kac

I would guess that there is probably not a huge difference in sensitivity with the one you have and the newer AT model. I would ask Garrett, they are usually really good at responding back. I thought of getting a PI one but figured it would only be useful at the beach and I use a sand scoop there anyways and think I may have used my pointer 3x there where I had a screaming target from a beer can < 2ft down and used the pp to check depth before digging to China.

I kick myself for getting the Pro Find, soon as it dies again I'll RMA it back and then ebay the sob...

Higher frequency would be more sensitive to gold but I believe that in general pinpoints run low so they don't conflict with the detectors. There are pi pinpointers out there that might do the trick. The Minelab Profind 35 is sensitive and goes deep but I don't find it stable and quality is questionable. 

I would ask Garrett how the AT finder compares to what you have, it might be a good upgrade. Just about everyone I know uses those and they have various detectors from Whites to Minelabs.

If it works keep it!

I have an old Whites Bullseye one that has the long sensor and wore the button out. I ended up putting a toggle switch on it and it works great. I also purchased a Minilab pro find 35 because it was waterproof and wanted to try out Minelabs products. The speaker on the Profind died in less than 2 months and they weren't all that nice about replacing it. I did get a new one back but the sensitivity is wacky and this one interferes with both my AT Pro and Tejon. Often I have to keep turning it off then back on to get it to work right so it doesn't freak out when I point it down. May have to send this one back and it has less than 4 hours on it. 

If you need to replace it then get the Garret AT one. 

I've done that, always wondered if you don't own up to the scratch and blame it on mother nature if that changes the value? ?

Ultrasonic cleaners won't take corrosion off. They only take dirt off. I never tried my pickling solution which is a mild acid, might give that a try on some slag change.

Be honest the really fine walnut shell did a good job on the slag change. I don't think it was strong enough to actually take any of the metal but did take dirt and some of the patina down making dates visible. Typical of any tumbling media is they only get the high spots and can't clean close to inside edges or inside of lettering.

I have Yellow Magic because I use it to clean the raw resin off of my 3d printed parts as an alternative to Isopropyl Alcohol that is typically used. IPA when mixed with raw resin makes a toxic mess that is difficult to dispose of and not very environmentally friendly.

I do know it isn't so good on aluminum so after use you need to rinse the part off which you should do anyways. 

I also have tried laundry soda which I had used for reverse electrolysis and seems to do ok as a degreaser. I think the big trick is as long as the cleaner is potent and has a very low viscosity they should work in an USC.

I'll have to check out the blue stuff and see how it does on my 3d parts.

Thanks, seems to take some digging for more info on it.

Isn't the Mirage a kit? Where do you get the parts?

Silverdog site in UK has a 404 on the home page so site must be down.

Buying another VLF doesn't make sense and for most of my hunting I prefer the Tejon as I have found more small jewelry, gold rings and piles of slag change as well as some old coins. I even set it up for a friend of mine to hit an old field that got hit really hard. Told him push the trigger forward and if it chimes clean dig it. This was his first time out and he picked up a 1775 large cent in fair condition about 14" down. Beginners luck?

The TDI Beach hunter looks like a viable option but for relic hunting around here there is simply too much trash even in the most remote areas there are either old shogun shells or pull tabs and bottle tops. Another friend has the TDI Pro and it collects dust as he uses his MX sport almost exclusively because of the trash.

I am sure I could figure out the TDI out but think it may collect dust on my shelf too.

The beaches are hit hard here, barely any trash left so not worried too much about digging all. As long as there is a little variation on signal I can usually determine what is good and what isn't. Really strong hit that doesn't pick up on my pinpointer I usually ignore as it is most likely a can way down. 

I had my eyes on the Sand Shark for a while, I don't dive so coil size isn't as critical for me though the Nel Big feels like an old truck tire at times in the wet. Finding out that Tesoro might be gone is what lead me to this site as I didn't want to buy a machine that would never be repairable if something should happen.

Fisher makes a PI or coming out with one?

