Metal Detectors

• Metal detectors for sale on HiFi-Tower: discover your hidden treasure
• What’s the purpose of a metal detector?
• How does a metal detector work?
• Entry level and professional metal detectors: the main types available

Metal detectors for sale on HiFi-Tower: discover your hidden treasure

Are you a curious, creative and adventurous person who loves to explore 'in-depth' the spaces around you? If so, a metal detector can easily become the ideal companion for your spare time. Thanks to this very special tool, which we often associate with funny, weird fellows patrolling beaches and gardens in search of hidden treasures, not only can you live unique experiences and collect beautiful memories but also find small treasures and relics to collect and give to family and friends.

In fact, the ground can hide artefacts that are priceless thanks to their material and historical value: using a metal detector, there will be no more secrets, and you will be able to start discovering what is hidden a few centimetres underground. On HiFi-Tower you can choose different models, with different technical features, from entry-level to professional metal detectors. If you are looking for a waterproof metal detector for safe use on the seashore, around rivers and lakes, and designed with particular attention to ergonomics, you’ve landed on the right page. Below, we provide you with some basic information to guide your choice and find the model that best suits your budget and needs.

What’s the purpose of a metal detector?

A metal detector is an electronic device that transmits an electromagnetic field to the ground and can detect metal objects. The coil in the bottom part generates the impulses that serve to 'excite' the objects hit by the electromagnetic field: the latter is retransmitted, generating an audible signal and allowing the objects to be detected.

Almost all detectors are able to detect different types of objects and metals and professional metal detectors can be adjusted to ignore unwanted objects, making it possible to find something valuable during the search. Even though metal detectors are not all the same, most of them have a similar structure: a handheld metal detector generally has an elongated handle and a flat plate-shaped surface containing the electric sensor. The plate sends the electric current towards the ground; when a metal object falls within its range, the electrical signal is distorted and emits a warning sound, signalling that a metal object is in that space and it's time to get to work and start digging.

Metal detectors were first used in the military industry, as they detected the presence of anti-personnel mines or any other explosive system containing metal. Of course, as is well known, today their use is quite common, and they are used by experienced archaeologists and amateurs who enjoy looking for hidden treasures with metal detectors and by the sea. The main purpose of a metal detector is to help finding hidden metal objects, but of course, there are different ways to use it and each model has distinctive specifications, according to the kind of metal you are searching for; in security systems, for example, to search for dangerous metal objects such as weapons, in mines and treasure hunts, to detect anything from ancient coins to gold nuggets.

It doesn't matter, therefore, what you use your metal detector for; on HiFi-Tower you'll find the metal detector that's right for your needs, whether you're an experienced metal finder, an archaeologist or merely an object collector.

How does a metal detector work?

The metal detector transmits an electromagnetic field from the coil to the ground. Because every metal object within this field is excited and retransmits its wn electromagnetic field, the coil receives the retransmitted field and warns you of the depth of the item. Not to mention the fact that its discrimination capabilities are pretty good, so you won't bring home junk, but some little treasure, no matter how big or small.

The magnetic field generated by the metal detectors is the basis of the operation of these devices, as it attracts ferrous materials and makes the whole process possible. Inside the detector plate you can find two coils of wire wound in a spiral on a core, called transmission and reception coils. The transmitting coil is the conductor of inverted current flow thousands of times per second, creating an operating frequency and, in turn, an electromagnetic field capable of penetrating the earth; the receiving coil, can detect the variation of this field, thus indicating the presence of any metal.

Entry level and professional metal detectors: the main types available

Metal detectors fall into different categories according to their operating modes and frequency. Models that work at low frequencies offer greater penetration into the ground and can detect metals such as silver, with good conductivity. At the same time, they have more difficulty with iron and for very small objects. On the other hand, high-frequency metal detectors, while not being able to penetrate the ground as effectively, can detect smaller, low-conductivity items, such as little gold nuggets, and are generally more accurate. The main categories of metal detectors are the following:

• Very Low-Frequency (VLF) detectors are the most used. They can have one or two operating frequencies, being much more sensitive to copper and silver, and perfectly combine different factors such as discrimination, high sensitivity, ground balance and a great depth of detection. However, one of their great disadvantages is that they do not have much stability or good performance, as the mineralisation of the soil affects their operation.


• Multi-frequency detectors are also low-frequency detectors as they operate between 17 and 28 search frequencies: most of the metal detectors belonging to this category scan frequencies between 1.5 and 25 or 100 Khz, thus improving their stability and performance, even with highly mineralised soil.


• Impulse induction detectors: they are mostly used in searches on the beach or in places where there is not a lot of rubbish, as they do not have a reliable discrimination system and also the search autonomy is low. Each pulse requires a large amount of energy, but despite all this, this type of metal detector has great qualities, including great sensitivity and depth, and high performance regardless of ground conditions, even when soil is highly mineralized.


• Box or antenna detectors: these metal detectors use a transmission and reception system, and the whole system works thanks to the perpendicular position of the coils and the distance between them, which is about 70 cm. The main advantage is their ability to distinguish between ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Still, they are also not very sensitive to small objects, and their operation can easily be affected by the soil elements. Moreover, they do not have a great capacity for discrimination, so it is a bit more complex to work with them: for this reason, they are not the best metal detector for begineers.