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Good to hear your on top of it Steve being aware of the fine sand issue, And you picked up the Whites pi as backup. Here's something interesting maybe open a door for you down the road or help you decide not to do the ATX mod, Here's a couple of pics on the Recon innards was curious with the size of the board and the ribbon connecting both board and push pad together. The board measures 3.5" X 9" inches, A thin ribbon connects the two together. Was surprised the board was so big, Thin as a rail but length wise kind of long. I'm sure the ATX is similar maybe with a few minor changes. Over all, The mod can be done. Remove the innards and remount into a different housing changing up the battery setup to a regular battery pack even change the headset plug to a standard type accepting plug in phones, The push pad can be removed and remounted flush onto a cool sporty looking miniature meter assembly above the handle with the same ribbon connecting down to the housing underneath the armrest, Not a difficult mod it can be done. The only issue I foresee and it's a minor one is the Stock coil once removed from the stock shaft will need to be remounted onto a current shaft that will work with a T-handle or S-handle shaft setup, This will not be an issue with the Infinium DD coils for they are already setup for this type shaft setup. Anyway, Very expensive mod if one wants to modify an ATX for land use. Hopefully Garrett understands another model is needed for nugget hunters like you and those many around the globe. Paul (Ca)

The Garrett ATX and the Minelab CTX 3030. Are they an odd couple, or a perfect couple? Here is a side by side photo for your consideration. Minelab CTX 3030 and Garrett ATX The Garrett ATX and Minelab CTX 3030 share a certain similarity of design with coil cables hid inside the lower rod assembly and controls on the end of the handle. Both are waterproof to 10 feet. Yet they are also exact opposites in that the CTX is one of the best discriminating VLF detectors you can buy, whereas the ATX is a dig it all PI detector designed for maximum depth in very difficult ground. They actually do make a really good pairing as they complement each other very well. I am an avid prospector and also a very avid jewelry hunter who needs to be able to hunt in the water. It would be a very hard thing for me to do, but if I had to narrow it all the way down to only two metal detectors, you are probably looking at the two I would choose. I would be making quite a few compromises but the bottom line is I can do just about anything I need to do with these two detectors together, and do it quite well. As it is when looking at the two it really boils down to whether you need good discrimination or not. The CTX has it, the ATX does not.

ATX, TDI, GPX. What is it with detector companies and three letter acronyms? I liked it more when they were called Coinmaster or Goldmaster. At least that gave you a clue about what the detector was supposed to do. The three detectors representing the state of the art in ground balancing pulse induction (GBPI) metal detectors. The Garrett ATX, White's TDI, and Minelab GPX 5000. You rarely see them all pictured together so I thought I would post one. Garrett ATX, White's TDI, Minelab GPX 5000 These three detectors are all very good at what they are basically made for, which is dealing with ground mineralization and hot rocks that make using VLF detectors very difficult. In particular VLF performance is severely impeded in extremely mineralized ground. In low mineral ground a good VLF prospecting detector running in all metal mode can deliver results rivaling PI detectors with the added benefit of having good discrimination options. Anybody doing much prospecting, however, will eventually run into locations where ground mineralization and hot rocks makes using a VLF such a challenge that a good ground balancing pulse induction detector is the only real option. The GPX 5000 represents the current state of the art, and is the easy option if money is no object. It is well designed for long hours of prospecting, has an incredible variety of optional coils, and can handle most any ground conditions with many tuning options. The Garrett ATX provides performance that comes close to the GPX at a much lower price, with the added benefit of being waterproof to ten feet. Actually, this is only a benefit if you need it. Otherwise it makes the detector heavier than need be and limits the available coil options. Still, if the GPX is not an option the ATX would be my next choice in a new detector with a warranty. For those needed waterproof it is the only real option along with its predecessor, the Garrett Infinium. The White's TDI is an older design but still very capable. It costs less than the other two options, and unlike the Garrett it has light weight versions and models that can be hip or chest mounted. It is a good option to explore for those on a budget or needing the most ergonomic solution. The TDI is also a very respected beach detector, like the ATX above, but it has no waterproof option.

I took my ATX hunting at Lake Tahoe and found this 1899 Morgan silver dollar at 12" deep in highly mineralized ground( lots of black sand). Thanks for the invitation to your new forum Steve.

G'day, Has anyone here used the new Garrett ATX in areas of thick vegetation? What I need to know is ... will the coil sound off when hitting rocks or trees, or grass. In particular, can it be used without the distraction of added blanking noise while being run through wet grass? Reading the specifications of the new ATX it seems as if it was designed as a dream machine specifically for New Zealand (where I am located). And, as such ... seems too good to be true. The only deal-killer might be if it can't be used in thick wet vegetation! Oh ... theres also the other possible deal-killer, the price in New Zealand. I noticed on one forum that an Australian poster stated that the price he was quoted for an ATX was over $1,000.00 dearer than the USA. I would not be at all surprised if the retail price in New Zealand was the most expensive in the world. The legit Garrett dealer in New Zealand has no mention of the ATX on its web site so far ... and something else for Kiwis to consider is that we will probably be the last country in the world to get a first shipment. Historical photo from about 10 years ago when detecting for gold started to get serious on NZs West Coast after some spectacular gold finds were made with a metal detector (Minelab PI MD) that haven't been surpassed since. Typical West Coast gold country! Regards, Rob (RKC)