This should prove to be an interesting week.....

[Digger]

For years, we've all read how gold detectors generally have a higher operating frequency than most coin/relic detectors because higher frequency detectors are suppose to be more sensitive to smaller targets than lower frequency detectors. Lower frequency detectors are suppose to be able to detect deeper than higher frequency detectors, but are not as sensitive to small targets. I know that much of this information is backed up by scientific fact. But, isn't it all relative??? For example, higher or lower frequencies compared to what? More sensitive compared to what? Deeper than what? It really doesn't prove anything when I compare a 5kHz Advantage to a 14kHz MXT. If the 5kHz Advantage finds a target that the 14kHz MXT won't confirm, it doesn't necessarliy mean the target will be a coin, just because the lower frequency detector found it. How about if the 14kHz Vaquero will hit a target that the 6.9kHz XL Pro won't confirm? Does having a higher frequency detector find it and a lower frequency detector miss it mean it will be gold? Not necessarily. Making comparisons between different manufacturers, offering different coil sizes, is (in my opinion) like comparing oranges to apples. But I believe that is about to change. Thanks to VFLEX technology, we are about to find out just what a frequency change will do in a specific detector. The X-Terra 50 came set up with the stock 7.5 kHz nine-inch round concentric coil. Starting this week, some folks are going to be receiving the prototype model of the 18.75 kHz nine-inch round concentric coil. Same size coil. Same concentric design. Same detector powering it. No more wondering what a frequency change might do for our soil conditions or the type of targets we are searching for. No more wondering if a 5 - 10 kHz detector could serve our specific needs better than a 11+ kHz detector does. No more wondering if the slight frequency variance between 7.5 kHz and 18.75 kHz provides any substantial difference in what we actually detect. Type of metal? Depth of target? Sensitivity to various sized targets? This is going to be a very interesting week. HH Randy

 

[Cody]

I understand what you are saying and agree. I think it has been pretty much established what higher and lower frequencies will do when it comes to ground penetration and detection of targets. It does not take a new coil or detector to prove this. Eddy current induction testing, metal separating, geophysical equipment, mine detection, and on we go established these basic facts many years ago.

I think what we will see is how well the manufactures have packaged the technology for our hobby. We are slowly getting there so for now will keep track of the new models and pick one or two to give a shot.