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Novice looking for Solid Unit Advice

19Glendale

New Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2010
Messages
2
I'm a MD novice looking for suggestions on my first unit. I don't want to go cheap or super expensive. I want something I can grow with. From what I've seen, I think my price range is the $300-$600 dollar range. I would probably use it in Virginia soil, but maybe at the beach also. Any model suggestions would be much appreciated.
 
Where in VA? I ask because near me is the Bull Run Shale formation, which looks heavily mineralized with iron oxide. This makes a difference as to whether or not you can use a detector with factory preset ground balance, or if you need one that either automatically adjusts or manually adjusts.

I got the Tesoro Vaquero, which has manual ground balance adjustment. Other brands also offer this, but I liked the Vaquero for it's weight and knobs-and-switches vs. membrane keyboard controls.

-- Tom
 
If you don't mind not having a meter then the Sovereign GT... great on the beach and plenty deep in the dirt... simple to use... awesome discrimination... its not fooled by iron like many other detectors and yet it lets the good stuff be heard... if there is a downside to it, its the slower recovery time... but I can live with it ;)
 
That was going to be my suggestion also. I have never detected Virginia, but I hear that you can run into red clay or high mineral soil. The Sovereign would be up to that task. In the wet sand of the beach the Sovereign is darn good.
 
I was in the same boat a couple months ago. I bought the Xterra 705.

It is my first detector and I am very happy with it. Over at Findmall they have a dedicated forum to many detectors. It's helped me a lot with my 705 and will give you some insight to other detectors as well.

I went with the 705 due to the ability of changing the coils for different features. It can be used as a gold detector or coin/relic.

You can buy various coils that fit your soil conditions.

It does cost more money when adding the extra coils but it's something I'm looking at in the future.

Currently I'm getting to know the machine with the stock coil and will go from there.

*It does list for $700 but I ponied up the money because of the diversity of the machine. It does go on sale on occasion.

Here's a used one:
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?44,1285841

Here is a good deal on an upgraded machine- a very good used Safari for $625 from a dealer!:
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?44,1285727

If this had been available when I bought mine- I may have tried the Safari.
 
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