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The bar just went up

E

earthmansurfer

Active member
Omega 8000 user but I just noticed that Garrett is releasing the AT Pro in November. It sounds simple, costs 600 bucks and appears to be powerful like the Omega 8000 but with a smaller control box. But get this, it is waterproof to 10ft! Yes, that means no more weather covers. I hope Teknetics incorporates at least weatherproofing into future models as this is a feature that all manufacturers must follow suit with imo.

I think the Omega 8000 is turning heads for what it does in it's price range and other manufacturers must take notice. Further I think with the continuing down economy that high end (and sometimes complicated) units are perhaps loosing some of their luster. Most of the money is going to be made with mid priced units if things with the economy don't change much imo. Perhaps more powerful mid priced units are the near future?

I can't wait to see Teknetics next offering (not to mention the competition). I get the feeling there is going to be a whole new wave of machines next year, following in our very own Omega's footsteps.
 
Interesting, an aftermarket coil for the Omega? 12" X 13", that is huge! Have you used it? Results?

Anyone hear about this? (Or is it just a Ukrainian thing?)
 
I wasn't that impressed with the AT PRO specs. I'm surprised they kept the same crappy bar graph depth measurement as the ace250, I always hated that. And the 'pro' audio or whatever they call it is nothing but a less modulated tone. The water'proof'ing is nice, but really amounts to nothing more than a weather cover.
 
entire Teknetics line-up!

The Delta is a model that I favored over most competitor's low-end or "budget-entry" offerings. I have personally owned 4 Ace 250's and, for their dollar price, I think Garrett did a good job of meeting the competition at the time. However, for a turn-on-and-go model with preset GB, the Delta has them beat. Better depth of detection, a cleaner and more responsive audio response, a very superior Pinpoint mode, definitely a more functional All Metal mode,and what I like is the better balance and 'feel' for the detector. What I do NOTR like is a detector that 'feels' like it was made for a kid. by that I am referring to a short upper rod so that the arm-cup to hand-grip distance is rather short. This actually makes the detector less balanced, especially if you opt for a larger search coil. In stock configuration, the Delta is by far more comfortable and lighter.

Then we got news of another "new model" offering that is just an Ace 250 with more Iron range resolution. Still it lacks what the Gamma and Omega offer since it is turn-on-and go and those two Teknetics models feature Ground Grab and manual GB. Also, they balance better and will out-perform models that have short upper rods, heavier coils, and lack a good preset GB in either Disc. mode or All Metal to work in very mineralized environments.

As for the new model you mentioned, I notice that it also uses the same shorter upper rod and that seems like it would be less comfortable with a larger, heavier standard coil. It also doesn't have the same adjustment functions of the Gamma or Omega, and certainly not the T2.

As for weather covers, I guess they are okay, but I prefer to stay dry most of the time so I don't usually hunt when it's drippy. I use snowy or very rainy weather to do research, then hunt on nicer days. There are, and will be, new models to come from many/all manufacturers, but I consider the offerings from Teknetics to be at the top already. :) Besides, with the G2 coming out that will just add to the versatility they offer, and if you have a 7.78 kHz Omega or Gamma or Delta and compliment that with a 19 kHz G2 that can share the Double-D coils, I don't doubt that a great 2-detector set-up is a bad thing. :thumbup:

Besides, if I really wanted a water unit I'd opt for one and that's better than a land-use model with water-unit headphones.

Just my biased opinions, of course.

Monte
 
to me, the bar is set based on existing detectors after some broad usage by (a lot of) end customers......not by brochure pix and verbage. In other words, time will tell, not pre-release press and emotions.
 
I agree Brad, with both you and Monte that the bar is already in place. I am glad, though, that Garrett has something new for the ardent Garrett swingers. HH jim tn
 
But I do like the looks and the read on the new AT-PRO by Garrett. I do doubt very much it will compete with the T2 though. The worry free wading in a nice beach area will be a nice thing............ Time will tell. Hype is just that "Hype" .. Proof will be in the pouch.
 
It's a relative definition of course. But to not have to worry about your detector getting wet if you are out in a light drizzle is big. Like I said, I don't hunt in water but if a 600 dollar detector can be waterproof than all other detectors should as well (from that price point at least). That is what I mean by bar, I wasn't trying to get into a game of semantics. Clearly it's a nice option, even if you are not a regular bad weather hunter, like me!

It also has an adjustable iron range, much like we have seen with the Omega and T2. In addition the discrimination point can also be a tone break, that is nice. We'll have to see if the AT Pro in iron is anywhere near as good as the Omega. But something it already has is that smaller form factor of the control unit. The balance being off might be something to watch out for. We'll have to see how it functions in the field, my post was just a head up, not designed to offend, which if looks like in part it did. I'm not partial to any brand, though I have run Teknetics for the last 3 or 4 years.

I'm a happy Omega user and like to follow other technologies. It helps all to have more competition. And after putting on my Omega Weather cover, I really do wish it was waterproof.
 
