Can you name any good points about Field Testing?

[nymohawk]

I'll start us off. How many (Good traits only for now!) can you think of?

1.) Field Tests are a great way for us to judge the testers Opinion's and responses, we can then learn for future testing what traits to look for in a tester. And it will enable us to ask better questions of our testers as well.


Your turn...Thanks

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

as the integrity of the tester. The field test is often a tool used by the manufacturer to sell their products and you should keep this in the back of your mind. A field test is useful in that it may help you learn the different functions and controls of the detector. Kelley (Texas)

 

[duggr]

Like they do in motorcycle mags. Compare Detectors against each other on the same turf. That way we would have a better idea of what works best in a given Region,But that would be like cutting your own throat for a Treasure Magazine. Especially after the detector manufactures pulled their ads.

 

[jackintexas]

If a field tester started finding things wrong with the detector they are testing. Soon he would not be a field tester. The best field test for detectors is right here on the forums. If someone has used a certain detector and finds faults with it. They can say so here on the forums and hopefully no one will jump down their throats about it.

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

anything negative about the metal detector that is posted. Kelley (Texas)

 

[Mike Hillis]

When I'm looking at a machine the field tests are one more piece of information I can put with the rest to help me make a decision. I personally would like to see more than one for them.

* Mfg's Advertisement
* Detector Data sheet (if there is one)
* Manual
* Field Tests (hopefully more than one and from different parts of the country and or countries)
* Forums like this one where information is shared.

I also like it if folks dedicate a website to a machine and stuff it full of info.

My opinion.

Mike

 

[Pap]

Any tester that states publicly any negativity regarding the product won't be doing any field testing for that company in the future. Field tests only accurately describe the features of a unit. And not necessarily how well they work. How many tests have we all read where the tester took the new unit to a hammered/pounded etc. site and dug silver coins that all the rest have missed?
Pap

 

[Neil]

I think they are a great way to learn about what a detectors functions are, how it works, warranties and so forth.
What the tester thinks about it is just that persons opinion and I like to do my own thinking so I wont go positive or negative on that, just that its someones elses opinion. It does make for good reading and I wish magazines would do more of them instead of the one or so a month they do.
HH
Neil

 

[nymohawk]

I also think that the field testers should be someone who has been around in detecting for about 5 years minimum and then let mud fall where it may. Most of us have followed many testers throughout the years, we've heard the followup stories, and recognize the writing on the wall.

I am grateful for what they share, but individuals on the boards can also be followed, and many are respected as well. I too want to see their posts on the boards!

Thanks for all the great feedback to to this question. You all have great replies that I respect highly!

NYMohawk

 

[Ron from Michigan]

The field test by the major magazines can have useful information,but you have to read between the lines.Its what the staff tester doesn't say or the tone of the report.I usually try to figure out if this tester has just another day at the office or is really impressed with this new detector and is enthusiastic about using the new unit.

 

[cspene]

n/t

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Many good testers out there that have been testers for years, however the company proof reads the test before publication( nuff said on that I guess)....in any case they usually accenuate the good points and downplay the bad or iffy points...very easy to spot...

 

[jmaryt]

field tests are articles i look forward to reading.i know they are virtually worthless,however they DO make interesting reading,and to tell you the truth,if the magazines stop publishing them,i for one will miss the entertainment of reading them!

(h.h!)
jt.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

n/t

 

[Robby41]

Yep, it's all good. Field testing serves a very worthwhile purpose for
acquainting us to a new instrument and it's features. Any test results
are mainly due to the knowledge & experience of the tester and the
parameters involved in the test, such as test ground minerals and
moisture...texture of the soil(soft or hard)...trash percentage of
the location, etc. These and other factors will influence the test results and offer clues to how the detector may perform in a similar matrix circumstance.
Since each person will arrive at his own results depending on the
factors at his location, then any field test is mainly an academic
exercise only, for the benefit of introducing the new unit to any
potential buyer and should therefore be accepted at face value by
noting the various points that might appeal to the interested party.
So, it's all to the good. Long live this great hobby!
..R:

 

[nymohawk]

Great Posts!

How about you field testers...We give you guys a reason to get up yet today!

We sure do appreciate all you guys do for us! How about chiming in here, How do you guy decide to put your names on the mark, and what type of changes would you guys like to see in modern day detectors?
Are there any old features from the past that you were there, and abandoned that you'd like to se brought back from the past?

Thanks for any input.

NYMohawk

 

[Rick(ND)]

Field test can vary like you say with the person and where he is at, but over all I feel the ones we read in the treasure magazine give everyone a general idea of the detectors features and what we can expect. You have to read between the lines on the rest of the test as like was said before some are changed a little before put into the magazine from what the original one was. I read a actual field test on a detecting item, but when it was put on the web page for this item many things were left out that were not real positive.
Now I was involved in a field test of a Compass Coin and Relic Scanner and like the way we did it, but the test were never posted or put in a magazine. There was 5 or 6 of us that got to use this same detector and after the 3rd person test was sent back to Compass to check out to make sure it was OK, then sent to the next person in different part of the country. Now no one was to post any info on it and the test were to be all sent to one person, so no one knew what the others had thought of it so it was what we each thought of it,not something someone else had seen good or bad. When done we got check with some of the other testers and all test were to be posted by Compass, but never come about. It was a interesting test and one that we were not influenced my anyone Else's test. I would like to see more done this way and think this is what Minelab did with the X-Terra, but made the mistake of letting the person doing the test keep the detectors from what I understand, so these test were tainted in my opinion. The Compass we uses was donated to our club for a prize in one of the hunts we had.

 

[jmaryt]

there is only ONE field test that is worth two s***s,and that is the one YOU conduct when YOU purchase the detector!..difficult to believe,i know,however true nevertheless!.having said that,i still feel the tests are entertaining to read though!

(h.h!)
jt.

 

[Jackpine Savage]

HI Rick, as you know I had one of those free X-70's. Andy and Dick really took a chance giving one to a Fisher fanatic like me. Like has been posted by several others, I was told to give my thoughts good and bad. Sometimes I think I was too hard on the machine. There are several areas in which I felt my Fishers performend better for the task at hand. But on the other hand it had a lot of good points as well. No different than when comparing any 2 detectors even of the same brand.

It is hard to compare a "coin" detector like the CZ's, Sovereigns and Explorers to one of the newer so called do-it-all detectors and be unbiased. Most of us are after what is left of the old silver and the above named detectors remain proven performers at that. In defense of the Xterras, Its the opinion of this Fisher diehard that ML's three frequency approach to the "do it all" detector idea does give it some advantages over the other manufacturers that are going the single higher frequency route.

Tom