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Showing content with the highest reputation since 12/18/2013 in Record Reviews

  1. I have been metal detecting for over 45 years now and have waited decades for a metal detector like the Equinox 800. Until now the so-called "do-it-all" multipurpose metal detectors have been very limited in one fashion or another. In particular, there has been a wide gap between metal detectors that can handle saltwater very well and those that are very good at gold nugget prospecting. Waterproof detectors have also tended to be feature limited in the past, heavy, and usually expensive. I primarily prospect for gold nuggets, and hunt for coins and jewelry both in parks and at the beach / in the water. Historically I have needed different detectors for water hunting and for gold prospecting. Suffice it to say that the Minelab Equinox 800 is the first detector I have owned that can do all the types of detecting I like to do, and do it very well, if not better than other detectors. Add in the fact that it is waterproof, has built in wireless headphone capability, and is incredibly affordable, and you have a detector that pleases me more, and in more ways, than any other I have ever owned.
    19 points
  2. I would like to begin this review with a bit of background. A couple of years ago I received a phone call from an old prospector that I had not seen since since the late 1980s when I was involved in testing a prototype pulse induction detector developed by Bruce Candy, one of the original Minelab team. I had tested one of Bruce's earlier VLF prototypes of the GT16000, in the process of which I turned up a 98 oz nugget in a patch of over 300 ozs. It was while I was in London that I picked up a newspaper and read of a new type of metal detector developed by Eric Foster of Pulse Induction Technologies. This detector was finding Celtic gold treasures at depths not achievable with VLF machines. Naturally I was quite excited and on returning to Australia, then to Adelaide, passed on the information to Bruce. Some months later I had a PI prototype from Bruce in my hands.....and the rest is history. My old prospector acquaintance explained to me that he had met a most interesting electronics 'wiz', who had developed over many years a very compact pulse induction detector, and that he needed someone with experience and credibility to test it for him. Naturally I was curious and the introduction was made. I visited Mr. Howard Rockey who lived not far from me, just out of Ballarat, one of the worlds most famous gold towns. He was a very friendly man who impressed me with his enthusiasm for his project. After showing me his detector (which I must admit looked a little simplistic and perhaps unfinished) we proceeded to his back yard for a demonstration. He had a tiny piece of gold in a clear plastic pill bottle which he tossed onto his lawn. I noticed all the electric wires in the area and thought, "this will be interesting". He turned on the detector, did a quick ground balance whilst explaining to me that his detector was manual GB, then swung it over the target. The response was crisp and very positive, and I have to admit I was a bit taken aback. I then had a play with the machine myself, moving the target to different positions and distances from the coil. I noticed that it ran smoothly despite all the obvious electronics in the area. He explained that it even ran smoothly inside the house. I left Howard's home with a prototype and over the next few weeks the machine received extensive testing as I familiarised myself with the different settings and mannerisms of the QED. It was quite different to the detectors that I had been used to - it achieved the required performance through procedures new to me. The more I used it, the more I liked it. As its functions became more familiar, my confidence grew. Out in the field, the first small bit of gold turned up after a few days, and I then knew that this was a viable gold hunting machine. The current PL2 QED is quite an improvement on that first prototype (which I still have and prize greatly) as it has better balance and has some additional features. The mode has been extended, and auto ground balance added (not auto ground tracking). The battery system is now lighter and charging much easier than the earlier version. The controls can be accessed with the thumb with one hand, making adjustments easy. I won't go through the functions here as that information can be found within the operations manual, but I will give a few reasons why I enjoy using this detector. Firstly, it is very light and well balanced - I give the machine a very high rating for its ergonomics. Secondly, the target response is extremely positive even on tiny targets, and when fitted with a small mono coil it performs as good if not better than other specialist small gold detectors. Thirdly, although small in size it does not lack power when matched with even very large coils, and comes close to matching even the most expensive of the bigger heavier detectors, punching surprisingly deep. In summing up...this is not the perfect detector...nor is any other detector I have ever used to this point. The QED suits my detecting style in that I can use any size coil I wish for different circumstances, covering more ground while prospecting new areas. I know that with its sharp signal response I will miss very little. I am confident that this machine will also do the 'low and slow' hunting out of deeper and more elusive targets in previously proven ground. 3/2021 Update - Quality Issues
    12 points
  3. Recently purchased the XP ORX. A family member gave me a generous dollar amount Amazon gift card. I had nothing to spend it on since I'm not a Prime customer and I was sort of missing my former Deus. I had read a lot of speculative reviews (how can you write a review without having one in your hands to use) and some really negative ones too which had lots of seemingly inaccurate information. So I was eager to give the ORX a try once it became possible, money wise. I sold my Deus because of the lack of ID normalization for the HF coils which made coin and jewelry detecting no fun with them. Those coils were great for gold prospecting and I loved the packability of the Deus. The ORX really does have full ID normalization for all four search modes and all of the 21 frequencies I have tried using the elliptical HF DD coil. It has a much improved numerical target ID screen and gives accurate numbers and tones down to 4" using either of the coin modes in the moderate to highly mineralized dirt where I detect in the Rocky Mountain region. It outdoor air tests and test bed tests very well on .2 gram to 1 gram nuggets and lead in both gold modes at 68kHz and is comparable in depth to the Makro Gold Kruzer and Equinox 800 (6" coil). The iron probability bar and the large numerical target ID are displayed when a shallow to fairly deep target is detected in all of the 4 search modes and the two customizable modes. There is no horseshoe graph, XY graph, microscopic mineralization bar, or small, hard to see target ID numbers on the ORX. It comes with two gold modes which are based on the Deus gold field program. One is for milder soil conditions and the second gold program is for highly mineralized areas and smaller gold. It also comes factory preset with the Deus Fast and Deus Deep programs which work very well in my area. It also has a salt mode when needed. There are no adjustments for audio response and the silencer is adjusted when reactivity is adjusted in the Coin Fast program. It has three tone audio which may sound very limited to long-time Deus users but works very well. US nickels and almost all aluminum trash and gold jewelry down to about 4" depth register as medium tone. Zincs up to large silver coins and jewelry register as high tones. The target ID numbers are also very stable down to 4" here. They should be stable much deeper in mild soil. Modern nickels hit hard on 62-63 while most coin sized or bigger aluminum trash hits between 65 and 80 which is a nice large range. Smaller aluminum seems to hit in the 40 to 60 range while small foil hits in the 30s. I have dug several 1/4" in diameter foil wads which sounded great at 6" in Coin Fast at 28kHz. Being a micro jewelry/gold prospector, this is very encouraging. So, I can't wait to get the ORX and its gold modes up to some prospecting areas in the Colorado mountains this summer. It comes with simplified wireless back phones that just control the volume level. I couldn't see the display on the WS4 module without magnification anyway so not having that problem to deal with is fine with me. The back phones work well. The ORX remote control has the same 1/8" jack as the Deus so that is an option for wired headphones along with using the Deus wired headphone adapter card that is an accessory and attaches to the back of the ORX back phone module the same way as the Deus WS4 puck controller. It will pair and has advanced functions when using the Mi6 Pinpointer also. At 1lbs 14 oz, it feels a lot lighter than the Deus, has a great, easy to see target ID/iron probability display, HF coil ID normalization and is simple to setup without all of the sometimes cumbersome audio features of the Deus. The only adjustments I have made coin and jewelry hunting are slight frequency shifts and lowering of the sensitivity in highly mineralized areas. I have not experienced any EMI problems at all above 28 kHz. 14 to 17 kHz is a little more chatty of course, but can be controlled. Despite much of the speculative and negative pre-release opinions, the ORX is an outstanding selectable multi frequency, multi purpose detector that is a joy to use and have success with, without wondering most of the time if I have it setup correctly. For me and my detecting needs, it is actually an improvement over the Deus not just a simplified Deus and it definitely isn't a DPR 600 which uses much of the same display platform as the Deus and has four single tone threshold based all metal modes for prospecting and no coin/jewelry modes. The ORX has all of the audio sensitivity of the Deus if you were to set the Deus up in three tones. So, it looks a lot like a Deus, sounds like a Deus, detects like a Deus and swings like one too. It has been a lot of fun so far. Jeff
    8 points
