Compadre on the way!!!

[Stoof-tabsallday]

So I just ordered my first compadre yesterday. I opted for the 8" coil. Had some reservations because I do own an Ace 350 already with a larger DD coil in it.
I've combed all the posts here and still have a few questions.
This is a beep and dig detector and I can use the disc once I've found a target to help identify it. Does anyone have any other tips for me?
I read about lifting it off the ground and listening to the sound and also for guessing depth of target.
I liked some of the threads about putting in a sensitivity knob and a ground balance knob, but none of the posts were very specific on how to do this exactly. They showed a pic of the board and then removing the pot from the board and then with the colored wires in the sensitivity area, but not very in depth and step by step, like which knob to buy and which wires go on which terminals of the knob prongs, etc. The post I found about installing the plug to be able to change coils mentioned the pattern about which wire goes on which terminal.
Anyway I digress.
Compared to my ace, what can I expect the differences to be. Sometime I feel like with my ace I'm paying attention to the "bells and whisles" so much, I'm probably missing targets. Is the compadre a step up, down or sideways from my 350?
Also, about mods, is there anyone that will do the mods for a fee? I'd like to do them myself, but with cost of buying such small amounts of the parts, it might be more worthwhile to just pay someone who offers the service. Also, as said above, I can't find in depth enough directions to risk the warranty I'd I do it wrong.
Thanks ahead of time for any and all input!!

 

[Stoof-tabsallday]

Wow I expected some suggestions!!! Lol

 

[amberjack]

never owned an ace 350 so cant help in that regard, what I can say is set the disc where you want it and start digging nothing else to know really

AJ

 

[Stoof-tabsallday]

Ok cool. Was gonna set it low then disc up when I hit a target. I've heard that it gets less sensitive to cut rain things the higher the disc is up.
But in the places I've found to hunt so far, I might have to turn it up. So much trash I feel like a garbage man when I leave with all the trash lol.
Thanks#

 

[Mega]

The Compadre is a nice little machine and certainly good at what is does,i also do own one but only use it for fresh water detecting in say fords or near other river crossing,as these are the main routes into old villages etc going back 1000s of years,also the romans use to throw coins as votive offerings hence this is why i use a small coil on the Compadre,but that is the only time i use one of these machines.

They are great little machines for parks,tots lots or what ever you call them and general shallow detecting for coins and gold jewellery but they are limited,i personally would have said that the Ace 350 would have been a far better all round machine,but that is just my personal opinion and thoughts,the Compadre is a fun machine and a great work horse but as i have mentioned it is limited in what i can do,but of course if you only plan on detecting parks then thats a ideal machine,the trouble is the coil is hardwired,i had mine converted to a standard 5 pin connector,so i can use all the standard 5 pin coils from Tesoro if need be and also aftermarket coils as well.

Most use usually go for the 7'' or slightly smaller coil rather than the 8'' coil,the larger one will give you more depth of course but possibly not as deadly on small jewellery as the smaller coils.

These are of course just my personal thoughts and opinions,others could well view the machine differently.

 

[wheatymike]

I have a 7" Compadre and have owned and used the 5.75 and the 8". In my opinion you did good to get the 8". It is the best all around. Only its a little heavier. I like hunting with the Compadre in certain situations. They do good in iron and also I love them for dry sand beach jewelry hunting. You can set the disc low or high what ever your prefer or you can turn the knob when you get a target and decide what to dig. Also you can listen to the quality of the tone and get a little info from that. They make good cherry picking machines for high conductors also. If you really want to see if the difference in the compadre and the ace 350 run over a spot in all metal with the ace then do the same in all metal with the compy and see the difference. That will tell you why they make good beach hunters.

 

[Stoof-tabsallday]

The Compadre is a nice little machine and certainly good at what is does,i also do own one but only use it for fresh water detecting in say fords or near other river crossing,as these are the main routes into old villages etc going back 1000s of years,also the romans use to throw coins as votive offerings hence this is why i use a small coil on the Compadre,but that is the only time i use one of these machines.

