AT Pro question?

[Allan]

Was wanting to know if other AT user experience the same as me?

As with deeper coins, 6in. +, do you experience a solid hit in both directions the majority of the time, or just a random hit in one direction the majority of the time?

To me, the majority of the time with deeper coins, it does not seem to lock on them well? I have asked this question before and got answers like, it could be a coin on edge, and it's junk if it will not lock?
Well I do not believe the junk statement as I have dug a Silver Dime at 6in. that would not hit in both directions? True it could have been on edge, but have buried a quarter at 8in. flat in it might hit one out of 7 swings just in one direction? If I had listened to the junk theory I would have not dug the Silver Dime?

I just experience this too much, as I know they are not all junk targets, or all on edge? I have yet to get a solid signal in both directions with 6in. plus coins. And like I stated barely hits on a test quarter now buried for 3 weeks. I can go through my side lot and get a bunch of one way hits, that might sound off once every 6-7 swings? Sure some might be junk, but knowing the Silver Dime and test qaurter responded the same way, these could all be good targets? And being they do not lock, they are a bear to pinpoint? So I'd have to dig humungous holes just to see? Called Garrett and got a new coil to try,same thing no improvement? Is this a normal trait to get iffy signals on all deeper targets 6in. and plus? To me it just does not seem to lock on deeper coins, although all I read is how deep it is? Do you dig random hits 1 out of 6 or so swings? Or does your unit repeat signals on deeper coins? It just does not give me the confidence to dig deep with the random signals combined with the poor pinpointing capability thats everywhere on deep random hits? Thanks

 

[Bill_S]

I think the only time I may have experienced what you are describing is when I was using discrimination and there was a good target close to a discriminated target. But that dont sound like what is happening to you. Mine would hit on deeper targets with a good repeatable signal. The less trash around the target the better the signal. Make sure the detector is properly ground balanced. How does it act in an air test?

 

[ML]

Allan - I have been having similar results since day one, regardless of mode or settings. Just lots of chatter that I can't figure out. I'm hearing everyone claim great depth but have yet to see it myself. In my test garden the target ID works for about 4 inches max. I'm thinking that my unit doesn't work right. I've gone back to one of my non target ID units and it's been hitting targets deeper with solid tones. Maybe I'm just more comfortable with it. I may call Garrett and ask if my unit sounds ok.

 

[Allan]

I think the only time I may have experienced what you are describing is when I was using discrimination and there was a good target close to a discriminated target. But that dont sound like what is happening to you. Mine would hit on deeper targets with a good repeatable signal. The less trash around the target the better the signal. Make sure the detector is properly ground balanced. How does it act in an air test?

It's properly ground balanced, plus tweaked + & - a bit to check for better response? In air test it hits a quarter 9 to 9.5 in. max., hardly hits a buried test quarter at 8in.. And when I say hardly it's a signal most would not dig, for 2 reasons. First it might hit one direction once out every 7 or 8 swings. Secondly try to pinpoint and dig these iffy targets is alll most impossible without using a shovel.? In a nutshell what I'm saying the detector works great and locks on coins with a repeatable signal at coins 5in. or less. Anything deeper is a crapshoot, both getting a repeatable signal, and a good pinpoint indication. Just hear too much, how deep it is, or if a coin is under the coil, it will hit it, just not seeing that? Thanks

 

[Allan]

Allan - I have been having similar results since day one, regardless of mode or settings. Just lots of chatter that I can't figure out. I'm hearing everyone claim great depth but have yet to see it myself. In my test garden the target ID works for about 4 inches max. I'm thinking that my unit doesn't work right. I've gone back to one of my non target ID units and it's been hitting targets deeper with solid tones. Maybe I'm just more comfortable with it. I may call Garrett and ask if my unit sounds ok.

Here's the main reason I'm so confused with this unit, hopefully it makes sense? Anyways I also have a F5, which compared to the AT Pro, you hardly hear anything about? Sure there are a few that use the F5 a praise it, but as compared to the AT, you hear way more about the AT, that makes me believe I have a problem with it? Maybe I don't and the F5 is just as good as the AT or even better? I can't claim the F5 is deeper than the AT, but just as deep, ID's better and locks on coins better, and pinpoints way better.

What I'm getting at, if all the talk was about the F5, and very litlle about the AT Pro, I consider what I have is normal? But with all the hype centered on the AT, I just feel I'm missing something and want to give it more time, but just ain't seeing it? Even got another coil, same thing. There's just too many good reviews and posts, which tells me, it got to be better than my F5, but I'm just not sure? Thanks

 

[Bill_S]

Standard mode seems to run a lot smoother than the Pro mode. Have you tried the same test in STD mode. Maybe lower the sens to 5 bars.

