Jump to content

Steve Herschbach

Administrator
  • Posts

    19,577
  • Joined

  • Days Won

    1,555

 Content Type 

Forums

Detector Prospector Home

Detector Database

Downloads

Everything posted by Steve Herschbach

  1. You do have a lot of remaining warranty but that would be a one way to void it. Not a good idea. Contact Miner John for a recommendation - he might even custom make a coil for you. You might also try looking for a used Coiltek Platypus coil. Finally, there is the old sock full of sand tied to top of coil trick.
  2. Funny, I posted same time as Goldpick and missed the post - great finds! Congratulations!!
  3. Well Harry, I think the Gold Bug 2 is super easy! I also know lots of novices would tell us we are nuts. Getting a handle on a manually tuned hot VLF is not as easy as it seems to us old timers. Number one complaint on Gold Bug 2 when I was in the biz was inability of casual users to ever learn it well enough to get good with it. If money is no object people should just get an SDC - way way easier than a VLF and nearly as hot, better even on deeper stuff.
  4. I have the Racer 2 and Gold Racer and when I hit the hills with my GPZ 7000 the Racer 2 stays home and the Gold Racer goes. My second choice in the N/M lineup for prospecting is the FORS Gold Plus. If I wanted it to also do coins, beaches, etc. I would be very tempted now by the FORS Relic but would probably go Racer 2 again even though the Relic at 19 kHz has an edge. I like the options and screen/menu control setup on the Racer 2 better. Those are simply my choices based on my personal use filters. You have to think about your uses and preferences and at end of day pull the trigger. They can all find gold. Too many great options does make it difficult, and intangibles like on arm feel and audio can only be revealed by actually using a detector. They can look great on paper and still not feel or sound right when you get them.
  5. I am pretty much like Ray - I think a smaller coil will really make an incredible detector even better. The software update is just a bonus.
  6. I should have worded my original response better. While I am sure the detector can find gold getting a model used and proven specifically for prospecting is a much better idea. Thanks for the more intelligent responses everyone.
  7. My posting the latest news should not be read as a complaint on my part at least. It is simply the latest update from XP for people who like to know what's going on.
  8. The FORS Relic does have a prospecting mode, the same as the FORS Gold. Nokta does not use that label for their all metal mode. As far as prospecting goes it depends on how much value you place in the iSAT control on the FORS Gold Plus, which is lacking on the Relic.
  9. Hi Jim, This is a rare detector in the U.S. and not one I have ever heard used prospecting although I have no doubt it could be used to find gold. Truthfully it is a same half dozen or the other thing when looking at mid frequency units. Just have to shop the feature lists as the difference in actual detecting capability is minimal.
  10. From https://m.facebook.com/XPMetalDetectors/ Late summer possibly longer...
  11. Basically it is just business gossip. 99% of potential White's customers will never know and not care. Jimmy had a lot of positives for White’s but there were other sides to that coin most people are not aware of. The bottom line is most manufacturers do not need distributors taking a piece of the action these days, driving up costs, when they can do everything factory direct instead.
  12. Impact release this year. Three frequencies, not all at once, choose which to use. Exact frequency choice unknown. Deus V4 release this year. Four frequencies, not all at once, choose which to use. 10, 20, 30 and 40 kHz on top of alternate existing 4, 8, 12, 18 kHz scheme. Each setup requires different coils.
  13. You have to decide what your primary purpose is in getting a machine, and look at machines that exist. If I had to get just one detector for VLF gold prospecting it would be a 19 kHz model. The FORS Gold+ is a very attractive option in that category. I think I am done with simple single frequency machines personally. Instead of having a 3-8 kHz machine for coin detecting and a 13-19 kHz machine for general detecting and a 30 kHz plus machine for low conductor hots I want one machine that does all three. Right now only option is Eureka Gold but too heavy and lacking too many features.
  14. Roughwater has it right - ground wire. I have an old Gold Bug I can open up to post a photo for you but I am on the road now and can't get to that until Monday. Maybe somebody else will help before then.
  15. Gold Racer all metal mode with ground grab is hands down easier to operate than the Gold Bug 2. It is only if you delve into the extra capability entirely lacking in the Gold Bug 2 that makes the Gold Racer more complex.
  16. Nothing that would make for a better nugget detector. The Racer 2 extra control over tones and notching combined with the 56 kHz hots of the Gold Racer would make for a near perfect jewelry detector. I like my Racer 2 a lot but if I had to keep just one it would be the Gold Racer.
