How does the metal detector work?

[Chuckles]

Sorry if this has already been asked somewhere. I hover around with the metal detector until the beeping and the ripples on the dirt show but when I dig in that spot I only end up with a shovel full of dirt. I put the dirt off to the side and try the detector again and it beeps again, so I dig deeper, and deeper, and still nothing.

Also, unrelated, but do John and Fletch ever contribute to the town debt? I turned to metal detecting because I'm in debt 70k and John's not giving me good prices for my shells and bugs anymore :(

[SuperF]

With the metal detector you keep searching until the symbol on the floor is a sun shape (circle with rippling lines) and it should be 1 tile down or at least it always has for me

And as for the debt it goes down slowly but if you want money make a couple cages ( i have 4) go to the west side of the map and trap the Bush devil things or whatever they are called you get 12k per one you trap that will help clear your debt in no time

[Jack Croakman]

And some treasures are worth way more than others

Contraptions (engines) are the most valuable at a flat rate, but are also exceedingly rare. The Shiny Discs are good too, wait for Franklin to come into town and he'll pay and easy 8,000 for each one, as well as unlock crafting recipes you can pay him to make.

BUT keep in mind that treasures WILL be needed for crafting more complex items and structures down the line, so bare in mind what you sell.

[spielerinchen]

in the beginning stages are the yellow Wattle Flowers the easiest & best money making option, just collect & sell until you have a better option or have the Keg to convert it to the Wattle Brew
1 Wattle Flower sells for 145 Dinks, you get easily 30-40 when you just run around doing other stuff & collect the flowers from all the bushes, that makes already for one average run 5T Dinks
the other starting money maker are bugs & fishes, some are quite valuable & overall all worth the effort

the Metal Detector is not to make money, the tech stuff you find is way more valuable for all the things you can build with, so get yourself a box, put all you find there up to 30 per kind & sell only the excess. if you sell the tech stuff in the beginning you will have to search later on & some are absolutely rare. so collect, don't sell.
same goes for Roo Poo btw, good for beginning compost making when you start with farming, collect & save for later.

& about trapping the beasts. as long you are equipped with only a tin spear, forget it. start with killing Roos & maybe occasionally a Croc, so you work on your hunting skill, if you cross the 5th level you get to a Copper Spear. that's a weapon where you can finally start hunting, killing & trapping all kinds of biests.

also what's worth to make money in the beginning if you have the patience is cooking the fruits you find. those are way more valuable cooked than raw.
Bush Lime is raw 90 dinks, cooked 190

about the Metal Detector
there are 3 stages :
the normal beeping - no treasure
the hightened beeping & a small circle - NEAR a treasure
a highly allert beeping & a sun like circle - the tile where the treasure lies
dig once, if there is a barrel in it, dig again, then use the pickaxe
dig once, if there is other stuff in it, collect, use the shovel again on the same spot

further, when you reached level 2 Metal Detecting & have collected 2000 Permit Points, buy the next level, it's worth it. from there use BOTH !!! methods. you will find more with both methods !
the most treasure you can find along the shore btw, but watch out for crocs

[Borgessa]

I would suggest if your still having trouble with the metal detector, that you youtube people using it. Often its easier to understand the process watching someone doing it.

[Slow Peach]

wanted to also add, that the metal detector can be charged using the charging station that you can unlock via Franklyn's lab so that way you don't have to keep getting a new one when its durability runs low; but you'd have to make sure to charge it before the green bar hits total zero otherwise it breaks.

I personally didn't know this since I unlocked the metal detector earlier in the game and thought that I'd have to replace it every time.

[Erin the Angry]

I've never had the metal detector wear down at all. At least not noticeably. Weird.

[Geargut]

With the second level I don't even use the detector, so many X on the ground I isn't hard to get tons of treasure. I've also randomly dug up treasure making holes for trees.