Choices, choices

[Old Virginia]

My choice would be Racer 2....AT Pro ain't in same league.....it's a C+ grade wise, IMHO and the Racer 2 is worthy ofan A grade.,

I've used my racer in black sand, wet sand, dry, coil FULLY submerged under sea water, with zero falsing etc.

Absolutely LOVE it.

Batteries will be going hours upon hours upon HOURS way longer than the Impact.

Plus you will go longer, as Racer is lighter.

Stunning big display on Racer 2.

There is nooooo way I would even consider getting rid of my Racer 2 for a wayyy to complicated, multi-frequency, heavy and battery hogging machine like the Impact.

No doubt, it's good, but when you put them side by side and do a big comparison list of pro's & Con's IMHO...Racer 2 wins over the Impact all day long.

Oh, and as far as the AT Pro Max thing-a-me-bob....lol....I've owned Ace 250, Euroace, AT Pro, Racer 1 and Racer 2....Trust me, The New AT Max will be blown away by the Racer 2 all day, every day.

Matt.

Good comments and observations there Matt. Thank you so much. As I stated in some earlier posts, I think I've pretty much settled on the Racer 2 after selling the XP Deus. If I like it as well as you do, I'll sell the extra AT Pro and maybe, eventually, the Nokta, though I'm going to spend some more time with that unit. Thanks again!

 

[staffydog33]

I will disagree with you on a few things, Matt, since some of your thoughts differ from my 'opinions' from ample field-time, with both the Racer 2 and Impact..

My choice would be Racer 2....AT Pro ain't in same league.....it's a C+ grade wise, IMHO and the Racer 2 is worthy ofan A grade.

I am with you on this one because I found the AT series to be top heavy, I didn't care for the gray scale display background, the numbers are dinky, the AT Pro lacks and All Metal mode, and the AT's do get a C grade or slightly better, but not an A grade like the Racer 2.

Batteries will be going hours upon hours upon HOURS way longer than the Impact.

Yes, the Racer series battery life, and I use alkaline batteries all the time, is longer than the Impact, but I am still getting 12+ hours with my Impacts.

Plus you will go longer, as Racer is lighter.

No agreement here because actual weight isn't all that matters. It is also balance, and having used the Racer series for 2 years before getting my Impact in-hand, I only enjoy the Racer 2 with a small coil mounted. The mid-size coils and standard sizes coils are not as well balanced or as comfortable for day-long or just extended detecting time. My Nokta FORS CoRe and Relic devices balance much better with the mid-size and standard-size search coils.

So does the Impact, and I have used every coil size on the Impact and most on the Racer's and can easily give the nod to better balance and feel to the Impact. The Racer 2 is better than the AT Pro, in my opinion, and is a decent unit for most folks, but the Impact has the edge here.

Stunning big display on Racer 2.

Yes, and the Impact also has a similar-size display. Both of them are very clear and informative.

There is nooooo way I would even consider getting rid of my Racer 2 for a wayyy to complicated, multi-frequency, heavy and battery hogging machine like the Impact.

Complicated? I don't think so, and the Impact has some feature adjustment advantages, such as the longer, 8-second, time-out on the display, and a touch of the Settings or Expert buttons has you immediately back at the last adjustment feature used! I have the Racer 2, two FORS CoRe and two FORS Relic units and find the Impact's the easiest to grab and get into action and still very easily to maneuver through the control settings.

No doubt, it's good, but when you put them side by side and do a big comparison list of pro's & Con's IMHO...Racer 2 wins over the Impact all day long.

Nope, I will again disagree. I do like the Racer 2, but by far prefer the Impact overall.

Oh, and as far as the AT Pro Max thing-a-me-bob....lol....I've owned Ace 250, Euroace, AT Pro, Racer 1 and Racer 2....Trust me, The New AT Max will be blown away by the Racer 2 all day, every day.

Matt.

I think we are closer on this one. Even though the AT MAX isn't out yet to be evaluated, I think it would be a stretch to expect it to match any of the Nokta FORS series, the Impact, or Makro Racer 2.

