A Christmas gift to myself means January comparison time. :detecting: VS :detecting:

[Monte]

Well, I figured that it's about time I quit borrowing Outlaws to play with and it's time to do some serious side-by-side field work for a month. I have my own Outlaw on-the-way today and I have kind of set January aside to work with ONLY my Bandido II µMAX and new Outlaw. I'll use the 8" Concentric and 10X12 DD coils, at least a little bit, but will spend most of my time working my two favorite search coil sizes from Tesoro, the 5¾" Concentric and 7" Concentric.

I figured a full month of just those tow units, searching and cross-checking targets, and listening to the audio tone quality and descriptive audio I enjoy from most Tesoro models, should let me make a final decision about just how much I do, or don't, like the Outlaw. Going up against the Bandido II µMAX for a full month ought to help me settle my own pick-and-choose decisions between them and what will stay in my always traveling detector arsenal.

I'll use White's Pro Star and Killer B 'Wasp' headphones on both units as well just to figure out what combination provides me the best of performance and audio clarity and quality between them. Plus, if we get some weather breaks and a little odd warming for winter, I just might venture to an favorite ghost town for a day or two to add a little excitement to the search and evaluation.

Those are some of my pre- New Year's Resolutions, at least enough to keep me busy for a month, and IL hope all of you have some plans to get the coming new year started. Whether it is doing research, cleaning finds for 2014 while shut-in due to weather, or getting out detecting, I hope you all have a goal to work on, a Merry Christmas to wrap up 2014, and have organized some plans for 2015.

Monte

 

[dixiedigger57]

Merry Christmas Monte!!!

i have goals... aka projects pending too!!!

1) my old Silver Sabre Plus is being slightly modded, info and parts from old dealer friend of the Tesoro techs, and a German engineer builder, friend of Svens, for the plans. the local electronics teacher at the tech college doing the mods and testing. the holidays and start of new classes will slow the testing down for him-- by testing i mean scoping it etc,... way above my feeble brain. the field tests will be mine. i have a spare head if it smokes too...

2) a "C" design arm cuff in plans to do away with the strap on my MXT.. at least try to design something i can slip in and out of quickly. just a thought. instead of a on its back c cuff one just like the letter with the bottom of the c fastened. i think this could work for some of the older beloved big box Tesoros too. i had some hogs with piglets send me up a tree with a unit attached. need to shuck the phones and units quickly to effectively climb lol!!! which also leads to this mod...next...

3) more head phone mods!!! i tried rattlers but with my sensitive ears already damaged i found the tones too shrill for me. really great phones they are but with my range of hearing they are not for me. i took one muff off a set of phones of a tone i can hear comfortable, put a pad on that side, worked the headband and made a one ear set. now i can hunt with a friend who uses rattlers and we can converse, check each others targets, hear hogs and critters, and have the intown and woods safety factor of a open ear. will do that with an upgraded set of phones next.

4) post more hunt more experiment more...... and take my Grand daughter more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thats the priority!!!!

 

[Monte]

I'll start out working the Outlaw and Bandido II µMAX with their 8" coils mounted to start my serious pick-and-choose evaluation. I don't use 8" coils very often so I'll hunt some local area grassy parks in gridded areas. After a few days I'll start 2015 working them both with each coil I have, starting with the 5¾", then 7", and include the 10X12 DD, maybe, unless I sell it as I seldom use over-sized search coils for my selected sites.

Actually, I am going to mostly use the two smaller coils during most of January at all the older sites I can find on huntable weather days because I prefer smaller-than-stock coils. In February I will be comparing three detectors, each with their own 8" search coils, devoting equal time each day I get out using one detector at a time and rotating them each day. I'm curious if there will be a "winner of the 8" coil battle" by month's end.

I'll hunt with each of the three models for the same amount of time, at the same grassy park, sports field or sandy river beach, then figure out at month's end what the end-of-month tally is of finds, and I'll keep track of the operating time during the month. That's going to be a struggle for me to spend a full month using 8" search coils and nothing smaller as it hasn't been the way I hunt for most of my detecting career. Especially with Tesoro's since mid-'83.

Then, come March, when I start my 51st year of detecting, I will have sorted out which of these two Tesoro models I prefer. Who knows, maybe the Outlaw will ride in my vehicle in place of my Bandido II µMAX? I really wonder if I can spend a couple of months with the awkward-functioning button and not have any issues with it and come to like it. Who knows? It's always fun learning.

Besides, I would rather see Tesoro introduce the Coyote µMAX that I suggested several years ago. Similar, yet 'simple' and practical.

Monte