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New Garrett AT Max


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I was hoping for a dual frequency machine myself, looks like I'll stick with my cz and mxs. I had an at pro, great machines with a few quirks that bugged me like floating in water, but the deal breaker was the bashing my ears got in iron. It's too bad they didn't add iron volume.

Unless I see a new dual frequency machine come out I'm pretty good on new machines with the exceptions of some of the euro analogs. Maybe we'll see some US companies take advantage of the interest and relative success that those machines have enjoyed even without a domestic manufacturer. Micro mx pro? Mini beach hunter id? A mini cz3d? Maybe a dual frequency Tesoro, a Bulgarian inspired Tesoro?  I don't know but I do know whites and fisher have some patents that look interesting and Tesoro is still kicking so maybe we will be surprised.

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I like everything I read about it but the frequency drop.  I wish they would have continued with the ATPro's 15 kHz.   That frequency played well with my EMI.   13 kHz requires special treatment and there is no mention of any special treatment for EMI other than a frequency shift.  

Today's used detector market isn't too friendly on the buy and try.  In fact I have never seen it this depressed since I got involved in metal detecting in 2003.  Makes me pause a bit and put some real thought into how much I want to spend to scratch the curiosity itch.  Even more so if I buy too soon and get the lemon flavored version like the first time.

....13 kHz ,,,,,,,yeah...I dunno.   That has me on pause.   I'll think I'll sit on the sidelines and watch how it plays out.   

HH
Mike

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Does seem odd. It really only makes sense to me from the aspect of trying to get the machine to play better with salt water, especially given an increase in transmit gain as is being claimed for the AT Max. Still seems odd to me however that we have the same coils now being said to work fine on machines running from 13.6 kHz to 18 kHz. They were originally designed to run on the AT Pro and so I think they are tuned best at 15 kHz but work "well enough" at 13.6 kHz and 18 khz.

I do like what I see in the AT Max but it just doesn't offer any capability I don't already have. It looks like it would be a great Lake Tahoe detector but between the ATX and CTX I don't need another water machine. And with Deus, Impact, and G2 I sure don't need another mid freaker, especially with the Deus V4 elliptical at 14 kHz soon to land on my doorstep.

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On 5/7/2017 at 2:21 AM, Steve Herschbach said:

Still seems odd to me however that we have the same coils now being said to work fine on machines running from 13.6 kHz to 18 kHz.

Not sure how Garrett has wired their coils or main box, but I am thinking it is possible. Coils have an Impedance. Something like resistance. You want your transmitter and receiver to match the Impedance of the associated coils. With the introduction of micro controller and their low cost, I think it is possible to match the circuits. Here's how it could work. Let's say Garrett has 3 set of coils. (AT Max, AT Pro and AT Gold) The AT Max is tuned for their coils. So you have only 2 sets of coils that would need to be tuned,AT Pro and AT Gold). The micro controller senses a Impedance mismatch from these coils and test for a correct Impedance match by substituting a different capacitor into the tuning circuit and then you have a tuned circuit. I hope this makes sense.

So Steve, thank you for keeping my mind active.

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I'm still patiently waiting on 1st Texas's new detector.  The Fisher F75 was a game changer for me when they first came out and I trust the next flag ship machine will be to.

 

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On 5/7/2017 at 5:18 AM, MikePfeiffer said:

The micro controller senses a Impedance mismatch from these coils and test for a correct Impedance match by substituting a different capacitor into the tuning circuit and then you have a tuned circuit.

Still seems like a pretty big stretch to me that the same coils can truly run at peak performance at 13.6 kHz, 15 kHz, and 18 kHz. Pretty big spread there.

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No, I think Garrett AT Max is running at 13.6 kHz. You change the impedance (resistance) of the amplifier/ receiver to match the 15 or 18 kHz coils. It is kind of like old TV’s. You have 300 ohm impedance on twin lead antenna wire or 75 ohm impedance on coaxial wire. You can substitute one in the other. However, you will loose signal strength and picture quality would be prevalent. Basically you want the antenna tuned (impedance matching) to the TV for best reception. Same applies to the metal detector. I think Garrett may be changing the impedance circuit on the main board for the coils used or they just don’t care about signal loss.

I have not seen a Garrett coil or metal detector. I am just theorizing something I would have tried to incorporated to give more flexibility to the unit. It is really hard to say without real data. Is the RF transmitter is in the control box or is it in the coil. If it is in the coil, things change.

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Unlike everyone else Garrett just does not seem very focused on the gold prospecting market.

I dont understand that. We know millions worth of detectors are being sold every year in third world countries across the globe. When I was in Africa, I saw lots of Fisher First Texas brand detectors, plenty of Minelab brand, a few Whites, but I dont remember a single Garrett detector. It's a funny thing to see for a company that was at one time a prospecting leader, but since they replaced the ancient Groundhog with a good, modern VLF prospecting detector, I guess they figure their product line is good to go for another 25 years.

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Hi guys,

Been a while since I said anything here.

LOT of interest in the MAX...including me as I'm hoping to get one for a FTR

 

I'm sure like many others, people were 'logged on' for hours waiting for 'the announcement?'

I guesstimated it might be at 12noon local Garland Tx time - it came around an hour and a bit later.

16,000 Views on the video release on Garrett YouTube channel in 21 hours...and over 1,500 folks Subscribed to the channel since Saturday morning!

Phenomenal marketing.

 

Reno Chris, on the scarcity of Garrett on the ground in 'Africa', it boils down to 'word of mouth', and a bit of 'superstition'. IF, if a person did use a Garrett and found a significant nugget, then 'word of mouth' would act in the 'grapevine' manner and they would only want that particular Garrett model, which ever type made that find! If a Garrett American made that find they would walk past every GTI, GTA, ATP and seek out the model that proved to work! Strange but that's how it is.

Good Hunting

Des D

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It is not just Africa Des - not a lot of Garrett prospecting detectors being used by prospectors in the U.S. either. The ATX is used more by beach and relic hunters than by prospectors from what I have seen, and the AT Gold is not something you see often in the goldfields here. It just looks like an alternative for coin and relic hunters from all the posts seen on the forums. Apparently the Garrett marketing machine does not extend into Africa. Minelab and First Texas have significant "boots of the ground" there as does XP apparently. You don't have to rely on accident and word of mouth. It may have started that way but that's not the way it is now.

However, Garrett is extremely successful at what they are doing, and that is building extremely popular bang for the buck products that appeal to huge numbers of people, plus a significant security detecting division. The success of the AT series and the Pro Pointer are the envy of the industry, and I think we will be able to count the Z-Lynk wireless system as another Garrett home run. The AT series is very popular not just in the U.S. but in Europe. I think the gold prospecting area suffers a bit simply because Garrett is so successful in other areas.

I said it before and will say it again. The AT Max is a significant upgrade to the AT series and will no doubt sell as fast as Garrett can build them. For a lot of people it can be the only detector they own for everything they do.

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