Compass X100 Finds silver ring.

[Doctorcoinz]

I bought a vintage compass x100 challenger a few weeks ago as i have heard good things about this golden oldie top of the range compass in its day - a real classic high performer this detector ,excellent. I decided to try it out on a riverbank swimming spot , very high trash levels , lots of foil and tabs , screw caps and rusty bottle tops not much iron though. This ring was found along with about 30 coins. Unbeatable sensitivity this detector has - really really sensitive. although the meter target id not too reliable in these conditions and tends to bounce all over the place and lock on to different numbers probably because of co located trash targets. 3 hours use 1 ring and 30 coins, i have to say i like the x100. The close to 14 kHz freq works a treat for me as i hunt rings mostly.

 

[Doctorcoinz]

These detectors are keepers , keep an eye out for one these they are honestly really good coin and ring hunters. It will pick coins up in air at 18 inches no problem. Deep in ground depth too.

 

[jmaryt]

to doc!
yes you are correct!..compass was a good detector with a large following when they were operational!..it was a sad day when the fire "fried" the factory in forest grove!

(h.h!
j.t.

 

[Doctorcoinz]

I would have thought the insurance money from the fire would have covered re building the business. If compass were doing well at the time of the fire they should have re started. Thats unless business was not too good at time of fire.

 

[jmaryt]

hi!..doc!
you are correct again!..for years compass struggled because they had difficulty for one reason or another keeping current with what other manufacturers were offering,however this in no way diminshed from the fact that they still produced "crackerjack" coin detectors
my first "real" detector WAS a "judge" #2.it was a high frequency tr!
it WAS well built,and found me a "ton" of silver!..their top engineer
whom i spoke with back in the late '90's,started up again,and at that time,i wished him well!..really don't know what happened after that!

(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[Bill G]

[quote jmaryt]hi!..doc!
you are correct again!..for years compass struggled because they had difficulty for one reason or another keeping current with what other manufacturers were offering,however this in no way diminshed from the fact that they still produced "crackerjack" coin detectors
my first "real" detector WAS a "judge" #2.it was a high frequency tr!
it WAS well built,and found me a "ton" of silver!..their top engineer
whom i spoke with back in the late '90's,started up again,and at that time,i wished him well!..really don't know what happened after that!

(h.h!)
j.t.[/quote]


Steve Goss was the engineer you talked with, he purchased the rights to the Compass name after the big fire that took the Compass factory down. Steve Goss did keep things going till around last year give or take, his service had been dropping off throughout the past few years. Steve Goss kept things sorta small out of his home kinda mom and pops from what I understand. Steve Goss did a lot of repair work and had few small dealers here in the states, that is all gone now. I believe Steve Goss wife Sue got cancer in the past few years and this may have had something to do with Compass finally going completely out of business along with other business difficulties.

From a personal stand point I had a very bad experience with Steve Goss and Compass a few years back with a new Compass detector that I ordered factory direct. I will not go into the details as it is a long painful story that still #*#**## me off, but I can tell you he was a very shady man and not as trust worthy as some might think out there. I came close to driving to Oregon and having a personal talk with him if you know what I mean.

I did some research and called around to his supposed dealers here in the USA at the time after my dealings with Compass and Steve Goss and most had quit dealing with him for similar reasons as my problems with him, plus a lack of warranty repairs on Compass part with there customers. Enough said for now about that.

In my opinion Steve Goss was bad news and if anyone else had started Compass back up after the big fire that destroyed the plant, they may have maid it and become a vital company again.

Compass maid one heck of a good product at one time and they will be missed by the many that owned and used them. A lot of good engineers came from Compass originally and went other places to work on some of the other great brand detectors we all have owned and enjoyed throughout the years.

Take Care All and HH,
Bill G

 

[Ringzapper]

Sorry to hear you dislke this guy maybe the guy had "bad nerves" or somethink similar.

 

[Bill G]

No the guy was exactly what I said, a jerk and a poor business man in general. I have ran into others that had similar experiences with him. Like the old saying says, walks like a Duck quacks like a Duck it is probably a Duck..

Happy Hunting,
Bill G

 

[jmaryt]

hi bill!
i am sorry to hear about this tale of woe!..i switched to white's after '78,and bought a 4db...it was acoin finding demon,and with occasional departures,have been with white's ever since!..i suspect for WHAT REASON i really do NOT know,compass,even though in MY opinion WAS producing fine detectors,just seemed to drop off in popularity in the late eighties,and early nineties!..AGAIN i do not know hy this was so!...perhaps they were not marketed as well as the others?...just a guess!..as i said i cut my detecting teeth on a compass!..it WAS well built,and well balanced,and i liked the color
scheme too!..i never bought another one,as whitey had me covered as explained!..a.pleasant memory for me!..though!

(h.h!)
j.t.!

 

[jmaryt]

hi bill!
iam NOT defending him.but just perhaps maybe he was a horrible business man,and a better engineer?..again NOT to defend him,because i dont have ANY facts one way or another,however if he did in fact start the company back up,then he may have been exposed to a very stressful situation with apparently no on to help him!..he may have been trying to produce new circuit designs to make new detectors,along with trying to run the business as well!if this IS what transpired,then he may very well have been overwhelmed by trying to be a one man show!..who knows!

regards!
(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[Ringzapper]

I agree with you , sounds like stress may have played a part with this wizard detector designer , just a guess but i think designing a good metal detector could be a stressful job especially if doing it alone. The compass detectors were great detectors i think many would agree.Sounds like the fire seemed to happen just at the right time .
It's surprising just how many failing businesses get fired!. A well known carpet shop in this country goes up in flames when in financial trouble!.......

 

[jmaryt]

i'll leave that to people who are more qualified in that area than i am!..i will say this though!..there was a clam shack that was operating in my area here for almost 40 years,and one night it just wasn't there any more!..on the avertising sign out front was the message "free fry!..see how!",and on the other side of the sign was the message,.."last day specials"..ohhh well,at least there is gainful employment for the inspectors!..more to the point though,i agree that IF he was running the show by himself,then these issues could be a staggering blow!.all i know is that i talked to him in the late nineties,and he seemed like he had a handle on things,and was trying to go forward,and compete again!..i wishhed him well,and i guess after that compass fell off the radar screen!..i will always cherish my memories with that judge #2!..i found a lot with it,and was very happy with the detector!

regards!
(h.h!)
j.t.