Makro question

[2 Much Trash]

What's so different with this detector compared to other brand detectors in the same so called category. Especially the new Racer.. What' can it do the others can't. Like to know cause you guys seem really pumped and got me wanting one. There are new and the bestest detectors coming nowadays, seems like every month. A guy can grow weary trying to keep up. Don't you agree?

 

[sprchng]

It has 'nuances'

 

[jtalley007]

They are liking the performance, quality and a company that listens to customers. The core may be out of price range for some and the racer seems like a state of theart design and priced much more favorably. If performance is good
I think we will have a winner in both detector and company. Look forward to more good things to come.

 

[JimmyCT]

I am wondering myself.

I will add they are listening to the audience and acknowledging the disabilities that some of us have (loss of hearing) thus making accommodations such as the vibration handle. I think this feature is wonderful.



That is my question too. This company claims it has "unmatched depth." I have read this before with manufacturers and sadly, not all of them live up to the claim. I hope this isn't all hype and shallow holes. You know, the mass buying.......... then shortly thereafter, the big sell off.

What's so different with this detector compared to other brand detectors in the same so called category. Especially the new Racer.. What' can it do the others can't. Like to know cause you guys seem really pumped and got me wanting one. There are new and the bestest detectors coming nowadays, seems like every month. A guy can grow weary trying to keep up. Don't you agree?

 

[steve herschbach]

VLF technology is so well developed most single frequency machines are more alike than different. A good operator can overcome the minor performance differences between detectors. I have been doing this a long time, and when it comes to VLF I do not waste time looking for "more depth". If I want more depth, I grab a PI.

So for me it is very much about all the other things that go into the detector. Do you like a zillion options for settings? Or sweet and simple? How it feels, how it sounds, all of it - the detector as a sum total of all the parts of the equation.

It is the same reason when you drive the freeway you see hundreds of different models, but they all get from point A to point B in the same time. Each driver likes his for various reasons.

So I am not going to blow smoke up anybodys skirt and tell them the Racer is anything but another very good detector just like a whole lot of very good detectors. I just know looking at the feature list what I see appeals to me immensely. They hit what I want in a detector right on the nose. For others, a total miss.

The fun part is people hear what they want to believe and so if that is not what you want to hear just look around long enough and someone will tell you the Racer just blows everything else away. Opinions are a dime a dozen on the internet.

 

[Monte]

reference about all the cars on the freeway was a fitting description.

I was just working on a reply to 2-M-T myself when I caught yours and thought I'd comment. I agree with your views.

Monte

 

[TabWhisperer]

When I check out the Racer description I am interested in it being only 3 lbs including batteries and coil, having possible wireless headphones, what appeals to be a very readable and intuitive display, and hopefully performance along the lines of an F75 or better. Checking out videos of reviews and videos of the Fors CoRe and Velox, they seem to be putting out some good equipment. I think the 2 year warranty may be transferrable. At least I didn't see anything saying it was not. That would help in selling it second hand if things don't work out. For instance the FTP warranty is not transferrable. So far they have appeared to be extremely customer oriented since they monitor, contribute, and react to the various MD forums. The US distributor has a what seems to be a great reputation with other non-US detectors. I personally have had very a good experience with my Deus and support. The pricing is extremely attractive compared to similar machines. On the downside no one seems to have any advance videos to demonstrate them. I assume it is a matter of timing since they seem to be working hard to get them to market. Since Makro had people in the US I also assume there must have been some test units handed out and video produced. With that graphic above they themselves have set the bar high to deliver an awesome performing unit. If it falls short of that graphic it could get ugly.

Like others I continue to seek to own a few machines that not only perform well for my needs, but ones I like to hold, listen to, don't wear my arm out, can adjust to my needs but don't bury me with being forced to spend massive effort getting it to produce. I realize every machine is a mix of contradictions. For everything you make a detector good at it generally means you give up something else. Some recent detectors like the Deus have broken some old traditions and I'm hoping the Racer will be one more to add to that list.

 

[squirrel1]

Looks like the Nokta FORS CoRe performs well in bad dirt, if racer does as well that will be a reason to get excited!! And yes the company Rep's communications are "GREAT"!!!

 

[Monte]

Looks like the Nokta FORS CoRe performs well in bad dirt, if racer does as well that will be a reason to get excited!! And yes the company Rep's communications are "GREAT"!!!

Good dirt, bad dirt, it hasn't mattered. Today I am off to search a few sites that include a 280+ acre park that is an extinct [size=small](I hope it stays that way)[/size] volcano. There are areas where you can move about 100 - 150 feet and the Ground Phase can vary from '54' to '85'/'86' using a White's MXT Pro ground mineral read-out. I'll check and see the spread on the Nokta FORS Coin & Relic as their readings are just a little different.