Monte

When I said to complicated, perhaps I should have said to complicated for me, coz I ain't the brightest star in the sky...lol

Matt

 

[Old Virginia]

I've worked a deal on a trade for my XP Deus for the Makro Racer 2 pro package. I'll let y'all know how it goes. I'll be headed to the beach down south next month and I hear the Racer 2 does a great job in sand. I'll also have 2 AT Pro's with me - we'll see how the head to head goes and I'll try to report back. Thanks again for all the input. I really appreciate it. Hope you all have a great rest of your summer and find lots of treasure!

 

[Cal_Cobra]

I'll add my V nickles worth here (inflation and all)....

I was a die hard F75 LTD/LTD2 user (since 2009) until I got my hands on the original Red Racer when it was first released. I'd never heard of Makro or Nokta until then, and when field reports started to trickle out about the Red Racer on Nasa Tom's site, I was curious about the machine, was it all hype, or the real deal? The Red Racer wasn't an expensive machine, so I decided to pull the trigger on it. I was amazed at what the Red Racer could do....so much so that my F75 has been collecting dust. Then the Racer2 came out, lots of new and useful features, more stable/quite, deep, and again when pitted against my F75, the Makro machine was hands down a superior machine.

I love the Racer2. I live in California and enjoy researching and detecting the oldest sites I can find here (Spanish from the 1700's...that's about as old as they get here), and also have an affinity for detecting Nevada western frontier sites (ghost towns, stage stops, mining towns, etc). I found a few sites with high alkali soils that severely handicapped my Racer2 (and F75). I could still detect them, but I had to throw everything I had at these sites to even begin to be successful. The Impact solved that problem. I was able to switch from 14Khz to 20Khz, problem solved. I've also found that at those EMI infested sites, having the ability to do a major frequency change (versus an incremental frequency shift) solves those issues when they come along. This alone has been a major benefit of the Impact for me, now add in all of the additional modes, and other features, and you have a world class detecting platform.

Time and time again I've tested my Racers and Impact against my F75 LTD2, and they always come out on top (although I must say that the LTD2 upgrade is an improvement, but the ten year old F75 is starting to show its age. Their ability to unmask is uncanny compared to the F75.

hh,
Brian

 

[staffydog33]

I've worked a deal on a trade for my XP Deus for the Makro Racer 2 pro package. I'll let y'all know how it goes. I'll be headed to the beach down south next month and I hear the Racer 2 does a great job in sand. I'll also have 2 AT Pro's with me - we'll see how the head to head goes and I'll try to report back. Thanks again for all the input. I really appreciate it. Hope you all have a great rest of your summer and find lots of treasure!

Tip for yuh...on DRY sand, use 2-tone mode...but only on completely dry sand.

I found I get consistently 2"+ deeper than using beach mode on dry sand.

Any other part of the beach, obviously use beach mode.

I would post links here of my videos showing how well the Racer 2 performs on the beach in dry sand, black sand and with the coil completely submerged, but I don't think posting youtube links are allowed?

Just go to youtube and type in this "makro racer 2 wet sand" (without quotes) and mine is the very first video.

Shows the Racer 2 with ZERO falsing etc and performing 10/10 on wet sand plus under water.

Matt.

 

[Old Virginia]

I've worked a deal on a trade for my XP Deus for the Makro Racer 2 pro package. I'll let y'all know how it goes. I'll be headed to the beach down south next month and I hear the Racer 2 does a great job in sand. I'll also have 2 AT Pro's with me - we'll see how the head to head goes and I'll try to report back. Thanks again for all the input. I really appreciate it. Hope you all have a great rest of your summer and find lots of treasure!

Tip for yuh...on DRY sand, use 2-tone mode...but only on completely dry sand.

I found I get consistently 2"+ deeper than using beach mode on dry sand.

Any other part of the beach, obviously use beach mode.

