Jump to content

Garrett Infinium Coils On Garrett Atx


Recommended Posts

Hi Paul,

It is superb contributions like yours that will help make the forum useful to people. That is my main goal and what I am trying to focus on - information that people can use.

I thought of just mating a standard lower rod assembly to the ATX with a sleeve at the control box. Something where the cable would just wrap around the rod but slot the cable in at the last second to make the connection. I hate that inner coil connection area though, in that it is such a pain to swap coils I avoid doing it. It would be nice if a short coil "dongle" could be fashioned, maybe only 6-8 inches in length, to allow coils to be hooked up outside of the inner control box area.

What I would really like to see is a dry land light weight ATX less all the waterproof connectors. I am not nearly into mods as much as you are but I want that detector so much I may just get another ATX and strip it down and put the guts in something much lighter, like a White's SL box.

In any case, thanks for the photos and extra information. A very sharp looking setup. I am heading to Hawaii in January for a couple weeks of hunting with the ATX so by the end of next month I hope to have a lot more time on the unit and hopefully more tidbits to offer myself. I do like the ATX a lot overall.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Guest Paul (Ca)

Hi Steve,

Someone soon will come out with a shaft setup for ATX users to use regular Infinium coils on the ATX, They will sell a bunch of them.

Sounds like we have the same idea with the pigtail shaft setup so an AXT user can connect the coil connector from the outside, Very soon when I get a few hours free may toss one together and post it here, It will look sporty and appear like it is suppose to go with the Atx even appear factory made. The metal shaft that connects to the ATX will be tapered this is were the coil connector will be mounted so the pigtail connector will be enclosed not dangling will look sharp.

Before I forget, With the Recon the mono coil is the better coil over the DD. The mono is more sensitive and gets an inch or two more depth on coin size targets. However, Out in the field the DD has much more statbitly smoother threshold using much less retune more of a joy to use. So both coils have pros and cons but I tend to favor the DD more so than the mono simply due to stability, The good thing is already setup with a cool DD shaft coil setup when I do get an ATX. Kind of funny here I made this Recon infinium shaft setup 1-2 years back and never imaged it would work with the Atx.

Hate to see you gut an AXT for land use maybe you should wait until you get the right Infinium shaft setup for land use, I truly believe you will be pleased once you start using infinium coils with the modified land shaft setup.

Happy New Years!
Paul (Ca)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Paul (Ca)
Hi Steve,
 
Hope I'm not over doing it with this quest of mine to find a better solution with the Recon/ATX shaft to use Infinium coils, But here is one I did this morning took less than an hour with using the Recon shaft. now this is not the land version I have in mine but an easy one to put together.
 
Those with an ATX wanting the same just need to get a used Recon or if they are brave cut the ATX shaft and use it instead, What's neat is they can still use the original coil but will need to use a sleeve to connect the two cut pieces.  Still, I find this to be a solution to using different coils with both the Recon & ATX.
 
The unit swings well, I know for a fact this coil will feel so much better than the stock ATX especially after a days hunt.
 
Happy New Years!
 
Paul (Ca) 
nzkol3.jpg
2iibwjc.jpg
2ro750g.jpg
2ylqjb8.jpg
149qhol.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is some amazing work Paul. I really appreciate your posts as the ATX is a detector I plan on learning inside and out. The problem for me right now is I think there needs to be two models - the waterproof one we have now, which I am very happy with, and the light weight prospecting model, yet to be. Anyway, thanks for sharing your ideas and excellent execution of those ideas.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Paul (Ca)

Thanks Steve,

Thanks to you, BK and a few others the ATX is looking better all the time.  Still hesitating with springing for one but that is due to not having time to do serious metal detecting as I'd like too,  Hate to have the ATX parked for long periods so for now with use my poor mans ATX the Recon. 

Did a little more work on the Infinium DD coil this morning and with the stock Recon 8" mono coil, Removed the cut shaft from the 8" mono and now what is left is the stem which will slide in the shaft area.  No need to connect both cut pieces now the stem will slide in just like the DD coil with stem. 

Have a question if you can find t9ime in the future to answer, Really appreciate it.  Is the ATX recovery speed faster than the Infinium?  And in non-montion mode do you find yourself retuning the detector often? 

Hope Garret picks up on your land ATX version that would be neat, lighter and quickly change coils yes that will be a treat for us.

Happy new Years!

Paul

2i795bq.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Is the ATX recovery speed faster than the Infinium? And in non-motion mode do you find yourself retuning the detector often?"

I do not currently have an Infinium to make a direct comparison with so I am going from memory. In general I would say the ATX seems to recover from a target and hit another one slightly better than the Infinium. Large items do not seem to grab and hold the audio in the same way they did on the Infinium. But by VLF standards it still has a very slow recovery time benefiting slow, careful coil work.