They are great little machines for parks,tots lots or what ever you call them and general shallow detecting for coins and gold jewellery but they are limited,i personally would have said that the Ace 350 would have been a far better all round machine,but that is just my personal opinion and thoughts,the Compadre is a fun machine and a great work horse but as i have mentioned it is limited in what i can do,but of course if you only plan on detecting parks then thats a ideal machine,the trouble is the coil is hardwired,i had mine converted to a standard 5 pin connector,so i can use all the standard 5 pin coils from Tesoro if need be and also aftermarket coils as well.

Most use usually go for the 7'' or slightly smaller coil rather than the 8'' coil,the larger one will give you more depth of course but possibly not as deadly on small jewellery as the smaller coils.

These are of course just my personal thoughts and opinions,others could well view the machine differently.

Thabks for the input!! I am either considering getting a 5.75 compadre in the future or converting mine with a 5 pin connector. I know it's not the do all end all of detectors by far, but I did want one and the price is right.
I do like my ace. Great machine for larger areas.
Also considering a fors relic once available for its abilities. The garrett can frustrate me at times because it reads a coin but I dig trash. I know it's part of it, but with the compadre it will be more of a beep and dig. Plus alot of the areas o go make my ace scream 50 tones a sweep with the garbage. I'm thinking with the compadre these areas might be easier.
Going to try my dad's property soon as well out in the country with the ace.
Some days I'm glad I got the 8" and some days I wish I would have gotten the 5.75" for trashy spots.
I know I went a weird direction getting the Compadre after the ace, but they are two different machines completely to me.
We shall see.
Really want the relic. Was gonna get the core, but figured the relic has same features plus more so I'd go for that.

 

[Stoof-tabsallday]

I have a 7" Compadre and have owned and used the 5.75 and the 8". In my opinion you did good to get the 8". It is the best all around. Only its a little heavier. I like hunting with the Compadre in certain situations. They do good in iron and also I love them for dry sand beach jewelry hunting. You can set the disc low or high what ever your prefer or you can turn the knob when you get a target and decide what to dig. Also you can listen to the quality of the tone and get a little info from that. They make good cherry picking machines for high conductors also. If you really want to see if the difference in the compadre and the ace 350 run over a spot in all metal with the ace then do the same in all metal with the compy and see the difference. That will tell you why they make good beach hunters.

I'll definitly run that test!!!
I agree that they have their places. The Ace only has one type of tone for each type of metal. Whether deep or shallow there is no change in pitch or any subtleties in the tone. Another reason I got the compadre is for the subtleties with the sharp vs. Rounded tones and the really listening part. I think it will help for when I get into a nicer machine that the tone and pitch change with the metal, size and density etc.

 

[amberjack]

the great thing about the compadre is it has Tesoro's 180 disc and for me its the best detector they make in regards to discrimination ability's work out the prey and where to set the disc and it works great.

AJ

 

[Fletch88]

I would just hunt with it as is and not worry about moding or tinkering with internals. That is the beauty of Tesoro -Simplicity and one or two knobs to turn on and hunt. I would think after listening to bell tones a simple beep and dig single tone will be a great change. You really can call 90% of all targets before you dig once you learn the sounds and where targets start to "crackle up" or drop out.

 

[Stoof-tabsallday]

Any hints to the prey? Or where to start with it?

 

[Rob183]

I have an Amigo II (same thing but different) with a 7" coil. In theTot lots I can max the discrimination and get right against most steel structures and still get dimes and quarters. Also very good IDing zinc pennies. I had an Ace 350 and got rid of it, too much noise.

 

[amberjack]

I would lay down your I mean US coins and see where the disc knob knocks them out and just go hunt the high ones that come in past zinc for awhile you will still get most silver rings gain a bit of confidence with the detector and how it sounds etc.. then start winding the disc down , best to find goodies 1st up makes it easier to learn and when we are enjoying what we are doing we learn easier I think

after all its about having fun and with that disc on the compadre you cant go wrong top class in my book !!

AJ

Any hints to the prey? Or where to start with it?

