Monte how did the Coinmaster GT Testing go?

[River Raider]

Curious as well how it balances as it weighs in at 3 lbs 9 oz? I see the battery pack is under the arm cuff. Anything else in that battery box, looks kind of big.
Performance?

 

[Monte]

First, I'll start by responding to your weight and balance questions.

Curious as well how it balances as it weighs in at 3 lbs 9 oz? I see the battery pack is under the arm cuff. Anything else in that battery box, looks kind of big.
Performance?

The weight and balance aren't too bad as the grip-to-armcup length is comfortable, and the batteries housing under the armcup helps off-set the total package. Just the battery system to power the electronics which are in the control housing.

The search coil, as with the Prizm 6T, is just a little heavy, but that also means it is durable. It also means the coil control and sweep speed are easier to maintain at a nice-and-proper sweep rate, whereas many much lighter weight coils tend to let (or encourage) the hobbyists to sweep too briskly. That can result in poor technique, inefficient overlapping, and a fast-sweep in higher mineralized conditions can impair performance of most slow-motion, 2-filter type detectors. Besides, I am going to keep a 4X6 DD coil on hand for working trashier areas and it is lighter weight.

Now, how did White's trim the Prizm 6T, which is basically what the Coin GT is, to offer us an excellent package for only $399.95 compared with the 6T's $699.95 MSRP? Well, it is pretty simple and here's the run-down on the differences between the Prizm 6T and Coin GT.

Color difference: The Prizm 6T has a black control housing and battery housing, and the Coin GT has these two parts in the nice dark burgundy color.

Rod System: The Prizm 6T has a 3-piece rod design, the upper 'S' rod, a middle rod with about 4 or 5 snap-lock holes, and a fibre type lower rod. It has 'rod-locks' to snug up and secure the inserted rods to eliminate the slight wobble. The Coin GT uses the basic Coinmaster 2-piece rod design. It has an extended upper 'S' rod with about 4 snap-lock holes, and then the fibre lower rod slides in, but it doesn't have the rod-locks. There are many detectors on the market, even for more $$$, that lack rod-locks, and some makes that have rod-locks that still don't hols the rods in place all that well. White's rod-lock system and tight-fitting rods are some of the best in the industry, but this was one budget-cutting approach to prove an excellent detector at a good price.

Missing Controls: A quick look at the Coin GT and Prizm 6T displays revealed two missing functions on the new Coin GT. In the top-center of the control face the Prizm 6T has two touch-pads. One in the left names 'Beach', and one on the right for 'Trac Lock'. Those two are all I noticed missing on the new Coin GT. That's it!

Both models come with the same 9-segment Discrimination and 9-Tine Audio Tone ID w/On/Off selector. All Metal VCO audio On/Off selector. All Metal and Pinpoint mode touch-pad. Back-light On/Off selector. Just about everything is the same except the changes I mentioned above, and all this for $399.95 MSRP.

I am off to an early doctor appointment but will add a bit about field performance later today.

Monte

 

[Monte]

did some more quick comparison work between the Prizm 6T and NEW Coin GT.
I already mentioned the obvious differences you can see between the Prizm 6T and Coin GT with the new competitively priced model going to the standard Coinmaster rod system, and eliminating the Beach setting as well as the Lock-Trac touch pad to turn Auto-Trac On or Off and hold a GB setting, and the change in color from black to burgundy.

When I used these two models around my town yesterday, dodging rain spells, it was quite simple to compare the performance of one unit to the other. Each uses the same 9-zone Discrimination notch system, same 9-tone Audio Tone ID, same Sensitivity adjustment, same TID and VDI numbers and Coin Depth read-out, same On/Off Tone ID and VCO selection, same Back-light On and Off system, and for the $$$ I really like how the new Coin GT memory works.

That's maybe one of the more enjoyable functions of this new detector at a $399.95 price-point. If I remove the battery tray, which I wouldn't do unless I was changing the batteries when they got too low, the Coin GT will remember the last basic adjustments I used. That 'memory' is not a feature found on many detectors in that price range or even higher.

