2019 - A Look Ahead

[Steve Herschbach]

Happy New Year!

It has been a couple years of furious activity in a normally slow moving industry. We are in a Golden Age of detector hardware, with intense competition driving prices lower while fostering innovative new designs. Most of the action has been from manufacturers outside the U.S. - will 2019 be the year U.S. manufacturers strike back?

It will be interesting but rumors are thin on the ground right now. New models appearing are niche models, like the new XP ORX, aimed at the gold prospectors. A new manufacturer has appeared, Tarsacci, with the new MDT 8000 that initially anyway seems to be aimed at beach hunters.

The machine I most have my eye on is the upcoming Fisher Impulse AQ. I am satisfied with what VLF technology exists now, so all I need is a PI detector at least as powerful as a Garrett ATX in a housing weighing under 5 lbs. I sold my ATX and currently do not have a PI and am waiting on what Fisher has to show before deciding what to do about that. F75 replacement? I will believe it when I see it but the Aqua Manta is all but assured for 2019.

I lobbied Garrett for years to make a LTX (Lightweight ATX) but to no avail. However, with the new AT Max just out it does make me wonder what Garrett has up their sleeve for 2019. If not a replacement for the embarrassingly long in the tooth GTI 2500 than perhaps my wished for lightweight ATX? A guy can hope but I am not holding my breath. Garrett has pushed single frequency as far as they can so their next step will be revealing.

Minelab is still consolidating the Equinox rollout and a raft full of new gold machines in the last few years. They seem well set at the moment. I wish I could get a SDC 2300 in a Eureka Gold box but that is one wish I doubt will be granted.

Nokta/Makro? They have long been known to be working on a PI detector so maybe the new Fisher Impulse AQ will have a competitor? It is almost 100% that Nokta/Makro will release a true multifrequency detector in 2019 so there will be that to look for. That and the soon to be released Nokta/Makro Simplex, a new low cost multipurpose detector.

Tarsacci MDT 8000? I will let the beach and relic hunters sort that out.

Tesoro is gone now so we can officially ignore them without feeling guilty about it.

White's I will continue to hope beyond hope that a working version of the Half Sine Technology may finally appear. Fingers crossed as always, but the odds are low. One does get the sense that White's really does need to hit a home run however so the pressure is on to get it out the door. This could short circuit other developments above were it to actually happen. I’m not holding my breath however.

XP just started shipping the new X35 coils and ORX model, so 2019 may be a quiet one for them.

And with that, best wishes for a great 2019 to one and all!!

[vanursepaul]

Looking forward to the New Year!

Hope you have plenty of adventures to write about Steve.

Be blessed.

 

[Tiftaaft]

30 minutes ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Tesoro is gone now so we can officially ignore them without feeling guilty about it.

Steve, this is the saddest and funniest comment I have heard in a long time.  Those of us who appreciate what Tesoro was (and still is) also understand the deepness of that comment.  Tesoro was all but ignored in the recent digital age of detectors, but still an amazing line of machines that continue to hold their own.  Not trying to re-kindle the debates here, but I will always consider my Tesoro's my secret weapons.  I appreciate reading between your lines on that comment.  :)Tim

[Jonathan Porter]

Well my first cup of coffee for 2019 is starting to kick in, so happy new year everyone which ever side of the Calendar you reside. I’ve no set goals for 2019, more of the same I suppose which is to get out detecting as often as possible (mainly weather or the shop permitting). I will say this however, I am dissolutioned by the direction social media is taking public discussions. Yes it’s convenient and instantaneous and 24/7 but it is so hard to error check because of the politic.

If your in possesion of ‘facts’ those facts can be dissolved simply by being politically blocked with no recourse to correction, or worse within hours of the discussion those facts are ‘old news’ and everyone has moved onto the next ‘fake news’ item. It’s a brilliant platform for selling gear and promoting product or promoting self quickly and cheaply, but from a factual archival point of view it’s horrendous, a Wikipedia nightmare gone rouge.

