F350Platinum

I'm only laughing at the part about talking myself out of a new detector. 🤣 I might upgrade to the 900 next year, but I haven't earned my "stripes" on the D2 at present so to speak. I'm sure there's a lot more to learn, and I'm still waiting for stuff. Thanks for taking the time to read my post! Honestly only a handful of people in this forum can be both hardcore and afford the newest gear. 😀 I'm not one of them. Personally I put the most faith in and follow those that post some results and discuss gear with results, like you. 👍

Nice ring Skate, can you get a shot of the marks inside? That's a "signet" "intaglio" ring for sure, and it isn't new. 👍

Good job! It's stuff like that keeps you going. I've only found one dollar coin in the last couple years, they were meant more for collectors than use. 😀 Glad to see you're finding silver as well, you are on a good spot. Keep it up!

I'm putting this out here mostly for the new folks to this hobby, I'm new myself but not so new now. 😀 "Trigger time" is a military phrase which is a measure of how long you have spent firing/using your weapon. "Gear Acquisition Syndrome" is a joke phrase among photographers. It is a measure of your interest in the profession vs just having the latest and greatest gear that you will probably never use. I've yet to see a phrase come out for detectorists that buy gear but don't really learn it and go off to the newest machine in what amounts to an endless and expensive search. In two years here (I joined in 2020) I've been on the forum almost every day. I'm not on any other forum, preferring this to all of them. This may have been discussed before but I'm seeing a need for it at the moment, and it'll go right to the top. 😀 Maybe a phrase will evolve from this discussion, maybe I missed something. Here's a scenario: you got out detecting as a noob with your buddies, you might have an entry level machine, you may even have jumped right in on a high level one, but they are absolutely destroying you in the same field, they're finding all sorts of great stuff and you're getting nails and pull tabs. It's not always that way but for the most part it's going to happen even if you have the same machine they do. As a matter of fact It's almost a certainty. Instead of getting mad and throwing your detector in the nearest pond like a poor golfer throws his clubs, think about it. Ask yourself how long your buddies have been doing this, and compare it to your time spent. Yeah you have a great detector, but it detects metal. All metal. Did you take the time to learn the tool you have? How much have you been out there vs. them? That's "Trigger time". Someone who has their Bounty Hunter that they've had for 10 years could slay you if you've only spent 40 hours on your whiz-bang "Zulfiqar". I didn't use Excalibur because it is a detector name. 😀 Look it up. Someone who has spent a lot of time using their machine is going to beat you every time. You may get lucky, but that's just luck. If they've been in this particular spot more than you, they know where to look and where not to. That's learned by assimilation. Now we get to Gear Acquisition Syndrome, an affliction that affects many. It's a problem in every hobby that involves using tools, from cameras to detectors to guns. People generally search for the tool that will give them the most acceptance among their peers, and will "guarantee" success, instead of what is practical for their environment, and physical capabilities. Having the latest detector with even more functions than the others will not help you succeed, exactly the opposite. You will have to spend more time learning it and find lots more junk. Acquiring gear and talking about it but not using it is pointless. There are no tools out there that will guarantee success, success is achieved by practice, test scenarios, and "hardcore" trial and error. A good tool helps, but only to a point. If you see people that are "hardcore" it means they do whatever it was a lot more than you, and have learned by all of the above. If you have a fabulously complex machine or tool with all the accessories, you will find out you won't use all of it after a while. You can go out and get the latest and greatest, spend thousands, and not find anything good in the few times you get out. You have to get out there a lot with whatever you have. You have to try things and take advice, and even a few beatings 🙄 When you feel you have learned all there is to know, then you probably could move on to a new machine. You have earned your promotion. 🙂 There is a lot of great advice on this forum, beware of the "gear heads". Look for the "hardcore". Follow the folks who post finds and take the time to do tests. Get your "Trigger time" and ask questions here if you don't understand something. Here, the hardcore folks will eventually answer you. Other places they won't. Sometimes I'll even post a "shoe" comment to "see if it fits". Kinda like this one! 😀 I find that if I've been beaten with my own shoes, I've learned something. Good luck and get out there with whatever you can afford. The "hardcore" have your back. 🙂 Merry Christmas.

