T2 first impressions and first real hunt results

[Spiff]

I'd posted in here 3-4 years ago that I was drooling about getting a T2. Tough economic times put that plan on hold and more recently I'd been leaning towards the F5 as a less-expensive machine more tailored to coinshooting. Well, it's back to "Plan A", with a little horse-trading involved, I had the chance to get a new-in-box T2 (6.5 firmware) for $365 and couldn't pass that up.

I got a Compass 94-IB for my 13th birthday in 1973 and have owned one detector or another ever since (although never a very expensive one).
When I opened the T2, I couldn't help but want to fire it up, so took it to my well-hunted front yard. I came back inside after 20 minutes telling the spouse that I was going to auction off this crazy thing. I took it to a lot where a 1900-ish house had been bull-dozed, a spot where the trash had driven my Classic III into hysterics, and found that the T2 also went nuts in all that debris. I only had about 30 minutes there, before I was called away, but I still wasn't too happy with the T2.

Yesterday, I was able to spend 1.75 hours at a closed public library, built in 1925, that I had hunted a few times prior. There is still a lot of trash there, and I was never sure that I was finding a "clear" area with which to ground-balance the T2. So far, I've found the T2 to lean towards being a "chatty" machine. Some of the tone modes, with their mix of standard beeps and variable alien buzzing sounds, I've found peculiar. Pinpointing with the T2 is different than I'm used to, but I think I'm catching on. I'm finding many signals that hit solid on a side-to-side motion, do not register up-and-down, or side-to-side if I rotate my stance 90 degrees. I used to consider that a sign of likely junk, I'm beginning to believe if you can get a solid signal at any time, from any one angle, you better dig it with the T2. So, yesterday I swung the thing in descriminate mode set at 70/70/3 (I didn't feel like digging junk, trinkets or gold. I just wanted to see the T2 find some coins). There was a lot of chatter I had to put up with, but in 100 minutes I pulled a clad quarter, 6 memorial cents, 4 wheaties (including a 1919), a mint 46-D rosie, a 1927 merc, and an 1899 indian cent. I think maybe I'll keep the T2 and invest a little more time in learning it's quirks

 

[bertman]

Be sure to turn off the cell phone or leave it in the vehicle as is causes tremendous interference with your new, highly sensitive machine...

HH Robert

 

[jim tn]

Some very nice finds. Yes, the T 2 is worth learning, as seemingly you are finding out. Good luck in the days ahead. HH jim tn

 

[Jay Evans]

Funny thing about the cell phone stigma with the T2 .... I accidently forgot to leave mine in the truck the other day while detecting, I had no interference at all with my T2. I made plenty finds and didn't realize I'd been carrying it till I got through detecting. it was on the whole time too. I never got a call , so maybe that's the reason I didn't have any issues with it.overhead and underground power lines DO make it go nuts though for sure!

 

[Monte]

"first impressions" or even "first real hunt results" to really get to know the strengths and weaknesses a model might offer up.

I'd posted in here 3-4 years ago that I was drooling about getting a T2.

Imagine the experiences you would have enjoyed over the past 3-4 years with a T2.

Tough economic times put that plan on hold and more recently I'd been leaning towards the F5 as a less-expensive machine more tailored to coinshooting. Well, it's back to "Plan A", with a little horse-trading involved, I had the chance to get a new-in-box T2 (6.5 firmware) for $365 and couldn't pass that up.

Now THAT'S a good deal!

I got a Compass 94-IB for my 13th birthday in 1973 and have owned one detector or another ever since (although never a very expensive one).
When I opened the T2, I couldn't help but want to fire it up, so took it to my well-hunted front yard.

The old TR (IB) Compass would be good in dense nail environments, if they are on the same plane (surface) as coins, and if you've mainly worked with lower-end models than the T2 could be a shock to you. Your yard might not be too bad, unless there's a lot of junk present, especially since it sports the 11" DD coil.

I came back inside after 20 minutes telling the spouse that I was going to auction off this crazy thing. I took it to a lot where a 1900-ish house had been bull-dozed, a spot where the trash had driven my Classic III into hysterics, and found that the T2 also went nuts in all that debris. I only had about 30 minutes there, before I was called away, but I still wasn't too happy with the T2.

Was that after you hunted your yard? A lot where a bulldozed house once stood could really present some challenges from nails and other metal junk ... and, again, especially due to the 11+" Double-D coil!.

