RANDY CONNELL said:
[size=medium]Monte may I ask what you use your bandio on what kind of site.[/size]
Sure. I have owned quite a number of Tesoro models ever since they introduced the Inca in July of '83. There are several models that I consider to be my favorites in the Tesoro line, and one of them, as I mentioned in my post below, is a Bandido II that I just acquired in mid-May. The Bandido II was manufactured from Jan. '93 thru Dec. '97 and at the time became my favorite 'general purpose' detector inn the Tesoro line-up.
It features Threshold adjustment, manual Ground Balance with a 10-turn potentiometer, an All Metal mode with static or fast Auto-Tune selection, and it is a silenet-search design inn the motion-based Discriminate mode. It also features the ED-120 Disc. circuitry design, meaning it
accepts the upper 120° of the 180° sine wave of targets, and therefore at the minimum Disc. setting ... [size=small]
which is the only Disc. setting I use[/size] ... it is rejecting most ferrous range targets and perhaps just the very low end of the non-ferrous foil range of conductive targets.
I used to enjoy Coin Hunting most of the time since I started in March of '65, and dabbled in some Relic Hunting after I worked my first ghost town in early May of '69. The older detectors we had to use at that time included BFO's, TR's and BFO-Discriminators and TR-Discriminators. Those operating types required a very consistent coil-to-ground relationship to maintain and consistent and proper operating audio sound. The VLF ... [size=small]
All Metal ground balanced design[/size] ... followed as well as the dual-mode VLF/TR-Disc. models of the mid-to-late '70s which called for the same coil-control operation.
In '78 the first motion-based discriminating detector ... [size=small]
VLF-Disc[/size]. ... was introduced but that required a very brisk sweep speed, and that still made Relic Hunting in dense brush and a lot of ferrous debris a tough task to achieve. In '82 Fisher introduced the 1200X series, with the 1260, and that brought us the dual filter discrimination that allowed for a slower sweep speed and quick recovery that could help in trashier environments. The problem, however, was that they had a difficult time rejecting nails and other ferrous trash.
But in July of '83, Tesoro introduced the Inca which was a slow-motion/quick-response Discriminate mode design that handled iron debris quite well! It became my primary-use detector for most any hunt5ing application, and it opened the door to successful hunting of very dense iron debris ghost towns and other sites and Relic Hunting moved into my primary type of detecting enjoyment, and Coin Hunting slipped into the #2 slot.
In '83 we also saw the introduction of visual Target ID and the following year audio Tone ID from most major detector manufacturers, but those models still required a faster sweep speed. By the early to mid '90s most of the faster-sweep models had their circuitry design addressed such that they could operate at more of a moderate sweep speed, but those models were all better suited for Coin Hunting and generally didn't work as well for Relic hunting densely littered sites because they lacked the slow-motion/quick-response capabilities of the so-called two-filter ... [size=small]
Double Derivative[/size] ... detectors such as the Tesoro line-up.
So, to answer your question, because my favorite Tesoro models provide a needed level of performance that can reject a dense scattering of iron nails and provide exceptional good-target audio response in that environment ... [size=small]
aka target unmasking ability[/size] ... my favorite Tesoro models set the mark I expect
any detector to try to match for Relic Hunting. I also make use of my Bandido II when Coin Hunting urban areas or tot-lots and bark chip or sand-filled playgrounds where I don't need to rely on Target or Tone ID, plus they can be worked slowly and methodically in and around the metal structures of playgrounds quite well.
I have no hesitation grabbing my Bandido II when Relic Hunting any of the dense debris filled ghost town sites I like to frequent. They handle well.
And note the models I listed in my former post in this thread
Monte said:
[size=medium]My FORS CoRe and Relic, White's MX-7 and modified Classic ID, Tesoro Bandido II and the Racer 2 are ALL my 'main-use' detectors.[/size]
My
'MAIN-USE' detector models need to provide me the performance of a Tesoro, or come very, very close, when hunting in a densely iron filled debris area. They also have to be simple to operate, light weight and comfortable balanced. In this case, the Tesoro Bandido II would be the model for others to compare with, and in a dense iron nail environment, the next one with top-end performance to the Bandido II w/6" Concentric coil would be my White's Classic ID w/5" Ferret Concentric coil, closely followed by the Nokta FORS CoRe w/
'OOR' DD coil, FORS Relic w/5" DD coil, my Makro Racer 2 w
/'OOR' or 5" DD coil, and finally the White's MX-7 w/6½" Concentric coil.
Note that I did comment on owning and using other detector models:
Monte said:
[size=medium]I have other models as well, but these all get to share the 'main' detector class in my arsenal. They all have their own strengths and weaknesses, and each of them performs terrific for me in a wide range of site conditions and challenges.[/size]
Models like the Nokta Impact, Makro Multi-Kruzer, White's XLT, Tesoro Inca and Mojave, and even my Compass Coin Hustler all have their own benefits in my detector battery, but they are not my 'MAIN-USE' detectors.
Monte said:
[size=medium]Could I get by without a Racer 2? Sure, but even though I kind of tried that a couple of times I couldn't help but get it back in my regular working detector 'team.'[/size]
This was all in my response to the question about the Racer 2, and
yes, I could get by without it, but why? I have it and it is a part of my detector battery and qualifies as one of my 'Main-Use' detector models and I encourage anyone to give one a try in any hunting environment.
The Bandido II you asked about might not be my #1 pick these days because while I know it well and have confidence in what it can provide me, I also need to address my health limitations and that includes reducing the amount of twisting and turning and bending/kneeling and standing, therefore I have relied on most of my other models that feature visual Target ID and most also provide audio Tone ID. I don't rely on the TID to be fully accurate, but I do refer to is to help eliminate some needless target recoveries
Don't misunderstand me, either, because my Nokta FORS CoRe and FORS Relic devices and Makro Racer 2 really are some of my all-time favorite metal detectors, and for me,
'all-time' favorite' spans over 53 years of metal detector use, and all three of these detector models are always going to be in my personal detector battery as long as I can keep enjoying this great sport. They join my Tesoro Bandido II and White's XLT, modified Classic ID and MX-7 models which are also going to stay on my
Regular-Use Detector Team for as long as I am around.
All of them have had an opportunity to make good finds for me, too, such as my meager 2018 silver coin count. It's only up to 7 silvers so far, and those have been 1 w/Multi-Kruzer, then 1 w/MX-7, 1 w/Racer 2, 1 w/Classic ID and 3 w/XLT. Old Trade Token finds have been 3, 1 w/Racer 2, 1 w/Relic and 1 w/XLT. I enjoy using ALL of my preferred detector models, but some are what I consider a 'main-use' choice for a variety to sites and tough challenges I encounter.
The Bandido II is just one of them, for both Relic Hunting and some Coin Hunting applications. But thanks to the excellent performance of the Nokta FORS CoRe, the Relic and Racer 2 were easily also accepted as 'favorites' because they can perform admirably in all the densely littered sites I prefer to hunt most often, so now it's up to other manufacturers to compete with not only my favorite Tesoro models, but also go up against the CoRe, Relic and Racer 2 in some tough, side-by-sside comparison challenges.
Monte
