SDC 2300 or ATX for Beach Hunting

[Rick K - First Member]

Steve,

This thread goes back a ways. Have you gotten any feedback on how the SDC actually does at the beach?

[Steve Herschbach]

Gary Drayton seems to about the only guy using one near salt water. The SDC is priced such that not many beach guys are getting excited when the main claim to fame is smaller not deeper. The beach is one area where I think the ATX has the clear edge and for less money. And for many people a Surf PI is an even better option yet for half the cost of an ATX.

[Rick K - First Member]

I saw the posts by Gary Drayton. He must be the luckiest beach hunter in the world. I have never seen anyone post the string of spectacular finds that he has. Maybe it's location, location, location - work, work,work.

The reason I asked about the SDC at the beach was that I can see a lot of SDC buyers having it as their only gold detector or at least their only PI gold detector. Reading the forums from OZ, i an hearing of folks who having searched gor gold for a year or so with other machines, including specifically the SD and GPX series - who get an SDC and promptly find gold their first time out.

Stories like this will, I think sell a number of SDC's to folks for whom it will be their first (or only) PI detector. Some of these folks will want to try them at the beach - including me if I get one. I had a DF PI and it was fine in the water, but the coil made it a nose heavy beast out of the water. My TDI, with the GB off, is probably the best balance between depth and portability around in a PI at the beach, but it isn't and I guess never will be, waterproof. You have documented the ATX as a great machine when submerged, but it too expensive to have for a couple of beach trips a year, if somenody chose the SDC over the ATX for gold.

So it's back to the SDC. There is the above youtube clip comparing it to the ATX at the beach and it supposedly didn't pick up a thin chain that the others hit on. There are problems with that clip however and I find it distinctly odd that the SDC, which hits fine gold so readily isn't the "champ of chains"

The stuff I did find talked about using various levels of the Salt Settings as well as the normal ones, to adapt to the changing comditions.

Anyway, I hope some new SDC owners hit the beach with it and get some performance data. Things I would investigate if I had the chance, would be whether some combination of its small coil and timings could make it a microjewelry hunter in the dry sand and whether the small coil could be exploited to hunt cuts and dips in the sand closer.

[Steve Herschbach]

Hey Rick, I hate to be incredibly simplistic about this but it is just who I am. I figure if a person has the SDC they bought for prospecting and they want to use it on the beach, then they should. It will work, they will find stuff. How well will it work? Well, good enough to find stuff. If the main goal was to get a prospecting detector than beach capability of any sort is just icing on the cake.

Chasing perfection in detectors always missing the main point. Location and hard work will easily equalize or exceed the small performance differences between detectors. Send me a nugget detector, I will make it look like it is a great nugget detector. Send Gary a beach detector, he will make it look like a great beach detector. People always focus on the detector and tend to ignore it is the operator that makes the finds, not the particular detector. It is like having a nut to tighten, and when it gets done giving the wrench credit for doing the job. When countless wrenches will do the job as well.

I am not saying the SDC is a great beach detector. Just the opposite. I am saying a great beach hunter can do very well with the SDC.

[Rick K - First Member]

Steve,

Point taken on the knowledge and effort of the hunter being a more important factor than the capability of their gear.

Since you are a lot closer to non-icy beaches now - compared to AK - you might end up beach detecting in CA one of these days. If so, it would be instructive to get results of your comparing the SDC and the ATX. I expect that the SDC is unlikely to be bought by someone whose primary interest is beach detecting - if only because of its price level compared to a CTX or an ATX. On the other hand, a CA detector user who looks for gold and also detects at the coast might think about plusses and minuses of the two detectors in a different light than a "pure" gold seeker.

[Steve Herschbach]

Well, I have used the SDC at Lake Tahoe. Does that count? I know, not salt water.

If you have a person looking at the SDC and the ATX and they seriously want to use it for both prospecting and beach detecting the ATX may be the better choice. If I head for the California coast to go beach detecting I would normally just grab the ATX and leave the SDC at home. The only reason I see to take the SDC to the beach would be just to use it for the sake of using it. The only edge to possibly be had with the SDC is that to be had on the tiniest gold items, and that possibly only on dry sand. As the video illustrates wet salt sand can negate the SDC edge.

For general beach use the ATX has a 12" x 10" DD coil for better coverage and a probable advantage for depth on large rings. Yet if need be there is an 8" coil option for underwater use where a smaller coil can be easier to handle, and a 20" x 15" coil option for covering ground on those really huge beaches. The ATX DD coil also enables a reasonably decent ferrous check function that while not as good as that on a VLF will certainly be an aid in some situations. The SDC has no iron check.

The ATX is slightly negative underwater, meaning it can be released and it will rest on the bottom. It feels good on the arm underwater, though the large body does offer some water resistance when swinging. The SDC floats like a cork, and must be held down when fully submerged. It is not bad when wading to a couple feet but as soon as the body goes under you can really feel it. If I used it for mask and snorkel work on a regular basis I would have to make a little dive weight for it to attach to the body to make it neutral when fully submerged.

Finally, when it comes right down to it, I am more inclined to risk $2100 in salt water than $3700. The ATX is a very robust and proven salt water detector. I am not going to be the guy to find out how much salt water abuse the SDC can take.

For me personally on ATX versus SDC for salt water use I vote ATX.

[Rick K - First Member]

Thanks for spelling out your thoughts on the subject. As usual!

[rusty]

i took my sdc 2300 to Virginia Beach I was hunting in and out of the water   you don't need to use the salt setting  it work in all setting  i found quarters down 1 foot or more and  Diamond earrings it was stable all day 

[Steve Herschbach]

Welcome to the forum Rusty! I am glad to hear the SDC 2300 is working well on the beach for you. Did you buy it just to beach hunt?

[rusty]

no i  am in southern utah and hunt in gold basin az and quartzite  and a little bit in nevada i also have mind lab 5000  i am just stating out and looking for people to go hunting with   i am going to rye patch tuesday to give it a go