AT Pro versus GTI 1500 for Coin Machine

[Muddyshoes]

Hi Again,

Reading lots of posts since I'm new here, trying to decide on my next machine and based upon your collective posts, I'm mulling over a GTI 1500 or an AT Pro.

As for just an acid-test question, why would you pick either one or the other if it came down to a couple features? Or to ask another way, what type of hunting and/or environment would cause you to choose one over the other?

For those of you who use the graphical target interface, I was wondering how useful you find that feature and if anyone has done any serious comparison with REAL trash vs coins in terms of accuracy of size measurement, etc.

And speaking of the GTI, how accurately does it indicate nickels?..the bane of discrimination hunting since the 70s.

Also, I knew Garrett gave 40% off coils when you did a trade-in, but do they do the same with detectors as well? That would bring a new GTI 1500 in at around $480 + shipping.

I welcome any and all thoughts as I try to catch up to all this new tech.

Thanks again!

- Ron

 

[metalhead]

Yeah, Garrett gives 40% off of metal detector with trade in(even if trade in is inoperable). You'd be able to do that for GTI 1500 but not for AT Pro, since AT Pro is relatively new.

As far as which is a better coin machine between the GTI 1500 and AT Pro I would probably give that one to the GTI 1500. I've never owned the 1500, but I've had the GTI 2500 since it came out. Only major difference is 2500 has a non-motion true "All Metal Mode" which is deeper than discriminate mode and still shows target ID. 2500 can also be ground balanced either manually or automatically with "Fast Track" auto ground tracking. Oh yeah, and 2500 can also be fitted with the two-box depth multiplier attachment for seeking deep large items while ignoring smaller targets.
Okay, now as far as the imaging is concerned(the sizing feature on GTI units), yeah it can help you to ignore trash targets and dig more coins. They run at 7.2 kHz which is good for higher conductivity(copper and silver) but they also ID nickels well. For the first few years that I used my GTI 2500 I thought the imaging was a really great feature and I dug alot of old silver coins and such. However, over the years I have been less interested in coinshooting and more interested in gold nugget and jewelry hunting. I've been using DD search coils mostly for quite some time and they don't have imaging. Although imaging is the primary selling point of the GTIs, the 2500 has many other great features that make it very useful even while using the non-imaging DD search coils.
Now the AT Pro is an altogether different machine. It will definitely hit nickels harder than GTI because the AT Pro runs at 15 kHz. It still hits silver and copper coins deep, too. The main reason that I got the AT Pro in the first place was to use it for fresh water wading, but I have found myself using it as my primary machine, although I do enjoy using my other detectors from time to time.
I'm also looking forward to using the AT Pro for "sniping" tiny gold nuggets in creeks and streams since it is submersible to ten feet.

The GTI 1500 is probably the best coin shooter available from any manufacturer IMHO.
Best of luck to ya whichever machine you decide to get. Feel free to ask for advice at any time. Happy Hunting!

 

[txtrooper]

Just my two cents....

I am new to this site as well and have not been metal detecting for very long (7-8 years) so I do not have as much experience as some others in this site. What I can tell you is I had a Garrett Ace 150 and just updated to an AT Pro. I have had the AT Pro for 2 days now and WOW it is an awesome detector. Using it along with the Garrett Pro Pointer I have found everything I have dug. It will bang out coins like crazy. Nickels were always difficult for me to find with the 150 but in just two days with the AT Pro I have been able to recognize the difference between foil/pull tabs and nickels. Of course with this being a new detector for me I have been digging up everything that pings. As far as the imaging on the 1500...I have never used the 1500 and do not know about this awesome detector but in just a few days I have been able to use the AT Pro and determine the size of the target with the Pro Mode and pinpointing mode. I was trying to make the same choice your are about two weeks ago. I am so glad I choose the AT Pro (on Kellyco it is a little cheaper than the 1500 but that was not why I finally decided on the AT Pro). I looked at the way I hunt and what I was looking for in a detector that could possibly be my last purchase for 10 years or so and I went with the AT Pro because of all it offered (Coins/Nuggets/Artifacts/Waterproof etc.). If you want some more advise and to compare...call Kellyco and speak with one of their people to discuss the differences. So far in 2 days with the AT Pro I have found 3 dollar coins and about 50 other clad coins in just two yards (one was my own that I had hit with the other detector several times). Hope this helps.

 

[Muddyshoes]

Thanks to both of you.

I tried a DD coil for my GTAx 550 and didn't like having to pinpoint by going off the "tip" or the "tail" of the coil. I'm used to doing a cris-cross in the center of the coil and don't know if I could get used to having to do tip or tail pinpointing.

I'm a little confused about the operating frequency of detectors and what the frequency translates to in terms of how it affects signals or discrimination or whatever. The fact that the AT Pro operates at 15Khz doesn't really tell me much. The ADS Groundhog from 1980 ran at 15Khz, while the Deepseeker of the same time ran at 5.5Khz, but the Deepseeker did give me noticeable improvements in depth over the Groundhog.

