Hello, everyone! I got a decent deal on a Safari, 5" stealth coil, pinpointer, and the Minelab generic carrybag.
About me: I got into detecting back in 2000 with a Garrett Ace 300 which sported the old crossfire coil. About the same time, a buddy of mine bought a Whites XLT Spectrum. He paid about a grand for it at the time. I thought, if I had the money for a state of the art detector, which one would I buy? So... I pitched an idea to the leading manufacturers about writing a review of their flagship detector from a beginner's point of view. Three companies jumped on this without hesitation. Garrett, Fisher, and Whites each loaned a detector to me for a month or so and in return, I gave them my review. By this time, Whites had released the DFX. Each was an amazing machine in its own right and each was VERY different from the other. I had to learn each machine quickly and then logged about 10 hours of use in various locations. The Find's Forums were invaluable to get me up and running quickly. The GTI 2500 had the best pinpointing and accuracy of depth. I rarely used a pinpointer with this machine. I got my first Merc and my first diamond ring while testing the 2500. The CZ 70pro was the simplest to operate and, like the GTI, it went deep. I got a merc, a buffalo, and an Indian head in less than an hour one afternoon. The Indian head (my first) was about 8 inches down. This was with the stock 8' coil. The DFX was a monster with about 44 adjustable parameters. It could do some amazing things, but it did not have the depth of the other machines. On the other hand, it worked well on the beach. The DFX can also sort out targets from trash better than most machines if you know how to use it's many features. While I preferred the other two machines, Whites made me a deal on the DFX that I could not refuse and I have used it for the last 13 years. I got quite a bit of gold and a platinum ring that paid for the machine. I've done almost as well with my little Ace 300. This is because I know the machine and how to get the most out of it. My experience with these machines taught me that you have to take the time to learn each one. Always start from scratch and forget about how your other machine works. I have read negative reviews for each of those detectors and they were usually form someone who did not take the time to learn the machine. That's enough of that. I have waited too long to jump on the minelab bandwagon!
I have Achilles tendinitis so I cannot get out with the Safari
I have been reading and watching and learning. I did hobble out to the front yard yesterday and played a bit. Right now the ground is so hard that I cannot dig deep, especially with a bum foot. I took someone's advice to either Elton or Flintstone and did the noise cancel about an inch off the ground, hunted in low trash, and notched out everything from 22 down till I get used to the machine. I got the hang of the pinpointing and dug up a couple of pennies from the 60's, a screw top, and an old fashioned roofing nail. When I can walk without a cane, I'll hit a playground that is an endless source of clad. That should help with the leaning curve before I go for the silver.
A couple of questions:
Some of you recommend "crossover" programs. Do our recommend modifying a conductivity program and saving to one of the ferrous keys or the other way around? ...or does it depend on what you are hunting?
Andy's book seems to be out of print. Do you still recommend it? If so, how can I get a copy?
Lastly, does anyone have instructions for how to put the detector in the minelab generic bag? LOL! Illustrations would be awesome.
Please feel free to offer advice/criticism on my game plan for learning the detector. When the ground is softer, I'll make a target garden.
Cheers!
Mark
About me: I got into detecting back in 2000 with a Garrett Ace 300 which sported the old crossfire coil. About the same time, a buddy of mine bought a Whites XLT Spectrum. He paid about a grand for it at the time. I thought, if I had the money for a state of the art detector, which one would I buy? So... I pitched an idea to the leading manufacturers about writing a review of their flagship detector from a beginner's point of view. Three companies jumped on this without hesitation. Garrett, Fisher, and Whites each loaned a detector to me for a month or so and in return, I gave them my review. By this time, Whites had released the DFX. Each was an amazing machine in its own right and each was VERY different from the other. I had to learn each machine quickly and then logged about 10 hours of use in various locations. The Find's Forums were invaluable to get me up and running quickly. The GTI 2500 had the best pinpointing and accuracy of depth. I rarely used a pinpointer with this machine. I got my first Merc and my first diamond ring while testing the 2500. The CZ 70pro was the simplest to operate and, like the GTI, it went deep. I got a merc, a buffalo, and an Indian head in less than an hour one afternoon. The Indian head (my first) was about 8 inches down. This was with the stock 8' coil. The DFX was a monster with about 44 adjustable parameters. It could do some amazing things, but it did not have the depth of the other machines. On the other hand, it worked well on the beach. The DFX can also sort out targets from trash better than most machines if you know how to use it's many features. While I preferred the other two machines, Whites made me a deal on the DFX that I could not refuse and I have used it for the last 13 years. I got quite a bit of gold and a platinum ring that paid for the machine. I've done almost as well with my little Ace 300. This is because I know the machine and how to get the most out of it. My experience with these machines taught me that you have to take the time to learn each one. Always start from scratch and forget about how your other machine works. I have read negative reviews for each of those detectors and they were usually form someone who did not take the time to learn the machine. That's enough of that. I have waited too long to jump on the minelab bandwagon!
I have Achilles tendinitis so I cannot get out with the Safari
I have been reading and watching and learning. I did hobble out to the front yard yesterday and played a bit. Right now the ground is so hard that I cannot dig deep, especially with a bum foot. I took someone's advice to either Elton or Flintstone and did the noise cancel about an inch off the ground, hunted in low trash, and notched out everything from 22 down till I get used to the machine. I got the hang of the pinpointing and dug up a couple of pennies from the 60's, a screw top, and an old fashioned roofing nail. When I can walk without a cane, I'll hit a playground that is an endless source of clad. That should help with the leaning curve before I go for the silver.A couple of questions:
Some of you recommend "crossover" programs. Do our recommend modifying a conductivity program and saving to one of the ferrous keys or the other way around? ...or does it depend on what you are hunting?
Andy's book seems to be out of print. Do you still recommend it? If so, how can I get a copy?
Lastly, does anyone have instructions for how to put the detector in the minelab generic bag? LOL! Illustrations would be awesome.
Please feel free to offer advice/criticism on my game plan for learning the detector. When the ground is softer, I'll make a target garden.
Cheers!
Mark
Just kidding of course.