Simplex + users: What Disc. settings for the 4 Disc. modes?

[Monte]

I also prefer the idea of using frequencies only one at a time. I'm in no hurry to get an SMF, really.

In the early days of TR and TR-Disc. models, mainly latter '60s and through the mid-'70s, most of them operate at ± 100 kHz and their ability to handle Iron Nails was superior to most of todays modern, digitally designed detectors. About '74/'75 we entered the world of Ground Cancelling detectors, and that meant operating in the VLF (Very Low Frequency) region which is 1 kHz to 30 kHz with the preponderance of them between 4 kHz and 8 kHz, and a higher frequency choice in the 10 kHz to 15 kHz range.

My favorite detector choices from '77 to the present have been those models from Garrett, Gold Mountain Technologies (who copied Tesoro circuitry), White's, Teknetics, Tesoro, Nokta and Makro ... and a few others, that operated between 10 kHz and 15 kHz. I found that frequency range to provide very good general-purpose performance on low, mid and high conductivity targets I was after.

That's not to say that all detectors operating in that frequency range provide great performance because there is a lot more to circuitry design and function than just their operating frequency, but for me that has been one component for considerations.

Today I use a 12 kHz Simplex +, a 10 kHz Bandido II µMAX and Silver Sabre µMAX, and three Apex device that all use the same Custom settings and turn-on in MF ... which, by the way, works well with the Apex ... but I frequently select 15 kHz which is also heir default turn-on frequency.

I do have one other model, a Nokta FORS Relic, which has the same configuration and balances the FORS CoRe, but operates at 19 kHz and features Iron Audio Volume plus the addition of a 2-Tone and 3-Tone mode and is based on the FORS Gold +. That one I keep on hand as a dedicated higher VLF model for really tough Iron contaminated sites with the 5" DD coil.

I'm looking at Multi Kruzer, Anfibio, Apex as candidates for my next buy. Apex seems the best priced of the three. How would you rate it compared to the other two?

Had them all and all can be good, but I preferred the Apex. SMF as well as selectable Single-Frequency, and much lighter-weight and better balanced.

If had the money, I'd very likely be looking something like a Fors CORE.

The FORS CoRe is a really good 15 kHz model that became my main use Relic Hunting unit in January of 2015. But while I kept it, I favored the FORS Relic that I got in January of 2016 due to the slightly higher frequency, the addition of Iron Audio Volume, and the decreased ferrous range VDI.

How do you feel about the "clean sweep" coil on the Bandido?

I never cared for the 'CleanSweep' or the 'BigFoot' coils. For one, they were too big and basically useless for the sites I hunted and targets I was after. In addition to that, they are an odd DD design and were mostly designed for makes & models that work a lot better with a Concentric coil. Especially a Tesoro and most notable in an Iron Nail contaminated site.

And by the way, I was thinking about starting a >20khz thread since most SMF detectors seem to cut off around there. How do you think that would fly? Not too many posts or threads about higher frequency machines. They seem to do much better than some ads and posts would have you believe.

I think it might prove to be an interesting topic, and I have laughed at quite a few ads the marketing folks have put out there, and disproven many of them which started whole new discussions on both operating frequencies they marketed and detector circuitry design, and that included discussions on Discrimination.

Monte