Thankful for my simple to use AT Pro.

[LovestheShiny!]

My Goodness. I read all these threads about detector recovery speed, mineral reactivity, how an iron nail might hide a nickel, what happens when a aluminum tab is near a silver dime, this mode, that mode, Iron Bias, Auto Ground Tracking, Horseshoe button this, sensitivity, EMI issues, masking, what is the best frequency for this and that, what freqs are transmitted / received in various detecting modes, etc etc etc.

I am SO GLAD I can turn on my simple, obsolete AT Pro and go out and find coins, relics and jewelry. With the mineralization about the same in my geographic area, it is turn on and hunt, Pro Zero, Full Sensitivity, nothing Disc'ed out. Oh... and 1300 silvers, 6500 wheat cents, IHPs, Largies, 9 Silver Dollars, 100+ silver rings / jewelry going into my 7th year of detecting with this machine. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, so I am grateful to have a detector that only needs to be powered up to find good stuff.

 

[markinmichigan]

It's not the weapon it's the warrior! YOU GO! Keep swinging.

Mark in Michigan

 

[Reelfoot Relics]

Comfort and love of the process go a long way in my book.

 

[hoser]

I have the AtPro and you are right. It IS a very viable machine. It has produced quite a few silver coins for me.

 

[metaladdict]

Ignorance is bliss.

 

[stetam]

All the other detectors are turn on and go if you want. I use factory default programs on my Nox and Legend and do quite well. No need for all that jazz

Steve

 

[maxxkatt]

My Goodness. I read all these threads about detector recovery speed, mineral reactivity, how an iron nail might hide a nickel, what happens when a aluminum tab is near a silver dime, this mode, that mode, Iron Bias, Auto Ground Tracking, Horseshoe button this, sensitivity, EMI issues, masking, what is the best frequency for this and that, what freqs are transmitted / received in various detecting modes, etc etc etc.

I am SO GLAD I can turn on my simple, obsolete AT Pro and go out and find coins, relics and jewelry. With the mineralization about the same in my geographic area, it is turn on and hunt, Pro Zero, Full Sensitivity, nothing Disc'ed out. Oh... and 1300 silvers, 6500 wheat cents, IHPs, Largies, 9 Silver Dollars, 100+ silver rings / jewelry going into my 7th year of detecting with this machine. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, so I am grateful to have a detector that only needs to be powered up to find good stuff.

That was my first really good all around detector that I purchased about 9 years ago. It did not disappoint. The mineralization was pretty low and steady where I hunted. You didn't have to be an engineer to find stuff with the AT Pro. Same with my son's ACE 250.

 

[LovestheShiny!]

Ignorance is bliss.

All the other detectors are turn on and go if you want. I use factory default programs on my Nox and Legend and do quite well. No need for all that jazz

Steve

Thank you metaladdict, guilty as charged!

Yep, thank you Steve! I do know pretty much all machines can be "turn on and go" my comments were more directed to the threads that discuss every little nuance of the D2, Manticore, Equinox machines and the disagreements that come about between members in operating those machines.

 

[Dave_e]

I fish with guys that use the latest high tech sonar gear in their new high tech boats.
I also fish with guys that use split bamboo rods and wear waders.
Couple of us like cigars.
Couple of us like bourbon.
Some of us go to church.
Some of us are heathens.
We all love hanging out and talking about fishing. There are never attacks, so there's nothing to defend.

Just guys appreciating the different approaches, philosophies, and techniques of fishing.

LovestheShiny, enjoy your ATP and sharing your knowledge and experiences with people that appreciate you my man!
Cheers.

 

[Cherry Picker]

The AT Pro ranks as one of the highest in my best-liked detectors.

You're right, you don't need complicated to find the good stuff.

 

[Jamflicker]

With your obsolete ATPro and my obsolete Etrac it's a wonder we have found 3,800 silver coins between us. You'd think all these new machines with the bells and whistles would get them all.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.......and my obsolete Etrac ........

Oh C'mon Jam : You know that your Etrac and my Exp. II will blow away every single machine currently on the market. OK ? And it will be "our little secret", right ? Tsk tsk

 

[IDXMonster]

There is very much something to be said for simplicity and familiarity. Many who hunt permissions and private land can do very well without having to have the latest and most complex processing in the world, it’s simply not needed to be successful. While there are situations in which technology and processors will produce more from an otherwise dead site, it can indeed be a hindrance if not applied correctly. This is what trips up ALOT of operators who then promptly sell the new tech for something a bit more manageable. When it comes down to it, unless you’re a COMPLETE detector nerd such as myself who needs to know every little iota of everything about how it works, why it works, why it can’t work….as long as it produces in the site being hunted, familiarity can be your friend and ally.