So here’s my New Years resolution now that I’ve read Steve’s intentions, I Intend to try and follows Steve’s example and attend this forum more often because archivally this forum is one of the last bastions of a world slowly dissolving itself into an imbalanced individualistically overmoderated soup bowl. Social media has its place and will no doubt be the in-thing for a long time to come, but information packed ‘fact environments’ like the DP forum are dying a slow death of which we all run the risk of losing if we don’t make the effort to contribute.

JP

[RickUK]

Steve,would like to thank you for all the hard work and superb and interesting articles that you provide,make alot of sense for sure and been very helpful.

As we go into 2019 is just over 4 hours time i wont be adding anymore detectors as i feel that i have about every niche cover and the coils well i have a crazy amount but they are mainly for site specific use,but 2019 for me will be more about refine my detecting techniques,surprising enough rather than using larger coils for deep pasture detecting which of course in theory is better suited for larger than normal targets,i am going the other way and reducing my coil sizes on both my VLF machines and also Pulse as well.

Biggest problem that i faced in 2018 and going into 2019 is i am having major wrist problems as a result of a couple of bike accidents in the 70s and 80s and as a result these are starting to come back and haunt me due to age,but have adapted to accommodate this by using a full harness and a Hipstick even on light machines as well,so at least i can still get out for a full days session.

Anyway would like to wish all those folks across the world all the very best for the coming year.

 

[Steve Herschbach]

20 minutes ago, Jonathan Porter said:

So here’s my New Years resolution now that I’ve read Steve’s intentions, I Intend to try and follows Steve’s example and attend this forum more often because archivally this forum is one of the last bastions of a world slowly dissolving itself into an imbalanced individualistically overmoderated soup bowl. Social media has its place and will no doubt be the in-thing for a long time to come, but information packed ‘fact environments’ like the DP forum are dying a slow death of which we all run the risk of losing if we don’t make the effort to contribute.

JP

Thanks JP for making that comment. I feel the same way and rather than embrace social media I decided to flee it. I just want to put out good information that is helpful to others. I have worked hard at trying to improve and organize the website (not just forum) into an informational archive. My main effort will be in boosting the metal detector database and in general trying to make the website the place where an answer can be found on almost any detecting subject.

The forum itself I expanded greatly in the last year and have done everything possible to create a place for people to share useful information. At this point it will simply either grow or slowly die. How that goes depends almost entirely on the members and their willingness to help others. Anything you contribute JP will be appreciated by many I am sure - thanks in advance! ?

 

[Rivers rat]

Steve this forum is amazing ,with a lot of knowledgeable people ,i really enjoy coming here as much as i can.

 

So i wish you all a bright and healthy 2019 for the rest you got master card.

Rick must have been trying to duplicate Evel Knievel............well detector are getting lighter :)

 

I did 45 sessions this year mixed,scrapping digging trenches,beach combing .i hope i will be able to detect more in 2019

 

 

RR

[Glenn in CO]

Happy New Year and thanks Steve for providing a great forum where a person has access on information on metal detectors past and present, a dialogue for new and seasoned detectorist and prospector to learn from one another and the sharing of the great finds and adventures everyone have posted. I agree with you that some on the forum are very biased or opinionated on how or what metal detector they use and imply the metal detector of their choice is the only way to go. To me it's all about enjoying and having fun with the hobby and the metal detector I'm using and learning what other people may have to offer. Look forward in hearing about the new products, adventures and great finds in 2019.

[schoolofhardNox]

One of the reasons I come to this forum is that it is not like all the other forums. Maybe most are dying a slow death, but I feel an upswing in real forums for 2019. Eventually the glitz of the mob mentality you see on those other forums, designed mostly for profit and not content, will wane this year. I myself am tired of being forced into believing someone else's version of how to detect and what machine to buy. Enjoy you machine, and especially your time detecting. Eventually age gets us all and I would not want to be having regrets later for not doing what I wanted to do. Thanks for having this forum Steve!!! Good luck to everyone this coming year. I look forward to you stories.

[beatup]

Happy new year Steve and thanks for this great forum.