Why are so many hung up on "Locked in salt mode" ???

[EZrider]

I often read post about the 20/21 being "locked" in salt mode. As if not being in saltwater mode is going to give you a half a foot more depth. This switch on CZs is not a depth switch. The depth diffrence beween the two is minimal at best. Yet everyone carrys on like your losing big time.

Depth is no longer king like it once was with land machines. Most cheaper models today can hit a dime at 8in. Whats taken over today is machines not having the masking/silent masking problems from the past.

 

[Mike Hillis]

The hangup about being locked in Salt mode doesn't have anything to do with hunting dimes. The coin hunters are safe. But it has everything to do with hunting small gold. Salt mode effectively discriminates out small gold.

HH
Mike

 

[therover]

The only units that will end up hitting the really small gold items are the single frequency units where most if not all have a hard time in the salt water anyway...as well as only a handful being waterproof. So now we are into how deep do these detectors go in the salt water conditions vs the ones made for that type of hunting ? Without a doubt my Gold Bug SE will hit a small gold item in the wet sand better than my CZ's, but it only gets 1/2 the depth on the med to larger gold targets and coins, and it's not waterproof.


If you are after the really small gold as well as all the rest of it, and want a water proof unit for the salt water, then one of the waterproof PI's may be the better fit. Then there are trade offs there as well.

It is pretty much a consensus that the 2 best waterproof discriminating detectors for the salt water environement are the CZ20/21 and the Excal. Both are not the optimal unit for small gold.

So I agree, the small gold hang up is really not that big a deal. Both an Excal and CZ will find the smaller engagement rings with the stones...it's the small earring backs and small hollow earrings and pendants as well as thin chains without a big enough clasp for the unit to detect, that may elude them.

I have found numerous smaller gold items with both a CZ and Excal, so like they say...small is in the eye of the beholder !

 

[gmanlight]

Most detectors that that go deep in wet salt are in a type of salt mode .
That includes the down under machines.
Therover i have seen the same results with my GB.

I think the salt mode talk has more to do with the 3D, were it is meant more for older sites than modern trash site.
The 3D in salt mode loses very little on Hi conductor targets in salt mode, dirt hunting
I does take a small hit on low conductors if in salt mode , Hi trash dirt fishing.

 

[Aaron]

Take a detector (that is locked in salt mode, i.e. Excalibur, CZ-21) into a jewelry shop, see how many gold chains that machine can pick up, and Im not talking thin either. Try the nice size rope chains, then while your at it try the small to medium pendants and dont even waste your time with the earrings, those machines wont even touch them, unless...your in salt.

Now, take a Tiger Shark (not locked in salt) in that same jewelry store and watch it easily detect all the above. And yes... the Tiger Shark is not a great salt water machine. However, the point here is the difference between a machine that is locked in salt mode and one that isnt.

 

[therover]

But it can't hold a candle to a CZ or Excal in the salt water.

Make one wonder how many small gold items and chains are missed in the wet sand and salt water !

 

[hershey1]

I have found many small ear rings and gold backs that were very deep with my Excall along with some chains. May have missed a lot more but the Excallibur machines will find some. Slowing down in heavy used areas will greatly improve your finds. If moms are playing with little ones there will be chains and ear rings. HH

 

[EZrider]

To be all honest i could care less about the micro/light gold. I could collect more $$$ per hour dry sand hunting for clad. Ive found my share of small stuff with both my machines.

 

[cajintex]

I have an Excal, and my sister-in-law says that there is something wrong with it, because mostly what I have found so far IS SMALL GOLD. LOL.............maybe it's not the machine, maybe it's me. I have not found a HUGE gold item yet with it. I have found quite a bit of large SILVER items with it though. These comments pertain to the salt water beach hunting.

 

[Caretaker me]

I asked because I wanted to understand what it did, with this thread and the last one, I kind of like it locked on, I use a different machine for dirt, and after 12 years of hunting, I know the best hunters have a hard time with any type of gold chains

 

[tvr]

I have found many small ear rings and gold backs that were very deep with my Excall along with some chains.

mostly what I have found so far IS SMALL GOLD

OK ... how do we define small gold?

My wife prefers small link chains. I test the chains she has and, without pendants, the very fine, small linked chains or the ones that look a little more substantial that are listed as "hollow link" do not make a blip on the CZ's or Excal in discrimination mode or all metal. Nor are they detectable with either of my 2 pulse induction detectors. CZ6a in normal mode does not see these chains either. Some of the slightly bigger link chains the CZ6a sees in normal mode and does not in salt mode. The chains don't even null on the Excal in discrimination mode with it set at minimum. The F75, Tejon, Cibola and Compadre hit on these chains solidly in all metal mode up to a couple inches, but with any discrimination they are gone.

Where do you hunt and what do you find?

The chains not detected are fractions of grams of gold. It can add up, but (as EZ implies) so does the dug trash and coins adds up too.

What the CZ's and Excal and the pi's do hit on the beach (salt mode) adds up a lot faster (bigger mass) and does pay for the detectors (if you are getting the swing time).

Just some thoughts and ramblings.
Cheers,
tvr

 

[scubadetector]

Ok, I have a CZ-21 and hunt fresh water in Michigan. I have found 5 gold chains. One the CZ picked up becasue of the cross on it, and another a pendant. The other three were found by fanning for another target. One of the chains was 18 grams of 18K. Saw the end flapping around looking for a penny. Pulled it out of the sand and also found the penny. Another chain was in a pile off the side of a dock. Again fanning for a coin. Same with the last one.

Yes I have heard the Tigershark is better in FRESH water on small gold, BUT does it get as deep as my CZ? I don't think so. So I live with the fact I have to see the chains while diving or miss them. Maybe when I retire I will get a Tigershark and go back to some of my old haunts and see what I can pick up.

AS I have stated before, Every machine is different, and every machine even if its the same make and model could be a bit different. I have found a lot of small gold rings, some smaller than my pinky finger. So I am content with my CZ.

 

[Steve O]

Scuba, ever run into one of those 30 pound snapping turtles while detecting underwater?

 

[scubadetector]

Turtles don't like bubbles, Just like pike when you exhale they shoot away as fast as possible, I have run into a lot of beautiful turtles, some I never in my life saw before. BUT the biggest snapper I have come across was about an inch around. I held it by the back of the shell and it kept trying to bit me. I was laughing too hard I had to let it go.

I know how to handle snappers as I have taken a few out of the road. The trick is to hold them close to the back of their shell. They still snap and it scares you but they can't reach that far back.

Now back to our regularly scheduled thread about the two best machines locked into salt mode. Why couldn't they have made a switch on them and put two different circuits in them??

 

[EZrider]

Why can you swap coils on one "land CZs" and not hardwire in a diffrent size coil without recalibration on the water CZs?

Light small 14k ring with the CZ 1 gram on the scale. About $30 worth in gold. Still a good find when things are bleak.

A better 14k ring with ice. Appraised at $1200

 

[Aaron]

I havent hunted in salt yet w my Excal however guys I know down in Florida claim there finding alot of small gold w it i.e. earrings and chains....