 

[LovestheShiny!]

I fish with guys that use the latest high tech sonar gear in their new high tech boats.
I also fish with guys that use split bamboo rods and wear waders.
Couple of us like cigars.
Couple of us like bourbon.
Some of us go to church.
Some of us are heathens.
We all love hanging out and talking about fishing. There are never attacks, so there's nothing to defend.

Just guys appreciating the different approaches, philosophies, and techniques of fishing.

LovestheShiny, enjoy your ATP and sharing your knowledge and experiences with people that appreciate you my man!
Cheers.

Thank you Dave_e!

The AT Pro ranks as one of the highest in my best-liked detectors.

You're right, you don't need complicated to find the good stuff.

Thank you CP!

With your obsolete ATPro and my obsolete Etrac it's a wonder we have found 3,800 silver coins between us. You'd think all these new machines with the bells and whistles would get them all.

Thank you Jamflicker! Yeah... not to shabby, and added more shiny today will post story later.

Oh C'mon Jam : You know that your Etrac and my Exp. II will blow away every single machine currently on the market. OK ? And it will be "our little secret", right ? Tsk tsk

You guys are great detectorists with those machines!

There is very much something to be said for simplicity and familiarity. Many who hunt permissions and private land can do very well without having to have the latest and most complex processing in the world, it’s simply not needed to be successful. While there are situations in which technology and processors will produce more from an otherwise dead site, it can indeed be a hindrance if not applied correctly. This is what trips up ALOT of operators who then promptly sell the new tech for something a bit more manageable. When it comes down to it, unless you’re a COMPLETE detector nerd such as myself who needs to know every little iota of everything about how it works, why it works, why it can’t work….as long as it produces in the site being hunted, familiarity can be your friend and ally.

Thank you IDX! I've got probably 1500 hrs on my AT Pro so that familiarity really helps out to get the most out of Single Freq.

 

[Diggerjonny]

My Goodness. I read all these threads about detector recovery speed, mineral reactivity, how an iron nail might hide a nickel, what happens when a aluminum tab is near a silver dime, this mode, that mode, Iron Bias, Auto Ground Tracking, Horseshoe button this, sensitivity, EMI issues, masking, what is the best frequency for this and that, what freqs are transmitted / received in various detecting modes, etc etc etc.

I am SO GLAD I can turn on my simple, obsolete AT Pro and go out and find coins, relics and jewelry. With the mineralization about the same in my geographic area, it is turn on and hunt, Pro Zero, Full Sensitivity, nothing Disc'ed out. Oh... and 1300 silvers, 6500 wheat cents, IHPs, Largies, 9 Silver Dollars, 100+ silver rings / jewelry going into my 7th year of detecting with this machine. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, so I am grateful to have a detector that only needs to be powered up to find good stuff.

Garrett really hit a grand slam with AT Pro, it’s the best all around detector I’ve ever used. It still one of my favorites, it found me my oldest silver coin to date. Thanks for sharing Jon.

 

[HungryGhost]

Years of familiarity with any machine is key. It’s like a long term marriage, you know what your partner is saying.

 

[LovestheShiny!]

Garrett really hit a grand slam with AT Pro, it’s the best all around detector I’ve ever used. It still one of my favorites, it found me my oldest silver coin to date. Thanks for sharing Jon.

Thank you Jon! I've sure been happy with my machine!

Years of familiarity with any machine is key. It’s like a long term marriage, you know what your partner is saying.

Yep, HG, very true, many hours of use helps me to get the best out of this detector.

 

[jmaclen]

All the other detectors are turn on and go if you want. I use factory default programs on my Nox and Legend and do quite well. No need for all that jazz

Steve

LovestheShiny! was very careful to say the mineralization levels he hunts in don't vary much.
The AT Pro and my favorite, the AT Gold do really well in those conditions when iron mineralization levels are low and consistent.

stetam is also right too about simpler to use detectors and more complicated detectors being capable of operating just fine in turn on and go, default programs.

However, throw in some iron mineralization and things get interesting fast.

Here is a short 4 minute video I made a few years ago using three detectors. They are all using totally stock settings. They have been ground balanced. This in ground testing is exactly what I see when I'm detecting in the wild around here. Change the targets to all sorts of aluminum trash instead of a US nickel and you can get the frustrating picture pretty quick.

Deus 1 with its 9" coil is in default 3 tone Fast.
AT Pro with its 8.5X11" coil is in 3 tone Pro Zero
Equinox 800 with its 6" coil is in default 5 tone Park 1 except for a slightly lowered sensitivity level (18) to lessen EMI. I could have used its stock 11" coil but the results would have been the same. I am tying one arm behind the Equinox 800's back so to speak by using the 6" coil.

