confused and overwhelmed

[bighorses2]

I have a detector that I got several years ago for Christmas and have only used a few times. It is a Discovery 2200. Can anyone tell me if it is a decent detector? Do I need a better one? When I have taken it out, I dig and dig but don't seem to find anything? I am basically new to this. Any advice? I have been looking at other brands and models but have absolutely no idea what to look for.

 

[silverfix]

pretty good machine capable of finding some decent coins. A Minelab would probably be considered a step up though.

 

[bighorses2]

Which model would I want? I'm not even sure what I'm looking for such as features.

 

[bossman]

you may go to the bounty hunter forum some of those guys have them and would be glad to help. also do a seach on it it will pull up all mesages on it

 

[TURNMASTER]

Some of thosw guys think pretty highly of their BHs. I have one and don't use it very much. I am going to learn the machine better though because my dad just the same model. Maybe he will want to go out. It is a Landstar

I find the Minelab to be Superior
good luck
Jeff

 

[Mick in Dubbo]

You will want to keep things simple at first. I'm not familiar with the Discovery myself, but did start out with a Bounty Hunter Tracker 4. I found the X-Terra 30 (which has now been replaced by the 305 now) to be a much easier machine to use. Mostly because it has visual information on the screen. I assume that the Discovery would have that. The pinpoint feature is a big help at locating targets. This feature won't be on you detector.
There is nothing wrong with the Discovery. Like another poster said, if you want to learn how to get the best out of it, just pop over to the Bounty hunter forum (which is further down the page) and you will find some pretty happy Bounty hunters users there that can give you some real good pointers on how to use it.
Detecting is not really about having the "best detector" in your hands, but knowing how to get the best out of your detector that you own. A guy with a simple detector and knows it inside and out will usually outperform an average detectorist that has a top end machine but is inexperienced with it.
It comes down to budget concerns and what your personal preferences are. They all find the goods. It just a matter of what sort of tones that you want to listen to, and what sort if any visual information you want to have. Visual information is only good as a ball park idea of what you are going over. In ideal conditions, it will be spot on, but is often inaccurate if there is nearby junk eta.
If you are happy with the Discovery, then stick with it, if you want something that is easier to use, then the 305 is a good choice. You don't need to spend mega bucks to have a lot of fun. The 305 will hold it's own very nicely even compared to it bigger brother, the 705.
Mick Evans.

 

[TURNMASTER]

Learn the machine and ask questions
Jeff

 

[Steve(MS)]

I have the Discovery 3300 and while I have found silver and gold with it, you can do better as some have recommended here with
with one of the Xterras.
It will help if you understand detector terminology.
Check out some of the faqfaqs at the top of the page to begin with.
Get some pointers if you know someone nearby who metal detects.
HH

 

[Shenandoah Digger]

I bought a Discovery 2200 when they were on close out at Radio Shack a few years ago for $49. Not a bad machine really, but it did false a lot if the sensitivity was turned up too high. I gave it to my nephews and they made some pretty good finds with it. But it certainly in no way compares to a Xterra 305, not favorably at least. Even though the Xterra costs a lot more than the Discovery, it's a lot of machine for the money, and the best value for an ID detector that you can get.

 

[Mtnmn]

Just for the record the Discovery 2200 is considered an entry level detector, but is an excellent choice for someone such as yourself. Think it would be wise to master your current detector first before considering up-grading to a better one. Like said previously the X-T 305 would be an excellent choice for an up-grade. Though if you feel over-whelmed with Discovery 2200, to my way of thinking you would only be more so with the X-T 305 until you have learned to master the 2200. Cutting your sensitivity will help a lot and learning to pinpoint by crossing over the target from a couple of different directions will also help. A Garrett Pro-Pointer would be of a great help with a detector such as the 2200 which has no pinpointing feature and only has average depth. A quick way to learn your machine is air test it over coins and assorted trash on a side walk and see what settings will give you the greatest depth while eliminating the most trash, using a test garden (buried coins) is better yet. Doing so will also help you learn to pinpoint your machine better.

 

[bighorses2]

Thanks for all the info. I will definitely practice more with the one I have and then maybe upgrade.