ColonelDan

😃  Congratulations

I agree with Chase. I have both and the Pelsos are much better in every regard.

Andy is a great resource for learning the world of metal detecting for sure.  But what I learned over the years is Pre-determined settings serve only to get you in the ballpark. It’s up to you to pick the best seat.

Any array of settings is highly dependent on the environment in which you're hunting.  Soil composition, level of moisture, mineralization, target composition and attitude in the soil, presence of EMI and so on.  Andy's settings are a great place to start but you should adjust those settings to meet your environment if you want to unleash your detectors full capability....in other words, it's up to you to pick the "best seat" after Andy gets you in the ball park.  😉

Just the view from my foxhole...

I wondered about this awhile back so I tested my two EQX800s in my test garden. 

I set them up exactly the same, noise canceled each and kept them apart so they would not interfere with each other.  The results; they performed exactly the same ...which actually surprised me somewhat.  I expected some small degree of variance but that wasn't the case with my two. 👍

Since getting the Quest headphones, I've used nothing else.

F2 exclusively on Florida beaches.  Works well.

I've seen some dry spells in my time but a combination of COVID fears, extensive renourishment and recent temperatures in the 40' - 60's have resulted in 2020 being one of the worst dry spells in memory.  The depositors just aren't flocking to our beaches in normal numbers.  

I haven't been down south or on the west coast of FL recently, but if your interested in detecting from Jacksonville to the Treasure Coast, I can tell you my experience has been one of a lot more exercise than any significant detecting success.  

Praying for an improvement in 2021. 

10 hours ago, joseph bielawski said:

I own a 600. It came with standard wire headphones. I want to update to wireless. The standard headphones fall apart(cup where wire extrudes from plastic holder). In a strong onshore wind or sea conditions, it lets in a lot of background noise. Can you suggest what headphones(wireless) can I investigate? I hear there is more to this than I expected, as I read a few stories here. All those alpha/number settings don't help me as I am a NEWBIE to detecting. Yeah, I should have gotten the 800, but no one was around to answer questions. '

'Nuff of my railing/raiting.

 

ANY help as to what one to get(and why) will surly help. 

I use the Quest headphones.  So far they have have been great.

https://www.questmetaldetectors.com/product-page/aptx-low-latency-bluetooth-wireless-headphones-for-minelab-equinox

Were I in your shoes, I would get him the Equinox 800.  It's as simple as you want it to be right out of the box and he can grow into it as he gains confidence and knowledge of its capabilities.  He can then tweak it to enhance/realize its potential.

It's a great machine for either beginner or advanced detectorist.

Good job soldier....👍

1. True waterproof capability

2. Reposition side buttons to the face of the control box

3. Stronger coil ears

4. More substantial arm cuff

5. Contract with Steve Goss to design their shafts! 👍 🙂

On 10/18/2020 at 11:02 AM, Steve Herschbach said:

Nothing stops that from happening, and most items in actively moving sand do sink farther than we can detect. They end up on hard layers, or as deep as the deepest storm scour that has occurred since they were lost.

Steve and FloridaSon are on target.  Gold will continue to sink in the sand until some denser, compact layer or obstacle stops it.  If it doesn’t hit hard pack, it will definitely sink out of detector range.  That factor is why we watch and hope for serious erosion...especially along the treasure coast.  Once heavy tides have stripped away multiple layers of sand, previously undiscovered goodies can appear.

Thanks to all for the good ideas!

16 minutes ago, Steve Herschbach said:

I've always used a GPS. They solve the accuracy and battery life issues.

Good idea!

I thought I’d try using a pedometer just to see how far I stroll along the beach on my hunts.

The reviews I’ve read on many are not very complimentary.  It seems the common complaint centers on accuracy and battery life.

I’d appreciate your thoughts and recommendations.

Thanks

9 minutes ago, Joe D. said:

You been out of the foxhole Colonel? I haven't seen you here for awhile!!👍👍

😁 True!  

Personally, I always use a cover on the beach.  Why?

1. Beach Sand acts like sand paper on anything it touches.  The cover provides protection against those scratches.  Just look at your cover after a few hunts and you’ll see what the sand does.

2. Covers don’t degrade performance.
 

3. Yes, it requires you to remove it to clean the coil but the protection benefits far outweigh the small hassle of a little cleaning time.

For me, why wouldn’t I use a cover?

Just the view from my sandy foxhole... 

On 9 August, I posted my initial impression of Steve Goss’ latest offering---carbon fiber scoop handles for the T-Rex, Stealth and X-treme series of sand scoops.

I’ve been using his product exclusively now for over a month and thought I’d submit a few follow up thoughts. Bottom line up front: Does his handle still impress me as it did when I first got it? ABSOLUTELY.

A few descriptive words/phrases come to mind when evaluating this handle after many beach outings:

Stout: This handle is indeed worthy of the term. It leaves no doubt that what you have in your hand is a very stout piece of carbon fiber. There isn’t one hint of flex or weakness in this thing.

Reliable: I’m more than certain Steve’s handle will serve me well for years to come.

Professional construction: Steve’s handle is not your big box store, mass produced item. This man takes pride in what he makes and each one reflects his strict attention to detail.

Conclusion: I’m even more impressed now than I was when I first posted my initial report. If you decide you’d like a top notch carbon fiber handle, you can buy this with the utmost confidence that you’re getting the best I’ve seen since I bought my first detector in 1970.

Again, I have no financial interest in Steve’s business. I’m just passing along my personal opinion.

18 minutes ago, Rivers rat said:

it is usually a good sign............Gold aint far

 

RR

Normally, very true.  This spill however, was relatively shallow in the dry sand high on the beach near the dunes.  My guess is that some fisherman unfortunately dumped his tackle box.

We've all seen, heard of or found coin spills...particularly if you primarily hunt beaches. However, throughout all the years I've been walking our Florida beaches this is the first Sinker Spill of this size that I've ever found.

These sinkers came from the same 3x10ft area of Bicentenial Park beach and it wouldn't surprise me if I didn't find all that was there!

😁

Just a few words from my experience:  Even in the low mineralized sand of central Florida beaches, Field 2  cannot compete with either of the Beach modes in wet salt sand or surf.  I’ve tested the modes on my beach hunting areas just out of curiosity.  Park 1 in 4kHz on dry sand does OK but again, I’ll stay with the beach modes in damp, wet and surf.
just the view from my salty foxhole....

This Mackinaw boat anchor from the Second Seminole War circa 1837

Another suggestion is LS Pelso.    I have these and they are indeed loud enough and waterproof.

https://www.kellycodetectors.com/catalog/ls-pelso-underwater-headphones-with-long-cable

Aaron,  " I should try to buy it back! "

Most definitely!!  👍

I have two sunspots, a 720 and a 920 that I bought years ago while Chuck still owned the company and made them.  I haven’t had any trouble with either one like you’ve described and I hunt both saltwater beaches and lakes with tough clay bottoms.  They are holding up just like your old sugar sand scoop.  Sugar Sand is what Chuck called that design. 
Having watched your video, my guess is the new owners have altered Chuck’ s process, design, materials or all of the above.  Sad if they did that since Chuck’s scoops were among the absolute best on the market....as is proven by your original sugar sand scoop.