Depth over the years.

[Terry in PA]

I've been detecting since 1991 and started with a Bounty Hunter detector and moved on to a Garrett gta 1000 power master which I used with great success for a few years moved on to the first imaging machines Garrett made the GTI 2000 and then to the upgraded GTI 2500 and also used the GTI 1500 and AT Pro. Have used other major detector brands over the years also. What I have noticed over the years is there has not been a big increase in depth of detection over the years.The Bounty Hunter was getting coins at 8 inches, The GTA 1000 was also picking up coins at 8,9 inches The others also 8,9 inches. Over 26 years Metal detecting companies have not seemed to focus on the depth end of machines.Some will say today's detectors are deeper. I will agree maybe 1 inch or 2. Air test do not tell all the story. In ground test do tell the tells. You would think by now we would be able to pluck out dimes at 10-11 inches with clear repeatable tones by now. Now I do agree that target separation seems to be the way they are going which is very good. But you would think they would have by now found a way to focus the signal of the coil to a fine strong point capable of punching deeper into the ground. Just some food for thought.

 

[Strobing_NYC]

I have alway believed and I could be wrong that coil size will effect depth. I think of it like this, the bigger the coil the deeper you can hit targets, (this is not taking into account masking just talking depth) I would think most detector companies don't want to
A: spend the $ on a large stock coil
B: large coils are heavy
C: making of targets

so most detector businesses would stick somewhere around 8x12 for coil size since you get good depth and lighter weight. Now we also need to think about ground mineralization and how that effects depth There are so many variables that make a "deep" machine.

 

[TheLegend27]

There is newer technology available that does in fact go deeper. Just look at the XP Deus or the Minelab GPZ. The average detectable depth on the AT Pro/Gold is roughly 10 inches. The XP Deus users report a depth of roughly 16 inches. GPZ users report even deeper findings. Tech has improved but to be an early adopter means you'll have to pay for it. The Deus goes for around $1450 from Bart. The GPZ is ridiculous at around $7,000.

 

[Strobing_NYC]

Again that's coil size dependant, I have both the XP Dues and AT Pro. I have a hard time believing that the XP Dues is deeper than the AT Pro with a NEL Storm coil.

 

[TheLegend27]

Again that's coil size dependant, I have both the XP Dues and AT Pro. I have a hard time believing that the XP Dues is deeper than the AT Pro with a NEL Storm coil.

I've read so many mixed reviews about the NEL coils. Don't they chatter quite a lot?

 

[bandagman007]

I'm looking at the Nel Storm coil for my AT pro. But I love a quiet machine like my Fisher CZ 6a no noise until you hit metal. Any info wold be greatly appreciated.
Thanks and happy hunting

 

[jim tn]

I run a NEL Sharpshooter on my A T Pro and it runs quiet, as quiet as the stock coils. Have also used them on other detectors and they all ran quiet. I have a buddy that runs the Storm on his F 75 and it runs quiet. I have not been aware that NEL's don't! HH jim tn

 

[Terry in PA]

-- moved topic --

 

[calabash digger]

I will put my deus up againest the at pro with the storm coil any day on a depth test. I started with a at pro and tornado and attack coil.The deus nine inch coil is a very unique coil I can tag (in my soil) with good diggable tones a 14 inch silver quarter and a 15 inch silver half. I dug a 22 casing the other day it was a faint tone with the 11 inch coil and it came out at 9inchs I was very imppressed. I was taught the bigger the coil the deeper the detector will hit but somehow deus has turned that upside down.Can someone explain why the 9 inch coil will hit so deep I dont know of any other brand that can do that with that size coil. Knowing how to set the deus up will determine if you can hit super deep targets or not. I have a couple of videos of my machine doing this the naysayers can go check them out.

Again that's coil size dependant, I have both the XP Dues and AT Pro. I have a hard time believing that the XP Dues is deeper than the AT Pro with a NEL Storm coil.

personally I have dug a wheat at 11 and my friend dug one in the fiel at 11 1/2 inchs I use to be a carpenter so I know how to measure I know some will say it was a foot and will only be 8 or 9 inchs.

