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Garrett ATX Backpack Modification


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Hi,
 
I determined that Garrett Infinium DD (not mono) coils work with the Garrett ATX. That opened the door for some kind of hip or chest mount. But the control box is large enough and with the handle sticking out not really working out the way I wanted in that regard.
 
A nice thing about the ATX is it retains all settings when switched off. So in any location it is just set and forget. The headphones have adjustable volume controls.
 
I went with backpack mount. I got a cheap but surprisingly nice backpack at Walmart for $20 that was the right size with extra pockets and well padded. I put the control box in nose first and punched a small hole in one lower corner pocket for the coil cable to enter the backpack. The cable comes around under my right arm. The headphones just route out top of the backpack zipper and to my left side. The headphones tuck into an exterior pocket for packing around and I could break the rod assembly down and stow it also if need be. The rods would stick out of the top of the backpack a bit but in reality I would just leave it assembled unless shipping.
 
The only thing I want to do now is use the headphone adapter dongle to rig an external speaker on one backpack strap near my ear like I do with my Minelab.
 
Kinda crazy doing this but bottom line is it is sweet. I hope to get out in a few days and give the new setup with 10" x 5" DD coil a spin prospecting. I ran the rig for two hours in a tot lot and it was great. Very sensitive to tiny targets. The coil does not false when knocked about like the stock ATX coil. Should be an excellent prospecting setup for rough terrain.

 

Coil and rod part numbers at https://www.detectorprospector.com/magazine/steves-reviews/garrett-atx-metal-detector-accessories/

 

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Nice adaptation for land use. Might be worth mentioning that a TDI has comparable performance (maybe not on the smallest gold) and is available used for well under $1000 ($600 - $700 is common). It can be mounted wherever you want.

Steve has one and - not saying that one is better than the other - it is a worthy alternative.

I look forward to further developments - maybe a water version of the TDI and a land version of the ATX.

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Guest Paul (Ca)

Looks great Steve,

 

You're set backpack and all ready for serious hunting.

 

You're right on the Infinium DD coil, It works great I've been using my infinium DD more so than the stock it's a keeper hopefully Garrett adds this coil to the ATX line.

 

Paul (Ca)

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Hi Keith,

Yes it does though how trustworthy the iron check is has yet to be determined. I actually got out and got some time in on real gold ground today with the backpack setup. As set up cable length is fine but a bit short if I try and do a long reach under brush. The machine ran extremely well on red ground, full gain rock solid threshold and no coil falsing. The detector once ground balanced acted like the ground was not there. May as well have been waving the coil in the air. The machine was scary stable and way, way more pleasant to use. I did not find any gold but did find a number of .177 airgun pellets. Pretty small target.

The ground was steep, 45 degrees or more in places. Lots of rocks and brush. I would not have liked the full ATX here on my arm at all and the stock coil would have been hard to maneuver. The backpack version with smaller coil was perfect for this scenario.

Looking better all the time.

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  • 2 years later...

That's very interesting.  I think it's a great detector but the weight is a killer.  This backpack idea is a cool idea. Obviously, the parent article about the subject is seven years old – so it's not exactly a new idea but it's new to me. Garrett made an Infinium double D coil, 10 x 14" and that would also be awesome on the beach but with the ATX's limited ability to discern iron, it may not be very desirable.

Now I have two pulse induction units, one is a Garrett Sea Hunter II, and the other is a White's TDI beach Hunter.  I've only had the second detector in the lists for about a week or so and I am still figuring out what is capable of but I think it would do pretty well – nevertheless I'm not quite convinced how it is going to do on very small targets? To wit, that is where the Garrett ATX comes in but I don't know that I want another detector for that, and an expensive one at that.  The ATX package is very inconvenient in could be said to be outdated – the whole concept of everything from just north of the coil all the way up to the control box is great if you are on the battlefield, and that is where the technology came from but that is not here when you're swinging it for two or more hours and getting ready to scream in agony over the weight. I have the MINELAB-brand harness, and while that is great and would work here, nearly 7 pounds is still nearly 7 pounds. No matter what.  So the backpack idea that Steve brought up as an excellent one.

