Garrett XL500

[PennyFinder]

How many of you folks still use the Garrett XL500? What is the best thing you like about it besides it still drums along like the Energizer Bunny after 20 years! Now that's a quality product. Thanks Charles!

PennyFinder

 

[Eric Foster]

That is a combination of a good rugged case and powerful PI electronics with a good pedigree. The Aquastar would fall into the same league but with better sensitivity to thinner and smaller gold rings. However, its life was cut short by the sudden unavailbility of the waterproof case, which was the same as the one used for the XL500. Perhaps when Garrett stopped ordering, the quantities fell below the level of economic production.

Eric.

 

[PennyFinder]

Hi Eric! What an honour to have you reply to my email, I'm tickled!
Could you answer a question for me concerning the Garrett XL 500?
In the heavy blacksand Pacific Northwest ocean beaches, specifically the Fraser River estuary where the sand is heavily mafic and ultramafic from the British Columbia rock formations, would you say the pulse delay would be about right in the XL 500 for this type of hunting? Thx.


PennyFinder

 

[Sven]

That is a combination of a good rugged case and powerful PI electronics with a good pedigree. The Aquastar would fall into the same league but with better sensitivity to thinner and smaller gold rings. However, its life was cut short by the sudden unavailbility of the waterproof case, which was the same as the one used for the XL500. Perhaps when Garrett stopped ordering, the quantities fell below the level of economic production.

Eric.

The cases (housing) were designed for use with underwater use of land based camera flash units. They were made by Ikelite for the powerful & popular Vivitar 283 & 285 camera flash units.
As underwater photography technology matured, it was cheaper to buy a self contained underwater Strobe flash than to purchase the housing and a land based flash. Not to mention that the u/w strobes became smaller. The Vivitar cases were large and bulky, especially when you need two flash units. I always had to add a lead 5 oz. weight to my housing to get to balance neutral when diving in salt water.
I think this is why the cases are no longer found.