ToySoldier
Forum Supporter
After two years with the Bounty Hunter Tracker 4 I upgraded to an AT Pro purchased locally in like new condition on Craigslist. I experimented with it side-by-side with my Bounty Hunter over a selection of junk and coins for a couple of days to get a feel for both.
Yesterday I took it to a permission hunt at a 1930s brick colonial house located on a 3500 square foot lot in one of the solidly middle class subdivisions that popped up around the city during that time period. The new owners are doing some exterior renovations and will be redoing the lawn and landscaping in the spring. I had free reign. They said the previous owner was a hoarder and had all sorts of junk piled up in the backyard.
I had about 3-4 hours to spend on it and the photo below is everything I removed. The Xed out items were removed by my magnet sweeper after I first arrived or I spotted on the surface.
I've never had such a high ratio of good targets to junk. 12 pieces of junk, 21 coins, a few oddball household items. I had the Bounty Hunter with me to do some real world comparisons and there were high tones I would have dug with it that the bouncy readings on the AT Pro suggested weren't yet worthwhile.
I could have found all of these items with the Bounty Hunter, I think, but it would have taken three times as much time and far more trash. The feedback from the AT Pro really did make for a more efficient hunt. On the other hand, I'll exchange a handful of clad for a slightly larger trash pile and a few interesting household relics.
Indeed, there was plenty of junk in the backyard and my detector was constantly humming whenever I turned on iron audio. There were also tons of repeatable, loud, multi-directional signals in the penny to dime range. Yet, all of it was clad...not even a single wheat penny. I think the oldest coin was a 1965 quarter, and most of them were from 1970-1990s. One or two coins after year 2000.
So, I basically spent all of my time digging penny and dime signals and a few chances on a nickel/gold signals closer to the walkways. There were so many of these penny and dime signals that I just started marking them with survey flags as I searched for solid 85-99 signals, but I eventually ran out of time to do anything other than go back and dig what I had marked. More clad.
I didn't dig many iffy signals in the trashy areas, but I'm sure I'll get better at picking them apart as I get more time on the AT Pro. I also heard plenty of faint high tone signals, but didn't dig any of them. The Bounty Hunter didn't have the depth to detect them at all.
The best all around signal was that Masterlock dial. It was shaped like a coin, it was a step in front of the front porch, and read at 90+ VMI.
Yesterday I took it to a permission hunt at a 1930s brick colonial house located on a 3500 square foot lot in one of the solidly middle class subdivisions that popped up around the city during that time period. The new owners are doing some exterior renovations and will be redoing the lawn and landscaping in the spring. I had free reign. They said the previous owner was a hoarder and had all sorts of junk piled up in the backyard.
I had about 3-4 hours to spend on it and the photo below is everything I removed. The Xed out items were removed by my magnet sweeper after I first arrived or I spotted on the surface.
I've never had such a high ratio of good targets to junk. 12 pieces of junk, 21 coins, a few oddball household items. I had the Bounty Hunter with me to do some real world comparisons and there were high tones I would have dug with it that the bouncy readings on the AT Pro suggested weren't yet worthwhile.
I could have found all of these items with the Bounty Hunter, I think, but it would have taken three times as much time and far more trash. The feedback from the AT Pro really did make for a more efficient hunt. On the other hand, I'll exchange a handful of clad for a slightly larger trash pile and a few interesting household relics.
Indeed, there was plenty of junk in the backyard and my detector was constantly humming whenever I turned on iron audio. There were also tons of repeatable, loud, multi-directional signals in the penny to dime range. Yet, all of it was clad...not even a single wheat penny. I think the oldest coin was a 1965 quarter, and most of them were from 1970-1990s. One or two coins after year 2000.
So, I basically spent all of my time digging penny and dime signals and a few chances on a nickel/gold signals closer to the walkways. There were so many of these penny and dime signals that I just started marking them with survey flags as I searched for solid 85-99 signals, but I eventually ran out of time to do anything other than go back and dig what I had marked. More clad.
I didn't dig many iffy signals in the trashy areas, but I'm sure I'll get better at picking them apart as I get more time on the AT Pro. I also heard plenty of faint high tone signals, but didn't dig any of them. The Bounty Hunter didn't have the depth to detect them at all.
The best all around signal was that Masterlock dial. It was shaped like a coin, it was a step in front of the front porch, and read at 90+ VMI.