  4. I honestly feel that this Is the most underrated machine in its class. It is hard to write about this machine with any brevity because there's so much that needs to be touched on. What were intended to be its strengths actually became its drawbacks in the mainstream of detecting. I believe the intent was to create a kind of ultimate do it all machine that would outclass anything on the market in terms of target information and user access to customizing operating parameters. To me, it accomplished that. But that is not your average metal detector consumer's preference or how the average joe is accustomed to detecting as we saw with the success of competitors with machines that work in a more automated or simplified fashion. Most guys would rather just get on about the business of detecting. I say all that to say this...if you're not committed to learning each feature that makes a (multifrequency) metal detector tick, and if you're not willing to invest significant time on the academic aspects of this machine, it's not for you and you will not get the most out of it. You'll jump into a rabbit hole or quicksand to be quickly overwhelmed with each change. When it comes to the more technical aspects of the hobby this machine is a lesson in humility. From the beginning I decided I would try where others have failed and that is in resisting the temptation to blame the machine rather than my own ignorance of complex interactions and lack of patience or discipline. Resisting the temptation to settle for the easier, automatic, good enough of other platforms. To me it was important to put that out there because I often see user shortcomings being projected onto what is almost a blank slate with a powerful set of tools. In the world of general detecting (relics, coins, jewelry) in most conditions this machine is what you make of it and will parrot your technical skill, knowledge level or lack thereof back at you in its performance, whereas other machines are more forgiving and supplement more for that. Don't get me wrong, there's a persuasive argument to be made to reject the V3i for not being user friendly and not doing more on its own. I continue to believe that it provides an edge in conditions ranging from mild to moderate, that there is especially no better machine on isolated targets in those conditions if you want to use a machine like this for what it was intended, and that is finding valuable targets while digging the lowest ratio of trash to treasure to get to such targets. No machine has more data points and tells to learn from. There are features on this machine that can be used in ways probably never intended, to gather information on target composition and the presence of an adjacent target that tone and VDI are not able to capture alone. In this last season particularly I had a paradigm shift about how approaching this machine with the dogma of traditional methods of detecting can limit you. In any case, in terms of its ability, The Pros: it is well balanced across the spectrum of metals. It can hit anything from deep silver down to fine gold thanks to its true simultaneous, broad 3-frequency approach to multifrequency with single frequency options. No other machine to this day that I'm aware of shows you in color how each of its frequencies are actually reacting to a target and in so many ways. I've found more jewelry with it than I know what to do with. Contrary to some opinions, it can be a deep machine. The ability is there, but does seem limited by stock or in house coils to a bit above average. Detech coils, particularly the ultimate 13 turns it into a depth monster even out of proportion of what you'd expect a 13" coil to do for it. That coil brings it into F75 LTD depth territory albeit with a bit larger coil, but with far more target information and disc ability. The wireless headphones are a plus and bring added features to the platform as well, like mixed stereo for disc in one ear and all metal in the other. This machine is durable. The membrane buttons on the machines I have, some of them near 10 years old are still responsive and springy for lack of a better word. Pinpoint trigger has never failed and LCD shows no signs of going anything soon. The V3i is no exception to Whites legendary durability. For now, my summary is this. This machine is the very best I have used in the specific set of conditions I described. But you must earn it. If you're not willing to invest time in academics and experimentation you will be better off with a machine that makes more decisions for you. Stock programs on this machine will perform at an average baseline level with above average target information. The strength of this machine is to be able to dial in the parameters with more latitude than has ever been given to users. It operates on a philosophy of trusting you with all the fine tuning normally left to blanket algorithms hoping that a bit of knowledge combined with human senses will know better what adjustments to make to give it an edge. You have the ability to create or even copy a virtually unlimited number of programs because of the storage space available. Even the VDI system can be altered and tailored by the user. Do not be put off by the age of the platform. This machine was ahead of its time and still has what it needs to be a top shelf metal detector. Metal detectors are not very hardware intense to start with compared to phones, tablets and computers. I would argue most advances have come in the form of software and programming, and integrating more compact, energy efficient circuitry. The cons: it is heavy by today's standards. It is not waterproof. That is a shame because of its potential in freshwater lakes and rivers. It is not the fastest machine on the block even when recovery is maxed out, but being a hub of target information and analysis, you wouldn't expect it to be. That is not its greatest strength. This is one issue that can be overcome in time as you acquire small coils, and learn to integrate alternate methods of adjacent target interrogation that take advantage of a visual on frequency reaction in manipulating the pinpoint trigger, and even some temporal analysis in some configurations. The ground balance system on this machine is the biggest disappointment and limits what this machine could've been in more circumstances. Getting a good ground balance on this machine in rapidly changing terrains can be challenging. Autotrac does not keep up as well as you'd like, so you must locktrac with offsets, which works, but is not optimal on a machine that is all about optimization. In other words it will do well enough on a salt beach, but that's not where it shines. It is important to make a point about this though. I have 2 V3s and 1 V3i that I compare and contrast and run experiments on. I've been able to confirm prior reports that the V3 is able to ground balance and track harsher and rapidly changing conditions better than the V3i. Software changes when the V3 became the V3i shined a light on its ground balance system in such conditions. It was reported that Whites reduced tracking parameter in order to get a better target ID. So there are some advantages to owning a V3 and not upgrading it. Including the ability to communicate wirelessly with other V3 users to exchange programs and settings on the spot. But there are some things you give up when it comes to target analysis. It's a trade off. As an aside, In 2018 these machines have some untapped potential and capability as well as yet to be discovered hidden menus that would be interesting to access and explore, maybe even more tracking access. Although this platform has its weaknesses and limitations, I'm giving it 5 stars because there is nothing like it on the market that can satisfy the geeks and egg heads of the hobby to experiment and push boundaries like this one can. There is a reason even guys like Steve H, who would likely describe themselves as more of a prospector, keep coming back to it. It is hard to get the general potential of this machine out of your head once you've had it and have the level of information that tells you there ought to be some pretty wicked combos that could be assembled if provided enough time. There's still a lot of room for user development and contributions. V3i is both an instructor and a powerful tool in all things metal detecting if you have time to dedicate to it. It is unbeatable as an inland relic, jewelry, coin, and cache machine. Even the things it's not the best at it can do competently. Combine it with a machine like an Equinox whose strengths and weaknesses are like a lock and key, and you'll have the deadliest duo around. In presenting the V3i as I have I'm not necessarily saying that it is the "best" at more things than any other machine. Just that there are fundamental things it can do best in the hands of a learned user. I'm an arsenal detectorist and appreciate all our technology. But I feel comfortable saying because of its complexity many of the best detectorists in the world have not realized it's potential and it's rightful place among the very best general application machines. As a result it has suffered a lack of the level of professional user development that other major platforms have gotten. Whites may have been wrong about how many people would be interested in a machine like the V3i, but they weren't wrong about what it could do if they were. (I have somehow managed to end up with different font sizes. I wrote this up on my iPhone and not sure how to correct that with its limited tools, but I will correct this {I'm too OCD to accept it} and continue to edit for the sake of brevity and being as concise as possible on my MacBook where I'm more familiar)
    8 points
  5. The Vanquish 440 with the 10” coil is beautifully balanced and makes a great grab and go detector, a loaner or a wonderful beginner detector with all of the features needed to be successful at metal detecting. Just like the Vanquish 340, it will detect targets very accurately down to 10” even in mineralized soil, it works well on salt water beaches and it has three features that are not on the 340 which are an excellent pinpoint function, the ability to customize discrimination patterns, and the great iron identification tool, the horseshoe button. For a person on a tight budget that wants to do some park, field and beach hunting, this inexpensive, easy to use detector would be an outstanding choice.