Fact is, it's all a tricky business because gold targets go deep and go deep quickly. So what are you going to use?  Some VLF detector? Detection depth is limited at best, and even if it wasn't, the deeper the target the less accurate the VDI numbers will be so you will need to dig more than you thought. The XP Deus II?  That's a great detector for the beach but may not have the depth necessary to find gold because gold does not stick around at shallow depths very long.  Nevertheless, it should be able to detect a gold ring at least two a foot down – per Calabash Digger, found on YouTube.   I can't speak about all the beaches in Florida but I can tell you here in South Florida that the dry beaches are very sandy, and targets can go deep quickly in that loose sand – so the question is whether you go to find and where? Also the question is how much trash are you willing to dig per square meter or per square yard just to get to the treasure? We have an overwhelming amount of aluminum this and that – twist caps, bottle caps and everything else in between.  Why say so because I have the TDI and there's only so much you're gonna get out of discerning what is under the ground from the audio signal. On the other hand, the XP Deus II is not to be ignored on the beach, and will do very well – as people will show. Super effective at avoiding bottle caps and iron as needed – not to mention idea what the target is before you have even dug your first scoop of sand or dirt. Furthermore, from what I've seen, it is the foremost consumer-focused metal detector available on this planet as of December 2021. At least, one that does not require for you to sell a kidney to purchase.

In summary, a huge proponent of PULSE INDUCTION technology utilized both on the beach and in the water – nothing better. If you going to operate in dry sand, parks, fields, underwater, or on the moon – the XP Deus II is good to be an excellent choice for anyone. LOL. Price is reasonable around $1500.

 

 

#Deus #TDI #ATX #Minelab

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7 hours ago, BeachBunnyTRHunter - DP said:

That's very interesting.  I think it's a great detector but the weight is a killer.  This backpack idea is a cool idea. Obviously, the parent article about the subject is seven years old – so it's not exactly a new idea but it's new to me. Garrett made an Infinium double D coil, 10 x 14" and that would also be awesome on the beach but with the ATX's limited ability to discern iron, it may not be very desirable.

Now I have two pulse induction units, one is a Garrett Sea Hunter II, and the other is a White's TDI beach Hunter.  I've only had the second detector in the lists for about a week or so and I am still figuring out what is capable of but I think it would do pretty well – nevertheless I'm not quite convinced how it is going to do on very small targets? To wit, that is where the Garrett ATX comes in but I don't know that I want another detector for that, and an expensive one at that.  The ATX package is very inconvenient in could be said to be outdated – the whole concept of everything from just north of the coil all the way up to the control box is great if you are on the battlefield, and that is where the technology came from but that is not here when you're swinging it for two or more hours and getting ready to scream in agony over the weight. I have the MINELAB-brand harness, and while that is great and would work here, nearly 7 pounds is still nearly 7 pounds. No matter what.  So the backpack idea that Steve brought up as an excellent one.

Fact is, it's all a tricky business because gold targets go deep and go deep quickly. So what are you going to use?  Some VLF detector? Detection depth is limited at best, and even if it wasn't, the deeper the target the less accurate the VDI numbers will be so you will need to dig more than you thought. The XP Deus II?  That's a great detector for the beach but may not have the depth necessary to find gold because gold does not stick around at shallow depths very long.  Nevertheless, it should be able to detect a gold ring at least two a foot down – per Calabash Digger, found on YouTube.   I can't speak about all the beaches in Florida but I can tell you here in South Florida that the dry beaches are very sandy, and targets can go deep quickly in that loose sand – so the question is whether you go to find and where? Also the question is how much trash are you willing to dig per square meter or per square yard just to get to the treasure? We have an overwhelming amount of aluminum this and that – twist caps, bottle caps and everything else in between.  Why say so because I have the TDI and there's only so much you're gonna get out of discerning what is under the ground from the audio signal. On the other hand, the XP Deus II is not to be ignored on the beach, and will do very well – as people will show. Super effective at avoiding bottle caps and iron as needed – not to mention idea what the target is before you have even dug your first scoop of sand or dirt. Furthermore, from what I've seen, it is the foremost consumer-focused metal detector available on this planet as of December 2021. At least, one that does not require for you to sell a kidney to purchase.

In summary, a huge proponent of PULSE INDUCTION technology utilized both on the beach and in the water – nothing better. If you going to operate in dry sand, parks, fields, underwater, or on the moon – the XP Deus II is good to be an excellent choice for anyone. LOL. Price is reasonable around $1500.

 

 

#Deus #TDI #ATX #Minelab

I have the Seahunter II also and use the 10x14 coil. There is no problem with sensitivity on it with small targets if disc is set to 0. I pick up some of the tiniest pieces of fish hooks and foil at descent depth but the trouble I do have with it up here in the NE lately has been EMI and the storms have been blowing up lobster traps over the place. Not having any iron checking or being able to discriminate out iron makes using it very difficult. At bets if the lobster trap pieces are long enough I will get a double beep in one direction.

This puts be back to using vlf's and hunting the cuts. Curious how the Nokta Legend does in the salt. Deus with a 9" coil I doubt will get you very deep. Have used the Orx on the beach and it was ok but lacked depth. I have an Apex with 9" that works well and actually goes deeper than the Orx did and mainly use my Multi Kruzer with 12" coil at 5khz to do the job.

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