GTP 1350 Depth issue

[marcomo]

I've got a question for Uncle Willy, John-Edmonton and any others who are familiar with the 1350.

I bought a refurbished 1350 about a month and a half ago. When it was delivered, it looked brand new.

I enjoy using it, it's very user-friendly. Everything about it seems to work as it should, except one.

After using it for a number of hours and finding quite a few things, I've noticed that none of my recoveries has been from more than 5 inches.

So I did what I should have done the first day. I air-tested the unit for more than just to see where the various targets hit on the scale.

To make a long story short, I was disappointed in the results. For instance, I couldn't get more than 7" on a silver dime and 8" on a silver quarter with the sensitivity at the default setting of 9. In a lot of areas I hunt, I can't even run the sensitivity that high. With the sensitivity at 7 I got about an inch less.

From what I've read from other users, the 1350 is supposed to be a fairly deep detector.

The refurbished unit came with a 6 month warranty and I bought it from a reputable Garrett dealer so I'm wondering if I should return this to Garrett for adjustment or am I expecting more depth than I should be out of this unit.

I appreciate any help from any experienced 1350 users. Also I understand the GTI 1500 and 2500 (in the discriminate mode) run on the same platform so perhaps some experienced 1500 or 2500 users can shed light on this as well.

 

[marcomo]

Forgot to mention, that was with the stock 7X10 coil.

 

[Terry in PA]

That's about right on as far as air test go. What you are missing is the fact that a coin that's in the ground for years has what is called a halo effect which makes the coin look bigger to the detector. A dime found at 7 or 8 inches is a good find for any detector and as you seen from your air test the bigger the target the deeper it can be found. Air test are not the golden rule for target depth many more things come into play. The detector seems ok to me. Turning down your sensitivity dose not mean that you will loose any depth at one area. What you can count on is you'll find target's others have left in the ground because their detector's sensitivity was to high for the ground they were hunting. As Uncle Willy always said high sensitivity in bad ground is like driving in the fog with your high beam head lights on.

 

[John-Edmonton]

I think that is about in range. As is the case with a lot of machines, if you really want more depth, consider getting a larger coil. The depth is fine for coin searching. I managed 8,272 coins in my first year. If you hunt coins with a machine that gets too much depth, you lose accurate discrimination capabilities, and end up digging more junk resulting in less overall coins. So, greater depth does not always = better finds.

 

[Uncle Willy]

The fact that your recoveries have been at five inches or so only indicates that there probably isn't anything there deeper than that. I dig tons of coins at that depth or less. This mystique that there are old coins laying out there everywhere at scary depths is just a fairy tale. The average dropped coin ( barring landfill or a natural catastrophe ) is generally found at six inches or less.

Air tests are not a conclusive indication of anything except what your detector might do under ideal conditions. Some detectors will air test deeper than they will detect and vice versa. I field tested the 1350 prototype and production model and know for sure it will go much deeper than five inches and my ground here is volcanic which ain't no picnic to detect in. So I wouldn't worry about your detector malfunctioning. You stated that in many areas you couldn't run the sensitivity to high so I assume you have some hot ground in which case you seem to be doing quite well in the depth department under those conditions..

Bill

 

[marcomo]

Obviously my concerns about the detector not getting as much depth as it should were unwarranted.

Thanks everybody for the good info and advice.

 

[dahut]

... on the depth issue. Sure, there can be an individual coin at great depths, due to many reasons. Everything from deposition to man-made disturbance can account for a coins depth. But, you are not far off the mark with your 1350.

Also, consider your soil mineralization and the amount of trash in the hunt site. These have more effect than you may think. Where the 1350 really shines is in target separation and sensitivity to small items. It IS a mid-range detector and the depth I see with mine are in line with that: 6-8" under most circumstances, on most coin targets. But I have pulled coins from 5" between scary amounts of trash, places where other detectors would be at least suspect.
Dont sell it too short - it is one of the best general purpose detectors on the market.