Merry Christmas to all and a tesoro amigo question...:|

[Eric]

Can have a tesoro amigo very cheap. It comes with the 7 inch coil. Is it just as good as the amigo II and is the amigo II just as good as the Compadre? I dont want to spent money for something that isn't worth it. I know the Compadre is a great machine.

Thanks in advance

Eric.

 

[Desert_Rat]

The Amigo II is a great machine just like the compadre, I own one and keep it in the car as my grab and go for Tot Lots and quick part runs. The only change I did you mine was to rewire a new 5.75 coil.

 

[fowlercharles]

From what I have read from those who know say the (original, not on straight shaft))Amigo is not at all the same machine as the Amigo II, and that the Amigo II is the much better of the Amigos. Also that the Compadre is the same machine as the Amigo II , except in a different package and with different size coils, all hardwired, but you can do as some do , put a plug on it (suggested outside the box) and you can use any of the UMax coils with it. Great machine and plenty fun to swing. HH, Charlie

 

[dixiedigger57]

n/t

 

[dixiedigger57]

I have a straight shaft Amigo. A hole was drilled and rubber plug put on the face, about where you would put a postage stamp on a letter. a small flat blade eye glass screw driver can be used to turn the machine HOTTER. It gives more depth but can chatter. I turned it back down, i hate the chatter. This was done by a previous owner. But it is a great machine, and the straight shaft is a wrist saver. I wish Tesoro would go to an s curve with a straight grip from the bottom of the box to the shaft, giving it a pistol grip, sort of like the old Compass and some new machines. I have to hip mount my old Eldorado. Has anuone compared an old Amigo to a new Compadre?

 

[Eric]

Hmmm been reading some old post somewhere last night, and Monte stated that he did not really see a difference in performance between the 2 amigo's. Well, I bought it already anyway and will try if I can get that 5.75 coil for it. Will let you all know soon how I'm doing with it.

Thanks...

Eric.

 

[dixiedigger57]

eric... took my amigo 2 out for several 30 minute sessions after work this weekend and week. scraped dirt brought in to cover up a demolition spot, converted to a walking park. the dirt was probably from a yard. lots of clads, modern, some 80's. but a good hard signal, was a 43 us quarter. take those all day. mine is the straight shaft with arm cuff extension, 5.75 coil. great for the trash area, AKA Macon, Ga. thats one reason i live the next town down. i did notice today the signals were shallower. weak batteries i guess. i use the disc at the i on iron. good nickel machine, i throw one down on the ground and adjust disc with it sometimes in the high iron and red dirt. sometomes on old beaver tail tabs it will double blip. great machine.

 

[Eric]

Thanks Carey,

I also plan to use the amigo for short hunts and tot lot detecting. I am sure i will like it. Hope to post some nice finds soon... hope that darn snow melts

Eric.

 

[dixiedigger57]

Question for Charlie... will a donut hole coil work much better than the standard 5.75? I hunt high trash areas not by choice, just by thats whats here. lots of slag from old foundries, railroad debris such as cinders, high iron. what coil do you suggest?

 

[fowlercharles]

Wow Carey, that sounds like some extremely tough hunting ground you have. Have to be honest , here lately I haven't had the health or the time to do a lot of hunting and what hunting I have done was mostly on the Tejon, all in mild dirt. However, I have hunted some with my Compadre ( (5.75 con.) and some with my Amigo II, and from all that I have read and studied on I would think , and I think others would agree , that the 5.75 con. would likely be your best coil for what you are up against. OR, maybe even go a coil size smaller with the 4" Tesoro coil. I know it is a slow go and that will get old fast, but I have to mention that several years ago I did find my oldest coin, a cut 178? (1 half of) Spanish I/2 Real in the middle of a nail bed, with the 4" coil.only 3-4"deep. I think I had it on the Inca at the time, or maybe the GS II. I may be confusing things a bit but can't help wonder how a small Widescan coil would do in all that slag. With that much iron debre and mineralization it might be worth a thought. Wish I was more help, but LOL,I have to be glad I don't have any experience with your ground situation. I believe I would have had to gone back to fishing, or something, but once the detecting bug gets you, you are got good! Hang in there and maybe someone will come along with some first hand know how.HH, Charlie

