Hi,
I've been lurking for a while and also watching YouTube metal detecting videos and I'm about ready to take the plunge and buy a couple of detectors for my fiancé and I to use on some of our many hikes (and just in fields and parks for fun, too). We'll almost completely be hunting fields and hiking trails, very little beach hunting (although if we love it we MAY take them on vacation, but they seem too bulky and fragile to take to, say, the Caribbean).
It looks like it's coming down to a showdown between the following machines:
1. White's MX5 and/or M6
2. Omega 8k
3. Garrett AT Pro
I've also heard good things about Bounty Hunter machines (and they seem to be ubiquitous).
It also looks like we'll need the following accessories:
1. Some kind of digging shovel (doesn't seem to matter which one)
2. Gloves
3. Pouch
4. Headphones (Grey Ghost?)
5. Pinpointer: Garrett Pro or White's TRX?
There seem to lots of decent headphones, but really, I don't think the specs tell you anything. Given that my fiancé and I will be doing a lot of prospecting during the hot summer months, we're not really looking forward to wearing a pair of sweatboxes on our heads all day. Is there such a thing as open-air metal detector headphones? Suggestions?
As far as the detectors go, are there any nuances I should know about? It appears that all the machines work quite well, but do any of them have better/clearer/more reliable discrimination? Some seem to have a meter that actually says "tab/coin/zinc/foil/etc." Are these worthwhile? Do they all make the same kinds of sounds, or are some easier to listen to? Are any sturdier/more comfortable to carry? Do some have a steeper learning curve? Built-in pinpointers? Better/easier ground balancing? Do Garrets need a special adapter to use third-party headphones?
For digging, it seems that it would be much more comfortable (but bulkier to carry) a longer t-handle shovel than a spade so that one is not being forced to kneel at every strike (it also seems that a shovel pulls up a bigger plug with less effort). Are there any differences here? Are some shovels better and/or lighter and and/or an easier carry? Again, I'm assuming we just need one between us.
Thanks for your help!
I've been lurking for a while and also watching YouTube metal detecting videos and I'm about ready to take the plunge and buy a couple of detectors for my fiancé and I to use on some of our many hikes (and just in fields and parks for fun, too). We'll almost completely be hunting fields and hiking trails, very little beach hunting (although if we love it we MAY take them on vacation, but they seem too bulky and fragile to take to, say, the Caribbean).
It looks like it's coming down to a showdown between the following machines:
1. White's MX5 and/or M6
2. Omega 8k
3. Garrett AT Pro
I've also heard good things about Bounty Hunter machines (and they seem to be ubiquitous).
It also looks like we'll need the following accessories:
1. Some kind of digging shovel (doesn't seem to matter which one)
2. Gloves
3. Pouch
4. Headphones (Grey Ghost?)
5. Pinpointer: Garrett Pro or White's TRX?
There seem to lots of decent headphones, but really, I don't think the specs tell you anything. Given that my fiancé and I will be doing a lot of prospecting during the hot summer months, we're not really looking forward to wearing a pair of sweatboxes on our heads all day. Is there such a thing as open-air metal detector headphones? Suggestions?
As far as the detectors go, are there any nuances I should know about? It appears that all the machines work quite well, but do any of them have better/clearer/more reliable discrimination? Some seem to have a meter that actually says "tab/coin/zinc/foil/etc." Are these worthwhile? Do they all make the same kinds of sounds, or are some easier to listen to? Are any sturdier/more comfortable to carry? Do some have a steeper learning curve? Built-in pinpointers? Better/easier ground balancing? Do Garrets need a special adapter to use third-party headphones?
For digging, it seems that it would be much more comfortable (but bulkier to carry) a longer t-handle shovel than a spade so that one is not being forced to kneel at every strike (it also seems that a shovel pulls up a bigger plug with less effort). Are there any differences here? Are some shovels better and/or lighter and and/or an easier carry? Again, I'm assuming we just need one between us.
Thanks for your help!