I joined my first metal detecting 'club' in '71/'72 when many got started. Then we had a continual surge on through the '80s and into the middle to late '90s. From the late '90s on to the present we have witnessed the decline in the metal detecting hobby (that peaked about '83 to '86), and while many clubs were still active about 2000, we had already started to see them fold up as well.

The 'internet' came along by the mid-90's and I got my first computer in '96 just so I could follow what the detector manufacturers were doing, and also follow other interests associated with this great outdoor sport .... and those were either Dealer's Websites or Metal Detecting Forums. Well, the detector start and growth lasted about 25-30 years until it peaked, Metal detecting clubs started and grew to an impressive number, here in the USA, for about 25 years, then those started shutting down. Local metal detector dealers use to be in big numbers, for about 25 years until the internet and mail-order discounting had them give up. Many who got started a while back have either aged and are in worse health, maybe have passed away, or for whatever other reasons have drifted away from the hobby. And we are close to that 25 year point since the internet detecting forums have been around and they, too, have had decreased interest and somebody pulled-the-plug.

Naturally we often hear it related to 'money' and not enough coming in. AHRPS is holding it's own, right now, but other than perhaps 4-5 PayPal donations a year, it is all coming out of my pocket. I'm working with my youngest son, Bryan, to try and update / upgrade the AHRPS website and generate some needed $$$$ to help, but for those who found AHRPS in our earlier days, they have come to realize we have a lot of very good contributors and not a lot of bickering or nonsense here.

As for the Compass Forum, we already have two defunct makes listed here, Tesoro and White's, and I have thought about making a change or two and maybe lump non-current manufactures into one Forum, to include Tesoro and White's, along with any former detector makers, to include Compass. Any thoughts could be e-mailed to me as I am working on some Forum updates.

Monte

"Your EYES ... the only 100% accurate form of Discrimination!"
Stinkwater Wells Trading Post
Metal Detector Evaluations and Product ReviewsI'm now 'back home' in Farr West Utah monte@ahrps.org ... or ... monte@stinkwaterwells.com 503-481-8147Detector Outfit: A selection of my favorite makes and models, with the best coils mounted for the tasks I'll take on.Time Ranger Pro .. F75+ .. F19 .. Apex .. Racer 2 .. EQ-800 .. FORS Relic .. Bandido II µMAX .. Silver Sabre µMAX .. XLTPinpointers: Pulse-Dive Pointer and AT Pro-Pointer .. Headphones: 'Hornet' & 'Wasp' .. MS-3 Z-Lynk*** All working well today to make memories for tomorrow. ***



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/2021 01:38PM by Monte.