 

[Allan]

Yes have tried both modes, no difference. Neither mode to me seems to give good solid repeatable signals or lock on coins that are 6in. or deeper.

 

[Daniel Tn]

Nobody has asked that yet. The more mineralized the ground the more you have to be careful using discrimination because it will cause your detector to do as you are describing; it will actually start to make good targets sound bad in the ground. For example, my good ground here will balance in the low 80s on the AT Pro and my worse balanced between 91 and 93. Even in my good ground I can't trust the ID to anything beyond 4 inches or so.

Also your F5 runs at a 7khz frequency. That means it should by default be more sensitive to high conductive items like coins...and it should also do better for you in highly mineralized soil.

Just some thoughts.

 

[Allan]

Nobody has asked that yet. The more mineralized the ground the more you have to be careful using discrimination because it will cause your detector to do as you are describing; it will actually start to make good targets sound bad in the ground. For example, my good ground here will balance in the low 80s on the AT Pro and my worse balanced between 91 and 93. Even in my good ground I can't trust the ID to anything beyond 4 inches or so.

Also your F5 runs at a 7khz frequency. That means it should by default be more sensitive to high conductive items like coins...and it should also do better for you in highly mineralized soil.

Just some thoughts.

I realize what you are saying, but I'm not even considering the target ID, just talking a solid repeatable signal. I just thought my test quarter buried at 8in. would give a solid hit in both directions, with all the talk about how deep this unit is? It's lucky to give a hit once out of every 7 or 8 swings? I can go around my sidelot, here and get atleast a dozen scenarios just like the quarter. Seldom hits that do not repeat, so I ask myself? could they all be coins? Probably not, but the test quarter does the same, as I'm sure some are good targets. Yes I can dig them all, but the point is, they are not confident hits, and do not pinpoint well with these random hits.

I'm just coming to the conclusion, my At is only good for coins 5-6in. max, anything deeper does not give a hit most would dig. And honestly do not want to dig these random hits as I noticed with random signals it can't lock on it making the pinpointing feature basically useless, which leaves you to dig a big hole. And in the back of my mind I know I'm overlooking good targets, because like I stated the buried quarter responds the same as other hits I get pretty often. It's like the detector randomly hits deeper coins, but will not lock on them?

Maybe this is normal, that's why I asked in my first post if people are getting solid hits on deeper coins 6in. and plus, or random signals like I described? thanks

 

[Bill_S]

I did notice on my AT that some of the deeper targets would give a good sound but no VDI numbers. Does your do this?

 

[goodmore]

The only fair way to evaluate AT Pro for performance is against anther AT Pro. You need to find a Garrett dealer or somebody local ( a club ) who has one. Is my AT Pro a deep seeker? I would say somewhere in the middle of the pack. I have one detector that is definitely deeper. But then the AT Pro separates masked targets better than that one. I can tell you that fresh buried coins are a lousy test for depth. You want to make sure that your getting the most from your AT Pro. After that you need to spend time with it or move on to another choice. I beach hunt with mine. The sand is not an accurate test either. Dry sand detectors go deep. Wet sand they don't. I also detect a little bit at local parks and schools. I can tell you I have found coins deeper than 6 inches. Maybe 7 or 8 inches. And I have never had a problem with one way signals. My targets hit both ways. Or at least I'll turn 90 degrees and get a hit the other way. My target ID is sometimes off with deeper coins. Like a dime might get down to penny numbers. But I still get good tone. And if it is fairly deep ( more than a couple of inches ) I dig it .

 

[Jerry-Wi]

I really do not know what to say other than I have dug a lot of dimes at six inches and more that had good repeatable signals. Deepest coin was a copper penny at 8 inches with a solid repeatable tone but numeric ID was jumping a bit.

Probably the most memorable was a the first silver dime. That was a little over six inches and underneath a 2 1/2 long nail. It just so happens that the orientation of the nail was with the long axis of the coil so I got both the nail then the coin signal at rapid fire speed. Swinging the other direction I got the coin and then the nail in the same manner. Turning 90 degrees and I only got the nail. Anything in between and it would get more scratchy. However this was a very solid repeatable hit and no doubt at all as to what was there.

Most of the ground around here balances at 89 to 92 with some exceptions.