    6 points
  6. This is a well made, well thought out and extremely deep, powerful detector. The switchable frequencies (5/ 14 & 20 kHz) and make it super versatile in any conditions. All programs and features are visible on screen--simple to customize for the novice but with the most advanced discriminate and tough ground features available. Unbelievable to have this kind of power and fidelity in a water machine! Also--the best audio of any machine I've used--great separation in iron and the new 10" coil is a great addition. Love this detector!! cjc
    6 points
  7. For the most part, I really enjoyed using the TDI SL special edition with the Miner Johns coil. It was well balanced and had almost enough features to satisfy me. Where it was lacking the most was in audio nuances and basic power. I could not hear enough audio information for me to distinguish target characteristics easily. Coming from a GP3000, I loved the TDI SL's simplicity and light weight but not its limited tonal deficiencies. The biggest problem though, was its lack of power. I tried different battery scenarios including the RNB product for this model. It helped some but not enough for me to trust that the TDI SL had the raw power to detect effectively past 5" in high mineralization on medium to smallish gold targets. At least that was my experience. In milder soil conditions or in really bad serpentine with shallow targets, it would be great. In my opinion it cannot compete with the GP/GPX series as a gold prospecting PI in the vast majority of detecting environments. As a relic or beach detector it would probably really do well.
    6 points
  8. I already have what many would consider most of the best detectors on the market, but NM keeps putting out deals that are difficult to resist. From the moment it was announced I knew I would eventually grab one. For people like me, whether or not you hold onto it is about managing expectations. I don’t like to use the word “hype,” but this machine has seen a lot of it, and if you have a machine like the equinox, Anfibio etc and you’re expecting that much depth out of it, you’ve been slightly mislead. I did a lot of research prior to purchase and my expectations were that depth would be somewhere in between the AT Pro and the F-75. That’s nothing to scoff at, and I wasn’t disappointed that way. My opinion is you’re looking at upper mid to lower high end depth if that makes sense to you. Not bad at all for $254 (or buy for around $200 used at this point) I think this machine is a keeper no matter what you have or where you are in the hobby. There are always situations where you might not want to take a $1,000-$2,500 machine. After the Equinox and CTX breaches I really wanted a machine I’m not afraid to dunk in fresh water swimming holes. This fit the bill and I have to say I’m a fan of the vibration feature and also the built in LED feature for lighting up underwater and at night when it’s cooler to detect in the summer time. The Simplex is a great backup or spare. It’s also great to just get out and have some fun with a powerful but very simple machine on a nice day, on a rainy muddy day, or in the water. In park 2 this is a super fast machine. But again, manage expectations. Don’t expect a Deus or ORX. Definitely invest in the 5.5x9.5 inch coil if separation is important to you. The machine also seems to behave a little better with this coil. It will be exciting to see what other coils come out for this. I would imagine a 13” coil or larger would boost depth up even further up into higher end territory. If you’re completely new to the hobby or will be lending it to someone completely new, be careful not to try to max it out at first. Knock sensitivity down a couple notches. Just focus on recovering some shallow(er) targets and making nice plugs. This can make the difference between buying a closet queen and giving up in frustration or motivating yourself to continue on. Maybe even have someone, or learn, to set it up to cherry pick for a while. It made all the difference for me and nearly 10 years later I’m as enthusiastic as I ever was. I like the build quality and aesthetic look of this machine. It goes to show that you don’t have to make a big heavy monstrosity to be waterproof and premium looking. I like that NM took pride in their design on a $254 machine that looks better than another $950 machine I have. Some guys think there’s a little too much flex in the bottom shaft and I agree. I can live with a bit of flex but some guys may want to invest in the carbon fiber aftermarket lower shaft. The only other criticism I would offer, and I may be wrong on this, but it seems the mineralization meter is either off on this machine or the F-75. On this machine I have 0-2 bar dirt. On F-75 I had 2-3 bar dirt. Can’t both be right or perhaps they are meant to measure differently. Lastly, I love Apple products because of the continuity and coherence of one platform working seamlessly with the next in their walled garden. NM is building toward that. The machine works with their wireless headphones, and so does their Pulse Dive pinpointer in either configuration. I would only like to see more integration with the machine in the future, and something tells me we may.
    5 points
  9. More than 10 years ago I started inquiring about some old locations I hunt. Most of the locations are old, shut down schools where coal was used as a heating source for decades. Before the EPA was birthed most people did whatever pleased them when it came to disposing of waste, regardless of what it was and these old school sites are no exception. The burnt coal waste was spread over many acres of school property which created some extremely harsh ground conditions. Grass and weeds find it hard to get a start and most areas are void of any vegetation. Most of the school grounds look like Martian landscapes with small BB size or smaller pieces of coal waste everywhere. This material attracts to a magnet with little effort and can reduce depth of all VLF detectors by well over half. In fact until recently maximum detection depth was actually 2-3”, any target deeper would give a solid iron audio report if any sound at all. After many years of hunting these areas all but completely unsuccessfully I finally purchase a White’s TDI SL with the stock 12” coil. It turned out the SL opened up these old sites and many nice coins and relics were unearthed, but not without many trials and numerous adjustments. Case in point: one particular area had been, in my opinion hunted out with many different VLF machines over a 10 year period and I was certain there were no good targets left. I had been hunting about 15 minutes and all the SL was giving were very short audio reports, which sounded more like chatter or EMI and not targets. This prompted me to increase the time delay to about 15 “which increases the time before a transmitted signal is analyzed” thinking the small pieces of coal waste were the short reports I was hearing. Continued hunting another 5 minutes and noticed the short audio chatter continued but not to the same magnitude. Stopping and increased the delay to around 17 and off I went hunting again. Suddenly I noticed the machine was running very quiet, to quiet. A minute or two later and a very loud low tone, which on the SL means a high conductor, I stopped and reduced the delay to 10 and found my definite answer. The coal waste was causing all the ground chatter and false audio reports. Increased the delay to 17 and recovered a wheat penny around 4” deep. Now to be honest I had to stop for a moment and think about what just happened. Decided to start over I returned to where I began hunting and discovered I had passed right over many good targets. After digging a few more wheat’s I decided to start checking these targets before digging and discovered if I decreased the delay most of these targets became the short sounding audio reports I had heard earlier. The PI was just the trick to discovering some nice coins deeper than 4” in these barren areas. I must add the SL is not the best choice to make if there is an over abundance of nails because of the very limited discrimination capabilities of this particular machine. As a final note I must admit this machine has opened up a lot of hunted out harsh ground sites. This machine is a specialty machine, by that I mean it’s not a cure for all hunting situations but for me has allowed me to hunt my harshest areas. Then a year later I found the largest class ring ever found and with the SL, in one of these same coal waste yards, amazing for me because this area has been hunted by many friends and the very best VLF detectors in the world yet not detectable until the TDI.
