which detector for bad California soil?

[vincentvangerven@gmail.com]

Howdy, from Auburn, CA!

Long time Tesoro user , Just got a Tejon with the new DD coil; I found it doesn’t handle the soil well around my house.. Air tests on this one = comparable to what I see on youtube, but hardly a beep on a 10” quarter or 50 eurocents piece when I did a few tests. (This is power tuned, in disc between iron and foil.) Registers good enough in all metal, but I’m looking for 10” in disc in this California gold country soil. (if that's even possible?)

I’m originally from The Netherlands, and so I’ll just take the Tejon there when I’m going to visit my parents. Mostly mild soil, and from what I’ve read it should do very well over there.

Now, I’m curious if I would have better luck here in CA for deeper targets with for instance a Teknetics, Makro or Nokta detector, and have a unit that’s still sensitive to smaller targets? These brands caught my eye as potentially good units for my area.

Am looking for a light- to medium weight unit that reaches 10” or better on a quarter or 50 eurocents piece in my bad soil, without a monster coil or a very nervously operating unit.

Not planning to spend more than $1000 on a new one, and would like it to perform comparable to the Tejon if both were to be tested in mild soil.

I know you lose some depth in badly mineralized soil, but the Tejon is just struggling when I tested it yesterday in my backyard.

Anybody any experience with the Teknetics, Makro or Nokta detector brands in similar ca / bad soil conditions? Or perhaps another brand that I’m missing?
Thanks!

 

[Dave J.]

Much of the Sierra foothill and mountain zone geology is some combination of granite, basalt, greenstone ultramafics, and/or Tertiary channels high in magnetite black sand derived from granite.

No single-frequency metal detector will deliver dependable 10 inch discrimination in soils developed from such parent materials. Not even close.

If you scale your expectations 'way back, then our Teknetics G2+ is probably as good as it gets for such conditions.

 

[vincentvangerven@gmail.com]

Thanks for the input Dave, then one of the detectors i'll read up on is the G2+

At least i'm relieved to have it confirmed that i'm sitting on difficult soil here; for a moment i was starting to scratch the back of my head when testing the 'deepest tesoro made'.

Had a Cortes in Holand that would go twice as deep in mild Dutch soil compared to the Tejon here.

 

[vincentvangerven@gmail.com]

So i seem to be zeroing in on the Teknetics and the Nokta brand for use in heavily mineralized soil, as found around my locality.

Any local users / users that are also dealing with difficult soil that can give input on what they're using and why?

Will Have to do more testing when i find a moment and the rain stops, will then also report test results from my Tejon, both with 11 x 8 DD coild and the elliptical lobo coil.

 

[Old California]

I had the same issues with a Tejon here in CA. Soil, auctally several years ago.

I'll get back with you via PM in a day or so. I'd had good results with few detectors up in Gold country handling the mineralization.

Dave Johnson mentioned a good model, Fisher also has others. Try and get a detector that will be good for relic hunting too, here in California you can detect both nuggets and relic hunting if you choose too.

Plus, With a good Fisher or other top end detector you just need to get down 1" to 6-7" inches that's about the depth you'll find most of the relics/coins.

Paul

 

[vincentvangerven@gmail.com]

Thanks Paul, looking forward to your PM.

 

[Old California]

Tried to pm you but for some reason you're not allowed to receive pm's, maybe because you're still a new member. So I copied and will paste the pm message below.

Hello,

I was the one who responded to your post on the Tejon, and Dave Johnson recommend the Teknetics G2.

In case you didn't know, Dave Johnson works for Fisher/Teknetics and I believe Bounty hunter out of Texas. Well known throughout the planet, great metal detector designer. He's designed many detectors, very nice fellow.

To be honest, its tough to get depth in our California Gold country soil, mineralization effects depth and coupled with iron its terrible. However, from my experience only one VLF detector can punch down that deep and thats under right conditions, I have one of these machines (V6), but they are not for the beginner but rather for skilled users especially with Blisstool experience behind them.

However, you need not worry so much having a detector not detecting 10", coins and relics tend to not sink that much up in Gold country.

Have used the T2, Fisher F-75, MXT & MXT Pro, Deus, Blisstool V6, and many others. Have tried Notka brand but really didn't care for them for my type of hunting, but that's me I see others are having favorable experience.

A couple of new models are coming out and a few recently released, haven't tried them and they may be good.