Put in the battery tray to start the Coin GT up and, at turn-on, it will have the 1st, 2nd and 5th TID segments rejected. Those are the two typical iron segments and the pull-tab segment which represents many of the older ring-pull type tabs. It will also start up at the 6th Sensitivity level, leaving two higher settings, if desired. You can change the Discrimination setting, which I do, so that you can accept more notch segments when you hunt, or reject more, if you just don't like a lot of trash readings. Usually, I only reject the lowest, 1st, notch segment.

Once I set the desired settings that I preferred to use and turned the Coin GT 'Off', the unit has a 'memory' that retained those preferred settings the next time I turned the Coin GT 'On.' I don't mind using the 'Sensitivity-'On'/'Off' knob on the MXT Pro or M6 because that is a quick adjustment to start up, but those models 'remember' the other knob-control settings I have already positioned. On the VX3, I just push the button to get started and it's 'memory' retains my last-used settings. Well, so did the very affordable Coin GT, and I like that. It makes using it 'simple' for me (and I like simple), as well as when I let a friend or family member use it.

Anyway, weather limited the number of sites I could do some comparisons and the time to do it, so there's a possibility I didn't encounter any deeper-located targets to compare any depth of detection differences, but so far I haven't found any significant differences between them. I'll use the Coin GT again today and see if I have overlooked anything, or if I have erred in my evaluation of it so far and, if so, I'll correct my comments later today.

There are a couple of high-use soccer fields close by I like to hunt. When we get a break in all the rain, they are places I like to go in the evening hours and, since it gets dark much earlier now, I think the Coin GT will make a good 'night-hunting' unit with the back-light option as it works well. Brighter than the last five or six XLT's I had. Sure, I can do the night thing using my VX3 or MXT Pro since they also have a back-lighted display, but other then them, the Coin GT is the only other model, of any brand that I own, that provides this feature. That's just one reason this one detector has bumped two others from my detector arsenal.

For now, that's about all I can add other than I believe many newcomers to the hobby might find this to be a great start-up model, if they are serious about buying a very good, lower-cost detector. It is simple, works well, and has some of the performance and/or features that many people might eventually want to move up the line to get. The Auto-Trac GB speed and GB maintenance is almost as quick and efficient as the M6 and MXT's! The VDI read-out numbers are large and easy-to-see. It's just a 'fun' detector to use and, let's face it, we need to have 'fun' when we are enjoying any hobby!

Rainless weather + NEW Coin GT + NEW Pro-Star headphones, and I am off to find jewelry, my primary goal at the soccer fields.

Monte

 

[Weekend Warrior]

Monte,
Thanks for taking the time for that great review.

Weekend warrior

 

[Robert2300]

I have been leaning toward the Coinmaster GT for some time now. I had
considered the Teknetics Delta 4000 but I don't have a good feeling about it.
The GT costs more but I KNOW Whites as I have owned their detectors in the
past. More money but a better buy in the long run, in my opinion.

I think Whites and Garrett are the best detectors out there for well built
machines and customrer service.

Ok. I'll shut up now!
Robt2300

Smile when you say that! -)

 

[Monte]

Let me simplify my previous post with these additions, corrections and added comments for those interested in a great lower-end priced detector.

The search coil, as with the Prizm 6T, is just a little heavy, but that also means it is durable. It also means the coil control and sweep speed are easier to maintain at a nice-and-proper sweep rate, whereas many much lighter weight coils tend to let (or encourage) the hobbyists to sweep too briskly. That can result in poor technique, inefficient overlapping, and a fast-sweep in higher mineralized conditions can impair performance of most slow-motion, 2-filter type detectors.

Besides, I am going to keep a 4X6 DD coil on hand for working trashier areas and it is lighter weight.

Now, how did White's trim the Prizm 6T, which is basically what the Coin GT is, to offer us an excellent package for only $399.95 compared with the 6T's $699.95 MSRP? Well, it is pretty simple and here's the run-down on the differences between the Prizm 6T and Coin GT.

