AT Pro frustrated owner!

[kozman4907]

I need some advise. I have a new AT Pro. I have hunted with it 12 times. I am getting very frustrated to say the least. I Watched all videos and read books. I can't seem to get the tones right in my head. I have tried to pin point and it seems that the MD pin points to rear of the coil. I may just sell it and go back to Fisher...

 

[jarrow]

The AT Pro will pin point off the heel or toe of the coil

 

[nebraskagoldhunter]

Hi Koman, Give it a little more time. You can use standard mode, which is easier to hear and the bell tone is nice. But the pro tones do take some time to learn. it took me about a year to learn the tone of my Safari. The AT PRO is a awesome detector. Good luck, NGH

 

[mudpuppy]

Yes, for your own sake, please give it a little more time..I have a F70 and the Pro...they get along great.....just gonna throw this out there, what seems to make the most sens to my ears and is similar to Fisher tones...

Run Pro Zero, Iron audio off, 40 disc, and a MID range sens...cant stress enough the lower sens..! Especially when you are learning its language...dont worry about the PP at the moment...try to learn it without using the PP button..I never use it on the Pro, and maybe use it once per outing on the 70..get a general idea of where the target is without the PP, either by "X"ing, or raising and tapping coil, stick a screwdriver in the ground where you think the target is just by audio strength, and see how close you are to it when you dig...your brain will adjust pretty quickly to the audio, and it should become faster and easier hunting for you..

I remember getting so mad and frustrated on my first day out I nearly busted a spring! I went home, called my dealer and reamed him a new one! He didnt deserve it, and I felt so bad, I apologized and gave the Pro a chance, and GLAD I did! Its good you posted...there will be plenty of other satisfied users coming along to offer you their suggestions...
Mud.

 

[Waterdog]

I am one that gets fustrated easy. I was lucky to have a friend who knew the At Pro come along and show me several things about it to help me along.One thing he told me was to make sure to have my cable comming from the coil go straight up for at least the first foot, making sure that the coil can still move freely without stressing the cable. He has mine going straight up the shaft and coiled under the control box. Give it Time to learn the machine. The machine is only as good as it's operator. I got the smaller 5x8 coil and it also made it easier for me. I put the smaller 5x8 coil on in January and I never took it off.

 

[John-Edmonton]

"Tesoro Compadre and new fisher f75" posted 26 days ago on another forum. This is your 3rd post on Findmall. I believe you now own 3 metal detectors. Unless I am wrong, you are probably new to metal detecting. You need to pick one machine and learn it well. I would be very confused trying to learn 3 x different detectors in month, experience or not. Because this is a Garrett Forum, I will suggest you learn the AT Pro well. It has proven itself to be a very successful machine in the right hands.

Good luck! Any questions you have, just keep on asking.

 

[grumpysrb]

Twelve times? How many hours? It takes time, more for some than others. It took me almost a year, and I still question myself too often. In pin point it should put the target in the front of the rod, but you can pin point in different ways, off the heel or toe of the coil. I recommend PPing from different angles, make an + over the target. The standard coil good, but the 5x8 Pin Points better. In Pro Zero you can listen carefully and tell the size, and often the shape of a larger target. Very helpful if you are digging coins.

I watched the videos too. But didn't understand them until I went out and tried what they were doing. I have had my ATP for a year and a half, and just began adjusting the Ground Balance manually a few weeks ago.

 

[jim tn]

Hang with it. I have a F 75 LTD and several F T detectors prior and the A T Pro goes along with my F 75 nicely. In fact, I use it more often then not since getting it. Throw a few targets on the ground and play with the pin point. I use the center of the coil, myself. Dig all high tones in pro zero. You will learn which are bottle caps quickly. HH jim tn

 

[asiandigger]

I remembered Waterdog, my hunting buddy throwing his AT PRO on the ground. " I quit he said". Don't give up Kozman4907, the AT PRO is a very good machine. I spent 10 hours one day just learning and digging up everything. I can say with confident that I know the PRO very well now. OH! I almost forgot..don't care what people say (some recommend the STD mode)...learned it in the PRO ZERO mode 1st. It will make things a lot better. GOOD LUCK

 

[kozman4907]

Thanks here is the deal I am a newbie! I have been hunting since last fall. To make things even worse I had crazy good luck finding several nice coins last fall with my Fisher F2. ( 1847 Large cent and two 1866 IH pennys). I even found few silvers. I got the bug real bad! So all winter I read and obsessed over the next MD. I was also swinging a Tesoro silver Umax.

Now I got the ATPro and run it in my test garden. I was able to get the hang of it sort of... I got to hunt an 1800 farm. I get bombarded with mix of tones. I was running std mode coin. I can't seem to pinpoint targets to save my life! I do the x swing and dig my plug- nothing! I attempted to pro setting and it was just a bunch of confusing noise! Really it sounded like a dieing frog! Mix of deep grunts and high peeps. I was ready to wrap this thing around a tree! I was able to pin point much better with my other MD. Maybe I need to go slow with the DD coil. I know that the DD coil is like a line and concentic coils are like a dish when ya go over the target.

I needed a drink after swinging this thing!

