cudamark

3 hours ago, fogrider said:

I don't care where my next detector is made, as long as it's good quality, comes with a decent warranty, and is supported well by the manufacturer.

 

 

That's a problem many of us have.......not knowing where our hard-earned money goes, and what it buys. With some consumer goods, we have little or no choice, but, when we do, think about who is getting that money, and what are they doing with it. Damn if I want to support our enemies by funding their military to point weapons to me, my family, and my friends.

Yikes, not a good sign with MInelab in partnership with China. I hate seeing a shovel included in a beginner pack too. You can expect to see those being used in your local park/school to the detriment of us all.

If you hunt salt water, no contest.....SMF. Single freqs just don't get the job done near as well.

I'm one who will welcome a bigger coil for the Nox. Where coverage is key, like beaches and fields, the bigger the better for me. That being said, yes, it's going to be site dependent, probably more sensitive to EMI and ground feedback, and maybe less sensitive to smaller targets. These remain to be seen in actual use. I have both the Minelab 12 X 15" coil and the Coiltek 15" round. Both have their uses. I prefer the 12 X 15 for most uses, but, for when I need max depth, the 15" goes on. I found in most mild ground, I get another 1-2 inches for coin/ring size objects. Even more for larger items. I would assume that Coiltek has done some research, both demand and performance, or they wouldn't have tooled up to make this coil. I welcome any and all coil choices they can come up with. I like having a full tool box.

Interesting, I must have got a good one, as I love the 900. It's everything I hoped the 800 would be. In some ground, it's deeper than I can dig without a pick. 

Somehow I got the feeling it was a bit staged, or, a re-enactment. Why was a camera set up on that spot? Camera views changed somehow.....someone else working it? Hell of a nice nugget though....👍

The "Eye Patch" of Rye Patch! Nice. 😀👍

7 hours ago, mcjtom said:

How did they find the $10 bill? :⁠-⁠)

With the bifocal user option. 😁

6 minutes ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Welcome to the forum! Almost anyone need look no farther than the Minelab Equinox 800, Nokta Legend or XP Deus 2 for the vast majority of normal metal detecting - coins, relics, jewelry, and even gold nuggets. They will all get the job done and done well, and the difference between them is negligible. The Minelab Manticore will probably replace the Equinox 800 as the way to go once the software is finalized and coils fully available. It's probably a better bet looking forward for a really serious operator, but the Equinox 800 has bang for the buck that can't be denied. Outside of serious gold prospecting there honestly is no need to look at anything but these three or four detectors, and do rest assured they are all very good. Most of the debate on these forum boil down to hair splitting over the fringe targets, with all these models normally doing just as well on the vast majority of normal targets. Pick one that seems to be a fit for you for whatever reason, even if one just looks cooler to you than the others. Flip a coin. But if you get one of these and truly apply yourself to learning it and more importantly, putting in hours on good locations, you will do well.

I didn't figure this would ever happen, but, I have to disagree with you Steve. With the 900 out and available, I see no reason to buy the 800. It's so much better IMO, that my 800 is collecting dust when it's not a loaner. Sure, you pay a bit more, but, the added features make it more than worth it. If you need a bargain due to budget constraints, get the Legend. I'm still trying to learn the Deus 2. It's still speaking French to me at this point, so, no recommendation plus or minus.

Ok, I'll throw my 1 1/2 cents into the pot. Having been an early detectorist before pin pointers, where we had to wave handfuls of dirt over the coil, I find I can't live without one now, even at the beach. I have 4 different ones. Currently, I like the Mi6 from XP the best. Rechargeable, so not batteries to buy, the charge last for many hunts, compact, comes with a lanyard, and will pair with your Deus should you have one. I have my previous favorite, the White's TRX as a backup. I also have the VibraProbe, which was my waterproof pin pointer before everybody made one. I wore the tip of that down to where I could see wiring. I just dipped that tip in some two part epoxy and it hasn't worn down since. My only problem with the VP is that it's a bit clunky, by that, I mean it's not real ergonomic. Kinda long in today's world, and the shaft diameter is quite big too. It's built very well and works great though and is fairly unique in that it has a mercury (or more environmentally friendly equivalent) switch, where you just turn the tip down to turn it on, and tip it up to turn it off....no switch, sound, or adjustments....just vibration. When you have something falling through your scoop, or, you're detecting in wet sand or mud, a pin pointer can be a real time saver. Shallow targets in turf saves a lot of plugging too.