I've been surprised how well the Coin & Relic handles ground conditions and hits targets well, even at what most would consider mild or reduced Sensitivity settings. I've worked it against several proven detectors in my evaluation and, for the most part, it comes out on top. I know I will be getting a Makro Racer Pro Package because from what they have communicated in describing its performance, it should be close to, or on-par with, the FORS CoRe. With the Racer teamed up I have already prepared to make some adjustments in my full-time use carry battery by the time weather and ground conditions let me start working my favorite old homesteads, stage stops, ghost town sites, etc., in March.

Every manufacturer out there should take note of the importance of direct factory communication with their consumers as we have seen from the Nokta/Makro team.

Monte

 

[woodchiphustler]

If you attach a pie plate to a stick and tell me it will find buttons I'm in!

 

[2 Much Trash]

Thanks guys, didn't expect as many responses. Y'all are great. Just hope they don't come out with a Racer 2 before I get to try Racer 1.
Bill

 

[tmanly]

If the Racer is anything like the Fors Core in operation, Then you will find that it may not have better depth over other units, but it will be equal to them with rock solid ID numbers. A lot of deep detectors loose the ID number but still give a great tone. The Fors has the ability to give the VID at greater depth. So if you are a tone hunter, don't bother, if you hunt by tones and signal numbers, you should at least look at the Fors Core and maybe the Racer.
I can call a screw cap 90% of the time with the Fors......

Tom in SC

 

[oregon_dragonfly]

I have a question with the nokta / makro joining, on there coin / relic machines are they going to be like gmc and chevy pickups same machine different badge? looking at the specs the CoRe, racer, velox ,cf77 all have pretty much the same specs so what sets them apart performance wise, is there a comparison from the factory? (on you tube for comparisons all are biased towards what ever machine they are using) so some one can decide on which machine will work best for you, or like I mentioned above like gmc / chevy. just pick one that looks best to you, because the insides are the same ? just trying to make the right choice. dfly

 

[TabWhisperer]

A short paragraph I read said Nokta and Makro were two brothers making similar but different detectors also being slightly competitive. They decided to merge their talents and production environments. I've also read the Racer is somewhat based on the Fors CoRe but it looks a heck of a lot smaller and runs at a different frequency. How true all of this is, I can't really say. Hopefully more of the story will come out with time since it might be pretty interesting.

 

[steve herschbach]

This is going to be the most absurdly oversimplified statement I can make, but it is pretty close to the truth.

In VLF you can buy four basic detectors:

1. Low frequency detectors that cluster around 6 - 9 kHz. These detectors tend to be forgiving of ground responses, do very well on coin type targets, and are not as "sparky" or "noisy" in general operation. Good coin machines.

2. Mid frequency detectors that tend to cluster around 13 - 19 kHz. These detectors are hotter in general, more responsive to ground mineral variations but also better on small targets. Good general purpose detectors.

3. Multi frequency detectors. Best feature is ability to handle salt water and ground mineralization at the same time, superior beach units. Tend to have good target ID accuracy. Generally designed for coin detecting and so act more like the low frequency machines than the mid frequency machines. Quiet on the ground, not too hot on tiny stuff.

4. Very high frequency detectors 30 kHz and higher. Niche gold prospecting machines.

In each category performance is very competitive. The least talked about and most important difference regarding depth between models are the search coils employed. A detector that comes with a 10" concentric coil will have markedly different operating characteristics than a 10" DD coil. DD has become a bit of a fad these days. People talk about knife like shooting blade detection patterns, all I can say is they have never put a coin under that coil and observed reality. Much that you read is marketing hype when it comes to multi frequency detectors and DD coils.

So my advice is first look at the category. You can usually ignore the high frequency units. If you decide on a particular category, most machines in it will be comparable in performance with the biggest thing being the coil differences.

My point being that yes, to a large degree, most mid frequency detectors, for instance, have pretty comparable performance. I can grab just about any of them, put the proper coil on for the situation, and do well. Like many people I tend to obsess endlessly but to a large degree uselessly over performance differences. In VLF detectors these days I am just trying to decide if it is the Chevy or GM model I like the most.

Hope this helps. It is as I say a simplification but sometimes simple is what we need to make sense of the complicated mess the metal detector world is becoming.

 

[togg77]

Steve --Exellent post on various detectors--NOW would you please give your same rundown on coils--Pretty please???

 

[triplehooked]

I agree, Steve. It is all about the nuances of a detector that make it one's favorite, and another to run away... Personally, in my mild soil, I want CZ depth, Deus separation, and a V3i's tones and id capability. If the Racer can come through with anything close to that, I'll take two please.....

 

[steve herschbach]

Dave ankh son already did that better than I can.

About steady coils http://www.fisherlab.com/hobby/davejohnson/searchcoilsessayrevised.htm

Search coil field shape http://www.fisherlab.com/hobby/davejohnson/SearchcoilfieldshapeApril2012.pdf

 

[togg77]

Thanks for the info, Steve, very informative and interesting.