As for my hunting style, to be honest, I'd rather spend a couple hours in a supposed hunted-out park to find a mercury dime or two or some old trinkets than spend two hours digging up a boatload of encrusted pennies and clad. While it's nice to come home with an apron of coins, there is nothing like reaching 8 inches into a deep hole and feeling the edge of a coin...rubbing your fingers across it and feeling that it's very smooth indicating you've found a silver coin, and then pulling it out of the ground for the first time in 100 years. Of course, unless it's a gold coin, which I've not found yet .

I'm looking at the GTI 2500 now because of the additional larger coil. If I got the 1500 and bought the larger coil later, I'd end up spending about the same as if I had bought the 2500 in the first place.

*sigh* Decisions, decisions. And then, if I wanted to do water hunting, I'd have to drop another $90 on the special waterproof headphones for the AT Pro. Ah, that's another thing I was wondering. It looks like the AT Pro has a weird headphone jack/connector - Is it a proprietary jack or is it just a standard for underwater detectors or something? And are there third party manufacturers for it?

Thanks again for your help!

- Ron

 

[metalhead]

Typically, higher frequency VLF metal detectors can detect metal targets that have a lower conductivity, such as gold, lead, brass and such(but also aluminum junk/trash). Higher frequency metal detectors can also detect smaller metal targets as well. This is why metal detectors that are designed for prospecting have a higher VLF frequency.
Lower frequency metal detectors can detect higher conductivity targets, such as silver, more deeply.

However, the AT Pro can still detect silver at impressive depths despite having a higher frequency than most other coin detectors.
The AT Pro uses the same/similar waterproof submersible headphone connectors and search coil connectors as the Sea Hunter and Infinium LS.
You don't need to use the water proof submersible headphones on the AT Pro if you just plan to wade. However, of course, you will need the submersible headphones if you plan on putting your head underwater.

Happy Hunting!

 

[cwilk]

What kind of coins?

Clad. I keep a close eye on a few stats. Coins per hunt (coins per hour.) My average for the longest time was 36 coins per hour. That's using the GTI 2500 which is very similar to the 1500 you are looking at. For some reason last year it went up to 44. That's with the GTI 2500 again. When I got the AT-Pro I started out around the 33 coin per hour level and then moved up to over 40. Last hunt with AT-Pro was 124 coins in 3 hours. 41.3. Last hunt with GTI 2500, 102 coins in 2.25 hours. 45.3. To be honest, I don't know what any of this means. They're both good for clad hunting, I guess.

Older coins. I find silver when I go to sites that have it. With both machines. I probably haven't used the AT long enough to judge, though it seems quite good thus far. I'm finding fewer whats with the AT-Pro which I think is merely site selection as I have been practicing with it. I have found roughly 2000 coins with it (AT) of which 6 were silver, which is an average of around 1 in every 350. With GTI 2500 around 35000 coins, 102 of which were silver. FWIW, this is another ratio I seem to be stuck with. (Like I said, it is the kind of sites I choose. If I go to a very old site, and put the large imaging coil on my 2500 I can find more. Most of the time.)

I don't know which I'd buy now. I am hoping the GTI series gets upgraded sooner, rather than later. That might make me lean toward the AT-Pro. (Which is equipped with a DD coil, BTW, that you wrote you didn't care for.)

My two cents.

Chris

 

[Muddyshoes]

Thanks for the info, folks.

I have two of my detectors on eBay now, waiting on pins and needles for them to sell so I can upgrade. Anxious to get out there with something new. I may just opt for the AT Pro due to the "waterability" of it. I'm guessing from my experience when all is said and done, most of the new detectors probably have similar depth and sensitivity that the skill of the operator and determination to dig questionable targets is what will make the difference.

Can't wait...

Thanks again!

- Ron

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Well the the GTI1500 has stood the test of time and is user friendly...while the AT-pro is the new kid on the block and expect a learning period...

If you are fairly new to the hobby might suggest the 1500 but if you have a year or two under your belt might suggest the Pro as its abilities are more diversified and for the bucks once learned will in the upcoming years do well once all the bugs are ironed out..See a lot on the classifieds but imagine its not the unit but the operators inability to learn its capabilities...

 

[Muddyshoes]

From looking at the AT Pro, the only thing I wonder about is the velcro arm strap. I'm guessing the purpose of that is to just hold the detector on your arm when working in a water environment to keep the detector steady. It would be too much of a pain to have to slide an arm in and out while doing land hunts. Also, I notice a lot of people are doing a kind of "kickstand" modification because I guess the balance is wonky on that machine or something.

I pretty much cut my teeth on 5-7 pound detectors, so the GTI line seems more sturdy and durable. The Ace line seems really fragile and I wonder how well it would handle the "in and out" of the car during a day of hunting since that's when detectors seem to get the most bumping around.

At any rate, seems I'll need to scrape a minimum of $600 up for something new to upgrade my GTAx 550.