Jerry

 

[Daniel Tn]

Bad ground will not only cause your IDs to be off but with discrimination will also cause your audio to sound bad too. You gotta think about it like this....if its seeing targets beyond a certain depth in the ground as iron (your cut off seems to be about 5-6 inches from your post)...and you have the machine set to knock iron out...its not going to give a good audio on those targets it is seeing as iron. The audio will be bad because its doing what it thinks it should be doing...knocking out iron. For example....I can take my AT Pro out in my yard. I have a test garden there. I have coins and relics in it. My machine will balance about 81 in my yard. If I go out there and turn the machine on and have it in STD mode or PRO mode COINS...I can't get any good audio tones on anything past 4-5 inches in the ground. It all reads as iron and occasionally will chirp with a high tone...which sounds like what you are describing when you say you can only get a "good hit" once out of 7-8 swings.

I betcha a plug nickel you have dirt with a natural high iron content. If thus is the case than your AT is acting normal, and is doing like every other VLF on the market will do in it. The key is to learn to hunt in it. It makes it tough I know! I've had just about every VLF machine on the market trying to figure out which one works best in that kind of dirt. Some are way better than others in it. Some can't cut it at all. The AT Pro is a very capable machine in it. See my video with it a few posts down may be on page 2 by now) where I take it relic hunting. I was getting Minie Balls in the 8" range in red iron dirt with great audio but I was running it Pro mode Zero which is basically all metal....no discrimination. If I would have ran it with any discrimination at all, I wouldn't have dug anything because it would only occasionally chirp with a good high tone audio.

If your dirt is indeed like that, your best bet for overall depth is not going to be with a VLF machine. You are going to have to jump onto the Pulse Induction machine world...and brother that is a whole new ball game but you wont have any problems with the dirt anymore. You'll just need a shovel. A big one. lol

 

[goodmore]

You also complain of poor pinpointing. That just makes me think of ground balancing issue so much. You need to compare to another AT Pro. Or send it to Garrett for a check up.

 

[Steve Keppel]

As far as accurate meter readings at depth[8 inch probe, plus handle],I have had the AT Pro read appropriate numbers for a nickel and for a quarter, and have found deep quarters [ 7-8 inches],using the "strongest-at-the-center" {not pinpoint button] method. Btw, has anybody, using Pro-zero, iron audio on, noticed lack of "tone-roll" on bottle caps? When I turn off I.A., the tone roll works as advertised. So I double check some of my suspect signals. Just wondering. It could be that ,by design, tone roll is disabled in Iron Audio

 

[mikie2084]

My AT PRO does the exact same thing as yours Allan, I have a quarter at 8'' and a dime at 5'' in my test garden, they have been in the ground about 2 1/2 months now. I use pro zero with iron at 30-35 and can only get a tone one direction on either coin, ground balance is at 85, ive manually taken it down to 70 and the same outcome. Ground is clear of any other metal in this spot also, Im thinking about sending it in to Garrett. In air tests I get 8 1/2'' on a quarter sometimes, my ACE 250 will hit it at 7''. I didnt think anything about it til your post!

 

[Allan]

My AT PRO does the exact same thing as yours Allan, I have a quarter at 8'' and a dime at 5'' in my test garden, they have been in the ground about 2 1/2 months now. I use pro zero with iron at 30-35 and can only get a tone one direction on either coin, ground balance is at 85, ive manually taken it down to 70 and the same outcome. Ground is clear of any other metal in this spot also, Im thinking about sending it in to Garrett. In air tests I get 8 1/2'' on a quarter sometimes, my ACE 250 will hit it at 7''. I didnt think anything about it til your post!

Well others claim they do get solid repeatable signals on coins 6in.+, so we obviously at the least have weaker units? Now I realize it's only so deep, as I'm not expecting 12in.+, but would have to believe 7 to 9in. possibly 10in. on coins, shouldn't be a problem from things I have read? And just for some info as you are having the same issue, I did call Garrett as they wanted me to try a new coil they sent. Just testing it in the side lot I'm not seeing a difference, but will wait and take it on an actual hunt to see? So my advice is not to try a new coil if you do not have definite falsing issues, as I do not believe it's going to help? And they did say to let them know once I tried it out, as they might exchange the unit out, if the coil didn't help?

I actually had this unit up for sale, because I just wasn't seeing what everyone else was, although after reading all the good reads, I pulled it from the boards to give another chance. So looking now like the coil is not going to make a difference, I'll have to make my mind up if I want to send it back, or just put it up for sale again? Now if I knew without a doubt my unit is functioning at it's best, as it will get no better? I wouldn't have thought twice about selling it?