Dave Johnson mentioned the (Teknetics G2), it is a good detector for your area.

As I shared above, Don't worry so much with depth, you need a machine with fast recovery, great in iron and able to handle gold county soil. Be happy with 6"-7" inches on a Coin size target, you may not even get 6"-7" inches in areas with iron and instead get 3-4" inches if that.

Stay in touch.

All the best,
Paul

 

[vincentvangerven@gmail.com]

Great input Paul, much appreciated.

I'll finish my test garden when time allows, do a few more tests and go from there. I'll also read up on the blisstool

 

[vincentvangerven@gmail.com]

Alrighty, i have read up on the Blisstool, Teknetics and Nokta / Makro, they all seem to have their strong points.

To old California, if you happen to be near Auburn and you're interested; i would like to meet up / come by a some point to pick your brain and do a little side by side comparison with my Tejon vs. your favorite machines..

You seem to have a lot more experience using different brands and models then i do, for me it's been 'Tesoro only' (silver sabre 2 and cortes in holland, and now i just got the Tejon here)

I get the idea that there's a good bit of hype and marketing going around whenever a new model comes out, but in between there's also great user reviews.

And there's horses for courses, some do better in clean ground, some better in iron infested sites, some in heavy mineralization.

Before i start spending anoher chunck of change i would acually like to see some detector brands and models in person to see how they work and what they can do.

 

[SteveP(NH)]

You might want to consider a PI machine with ground tracking and audio target ID (well kind of), since they handle soil mineralization with ease. They won't find small pickers as well as a VLF but they will go deeper in difficult soils and hit hard on everything else. The Garrett Infinium is in your price range and has fans in the gold fields. Its water proof to 200 feet too, so you can work it in the streams and rivers. Finally it has bulkhead style connectors on coil connection so you can change coils easily and there is a decent selection available and its a good beach and diving machine if you ever hit the ocean beaches.

 

[KindManTall]

The White's TDI or White's GMT

 

[vincentvangerven@gmail.com]

Alrighty, couple of observations testing the Tejon today.

First i cleared a roughly 5 by 5 foot patch in the backyard by removing 10 inches worth of dirt, checking the bottom for iron, slowly filling it up with the same dirt that came out of that patch. (Constantly checking for iron, till i had a nice iron free patch resembling a freshly ploughed field.)

2015 Tesoro Tejon, tested with both the new type DD coil and a Lobo coil. Power tuned in disc. with european style detecting in mind. (forget all metal mode where i hunt in Holland, it would drive you nuts)

test objects;

900 year old silver coin the size of a USA dime, but thinner, buried at 3 inch;

a 50 eurocents piece at 5 inch;

a USA 25 cents / quarter at 5 inch;

1.5 inch nail, about 2 mm thick.

I set the first disc so that it would make a clear tone on the nail at the surface / not buried, and the second disc so it would make that typical Tesoro scratchy sound when going over that nail again.

This would still give the nice tone on the silver coin, which is what I want; will be detecting in Holland on my vacations, where there's a chance of medieval or roman silver.

When i had the disc set I noticed the white marks on the disc knobs didn't quite correspond with what they would indicate on the face plate of the detector, so i loosened the allen screws in the disc knobs to set them so that they make sense to me; first disc just over iron, second disc right in the middle between iron and foil (discrimination foil= chance of blocking out small silver in my book) With this setting I probably still dig some larger iron, but at least im picking up on small silver. (if it comes under the coil and is within range)

Now that i had the detector set to my 'terms and conditions' i checked the buried coins, sensitivity on 7 to make it run quiet here in my setting.

On the 3" deep silver coin with the new type dd coil; nice and clear, that smooth tone that i know from my previous tesoro machines. Put the nail on the soil surface with the coins buried; target completely masked. Didn't check with the lobo coil yet. Did the Monte nail board test, passed with flying colors

On the 5" deep 50 eurocent and USA quarter; half decent signal on both coins with the new style DD coil. Signal could be missed though / not 100 percent consistent, especially when swinging on the fast side. USA quarter, perhaps slightly better signal. Then tested these again, now with the lobo coil (power balanced first with the same disc setting)
A surprise; 50 Eurocents signal came in a lot better, and i could swing faster then i normally would in the field as well. USA quarter tested the same as before / no real noticable difference. I will look into this more for sure.