 

[Stoof-tabsallday]

Well it came in yesterday!!! Didn't get home until late, but I hurried up and took it out to the small lawn in front on my apartment building. This area made my ace go nuts!!! Trash so close to eachother there was no disernable tones, just one big one.
The compadre was able to separate out every piece.
I look forward to trying this "out in the field" ( pun intended).
I can already tell how much of it is most likely aluminum. Disc all the way up and half of it went quiet.

 

[amberjack]

for the price it can not be beat have fun out in the field !

AJ

 

[REVIER]

I hunt with screens and I also own a Vaq and a Compadre.
I can't explain why but something about hunting with that Compadre seems to have an extra dimension of fun involved that I can enjoy compared to using all others.
The fact that it is jaw dropping my hyper sensitive and productive seems to be a big part of that.

As far as mods I have my sense turned up to just below the point of chatter and it seems to work well in all kinds of sites, extremely good and bad dirt and under most conditions.

A long time ago I posted about how I would use the Compadre for another hunter that was getting one and asked for some tips.
I will repost that advice below because I still do it this way, still find a ton of great things while avoiding a bunch of trash along the way.



----------------------
look at the pic below...this is where metals will show up on your dial.
Forget the numbers, just study their locations.

The way you figure out what you are digging before you dig it, which is never 100% by the way, is to "thumb" that disc knob and figure out where the metals in the range you see in the picture go away or "disc out".

*Tip*....It is more accurate to turn the knob way up and then turn it down slowly as you are swinging over the target and stop at the area where you hear a tone come in, than to turn it up until it fades out.

Now you have done this and lets say it was silent till you got to the zinc mark.
Now you have a clue, and this hobby is all about taking all your clues and putting them together to make an educated guess.
From studying the picture, you remember that this zinc area should sound off if you have a zinc penny or other zinc item, an Indian head penny, a screw-cap or gold.
Might be some other things like can slaw, but it could be one of the first four, too.
Maybe you want to switch to all metal now to get the deepest and clearest signal and run your coil around the target area and try to size the target.
Where does the tone sound loudest and then fade out?
Hit it from a different angle and try to get a picture in your mind on how big it is...coin size, maybe a little bigger?
In all metal or turning it back below zinc on the disc knob, how loud does it sound when you scan it?
Really loud, maybe medium loud or softer?
This gives you a clue on the depth.
Another depth trick is lift the coil and swing over it.
Do you lose it at 3 inches above the ground, 4-5?
If you know your limit of your detector, and subtract the height of your coil above the target where it goes silent, this can give you approximate depth.

Now you decide to whip your coil over the target real fast and see if the tones stay solid from all angles or breaks up.
If it breaks up it could be trash, if not, still might be a good target.

All of these techniques are aimed to give you clues, and those clues will lead you to an educated guess and that will lead you to digging a hole...or not.

As you put in your time, you also start to hear slight differences in that tone.
A zinc penny might sound very solid and full and the same all the way through, but a screw-cap might not sound so full.
Maybe you noticed after locating and scanning hundreds of these that a screw-cap doesn't stay full just comes in with no noise with sharp ends but maybe breaks a little right at the end with lots of clicks or maybe it gets a little fuzzy.
You never could tell the difference at the beginning, but now, after much practice, you can hear that difference, and so you have another good clue as to what you might have sitting in the ground below you.

Solid tone, rings true, no breaking of the signal, small like a coin, really loud tone, can raise the coil pretty high before it fades out...I think this is a zinc penny that is about 1 inch down...then you dig it...and it is.
Or maybe not, like I said, not 100% in this hobby...ever...but you cut your odds down some on digging trash, and you made a good guess.

It's a process.
As you progress, your guesses get better.

The universe must be laughing at us that do this hobby because it made so many bad things ring up in the same areas as so many good things.
Aluminum hangs out where the high tone coins do.
Gold live in the same neighborhood as foil, nickels and pull tabs...as a matter of fact, gold seems to live in almost all the neighborhoods.
Nobody is perfect, we all dig lots of trash, but the better you get the less trash you dig and the more treasure you find.

Study the picture, know your metals and where they line up in relation to your disc knob.

Then practice, practice practice.
Really listen and try to remember that tone you hear before you dig a target, then remember what target you dug after that specific tone.
It takes time for your instincts to kick in and this stuff becomes second nature, but it will eventually happen.
Once you dig enough holes.