Good question, Longbow. 🙂 As I recall the D2 flew off the shelves initially. Just about everywhere I went last year I saw someone with a D2 (including myself) from Virginia Beach to Savannah. I ended up in the second wave and then waited a long time for their largest coil that came out recently. I was on a wait list for it since August. In VA the D1 was relic king for a long time, on the beach the 800. I have an Equinox 600, and may someday upgrade to the 900, that would make sense to me because I already have coils for it. Shame that like XP Minelab is not yet offering a "light" version, in essence just shaft and control unit. I'm hoping that will happen, but I'm not holding my breath. I dropped ~$1500 on the D2, the M-core is $1600. I had to get the MI-6 so that added $150, other stuff cost me the rest. I'm over $2000 in it now with extra coils. 🤔 I guess any of the "top 3" would do you well if you're not happy with the Legend, but you write that you haven't used it much. Why? If I had to choose again right now I would probably go with the Equinox 900 simply because it is the best value, and as stated I already have the 10x5 which I would probably use it exclusively with. I've been thinking about getting the 15 for the 600, but weight is an issue. Weight and waterproofing is what made my mind up about the D2. It is still arguably the lightest detector out there and will be for a long time. For an older guy like me that is the big difference. It's a bit finicky, the learning curve is long, but it's the most versatile of all, I can safely say that. I'm still working on getting my "second" D2, the WS6 Master together. Next week I'll have it. I can literally stuff it in a backpack and have 2 detectors on a hunt. Do keep in mind that the M-core did not replace the Equinox, and being what it is (much more proprietary) you will have to drop a lot more on it in the future. It's not going to give you any major depth advantage. Headphones, coils... 😵 In the long run it will cost you as much as the D2, and you'll only have one detector. I would say get out there with the Legend, and if you are dissatisfied with it go for the 900. Let them shake the bugs out first tho. If weight is a problem get the D2. If you're not out there you'll never know.

Welcome OhioHunter. ... And I wouldn't get too caught up in the hype just yet either 😀 a lot of new machines, but a lot of shaking out needs to be done. 🙄 I'm a Vaper myself, started in '12, ending an illustrious career of cigarette smoking from 14 to 52. It's a blessed alternative. Do you make custom gear? You seem to have a decent stable of machines, and it seems like you're doing well. We have a great bunch of people here, many Nokta fans. If you have any questions in sure they will jump in. Nokta watches this forum. I've only been detecting for 2 years but have already amassed a lot of great finds because of where I live and the generous folks who let me hunt their land. I enjoy Minelab and XP detectors. I read about a lot of folks who Revere the Etrac, haven't had the pleasure. Good luck in your endeavors, and let's see what ya get from time to time! Don't forget to hit the follow button below so you'll get notifications when people respond. 👍

This is just my opinion, but I think the 9" and 13" coils are all you'll need, and considering they're US$400 each, if you don't have the 11" there's not much sense in getting it. Save it for that 10x5 😁

Poor cat. 🙄 If I chased my dog around with the 13" coil he'd be traumatized. He always "inspects" my gear when I get back from detecting to "read the news" about where I've been. 😀 I noticed this too when I changed my general program to square audio and full tones, and when I went to 00 disc the iron tones showed up. Any iron below 00 disappears 🤔 I run iron audio at 4 using the backphones so I can hear it when it's windy. This "feels" like horseshoe mode on the Equinox, and as I've mentioned, depth is indicated by audio level. I find that to be preferable to the horseshoe depth indicator, while none are "measured" like the Equinox does in 2" increments on its gauge, at least I can tell if aluminum is right on top. I'm using General right now because it supposedly has "Conductive soil subtraction". I can see the use for SensiFT to ground balance NC, but since I have extremely mild soil (no bars and 79 GB in most places) and it's almost always wet this time of year. I think it breaks the "Halo" effect and gives you a more accurate ID. I think I got hooked on this audio using the BH-1 headphones. 😀 BTW my wife bought an extremely small 14k gold chain and name tag for our granddaughter, I stole it for a few to wave the Deus over it, first the chain which is probably one of the smallest I've seen, it hit up to ~6" in an air test at 50 ID. The name plate was a 54. I think that will be good at the beach but I'll have to try it in Beach sensitive.

I'm kinda partial to the 9" for that sort of thing, but the 13" will shock you, something to be said for ellipticals. 😀 I think you'll like it! Consider a centering device, but don't wear steel toed or shanked shoes, or shoes with rivets. 🤣

Looking forward to your experiences. 👍 I'm thinking of selling my 11", don't feel I need it.

Too cool, School! 👍 My Rikers are in a basket upstairs. 🤣

Outta likes but thanks! Yeah we got about 2" of rain, so back to square 1 with the mud. 😡 Looks like you're going to get some snow up there. Next weekend for us. 😵 More mud.

Nice! Great to see you're getting out there. That pendant looks pretty old, and it seems to be made for a photo. 👍 I have the 10x5 on my Equinox 600, it's a killer coil. 👍

I was hoping one of them would be. This place has stuff from the beginning here right up to about the 1900s, wide range. The old highway ran through what is now the back of the house, but used to be the front. They moved it in the 1940s according to topos, and serials still sort of show it. Lidar works best. There are a few hot spots, about 6 or 7, but mostly nothing. Found that piece up by the house, lots of weird stuff there. Farm surrounds it.

