iPhone 3Gs Great For Mobile MD

Mobile anything is what is in these days, and in the realm of metal detecting, things are no different. Many hobbyists have taken to the web via Blogger, YouTube, etc to share their finds, but what about up to the minute updates on the hunt?

As many of you might have noticed, on my sidebar I have links to other MD blogs, YouTube channels, and now, even MD Tweets from Twitter! All of these great tools are really letting hobbyists get their recent finds out there to the world... as it's happening.

I recently upgraded from my 1st Generation 4GB iPhone, to the new 16GB 3Gs model. And IMO, if you are one of these mobile MD type people, this phone is a must! I'll run down the features that really make it shine.

TwitterFon App
Available for FREE from the App Store on your iPhone or from iTunes, this application allows you to "tweet" about your finds directly to your Twitter account for all your followers to view.

Notes
This basic App that comes standard on all iPhones is perfect for logging in finds. Just recently, with the 3.0 firmware update, Notes can now be sync'd, but only through the Mail.app Note on OS X Leopard. Hopefully soon they'll make it available to sync through Outlook, or better yet, to just export them as .txt files!

Voice Memos
Available free on all version of the iPhone is the Voice Memo app. Don't have the time or gusto to type in your finds, just make a verbal note of your specs and playback later.

Maps + Compass
This great standard app is your mobile Google Earth. Spot those empty lots, parks etc on the fly and even get directions from your current location. The compass is only available on the 3Gs model and has a really handy feature... Lat and Long.

Camera + Video
All models have a camera, but the 3Gs has a 3MP camera as well as the ability to shoot video. It shoots rather GOOD video too. A few tests I've done and seen really look great... and outdoor videos are best. Plus now that they also added the ability to directly upload the videos to YOUR personal YouTube channel, it's perfect! Additionally, you can trim/edit the videos directly on the phone. Here's a sample video I shot indoors.

White's Goodies Coming My Way

I finally got around to using that sweet $100 Accessory Cert from White's that they were so awesome to send me in reply to the letter I sent them about my XLT. A few good MD buddies have also recieved them lately and have been getting some nice stuff on White's tab. Their marketing really is genius, if more companies did it they would surely see the same sales success and repeat customers.

Anyway, on to the goods, here's what I picked up:

Cover for older style flat-top BM 950 Search Coil (XLT)

Search Coil Steady Bracket

Weather Beater (DFX™, XLT®, QXT)

Speaker Cover Decal

Arm Cup Foam Pad Kit

Baseball Cap Navy Blue

Fleece Lined Bomber Jacket Black

All pics credited to Whites Electronics.

DF Surf PI, Beach Time

Had to drop off Ash down on Atlantic for Day 2 of a bachelorette party, perfect excuse to throw some batteries in the Dual Field Surf PI and hit up the beach!

Drove my new Tundra down to the lot and beach access off of Croatan, second time its been there in the past week, but the first time for a MD mission.

The beach was lightly populated down this end today. We have had lots of storms and plenty of rain, so I'm sure that kept a good portion of the locals away from this spot today. When I was here a few days earlier this beach was PACKED, so I really felt there might be some goodies held in the sand, dry and wet.

I started in the wet stuff. From the cut to a few feet into the water. I brought too much stuff with me, and didnt have anyone on shore to watch things... so I didn't get deep enough to wade and hit the spot where the waves break on shore to hopefully score some good stuff. I was very surprised how deep I was getting with the PI, and was hitting a lot of small metal that I would have been impressed to find in the dry stuff, let alone the wet.

Not wanting to get my pack wet (phone and camera) I moved up to the dry sand, in between cuts, and landed loads of bottle tops and 14 coins, at $0.99. It was my first real beach hunt, and it was a great two hours... a shame one of my flip flops went MIA.

Free Spectra V3 Kit with $100 Off Coupon!

