mh9162013

Oh, I would have too! But if they said no, I'd still have paid them the $225.

You got a very good deal, OP!

Great testing and thanks for sharing your results! One thing I found interesting was the 25 TID readings on many of your 1944-1982 pennies. In my parks, a lot of my pennies are either Zincolns (no surprise) and copper pennies from the 1960s to 1980s. It's this latter group that often ring up at with a VDI/TID that was seemingly closer to a dime instead of a penny. I've assumed my ground balance was a smidge off, but it looks like it might not be me.

Can you list the part numbers so I could potentially make my own adapter so I could use these bone phones with an Equinox or other detector?

What's the difference between a V3 and a V3i? Are they the same in terms of hardware such that a V3 can update its software and become a V3i?

Does your Coiltek coil come with a coil cover? If so, does it come off when using it in the water?

I didn't know adhesive lined heat shrink existed, but I'm so buying some with my next Amazon.com order!

That's a good thing! "Always mind your surroundings" - Ra's al Ghul

I do...and yards. Some areas are heavily trashed, but the E-Trac with the stock coil seems to do about as well as the AT Max and Vanquish in terms of recovery speed (AT Max using the stock coil and 540 using the V12).

If that's the case then you're right, if Garrett can put the V3i in the AT Max or Apex's form factor (and still retain at least weatherproofness), they'd have a solid machine. The E-Trac and Equinox are my two primary detectors (although I'm trying to sell the E-Trac). The E-Trac is heavy, but I think its FBS is better at identifiyng what's in the ground. But it's heavy...and not weatherproof. And despite its slow recovery speed, it's fast "enough" for me. I also LOVE the AT Max's form factor, so putting what amounts to White's version of the E-Trac (or a better version, based on what you and others say about the V3i) into the AT Max's control housing would be a real winner to me.

How's its recovery speed? Is it better in trash than the E-Trac?

That makes sense, and I agree.

So your'e saying the CEO* knowingly lied about Minelab's view of Garrett's ability to produce SMF hobby detectors? Or are you saying the CEO of Minelab is confused or ignorant about Garrett's progress in making a SMF detector that can compete with Minelab's MIQ machines? I'm not saying the CEO is right (although I believe the CEO is), but I don't think the CEO would make such bold statements unless he/she had a pretty good basis for making them. * It's my understanding that it was the CEO that made the statement's we're discussing right now.

Assuming this is true, then the "AT Apex" is probably several years away... Wow...

Is there a reason you can't buy a 3D printed coil stiffener? As for whether it's worth it, hard to say. I haven't heard any consistent reports of coil ears being a problem on Vanquish coils. But that doesn't mean stiffening isn't necessary. If you think you can do it with "regular" epoxy, I say go for it. The worst that'll happen is you waste epoxy and add some weight to the coil. Or am I missing something?

We could see something from Minelab soon...perhaps an update for the Equinox.

Exactly, kind of like how Minelab did it with the E-Trac where you could press the Detect button to toggle b/w the Pattern Screen and the Digital Screen.

IGNORE

If it turns out that XP's BH-01 bone conducting headphones need more than a simple adapter to work with other machines due to the power supply issue, do you think it's feasible to create some sort of external battery pack to provide that power? It's not an ideal solution, but for us land hunters who want bone conducting headphones, this is the only reasonable option I've been able to find: https://www.amazon.com/AfterShokz-Titanium-Conduction-Headphones-AS401XB/dp/B01N2OOJY8 And from what I can see, it's been discontinued. This also makes use of an external battery pack to supply the power needed to operate the special headphones. Also, is it possible that certain 1/8 heaphone jacks could supply more power than others such that an external power supply isn't required?

From my understanding, as long as the JB weld doesn't move or shift, you should be fine. And if it does move or shift, you've got more problems than your coil getting confused by the JB Weld. Think about it, the cord from the coil has metal in it, right? And you're supposed to wrap it around the shaft in such a way that it doesn't move or shift while you swing your detector.

Not from my childhood days. I always looked at coins growing up (in the 80s and 90s) and I found a wheat "in the wild" just once. Also found a silver coin (quarter) just once, too.

Nice haul! Now go bake some bread!

Companies don't necessarily have to come out with new, groundbreaking tech. They can still hit a "homerun" if they implement existing tech in an effective way. I think the iPod is a great example. When it came out, nothing about its tech was really that new. HDDs, Firewire, LCD screens, etc. had existed for a while. But Apple effectively combined all of those technologies into a device that revolutionized the music industry and entertainment. So imagine Garrett comes out with the "AT Apex" where it's a SMF VLF detector that performs about as well as the Equinox (and Legend?), but comes in a form factor that's as robust and reliable as the current AT series. Assuming they priced it competitively, they'd have a real winner...and I'd look for ways to trade in my Equinox 600 for that machine. Not saying it would pass the Deus II, Legend, Equinox, etc. in terms of profitability. But it would sell plenty of units!

What kind of bottle caps are in the 16-17 range? Mine (screw or crown) are usually in the low to mid 20s. Or is the salty sand having an effect here?

Great initial review, Erik, loved reading it! Yes, performance is the primary factor. But sometimes, "the little things" can make a big difference for at least some users. There are plenty of reviews looking at how the Deus II does against the Equinox (or how it performs in general), so it's nice to see a review from a different perspective. I remember when I was comparing colleges to attend, I placed a great amount of emphasis on the cafeteria/food services (great is a relative term in that I put some emphasis on it while most of my classmates couldn't' care less). Logically, it shouldn't matter. But I always felt that how a school feeds its students is just one indirect way to judge how they'll treat their students in other respects, like...education.