Here in the states, the AT will be welcomed with big fanfare since their favorite water detectors have been on hold in production for quite some time. I can see Garrett making a killing in the water hunting market with this release. (Which is what their intention was.)
I don't think they intended this detector to be for anything other than a stab for gaining this portion of water hunters that have been waiting for their favorite detector to be put back into production..... & they WILL gain them. Could you imagine a submergable Omega/ T2? I don't know about you but I don't want to dig that deep in the water lol ....But I bet they would be a great water machine if they did make one.
Jay
 
I forgot to add that the compact size of the new AT is also going to play a big factor in their sales. their much heavier/ larger competition are going to lose the water hunting market for sure with this big change. Folks have been itching for a new water machine & now they have it. More power to them!!
Jay
 
Just speaking for myself, certainly no offense taken here. I can definitely understand how the Green (or Yellow) faithful are excited given what they've had up to this point. I know from experience that some of their past waterproof efforts have been less than perfect and based on that, I'll need to wait and see if this time is going to be the real deal. "It is what it is" or in this case "what it will be" and only time will determine that. As for land hunting, I'm with Monte on that one.....when it starts raining, I walk off and would struggle with having to pay for a feature I won't use. BUT, if when the smoke clears and it proves itself to be at the top of the heap considering performance to price for a single freq wader, THEN I'll get excited. Opinions can and will vary.
 
I am worried the 15KHZ will not do that well on Old coins (Silver).too bad they didn't do duel frequency 15 water 6.5 for Land.. I think thier infinium had more than one ?? Not sure though..
 
my reply wasn't really meant as a multi-brand comparison, but simply some comments that I feel set the Delta, Gamma and Omega at a higher level *("bar") that many manufacturers are shooting for. Trying to offer better features and performance at a competitive rate because these three models, as well as comparable Fisher units, present such an excellent value.

I will state, however, that it is always good to see any reputable manufacturer awaken to the call of new product introduction, especially after they have been a bit stagnant. To me, that has included Garrett since the Ace 150/250, and Tesoro for a very long time, too. So, Hats Off to Garrett for doing something different. Time will tell if it is really beneficial or not, but for me right now I don't see anything offered from anyone at a price point that competes with the low weight and high performance of these Teknetics!

Okay, daylight's coming and it's time to go do what I enjoy. :)

Monte
 
Noticed this on another board. This is good news for DD coil users and is a feature of the AT Pro:

The advanced audio system allows the user to distinguish the difference between junk targets that would read up in the coin range and good targets. Example: In a "Standard Mode", You can go over a US quarter and then a flattened, rusty bottlecap and they will produce the same high tone. Switch to a "Pro Mode" and the bottle cap will sound slightly different than the quarter. Turn on the "Iron Audio" feature and the bottle cap produces a low-high-low (multi-tone), and the quarter will still produce only the high tone. That makes it very easy to separate junk targets from coins. The illustrations that are in the catalog pages that have been posted on the forums and on the Garrett website explain this audio feature.
Click to expand...

This reminds me a bit of the T2 and it's 3b mode (if memory serves correct), which worked well for me.
 
To what bar are you refering to?

Manual ground balance ???
Target id numbers ???
Iron discrimination ???
Descriptive audio ???
Multiple tone id modes ???
Selectable tone breaks ???
Notch discrimination ???
Higher frequency ???
Frequency offsets ???
Lighter weight ???


For the Garrett fans, I can see where they would get excited. For the rest of us for whom these features are standard fare, well.....all we can say is, "It is about time".

If it wasn't for the waterproofing, it wouldn't even raise a eyebrow outside Garrett and the only reason eyebrows are raising is because it might be the only economical water unit available at the moment.

my opinion.

HH
Mike
 
Considering the unit isn't released yet and I bolded the waterproof part, yes, that is what I was specifically talking about. Waterproofing seems so simple but has been lacking for years, even in expensive units. It just takes away a lot of worry. Also, makes it easy to clean your unit.

I know we got weather covers but they distort views, fog up at times and you got to remember to bring them. Even if you don't hunt in the rain (I don't) you can get caught in the rain (I have). Since it can save your unit, I do consider it raising the bar, especially since no other units have it (outside of water units).

I've never owned a Garrett unit (outside of my Pro Pinpointer) so no fan boy here and I don't even see this as a Garrett vs Teknetics thing at all, but clearly some do.

The Omega/T2 has certainly raised the bar with regards to ergonomics, weight, functionality and price to performance. But, I just saw another bar go up by a non Teknetics machine and mentioned it.
 
We all know pre-sale hype often makes new detectors sound like the best new thing since electricity. We're seeing a lot of pre-sale hype now. And yes, Garrett is very good at marketing.

According to Bill Revis who runs the Garrett forum on this site, distributors are reporting the AT Pro gets twice the depth of the Ace 250.

Admittedly, Garrett distributors are hardly an unbiased source.

But if that turns out to be what users see in the field with a mid-priced waterproof unit that has a lot of worthwhile features, that would be raising the bar.
 
Twice the depth of the Ace 250? That would still put it somewhere behind the new Teknetics machines. I never thought the Ace machines were much more than clad hunters anyway.
 
The waterproof feature is nice. I have posted more than once a waterproof/ weatherproof twin for more money would be a hit.
as long as you can keep the weight down.
As soon as i got a Gold Bug SE in my hands a waterproof unit came to mind.
 
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