Color difference: The Prizm 6T has a black control housing and battery housing, and the Coin GT has these two parts in the nice dark burgundy color.

This is still the case, and I think it was a perfect decision to get away from all-black detectors, and use a much more attractive color that some manufacturers have chosen. It keeps the burgundy appeal for three Coinmaster series models, the basic Coinmaster, the Coinmaster Pro, and the NEW Coinmaster GT (Coin GT).

Rod System: The Prizm 6T has a 3-piece rod design, the upper 'S' rod, a middle rod with about 4 or 5 snap-lock holes, and a fibre type lower rod. It has 'rod-locks' to snug up and secure the inserted rods to eliminate the slight wobble. The Coin GT uses the basic Coinmaster 2-piece rod design. It has an extended upper 'S' rod with about 4 snap-lock holes, and then the fibre lower rod slides in, but it doesn't have the rod-locks. There are many detectors on the market, even for more $$$, that lack rod-locks, and some makes that have rod-locks that still don't hols the rods in place all that well. White's rod-lock system and tight-fitting rods are some of the best in the industry, but this was one budget-cutting approach to provide an excellent detector at a good price.

This remains the one main package change from the Prizm 6T, other than the color change. It is a simpler rod design, and might call for a shorter person getting a shorter-length lower rod, but it was a needed cost-saving move.

Missing Controls: A quick look at the Coin GT and Prizm 6T displays revealed two missing functions on the new Coin GT. In the top-center of the control face the Prizm 6T has two touch-pads. One in the left names 'Beach', and one on the right for 'Trac Lock'. Those two are all I noticed missing on the new Coin GT. That's it!

Well, that WAS a difference, and if you bought an early-release Coin GT that has that display, you still have an excellent detector that is very capable for almost any hunting need you might encounter. However, White's made another early-production change and upgrade.

You can now consider that prior post to read as follows:

Missing Controls: A quick look at the Coin GT and Prizm 6T displays revealed two missing functions on the new Coin GT. In the top-center of the control face the Prizm 6T has two touch-pads. One in the left names 'Beach', and one on the right for 'Trac Lock'. Those two are all I noticed missing on the new Coin GT. That's it!

With the new upgrade kit the Coinmaster GT has all of the adjustment features and performance of the Prizm 6T! It now INCLUDES the Beach touch-pad to help with the rejection of the lower-conductive salt water response, if needed. It also has the Lock Trac touch-pad so you can lock-and-hold the Ground Balance setting your automated Auto-Trac GB established. Thus, you can balance and Lock that setting, or let the Auto-Trac circuitry read-and-adjust as you search. For most average hobbyists, the Auto-Trac circuitry can do just fine, but for the more seasoned and savvy detectorist, having the ability to 'Lock' and hold the GB setting can be valuable in some hunting conditions.

Both models (ALL models, the initial Coin GT, the upgraded Coin GT and the Prizm 6T) come with the same 9-segment Discrimination and 9-Tone Audio Tone ID w/On-Off selector. All Metal VCO audio On/Off selector. All Metal and Pinpoint mode touch-pad. Back-light On/Off selector.

Just about everything is the same except the changes I mentioned above going to the Coinmaster rod package and black to burgundy color, and all this for $399.95 MSRP.

Nicer weather is due for a few days, even though it will be down in the 40's, but I'll be off with my Coin GT to investigate a few places that are still not soaked and mud bogs from all the recent rain we've had. If you haven't seen this new and exciting detector that will definitely be an 'entry level' unit for those who want a LOT of performance and value just up from the lowest price point, and if you live in the Portland, Oregon metro area, feel welcome to attend a free-to-the-public monthly meeting, called Detector Owner Rendezvous, this coming Saturday the 10th.

If you have any questions, shoot me an e-mail or give me a call and I'll provide the meeting location. We'll have a guest speaker presentation on batteries and important battery equipment we all might need or want, and then time for new product announcement and display as there are some new detector and accessory offerings, and the Christmas season is about to arrive!

