NoGoodBoyo
New Member
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2021
- Messages
- 1
Greetings,
I am interested in finding a new hobby that complements an existing one and that gets me out hiking more, so metal detecting has long been at the back of my mind. I've been doing my own research, so I'm not necessarily looking for any specific recommendations on gear (of course, recommendations are always welcome). But, I tend to overthink things, so I do have a few general questions:
I would be looking for a detector that can collapse and fit into or be strapped externally to a day-pack. It looks like most detectors collapse to about 44", which would be too long, and none have a control unit that can fold down to the shaft. Would you say that you can disassemble/reassemble a detector on a regular basis or is that likely to cause something to wear out/break? Do you know of any compact/collapsible detectors made for hikers?
I am a bit concerned with some of the build quality on detectors (compared to some of the prices demanded for them). I realise that a metal detector needs to minimise the metal in use, especially where the shaft meets the coil, but it seems that some of the components are potential breaking points. Plastic become brittle over time and exposure to the elements. How rugged are they, and what kinds of failures do you see over time? In particular, I'm thinking of the following:
I run Linux, which no company seems to support for updating a detector's firmware. While I have Windows 7 in a VM when I need it, and I could update the detector by passing through the USB, there will likely be a time when Windows 7 will no longer be supported and I would be stuck. How important is it to update the firmware on detectors, and how often does new software get released (I'm guessing it's not often)? As an aside, I think it's poor practice for Minelabs to be using some open source software in its updater, but not supporting open software like Linux (but that's a different rant).
From what I've seen the target ID numbers are a bit of a placebo. While they might weight or bias your decision on whether to dig, you basically have to dig everything to be sure. Are the tones more important than the numbers? I sometimes have difficulty distinguishing between tones that are close together. I'm guessing that it comes down to having an affinity with the machine, doing research and getting used to the ground on which you are detecting.... but, still digging everything.
As I said, I tend to overthink things especially when it comes to spending money, so thanks for your time and any insights you have.
I am interested in finding a new hobby that complements an existing one and that gets me out hiking more, so metal detecting has long been at the back of my mind. I've been doing my own research, so I'm not necessarily looking for any specific recommendations on gear (of course, recommendations are always welcome). But, I tend to overthink things, so I do have a few general questions:
I would be looking for a detector that can collapse and fit into or be strapped externally to a day-pack. It looks like most detectors collapse to about 44", which would be too long, and none have a control unit that can fold down to the shaft. Would you say that you can disassemble/reassemble a detector on a regular basis or is that likely to cause something to wear out/break? Do you know of any compact/collapsible detectors made for hikers?
I am a bit concerned with some of the build quality on detectors (compared to some of the prices demanded for them). I realise that a metal detector needs to minimise the metal in use, especially where the shaft meets the coil, but it seems that some of the components are potential breaking points. Plastic become brittle over time and exposure to the elements. How rugged are they, and what kinds of failures do you see over time? In particular, I'm thinking of the following:
- Often the connection of the coil to the shaft uses what looks like a plastic bolt through plastic "ears", which seems like a poor design and a prime spot for failure.
- Most control units seem to use bubble contacts for the controls. In my experience these tend to wear out, in addition to feeling mushy and cheap.
- It seems that only the new Nokta "Legend" detector has a specific IPS rating. Other detectors just have "waterproof to x depth" (i.e., trust us), and I've heard stories of questionable QA and water ingress into the units on some brands. However, that's probably more selection bias than a siginificant problem.
I run Linux, which no company seems to support for updating a detector's firmware. While I have Windows 7 in a VM when I need it, and I could update the detector by passing through the USB, there will likely be a time when Windows 7 will no longer be supported and I would be stuck. How important is it to update the firmware on detectors, and how often does new software get released (I'm guessing it's not often)? As an aside, I think it's poor practice for Minelabs to be using some open source software in its updater, but not supporting open software like Linux (but that's a different rant).
From what I've seen the target ID numbers are a bit of a placebo. While they might weight or bias your decision on whether to dig, you basically have to dig everything to be sure. Are the tones more important than the numbers? I sometimes have difficulty distinguishing between tones that are close together. I'm guessing that it comes down to having an affinity with the machine, doing research and getting used to the ground on which you are detecting.... but, still digging everything.
As I said, I tend to overthink things especially when it comes to spending money, so thanks for your time and any insights you have.