Difference in metal detector brands?

Th3 Offspring

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Hi, I was told by a friend that one of the main differences between metal detector brands is the way that it sends the signal into the ground. He told me that some brands shoot it straight down like a box, some cone shaped etc. Is this true? He also told me that Garret was a bad brand to buy. I don't believe his bias against garrett because my dad has found several hundred great 19th century coins, many being silver.
 
The shape of the field sent into the ground and the detection pattern is not a function of the detector brand, it is a function of the coil size and coil design.
 
I think that most of the detectors project the signal at close to the same cone shape. There are coils you can by that alter the field to make it spread out. Maybe someone else has more info.
I dont know why the bias against Garrett, Did you ask him what he based his opinion on?
 
I personally felt that Garrett detectors didn't have the depth of White's or Fisher machines back in the 1980's.

But that is no longer true today.

Perhaps your friend hasn't tried one lately.
 
Everybody has their own opinion on which brand is the best or which is the worst , but as far as how they work its all pretty much the same. What to look for in a brand is how well built, easy to use, and things of that nature. I like many people never cared for Garrett because of how they look, green and "retro" like something made for an old sci fi movie. Until I found the ace 250 and liked it , and now I would give all garretts a second look. There are certain brands that are legendary for quality , and some that are legendary for being junk. They all send the signal into the ground the same way tho.
 
For every person who believes Garrett is no good, there are an equal number who say the same thing about White's, Fisher, etc. Stick with a major manufacturer and you'll likely be satisfied. I have four White's, a Garrett, and a Fisher...all perform their function "as advertised".
 
They all send the signal into the ground the same way tho.

Not quite true. That's like saying all radios receive signals the same way, whereas actually some radios can pick up stations much farther away than others. And each detector manufacturer has its own unique circuitry (except for the Chinese knockoffs). Fisher, for example, uses a circuit in some of its detectors that keeps signal strength constant regardless of the amount of discrimination you use. Most detectors lose depth when you increase discrimination.

As for Brand A vs. Brand B, don't listen to anyone who hasn't used them ALL. Which pretty much limits your sources to rich folks who own a ton of detectors, and multiline dealers.

Too many people like Fords and hate Chevys because their fathers liked Fords and hated Chevys.
 
Any user with a favorite machine and some knowledge and experience will attain good results regardless of brand. Garrett makes some very very fine machines. My fist detector was a Garrett and I can vouch for performance and quality. It is true that some machines do better in certain conditions/regions then others.

With regard to a search pattern. This is a function of the coil configuration though no configuration or manufacturer can escape the laws of physics and theory of magnetism. No matter what kind of coil, frequency or anything else claimed, as long as there is an electrical field introduced, it will always create a dual oval pattern which concentrates the signal according to the coil design. This is one of the limitations that manufacturers are bound by, that and signal to noise ratio. Think of a detector as a radio, and the coil as an antenna. You can "tweak" signals but will always have a similar general signal pattern. Even yagi antennas "directional" are constrained by this pattern and still create a similar signal pattern. A bit long winded, but hope this helps.

-Art
 
he based hi opinion on the fact that "garrett detectors send the signal into the ground differently than minelab" or something like that.
 
It sounds like your friend was explaining the difference in the detectors based of factory coils. Here is a picture that shows the detection pattern of the concentric and DD coils. Note that the picture in the upper right(DD coil) looks sort of box like from the side. Most Garretts use a concentric coil as the factory coil, while some Minelabs use the DD coil.

AS far as comparing the detectors, it really depends on the type of hunting you do. If I were to hunt an old area that could have very deep coins, then I was prefer the FBS Minelabs. If I were to hunt a location where gold jewelry was likely, then I would use a Garrett.

coils3.jpg
 
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For every person who believes Garrett is no good, there are an equal number who say the same thing about White's, Fisher, etc. Stick with a major manufacturer and you'll likely be satisfied. I have four White's, a Garrett, and a Fisher...all perform their function "as advertised".

You hit the nail on the head John, As a new Mder I read and read about peoples likes and dislikes on all brands. Everyone had their say and it got kinda confusing at a point.
 
Hay,

I love Tesoro'es.

But, I know that there are a lot of things that
other machines can do that mine can not.

But, Hay.....

In my hands, there are a lot of things my machines
can do that others can not.

So, I am not ready to go jumpin around.

Beauty is in the eye of tha beholder,

Tabdog
 
Not quite true. That's like saying all radios receive signals the same way, whereas actually some radios can pick up stations much farther away than others. And each detector manufacturer has its own unique circuitry (except for the Chinese knockoffs). Fisher, for example, uses a circuit in some of its detectors that keeps signal strength constant regardless of the amount of discrimination you use. Most detectors lose depth when you increase discrimination.

As for Brand A vs. Brand B, don't listen to anyone who hasn't used them ALL. Which pretty much limits your sources to rich folks who own a ton of detectors, and multiline dealers.

Too many people like Fords and hate Chevys because their fathers liked Fords and hated Chevys.


Ummm, yes all radios do recieve and send signals the same way just as all detectors send a signal into the ground the same way. The electronics you mention that are different are there only to read and process the signal ...but how the signal goes into the ground , and how the machines work are the same for every detector out there, with minor differences maybe in multi frequency machines but even they work the same basically. The circuitry inside the control box is what makes each unit different but everything else is the same.
 
Hi, I was told by a friend that one of the main differences between metal detector brands is the way that it sends the signal into the ground. He told me that some brands shoot it straight down like a box, some cone shaped etc. Is this true?
Yes, this is true.....concentric coils shoot the signals in a cone shaped fashion, so you need to overlap the coil sweep to take in all of the ground coverage. With DD (double D) coils, the signals shoot straight down and you cover the entire ground directly under each sweep, without the need to overlap the coil sweeps.

But there are many other differences in detector brands and detectors have come a long way in advancement over the years. Some detectors have developed circuits called Broad Band Spectrum (BBS for short) which were introduced in the Sovereign and Explorer series. They operated on more than just one or two set frequencies. These detects use 17 frequecies simultaneously which results in much more information accurate target idenification.
You can also purchase detectors featuring Full Band Spectrum (FBS for short) which utilise 28 frequencies rather than the 17 found on BBS detectors. These detectors with 28 frequencies are capable of detecting targets much deeper and yet are sensitive enough to smaller targets, and are great for detecting lower conductivity metals such as your gold, brass and platinum. Some of these detectors however, have a great learning curve than other brands and take time, patience and practice to master them.
It pays to do your homework on a variety of different detector brands and models and buy one that's suited to your needs, whether it be goldfields, woods, beach, underwater, parks and reserves hunting.
Hope this helps.
Golden;)
 
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