New to the hobby of metal detecting but don’t know where to turn?
Are you a 30 year veteran who wants to spread your knowledge to others?
Found a rare coin or artifact and want to show it off to the world?
Well then you are in luck my dirt digging treasure finding friend. Today we're talking about your one stop shop to ask ridiculous questions such as “which detector is the best”? Discuss terminology that needs its own dictionary such as ground phase, recovery speed, and pulse induction. A place to let your over opinionated personality shine, or perhaps reminisce a tall tale about how you once found a dime at 16 feet deep. Or was that inches?
The good old internet metal detecting forum.
Unlike many forums on the internet where trolls and trouble makers are allowed to run free, the metal detecting community is full of patient and kind users who will take the time to guide you from beginner to advanced detectorist in no time. Real and honest friendships can be made, and new hunting partners can be found. Yes, there will be trolls and unkind people at times, but they usually get dealt with swiftly by the admins, moderators, and community itself.
I have been (and still am) a member of various forums across various hobbies. From off-road forums, to video game forums, to information technology forums - I have seen my fair share of the internet's up and downs. The metal detecting and treasure hunting communities are about as good as it gets for absorbing knowledge from friendly folks.
So without further delay...here are my top 5 picks!
Findmall is the 3rd largest metal detecting forum on the internet. It is heavily sponsor driven and is categorized by manufacturer brands and models. It runs on an older version of “Phorum” software and can feel a bit outdated compared to the other choices on this list. However, the content is high and the community is very friendly due to the strict moderation and administrator team. Some may see that as a negative - but the staff at Findmall sticks to their guns in order to run a forum that is thin on drama. and fat with information!
This is the 2nd largest detecting forum on the internet and is filled with great information from - friendly metal detectorists of course! The admin and moderation team are very knowledgeable about metal detecting and always willing to help with any question about rules or conduct. Unlike Findmall that relies on manufacturers to pay the bills, friendly has a “Supporter” option that the community can pitch into, helping the forum to stay alive. The forum is powered by “vBulletin” software and is fairly modern with user created “groups” and galleries. Also included are user ratings for trades for each user, telling you who can be trusted and who you should steer clear from. It even has a live chat room free of charge. If you like heavy forums stats like birthdays - who is online - most popular section etc...this is the forum for you.
Run by Tom Dankowski - aka - NASA Tom, this forum is where some of the greatest minds in metal detecting hang out. Bring your pocket protector and slide ruler, as this forum can get fairly...ahem...techy. That is not to say an amateur cannot thrive here however. The members are actually quite nice to the newcomer and more than willing to share their vast wealth of knowledge. That being said, there is a pecking order here and there can be some fairly comical arguments at times, mostly about algorithms, frequencies and how the angle of the moon on Friday can disrupt your detecting. While it runs a very old version of “Phorum” software that is desperately in need of an upgrade, the information provided by the user is as new as it gets. By FAR the most intellectual forum when it comes to this hobby.
This forum revolves around the yellow shiny - gold! In my opinion the best gold prospecting forum on the internet. Ran by a VERY knowledgeable prospector/miner named Steve Herschbach, this forum is full of gold hunters from across the globe. They know what they are talking about and have the pictures and stories to back it up. Gold nuggets that make your jaw drop are commonly posted here. That does not mean there is not something for the relic or coin hunter though. There are brand specific forums and dedicated sections to suit just about all treasure hunting enthusiasts. Running off of the latest version of “Invision” forum software - this is one of the best looking and running forums in the hobby.
TreasureNet is the largest and most popular metal detecting forums on the internet. With over 120,000 members, 5.4 million posts, and 500,000 topics - it would take you a lifetime to read all of the information here. In fact, this forum is so busy, it just may be impossible to read all the posts on a daily basis. However, don’t let that deter you. The reason it is so large and in charge is the amount of sections available. Coin - relics - gold prospecting - bottles - diving - brands - technology….if you can dream it up, it is probably already in a section here. The admin and moderator team is fair, helpful, and capable detectorists themselves. Running on “vBadvanced” content system - TreasureNet is about as good as it gets for layout, options, and information.
So there we have it - my top 5 picks for the best metal detecting forums on the internet. However, there is one more you might want to check out! Come visit me and my friends over at my very own metal detecting forum! While it is not as large as these above - I am always there to answer any questions, and would to have you as part of my group!
