GB_Amateur

Obviously I don't know exactly what occurred in the private exchange of messages. What bothers me most is that he joins metaldetectingforum.com to make a public complaint about an interaction where he clearly was in the wrong. He's not interested in metal detecting; he only cares about his equity and his ego. And while stroking his ego he tries to damage the reputation of someone he feels has done him wrong. He'll be gone before you know it (maybe already) but the damage he's tried to inflict potentially remains (on the internet) forever. Even if everything he said about his father's death is true and that he has a genuine detector, he's not entitled to play the sympathy game to try and take advantage of the system. He didn't follow the rules and he doesn't have the integrity to admit it and move on.

Actually they still have an SL model with 2 coils for $1200 retail (tan or camo decoration): https://www.whiteselectronics.com/product/tdi-sl-high-q/?lang=us Agree that a new PI which simply matches the performance of the TDI/SL is a non-starter. Garrett ATX performance level has got to be the minimum, IMO.

Don't know if you saw it, Steve, but the Site Admin there posted a pretty interesting response and then froze the thread.

That's not quite true even for dry land PI's. The White's TDI/SL qualifies, but is underpowered compared to the competition. The QED PL's also qualify but unfortunately their distribution is currently limited. So, yes, there is a huge need for a moderately powered, widely distributed, lightweight, affordable dry land PI. (And I suspect that's what you really meant. 😉)

Just another thought to "kill two birds with one stone": For the counterbalance to accomodate heavier coils, have a way to attach spare battery packs. This allows you to carry the battery spares on your person (pocket, backpack, etc.) when not needed for counterbalancing but easily used as counterweight when a heavy coil is mounted.

Dear Nokta/Makro: As far as coil compatibility, I hope that also includes Coiltek and Nuggetfinder. I think lightweight, balance, and battery convenience are all achievable. Please (I'm sure you have) read what Steve says about balance taking precedence over minimum weight. A variable counterbalance system (or at least the ability for a detectorist to do that himself) would be great so that different coils can be used and still allow balance. What I'd like to see in the battery area is both a rechargeable lithium pack and the ability to use standard AA's such as alkaline throw-aways and NiMH rechargeables. I'd prefer not having to tether the batteries to my person -- I'd much rather just change them out when they get low on juice. Oh, and I do hope we're talking about a dry land, native gold hunting capable detector. Now, I'm not a beach hunter so fully waterproof isn't necessary nor do I want to pay for that, if possible to avoid. I could imagine two versions, one for beach hunters (waterproof) and one for landlubbers (waterproof coil and rain resistant contol head). For the headphone sockets, why not include both (at least on the dry land version) 3.5 mm AND 1/4"? First Texas has done that in some cases and I find it extremely convenient. Hope you don't mind all this 'help' designing your detector. 😁 As usual you're not going to make everyone happy and a Swiss Army Knife approach probably won't be feasible. Most important to me are minimum weight for a truly balanced dry land capable detector with no tethers. The other stuff would be nice, but I'm sure I can live without them. As far as cost, yes that's important to me (most of us?) but you've repeatedly proven you know all about that!

There are few things in detecting I can say I beat Steve H. to the line, but operating a detector is one of them. I first used a metal detector (home built from an electronics mag in 1969) and had my first usable detector (Heathkit GD-48 in 1970/71). From there it's been all downhill. It would be a complete sham to pretend my detecting skills approach Steve's, or for that matter many of those who post here. However, I'm not going to admit that I don't have observations which might deserve consideration. I was out today with my EQX 800 in a school yard I've been working for 1 1/2 years. 3 1/2 hours produced two old US 'nickel' 5 cent pieces and a lot of other metal objects whose origin/usage/meaning are mostly a mystery. When I go detecting it's as much about learning as it is about finding, and today's hunt was not exception. What comes back to perception (I won't go as far to say 'realization') for me is the issue of masking. Iron is king when it comes to all metal detectors AFAIK. But any metal object, given the right size, shape, and location can be a masker. Recent detectors have made strides in unmasking desirable targets, but I sure hope they aren't finished. Although it's always true that you can't beat mother nature (physics), most of the time that doesn't prevent improvements such as speed and software 'intelligence'. There may be hardware breakthroughs out there, or not, but I'd like to think even without that we will see the biggest problem in coin and relic detecting realizing improvements in the near future. Which company will do that? I don't care, but there are several capable and here's hoping at least one cares enough about us detectorists, for whatever reason, to do so.