 

[bootyhoundpa]

That extra 1 or 2 inches could make a big difference. . my 1st machine was a gta 1000... it got simular depth to yours and found me a fair amount of silver but it missed alot of stuff and it struggled in farm fields. . my whites 5900 is much more sensitive and gets slightly better depth than the gta 1000... when i want depth i use my sovereign gt..it gets great depth.. any machine that consistently gets coins in the 10 inch realm is a keeper, but there's always gonna be various conditions which affect performance and depth both positive and negatively. ..settings can obviously have a major affect on performance. .. i like running rather hot so that the small iron grunts and the coins sing...

 

[still looking 52]

I'm having to agree with Terry from PA, I don't think the modern detectors are any deeper than the ones 25 years ago. My Dad and I used to detect a little bit back in the ninety's, we were using the whites 5000 and I could remember digging coins back then around the 6 to 7 inch range and that's pretty much what I'm getting with my f5.

 

[calabash digger]

Have you tried any high end detectors because the ones ive tried will bust 12 inch silver quarters the ctx 30/30 being one of them. Maybe the mid range detectors havent changed that much but I always thought the f75 was a deep machine too. I have a 9 1/2 inch merc dime buried and thats getting to the edge of detection depth for the deus and ctx probaly could hit at 10 but that would be pushing it I believe ive never tested a merc past 9 1/2 just the quarter and half at 12 inchs and at 14 and 15 inchs.

 

[Mega]

Its not a easy question too answer,on coin size finds using a stock size coil i would have said that depth has increased a little but on larger targets i would have said 'yes' and this is mainly due to larger and more efficient coils that are available either from the makers of the detectors or after market makers.I must admit i am a fan of NEL coils and not only on larger than stock coils but also smaller ones as well.

Locations also a decisive factor as well,this could be things like the ground condition ie mineralised or very trashy sites from human habitation a much smaller coil is required too get in between the targets,it makes no odds if the detector is 25 years old or the very latest technology that is how it works and using a larger coil can have a reverse effect rather than gaining you depth.

I mainly carry 3 detectors with me all the time like the T2 setup with a 5'' coil for trashy saxon/roman sites,Deus with 9'' coil for everyday detecting and when after deep targets like artifacts or hoards then i tend to use more specialised detector like the TDI pro this could have a 20'' Mono coil on or either of my Nexus machines then this is when you can notice a massive depth gain over a 25 year old machine.A machine from the 90s on a clear pasture site with a stock coil or even a slightly larger coil on just wont come close too get near the depth of a Nexus with a large coil on and yes they are both VLF machine albeit the TDI Pro is a Pulse.

Can a modern day detector go deeper than a machine 25 years old,i personally would have said 'yes' in the right environment,of course many things have to be taken into account,ground conditions,trash or other un-wanted targets,skill set of the operator,type of technology of the detector ie VLF/Pulse.

 

[Wayfarer]

The basic VLF detector technology hasn't really changed in 40 years. The only thing that has changed is the bells and whistles, features, user adjustments, fancy screens, and such. It's similar to cars. In 1975 we were driving down the interstate at 65 mph watching our analog gauges listening to our AM radio. In 2017, we are driving down the interstate at 65 watching digital gauges listening to our bluetooth iphones. My White's V3i maybe gets about an inch deeper than my 6000D I used to hunt with back in the 80's, but it has better separation, is less swing speed sensitive, and has much fancier display and controls. My 15-year old MXT is as deep as my V3i. So yes, I agreeVLF detector depth capability hasn't really improved much in the last 30 years. There have still been some other improvements in features and performance since then, but nothing like the huge leaps in performance that came in the 70's and early 80's.

