How To Make Yourself Crazy!

[Steve Herschbach]

Thanks everyone. Just me randomly blah, blah, blahing so hopefully some useful tidbits in there someplace. My wife says I love to pontificate and I guess I do own the soapbox!

I prefer to use PI detectors or the GPZ, which is a hybrid, for my actual metal detecting. Playing around with VLF detectors is just something I enjoy doing in and of itself for educational purposes. I am building up to a great weeding out of VLF detectors this coming winter as I essentially just give up on the technology as a whole and put it to bed. Not that I won't use VLF detectors, just that I am growing to accept that the best of what we have is the best of what we are going to get without new patent numbers. My main goal now is to see how few machines can give me the most combined functionality. What I really want is a detector that can 1. run at a low to moderate frequency for all around coin, jewelry, and relic detecting 2. run at a very high frequency (30 khz or higher) for tiny object hots and 3. run in a multi frequency mode to handle saltwater beaches. Waterproof and built in wireless, light in weight. Give me that, and I would be pretty well covered. In theory as close as I am able to get right now is a CTX 3030 (waterproof multifrequency) combined with a Deus V4 (4, 8, 12, 14, 18, plus 30 and 80 khz). And I have to have the DFX to run the Bigfoot. But that would get me down to three VLF detectors.

White's needs to stuff a V3i in the MX Sport box with a simplified interface. Minelab a CTX with single frequency options. Or Nokta needs to make the Impact waterproof and add multifrequency. Or XP add multifrequency, etc. Fisher is way overdue. Why we did not get a CZ-3D stuffed in the F75 box ages ago is just another head scratcher for us all. Presumably what they are working on is better and will be worth the wait.

For now though I am just loading up on the options and tossing them into "Darwin's Detector Selector" as operated by Steve Herschbach. Survival of the fittest. I can't ever discount that indefinable "which one is just the most fun to grab and use" factor however. The G2 is a winner there, and I am glad I finally got the G2 variant of the Gold Bug Pro as the T2/F75 handle it uses is actually my all time favorite in a hand grip. Deus is a very close second.

[Mark Gillespie]

When I did a field test review for Fisher using the the Gold Bug Pro DP I found a really nice gold ring, buried with a multitude of pull tabs and trash.  I really like that machine too.  Extremely fast recovery and great audio attributes.

Oh, did I forget, light and easy to swing.......

 

[Guest Tnsharpshooter]

Well Steve,

You are spot on here.

Here is some of the "How comes".

How come we don't see more manufacturers with a rep interacting with forums asking about detector design??

How come we don't see  more manufacturer's reps actually describing some of their future detectors,,at least from a weight/ergonomic ps standpoint??

I think the " secrecy" hurts them more than it helps in the long run.

Where is Xp rep giving folks the spill??

Where is Minelab rep giving folks the spill??

Even a worthy time frame for new release would be some thing.

The way I see this,,,some folks may indeed think some of the manufacturers are working on a new detector,,but are they really??

We don't know for sure.

Good marketing to me is linked heavily to GOOD communications.

The Internet is a Grand place to get info,,,pass info,,clear up issues, and talk about the future as far as products,,and help folks.

Steve, you and I think a lot alike.

You are a better writer than me though.

Any detector manufacturer would be keen to get you personally involved with any flagship detector they are planning,,,be it VLF or Pulse.

The detector must be able to pass Go with you,,,if not,,oh well,,,we likely know what will happen with it once the detecting public operates.

I don't want anyone here to think I'm pandering.

I am NOT,,this is how I feel deep down inside.

I have seen enough of the host's writing,ideas,,thoughts,,being critical, praise, etc.

Hard to find a person like Steve,,his writing IMO captures a wider audience,,,both the highly technical and experienced as well as the layman.

Extremely good balance.

So A+

I don't give this grade often either.

 

[Steve Herschbach]

Thanks David, you are too kind. I consider myself blessed to have at least has some input on a few detectors over the years. Nothing major but over almost 40 years of nudging and pushing and yes, by posting on the internet, I have had at least a tiny part in the direction of things. All quite selfish really. I just want to get that "perfect metal detector" I have been after all these years!

[auminesweeper]

Thanks for the link Steve,

Since I posted my question on that other thread I spent the night going through all the threads here relating to VLF's and Gold and ground balancing and there are still hundreds of topics to read, But one thing I learned is that there are 2 machines that keep popping up that unintentionally have become the yard stick as to which all others are measured, One I own and the other has been on my "Shall I or Not" list for quite some time and it sort it irritates me to a degree because I like the GMT and now the newer GM 1000 and that second yard stick is the Gold Bug 2, 

No matter where I look these two machine keep popping up and it is hard to be impressed with what ever is the next must have machine, the new ones come out and they fade into the shadows within months and then the race is on to bring out  the next offering, I wonder if Jimmy Sierra and Dave Johnson and Co realized at the time in their quest to make these Detectors the best they could be when starting their talks back in 1998/2002 that they would still not be bettered 15 years later or more ?

Sure we now have some space age designs along with blue tooth technology etc but where it really counts out in the field the fact remains that these two machines are still at the fore front of detecting which is a contradiction of terms considering their age, but there again one look in the mirror and I still feel relevant.   

J.

[Steve Herschbach]

It does help to know which way the wind is blowing 

I do tremendous amounts of data collection via the type of comparative testing described, which then creates the basis of opinions I share. When it comes to these things I prefer to relate my experience in the form of opinions as opposed to sharing precise data. I always question the validity not only of the vast majority of such “scientific” testing as I see published as having much validity without context (mainly ground conditions) and people inevitably jump to oddball conclusions based on limited data sets. I also really am just trying to please an audience of one (me) and so I would never claim my methods suit anyone but me anyway. I choose therefore to leave those battles to others. When I express opinions on detector’s however those opinions are not formed in a vacuum. People can take them or leave them as they please.

I do love playing with the hardware!!

[Joe D.]

Hey Steve,

i just finished this thread, and think i now have a better grip on the in's and out's of VLF's! Thanks for the direction earlier today!

It's been about two and a half years since you started this thread! And about a year and a half since Simon mentioned the Equinox 800 in this respect! Other than what you said today, ( other thread) do you have anything else to add that would change any opinions here? ( Wow, this feels like I'm interviewing you!) 🤣🤣

Thanks!!

[Steve Herschbach]

No nothing has really changed and I don’t expect anything to really change as regards VLF metal detectors. All you have to do is spend as much time as I do cross checking on real targets to see just how minimal the real world difference is between all the top detectors. There are literally dozens of detectors I can grab and do about as well with, so it just boils down to the specific type of detecting you like and what features you prefer for that detecting. If any detector completely blew all the rest away everyone would use it, but that simply is not the case. It’s all splitting hairs on the hardest targets, with most detectors all being able to find the vast majority of targets equally well. Your detector skills and locations are what matters, far more than the exact detector used. And don’t forget the hours. A $200 detector that gets used will find way more than a $2500 detector in the closet!

Here is the photo I could not post at the time that shows the fourth detector that was involved in my testing. I sold all the others plus my CTX 3030 after completing my tests but still have that one with the white coil. 

[Joe D.]

Thanks for the answer Steve, 

And yeah it looks "vaguely" familiar! Gee, i wish i could place it!🤣😂😅

[2Valen]

Thank you very much for the insights that you have on detectors, I only hope that some day I will learn mine to be able to spot what I am looking for.

With cold weather now I know that it will be a while before I can get to use it again unless it warms up.