 

[dixiedigger57]

hey Charlie, this is carey, I am now using my name as dixiedigger57, that i use elsewhere. The digging is not that bad really, its just getting a place to go that is not dangerous in a rough town. Macon is old, but being a retired cop, working full time again in investigative work, I know how dangerous it is to be in the good places to hunt. The amigo II is hardwired, how hard would it be to put an external connection to change coils? would like to go actually smaller to a 4 inch or go up to a 7 or 8 when needed, if it would work. a plug in would be needed.

 

[Desert_Rat]

The control box is to small to accept a plug, so the best thing to do is mount it inline and have it outside the box.

 

[fowlercharles]

Hey Carey, Ty Brooks helped me a bunch when I put the plug on my Amigo II. Ty knows his stuff and saved my bacon because I was about to attempt to put the plug indoors. A pro could do it but I ain't no pro by a long shot. I happened to have a Tesoro extension cable for hipmounting my old GS II that I never used and that is what I used for the plugs. Works perfect.Left 12" or so cable outside so to have plenty to work with.Velcro ty raps keep it all gathered up and in place. You may get the ext. cable from Tesoro, but it will likely be cheaper to just get the plugs elsewhere. I doubt that Tesoro will sell them to you since they do not want to incourage any mod work. There should be a whole thread or more here on the Forum of everything you will need, and how to do it. Do a search and there should be some of it show up. It has been a couple or so years,lol, or more.. Meanwhile I will be digging out the plug numbers and also some wiring instructions will help also. If I remember right one of the wires is not used and the plug is 5 pin. so you will have to know what goes where, in case you are like me and have that CRS disease. The plug will nullify the Warranty, but we can live with that. I will see about helping with the search soon as I get time tomorrow, It's sack time and later for me. Charlie.

 

[Eric]

Carey,

this is what charlie means. I will get the extensioncable as well and modify the amigo. I just picked the amigo up and it is the II It works 100 % but looks crappy. I want to mount it on a monopod that they use for camera's so that I could also carry it easily in a backpack which makes it also useful for vacation. I already have a 5.75 coil for it so I will make use of that extensioncable. Guess it is not hard to do like Charlie explained. Good luck...and best wishes for 2011!

Eric. Holland.

 

[fowlercharles]

You may can buy the plugs cheaper than buying and "wasting" a perfectly good extension cord like I did. Probably won't be a lot of difference but if you don't already have the cord, you gotta find out anyway so do a GOOGLE on Switchcraft Slim-Line Connectors. You will need the Male plug :SL41 -5M. ,,,Female plug: SL405F,,, Strain Relief Spring SL05 Do another GOOGLE on : "Changing coils on a Compadre" . Find the Site that says :"Compadre Rewire". Also do a search on "Metal Detecting Equipment" Forum for plenty more info from "JB." All that should just about cover it. It is great to have a bunch of guys out there like Ty, JB, Monte, and many others that are always keeping up with this stuff over the years for us and are always more than happy to share and keep us involved. Thanks Guys,and Thanks be to God,and May He "Continue" to Bless us all Greatly this comming New Year! Charlie

 

[fowlercharles]

I just read in a short discussion on the Amigo II where a user in the UK, said he had "heard" that only concentrics worked on the A-2, and that Widescans did not work on them. I also read(this forum ) that the 8" Brown Donut coil DOES work well on the Compadre, so it should work well on the A-2 also. Lotsa cool stuff to read out there/in here, lol!

 

[dixiedigger57]

Thanks guys! Found out a electronics parts place is still open in Macon. Fouraker electronics Macon Ga. Forgot they existed. Old friends at the city radio shop reminded me of them, they get lots of stuff from them. If its made, they can get it. so gotta get busy! working on an old garrett now, cleaning pots, trying to fire her up. old coin hunter with 10.5 coil, switches on top with push button tuner. If checks out, will be trading for light weight Tesoro hopefully.

This a a great hobby with great people here on line. now if i could type, and get used to reading glasses.....