There wasn't a box to check on what I do. I don't tape, glue, or do anything special to keep the coil cover sealed or prevent it from falling off (I've never had that problem). What I do instead of constantly having to pull off the cover to remove any black sand build up, is to just drill some holes in the cover, and flush out anything that may have gotten inside with a hose after a hunt. An added bonus is that it removes a tiny bit of weight too.

Congratulations on your success! What happened to Makro? Yeah, the original Nokta/Makro was a mouthful, but, Nokta still doesn't just roll off my American tongue. I always thought the name would get shortened to NoMak, but, I guess I will need diction lessons....😀

Interesting mods. I'd still be concerned about water incursion. My understanding is that the charging port is a common area for water leaks. How deep do you figure you can go now?

Asking for permission from government bureaucrats can often get you a big NO too. I mean, what incentive do they have to say yes and possibly get in trouble from their boss? I find it's better to just look up the law yourself and take the personal bias and/or ignorance of the law, out of the equation. 

The rules here are like what jasong has. The city owns the property but the homeowner is required to maintain it. That goes with repairing/repaving the sidewalk if necessary. That last part is currently being argued as being too much of a strain on the city budget, but, it's pretty expensive to have done by the homeowner too. the permit alone is $2000, and it has to be done by a licensed contractor which adds their fee to the bottom line too. Anyway, I hunt lots of curb strips. I ignore the highly landscaped ones and only hit the ones that look untouched and/or abandoned. I find the nicely landscaped ones to mostly be a waste of time. When the work was done, most of the old targets were dug up and hauled away.

On 7/3/2023 at 11:56 AM, Manuel said:

I just came across Magnetic Locators. Are these kinds of devices useful? The package also contains items made of metal. 

What is a "magnetic locator"? A magnet? If so, a magnet has virtually no effect on gold/silver/platinum, palladium, etc. Only iron/steel type objects.

The Minelab Equinox series is another good option. If you're going to submerge the detector, I'd go with the 700/900 version for sure. It's also the better choice even if you don't use it in the water, if your budget can stand it. 

I've helped look for lost items in people's houses with some success. I always try to start by having the person retrace their steps exactly if they can remember each step. As for locations......men generally hide stuff in the garage, workshop, master bedroom, den/study, and attic, in that order of likely spots. Women are more likely to hide things in the kitchen or pantry, master bedroom, and laundry room. A pin pointer can help sometimes, but, a regular detector isn't likely to help. Under certain circumstances, one with a tiny coil and with the sensitivity turned way down can work too.

I seriously doubt losing IDC is a major concern for Minelab in the long run. There's bound to be any number of smaller dealers willing to take the leap to expand their business. They're probably already talking behind the scenes as I type this. If not, setting up a direct mail distributor for Europe wouldn't take much, and probably make them even more money than being simply a manufacturer. In this global market, I'm actually surprised cutting out the middleman hasn't happened already.

On 5/7/2023 at 1:08 PM, coffeecan said:

Hello John, I'm pushing 70. I can't imagine how I would be if I did't get out. At first it is tough on the joints. When I am done I just about crawl to the car. It does get better, as I am out again the next day or so. Nothing else I would rather be doing. Good Luck my friend!