Seems the Lobo coil did help the detector out a bit in this soil (shape of the coil perhaps) but overall impression is that it seems to be strugging as for depth on both the 50 eurocents and the quarter.
At 6" and with a slow sweep a yes/no/maybe signal...The 50 cents and quarter at this depth, in this soil, would easily be missed when in the field.

Want to go deeper on the medieval coin next time, at 3" it did great so i'm curious when it will start to get out of range.

And i want to do a lot more testing with different scenario's and settings, but so far these are the initial observations.

Not unhappy, not super duper impressed right off the bat & have no idea what it does in Europe yet, that will be another year or so.

Have to admit i haven't seen another brand or model detector take a swing at this soil / these targets, so perhaps my expectations are off and i was just spoiled by digging in nice european soil ..

 

[vincentvangerven@gmail.com]

for what it's worth; air test with 2 different coils. I guess it's within spec from what i read here and there (?)

5-6 beeps on battery, going for consistant tone response and consitant beeps.

tone all the way open, sens 10, silent disc 1 just over iron, no headphones, 2015 model tesoro DD coil.
1974 Penny= 9”
Nickel=9.75”
Dime=8.75”
Quarter= 10.5”
50 eurocents= 10.75”

tone all the way open, sens 10, silent disc 1 just over iron, no headphones, Lobo Coil.
1974 Penny= 7.75”
Nickel= 8.75”
Dime=7.5”
Quarter= 9.5” -9.75”
50 eurocents= 8.5”

It's deeper in all metal threshold, but i won't use that option, it needs to discriminate nails for me to be usable.

 

[Old California]

Sound great! Maybe next week we can meet 1/2 ways.

Going to meet with a property owner next week in that area up in Gold country, maybe be we meet somewhere in-between.

HH,Paul

 

[mascard1]

You guys are going to be close....let me know...maybe ..I can meet you guys?

Sound great! Maybe next week we can meet 1/2 ways.

Going to meet with a property owner next week in that area up in Gold country, maybe be we meet somewhere in-between.

HH,Paul

 

[vincentvangerven@gmail.com]

Thanks for the invite Old California, if i can swing it with work etc. i'd definitely like to meet.

Read up more on the G2 and G2+; from wha i read here and there it's a good detector but not all that strong on deeper silver ?

Anybody any comments on that for the G2 and newer G2+ series?

 

[Old California]

Not familiar with G2 series, but pretty sure its a strong performer for West Coast soil.

Another machine that looks Promising is the soon to be released MX Sport, more of a waterproof version of an MXT. From experience, the MXT is great in our soil, plus the MX Sport is waterproof. May want to look into this model, I may spring for one.

Paul

 

[Old California]

That would be cool, think we came close to crossing paths once before at a park near my area. (Madera?)

Paul

 

[vincentvangerven@gmail.com]

That wasn't me, been in the states for 8 years, never had a detecter here till a couple of weeks ago. Not sure if i'll do much detecting in the USA since i'm so spoiled having the dutch metal detecting experience, but I sure would like to give it a shot. Who knows, i might get hooked

 

[vincentvangerven@gmail.com]

To follow up on this one;

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?17,2265097

Now the test results in Auburn, CA gold country soil, counting good repeatable hits with moderate swing speed.

Battery 5 - 6 beeps, in disc mode, Sens 10, silent disc 1 just over iron, Headphones, 2015 model tesoro 11x8" DD coil.

1974 Penny= 9” air powertuned, 5" in ground when power tuned.

Nickel= 9.75” air powertuned, 6" in ground when power tuned.

Dime= 8.75” air powertuned, 3" in ground when power tuned.

Quarter= 10.5” air powertuned, 6" in ground when power tuned.

Seems that it struggled with most with the dime and quarter. (if you look at the depth loss when in the ground compared to the air test)

That copper penny gave that nice smooth sound that i know from other Tesoro machines when metal detecting in Europe, clad coins are new to me, and do sound different (to me).

Also noticed, this Tejon with the new model 11x8 DD coil does not like a fast sweep speed, especially on the dime i had to slow it down.

With the Lobo coil installed it is a lot 'quicker'; can sweep a good bit faster, but lose about an inch in depth wh a uarer (only tested on the quarter)

But that lobo coil sure is nice when there's a bunch of iron nails or other scrap around; it pics out the good targets really well.