Still waiting to hear from Garrett to see if they still offer their 40% discounts for trade. Then I'll just pick up a used Ace to trade from Craigslist or something.

- Ron

 

[michaelnc]

I've owned the GTI 2500,1500 and 1350. I currently own the AT Pro and it is definitely the deepest out of these units. The sizing feature is nice on the GTI and GTP units but the sounds of the AT Pro give you so much more information on targets. In the red clay here in NC the GTI units have a hard time finding anything over 6 inches deep. On the other hand I've dug coins on edge at around 10 inches with the AT Pro. The AT Pro is also waterproof so in my opinion its the best vlf unit that garrett has made to date. It is equally at home hunting relics,jewelry,coins and shallow water. The AT Pro isn't built quite as sturdy as the GTI units but it is a much more versatile unit. This is of course all my opinion but I have used each of these detectors.

HH,

Shane

 

[Muddyshoes]

Yeah, I think I'm set on the AT Pro at this point. Now just need to scrape the money together. Appreciate the feedback. Don't have much red clay here in central Florida but I will be doing some out of state hunts once I get a new box.

- Ron

 

[Jerry-Wi]

I am biased since I have the At Pro and have not used a 1500. However the At Pro has a few things that make it a coin magnet. 1. Pro Audio lets you hear how deep the coin is by it's loudness. 2. Iron Audio which along with it's fast recovery will let you pick coins out of nail infested areas where other machines will fail. When you put 1 and 2 together you get a third very nice feature called roll tone, a combination of low-high-low on rusted beer bottle caps which all DD coils seem to love.

Jerry

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Is as deep as anything on the market and have a measured 13 inch Barber dime to verify and it registered as a dime on the meter..A bit noisy mode and of course the 2500 is quite boxy and tough to handle along with the pinpoint button sticking but lets not sell it short depth wise as sometimes its not the unit but the expertise of the operator..Am sure once the AT-pro is learned well will be one of the top units in its price range...

 

[Muddyshoes]

The Pro Audio aspect of the AT is what I missed from the Pre-Auto Tuning days. I know I hearken a lot to the old days of detectors but before all the autotuning stuff, that's how the old detectors worked and how you hunted, by listening to the threshold tone for any super faint changes in pitch to indicate depth. You could hover over a target to determine its depth and even its size and approximate shape.

When autotuning came around in the early 80s it changed everything. I still say that the Belltone thing that Garrett touts as a feature is really just a byproduct of the autotuning as it readjusts to the threshhold by essentially tuning out what's below the coil. That's what the pinpoint button does, essentially turn off the autotuning. Older detectors like the old TRs, Deepseekers and Groundhogs had either a toggle switch or push button to retune the threshold to its starting tone as the detector would drift over time. You had to do it regularly while hunting which would seem like a pain by today's standards, but you could really get some depth with those old detectors. Even 25 year old detectors are still great machines if you have the patience to use them and do a bit more digging.

 

[Jerry-Wi]

. Even 25 year old detectors are still great machines if you have the patience to use them and do a bit more digging.

I agree completely although the weight became a big factor for me so I went to the At Pro which weighs less than my Grand Master Hunter or the Master Hunter 7 ADS. I love those old machines.

Jerry

 

[rich55]

I Just bought the GTI 1500 and it works well for me I also looked at the AT Pro but I like the sizing of the GTI and its spot on if its a (B size) its usually a coin and I love the sound it makes I have found lots of Nickels with it But some times it turns out to be junk when it shows nickels, Good luck with which ever one you decide to go with they are both great Detectors........

 

[TreasureHuntersSupply]

I have hunted with both using all the coils made for each. the 1500 is a great detector for about anything you want to hunt,on the other side of the coin the atpro goes a little deeper,lets you find coins in piles of trash, and is waterproof. You won't regret buying either detector.

 

[TRIPLE-SSS]

I own both detectors and use both of them all the time. Both machines are great and have served me well. When I go to the beach, I use the 1500 on dry sand and the at-pro for wet sand and shallow water. The 1500 is a great coin machine and have gotten spoiled with the imageing, pin pointing, accurate depth read out , back light for night hunting and all the the other features. The at-pro is also awesome and gives you additional features with extra frequency for smaller jewelry , water proof for shallow water hunting and faster recovery time not to mention the iron discrimination features.
I use my 1500 for dry sand hunting and the at-pro for wet sand and shallow water hunting. Having both will open more possibilities in both dry and wet situations. When I hunt the beach, I don,t worry about bring a plastic bag with me in case it starts to rain. The at-pro and 1500 are both great machines for coins , but if I had tp pick one only, it would have to be the at-pro for three main reasons:
1---A much lighter unit, especially if you plan to hunt all day
2---Water proof for shallow water and not worrying about getting caught in the rain.
3---Higher frequency for smaller targets and faster recovery time.

Hope this helps some!
HAPPY HUNTING
STAN.