I would post links here of my videos showing how well the Racer 2 performs on the beach in dry sand, black sand and with the coil completely submerged, but I don't think posting youtube links are allowed?

Just go to youtube and type in this "makro racer 2 wet sand" (without quotes) and mine is the very first video.

Shows the Racer 2 with ZERO falsing etc and performing 10/10 on wet sand plus under water.

Matt.

Thanks Matt. I think you can post as long as you're not promoting a product.

 

[Old Virginia]

I'll add my V nickles worth here (inflation and all)....

I was a die hard F75 LTD/LTD2 user (since 2009) until I got my hands on the original Red Racer when it was first released. I'd never heard of Makro or Nokta until then, and when field reports started to trickle out about the Red Racer on Nasa Tom's site, I was curious about the machine, was it all hype, or the real deal? The Red Racer wasn't an expensive machine, so I decided to pull the trigger on it. I was amazed at what the Red Racer could do....so much so that my F75 has been collecting dust. Then the Racer2 came out, lots of new and useful features, more stable/quite, deep, and again when pitted against my F75, the Makro machine was hands down a superior machine.

I love the Racer2. I live in California and enjoy researching and detecting the oldest sites I can find here (Spanish from the 1700's...that's about as old as they get here), and also have an affinity for detecting Nevada western frontier sites (ghost towns, stage stops, mining towns, etc). I found a few sites with high alkali soils that severely handicapped my Racer2 (and F75). I could still detect them, but I had to throw everything I had at these sites to even begin to be successful. The Impact solved that problem. I was able to switch from 14Khz to 20Khz, problem solved. I've also found that at those EMI infested sites, having the ability to do a major frequency change (versus an incremental frequency shift) solves those issues when they come along. This alone has been a major benefit of the Impact for me, now add in all of the additional modes, and other features, and you have a world class detecting platform.

Time and time again I've tested my Racers and Impact against my F75 LTD2, and they always come out on top (although I must say that the LTD2 upgrade is an improvement, but the ten year old F75 is starting to show its age. Their ability to unmask is uncanny compared to the F75.

hh,
Brian

Brain - that's great info, thank you! I had a Teknetics T2 SE (the F75's twin) and found a lot of great relics with it. If the Racer 2 is that much better, I can't wait to try it on some of my sites that I've pounded with the AT Pro, T2 and the XP Deus. I may still end up with an Impact, but I think the Racer 2 will suit my needs best for now. Thanks again!

 

[Sonnyd]

I agree with Monte, about the Relic. I can't speak of the others. I don't have all that much time with mine, but I get to know it more and more each time out. it's an Incredible Relic machine, even though I'm mostly a coin hunter. I was looking for a Core, but stumbled on to the Relic, when the Core deal fell through. I would still like to have a Core though....It's amazing the difference between hunting in DI2 and DI3. I can't use DI2 in the city areas much, just more Sparky then I like it. I could probably cure that with lowering the volume a little more. In 30+ years of hunting, it's the most Versatile I've ever owned. I was using my AT Pro, almost every time I went out before I got the Relic and the Red Racer. I have not even turned on the AT Pro in the 3 months since I've owned the Relic..I even removed the Batteries.. I traded my Fisher F75SE with DST for the Red Racer, and my other machine is my Tesoro Black Vaquero, when I'm on an "Inquistive" hunt.... LOVE my Nokta and Makro machines....

 

[Tom Slick]

Cal -Cobra's experience is a mirror image of mine when it comes to the Racers and the impact, right down to the F75. I still have a few other detectors for special circumstances but between the Racers and the Impact, I was able to eliminate about five other detectors form my arsenal that just weren't getting used anymore.

 

[Monte]

When I said to complicated, perhaps I should have said to complicated for me, coz I ain't the brightest star in the sky...lol

Matt

Matt, I am sure you wouldn't have much trouble picking up on the simplicity of the new Impact.

