Monte
"In Memory of"
True, it is a single frequency, and also true that the majority of motion-based discriminating detectors out there, and certainly offered today, are single frequency operation. That said, viewing any Forum and pertaining to almost any brand detector, there are good finds being made daily by men and women, younger, older and in between, thanks to the performance of a good single-frequency detector.ghound said:Monte, folk can dress it up any way they like, it's a fixed single frequency detector, same as hundreds of other detectors, but in a waterproof housing and at an entry level price.
Also noteworthy to me was the fact Nokta / Makro developers selects 12 kHz as the Simplex+. A frequency close to ideal according to George Payne, a former well known metal detector engineer. Since most detectors are used for Coin Hunting, or Coin & Jewelry Hunting, George worked to isolate an optimum operating frequency when engineering the Treasure Baron. Something that would work well for low-conductive targets to high-conductive targets. The result? 12.5 kHz.
Well, to me, that made a great fit with the majority of the detectors I was using then and had been using for quite some time. I figured anything within ±2½ kHz would be close to that so-called optimum frequency, so anything from 10 kHz to 15 kHz would make a close fit.
Since '77/'78 I had been using mainly 15 kHz, and in '83 I relied on motion-based Discriminators from Tesoro that operated from 10 kHz to 15 kHz. Most models from other makers that have served me well for gold nugget hunting to silver coin hunting have also fallen in that frequency range.
The 13.77 kHz Compass Scanners, ±13.89 kHz White's MXT, MXT Pro and MX-7, ±13 kHz Teknetics T2 and Fisher F75, 15 kHz Nokta FORS CoRe, 14 kHz Makro Racer 2, and the selectable frequency Nokta / Makro Impact, Multi-Kruzer and Anfibio Multi working at their default turn-on 14 kHz, and XP ORX at 14.4 kHz.
I'll happily match my 15 kHz CoRe or Relic (fixed at 19 kHz) up against a multi-frequency in the terrible iron trash sites I hunt, without hesitation. Sure the simultaneous multi's will find stuff, but I haven't encountered one yet, with settings a savvy user selects, that can better some of the demonstrated performance of my CoRe or Relic. Matter-of-fact, with all the different makes and models I own, none of the others can handle all the testing these two can easily pass.
I have owned and used simultaneous multi-frequency models to include Minelab's BBS Sovereigns, FBS Explorer series, Fisher CZ's, White's DFX, VX3 and V3i, and so far, I haven't been overly impressed with them when it comes to handling the different environments at the challenging sites I hunt.
Do they work? Sure, that's why I owned and used them for certain applications. Does 'simultaneous' automatically make a detector a better all-purpose performer than operating at a single frequency? Definitely not. If it did and single frequency was then sub-par, why would Minelab provide the opportunity to select just one operating frequency?
Correct, if all else is comparable in the way of detector model/design and settings and Ground Balance, and only a difference in single frequency used, there can be an observable difference in performance.ghound said:And being fixed a fixed freq it lacks the sensitivity to certain targets that higher fregs offers, and it lacks the ground filtering in mineralized soil that multi freq offers.
That's why if one search is conducted in that 10 to 15 kHz range and then changed to a lower ± 5 kHz frequency or up to something in the ±19-20 kHz frequency, you can sometimes note a difference in results. iI's also based upon the ground signal to deal with and the target's size/shape/conductivity level.
Nothing's perfect. That's one reason I like the model selection I own and use because I can pick-and-choose what works best for where I'm hunting.
That's what everyone should do, find one or more detectors that they enjoy and are comfortable with, then learn them well and get out and use them. Doesn't matter what they might offer compared to the fellow on the other side of the park or field, they are metal detectors. Learn them, use them, find stuff. Pretty simple.
Some of the Vanquish are 'entry level" priced and the top dollar model is in the mid-price range by today's standards.ghound said:Thats why i suggested he hold on and try the new multi freq from Minelab, as it also comes in at an entry level price which to now has been unheard of, yes it's not fully submersible but has a waterproof coil so can still be used underwater to a certain depth.
Eliminating buying a used unit, and considering the features and performance you get for the dollar invested, if 'Hordfest' hadn't selected a submersible Simplex+ and his lower investment amount, I would have suggested he consider a model for just slightly more that would provide excellent all-purpose potential and have a very good search coil selection. Matter of fact, I have one in my own Detector Outfit that I enjoy, and that is the Makro Racer 2. I keep a 7" Concentric mounted full-time, and it, too, runs circles around a lot of the competitors out there that list for a few hundred dollars more.
I watched the video which told me nothing new. I have used both the Vista Smart and Gold on an assortment of sample targets, to include a smaller-size and lower-conductive coin. The Gold was easily the winner, but it wasn't just a frequency difference. The owner of those two models and I compared other detectors on the sample as well. The Gold did well, but so did the 10 kHz Bandido microMAX, 13-14 kHz MX-7, 14 kHz Racer 2, 14.4 kHx ORX, 15 kHz CoRe ...all of which easily bested the Smart and were all using smaller-size coils.ghound said:Here's a simple vid of the difference between 30khz and 15khz on a gold coin in tough dirt, you don't want to missing these type of targets, even with an entry level detector!
Besides, in the video I didn't see the settings used, nor did I see either model go through a Ground Balance adjustment, and that alone could make a difference in the video's results.
Well, it's warmed up to 43° under a mostly sunny sky, winds are calm, and I have four of my wonderful single-frequency detectors loaded in my vehicle so I'm going hunting. I hope you have the time and opportunity to do the same. Best of success to you.
Monte