Head scratcher

[ThrowAwayAccount]

This week I have been hunting a certain spot in town with my high end,- high dollar detector ($1000+). I was getting predictable results. For what ever reason I broke out my back up $200 detector, dusted it off and went back out where I had been hunting. I thought I would start hunting where I left off the day before but before I got there, I hit a dime that I couldn't believe I missed. Just out of curiosity I thought I'd go back over where I had hunted and I couldn't believe the targets I missed. I dug just as many as the first time.
So I'm thinking what the *%@. So I started comparing the 2 on targets and the $200 machine was finding targets with ease while the big boy struggled and was being confused by all the trash in the ground. I finally got my high end detector on the same level of performance as my back up by turning the gain way - way down.
So I'm asking myself was the $800 really worth the difference?

Anyone else have similar experiences.

 

[Elton]

And I was new to learning settings on High Dollar Job...
You don't say if you ran All Metal in both machines, or disc either.........

You know. All detectors detect objects of metal content in the ground.. Sometimes it's a matter of depth of the items if you find them or not..Sometimes it's just a matter of going over them..and or hitting at different angles from where your first hunt detector nulled for one reason or another.....

I, and I imagine, many others have found some nice targets with lower cost detectors.. You ask is High dollar detector worth it... For max performance once you learn it..It could be well worth it.. For just some good clean fun of detecting.and not caring if your going the deepest possible..then about any detector from a reputable manufacturer can, and will find many good items..

It's a judgement call on everyones individual wants and needs in a detector....... Like you eluded too..I'm starting to think Less is MORE !!!

 

[Canewrap]

When coin hunting in reasonable conditions the difference is probably not going to be real obvious. Its when we look at the extremes, like a lot of trash that the higher priced machine, with presumably faster recovery should shine in its ability to pick out good targets. Also, the more expensive unit probably has more coils available and hence, is more versatile. But, the lesson out of this might be that its good to hunt with a simpler machine once in while and get back to the basics. With just about any gizmo I've played with in the last few years (cameras, phones, gps, etc.) the higher price tag is all about the bells and whistles and you have to be solid on the basics before those bells and whistles will give you an edge.

 

[nealcat]

Seems higher price doesn't equate with more finds. I, like you, have a more expensive detector, and a nice $200 back up detector and gone back and found things I had missed with the more expensive detector. However, I do like some of the features on the higher end machine.

 

[Rob (IL)]

In this case less was more and you could adjust the high end detector to less. Now in the case when more was needed could the $200 dollar adjust to that situation?

 

[Craig]

Experienced the same thing! Sold the high end detectors and just use beep and dig detectors !

 

[BarberBill]

Assuming most of the finds are within reach of either machine, I'm thinking the first pass the angle or amount of overlap just missed some targets which were swept over the next time. As to higher priced, more expensive machines, they often offer a few features that can be helpful. However, some of those features are conveniences that in them selves won't find more goodies. The last several years I've been playing with several different detectors, especially working several beep and dig units versus several TID units as described next.

I'm detector poor, definitely having more than I need. One thing I do from time to time is grab a beep and dig machine versus a TID machine. Where the depth capabilities are comparable, I've found that using the non-metered machines and carefully thumbing the discrimination knob, plus knowing the audible pretty well, I can determine whether a target is junk or a coin with nearly equal accuracy as the TID machines. However, it does take a bit longer to determine and decide to dig. The main things I gain using the TID machines is the ability to make a bit quicker decision and a more certain determination of the coin denomination. I also like the TIID machines a bit better when detecting pristine grassy areas where I hesitate to dig unless quite sure of the target. Ultimately, in the end it's all fun.
BB

 

[ThrowAwayAccount]

I was short on time when I first posted and I've had some time to think about todays events.I choose a throw away account because I didn't want to bash any detector.

My high end detector is an excellent detector that has blown me away at the depths it can reach. But I did have my beliefs challenged today, one of them is running max power isn't always best. It's funny to say something like that when it's all about getting max depth and I was missing stuff.

It's defiantly caused a rethink.