Yes, the Racer and Racer 2 seem to be simpler, but I have a couple of friends who also think they are easily confused and that the Impact would be too complicated, so I asked them to check it out. Not read the manual, just grab hold and think it through as I sat in the shade and talked them through the set-up. I told them they could learn more down the road and it would all come naturally, and that the start-up is in 14 kHz, similar to their Racer 2, and I had it set to start up on Di3 with the small coil, like they have their Racer 2's set up.

No problems, really, and after I answered a few questions and had them going for 5-10 minutes, I just stepped away and let them enjoy the 'learning' while they hunted. Looking at the new Impact, with the extra search modes and adjustment options, seemed like it obviously going to b a more complicated detector to use. As they found out, and others as well, what seemed like an obvious learning challenge turned out to be far more simpler than they imagined, with very functional settings that were easily accessed.

As I have stated to customers when I helped out at dealer friend's shops, or when I started dealing in detectors back in '77. or in my detecting seminars since '81, or in any presentation to a group or an easy answer to an individuals questions about what I look for and how I choose detectors I want, there are three categories or qualifiers:

► I like 'Simple' and that means a detector that is not complex and confusing, and has adjustment controls that are straight forward in what they are and what they do, and do not require counter adjustments of other control features when you make a change.

► I like 'Functional' which simply means a detector lacks excess adjustments or some that have little to no real merit and could be eliminated [size=small](to keep things 'Simple')[/size], but does have important or necessary adjustment features that provide adequate operator control for a more versatile detector.

► And I can't forget 'Performance' because without that, what's the use in going out to have some fun detecting? I want to have sufficient, versatile performance from any detector I keep in my personal detector battery, and that includes them being able to work in a wide range of hunting environments, with means they will also need to have two or more search coils for them to provide the most efficient results.

My Nokta FORS CoRe units work well for me, in many applications, and they are 'Simple,' Functional' and provide exceptional 'Performance.' The same goes for my Nokta FORS Relic models, my Makro Racer 2 device, and without a hesitation I can assure you it also applies to my two Nokta Impacts.

Maybe a wee bit of extra "learning curve" time needed, but only a wee bit. The Impact is a splendid example of how to provide ample functional and versatility, yet keep everything so simple. Matter-of-fact, I have my foursome ready to load right now [size=small](a CoRe, a Relic, an Impact and a Tesoro)[/size] as it's 6:13 and I'm hitting post and heading out to beat the heat this morning. I'll be grabbing my Impact first as the site I am headed to produced a worn Standing Liberty Quarter on my last visit working the 5" DD in dense debris.

Monte

 

[Old Virginia]

When I said to complicated, perhaps I should have said to complicated for me, coz I ain't the brightest star in the sky...lol

Matt

Matt, I am sure you wouldn't have much trouble picking up on the simplicity of the new Impact.

Yes, the Racer and Racer 2 seem to be simpler, but I have a couple of friends who also think they are easily confused and that the Impact would be too complicated, so I asked them to check it out. Not read the manual, just grab hold and think it through as I sat in the shade and talked them through the set-up. I told them they could learn more down the road and it would all come naturally, and that the start-up is in 14 kHz, similar to their Racer 2, and I had it set to start up on Di3 with the small coil, like they have their Racer 2's set up.

No problems, really, and after I answered a few questions and had them going for 5-10 minutes, I just stepped away and let them enjoy the 'learning' while they hunted. Looking at the new Impact, with the extra search modes and adjustment options, seemed like it obviously going to b a more complicated detector to use. As they found out, and others as well, what seemed like an obvious learning challenge turned out to be far more simpler than they imagined, with very functional settings that were easily accessed.

As I have stated to customers when I helped out at dealer friend's shops, or when I started dealing in detectors back in '77. or in my detecting seminars since '81, or in any presentation to a group or an easy answer to an individuals questions about what I look for and how I choose detectors I want, there are three categories or qualifiers:

► I like 'Simple' and that means a detector that is not complex and confusing, and has adjustment controls that are straight forward in what they are and what they do, and do not require counter adjustments of other control features when you make a change.