  17. Welcome to the forum Jim! and I want one at 56 kHz - Gold Racer 2 running at Gold Racer frequency. I am pretty sure Nokta/Makro posted they were giving the flavor of the month treatment a break for now however. Too many new machine too quickly was actually getting to be a bit much for people (not me, bring them on). Best bet for them now is to get that Impact model out the door.
  18. What we are discussing is usually called "Recovery Speed" by most manufacturers. From the White's XLT User Manual: "Recovery Speed - Speeds target responses, so several targets that are close together can each respond. When a metal is detected, it takes a fraction of a second for the detector to process the signal before it can respond to another metal target nearby. The time it takes to process the first metal target signal so that the second metal target signal can respond is called RECOVERY SPEED. There are advantages and disadvantages to fast (high numbers) and slow (low numbers) RECOVERY SPEEDS. Faster RECOVERY SPEEDs work well in high trash areas. However, they will have some difficulties with very deep targets as well as double responses on shallow targets. Slower RECOVERY SPEEDs do not work very well in high trash areas. However, they will have better responses on very deep targets. Slower speeds also have more definitive discrimination sounds. A custom setting needs to be found that suits the preferences of the individual and the conditions in the area. As a general rule, the closer together the metal targets are in an area, the faster the recovery speed should be. The more spacing between targets, the slower the speed should be. Don't use the fast speed if you don't need to. In very trashy areas it is recommended to switch to a loop smaller in size than the standard 9.5 inch black loop. Smaller loops offer better separation between targets. However, larger loops detect deeper and cover more area with each pass. RECOVERY SPEED combined with a smaller loop can be used to search severely trashy areas." Just to confuse people White's decided to call it "Recovery Delay" on the V3i. A low recovery delay equates to a fast recovery speed. From the White's V3i User Manual: "Recovery Delay - 1 – 200 200 = slowest. Additional and separate (beyond filtration) selection for the signal response time. Short response time benefits performance in high trash by providing better target separation. A longer response time allows a larger window to detect deeper targets. Ideal Recovery Delay is dependent on Ground Filter selection, ground mineralization, trash density, and your average sweep speed (how quickly you move the search coil)." It would seem detector manufacturers abhor standard terminology, even the same manufacturer! XP has decided to call Recovery Speed by an even newer term - Reactivity. From the Deus User Manual:
  19. I have not used the coil on an MXT - those coils were for my DFX and V3i which share coils with the MXT. The coil however has a very good reputation with White's users. Big coils on a VLF depend almost solely on the mineralization. In very low mineral ground they can add serious depth. They do see more ground. The problem is in medium bad ground the mineralization seen requires reductions in sensitivity that cause the extra depth potential to be negated. In very severe ground, a larger coil can actually get less depth than a more moderate size coil! In a nutshell that is why you see very large coils used often on PI detectors but rarely on VLF detectors. PI detectors are more immune to ground effects. A large VLF coil is more often used just to get more ground coverage with extra depth more of a bonus. That can be of benefit where targets are sparse but works against you in trashy ground. Too many targets under the coil at once. i have often chased the promise of larger VLF coils only to be disappointed. With VLF smaller is often better. Large coils on VLF detectors are usually only good for very specific niche uses.
  20. Welcome to the forum Rod, and thank you. The preferred option would be an adjustable recovery control, as target separation and depth is usually a trade off. In this case it is an open question however as the audio drag with tones activated seems to be far in excess of what would be considered normal. It may be that we will see no depth loss even with a more rapid turnover in tones with better separation. Consider however that on one hand White's is basically saying the original firmware run is not something they think everyone needs, yet every new machine from here on out will have the new firmware. It does raise the question of whether early first version machines might be sought after by some people, as has occurred with other detectors. The first run Garrett Infinium machines were extra hot, but it caused stability issues in salt water. The machine was toned down in later versions, leading some to want those early hot models. A similar thing occurred with an early Gold Bug Pro version. We really will not know reality until people who have early versions that were upgraded can report back with a before / after synopsis. Lets hope there is no reason to not have the firmware upgrade done. I considered hanging on to mine as is and acquiring an upgraded unit to compare directly but to be honest that just boiled down to more trouble than it was worth to me. I am ready to just go detecting, not chase down obscure performance issues in machines.