There are these imports available for fraction of the price that look interesting.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/GR800-Dual-Mode-Multi-functional-composite-pulse-scanning-and-receiving-metal-detector-GR-800-Professional-treasure/32959465237.html?spm=2114.search0204.3.93.4e6818a1SGMFKF&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_2_10065_10130_10068_10890_10547_319_10546_317_10548_10545_10696_453_10084_454_10083_10618_10307_537_536_10902_10059_10884_10887_321_322_10103,searchweb201603_61,ppcSwitch_0&algo_expid=edb99189-fe79-42c0-8293-bf2e76a9a7b6-14&algo_pvid=edb99189-fe79-42c0-8293-bf2e76a9a7b6&transAbTest=ae803_3

and for under $600 is this

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/13-5inch-coil-Underground-Metal-Detector-gold-digger-treasure-hunter-Professional-Pulse-Induction-High-Sensitivity-gold/32855017668.html?spm=2114.search0204.3.123.34ea6087UnwQsG&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_2_10065_10130_10068_10890_10547_319_10546_317_10548_10545_10696_453_10084_454_10083_10618_10307_537_536_10902_10059_10884_10887_321_322_10103,searchweb201603_61,ppcSwitch_0&algo_expid=60bded6a-fef6-4276-9675-8054257941ca-20&algo_pvid=60bded6a-fef6-4276-9675-8054257941ca&transAbTest=ae803_3

Neither look like knockoffs from major mfg's that I have seen. There are some that look like Minelab machines either made by the actual mfg or knockoffs, either way I wouldn't try them.

I have 2 detectors, the AT Pro and I use it more with the Nel Big to get that little bit more depth and a Tesoro Tejon.

On land the Tejon really outperforms the AT Pro with the Nel Big or stock 8 1/2 x 11 coil and when run in all metal mode actually reaches same depths or more as the Nel Big coil. Basically I am looking for a lighter waterproof machine that I can swing around in the ponds, rivers and beaches that is lighter than the At setup. The AT does get chattery in the salt and as I saw in the video Steve posted it actually runs similar to the AT Max. I actually run It at most 3 clicks down from max sensitivity but most of the time just 1 or 2 clicks down. Maybe my shoulders are getting tired but the weight really takes the joy out of the day. I do kind of wish Tesoro would let everyone know what is going on as the Sand shark looked like a good alternative. As far as warranty that really doesn't matter but if it broke it would be un-repairable if there is no one there to stuff some new parts in.

Price on the Sea Hunter seems worth a shot and simplicity is also nice. My issue with the AT Pro and Nel big is more the weight as it really is heavy for all day swinging. I have got it stable with 2 clicks down from max sensitivity and 3 click in some areas. The beaches here are hit hard so I have no clue if I missed any rings or anything of value though I have found nickels which is always a good sign.

Thanks for the help!

Excellent info so unless I can have control over the pulse delay and ground balance then I may just as well miss those tiny bits. So essentially the Whites TDI beach hunter might be my next option in price range?

Would slow passes help or do they just run blind? My AT Pro with Nel Big shows 50's in the salt so I fully understand the similar signal but I am able to find nickels >10" down in wet sand but need to make slow passes to find that consistent ping between the random chatter. Curious if similar technique would work with a PI since I never used one.

I have been pounding the beaches with my AT Pro and a Nel Big coil but the black sand gets annoying so I have been looking at some PI machines. I was curious how well the Sea Hunter MKII does with small finds like earings, small silver pendants. Also how well does it do with NiCad rechargeable batteries or are there better battery alternatives like the RD pack I use on my AT Pro that gives me 40+ hours per charge?

Thanks!

Tom Cruise fly over?

I still think it is from a snow mobile.

Found this in the mix of pull tabs last year with my Tejon. Neighbor that does antique dealing said it is from the 30's. I tried emailing the maker that is out of NY their mark is CID but they just ignored me or chucked my email in their spam box. Any idea what it might be worth? 

Has 7 deep blue sapphires and 4 small diamonds approx. 1/4 karats ea. 