 

[5900_XL-1]

The basic VLF detector technology hasn't really changed in 40 years. The only thing that has changed is the bells and whistles, features, user adjustments, fancy screens, and such. It's similar to cars. In 1975 we were driving down the interstate at 65 mph watching our analog gauges listening to our AM radio. In 2017, we are driving down the interstate at 65 watching digital gauges listening to our bluetooth iphones. My White's V3i maybe gets about an inch deeper than my 6000D I used to hunt with back in the 80's, but it has better separation, is less swing speed sensitive, and has much fancier display and controls. My 15-year old MXT is as deep as my V3i. So yes, I agreeVLF detector depth capability hasn't really improved much in the last 30 years. There have still been some other improvements in features and performance since then, but nothing like the huge leaps in peformance that came in the 70's and early 80's.

I agee with all of this. The Whites V3i gets accolades about it's depth ability but I've never been amazed with it in depth over the 6 years I've ran mine. My old 5900 seemed just as deep. Concerning the Deus...a hunt buddy of mine who's ran a Deus for several years, keeps saying his lacks in depth. We've compared signals and his Deus comes in second compared to my V3i.

VLF technology is like stated, depth fairly hobbled to about the same as older machines with ground balance ability. It is what it is, except that each Tector has different soil conditions. Even then, the older models compete very well in the depth department in the same soil.

 

[Wayfarer]

I was being charitable when I said the V3i maybe gets an inch deeper. In all honesty, it's about the same or only very slightly deeper than my old 6000. But that speaks as much to how good those old 5000/6000's were, especially in their time, but even now compared to modern machines, they are still some damn good detectors. That said, the V3i does get at least as deep and has great features and lots of adjustability which is really fun (and educational) to play around with. If the V3i does as well as White's legendary analog machines, I can live with that.

Like you said, VLF is what it is. And just to poke the Minelab guys, , the CTX 3030 isn't any deeper either. FBS has its advantages, but it's still VLF.

 

[marcomo]

It's similar to cars. In 1975 we were driving down the interstate at 65 mph watching our analog gauges listening to our AM radio. In 2017, we are driving down the interstate at 65 watching digital gauges listening to our bluetooth iphones.

Maybe we were driving 65, but the interstate speed limit in 1975 was mandated nationwide at 55 to conserve fuel supplies.

Before the oil embargo in 1973, the interstate speed limit was 70 in most areas. We were legally going faster in 1972 than we are now on most urban highways.

 

[Herb Jones]

I would think that Frequency also plays into the equation.... From my understanding Higher frequency machines do not go as deep... just like FM radio doesn't go as far as AM... It seems like some new high frequency machines are still good at depth, I would think that OPTIMAL DEPTH will always be better with a large coil and a low frequency machine... something like the old two box numbers a bloodhound, does just this. giant coil area, low frequency for deep caches... I think its a bit of both... sees as though when you get into the higher machines, you get QUALITY of tone and discrimination, a lower end machine may just hit a target at the same depth but not transmit back to you all of the fine detailed information lost within the distorted signal... Like an amplifier for a guitar. a $1000 Ampeg machine is just going to sound better than a $200 amp, but the $200 amp may be just as loud, but with more distortion, and that ampeg amp is still made with 60's technology. (TO ME) it seems that Pulse induction is the only real advancement in detectors in the past 40 years...everything else is just the industry going through a normal learning curve...

 

[still looking 52]

It's similar to cars. In 1975 we were driving down the interstate at 65 mph watching our analog gauges listening to our AM radio. In 2017, we are driving down the interstate at 65 watching digital gauges listening to our bluetooth iphones.

Maybe we were driving 65, but the interstate speed limit in 1975 was mandated nationwide at 55 to conserve fuel supplies.

Before the oil embargo in 1973, the interstate speed limit was 70 in most areas. We were legally going faster in 1972 than we are now on most urban highways.

The cars made between 65 and 70 were pretty (deep). I remember lusting after a Corvette when I was in high school, you opened the hood and right on top of the air cleaner in big bold letters it said, 427 cubic inches/435 horse power and it was fuel injected.

 

[Southwind]

I have seen a big increase in depth over the years. But then I've been at it for over 40 years.

I saw a big jump in depth in the early 80's and in the early 90's since then not so much other than new features which get better depth in poor conditions.