  21. Coils working aside the main reason I see quoted as to why adapters do not work is that they create a weak point in the connection. That however is a function of using a pigtail, and problems like that presumably are why engineers exist. A solid single piece screw on adapter would be preferable. Unfortunately unless one already exists on a shelf somewhere a pigtail is just easier and therefore cheaper/more expedient. There are many people out there with a half dozen or more coils owned at near $1000 invested. An adapter will not damage anything and sure worth a few bucks to give it a go. If even half the coils worked fine a huge savings. People are going to do it anyway so it will be interesting how reality matches up with White's statement on the matter. I personally have a 4" X 6" Shooter coil, 6" x 10" DD, 12" round concentric, and 12" x 15" Detech coils plus my Bigfoot. I will be acquiring an adapter and giving them all a go so that will be a start.
  22. I no longer have an SDC and so am waiting patiently for a small coil for the GPZ. The small coil on the SDC not only gets into tighter locations but makes for much easier pinpointing when sniping small gold. In theory the GPZ with small coil should not only match the SDC for performance on small gold but should exceed it. The SDC as a pulse induction machine does a fantastic job but still has gaps in its detection ability because of the nature of PI technology. There will always be a place for the SDC however. It certainly costs far less than the GPZ and weighs less. And that waterproof fold up stick in a rucksack design just screams cool. I really enjoy showing the machine to somebody that has never seen one. The SDC has an undeniable wow factor. I do not think there is an easier detector to operate that I could put in the hands of a novice to find their first nugget.
  23. White's official statement on coil adapters http://forums.whiteselectronics.com/showthread.php?75564-MX-Sport-Coils-Adapter-Info
  24. If it working great for you Rico that is all that matters. There are many happy people reporting good results. Like Tom has said - no reason to fix something that is not broken!
  25. There actually is nothing wrong with the first MX Sport release per se. It is a metal detector. It detects metal. The problem was a video by White's touting the machines separation capability. And an off the cuff statement by Steve Howard about how the MX Sport was going to slay that cute little French thing. Those that know took that as a reference to the Deus, a machine renowned for it recovery and separation characteristics. Whites themselves set that bar. The place I took the MX Sport I has just previously taken my Deus and Racer 2 putting those two machines head to head on found targets, and a battle it was. No clear winner. Then back to same place with MX Sport and the rest is history. If White's had never made any claims at all about the MX Sport, just put it out, and said it is what it is, there is no issue. My assumption however is the machine per their own statements is intended to be able to at least hold its own with other similarly priced machines like the AT Gold, Racer 2, and F19. The MX Sport I had was not even in the same ballpark. That long explanation however is to point out that the MX Sport is a metal detector and it does work. Anyone not familiar with how other high performance machines separate in dense trash may very well be happy with it. The grab and hold long audio can be a benefit to some people where targets are very deep and sparse. Beach hunters in particular may be happier with that ability to make a faint hit sound like a boomer target. It is not a defect, it is a way of doing things that may or may not work for people. It would be a non-issue had White's not make statements indicating the behavior I observed should be different than it was. Another complication is the nature of software driven metal detectors. Parameters change as settings change; for instance, certain issues may only occur at certain ground balance levels, and my ground is exceptionally bad. May not be an issue at all in milder ground. We know for sure some settings work great - just ask Paul. At this point though water under the bridge and I am surprised some diehard White's defenders of the faith continue to question there is an issue when White's themselves says there is and has issue a fix for it. I was a bit dismayed by the response from some dealers and dealer surrogates on this. They clearly wanted to stonewall, ignore, or bury the issue. I find that far more disturbing than any simple mistake made in a new machine release, which unfortunately is more the norm than not these days. Anyone that knows anything about how to handle stuff like this knows a quick admission of fault followed by a quick fix is the ONLY solution that works. We all forgive honest mistakes made right. It can be a plus for a company when handled correctly. My MX Sport is on the way back right now for the firmware update. Thank you White's and thank you again Tom for your participation on this thread.
×
×
  • Create New...