 

[Daniel Tn]

If I had any doubt that the unit I had wasn't functioning correctly, I sure wouldn't post it for sale. That just ain't right to knowingly sell something like that. I am just geared different than some folks though.

I'm still thinking your dirt is pretty mineralized for the machine to not be getting a good response on coins in that depth range. It's either that or you do have a bad unit. I've been doing most of my AT Pro hunting as of lately on freshwater beaches and in the water but the ground there is still reading in the low 90s...pretty heavy on the natural iron content in it. I'm digging coins with very good repeatable high tones in the 5-7 inch range...actually some have been deeper on the beach itself.

Here is the video I did with the AT Pro while relic hunting. I'm digging Civil War bullets with it in a field with heavy natural iron. The machine is balancing here in the low 80s but note the signals I'm getting on the bullets that ranged in the 6-8 inch range. They read between tab and zinc penny on the meter out of the ground...here you can hear the tone the detector gives and note it does jump on the VDI range/scale. Deeper targets will do that, especially in heavy mineralized soil.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_pl4IhdVdU

 

[Allan]

If I had any doubt that the unit I had wasn't functioning correctly, I sure wouldn't post it for sale. That just ain't right to knowingly sell something like that. I am just geared different than some folks though.

True if I knew for sure there was something wrong, but I'm just guessing there is? Maybe this is just how it operates,? I'm getting just as many reponses and PM's saying theirs operates or operated the same as I'm getting responses saying that dosen't sound right? And very true, just ain't right to knowingly sell something like that, and if there truly is an issue,then why is it' okay for Garrett to sell to me? The unit is brand new, and what I don't like is having to pay shipping on something I shouldn't have to send back in the first place? Take what I paid for it , plus shipping, then if I still decide to sell, I take even a bigger lose. I won't sell it knowing there is an issue, but if you think about it, why is it all right for me to pay to send it in when I paid top dollar for it new? But the person buying would get it atleast 100.00 cheaper with a warranty, but it's not all right for them to send in? I know what you're saying, but if there is an issue, Garrett knowingly did it to me in a round about way? Should have quality assurance checking these before they leave?

I'm still thinking your dirt is pretty mineralized for the machine to not be getting a good response on coins in that depth range. It's either that or you do have a bad unit. I've been doing most of my AT Pro hunting as of lately on freshwater beaches and in the water but the ground there is still reading in the low 90s...pretty heavy on the natural iron content in it. I'm digging coins with very good repeatable high tones in the 5-7 inch range...actually some have been deeper on the beach itself.[quote/]

Have tried it at several different sites, same results. The soils are not that mineralized as I have used the F5 there also which has a meter and reads very low to low.

Here is the video I did with the AT Pro while relic hunting. I'm digging Civil War bullets with it in a field with heavy natural iron. The machine is balancing here in the low 80s but note the signals I'm getting on the bullets that ranged in the 6-8 inch range. They read between tab and zinc penny on the meter out of the ground...here you can hear the tone the detector gives and note it does jump on the VDI range/scale. Deeper targets will do that, especially in heavy mineralized soil.[quote/]

I have no issues with the ID numbers as I realize many variables can effect them, my issue is the lack of good repeatable signals, and ghost signals?

Thanks

 

[Muddyshoes]

But how does it hunt?

Worst case scenario, you send it back and there's nothing wrong with it after they've tested it. Then you're out shipping. Your peace of mind has to be worth that. If there is a problem, they'll fix it and have it back before this thread has run its course.

The AT Pro was a new detector for me. More than once I've thought that there was a problem with it because it wasn't acting as I was expecting it to. I think those of us who have been doing this for a while have even a greater problem with change and newness. We have expectations, but sometimes just have to be willing to accept that things don't necessarily work the way we're used to and that maybe it's not the detector...it's us.

I say, spend a couple days at a place where you have a good expectation of a reasonable amount of clad at varied depths. After the days, decide if you think there's a problem or not. If so, send it back. I've got an older detector with the same issue, but it's out of warranty. It's worth about $150 repaired. It seems to work ok, but I'm not too sure. I don't want to sell it and stick someone with it, so it's been sitting. However if I get off my carcass and send it in, I'll know for sure. Just need the money for repair, since it's not in warranty anymore.

I wouldn't use air tests as the sole determiner of its condition, but that's just me.

- Muddyshoes