Yesterday, I was able to spend 1.75 hours at a closed public library, built in 1925, that I had hunted a few times prior. There is still a lot of trash there, and I was never sure that I was finding a "clear" area with which to ground-balance the T2.

See, once again you mention a "trashy' littered site but you're working with a new-to-you model sporting an 11" Double-D coil. Both the 11" size and D-D configuration can cause you some challenges.

So far, I've found the T2 to lean towards being a "chatty" machine. Some of the tone modes, with their mix of standard beeps and variable alien buzzing sounds, I've found peculiar.

We can all have out preferences, but when it comes to the T2, I personally favor the 2+ and 4 Audio Tone ID options. Even the 3 works for me with the T2, but I NEVER use the 3b or dp Tone Id as they are noisy. if I am working a site or modern coins and there's not a lot of trash then the 4 or even 3 tone ID function is fine, but I do most T2 hunting using the 2+ setting. That provides me with a nice audio report of a targets relative depth or distance from the coil as well as alerts me to the probability of a targets being Iron (low tone) or non-Iron (high-tone).

As for "chatty" experiences, that can be from nearby EMI issues, and there can be a lot of interference in some locations. It can also be "chatty" if you're using the 3b or dp Tone ID options, especially in trash environments. Also, as I've stated several times now, part of the problem might be related to the 11' Double-d coil that it comes with. That coil is great for hunting a wide-open park or a sports field, or searching in the woods or on a plowed field. That said, I will clarify that it can be good if you want coverage and if you want depth, but it won't be so good if there's a lot of trash, or a lot of shallower targets. The big 11" DD coil is going to be a bit of a challenge due to the coil size and the Douible-D configuration. A lot will also depend upon the Sensitivity setting and how you position the coil during the search.

This is due to the near-proximity target response with the overlapped DD design. At the default Sensitivity level of '60' it is okay from about 2"-3" on out from the coil to the target, but with an increased Sensitivity level, such as '85' to '99' you might get some "chatter" caused by closely-located targets to the coil. Relic hunters, who might be dealing with some weeds or taller grass or uneven ground, might be sweeping the search coil about 2"-4" above the ground surface and not hear any 'chatter" that might be present if you're working that coil right along the bare dirt or very short, mowed lawn and the coins and other targets you encounter are fairly shallow (3

 

[jbow]

what if I decide to sell my T2 one day... I don't want to have to give it away...

Congrats on the new T2, what a great deal!!

J

 

[jbow]

I've only found it to be a problem if I am out in the sticks away from a tower. In that case it will continually be trying to connect to a tower that isn't there and will cause a lot of chatter. If you are in a good coverage area it will only give a little blip occasionally, you wont even notice it if not looking for it. I think they refresh the connection about every 15 minutes or so if you're in a good coverage area... but if not... you have to turn it off. I'd never recommend leaving it in the truck if you hunt in the woods or really anywhere. You never know when you might have some bad accident, heart attack (God forbid) or get treed by a boar and need your phone... just turn it off if it chatters but don't leave it in the truck!

J

 

[Dick from NC]

I like my T2 so much I have 2 of them and at $375. that was a steal. I use Rat phones with mine and they give me a better quality sound than the Gray Ghost phones do.

The T2 is a very good coin machine and a better relic machine. If I'm going to coin hunt in a trashy area I set Dis. on 80 and Sen. on about 85 or 90 and tone at 2. I only use tone 2 for all my hunting. If I get a good signal and I have a good signal as I walk around the signal its usually a coin if it breaks up as I walk around it its usually trash. With Sen. at 80 you don't get anything under a penny. If the area is not trashy I will set Dis under a nickel setting.

Another important thing about the T2 is if you get a good signal and you dig you hole and you lose your signal it will be in the bottom of the hole in the loose dirt every time.

If you are hunting and start to get a pulsing signal about 2 or 3 seconds apart you are near an electrical fence. It sounds just like a good signal but it pulses about 3 seconds apart. The only way to hunt that area is to see if the signal is repeatable in the same spot if not it is the fence. If it repeats in the same spot it a target. It will drive you crazy, but with patience you can hunt the area.

The last tip is if you use lithium batt. they will last 10 time longer. You will forget when you put them in. The are about 10 bucks and well worth it. Good luck and happy hunting.

 

[chuck ky]

why do you run 2 tone with disc. at 80. all the signals will be the high tone. i hunt at 80 disc. most of the time but i just leave it at one tone. thanks.

 

[Dick from NC]

Habit I guess.