Contact your local White's Dealer and see what this new model provides you for under $400.

Monte

[size=small]PS: The stock 9" spoked coil is fine for general hunting, a lot of relic hunting in more open areas, beach hunting, etc., etc. I currently use the 4X6 'Shooter' DD coil for hunting trashier sites or the woodchip-filled playgrounds, but I've voiced my request to see something like a 6

 

[Bucksport]

So they changed the color and rod set-up, and dropped the price of the 6T, also renamed it a GT?

 

[Monte]

So they changed the color and rod set-up, and dropped the price of the 6T, also renamed it a GT?

In the end that seems to be the case.

Initially, the new Coin GT was in the same physical package except burgundy instead of black. The rod system went to the more basic Coinmaster set-up and eliminated the extra middle rod and rod locks. The first release Coin GT's only had the Beach and Lock Trac touch-pads removed. With the latest revision the decision was made to keep those adjustment function on the Coin GT, making it one of the best values on the market with a low $399.95 suggested retail.

I am going to pick up a couple fo shorter rods this week so I will have what it will take to make sure shorter people can have a proper-fitting Coin GT w/o an overly long rod length. Also a couple of the 4X6 Shooter coils for hunting trashier sites.

With our daylight-to-standard time change it means dark-o'clock arrives earlier and I can hunt more after dark on good weather days (and nights), and the Coin GT will fill my needs with the back-lighted display for some sites and needs and I can leave my MXT Pro and VX3 behind. No, not everyone feels a need to have or use a back-light, but I know I do, and so do a number of very avid detectorists I know.

The Prizm 6T was/is a good detector, but the $699.95 MSRP less the $100 coupon White's offered still left it priced $200ore than the new Coin GT. Now you get those features and performance, kin a better color and lower price. Almost perfect n the price range!

Monte

 

[coinmastergtguy80]

Hello! I am new to the forum and will give some thoughts on the GT....I recently purchased the GT and I am happy so far with performance and features. I have not yet heard when the beach trac and trac lock kit will be available for my GT. If you are a taller person you may need a tall man rod for the GT..I will have to purchase a tall man rod myself. I am 6'1" and I have to bend forward right now to get coil down to where it needs to be. Just worried the extra length will make the detector unstable since there are no cam locks on the detector, but I will try and see if the tall man rod does or doesn't make it feel any different. Pinpointing is great on the GT much better in my opinion than the Ace 350 which I had before the GT. All the targets I dug where pretty much centered in the plug I dug. In pinpoint mode the VDI number(The first digit) becomes your depth meter which is very nice and fairly accurate with the 9" spider coil.. As far as depth goes I have found a few targets in the 4-5 inch range and sensitivity wasn't set very high( 3 or 4 bars from the bottom) so I am sure the GT can get deeper targets. The volume is very loud on the GT so I recommend either tape on speaker or some headphone with volume control with them. The arm cuff is adjustable and is fairly comfortable with no padding inside the cuff but I plan purchasing the cuff pads for the arm cuff. Overall I feel I made the right decision to get this detector, I am still fairly new to detecting and with the GT I feel that I won't have to upgrade to another detector. The GT has all or most features of a higher price detector and was affordable to me which right now is more important than ever in this economy

 

[Lem]

appreciate the reviews, interested in this as a possible for my wife, the video I watched showed two 9 volt batteries in the back
of the control panel.

 

[coinmastergtguy80]

The gt uses 8 aa batteries that is stored underneath the arm cuff in battery holder.

 

[xterrafanboy]

Got mine today. Initial testing was great. Depth wise its on par with my xterra 305 but its like a million times faster. Pinpointing is very easy with this unit. I love the autogroundbalance and the backlite!!

Only negatives for me where the shaft wobble. I anticipated this because of reviews I read and picked up an aftermarket cam lock which eliminated that problem. Other thing is that nickels vdi comes in solid BUT tone wise it wavers between pulltabs and nickels and that can be a bit confusing.

Overall I'm very satisfied. A nice lightweight unit with lots of options for the price.