Looking to learn up about the new White's Spectra V3? Use the following link to order a Information Kit that includes:

* Spectra DVD
* Engineering Guide
* Field Test
* 60% Off Search Coil Coupon
* Story Collection
* $100 Off Coupon

White's V3 Kit Request

Pull-Tab Retail

A recent post over at FMDF brought back a memory I had of seeing clothing made from our arch-nemesis... the pull-tab. So I decided to do a little research into the subject and see what I can find. You might be as surprised as I was to see all of this made from our subterranean enemy.

Many of you hate pull-tabs with a passion. I am one of them. So much so that I do everything possible to try and discriminate them out of my search pattern. But in the same respect, we all know that if you're digging pull-tabs, you're not missing any gold. So think about that the next time you skip a pull-tab signal on your machine... how much gold have you missed over the years?

Back to our subject. The post I mentioned earlier showed images of a pull-tab purse, and a pull-tab skirt. Genius really. What a great way to recycle these little guys, than by creating everyday items, or even fashions out of them?

This first item I'd like to share with you is something I could own myself. Stylish, sleek, and 100% recyclabe! It is called the A La Lata Chair, and is made by one Carlos Alberto Montana Hoyos of Brazil. The name itself is Spanish for "to the can." It's made using 1,739 aluminum can pull-tabs, as well as other recycled materials.

Next is the very stylish, very modern bracelet made by the fine folks at Save The World Designs. It consits of pull-tans laced with a variety of different colored leather. I know they are hand made, and if if they were half the price, I'd consider getting one as this year's personal "Green Contribution", 'cuz god knows that new 2010 Tundra 5.7L V8 that gets 13MPG sure isn't helping. If you like what you see, please click HERE for information on purchasing one.

Two months back I was in DC during Earth Day. They also has a Sustainable Design convention there on the National Mall. This next items are all womens hand bags made by Escama Studios out of San Francisco, and marketed through a site called re:Modern | Sustainable Modern Living. All pretty pricey, so you Gucci ladies might want to take notice. Again, the pull-tab makes a very sylish design medium here. They also have bracelets, necklaces, and cosmetic bags.

Lastly are a few items from a firm known as Da Lata, which is very similar to the the A La Lata company I spoke of before. Da Lata is Portuguese for "From the Can" and makes shirts, caps, purses and skirts all from aluminum pull-tabs. Here are a few examples of their stuff. I think their skullcaps are just awesome!

Back Home, Can't Wait to MD

As you might be able to tell from the picture of the sunset during my flight, it was quite a nice, calm, relaxing flight that I spent sleeping... nursing my headache from all the tequila the night before. It was good to be back on land and back in VA!

Friday morning, about 12 hours after being home I headed out to the Toyota dealership to finally finish this truck buying business. It's been ohhh 4-5 months I've been trying to get it. Now granted, I didn't get the 4x4, but I was able to get everything else I wanted in the truck you see pictured. 2010 Toyota Tundra 5.7L iForce V8 Double Cab, yay!

In the following pics you'll see some cool autos from the BBQ Ash and I went to Sunday afternoon. It's at this guy Eddie's house she works with. All hs old dragster buddies showed up and it was one yummy ass feast of brisket, pull and chopped pork, beans... amazing food. But anyways, a nice 2009 Challenger R/T, a '65 Nova Dragster, Chevy Truck Dragster, and then some little roadster I know nothing about.

After that it was a nice few hours spent down at the beach off Croatan. Really nice day out, enjoyed it a lot. I didn't bring the BHID or the Surf PI, maybe next time.

MD Tattoos

Recently I saw an image on FMDF posted by a local Virginia Beach hunter, Max, of a fellow hobbyists tattoo he had snapped a pic of. I'm guessing it wasn't his own, but I could be wrong. But anyhow, being a member of the inked community, I thought it was pretty cool. I myself have arms full of tattoos, and what better way to show your dedication and enjoyment of the hobby then by having it marked on you for life.

I searched around the 'net for awhile and surprisingly enough, I couldn't find much in the way of people who had any. I have three examples, but I guess in reality it's not out of the ordinary. I think most MD people are rather conservative, and/or passed the age when they would go out and get a tattoo, so I'm okay with this being all I could muster. However, if YOU have an MD related tattoo, please comment to this post and I'll get it up here for the world to see!

