt to return it to its rightful owner. But in most cases, the owner is never found, leaving the treasure hunter as the new owner. We’ll discuss great places to find this kind of treasure a little later on, but some items that you could expect to come across include watches, rings, coins, or necklaces.

Other treasures may have been worthless when they were disposed of, but have now become so rare or desirable that they have increased in value. Arrowheads from battles past; carvings; certain stones, etc can all prove to be valuable finds.

Before there were designated garbage dumps, unwanted items were often buried or simply thrown into the bush. Over time, these items were long forgotten. However, finding a rare dish, for example, that can be traced to a certain crafter or era could be a real treasure.

Some treasures may have absolutely no monetary value at all, but could be very sentimentally valuable to the right person. Old family photos, a favorite teddy bear, or a letter from your first love would all be great treasures to find. It would rare to stumble across a sentimental treasure unless you were specifically looking for it, but it can happen!

Whatever your reason for treasure hunting; whatever you are searching for, you are sure to find a few surprises along the way! Treasure hunting is truly a hobby for anyone to enjoy.