Editorial Team – Author Profiles & Field Experience

Joanna Jana Laznicka is the founder and publishing editor of Focus Speed, as well as a metal detecting writer, researcher, and field practitioner with experience in relic hunting, cache hunting, beach detecting, treasure hunting, and historical site analysis. Through Focus Speed, she publishes in-depth content for detectorists who want more than basic hobby advice, with an emphasis on research-driven articles, field strategy, and historically informed site interpretation. Her work is built on firsthand field experience, historical research, and collaboration with professionals in archaeology, museums, and geophysical survey work.

Joanna’s expertise includes researching old settlements, forgotten activity areas, historic travel routes, homesteads, camps, beaches, and other overlooked places where artifacts, historically significant items, and even modern drops may still be found. She is particularly known for combining practical detecting knowledge with documentary evidence such as historical maps, land records, aerial imagery, and archival sources. This research-based approach helps readers better understand not only how to find promising locations, but also how to interpret finds within their historical context.

In addition to her work in metal detecting and treasure hunting, Joanna has experience supporting archaeology and geophysical survey projects, which strengthens the depth, accuracy, and real-world perspective of her writing. Through her work as founder and publishing editor of Focus Speed, she aims to raise the standard of written content in the metal detecting world by providing accurate, experience-based, and trustworthy information for serious detectorists, relic hunters, beach detectorists, and treasure hunters who value history, responsible recovery, and deeper site understanding.

Experienced Using the Following Metal Detectors and Scanning Equipment: Field experience with the following metal detectors and scanning equipment includes the Nokta Legend II, Nokta Legend, Nokta Simplex Ultra, Nokta AccuPOINT, Nokta PulseDive, Minelab Manticore, Minelab Equinox, Garrett Vortex, Garrett ACE Apex, Garrett AT Pro, Tesoro Mojave, Bounty Hunter Tracker IV, Groundtech GR-4, Groundtech A2 Series, and OKM Fortuna XELA.

Notable Memberships: Active member of the West Coast Prospecting and Treasure Hunting Association, Northern Virginia Relic Hunters Association

Dennis Wynne is a staff writer for Focus Speed, where he contributes expert content on treasure hunting, cache hunting, relic hunting, historical research, and advanced metal detecting. Based in Texas, Dennis brings more than 52 years of hands-on experience researching and detecting historic sites, with a strong focus on forgotten homesites, frontier travel routes, Spanish military roads, battle-related areas, river crossings, and other historically significant places.

His work is rooted in both field experience and archival research. Over the decades, Dennis has spent countless hours studying old newspapers, books, maps, and historical sources to track down leads to long-forgotten locations. That research-driven approach has helped him identify thousands of early homesites and other historic places with metal detecting potential.

Dennis is also the author of 2700 Historical Sites Across Texas, a major research project currently being revised, and a founding member of the Cowtown Treasure Hunting Club in Fort Worth, Texas. As a cache hunter, he has recovered five hidden treasure caches and continues to research new opportunities. He also consults with other treasure hunters and is the inventor of the Grab-n-Stand, a detectorist tool designed to assist with target recovery in the field.

Through his writing for Focus Speed, Dennis shares practical insight shaped by decades of experience, historical investigation, and a long record of successful fieldwork.

Experienced Using the Following Metal Detectors and Scanning Equipment: Field experience with the following metal detectors, scanning equipment, and imaging tools includes the Nokta Legend II, Nokta Legend, Nokta JeoHunter, Nokta AccuPOINT, Minelab Manticore, Minelab Equinox, Minelab E-TRAC, Minelab Excalibur, Minelab Explorer, Garrett detectors, Garrett AT Pro, Garrett Sea Hunter, Garrett GTI 2500 with Golden Eye, Garrett AT Gold, Tesoro Tejón, White’s DFX, White’s MXT Pro, White’s MX Sport, White’s Goldmaster II, White’s GMT, White’s Spectrum XLT, Garrett Hunter BFO, Garrett Master Hunter VLF/TR, Garrett Master Hunter ADS, Garrett Groundhog, Garrett Gold Stinger, Compass Judge II, Fisher 1266, Fisher CZ-6, Tesoro Silver Sabre, a DJI Inspire 1 v2 drone with a FLIR radiometric thermal camera, and a hyperspectral camera.

Notable Memberships: Founding Member of Cowtown Treasure Hunting Club, Lonestar Treasure Hunting Club, TAMDC, GPAA