Another beginner question

Ooo.

Well that's discouraging.

Mud-puppy said:

Hey SouthForty....I am sure you are overwhelmed by the vast amount of info......
To me, it sounds like you guys just want to dick around as a side hobby, have a Summertime adventure to talk about to your friends..."Hey! I was on a dig! I found a horse shoe nail and got this whole area listed as a protected site!"

Get some gear like we did, get involved ...

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Hey Diane (SouthForty), don't mind Mud, he's stuck in Michigan's gray skys and gloomy weather. I'm sure that come spring, when the sunshine comes out of hiding, he'll be here to give friendlier advice.

Mud, do you really blame her for reposting/restating the question. Everyone on here seemed to comment on what machine they thought she should buy, but no one explained the differences or the how and why rational for selecting an appropriate machine.

Thanks all

Thank you all for your great information. We now have some work in front of us to learn more about some of the metal detectors suggested. We really appreciate all of your input. Nice to see the enthusiasm you have for working with metal detectors and for sharing your knowledge with others. One of the things I have really appreciated has been the help provided to me by some of the stores. Thank you all for your help.

South Forty

The more versatile a machine is the more expensive it will be. Personally I would recommend the XP Deus for the simple fact that you can operate it in 4, 8, 12, and 18 kHz (with the same coil). No need to buy an AT Gold if you go this route. It is also allows you to customize programs that maximizes performance based on targets to be hunted and site conditions. It's a deep machine as well. It's also the one of the fastest and lightest machines out there. Xp also provides free software updates that keeps it on the cutting edge of performance. There are new coils that will hit the market in March and May which will allow you to operate all the way up to 80 kHz. This means you will be able to hunt the smallest gold and jewelry as well. It's also totally wireless so you don't have cords hanging all over. It also can be made totally waterproof (complete submersion).

Now back to the cost thing. The XP with wireless headphones and controller will set you back anywhere from $1300 to $1500 depending who you purchase from (new). It will come with either an 11" or 9" coil (your choice). If you want the new high frequency coil (up to 80 kHz) that will be released in March and May it will set you back another $500 (average, it will probably slightly less).

Back to the complicated thing: it seems more complicated than it really is. I found it very simple to learn. If you do decide to go this route I highly recommend the xp Deus book written by Andy Sabisch. It's very well written and very easy to understand. I would also search YouTube for "Gary's XP Deus instructional videos" this will give you a general idea of what this machine is capable of.

So it boils down to how much you want to spend....or deciding what is "good enough" for what you want to do given your budget and how often you are really going to use it. An AT Pro or AT Gold may be all you need, but if you are after every bit of performance and versatility, the prices will be a lot higher.

I know I probably confused you more, but whatever you end up with, I'm sure you will still have fun.

southforty said:

Thank you all for your great information. We now have some work in front of us to learn more about some of the metal detectors suggested. We really appreciate all of your input. Nice to see the enthusiasm you have for working with metal detectors and for sharing your knowledge with others. One of the things I have really appreciated has been the help provided to me by some of the stores. Thank you all for your help.

South Forty

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I look forward to seeing what you come up with here.
You are welcome too.

Work for a shorter person?

I notice the minimum assembled length is 48 inches. Others are much shorter. I am only 5' 2"

Thank you.

woodbutcher said:

Used Minelab Xterra 705..more features than anything else in its price range,goes deep on coins,best discrimination around,tones are easily identifiable,backlight,noise cancell,prospect mode,true all metal mode,big easy to read display,feather light,pistol grip,pinpoint sizing,manual ground balance or ground tracking,depth meter,volume control,multi frequency,,and the list could go on for awhile..that machine is the best bang for the buck and has been for a long time.The price it goes for used,,unreal.

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Heh.

I think you will still be the hypotenuse.

If anything it will keep the coil farther from the shoelace eyelets on your boots.

southforty said:

I notice the minimum assembled length is 48 inches. Others are much shorter. I am only 5' 2"

Thank you.

Click to expand...

Here's what I would do.
Go back up here,,and start you another post asking what folks around your height are using for detectors.

I do know this,,you get a detector that won't fit you,,,you won't like it,,game over.

Well I did it ordered my new bounty Hunter platinum pro. May not live long enough to use it. The wife will kill me. Only live once so go for it.



Sent from my XT1064 using Tapatalk

DaviDs said:

Hey Diane (SouthForty), don't mind Mud, he's stuck in Michigan's gray skys and gloomy weather. I'm sure that come spring, when the sunshine comes out of hiding, he'll be here to give friendlier advice.

Mud, do you really blame her for reposting/restating the question. Everyone on here seemed to comment on what machine they thought she should buy, but no one explained the differences or the how and why rational for selecting an appropriate machine.

Click to expand...

I was just being a jerk! I will be feeling better in April! Ask anything you want here Diane! Best Wishes and welcome to this amazing Sport!

Thanks

No problem mud-puppy. We all have our days and your post did contained some good stuff to think about.

I really appreciate all of the comments here. One key piece of information that seems to be missing is the winning lottery numbers. I think we may need them.

Thanks again for all of you for your help.