That's how I do it.

HH

 

[slingshot]

What REVIER said! When Tabdog was on this forum, I tried for 2 years to pick his brain before I decided to get my Compadre. What I didn't realize was that his career was in a field that required the skill of hearing the slightest variances in signals and he excelled in his field. As I practiced, I began to notice a lot of what REVIER posted and I hardly ever raised my discrimination above iron. While I can give reasons for the ability of the simple Compadre, it's still a surprise at times.

 

[Stoof-tabsallday]

I would lay down your I mean US coins and see where the disc knob knocks them out and just go hunt the high ones that come in past zinc for awhile you will still get most silver rings gain a bit of confidence with the detector and how it sounds etc.. then start winding the disc down , best to find goodies 1st up makes it easier to learn and when we are enjoying what we are doing we learn easier I think

after all its about having fun and with that disc on the compadre you cant go wrong top class in my book !!

AJ

Any hints to the prey? Or where to start with it?

I'll definitly do that!!!
I also have some silver quarters and older even barber quarters, silver chains, etc I can test out too.
Good idea. Plus I can always go back to the spots I set it high in later when I turn it back down .

 

[Stoof-tabsallday]

I hunt with screens and I also own a Vaq and a Compadre.
I can't explain why but something about hunting with that Compadre seems to have an extra dimension of fun involved that I can enjoy compared to using all others.
The fact that it is jaw dropping my hyper sensitive and productive seems to be a big part of that.

As far as mods I have my sense turned up to just below the point of chatter and it seems to work well in all kinds of sites, extremely good and bad dirt and under most conditions.

A long time ago I posted about how I would use the Compadre for another hunter that was getting one and asked for some tips.
I will repost that advice below because I still do it this way, still find a ton of great things while avoiding a bunch of trash along the way.



----------------------
look at the pic below...this is where metals will show up on your dial.
Forget the numbers, just study their locations.

The way you figure out what you are digging before you dig it, which is never 100% by the way, is to "thumb" that disc knob and figure out where the metals in the range you see in the picture go away or "disc out".

*Tip*....It is more accurate to turn the knob way up and then turn it down slowly as you are swinging over the target and stop at the area where you hear a tone come in, than to turn it up until it fades out.

Now you have done this and lets say it was silent till you got to the zinc mark.
Now you have a clue, and this hobby is all about taking all your clues and putting them together to make an educated guess.
From studying the picture, you remember that this zinc area should sound off if you have a zinc penny or other zinc item, an Indian head penny, a screw-cap or gold.
Might be some other things like can slaw, but it could be one of the first four, too.
Maybe you want to switch to all metal now to get the deepest and clearest signal and run your coil around the target area and try to size the target.
Where does the tone sound loudest and then fade out?
Hit it from a different angle and try to get a picture in your mind on how big it is...coin size, maybe a little bigger?
In all metal or turning it back below zinc on the disc knob, how loud does it sound when you scan it?
Really loud, maybe medium loud or softer?
This gives you a clue on the depth.
Another depth trick is lift the coil and swing over it.
Do you lose it at 3 inches above the ground, 4-5?
If you know your limit of your detector, and subtract the height of your coil above the target where it goes silent, this can give you approximate depth.

Now you decide to whip your coil over the target real fast and see if the tones stay solid from all angles or breaks up.
If it breaks up it could be trash, if not, still might be a good target.

All of these techniques are aimed to give you clues, and those clues will lead you to an educated guess and that will lead you to digging a hole...or not.

As you put in your time, you also start to hear slight differences in that tone.
A zinc penny might sound very solid and full and the same all the way through, but a screw-cap might not sound so full.
Maybe you noticed after locating and scanning hundreds of these that a screw-cap doesn't stay full just comes in with no noise with sharp ends but maybe breaks a little right at the end with lots of clicks or maybe it gets a little fuzzy.
You never could tell the difference at the beginning, but now, after much practice, you can hear that difference, and so you have another good clue as to what you might have sitting in the ground below you.