Koz

 

[asiandigger]

Yes Koz in trashy area you have to slow down otherwise the it grunts all over the place. Also make sure your IRON AUDIO is off ( I hardly ever use it I just listen to clean sound). I run my PRO is in PRO ZERO, iron disc 38. (have the small coil). It does take time to learn the sound. I started metal detecting in 7/28/13, my 1st detector was the AT PRO. I spent 2 weeks learning the tones, pin pointing etc. Since then I have done very well. I only hunt public parks and school. Not to show off but in that short time of detecting using the PRO I have found over 14 gold rings, 10 silver rings and 11 silver coins already. Once again it just takes time to learn it. Like my buddy Waterdog stated in the above comment, he was very frustrated at 1st now he's neck and neck with me. Hope you improve/good luck

 

[togamac]

I really don't recall what the book says about pinpointing. My technique once I get a signal with the AT Pro in the Pro mode is to back off from the target and approach it again with very small sweeps. Some may call this waggling. Once I pick up the signal again, I know that it is towards the front of my coil. (If it's a deep target, it'll be back a bit more towards the rod. Most of my plugs start out about 3 inches in diameter and if need be I enlarge them beneath the sod. Ninety % of the time the target is within that 3 inch diameter.
Try it and good luck!

 

[upnorth]

I need some advise. I have a new AT Pro. I have hunted with it 12 times....

My first machine, a Garrett ACE 250 took me until about mid summer to get tight with it, really tight. My Tejon took longer as it is far more capable\ nuanced and I was under experienced. My learning curve on the ATP was appreciably shorter due to my experience from the other two machines. Non the less I started out slowly in standard mode, in an open field, and slowly moved through the features. Regardless of using a weaker but familiar Garrett previously, there was still an extended learning curve. I find the ATP to be a simple machine to operate now and I love it. It is strong and well rounded. I look back with a bit of embarrassment at my whining when I first got the machine. My air tests inside didn't seem up to par, which actually turned out to mean nothing in the real world.

 

[spudnuts11]

n/t

 

[1950cupajo]

[size=x-large] I won't say just hang in there , that would be redondent. I also won't say any of those things about learning your machine. I am sure you are an adult and you can understand that sometimes the jurney is the most fun, but only after you look back and have worked your tail off. My opinion is that you are simply trying to hard, or expecting an easier time of it. Just ask yourself , "How often is it harder then you thought it would be?"

Cupajo [/size]

 

[kozman4907]

Yep I could be over thinking the whole thing! I was having fun last fall. I just went out a really had no expectations. I was happy to find some clad coins. Then I had three really good hunts and I got spoiled. Not I realize I need to relax and have fun with the ATPro.

I think my early success really gave me a false sense of my ability. I will calm down some and expect not to make killer finds every hunt! Ps thanks for advise

Koz

 

[BJ in Okla.]

Lots of good advice here....
If I were you,, get the 5 x 8" dd coil put it on and use it the rest of the year,, a smaller coil helps you to learn any unit...
Hunt with a friend and compare targets,, guess at what it is,, dig the target,, and see who was right....
My hunting buddy uses a E-Trac and has for many years....He uses the 11" dd pro coil most of the time and I use the 5 x 8" coil...
Some targets are to deep for me to get an idea of what it is,,, but you will learn what a deep target sounds like,, it will be a faint sound,
to me it sounds like it is trying to climb in sound,, there won't be any number's to see....
Everyone has their own settings they like,, mine are
Pro mode,, zero disc.
Sens at max or as high as I can run where I am hunting..
Iron Disc at 35
Iron Audio on, always,,, that's the way I learned it and I stick with it.
GB spot on,,, our GB number's here are 80 + or -.....
I lower the sens down 2 or 3 bars from max and GB,, and then raise the sens back..
If its to trashy to GB,, I just set it at 80 and hunt......
The Freq. shift helps a little,,, but there is one freq. that my friend's E-Trac runs in sometimes,
just drives my AT nuts.....

Now, you have made some good finds,, reminds me of years ago, they were doing dirt work at a old school, built in like 1953,,, but before that
it was our state fair grounds,, from 1907 to 1953,, we found all kinds of good stuff there,, one day, I counted like 35 hunters hunting... This was a once in a life time hunt.
Some hunts are good and some hunts are not so good,,, but it beats the best day at working, lol.

Now, for your F-75, I have one with boost,, there is so much to this unit that's not in the manual,, but it will hunt, just about any way you set it...
I have other units, but grab the AT Pro with 5x8 coil and have fun.....
My 2 favorite coils are the 5x8 and the 4.5" super sniper coil,, for the places that I hunt... I love to hunt in trash,, the more trash,, the more I like it...
My 4.5" super sniper coil found me a nice 14K gold ring with one big diamond and 8 small diamonds..
So, just take your time and have fun and learn your AT Pro.....
BJ

 

[Elton]

Yep I could be over thinking the whole thing! I was having fun last fall. I just went out a really had no expectations. I was happy to find some clad coins. Then I had three really good hunts and I got spoiled. Not I realize I need to relax and have fun with the ATPro.

I think my early success really gave me a false sense of my ability. I will calm down some and expect not to make killer finds every hunt! Ps thanks for advise

Koz

Now your catching on !! Make it fun..the good stuff will come..

 

[grumpysrb]

OK. Instead of PPing forward and backward or side to side or doing the 90 degree turn. Try allowing the coil to hover over the target free while watching the screen, paying attention to the Strength and listening to the sound. Remember the Garrett DD coil PP's in the hole in front of the coil.

 

[Diggin-it]

I made this video a while back. You might find it helps you, it has helped a lot of AT-Pro beginners.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSTADU9UWIM&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/video]

It took me a whole summer to really get to know the ATP...and that was hunting for hours nearly every day. Time and patience.