    5 points
  10. Over a decade ago I would have given the White's MXT a five star rating, and am only giving it a four star rating because it is showing its age. The MXT was one of the first detectors to really leverage a microprocessor design in a metal detector by having a switch that made it like owning three detectors in one - Coins & Jewelry, Relics, and Gold Prospecting. Yet it stuck with an analog knob type control interface that is one of the best examples of simplicity and ease of learning I have seen in any detector. The controls are not only clearly marked with "cheater" settings but an abbreviated set of instructions is printed on the bottom of the control box! The MXT also has one of the best coil selections of any VLF detector ever made. The only real weakness is that as a non-waterproof single frequency detector the MXT is not the first choice for saltwater detecting. The MXT 14 kHz circuit is one of the best of the 20th century and the machine is already a true classic. There are newer designs that make the MXT look a little old fashioned but the fact is that it is a very capable detector that would be hard to go wrong with to this day. I have moved on to other units myself but will always consider the MXT to be one of the best metal detectors ever designed. The fact it is still selling almost twenty years later is a testament to that. See my detailed review for far more information than I can present here.
    5 points
  11. My review on the Minelab Xterra Pro. I rate this machine a 5 out of 5 but it does have a couple problems that I have noticed. The VDI is all over the place and not at all stable. BUT., With a little tinkering, I was able to make the machine quite stable. One thing for sure, this is a very sensitive machine. What I have discovered is to turn the sensitivity down, but not so far down that you are loosing deep targets. I find that in most cases I run mine at around 14 to 17. The second thing to do to get the VDI more stable is to Check and set the (AU) Freq now and then or anytime you make a change. Also, do a manual ground balance even with ground tracking now and then. If the VDI starts to jump around then experiment with these menu items. The other thing I do not like about the exterra pro is that there is little or no bottle cap rejection. This is where you really need to pay close attention to your tones. One thing to do is swing the detector over the object and back it off so the target is at the edge of the coil. A bottle cap will start to sound trashy. Move the coil swing in cross way, try both directions. I really love this machine... Its perfect for beginners and pros alike. My second day at the beach, I found a $2400.00 dollar 18K Cuban gold chain. The day after, a 10k gold ring. Just a small one but it was gold. Get to know this machine. I have it down fairly well but I think in about 300 more hours, I should have it mastered. So over all... I give the Minelab Xterra Pro 5 stars out of 5 100% The build quality is great and well balanced. May you all find great treasures. Sincerely., Digging 4 Gold!
    4 points
  12. This is just a preliminary review of my QED PL3 which has the August 2019 update, a Sadie NuggetFinder 8X6" coil, Detech 12.5" mono coil, Commander 11" DD coil, the small control box and the battery and guts of the detector under the arm cuff. It looks similar to the one in the second photo above except that mine has a Whites S curve TDI SL type shaft. Unlike the stats listed by Steve H, mine weighs 3 lbs 8 oz with the Sadie and with an 11" Commander or Detech coil it weighs 4 lbs. My QED is not optimized for USA 60 Hz power sources so I cannot use it very close to power lines or near my house. At any rate, when I am able to use it away from power lines and urban areas it works very well. I like that it is easily adjustable for target size by optimizing settings for small, medium and large size coils by changing the pulse delay. The pulse delay range is 7.5uS to 12.5uS which makes it very sensitive to both very small gold and larger gold/targets. It does have high/low and low/high audio changes according to target size and will double tone on elongated targets like nails, etc. Waterproof coils are available for the QED and the latest update will work with DD coils too so I can see using a QED on wet sand or very shallow calm surf as a real possibility as long as I use a waterproof DD coil and am careful with the electronics which are not waterproofed. Two 4.7 volt 18650 Lithium batteries provide plenty of power for this compact PI. However, its 3D printer made plastic parts are a definite drawback in my opinion from a durability standpoint. I have not broken anything yet but...........? After doing some head to head testing, I found the QED PL3 to be almost as sensitive on very small gold as my SDC2300. It outperformed the SDC2300 on larger gold simply because I can put any sized coil on the QED I choose and change the settings for larger coil/gold accordingly. Plus, it is far more comfortable to swing, has easy coil changes, has a threshold tone that can be adjusted from silent to as loud as one wants while not being unstable and very annoying like the SDC2300 threshold audio and it has plenty of user adjustable features. Where the SDC might be preferred over the QED for small gold detection is the SDC's rugged construction, waterproofing and simplicity of operation. Can the QED compete with a GPX 4000 to 5000 for depth and sensitivity on gold over 1 gram in size...........not from my experience so far. Is it an alternative for the SDC 2300.....definitely. Will it out perform a Whites TDI SL.......absolutely. Extreme magnetite iron mineralization testing will be coming as soon as the snow melts.
    4 points
  13. I used both the earlier CZ-20 and the CZ-21. I am a fan of the CZ series in general, and consider the CZ-21 to be one of the two VLF detectors I personally favor for serious water detecting, the other being the Minelab Excalibur. I am purposefully excluding detectors waterproof to 10 feet when I say this. The CZ-21 at 250 ft and Excalibur at 200 ft depth capability are far more robust detectors for those that truly intend on using a detector almost exclusively in the water. Detectors good to 10 feet are ok for mask and snorkel use but the CZ-21 is a true SCUBA capable detector. The downside is that means it is built like a tank with the weight that goes along with that. Unless you actually need that 250 ft depth rating there are far lighter and less expensive options available now. One small thing tipped me from the CZ-20/21 to the Excalibur and that is the way its audio discrimination was designed for coins instead of jewelry, and audibly puts nickel range targets into the high tone coin category. As a detector designed more for jewelry use the CZ-21 should read nickel range targets as mid-tone. That it does not means that to use the discrimination you either have to accept on passing on nickel range targets if you dig only the mid-tone targets, or just default to a simple ferrous/non-ferrous setting. This flaw largely negates the benefit of even having a mid-tone audio response. The Excalibur dies not suffer from this flaw. That is unfortunate as I rather prefer the CZ-21 otherwise as having a standard control panel with knob arrangement that can be easily hip or chest mounted out of box without extra accessories. The battery setup is more straightforward than that on the Excalibur. The tone arrangement is also simpler and more understandable than the more complex audio produced by the Excalibur, again excepting the aforementioned flaw. Finally, the CZ-21 offers a true all metal ground balance mode which I like a lot. All in all a great detector but I wish Fisher would have updated the machine to put the nickel range back at mid-tone, which would make it a far easier choice for me as compared to the Excalibur. It's really that one thing that puts my off the CZ; other than that it is a near perfect VLF machine for use to SCUBA depths. Hip-mounted it actually is also a very effective coin detector .