Thanks! I probably don't swing as fast with the 13" as I would the 9", I'm using full tones and no disc so even if there's a peep I investigate it. It's a lot of coil. It doesn't miss big iron and beer can bits at up to 15"+ believe me. Some of those tiny buttons were 4-8" deep and mixed with junk targets. If there's enough high tone on all angles I'll dig it. I'll try going back over this area with the 9" and faster reactivity, say 2. 👍 It would be interesting. 🙂

Yeah I'm out of likes too. 🤣 Guess the daily limit is reduced. Could be, one place was detected but this one probably hasn't been, the owner lives there and has a business across the street. He's very picky about who he associates with, wouldn't have got this permission if we didn't know him and have him plan and cater our wedding. People still talk about the wedding. 😀 While hunting the place I saw the owner a few times, even Sneaky ol' George wouldn't get past him, believe me. He's a nice, generous person, but hell hath no fury like he'd bring on ya. Got a Barber quarter, 2 silver Washingtons, a silver Roosevelt, and a Trime here so far. I'm sure George woulda found them if he was there. 🤣

Here it's all heavy rain. We're 1/2 a climate zone higher than most of the rest of VA, I think 7.5. that, water surrounding is on 3 sides and low elevations keep us out of it for the most part. We'll get some but usually the ground never freezes here. That's a good thing when your driveway ìs a half-mile. 🤣 Not shoveling that!

Thanks! 🙂 Believe me I want to use the Equinox, and may have had I known I wouldn't need heated gloves. They overwhelm that detector with massive pulsing EMI. That and I'm enjoying this new light huge coil, as well as working on validating a program I put together that may be a pretty good relic program worth posting here. A couple more hunts should do it. It's not getting warmer! 😀 Long range forecast is for snow. It will make my wife happy but me not so much.

Thanks, thought it would be pretty good when I found a button and a dime on the way to the spot I got everything else. Forgot to mention a Trime I got here, funny I would forget that. 😀 There's not a real chance I'll find any more silver unless it's random. A couple of times I got some 90s, the big tray was a 99! Silver would be easy to find, nothing is deep but old turned under beer cans and iron. I'd like there to be some and for sure have a slightly better chance of hitting it with the 13, I'm at reactivity 0 and 98 sensitivity. 🙂 Oh well one can dream. 😀

It finds metal pretty well... 🤔 🤣 That made my day.

Thanks! This is about par for the course here, if you like buttons, great, but if you want silver, not so much. 😀 I pretty much know this place has never been detected, but only 1 Barber quarter, 2 Silver Washingtons, and one silver Roosevelt have been found here in 60+ acres. I did manage to get a couple of large cents. I'm pretty sure I've got well over 50 buttons here. You might see an odd turkey or deer here but it's pretty noisy with a highway right next to it.

A "riveting" story Tom, 🤣 nice dime. Shame you lost the half dime, but it happens. 😵 I wonder what all those rivets were holding together? Certainly not the terrain. Congrats to both of you.

Winter is slowly coming here, it's going to rain tomorrow after about 5 days of dry weather. This morning started out at 26 degrees. Doesn't look too bad for a cold morning? It wasn't. No wind, and enough sun to keep warm. I had to ditch a lot of cold weather gear. It's been about 5 days since it last rained so digging was easy. The ground was not frozen and I could get a plug with one shot. It doesn't get better than this. 🥳 Had a good day, within 15 minutes I had a button and a clad dime, and it didn't stop. Guess I was looking in the right places today. Here's 7 hours worth of digging: Ended up with a steel or very heavy aluminum monogrammed tray of some sort, at first I thought it was a hubcap. Can't find it anywhere. Got a piece of big D buckle, and a very "trigger" looking piece, but not sure what it is. 11 buttons today. One big fancy two piece: It has backmarks but I can't get a read. Not military but very cool. Got 2 Tombacs, one has some decoration. The other buttons have the usual backmarks like "Treble Gilt" "Orange Colour", that sort of thing. A couple still have shanks. Got two IHPs today, an 1880 and an 1883: got one wheat that I think is 1917 but am not sure. Going to be a few days before I can get out again, another big permission is opening up. Here's the trash for today Looks like I got a brass wagon hub of some sort. Dug too much aluminum probably because I wasn't lifting on it. It never got above 45 but it was comfortable and great to be out.

Oof, you poor guy. Try to post a few simple things... 🤣 For a hot second I thought your last photo was target trace of a crucifix. 🤣 Looking forward to your success with the M-core. Get on the list early, get the goods. 👍

Nice bit of work there! Sorry about the mishaps, I'd be happy to be home, but excited to get back there. 👍 Really like the buttons and trade stuff. There should be pipes everywhere here, but I haven't found a single piece of one in over 2 years now. I've heard some find them and supposedly there is an Indian settlement somewhere near where I live, but bupkus. 🤷‍♂️ At least I know what some of the stuff looks like now thanks to you. 🙂 Gotta be dangerous to ride bicycles in arid areas, there are a lot of surprises. 😵 Glad you're ok, looking forward to your next exploits!