 

[Woodchuck]

Forget the high end thats what I started with now give me a beep and dig and I will find the goodies.Spend more time digging instead of looking at dang screen !!!!

 

[Mtnmn]

With a high end detector there are a couple of other things you can do besides lowering your sensitivity to match the depth of the $200 detector. (1) is slow down your swing speed so that the the large coil on your high end machine has more time to separate the greater number of targets that are under it and (2) get a smaller coil which will give you less depth with even greater separation abilities for use in areas such as you have described. It also might pay to try programs other than what you normally use to see if it would help at a site like yours. Do know that in my own case every time I've ever up-graded to a better grade detector, my total amount of yearly finds has increased as a result. Even so it is still fun to use one of my earlier detectors from time to time or else loan them out to someone new to our hobby..

 

[TerraDigger]

I don't think it would be unkind/unfair to list the name of the $1000+ machine. Actually it might be helpful to the original poster, as perhaps he is not using it in the most effective way. Trying to solve a performance issue/question with a unknown detector is .....well......not the best approach. JMHO.

 

[BarberBill]

TerraDigger and Mtnmn both make good points. I use smaller coils quite often in parks and fair grounds where there is a likely chance that trash may mask good targets. As to the expensive machine missing targets as mentioned in the original post, I find targets I missed on the first pass quite often using any of my machines. It helps if you visualize the pattern under the coil remembering that it gets smaller and weaker as it goes deeper. The actual volume of soil actually detected with each swing isn't really all that big and even with a 1//2 coil overlap as you move forward there's still a good amount of soil as the depth increases that isn't covered all that well. I'm betting that everyone that reads this has recovered coins that barely gave a signal at the end of the swing because the detection pattern barely picked them up. Even surface finds that scream when the coil is well centered over them will give a puny or possibly no signal if they're at the extreme edge of the pattern. That's why parks etc. are never truly hunted out.
BB

 

[JimGilmore]

In places with lots of trash, you have to remember that the sensitivity/gain is like your headlights/highbeams.....trash is like fog.
So you need to turn down you gain or turn off your highbeams to eliminate all the glare that blinds you in your hunt.

 

[BR549]

Been through em all.Been detecting since 1990.
Earlier this year I had the fisher f75 limited and the T2 limited.Great machines and they will work a trashy site very well.
Then I injured my wrist and now the only thing I can swing have to be on a straight shaft.Beats me ,but no pain in my wrist
when using this setup.But to use this setup I had to find machines that would fit on the straight shaft.
So now I have a couple tesoro pantera;s and a bandido 2 and a eldorado and a whites classic lll ,old style).
I have always preferred non metered units but had goten away from them until the injuring my wrist.
The areas I hunt are anywhere from 70 to 200 years old ,and I set my disc only to knock out nails.Dig everything else.
I usually work a area over,and over ,and over so when I get done with it,it just aint much there,unless I am in sandy sites where targets might be extremly deep and then
I bring my blisstool out .
To each his own.Smetimes it ain't all about being the deepest.
But when using target id machines I had to train myself to not go strictly by the meter,but to use the audio along with it.

 

[Neil]

I was short on time when I first posted and I've had some time to think about todays events.I choose a throw away account because I didn't want to bash any detector.

My high end detector is an excellent detector that has blown me away at the depths it can reach. But I did have my beliefs challenged today, one of them is running max power isn't always best. It's funny to say something like that when it's all about getting max depth and I was missing stuff.

It's defiantly caused a rethink.

if you just realized its not always best to run it at max power your still new at this hobby and will learn more as you go. often this scenario is simply not going over a target with the detector. thats probably why you found stuff you missed before. how many of us really overlap our sweeps yet we have read this being recommended by every manufacturer for using detectors.

 

[slingshot]

Unless you're blessed with old sites, just what does it take to find a coin 4" deep?While a silver coin is exciting to find, a gold piece of jewelry makes my day.

 

[blue dunbar]

One way to help with this problem is to set a boundary for a smaller search and hunt it. Then, do it again but at a 90 degree angle to the first one. Can't hurt and maybe you're catching the end of your swings from a new angle.