    4 points
  14. This was my first PI machine. I was looking for a lightweight, affordable PI, and the TDI SL was high on my list. When I saw the SE model I researched the Miner John's folded mono coil it came with and really liked what I read about it. I contacted Digger Bob (Comstock Metal Detectors in Paradise CA) and met with him twice prior to purchasing. I am really happy with this detector, it is so easy to use that I was detecting within 5 minutes my first time out with it. It sees targets deep enough that I bought a bigger pick lol and it also found me my first detected gold nugget. I'm working in Northern CA, steep and brushy with soil mineralization's all over the place. The weight, maneuverability and the ability to deal with high soil mineralization/hot rocks has made this my "go to" detector.
    4 points
  15. No doubt one of the quirkiest looking nugget detectors I've ever seen, the SDC 2300 is nonetheless a top performer in the gold fields. Compact, rugged, waterproof and equipped with full-time automatic ground balance, it is a turn on and go machine able to go anywhere and handle any ground type from extreme iron mineralization to alkali salt rich soil. Its sensitivity to tiny nuggets is exceptional. The jittery threshold took a little getting used to, but once I did I was amazed at how even very faint targets were recognizeable amidst it. The unit is a little on the pricy side, but definitely worth evey penny.
    4 points
  16. Not a review, but a chart of the Vanquish 440 correlation between the target IDs, tone breaks, and the notch bars - which I believe is correct and helpful, but missing from the manual - before the original post is buried deep. The target ID scale on this detector is non-linear, with the middle range between 0 and 20 stretched and both ends compressed. The break points between tones, except for one case of Low-Med in Jewelry Mode (at VID 0|1) do not correspond to break-points between notch segments. The yellow values, below the target identification guide graphics, represent the standard response (+/-1) for modern (Rama IX/X, 2008+) Thai Baht coins, when the target signal is strong. After the Factory Reset (press the Power button for 7 seconds when starting), the Custom mode reverts to the Coin mode (and its recovery speed and the low/medium tone break at the VID 2|3), with a particular notching: only VIDs 11-13 and 21-40 ranges are notched in. The accepted notches correspond to the ranges of modern US coins signals.
    3 points
  17. I recently bought a Teknetics Patriot. I have been interested in this detector since it was released and finally found a deal I could not refuse. I have owned another Teknetics 13kHz detector that had EMI issues in the urban areas I usually hunt in . I was afraid that the Patriot would exhibit some of the same behavior. Fortunately, even on the default settings in Program 1 (discrimination mode) the Patriot was very quiet and needed no adjusting except to turn up the sensitivity!!!! So far, I have really enjoyed detecting with the Patriot both for its detecting prowess and for its outstanding ergonomics. It will easily detect accurately past the 5" level in my two to three Fe3O4 bar mineralized dirt and is an absolute joy to swing. It is beautifully balanced and feels like a 2 pound detector not a very nose heavy almost 3 pound detector like some of the Fishers and Teknetics that do not have a battery box under the arm rest. It should be a great relic hunter, a good prospecting detector and has already proven to be a very fine coin and jewelry hunter. If you are considering buying one of these, read up on recommended settings for the F70/Patriot. Lots of good information on this forum and two others that will really help setting it up for your conditions. I highly recommend this detector either for a relative newbie, intermediate user, or a very experienced hunter in need of a mid single frequency or backup detector. Jeff
    3 points
  18. This machine was like my right arm for quite a while. Some say it's complicated but all you have to do is use the machine a bunch and it's not hard to figure out. It's still my go to machine for trash infested parks. You can disk out bottle caps easily. There are lots of custom programs on line that you can down load onto your machine which makes life easier. I've found so much with it including one decent sized gold nugget. It's a little on the heavy side but you get used to it. I've never ran the battery out ever in a full day of hunting. Tough and dependable for amphibious detecting. I give it 5 stars. The only way I'd ever get rid of it is when they come out with a faster CTX 4040 strick
    3 points
  19. Great pulse induction detector that gets a really bad rep some of the time because of it's weight. The detector itself is cumbersome. It feels much more bulky, when folded, and when in operation than the SDC or other mine detecting platforms - which is what the housing is based on, the Garrett Recon. I love being able to stuff the SDC in a backpack and barely feel it while hiking, you CAN stuff the ATX in a bag, but you are going to be poked and prodded because of its awkward collapsed shape that doesn't fit well in smaller backpacks (think greater than 35L or 21" plus main compartment depth.) The first generation of coils were quick to wear, and there is still issues with pinch points when collapsing the shaft in the body of the detector. I put its detection abilities in the middle ground between the SDC on small gold, and the GPX 4500 on deeper gold. Replacement or additional coils are prohibitively expensive for most, and do not offer any real additional performance when compared to the stock DD coils. The only aftermarket coil that seems worthwhile is the 8", and it's not for increased performance as much as it is maneuverability in tighter areas. I am finding the iron grunt future saves me considerable time when working hot hydraulic areas littered with can slaw and square nails. The detector makes a pretty recognizable double bleep over square nails, when on their sides, in which case using the iron ID often isn't necessary. I love compact detectors, this ones biggest weak point is it's heft. It's a solid performer for those who have no problem throwing the weight around.
    3 points
  20. I have and use a MXT Pro, it still is pretty much on top of the vlf pile for coin/jewelry for me, I have tried some of the latest machines and gone back to the MXT Pro every time so far. Most my park finds are in the first 5" of soil, not worried about the latest and greatest, its very good on gold jewelry due to the khz freq, even with the 5.3 eclipse coil I can hit 10" on a coin if needed. The gold mode works well down to about 2 grain wt nugget, is limited in depth due to vlf but is a decent gold machine in some areas. Very wide range of coils makes the MXT very versitile.
    3 points
  21. If there's such a thing as the perfect VLF gold nugget detector, the Gold Monster 1000 is it. Super simple to operate, lightweight, weatherproof, extreme sensitivity to a wide range of nugget sizes and depths, boosted audio, rechargeable battery, two coils, great price...what's not to like?!
    3 points
  22. I’m really liking the new Goldmaster 24k, a very versatile VLF gold machine with innovative ground balancing technology and adjustable feature set. It’s lightweight, well balanced, very stable at high sensitivity with minimal coil bump falsing, has a pleasant tone, and won’t easily tip over when sitting on the ground. And the machine's versatility is enhanced by its DD and concentric coil options.
    3 points
  23. Best detector i have ever used. Fast deep with a lot of data that is past your way From great sound and screen. Thanks Minelab.
    2 points
  24. I've owned my MDT 8000 for almost a year now. It's a tricky machine to master, but I think I've managed to wrap my head around it for the most part. I use it primarily for the beach and it works great, especially in the wet sand! I am able to use salt balance and black sand settings to get rid of annoying falsing signals, and when you run it in all metal mode, its deeper than any VLF machine I currently own. Its definitely a keeper!
    2 points
  25. After owning my 600 since they were first released I finally recently sold it (upgraded to a second Equinox 800). It did everything I could ask for from a detector and I used it at least 15 hours per week for almost 3 years with zero problems whatsoever. That's over 2000 hours of use!!!! If you don't need the gold prospecting modes and some of the more advanced features, the Equinox 600 is hard to beat for the money if buying new and buying one used with some warranty left is an incredible deal for around $400 currently. I made some amazing finds with mine and paid for its original price with just one of them. It took me about 40 hours of detecting to really get comfortable with it and trust what it was telling me. Now I can hunt with either a 600 or 800 and know that I won't miss many targets unless I decide to not dig. There are a couple of detectors that can out perform the 600. One is the 800. Otherwise, its rock solid target ID (once you learn to trust it) and outstanding features make it an excellent choice for someone moving up from an entry level detector.