Care to give us some concrete evidence to back up your contention?

Good observation, schoolofhardNox, and I'll add that it's even true with IB/VLF. Anyone who thinks he's 100% sure of what's giving the coil a signal is fooling himself. That's why there are so many good find still available for those of us who search previously detected sites. I guess we should thank them.

Clark, IMO you're approaching this the right way. Nobody here (worth paying any attention to) is going to rip you for posting your results and questions. You are making good decisions and you should keep it up. Reality is that even though rare finds are just that - rare, they do happen and the worst thing anyone can do is assume finds are worthless and throw them in the trash. Please continue to post and ask questions. We all will learn from them.

100% agree. Jbone, you did well in explaining your thought process, which is rare in these kinds of requests. Hidden in there was the feeling that you were wasting your time with one detector if you eventually got another. Not so. It's like driving a car. 90% of what makes one work will make another work. You already know the basics of how to drive an automatic. Stay with that to get you around town, or around the country. Once you've mastered the Anfibio you'll be in much better position to decide whether or not something more is needed/desired.

Maybe we're veering too far off topic (but I guess the Site Admin will decide that 😉 ). IMO, dowsing is dishonest because its followers claim it does something that it doesn't. You link to scientific testing results (thanks for that) which tallied evidence consistent with dowsing being no better than random chance. The onus is on the dowsers to show that it works under scientific scrutiny. Apparently they haven't. Ghosts (as you mention), paranormal activity, astrology and unfortunately a lot of even more widely accepted practices and claims fall in the same boat. If we allow those to go unchecked then they infiltrate policy, as we've seen repeatedly and embarassingly occur in our congresses and parliaments, and it continues into the present. 'Belief' is a word I've tried hard to remove from my vocabulary. Evidence, honestly gathered, scrutinized, and publicized is what matters. It's ok not to know something and particularly to have the courage to say so. But it doesn't give 'believers' a pass into pushing an agenda which has no basis in evidence. (Now please pardon me as I step down from my soapbox and we resume previously scheduled programming.)

I agree. It either says they are dishonest or intentionally ignorant. If you sell a product, you owe it to the customer to know if it's worthwhile or not. Period. BTW, I tried to search for LRL's at Kellyco and didn't find any. Was starting to think they cleaned up their ways. Then I went to Google and found this: https://www.kellycodetectors.com/catalog/okm-bionic-x4-long-range-gold-metal-detector Hey, what's a $13,500 investment when it will find you a fortune?! Dowsing is in the same boat. I've met some nice people who are proponents of that and it pains me. I've never been good at politely and diplomatically making a case against believers.... Here's a good video by Chris Ralph where (IMO) he does a nice job of telling-it-like-it-is while still maintaining some diplomacy:

Thanks for the scale photo (butt end of Carrot). It appears to be about the same size as our (cupro-)nickel 3 cent piece: 17.9 mm diameter (same as our US dimes), 1.94 g mass, but 25% Ni, 75% Cu. However, ours ring up at ~8 TID on the Minelab Equinox. So, does yours have higher nickel composition than ours, or is it simply a size (diameter & thickness) difference? Higher nickel composition would explain the lower TID.

Do you say these things just to rub it in? I was out a week and a half ago for 4 1/2 hours and got my first old coins since early August. Had to wait a bit over over 3 1/2 hours into the hunt (found two by the end of the hunt). You're what, 30-something? 😉 Just kidding around, but maybe I'm a bit envious. Your two day haul of old coins is about what I get in an entire year. Please continue because it encourages us. Kind of nostalgic, too, thinking about (or remembering) what it was like here in the 1970's and '80's at some of the better sites.