It's better to be "pushing 70" than pulling it like me! 😜

On 5/2/2023 at 9:34 AM, KD8GIS said:

(PHRUNT)  "people using their 10 year old Whites detector doesn't keep a business alive"  Strange statement, sure it can be true, But when did you see "Quality" as a bad thing.  In My 40+ years I have updated to newer machines, Kept older machines.  I can say My first White's 5000D Series 2  1980 detector could run any day with todays' detectors.  XL Pro, MXT, Wonderful machines.  Bells and Whistles, Ah yes, When a person gets to know a machine often times most of those bells and whistles don't even get used.... Find the People who "Find the good stuff" What are they doing?  Well you will see a common usage. Low to no discrimination and a sensitivity setting as high as can be used.  Why should I give up what works great for me?  

I started detecting 53 years ago and was a big White's fan for many many years. That said, your statement that the 5000 (or 5900 or 6000di Pro for that matter) can "run any day with today's detectors" is only true if the targets are relatively shallow, the ground mild, and we're not talking wet salt water sand or ocean. Like the analogy of the '64 Mustang compared with today's vehicles.....sure the Mustang will get you the looks, and it may be fun to drive....at least in fair weather, and nobody stops suddenly in front of you, and you don't have to make emergency turns, and you don't mind the less reliability and extra maintenance, and you don't mind the poorer gas mileage, and the lesser performance, etc. Does that make the '64 Mustang a better overall car than a 2023 Mustang? Not hardly....in any area you wish to choose....except maybe looks! 😁 Would I still drive the '64? Sure, for fun, not as a daily driver or a trip where I wanted reliability, safety, and comfort. 

My old White's Eagle 2 SL90 had the best target I.D. of any machine I've ever used. I could predict a coin by the I.D. number and sound 98% of the time. I guess it's the price we have to pay to get better depth and tinier target response that it results in a noisier audio at a given sensitivity. I still think the 900 target I.D. is fine. Sure, there's more numbers to deal with, but, good targets are still more solid and have less "smear" across several numbers than a junk target has. The more I use it, the more I can tell a junk target over a good one.

I've been an early user of both the 800 and 900. I have 1000's of hours on the 800, and several hundred now on the 900 in parks, desert, and ocean, including underwater. To me the 900 is everything I expected it to be and what the 800 should have been from the beginning. Getting used to the expanded target range took a bit of getting used to, but, I like it. Sure instead of a nickel being 12 or 13, it's now a 24-28. Tabs on my machine are usually higher in the low 30's. The ones that aren't, are usually bent, broken, corroded, or partials. The 800 had the same issues with those. You get into black sand at the beach and the target numbers get thrown out the window. Target I.D.'s will be all over the place, as it was with the 800.  I believe the sensitivity range is actually expanded, not just more divisions of the same pie. 22 on the 900 seems to be about the same as 20 on the 800 for instance. I can also run the sensitivity a bit higher and still keep it stable with the 900 over the 800, which gives me a bit more depth. I could never determine a copper cent from a clad dime with the 800 with any certainty, and still can't with the 900 although my guess percentage has improved a bit. Not a biggie for me as I will recover both regardless. I usually run Park 1 on land and dry sand, Beach 2 in the ocean and wet sand, Field 2 for tiny gold jewelry, full tones, horseshoe on to hear the iron, threshold tone, recovery speed at 3 or 4 most places (higher around picnic tables and fire rings), iron bias at 0 unless bottle caps are an issue (then FE @ 4 does the job) and sensitivity adjusted as needed to keep it stable....actually a tiny bit chatty as I don't mind that under most situations. As always, you mileage may differ due to your specific site conditions and personal preferences.

On 4/2/2023 at 2:02 AM, UKD2User said:

I have all three, the one I use least is the 11 inch.

That's sort of the setup I have too. I bought the machine with the 9" figuring it would work the best in target rich environments, and that I'd get the 13" for beach/field use. I'll be there in England pillaging your fields starting at the end of this coming week! 😁

3 hours ago, UKD2User said:

Here in the UK we have a lot of small ancient coins hidden in iron and other trash.  I have found that my D2 is particularly good at finding them - we mostly have quite benign soils here, which helps a lot for any detector, I think. 🙂

Which coil are you using?