cudamark

As for the poll, I like the Minelab headphones that came with my 800, and since I use it slightly more on land than in the water, I just answered the poll reflecting that use. I also use some Tony Eisenhower waterproof headphones when I'm in the water, and like those very much too. That use, and with the Excalibur is the only time I use wired headphones these days.

There's just too many variables in nuggets vs. jewelry hunting to make any firm conclusions. I used to belong to SPMA/GPAA locally, but, found that the claims within a days drive just didn't have enough gold in them to even pay for my gasoline to get there and back. I was finding WAY more gold and other precious metal/jewelry at my local beaches just a few minutes away. A lot has to do with luck in not only getting the loop over precious metal, but, a NICE piece. I've had my share of great luck in that respect. You're not going to find a nugget worth 10X their value in gold, whereas I've found name brand jewelry that was worth several hundred times their metal value. A few finds come to mind.....a couple of rings had a retail value of 32K when you add the value of the rocks mounted in them. I found one 22K gold bracelet that weighed over 1.25 ounces and had 232 diamonds in it. I found a perfect condition Rolex that sells for $7500. Now granted, those aren't finds you get every day, but, neither are nuggets worth those amounts. To me it's just a matter of costs to find these things. If I have to drive hours to a decent gold area to many find a few flakes, or drive a few minutes to a swimming beach, where I have a good shot at jewelry, or, at least find gas money, it's a no-brainer to me. Now, if you're going to go camping and just want a new adventure, sure, I'm in for chasing some nuggets, but, unless I manage to get permission in a really good area, I still think the beach makes more economic sense. 

Do metal detector headphone speakers usually have that much resistance? I admit that I haven't looked at the specs on the latest gear, but, IIRC, the older model headphones had speakers in the 8 to 16 ohm range didn't they? Maybe I'm thinking car and house speakers......🤔

On 9/21/2021 at 8:43 AM, kac said:

Think the Lifetime warranty applied to the company and not necessarily the machines 🙂

That's always the way it is.....how's that Tesoro lifetime warranty on a detector working for you lately? The detector and the warranty are only as good as the company who makes them.

1 hour ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Just so people know, the ads you see are not the ads other people see. Google serves up ads based on your browsing history, and lacking that, based on the site itself. It's all customized to each person one way or another, and I have no idea what people are actually seeing. I think there is a way I could track down aggregate ad information, but frankly I've never cared enough to try.

Then according to Google, my liver is dying and I'm interested in women's underwear.....do they know something about me that I don't know? 😆

Welcome aboard! If metal detecting looks to be a continuing hobby for you, I'd look into a higher end detector. Having one that is FUN to use rather than one that just "works", or, "gets the job done", can make the hobby much more enjoyable. If you have a local detector dealer, you may want to go and handle a few to get an idea on weight, and other ergonomic features. Most local shops will help you pick the best models for your particular search needs, and can give you a basic tutorial for that model. If you don't have that option, just ask here. We have a lot of experienced detectorists here that can give you some help. Just let us know the areas you plan on searching (parks/schools, relic hunting, salt water beach, gold nuggets, etc,) targets you expect to find (coins, jewelry, relics, nuggets), if you need/want the detector to be waterproof, and your budget. Good Luck and have fun!

I would be another vote for the Equinox 800. It's many detectors in one and the best overall detector I've used in my 51+ years of detecting. I've found more gold with it than any other machine I've used. Good Luck!

So,they've come out with a 12" DD coil to replace an 11" DD coil? Wooop-ti-doooo......I didn't see them dig anything deep at all, or, anything tiny either. A Harbor Freight detector would have found the stuff they did. Who hunts the beach with an F75 anyway? You can't get it to work good in the wet sand let alone the water. Just a strange and pointless video.

