Getting serious about the T-2

[Rick(ND)]

I have been reading everything I can about this new detector, but not asking a lot of questions yet as you learn more about reading about them. I would ask Mike to send me the copy of the owners manual,but have dial up and don't know how long it would take to download.
Been reading about the rusty bottle caps some get and just wonder how bad it really is. My CZ7 was bad on them, the GTI 2500 was also, the Shadow X5 I could tell them with no problem, my MXT also no problem, the Explorer very little problem with ID, but hear them, the Sovereign only when it was real dry and then they would read in the nickle tones and meter readings.The Advantage of Minelab seem to love the rusty bottle caps too and only used the new X-Terra 30 and 50 very little and don't notice much of a rusty cap problem with them.
I think the only way to tell is to try a T-2 myself and see how bad this really is, or if there is a problem with this detector for my area.
I see from what I read from Ralph it is a very fast recovery, but how stable is it or how much chatter with it, is the tone ID good along with the visual ID and how it will compare with the Sovereign or the Explorer as far as depth and ID.

Rick

 

[Ralph Bryant]

Rick,

It's important to understand the difference between "fast recovery" and "target response speed". While they are related, they are two very different things. Recovery speed is determined by a combination how quickly a detector will "drop" the signal from one target and acquire the signal of another. This is based on how quick the circuits are, what filtering configuration is in use, and how fast or slow the coil sweep speed is. When I talk about target "response" speed, what I am actually talking about is the initial or first response to a target as the coil moves over it, how quick or "snappy" the target response appears to the operator. As strange as it sounds, it is very possible to have a slow or "delayed" response speed while still having a quick recovery speed. It's all a matter of the design of the machine.

"Chatter" is another vague term in that there are many causes. Some machines tend to pop and crackle over discriminated out target levels, while others run relatively quiet under the same conditions but may have a susceptibility to external RF noise. With the T-2 specifically, you can basically run it either way according to your gain or sensitivity level. If external noise or sensitivity to unwanted or discriminated targets is a concern, simply lowering the gain setting will smooth things right up. Noisy discrimination in the sense of still getting pops and crackle on targets that are discriminated out does not appear to be a problem in my ground, but might vary according to differences in ground mineralization levels. As we know, the higher the level of ferrous ground mineralization and/or moisture content, the more difficult it is to get clean discrimination on iron. With single frequency machines, you also have the risk of some ground noise in areas of high salt concentrations in moist conditions, because you simply cannot "balance" such machines to both magnetic ferrous and conductive salt mineralization at the same time.

I would agree with you that the only real way to know for sure how the T-2 will work in your area is to try it out yourself, not to see "how bad it really is" but "how GOOD it really is". I think alot of folks fail to realize that this bottlecap "issue" is only being discussed and debated because that is one of the only isolated matters surrounding the T-2 even worthy of mentioning. Everything else it does, it does very well. There are bound to be "doubts" about any new machine release, especially so coming from what amounts to a "start-up" concern such as the new Teknetics. We're all continually striving for absolute perfection in a detector, but most experienced users understand the odds. Sometimes you just have to take your chances. Sometimes the doubts are justified. Sometimes you hit on a real winner. But you just never know until you try. I've personally found the performance of the T-2 to rank right up there with the best, with an "intuitive simplicity" of design that really gives it an edge over certain other top-end detectors in that regard.

Just my opinion FWIW.

Ralph

 

[Rick(ND)]

I have tried many different detectors in my 33 years of detecting and like you say we are always looking for something better. I have a few i really love and some I don't. Some say the MXT is noise, I feel it is a great detector and there is no noise for me. The Shadow X 5 chatter a bit, but it was so easy to tell the good from the bad targets by just changing the sweep speed for me while some say it was a very quiet detector and never false at all, then some said it was so noise they couldn't use it. I think it all depends on how well you know what your detector is telling you. This is why I feel the T-2 will be great for some and some it will not be and the only way is to try one and see what it can do and how a person can understand what it is telling you.
I think I am like most when a new detector comes out, just got to try it and see what it is all about.

Thanks again
Rick