► I like 'Functional' which simply means a detector lacks excess adjustments or some that have little to no real merit and could be eliminated [size=small](to keep things 'Simple')[/size], but does have important or necessary adjustment features that provide adequate operator control for a more versatile detector.

► And I can't forget 'Performance' because without that, what's the use in going out to have some fun detecting? I want to have sufficient, versatile performance from any detector I keep in my personal detector battery, and that includes them being able to work in a wide range of hunting environments, with means they will also need to have two or more search coils for them to provide the most efficient results.

My Nokta FORS CoRe units work well for me, in many applications, and they are 'Simple,' Functional' and provide exceptional 'Performance.' The same goes for my Nokta FORS Relic models, my Makro Racer 2 device, and without a hesitation I can assure you it also applies to my two Nokta Impacts.

Maybe a wee bit of extra "learning curve" time needed, but only a wee bit. The Impact is a splendid example of how to provide ample functional and versatility, yet keep everything so simple. Matter-of-fact, I have my foursome ready to load right now [size=small](a CoRe, a Relic, an Impact and a Tesoro)[/size] as it's 6:13 and I'm hitting post and heading out to beat the heat this morning. I'll be grabbing my Impact first as the site I am headed to produced a worn Standing Liberty Quarter on my last visit working the 5" DD in dense debris.

Monte

Monte - great summation. I hope you make some GREAT finds today!!

 

[Low-Boy/LCPM]

The Impact is the Racer and racer 2 and most of their whole line in one machine with three freq. A great machine I think better than the deus. I would get the Impact it has updates and great coils and is not heavy. It is very sturdy but balanced. Took me a month to get the hand of it. I have the racer and the deus and use the Impact as my main unit...

 

[Old Virginia]

The Impact is the Racer and racer 2 and most of their whole line in one machine with three freq. A great machine I think better than the deus. I would get the Impact it has updates and great coils and is not heavy. It is very sturdy but balanced. Took me a month to get the hand of it. I have the racer and the deus and use the Impact as my main unit...

Thanks LowBoy. I got a really good deal on trading my XP Deus in on a Racer 2 Pro Package. I'm going to see how the R2 does for me. I may get an Impact at some point in the near future.

 

[Kapok]

The Impact is the Racer and racer 2 and most of their whole line in one machine with three freq. A great machine I think better than the deus. I would get the Impact it has updates and great coils and is not heavy. It is very sturdy but balanced. Took me a month to get the hand of it. I have the racer and the deus and use the Impact as my main unit...

Thanks LowBoy. I got a really good deal on trading my XP Deus in on a Racer 2 Pro Package. I'm going to see how the R2 does for me. I may get an Impact at some point in the near future.

What did you not like about the Deus that made you want to trade it away?

 

[Old Virginia]

The Impact is the Racer and racer 2 and most of their whole line in one machine with three freq. A great machine I think better than the deus. I would get the Impact it has updates and great coils and is not heavy. It is very sturdy but balanced. Took me a month to get the hand of it. I have the racer and the deus and use the Impact as my main unit...

Thanks LowBoy. I got a really good deal on trading my XP Deus in on a Racer 2 Pro Package. I'm going to see how the R2 does for me. I may get an Impact at some point in the near future.

What did you not like about the Deus that made you want to trade it away?

I'm sure part of the issue is just me and I may have mastered it with more time, but here's my thoughts on it.

* I thought the learning curve was a bit steep.
* I tried all the factory settings and several custom programs and could never get the depth some folks are claiming.
* I saw no better separation in iron that I get with the AT Pro and the 5x8 coil. Actually, it could not compete with my AT Pro in that environment.
* I did not like the menu layout. That may be just personal likes/dislikes, but I found it cumbersome and clumsy.
* Pinpointing was challenging.
* Deep iron ringing as silver (though I finally adapted to that issue).

I did love the weight, the wireless feature and the compactness. At some point, I may actually get another one in the future, but just wanted to try the Racer 2 and came across a good opportunity.