I'd settle for a machine that can disc out aluminum as easily as it does iron, without losing small gold. I know, not likely, but, I can dream can't I? 🤑

I agree with Steve on this one. I don't use a separate "steal me" case either. Depending on the airline, it may cost extra money to take an extra case too. I just pack mine in a BIG soft sided suitcase padded with all my clothing. In the last few years, most airlines won't allow a locked case, and will break the lock if they want to inspect the contents, so, security of having a special case is moot. Granted, it may offer a bit more protection from the "gorillas" in baggage claim, but, I'd rather not put a target on it either.

Sorry, I can't seem to find my previous thread on this subject. To recap, my AQ wouldn't power up, so, it was sent in to Fisher for repair. They claimed that it was the battery. I had my doubts, as I had tried a second battery with the same results. Anyway, they claimed it was only the battery and sent it back to me with a new one. On a side note, I had just sent the electronics back to them, and kept all the rods, cuff, and charger to save on shipping costs. Well, it seems they want EVERYTHING sent back when they do a repair. That's a first for me. They even told me that you shouldn't remove the arm cuff at all! It's something that they have to do, and not something the customer is capable of as it might damage the cable inside the rod.  Good grief, what a design. Anyway, when I got it back, I noticed that the cable from the battery to the pod had been changed. Hmmm, I wonder if that was really the problem and not the battery. Otherwise, why change it? Oh, you think they might have sent a new and improved one? Think again. I didn't think they could make that design any worse, but, they managed. It's even longer that the original, and wimpier IMO. And what is the problem with using 90 degree connectors to reduce the risk of cable damage? Well, it works now, so, I guess I can't complain too much, in fact, the new battery is a lot better than the original. The last hunt, I got over 3 1/2 hours on it and still had a green light! That's definitely an improvement. Now, if I can just find something good that my other detectors couldn't find!

On 6/21/2021 at 1:43 PM, Joe D. said:

     Less complicated to make, cheaper to ship! And if they are paying attention to all the complaints about the one's that don't work well on the market, They could take a nice marketshare, and increase there R&D spending!(a little more!) JMO!

   My main pinpointer that I love (Treasure Products Vibra-Probe 585), and have used for nearly seven years, has been practically indestructible! But still works great! No buttons, no adjustments, no speaker, vibrate only, and good to nearly 100 ft., but rarely goes any more than five feet deep! Works for me!! Apparently, I am one of the few using one!!?🤔

.  I did send NoMak my list of names just for fun! If I get a free one out of it, or not, I'm good!👍👍

You're not the only one Joe. I have one myself. Until I got the TRX, it was my primary pin pointer. Very well built, but, there are certain things about it that could be improved. I would rather have an on-off switch rather than the time consuming tip up, tip down method of turning it on/off. It also will float right out of the holster, so, a lanyard is a must. The tip material wears easily. I had to add some epoxy to it when it wore through. It also is more prone to "talk" to my other detectors, which can be annoying if I don't remember to keep them far enough apart. It's a lot bigger (both diameter and length) and a bit more cumbersome to use compared to the others I've used, except for the TinyTec. Anyone remember those?

It's pretty common to find coins over there in the fields to have been taco'd by a plow.

That's way more than bling! More like BOING! 😄

Here's an inside pic. Actually turned out better than I expected. It's easier to read now than with my bare old eyeballs! 

Here's my best one, also silver and gold. There's a smooth spot on the other side where you could engrave a name or initials in it, but, it's blank. From what I can see, there is a star logo inside with a symbol in the center that looks like it might be the shape of a thimble. It has Sterling stamped above the star. There's also a number 9 below the star....size? I'll try to get a decent photo inside.

