Josh Kimmel said he always had a fascination for finding lost objects, even as a child. However, after sustaining vision injuries as a teeanger that left him legally blind, Kimmel believed his treasure hunting days were over.
I needed a game changer if I was to continue my quest for the past,” Kimmel said.
For Kimmel, the solution was using a metal detector so that sound could guide him instead of sight. After trying various manufacturers, Kimmel saved up to purchase a Minelab metal detector. Minelab provides metal detecting technologies for consumer, humanitarian demining and military needs.Through devotion to research and development and innovative design, Minelab has made it possible for Kimmel to continue to pursue his passion despite his vision impairment
Once I was able to purchase a Minelab metal detector it just opened up a whole new world to me,” Kimmel said. “I had made some notable finds in the past, but with Minelab, it seemed the quality and quantity of finds were better and were found in places that seemed ‘hunted out.”
Kimmel’s sight was no longer an obstacle to his hobby. On his E-TRAC and CTX 3030, Kimmel could customize the settings for personalized sound tones and a larger display size.
As a regular metal detector user for more than 20 years, Kimmel has uncovered numerous items of both historical and personal value. Kimmel has found anything from a silver coin from the 1850s to a class ring from the 1980s. His finds have been featured in American Digger Magazine, and one was chosen as the winner of the Minelab Find of the Month.
Kimmel is an active member of the metal detecting community. His YouTube channel, Ohio Metal Detecting, gives more than 700 subscribers the opportunity to come along on his many adventures. Kimmel also started an internet-based radio show called Metal Detecting: - Beyond Sight and Sound. On Wednesdays at 8PM EST, Kimmel and his co-host Kenny Moore discuss equipment, research, tips and techniques with various guest detectorists.
Around the same time he launched his radio show, Kimmel created a Facebook group under the same name. The purpose of the group was to inspire others with and without disabilities to get involved in the hobby of metal detecting. The group has grown to more than 1,500 members.
“My vision disability is not really a disability at all, but an ability to help to encourage others to get involved in metal detecting,” Kimmel said.