Solid tone, rings true, no breaking of the signal, small like a coin, really loud tone, can raise the coil pretty high before it fades out...I think this is a zinc penny that is about 1 inch down...then you dig it...and it is.
Or maybe not, like I said, not 100% in this hobby...ever...but you cut your odds down some on digging trash, and you made a good guess.

It's a process.
As you progress, your guesses get better.

The universe must be laughing at us that do this hobby because it made so many bad things ring up in the same areas as so many good things.
Aluminum hangs out where the high tone coins do.
Gold live in the same neighborhood as foil, nickels and pull tabs...as a matter of fact, gold seems to live in almost all the neighborhoods.
Nobody is perfect, we all dig lots of trash, but the better you get the less trash you dig and the more treasure you find.

Study the picture, know your metals and where they line up in relation to your disc knob.

Then practice, practice practice.
Really listen and try to remember that tone you hear before you dig a target, then remember what target you dug after that specific tone.
It takes time for your instincts to kick in and this stuff becomes second nature, but it will eventually happen.
Once you dig enough holes.

That's how I do it.

HH

Wow that was a phenomenal post!!! I will log all those suggestions and definitly play around with that.
I'll put some coins on the ground to get an idea of the depth limit too which will definitly help when detectong.
That post should be sticky on the tesoro forum!!!
Thabks again. I'll he to read that a bunch of times so I can remember when I'm out in the field!!

 

[REVIER]

You are welcome.
That post seemed to clarify the basics of hunting with Tesoros and I have been thanked many times over the years for posting it for the newbies.

slingshot mentioned Tabdog, a legendary Compadre owner and user that we all learned from over the years when he frequented many of these forums.
He is legendary because he seemed to be in another world when it came to understanding this great little unit and an uncanny ability to correctly ID most targets before he dug them.
Many posts made us laugh when he told stories of group hunts where several hunters with all kinds of high end detectors scanned a target in the ground along with Tabdog and all made a guess about what it could be.
Most laughed at Tab using that silly one knob cheap toy of a detector but when the target was dug and they all were wrong while Tabdog turned out to be exactly right time and time again they stopped laughing.
He gained great understanding of the sounds he heard because in his working life he had decades of experience using a special tool called a pin detector which translated easily over to a Compadre because of how it is designed along with other detectors.


All of us end up doing this hobby and using our Tesoros different ways and all have fun and seem to eventually become successful.
I like to figure out targets before I dig them so I thumb that knob up and down and use many other techniques to try to make the most educated guesses.
Some set the knob at one area and dug everything that beeps which would drive me crazy but for them is their favorite way to do this.
There is no wrong way, just different ways and we all eventually find that favorite way and get pretty good at it as we gain experience.

Slingshot is pretty darn good at this stuff too and here is some advice on his way of hunting that he has been very generous in sharing for many years on the forums.
Most detectorists in this hobby are open, friendly and generous compared to other hobbies for some reason, Tesoro owners included.

With my Compadre, setting the dial on the "i" in iron gets rid of paper clips, small nails and still picks up small gold chains, earrings AND teeny foil, FRAGMENTS of tabs, and just about any other tidbit. Moving it to the "r" in iron gets rid of larger nails, bolts and the gold chains start to get a little fainter, although the teeny foil is still bothersome. Between "iron" and "foil" is where the tiny gold chains and teeny foil are no longer bothersome? and the larger foil and all other coins are still found and I feel is the perfect "coin" hunting setting because the gold rings down to tiny ones are easily found. If you aren't worried about the tiny stuff, I take a regular-sized piece of foil and set the disc to where the foil breaks up and this would be THE setting for coinshooters and the rings are still there-just some tiny ones may break up like the foil. Any higher than this is just flirting with disaster as far as gold is concerned. I HAVE set it to where tabs "crackle" and just hunted for all coins except the nickel in some horrendous places and had a ball-even brought back memories of the old days. To answer your last question: This is the order in which targets no longer give a signal as the discrimination is increased-and if I'm assuming you didn't know this, please forgive: iron, foil, nickel, pulltabs, coins above nickel. I no longer go above foil. Also, most Tesoros will not omit the higher coins at any setting.