Interview with Detectorist Truls Warhuus, Digging Norwegian History
If you follow Truls Warhuus on Instagram or TikTok, you will be impressed by his metal detecting finds. Truls focuses on detecting Viking Age relics and coins and is really good at it.
Living in the countryside of Norway, Truls is surrounded by fields, lakes, and canals to metal detect. As a result, he is fortunate to find impressive relics and old coins within walking distance of his home.
The Viking Age (793–1066 CE) was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen, known as Vikings, undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Germanic Iron Age.
I first got to know Truls from both of us being Motley Digging Tools Pro Staffers. Along with being a Motley Pro Staffer, he is also a Minelab Detexpert.
Below are my questions and his answers.
Who Is Truls Warhuus, the Detectorist?
How did you get into metal detecting?
I have always wanted to start treasure hunting, so when I got a medical diagnosis I found out it was time to put that dream to life. From that first day out finding coins, etc. I was hooked. I am still as hooked as that first day and the rest is history.
What metal detectors have you owned and are currently using?
I own the Minelab Go-Find 66; the Minelab Vanquish 540, the Minelab X-Terra Pro, the Minelab Equinox 800, the Minelab Manticore, and the Minelab Excalibur 2.
What are some of your favorite Viking Age relics you have found metal detecting?
Three of my favorite Viking Age finds that I have found are: A clipped Arabic Silver coin called Dirhem, a 70-gram trade weight made out of lead, but decorated with gold and enamel, and my third favorite is zoomorphic strap end.
What are the oldest items you have found?
The oldest item I have found is from the Roman Period. I found a silver Roman coin from the Second Century here in Norway a couple of years ago and that’s very rare to find since we didn’t have any Romans here. However, what I have read and heard is that the Roman Army hired Norwegians to fight with them, and some Norwegians probably came back with some rewards.
Metal Detecting Tips With Truls
Metal Detecting Tips for Fields
When metal detecting fields, what areas do you like to concentrate on detecting if you have limited time?
I usually go zig-zag over the field to look out for hot spots and iron “carpets” and when I find that, I concentrate there.
Does the crop ever have any bearing on the finds? As in, are corn fields better than potatoes?
What I have experienced is that the crop does not have any bearing on the finds, but the artificial fertilizers ruin a lot of the stuff that lies in the ground.
Why do you believe there are coins and relics in fields? Are workers dropping them? Or have they been pushed around from old homesteads? Or other?
I believe that it’s a combination of workers dropping them and old homesteads. Some places had a kind of marketplace where farmers etc. sold stuff and traded.
Metal Detecting in Water
Do you use a wetsuit or drysuit and do you have any brands you recommend?
When I am diving, I use wetsuits and my trusty Blu3 Nemo. When I am wading in shallow water; I use waders and a sand scoop.
Do you use a floating sifter, and if so, which brand do you recommend, or do you use a homemade one?
I used a homemade one for years. I made it out of a mosquito net and PVC pipes, but I have really fallen in love with the floating sifter from www.tubetubb.com
For freshwater detecting, some argue not to waste time going after tiny targets. Are you a detectorist who digs everything in freshwater or avoids tiny targets, and why?
I am that guy who digs every good target that I find, anywhere I am, because I have found so many good things that sound super small or that sound like crap.
Settings and the Best Practices for
Manticore & X-Terra Minelab Metal Detectors
Minelab Manticore Tips
What was the hardest part of learning to transition from the Minelab Equinox to the Manticore?
To be honest, I think the Manticore is built and set up so easily for us to use that for me it wasn’t hard transitioning from the Nox to the Manticore.
What is your favorite setting for metal detecting fields with the Minelab Manticore?
So for the settings, it’s a personal thing and depends on the area you are in. It’s different for everyone, but at the moment I really enjoy the All Terrain General in one, Region All Tones with the normal audio theme and the profile in rich and adjusted the ferrous limits a bit to my area and finds.
Minelab X-Terra Pro
For those who have only used multi-frequency metal detectors, please explain when it is smart to use a single-frequency metal detector versus a multi-frequency metal detector.
The decision to use a single-frequency or a multi-frequency metal detector depends on several factors, such as the type of metal you are searching for, the location of the search, and the level of interference in the area.
Minelab looked like it rushed several metal detectors to the market, which put fear into the quality of the newer detectors. However, most consumers don’t know the newer Minelab detectors were field tested by Detexperts like yourself for approximately a year or more. How did you test the Minelab X-Terra Pro? How rigorous do Detexperts get with field testing new machines?
I tested the X-Terra Pro with many different methods. I tested it up against all my other machines in my test garden to see how it performed. I did real detecting with it in the fields and salt water, at the same time taking notes and discussing them with the engineers in Australia.
With the Minelab X-Terra Pro, can you ground balance it? The reason I asked is that on the Vanquish this was not an option.
Yes, you can ground balance it and when detecting in salty environments like diving or wading in salt water, this is a must.
Will the Minelab Vanquish and X-Terra Pro coils be compatible? There is talk they could be. Could you clarify whether they are or not?
No, the X-Terra Pro is only compatible with all the Equinox coils or the Coiltek coils for the Equinox.
Any tips on using the Minelab X-Terra Pro for metal detecting, your favorite settings or practices?
Noise cancel, ground balance, choose a frequency that suits your area, and adjust the sensitivity after your area.
I would like to thank Truls Warhuus, Digging Norwegian History, for his detailed answers, and I hope you enjoyed reading them. If you remember, follow Truls on Instagram and TikTok.
Joanna Jana Laznicka, a Czech-Canadian residing in Southern California, is passionate about all things associated with metal detecting. She mainly detects on the West Coast, from Southern California to Northern British Columbia. As the founder of Focus Speed, her goal is to bring quality content to metal detectorists.