Tim, Steve, I enjoyed hunting with you two over there in England. Cool trips! I've got one item I found in Oct 2019 declared as "treasure" that hasn't (to the best of my knowledge) even been evaluated yet. Due to the "experts" not being able to get together to do said evaluation because of the pandemic lock downs, I can understand the delay. What troubles me more is missing/stolen items. Coin collecting is the motivating force that got me started in this hobby, 51 year ago next week. I don't turn my nose up at cool relics and nice jewelry also, but, coins are my favorite find. In my last trip, I found a fairly rare coin, at least as a dug find. One that got posted (along with it's slick sister) on the Colchester website. It even had a comment posted by Chicago Ron that it was the best one he's seen dug. Well, somewhere along the way, it's disappeared. I know it made it from my pouch to whoever took the photos and posted them. After that, the trail has vanished, and nobody seems to be able find it. If this was an isolated incident, I might understand, but, this isn't the first item of mine that came up missing. In a previous hunt, I had found a gilded Victorian era candlestick that turned up missing from my finds also. Not as valuable to me as the coin, but still, it's something I was hoping to keep. I guess I'll have to take even better photos of each item next time, so, I can determine value and sue for damages! 😄

Other than the Gold modes, I find Field 2 is the most sensitive to tiny gold. It's also a bit better in iron and coke areas, but, you need to run it with the horseshoe on or you may miss some stuff that reads in the upper iron/lower non-ferrous area. In nasty ground, yes, you'll need to lower the sensitivity and/or use Gold 2 to deal with mineralization.

I'll be curious to see how they end up marketing their new detectors with the White's influence. "GW Metal detectors, the best of both worlds"?

Had to turn it off. The background (foreground?) music is just too bloody loud to hear him talk properly. I don't know why many videos feel they need music. Maybe because they don't have enough good content?😁

Welcome aboard! I'll be heading back to the Colchester/Manningtree area again this fall myself. Fun hunting that olde stuff!

..

22 hours ago, mayfly said:

Thanks Jeff.  Maybe I should have come on this forum before buying.  I didn't realise the Ace 250 was old technology. All the reviews and videos I watched made it sound like brilliant up to the minute science.

Your reply doesn't give me hope.  It sounds like I've bought a turkey.

I'll give it another few goes.  But it could be on ebay soon - at half price.

What are you trying to find, targetwise, and where are you hunting? I know it's a bit late now since you already have the detector, but, choosing the proper detector should be based on the answer to those two questions. If you have highly mineralized ground and/or salty conditions, you may not have much success with an ACE 250 compared to another brand/model.

21 hours ago, Jim in Idaho said:

Thank you, Cudamark. I'm thinking of the AT Max, sorta.  But, wish it had larger coils. I may just go with Steve's suggestion, and make a watertight bag to go over the entire TM808, and make an extension for the headphone cable. I've got a lead bar the exact size of the assumed gold bars, and the 808 sees it at 33", which is about as good as it gets...but no discrimination, and that might mean a whole bunch of under water digging, which would be a deal-killer. I may be over-thinking the need for discrimination, however. I'm also thinking of the DFX with a 14" coil. In Prospect mode it sees the lead bar at 30", and I could set it up to discriminate, even in prospect mode, I think.

Jim

Jim

Agreed, a waterproof two box would be the way to go if you can keep it at an even level with the river bottom. So would just about any good gold prospecting detector from Minelab or Garrett if you don't need discrimination. As for using an AT Max, in my testing, an Equinox with the 12 X 15" coil goes deeper than any currently available coil you can put on the AT Max.

I'm unaware of any two box detectors that are waterproof, so, I would hesitate to use one in a river. One dunk and they're history. If the gold bars are not too deep, I would consider using an Excalibur or CTX with the biggest coil available. It would be pretty tough to modify an Excal with wireless headphones, but, the CTX shouldn't be much of a problem. Both of these choices have good iron I.D. and will go fairly deep for their intended use. If the target is 3+ feet deep, you would need something different, but, finding something that goes deeper, has discrimination, and waterproof might be a challenge.

19 hours ago, NV-OR-ID-CAL-AU said:

Cudamark, I agree the backup battery system sounds like a pretty good option for my circumstance. Have you heard how long the factory Equinox batteries last for?  I’ve heard it’s also not recommended to try and replace the factory battery DIY?

I've heard of a few failures, but, very few. Mine is about 3 years old now and still gives me a full day's hunt. I have a USB battery that came with a cell phone accessory pack and carry that with me just in case. I've yet to need to use it.