    2 points
  26. I can only echo what Lunk and Aureous have said here. I really like this detector for gold prospecting. It has so many great and adjustable features that it makes nugget hunting even more fun than it already was. I especially like the XGB ground tracking, push of a button shift from VCO to two tone ferrous/non-ferrous pitched audio, silent search when I want it by adjusting the threshold tone, nice ergonomics and the super hot 6.5" coil. Awesome, fun, can't wait to use it gold prospecting, relic hunting and even coin and jewelry hunting detector.
    2 points
  27. Ive used every high frequency VLF gold prospecting detector from the original Whites Goldmasters, the Fisher Gold Bug 2, GMT, Kruzer and the GM1000. The 24K is superior in most areas but especially performance. For small gold in mild ground conditions, the 24K is hard to beat.
    2 points
  28. This is basically just a copy of the review I left for the Fisher F19. The Teknetics G2+ is exactly the same detector but with a different coil and rod setup as normally sold. Electronically and operationally it is the same detector as the F19 with identical performance. I actually kind of prefer the pistol grip design over the S rod on the F19 for comfort but both suit me very well and so frankly its a bit of a toss up for me between the two models. I am a Fisher Gold Bug Pro fan. The machine is lightweight, easy to use, and very effective for what it is designed for. However, the Gold Bug Pro is somewhat feature limited and the G2+ adds some extra capability that many people would welcome - things like a meter backlight or ferrous volume setting, for instance. This 19 kHz model is a very solid performer on low conductors like gold and small targets like ear rings or small gold nuggets. The 19 kHz platform is a little weak on silver coins but still does very well as a coin hunter. The main thing I like is the light weight, solid performance, and very simple operation. The 19 kHz circuit is also one of the best I have used for ignoring electrical interference in areas where other machines may have issues. To repeat, the Teknetics G2+ is the same unit electronically as the Fisher F19. The only real difference is the rod and grip assembly and the coil that comes stock. The F19 has the classic "S" rod handle, while the G2+ has a modified "S" rod with pistol grip design some people may prefer.
    2 points
  29. I purchased my Monster in March of this year. My original unit had an issue, it would reboot itself with no user input. I contacted Minelab via email and after trying a few things they provided a shipping label and I returned it. Since the unit was less than 30 days old they sent me a new detector. While nobody wants to get a defective unit I was impressed with their customer service. Currently I have in excess of 50 hours using the detector. I describe this machine as a very easy to use and very sensitive to small gold detector. Four user adjustments is all it has: On/Off, Sensitivity (ten manual levels and two auto), Discrimination/No Discrimination and Volume, the detector does the rest. It’s up to the user to pick the correct sensitivity for the soil conditions (or use the Auto sensitivity setting and let the detector do it) and keep the machine ground balanced, other than that you just detect. I run my Monster mostly in the first auto setting as it allows the detector to automatically choose the correct sensitivity for the soil conditions. I do on occasion use the second auto setting, Auto+, or one of the higher manual settings when I’m working a patch and want more sensitivity. Currently I’ve found over 70 pieces of gold with the Gold Monster, all but a couple of those pieces are sub grain sized stuff. Having that extra sensitivity has helped me find some really tiny gold but it does lead to the detector being bump sensitive for me. Since the Auto+ setting is picking the best sensitivity and then adding one level to that (in other words it’s running hot) any movement of the coil caused by bumping something is causing the coil wire to move. There is metal in the wire and if it moves it should cause a signal in my opinion. I don’t have a problem with this, I’m using the extra sensitivity to see extremely tiny bits of gold and I know what’s happening so it is pretty easy to deal with. When running in Auto if I find it getting bump sensitive I ground balance and it usually quiets down but if not I’ll turn the sensitivity down to a lower manual level until it does. Since my hearing is not getting any better with age and this detector does not have a threshold it worried me prior to purchasing. I brought this up on a forum and another Monster user assured me not to worry. You know what, he was right. The audio boost in the detector does a great job of letting you know when you have a target and I have not had any problems working without a threshold. I’ve also found that if the wind is calm and I’m not working by running water headphones are not necessary, the detector is loud enough without them. I’ve come to appreciate this when working in the sun on hot days. My prospecting partner, my oldest son, uses a Gold Bug II and loves it. He’s been using that detector for a couple years now and raves about it. Together we’ve detected over 160 pieces of gold since I got the Gold Monster and on many occasions we have compared targets with both detectors. So far there has not been any target, no matter how small, that both detectors did not see. We both agree that neither of us is at a disadvantage with either detector. Something that I also like about this detector is the number of videos out there about it. The 'Nugget Shooter' Bill Southern and others have done a wonderful job of posting a lot of material on how to get the most out of the Gold Monster. I believe all detectors have a learning curve no matter how easy they make them to use, they all seem to have their little nuances. In the Monster's case though with all the material out there the curve goes way down. Minelab describes the Gold Monster 1000 as an “Entry Level” detector. Being so easy to use I understand why they’re saying that but for me the detector is finding gold like a pro.
    2 points
  30. I just picked up a Compadre in excellent used condition. It reminds me of the Sovereign GT except a whole lot simpler. I’m really excited about this little detector and hope to keep it in my truck in case I see a site that is begging for a hunt. Good luck!
    2 points
  31. I have owned a Nox 600 for ten months have found lots of coins. Have a six inch sniper coil as well as grey ghost headphones. Had an issue with the pinpoint detect button. Minelab were very good replacing the unit. Would recommend this as a great starter pack.
    2 points
  32. Hi, I owned a previously used XP Deus with 9" HF coil version 4.1 software for 6 months. I was able to use it for some basic coin and jewelry hunting and for gold prospecting. I found it to be an outstanding metal detector. However, in highly mineralized soil I found it to be fairly hard to find the right settings in order for it to get much depth for good audio signals past 5". 14kHz did not work well for depth. Sounds crazy, I know but 28 to 30 kHz was much better. Unfortunately, this made the target ID numbers for US coins at depth to be in the 70s to mid 90s along with most of the other jewelry targets I was after. Much of the coin sized trash also ended up in that target ID range unless it was very small foil or tiny can slaw pieces. So, coin and jewelry detecting squeezed into a 25 segment target ID range with the HF coil was not particularly pleasant even after lots of tone break and tone pitch adjustments. The Deus worked very well as a gold prospecting detector for smaller gold using 28 to 54kHz settings with the 9" HF coil. I had no trouble setting it up for the sites I was prospecting. It was fairly quiet in high mineralization and abundant hot rocks. The XY graph worked great for iron probability and for visual support for lead and gold range targets. The 9" HF coil went fairly deep on sub gram gold (up to 5") and it was a pleasure to swing and especially to put in my backpack. Eventually, I decided to sell the Deus. Using the HF coil only for relic hunting and gold prospecting makes sense. Using it for coin and jewelry in medium to high mineralized soil did not. I was using only two of the 10 programs regularly since the others could not handle bad mineralization very well and did not see the point since I already had some very capable gold prospecting detectors and great coin and jewelry detectors which the Deus was not appreciably better than in the field. Hopefully, the person that bought it from me will not have my soil conditions to deal with. For most normal soil conditions and with fully supported coil frequencies that have ID normalization, the Deus would be fantastic. Jeff
    2 points
  33. I am an avid MXT user, am on my third MXT since 2002, its a MXT Pro, I find the machine to be very adequate for my coin/jewelry hunting, using a combination of sound and vdi readings its a great jewelry machine. There are a lot of coils available to use on the MXT, I found that the 4.5dd Detech excellerator, 6"dd Detech excellerator, 5.3 eclipse and Detech 8x6 SEF are great coils for coin/jewelry hunting. As far as a nugget machine it does work decent, I run mine in Relic two tone for nuggets and it will get a 2 grain nugget down to around 2.5" deep with the 4.5DD the vdi is pretty useless in gold country. But its only a backup machine for me when nugget hunting. Overall I think its still a viable very versitile machine compared to the newest vlf machines on the market.