Metal Detector PC Games

Being out of the game for 6 months of the year I've been looking at outlets to metal detecting related activities. This has drawn me to the world of PC gaming. I search all over the net for different games and have found 3 of which I'd like to share with you, and hope to give you a little something to do on those cold winter months where your favorite hunting grounds have turned to perma-frost.

Treasure Fields

Originally released in 2002 by Terry Bullard this easy to use, basic software package should easily burn up a few hours of your time. The game is based around basic coin shooting. It boasts having nearly every US coin minted hidden under the "ground" waiting for you to dig.

I started by downloading the FREE trial version of the software. The approximately 9.8MB .zip file can be downloaded by clicking HERE.

After installing it using all the default options, I was ready to start up the game. Sadly, though loaded with options I think the game is brutally cumbersome. You start off with a budget and must purchase a machine and other MD related tools from Al's Discount Detectors. After which you have to manually choose the equipment you wish to "equip" with you on any given hunt. This includes machine, coil, digger etc.

You then start your hunt by entering a tournament, which from the outset gives yo ua description and then subtracts an entrance fee.

I had purchased a Tesoro Lobo, and Lesche, so I was out to hunt. You use the mouse and just drag across the field listening for the different sounds. It has all sorts of different tones and sounds, I'm guessing which might be authentic to the model? Anyway, pinpointing is pretty spot on, you dig, get the goods, and refill your hole. Always remember to refill your hole!!!

The game also keeps track of all your finds broken down by face value.

All in all, I stick to what I initially said, it's a neat idea... but I think the execution could have been way better. Be sure to read all of the keyboard commands as they will really make or break the game for you. If you enjoy it, please visit Mr. Bullard's site HERE and contact him for a full copy with all the updates to really get the most out of the game.

Minimum Requirements
Windows 95+
16MB HDD Space

 

Treasure Hunter

From the creators of my favorite MD cataloging software, i-Detect (their link is in my sidebar), comes this completely free metal detecting game that really is fun to play!

Ginkgoware's DFX Treasure Hunter really looks the part of a capable MD simulation, and has a few neat options... but sadly, like the real thing, it can get aggravating.

This game is straight forward and does not have you going to many screens to accomplish a task. After you install the game, and load one of the two maps available for download, it's basically turn on the DFX (which only lets you hunt in factory coin mode) and go. The machine hits on target just like the DFX, so really, for any user of an XLT, DFX or MXT, you should feel right at home. The big downside to this game is pinpointing. It's enough to make you want to cry. Tips are offered on the company site, but they didn't help me much. I ended up digging foot deep craters and coming up empty handed.

The game is worth a shot. The install file is only 4.8MB and the maps are even smaller. To check them out, please click HERE.

Minimum Requirements
Windows 98+
DirectX 8.1+
500 MHz CPU

Treasure Valley

The last game is one I know nothing about. Being out here on the boat I can't play "online" games, and well, Treasure Valley stay connected to the internet to play. There is a FREE Demo version of the game, but you must register for it with a valid email address. If you want to check it out, click HERE.

The game is a 3D first person type MD game, and the screenshots look pretty impressive. But as I said, I have no experience with the game, and at this time cannot comment any further on it.

If any of you readers out there take the time to give it a whirl, I'll gladly post your review here in place of the few words I have to say about it.

Minimum Requirements
Windows XP+
2.0 GHz CPU
512 MB RAM
DirectX
Internet Connection

Join, Enter... WIN!

I've organized a contest over at FMDF and you're invited to join, play and win!

Many of you are members of forums that have a thread dedicated to Motivational and/or De-Motivational Posters. For those of you who are members of automotive related forums, surely half of the ones posted are NSFW and surely not appropriate here.

But I thought it would be fun to make up some MD related versions and have 'em up on the boards. And thankfully, I have the blessings from the owners to host this.

Becoming a member of the forums and entering the contest is completely free! Please check out THIS LINK for more information regarding the rules and prizes.

FOr good measure I thought I'd post many of the ones I made, which are not eligible to win this contest.