There are 5 targets. A US nickel that I put into a sleeve at 3" depth, a nickel on the surface and a nickel at 6" depth under the silver plastic cap. A US quarter on the surface and a US quarter 6" deep under the red plastic cap.

I show Deus1 being ground balanced and its tiny vertical mineralization meter that runs up the far right side of the screen which is half to three fourths full showing moderate to high magnetite mineralization.

Correct US nickel IDs: Deus 1=63 AT Pro=52 Equinox 800=13
Correct US quarter IDs: Deus 1=95 AT Pro= 87 Equinox 800=30

At the end of the video I run the Equinox in default Park 1 through all of its single frequency options and then go back to Multi over the 3" deep nickel. The 800's single frequency settings don't really do any better than Deus 1 or the AT Pro on a 3 INCH DEEP US nickel.

Let's get real here.

Not everyone can hunt relatively virgin ground permissions. Those who do the really hard work to make that happen make some incredible finds like LovestheShiny!

Some of us hunt heavily trashed areas that have been hunted for years where any silver coins are deeper than 8" deep. Some of us have target recovery restrictions and digging it all, beep/dig, when in doubt dig it out is simply not going to happen. Some of us have all of that plus iron mineralization or salt mineralization or both at the same time. Some of these "really complicated" detectors really help in those situations even just using default settings.

 

[jmaclen]

It's not the weapon it's the warrior! YOU GO! Keep swinging.

Mark in Michigan

Sometimes it's the weapon.

The weapon needs to fit the situation.

LovestheShiny! has mastered a detector that perfectly fits the situations he hunts in.

 

[LovestheShiny!]

LovestheShiny! was very careful to say the mineralization levels he hunts in don't vary much.
The AT Pro and my favorite, the AT Gold do really well in those conditions when iron mineralization levels are low and consistent.

stetam is also right too about simpler to use detectors and more complicated detectors being capable of operating just fine in turn on and go, default programs.

However, throw in some iron mineralization and things get interesting fast.

Here is a short 4 minute video I made a few years ago using three detectors. They are all using totally stock settings. They have been ground balanced. This in ground testing is exactly what I see when I'm detecting in the wild around here. Change the targets to all sorts of aluminum trash instead of a US nickel and you can get the frustrating picture pretty quick.

Deus 1 with its 9" coil is in default 3 tone Fast.
AT Pro with its 8.5X11" coil is in 3 tone Pro Zero
Equinox 800 with its 6" coil is in default 5 tone Park 1 except for a slightly lowered sensitivity level (18) to lessen EMI. I could have used its stock 11" coil but the results would have been the same. I am tying one arm behind the Equinox 800's back so to speak by using the 6" coil.

There are 5 targets. A US nickel that I put into a sleeve at 3" depth, a nickel on the surface and a nickel at 6" depth under the silver plastic cap. A US quarter on the surface and a US quarter 6" deep under the red plastic cap.

I show Deus1 being ground balanced and its tiny vertical mineralization meter that runs up the far right side of the screen which is half to three fourths full showing moderate to high magnetite mineralization.

Correct US nickel IDs: Deus 1=63 AT Pro=52 Equinox 800=13
Correct US quarter IDs: Deus 1=95 AT Pro= 87 Equinox 800=30

At the end of the video I run the Equinox in default Park 1 through all of its single frequency options and then go back to Multi over the 3" deep nickel. The 800's single frequency settings don't really do any better than Deus 1 or the AT Pro on a 3 INCH DEEP US nickel.

Let's get real here.

Not everyone can hunt relatively virgin ground permissions. Those who do the really hard work to make that happen make some incredible finds like LovestheShiny!

Some of us hunt heavily trashed areas that have been hunted for years where any silver coins are deeper than 8" deep. Some of us have target recovery restrictions and digging it all, beep/dig, when in doubt dig it out is simply not going to happen. Some of us have all of that plus iron mineralization or salt mineralization or both at the same time. Some of these "really complicated" detectors really help in those situations even just using default settings.

Great comments and much respect sent your way! I do know the limitations on my AT Pro... worthless at wet salt water beach, and in areas like Butte Montana (named the richest hill on earth due to the incredible amount of minerals in the ground) it is like my AT Pro is detecting half blind. Ground balance there is 94-94 (max of 99 on the detector) while here in the Missoula area GB is only 80-82. Ditto with areas where there is a ton of organic buildup, lots of rain / moisture, and soft soil. The older coins will be too deep for my machine to detect. I'm actually considering the new Nokta Double Score as a SMF machine at a great price for those more difficult to hunt areas. Thank you for your imput!

Sometimes it's the weapon.

The weapon needs to fit the situation.

Yep. Both machine and operator need to be up to the task.