    2 points
  34. I have a Tejon with the concentric coil for about a year and it has brought new life to old grounds that I have hit with my AT Pro. Within a week I found a hefty gold ring from the 1930's with 7 sapphires and 4 diamonds mixed in with square and round tabs in a local park. The machine does take some getting used to and learning curve is a little more than the typical VDI machines when distinguishing the good from the bad. It will excel in trashy areas and can snipe out good targets with a clean signal amongst the trash once you know the unit. The silent search is nice and the user can look around and enjoy the day rather than keep looking at a display. Don't get me wrong, I do like my AT Pro and it serves me well but the Tesoro won me over.
    2 points
  35. I like the Tesoro Compadre so much that I have owned three of them! I have had two with the smallest coil which I later sold. I liked them just fine but I live in Colorado and depth is always an issue in our highly mineralized dirt. When I heard that Tesoro was in trouble I managed to find the Compadre model that I always really wanted with the 8" doughnut coil. My Compadre goes with me on detecting trips to parks and tot lots where there are lots of fences, metal benches and other metal structures that this detector's coil can get right up next to and not overload. It detects 7" coin sized targets well and like most Tesoros it sounds beautiful on actual coins and jewelry. Those that have no long-time experience with these uncomplicated detectors just don't understand how well they discriminate and how interesting it is to listen to different analog tone responses and learn them. Its just the same pitched tone for every target BUT they sound so different to the practiced hearer. It is refreshing for the detector user to be such and integral part of the detecting process. Your ears are everything when using a Compadre.
    2 points
  36. I have the compadre with the 8" coil. I've never used the smaller coil type so I cant compare them. I live in an area with a lot of beaches and snow sledding hills. This was my first detector. I was looking for something to hunt rings and jewlery. The Compadre was the least costly, for what I could determine, of the available detectors that worked really good for rings. I wasn't dissapointed. I've found these items easily. I am not a dealer! The Compadre has a very accurate discrimination. There's so many rusty nails, bolts and washers around here. I can put the disc. just above Iron and the Compadre quietly searches for targets never making a sound on the iron. This has no ground balance, no sensitivity dial and just one knob. So there's no "threshold" sound. The knob is the on and off and the discrimination. There's no display with target ID. There's only 1 knob and a speaker on the face. I really love that I can still find silver rings and gold rings without hearing constant sounds from iron. I have found targets as small as split shot. With the discrimination all the way off I found half a staple. On a few beaches, we have this black sand that makes it impossible for VLF detectors. But, one day I had an idea to just hunt anyway with no descrimination. Yes, lots of false sounds. However, I found $5 in quarters because the Compadre's analog "sound" made the quarter sound very repeatable. Heck, I did it into the night with just the moon light on the water because it has no screen and I just listened with my earbuds. It has the larger size head phone jack. I kept finding coins about 3" deep. I use the kind of earbuds with earhooks so I could place them a little away from my ear canal. The Compadre is loud and without a volume control. But, hey, its simple!! It works!! I also don't mind that it has no interchangeable coil. It takes that decision away. On a day when I just want to enjoy the weather and go hunt the beaches, it's a joy to have no complicated decisions to make like, which coil, did I ground balance, should I change sensitivity. I smile when I reach for the compadre because my next move is walking out the door on my way to have fun with a detector the will find the goods! About the descrimination, it is really good. I can set it right where a zink penny is detectable and I can cherry pick for all coins and anything silver. Or, If I just want to hunt for quarters and anything silver, I set it and it's silent until I hit a target. This method works all the way down to iron. Nickles can be ID'd by using a nickle you have to identify the location on your dial then use the "thumbing" method to ID targets. It is a very specific spot on the dial that you will find this way. For picking targets out of trash, it's hard to beat. I found a silver dime in a popular spot in the foundation ruins of an old building with all kinds of pipes, nails and bolts. There was only one sound. The silver dime. That's incredible. In fact, you can put the discrimination up all the way and it will still find silver, noooo problem. Here's the "thumbing" method of target ID'ing: By simply spinning the knob to discriminate out the target, then slowly turning the knob back until you hear a solid repeatable sound, one can identify a target very accurately and easily. I believe, after using the Compadre, my "hearing" for targets became much better. It helped me with "descrimination by sound" on my other detector. The Compadre is my ninja detector work-out unit! Sometimes you can just hear the ground minerals and other small chirps and just know it's not a target. Sometimes I have to throw a coin down or detect the eyelets on my shoes to make sure it's still running! This detector has some great abilities. Some no other detector has. Example, if a coin is right next to a pipe of a fence in a park, the coin target will double beep and that's a sign to dig! That double beep also works on tiny stud earings. I can sweep the sand. I mean sliding my coil on the sand, and get a double beep from tiny earings and earing backs. I have several silver earing backs doing this with the Compadre. The nuances of the sound from analog gives a great "picture" of what is under the sand. I could hear the ridges of bottle caps once I got good at it. It's hard to believe, but it sounds kind of scratchy but solid like a coin. The shear fun from such simplicity and function can't be found in any other detector for me. It's a great way to begin metal detecting. Kids can use it too. Just turn one knob and off ya go! I have one other detector with a screen and several coils. I use it a lot too. But, the Compadre keeps out performing in trash due to the discrimination. So it has it's place in my Arsenal. That's my take on the Compadre.
    2 points
  37. I am a Fisher Gold Bug Pro fan. The machine is lightweight, easy to use, and very effective for what it is designed for. However, the Gold Bug Pro is somewhat feature limited and the F19 adds some extra capability that many people would welcome - things like a meter backlight or ferrous volume setting, for instance. The main thing however is that if you want the 10" x 5.5" elliptical coil for the Gold Bug Pro you have to get it as an accessory coil, or buy a two coil package. It is odd to this day that the Gold Bug Pro, a machine aimed at gold prospectors, is not available with the 10" elliptical coil as the stock coil. For this reason I aim people who want that coil at the F19 because you can get it stock with that coil. You get all the 19 kHz performance of the Gold Bug Pro, plus extra features, by getting the F19, and for about the same price as a Gold Bug Pro two coil package. Either way, this 19 khz model in all its flavors is a very solid performer on low conductors like gold and small targets like ear rings or small gold nuggets. The 19 khz platform is a little weak on silver coins but still does very well as a coin hunter. The main thing I like is the light weight, solid performance, and very simple operation. The 19 kHz circuit is also one of the best I have used for ignoring electrical interference in areas where other machines may have issues. Finally, do note that the Fisher F19 is the same unit electronically as the Teknetics G2+. The only real difference is the rod and grip assembly and the coil that comes stock. The F19 has the classic "S" rod handle, while the G2+ has a modified "S" rod with pistol grip design some people may prefer.