I have not used the non-motion mode near as much as I have intended and plan on really getting on to using both it and the factory reset un-ground balanced modes more in the near future. The ATX holds steady in non-motion mode when sitting still so there is no inherent drift going on. Any retuning would be strictly in response to changing ground conditions, and the one beach I gave it a go on seemed to allow non-motion to be used with little need to retune. However, I also noted no major depth advantage in that short little run. In other words, the non-motion mode did not blow me away but I think that is because the ATX motion mode is so good.

This is really making me want to get another Infinium to be better able to make direct comparisons. But given that the ATX is basically better in every way except physically it is hard to justify. All I would be doing is getting a better handle on quantifying just how much better the ATX is than an Infinium, and right now I am plenty happy with just knowing it is better!

The ATX does frustrate me though. When I look at it as a waterproof detector it is a home run. When I look at it as a prospecting detector I sense this hot machine trapped in an ugly body. Given that most detector prospectors are in arid regions a waterproof housing and waterproof connectors makes no sense. A machine designed purely for prospecting or at least dry land use would really be sweet. So on one hand I get really excited by the ATX and on the other it is more a case of what could be.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Paul (Ca)

Thank you Steve appreciate you answering my questions, Looks like I'm going to get the ATX after all can see the advantages it has over the Recon.

I believe the ATX non motion mode is the single tone mode?  With the Recon really enjoy it due to the single tone especially with the 5"X10" DD yet lacks the extra sensitivity as the ATX,  I think the recon is the opposite as the ATX on coils with the mono coil the recon has more sensitivity and with the DD it has less. Yet, I found the Recon to be more of a joy using it with the DD due to using much less retune runs really smooth keeping the threshold level throughout most of the hunt. 

So far have about three hours on the DD with the Recon, School play field digging high tone (low conductive) signals and hardly get fooled.  Now when I get an ATX it would cut down the false digging due to the iron check feature so again that is one of many advantages over the Recon.

On another note, If the 5"X10" DD can help the Recon with less retuning in the non monition mode then it may help the ATX in the non-monition mode as well.  Plan on using the ATX for gold jewelry hunting most of the time at local lakes and such, The black sand here is so terrible it drags down the signal to the low iron range.  Sure VLF detectors can get the surface stuff but due to the black sand masking we're lucky to get 3-4 inches at most, That's were a pi clobbers the best of VLF detectors. 

Here's an example on gold jewelry ID'ing in the iron range,  Enclosing a couple of pics from a recent local lake hunt using the AT Gold.  The Black sand here is so mineralized signals are dragged down on ID especially the deeper they are, Here is a good size piece of gold jewelry and actually found two pieces this day this particular larger piece was only down about 2-3" inches at most that ID on the low iron end with the ground mineralization reading at 85 on the AT-Gold.   Actually hunt with no iron discriminating using prospecting mode and dig all signals even dig all iron signals many times the signal showing as iron is a good target, the locals that pass up iron are missing tons of good stuff not knowing the black sand masking is dropping down the ID.

Thanks again,

Paul (Ca)

15rik52.jpg

2iruo0g.jpg

 

 

 

Thanks again Steve for your help,  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I believe the ATX non motion mode is the single tone mode?"

Yes, the ATX non-motion mode responds with a single tone. Either a low tone, or the more common high tone. In motion mode you get the Infinium style dual tone response (Garrett is now referring to this as an "echo"), either lo-hi or hi-lo.

I assume the non-motion mode on the ATX is identical to the normal operating mode on the Recon, but maybe more sensitive? Never know until someone runs them side by side.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Paul (Ca)

Thank you Steve glad to hear the ATX non-monition mode is single tone just like the Recon,  That is good news :)

Ordered an ATX yesterday should be here early next week, Basic package with the stock coil.  On vacation next week looking forward to using it for gold jewelry hunting at a couple of local lakes maybe even on a relic hunt early 1800 California adobe site if all goes well. 

Plus, Looking forward to using the 7"X10" Infinium DD coil with the ATX and the larger stock for open areas maybe even a trip to the ocean if all goes well.

Take care Steve hope the ATX get's you allot of gold for 2014 :D

Paul (Ca)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good deal, I am quite certain you will like the ATX Paul. One thing I only mentioned once but Keith Southern also picked up on is the audio. It is far more nuanced and conveys more information than any other PI I have used. Coins sound like coins. I am not saying it well but you know what I mean.

I have two weeks in Hawaii coming up and will be posting more or less daily on how it goes with the ATX over there. I have a lot to learn about it still. So good luck to both of us! I will be interested in hearing your thoughts on the ATX.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...