I was at the beach the other weekend with my AT Pro and went by sound only with minimal settings for iron discrim 33. There was a another guy out there that said he uses his AT Pro there too and was shocked when I said I use zero mode. He relies on the VDI and set his machine to coin mode. 

The chatter and numbers jumping on a VLF in the black sand is exhausting BUT if you listen you can tell if there is a good target and it isn't just noise. As you pass over an actual target will keep toning in whereas noise is random. You have to listen. Big reason I like the Tejon where all is quiet even in the trashy areas. If it wasn't for my old old Bounty hunter and the Tejon I don't think I would find much at the beach with my AT Pro. Just learn to hunt a little differently.

And yes I have dug my share of tabs, was tempting to keep them when aluminum prices were high :)

Analog machines have finer sensitivity and don't distinguish based on blocks. This along with the degree of skill and practice it takes does make them less popular. Personally I ignore less and find more with my Tejon because I have more confidence in the sound I hear. I can tell if it is a dime 8" down or a quarter and not a pull tab and can distinguish a nickel or gold ring from a square tab vrs looking at some numbers jumping on my AT Pro. It takes practice that most either don't have the time or commitment to put into their machine. 

I pick up quite a bit of finds in areas where I have seen others hitting with their machines, usually nickels and quarters they skip over. 

It is feasible that they can still have their share of the market but they could never compete on a grand scale in sales as the others. There still is that niche that can carve out a few salaries.

Tesoro has a niche where they have the old school fans that don't like all the tones, fancy displays and enjoy the clean signals that you get when running these machines. Analog machine I think have better sensitivity but that comes with a learning curve or you will dig a lot of garbage. Their attempt to go to a VDI I think was a little clunky when compared to the Makro, Garrets, and others with their sleek modern designs.

They also have a problem competing on the low end against the many imports and Bounty Hunters that are sold everywhere.

I hope they are just re-organizing. For the market they have they probably don't need the staff they had and could easily update a few machines and slim down their inventory. Even a water proof Vaquero or Tejon would do pretty well for the crowd that hit fresh water areas.

I agree the way they just kicked out employees and not keeping in touch with suppliers and consumers is really poor business relations. Personally I would have done something far more public and gradual. I think the honesty and openness would be much better for business than simply hiding and leaving everyone in the dark.

Trouble with the endoscopes is any glare across your screen will bleach out the image. I have an endoscope I have used for checking behind walls, look inside pipes etc. their focal range is really short and they also have a pretty low frame rate that can be annoying.

The idea is still good. If they had some sort of video output jack then you could adapt it to all sorts of things. Personally the VDI is what I dislike about detecting and tend to go with my no frills Tejon. I even made a paddle for my primary discrim knob and tossed some glow in the dark duct tape on the coil and hunt at dusk with no problems.

I have an ultrasonic cleaner and use a cleaning solution called Yellow Magic in it. It does an ok passive job on de-crapping the finds but as with many solvents you have to be careful that they don't react with the metal your cleaning and in this case aluminum or aluminum bronze may react and degrade.

I also have a vibratory tumbler and loaded it up with extra fine walnut shell to clean my chump change I pull out of parks. It is large enough to clean more than 10lbs at a time and does a descent job. Surprisingly it didn't seem to take any detail off the coins and did take the dirt, corrosion and patina off without polishing them. I wouldn't do that on extremely rare coins simply because im chicken $@#% and don't want to destroy a good find.

Possible to be one of the stainless steels, here is the composition of them.

On my AT Pro I have these readings:

Stainless Ring 47-48

Titanium Ring 50-51

Jefferson Nickel (75% copper 25% nickel) 52

Tungsten 80-82

With that Tungsten is out, it could be nickel or titanium. Only other metal in that range would be gold. Does that help?

I assume ID 12 is lower than copper on your machine and since it is non ferrous my best guess titanium. I have found titanium rings and they come in low on the range. Not as light as you would expect from what people say, close to silver in weight. Very hard, cant easily cut or scratch them.

Maybe it is from a snow mobile ski? I believe they use titanium rails on the skis to keep them from wearing out easily. Might explain all the dents and divots.