    2 points
  38. This was my first gold nugget detector, and I don't recall anything that I didn't like about it. Although there is a learning curve to operating it, once I undersood what it was telling me no piece of gold was safe, not even the smallest crumb.
    2 points
  39. The Good: The Land Ranger Pro is definitely not your father's Bounty Hunter. Bounty Hunter has gotten a bit of a bad rep in the world of serious metal detecting over the years, often overlooked as "toys" because of their presence in big box stores and a long list of models with often whimsical names. The Land Ranger Pro appears to be a step in the direction of rebuilding the brand. It continues to be one of the best deals on the market for all that offers. Above average depth and a very precise discrimination system you don't find on machines at this price level. You are able to notch items out by single VDI rather than by VDI segments. This machine, like most First Texas machines is great in iron and dense trash. Super fast recovery. The ergonomics are great and it is aesthetically well crafted. The bad: there's not much negative to say about this machine. It would mostly involve features it doesn't have, but I believe what it offers as far as price to performance and feature set, that would not be fair. The one weakness I found with this machine is that the pinpoint button is prone to wear or wearing out and that it is not an isolated issue. I don't know it to be a particularly wide spread issue either, but it is something to be aware of.
    2 points
  40. I have owned the Minelab GPZ 7000 and have done very well with it as a gold prospecting detector. The GPZ 7000 is a very high power all metal (dig all metals) detector that acts very much like an extremely powerful all metal VLF detector. It gets exceptional depth on a wide range of gold nugget types, especially on porous wire or specimen type gold that can be hard for pulse induction detectors like the GPX 5000 to detect. On the other hand the GPZ 7000 will signal on some type of hot rocks and alkali (salt) ground that a pulse induction detector would handle, so there is a trade of sorts being performed. In general however I could not ask for a better nugget detector for the Western U.S. and pounded areas in particular. I have rated the GPZ as four stars instead of five due to its weight (over 7 lbs), minimal coil selection, and very high price. See my detailed review for far more information than I have presented here.
    2 points
  41. I used the 1280x for more than 15 years without a problem. I had the small coil and made a chest mount harness as well as used the belt mount which made swinging the coil much easier due to the reduced weight on the rod. Although I was told it was not suitable to use in salt water, I took it to Miami and the Hawaiian Islands and was successful in finding more than eight gold rings plus a platinum ring in salt water or wet salt water sand. Once the coil was submerged, the detector stabilized and the signals were smooth and easily identified as either good or bad targets. Loved the fact that the detector broke down to make the detector very portable for travel. Sold it last year and the new owner found a gold ring his first time using the machine.
    1 point
  42. The Vanquish 340 is an amazing detector for the money. With the included 10” coil it is nicely balanced, had easy to understand controls, can be adjusted for just about any sized person and most importantly, it can detect and correctly identify targets from surface to its full depth of detection like no other detector even close to its price range except for its siblings the Vanquish 440 and 540. It lacks a pinpoint button. Otherwise, I have zero complaints about this excellent beginner detector.
    1 point
  43. May have To upgrade my order to have the New 8 inch coil as a back up option .... to get in closer to stumps and logs piers or rocks Add it into my bag of tricks...... Glad to see Fisher leading the industry love the picture and layout of controls.....looking Good... jimpugh
    1 point
  44. I picked up the Minelab Safari from a local guy in town, not a bad machine at all. I been out of detecting for a while now, got the itch, bought the Safari and been busy almost daily swinging for at least an hour a day. This machine does find everything, the good, the bad, everything. Still trying to figure it out but would recommend.
    1 point
  45. This is a duplicate of the review I left for the standard F19. The F19 Ltd is exactly the same detector except offered with a camo paint scheme. I prfer the plain black and gold color scheme myself so lean F19. Other than that however they operate and perform identically and I would use either from that standpoint. I am a Fisher Gold Bug Pro fan. The machine is lightweight, easy to use, and very effective for what it is designed for. However, the Gold Bug Pro is somewhat feature limited and the F19 adds some extra capability that many people would welcome - things like a meter backlight or ferrous volume setting, for instance. The main thing however is that if you want the 10" x 5.5" elliptical coil for the Gold Bug Pro you have to get it as an accessory coil, or buy a two coil package. It is odd to this day that the Gold Bug Pro, a machine aimed at gold prospectors, is not available with the 10" elliptical coil as the stock coil. For this reason I aim people who want that coil at the F19 because you can get it stock with that coil. You get all the 19 kHz performance of the Gold Bug Pro, plus extra features, by getting the F19, and for about the same price as a Gold Bug Pro two coil package. Either way, this 19 khz model in all its flavors is a very solid performer on low conductors like gold and small targets like ear rings or small gold nuggets. The 19 khz platform is a little weak on silver coins but still does very well as a coin hunter. The main thing I like is the light weight, solid performance, and very simple operation. The 19 kHz circuit is also one of the best I have used for ignoring electrical interference in areas where other machines may have issues. Finally, do note that the Fisher F19 is the same unit electronically as the Teknetics G2+. The only real difference is the rod and grip assembly and the coil that comes stock. The F19 has the classic "S" rod handle, while the G2+ has a modified "S" rod with pistol grip design some people may prefer.
    1 point
  46. Mx7 is a very capable detector, but for me the stock coil should have been a concentric spider coil at about 8 inches. I knew going in that I would be adding 6.5 six shooter and the 6x10 DD. I like to hunt jewelry and coins on dryland ( no ocean here). The 6x10 is used on sports fields and open areas. The 6.5 is used for around structures, tot lots, and trashy parks. The pros are: a) Power, the Mx7 is no wimp, b)Sensitivity on the fly, a must in structure hunting, C) EMI resistant, this the best I have used in my urban environment, D) battery life is over 40 hrs, E) Lots of modes and many can be customized, F) Ground balance is a snap and I use both locked and unlocked, G) Tones are great, and the # used is according to circumstance. Cons: A) Need to look at a different stock coil that is lighter, B) Come on Whites, develop a stand that puts the battery compartment off the ground.
    1 point
  47. I very much like the 7000, great machine, for sure, 5 stars.
    1 point
  48. Having an AT Pro for a few years now I find as a solid and reliable general purpose machine. It works really well in lakes, ponds, rivers. The VDI depth is not always that accurate but I assume other machines in it's class are similar. The sensitivity to silver is outstanding but gold and nickels will have a tight range (vdi 51-53) so take your time if you run into a handful of square tabs and let the machine lock in on the target. My only beef with the Garret machines is I am not a big fan of their coils. Stock DD is adequate and their concentric Rx is too large to get good target separation. I did get a Nel Big for the machine for the big open fields and beach which seems to have a more stable signal but the coil is heavy so after a season of swinging the big coil your one arm may be double the size of the other. The new AT Max is the next generation of this machine with wireless headphones which IMO are useless if you plan on dunking the machine as wireless don't work under water. Bang for the buck if you can find one on sale it's worth snagging.
    1 point
  49. The 7000 is heavy and costly but it is the best gold detector and I give it 5 stars.
    1 point
  50. The Delta has many very good features. Unfortunately it could not cope with either the bad EMI or high mineralization in my area. I'm sure that in milder soil mineralization it would be great.
    1 point
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