M.D. Questions for the old timers

[coinfisher]

I'm thinking of getting back into the hobby. Me and a buddy used to do a lot of metal detecting together, he is deceased now unfortunately. I had a detector that I can't remember the name of it (about late 70's- early 80's), was based on the then technology called TR. My buddy had a modestly priced Garrett unit using I believe VLF. They worked a lot differently. Mine had a fast response and gave a continuous low background hum, his was generally quieter and slower to react. Mine always appeared to find more coins, but I wouldn't characterize it as being deep. If any of you are familiar with these old units (they were both discriminating units), how are the current brands and models different today in the way they operate? Everyone talks of sweeping speed for detection, these would detect moving or stopped. Do different brands still work a lot differently or are most detectors today of similar technology. I'm really not talking about the bells and whistles of each, but their basic operation principles. Any insight from you oldtimers would be appreciated.

Coinfisher

[Loadmaster]

First let me say that I'm sorry to hear you lost your detecting partner, but I'm sure glad to hear you're looking to get back into the hobby. I too am just getting back. I'm sorry I can't help you with technical advice, as my knowledge in that area is zero, maybe below. I did, however, want to welcome you to the site and to let you know there are many pros here that I am sure will assist you with all the information you need to make a great come-back. Again, coinfisher, welcome aboard....

Loadmaster (Ed)

[bill(de)]

I'll give a bit of a try. The TR machines today are used mostly by a utility company to find underground infrastructure.Most detectors today for the hobbiest are the vlf and the manufacturers retail basically 3 different type machines.Type 1 VLF detectors ranging from about 2.5khz to about 7.2khz single frequency are inclined to the higher end conductivity metals such as copper,silver,but have an affinity for iron mainly as a wrap around bounce allowing the high tone hit but often vague and not pinpoint specific.Type 2 VLF detectors run about 10KHZ to about 15KHZ and are inclined to the lower end conductivity metals such as aluminum and gold.The single frequency type 2 machines can be very noisy in trashy modern areas.Then there are the higher end detectors that combine type 1 and type 2 frequencies and they advertise as multi-frequency detectors.They use either a best data or correlate to anylize the transmit signal to give a probable target id.There is also a gold detector set at about 50KHZ.However modern machines have so many features that you didn't have such as 2 filter and 4 filter machines that enable greater detection depending on ground mineralization.The 2 filter machines can be swept slow in lower mineralized soil and 4 filter machines do better perhaps in higher mineralized soil and can be swept quickly.On top of all this now you have so many different coils to pick from such as DD,concentric,ellipitical,and other hybrids.In my humble opinion the best non ID machine and one that i love is the Minelab Advantage.As far as target ID machines , i prefer a digital numeric id over the other methods. Sorry for the long post and hope i didn't bore everyone .HH Bill

[Tom in SWW]

Hi Coinfisher!

Good to see you posting. My condolences on your partner. It's no fun to lose a good friend.
I'm sort of like you: I had a detector back in the early '70's: A Treasure Hawk BFO machine (God! I'd love to have one just to remember the old days!).
I ran it from 1973 until about 1976 or so. Used it mainly to find large mertal so I could spot bottle dumps easier. Some aren't that obvious, especially around old farm sites.
I didn't have much luck with it at beaches or the local school: Found a couple of nickles and old pennies, a summer camp I worked at yielded a silver plated lead ring, which was quickly confiscated by Camp staff... What a bunch of cheap bastards. There's more, but I won't get into it here.
Anyways, it broke down before I developed my repair skills, and it has been gone almost 30 years.
Last year, I decided to get back into things, and it was like another world. So much had changed, and the machines were so much better than in the '70's.
I finally settled on a White's DFX, and am still learning it.
Soil out here in SW WA state is enough to drive anyone nuts, especially if it's an area that has mixed native and fill soils.
My opinion is, that if you spend the dollars to get a good machine, irregardless of brand, you will do just fine!
I regret not getting back into detecting earlier, but I'm back now and having a good deal of fun.

HH! -Tom

[bill(de)]

I would like to recant my statement about the Advantage being the best non metered detector, i should have said one of better, it is my favorite but i realize there are other detectors that i haven't used and didn't intend to make such an emphatic endorsement of the Advantage.HH Bill

[bill(de)]

Tom, I know what you mean on the DFX. I thought detecting was easy until i got the DFX.I have an Eagle Spectrum, a CZ5 and a few others and i've done well, but the DFX has been a confounding detector for me and i'm determined to master it.So many features and so many potential adjustments make for a substantial learning curve.Good Luck to ya, and i know i'll need it. HH Bill

[Tom in SWW]

Hi Bill!

Thanks! I'm still trying to get it "right"!
At first, I used the standard coin program, and got good results.
I then made a modified program, and it works best of all for me.
Like anything, I think everyone wants to tweak the DFX for the "perfect" program, and that's where the rub comes in.
I found a program called the "DSM" or Deep Seeking Missile program that's supposed to find stuff deeper than any other.
So far, I'm getting mixed results, and am frustrated.
I tried it at one spot, and with the Bigfoot and standard 950 coils, it seemed to give me a couple of extra inches of depth.
Then, I went about 300 yards away, and the DSM was missing stuff only a couple of inches down! It's like it just wasn't recognizing good, solid copper coins only down a few inches.
I went back to my home made high performance program, and it recognized the coins each and every time.
I tried dropping a dime on the surface of the ground, and got the same results: With the DSM, it would just skip right over the dime, or give short, wierd tones. Sweep speed, both varying the rate at which I swept over the coin, and the electronic sweep setting, didn't seem to make any difference.
The home made program nailed the dime at up to 6" away loud and clear each time.
I went to a small, inner city park yesterday and started out in the DSM, found a couple of coins, and quickly abandoned it and went back to my program.
Then I went over the same area with my program, and found several more good, solid coins only a couple of inches down. Aaaaarghhhhhh!
It's enough to drive me to drinking, but I will figure it out.

HH! -Tom

[leslie(nova scotia)]

From the land of the Bluenose...well even though a dedicated green swinger have to say that one machine is just as good as the other. Warranty, servicing and type of area would be the major considerations. Good luck on whatever you end up a swinging!

[coinfisher]

It looks like pick a name brand, pay as much as you think you can afford and go out and learn the machine. Don't worry much about the theory. It's kind of like my other main hobby bass fishing. You can take any kind of rod and reel and catch fish when you take time to learn the lake and fish patterns.

Thanks

Coinfisher