First run with Compadre

[GA1dad]

Sorry,, no remarkable finds here,,, just writing up my experience.

This afternoon I had a 30 minute window at dusk to give my new Compadre a test run. I went to a small local 1800's park that is (and has been for a long,long time) beat to death by other detectorists with some pretty good equipment. But I am sure there are a few good targets waiting to be uncovered. Another reason I chose this park for the test run is that my T2 hates all the EMI from the underground wiring that zig-zags all over it for Christmas lighting. I encountered no EMI problems with the Compadre in this short test.

Since I had such a short amount of time I selected a group of trees with exposed roots, close to the parking area. Again, this spot has been absolutely pounded. I set the discrimination at the "f" on foil. As I've read here, when a target was found I turned it up, then brought it back down to find where the target came back in. As expected, nearly all of my targets were junk. I did however find a 1970 quarter at 5 inches that had been in the ground long enough to begin turning red. It was certainly a target that "should" have been dug long before I got there. So I will assume that the Compadre was able to discriminate the coin out of some masking of some sort. As I'm sure you all already know, all the targets cracked and popped at least a little bit,,, but I dug them anyway to get a working knowledge of how the machine worked. I need to get over some good targets to see if they really do come back in "clean" as mentioned by others.

As for depth,, that's kind of a blessing and a curse. The 7" coil is not a deep setup,, but in a park situation I guess it keeps you from tearing the place up. You just gotta find the spots that haven't been backfilled.

 

[slingshot]

Set it at the "r" in "iron" sometimes when you feel like it. Just sayin'.

 

[REVIER]

The 7" coil on mine is just deadly up to about the 6" level...maybe a bit further in all metal.
On one of the first hunts I had I was taking it to a few sites I had hunted with my Vaq and an F2 and a favorite was a large tot lot that I had found a bunch of coins and all sorts of other targets in the past like kids junk jewelry, buttons and things.
It was surrounded by some deep, stacked wood beams all around the perimeter.
I thought this might be a good test for my Compadre so I hopped over there but as I was walking to it something looked strange.
Since the last time I was there they had added at least 8" of new wood chips to the entire place and filled it up to the top of those beams.
Didn't get one signal on that run that wasn't a fresh drop and very few of those.

Not a big deal because I have deeper detectors for areas that call for that and most everywhere else most of my targets rarely hang out much deeper than 5-6" anyway...even the old stuff.
On seeded hunts this is my prime tool and it has helped me find hundreds of dollars of coins and prize tokens because it is perfect for this task among most others except for looking for those really deep targets.

For picking out the good stuff in a sea of trash or iron it is amazing.
Here is the smallest, thinnest silver ring I have ever found with any detector in a picnic area totally infested with trash.
It was surrounded with trash on all sides but this high tone still screamed out loud and clear like it was a silver dollar sitting in fresh, clean dirt...it was amazing!

This thing weighs only .3 grams...not three but point three.

 

[GA1dad]

Nice!!!

 

[ken ward]

When you get the hang of that little monster, You will pull your hair out at how good that detector is. The very tiny gold can not hide from it.. Have fun and take your time and LISTEN... KEN

 

[GA1dad]

Quick question.

Does the Compadre have the capability to give repeatable small, single chirps on deep and/or small targets? Or is it always gonna be a full sized beep?

 

[slingshot]

Quick question.

Does the Compadre have the capability to give repeatable small, single chirps on deep and/or small targets? Or is it always gonna be a full sized beep?

It's more like a soft whisper on the deepest targets. Imagine if you can a slight tone as if you just went over a change in mineralization and the detector had a slight hum in the speaker as it slightly readjusted the threshhold. And the audio also makes it easy to determine the size of the object. A lot of deep targets can be missed by not paying attention to these soft sounds- as well as gold chains. Tesoro Talks!

 

[Miser67]

The Compadre was not designed with deep targets in mind, but that is not an issue. It is amazingly sensitive with fast recovery for those targets 6" or less, which is where most hunter's finds come from. Enjoy it!

For gold chains, I have to run in ALL METAL otherwise I lose 90% of them.

 

[Stoof-tabsallday]

Sounds like a great first run!!!
Some days you find great stuff some days you don't.
That compadre is one great machine though. Like it so much I bought both models. Lol.
Easily the best bang for your buck and if you notice, even people who buy it as their first detector and buy others later, rarely get rid of their compadre.
Out of all my Tesoro listed the compadre were the only ones purchased brand new and most likely the only ones that will always have a home with me come hell or high water.
Enjoy it and use it to the fullest and it will become your best friend
P.S. that's cool you found a 7" model. Those haven't been made in a long time.
Happy hunting!!

 

[Mega]

The Compadre was not designed with deep targets in mind, but that is not an issue. It is amazingly sensitive with fast recovery for those targets 6" or less, which is where most hunter's finds come from. Enjoy it!

For gold chains, I have to run in ALL METAL otherwise I lose 90% of them.

Might dig my Compadre out later and put the 7'' coil back on it,we have a dry day tomorrow but sunday is pretty bleak,have a local trashy saxon site that i may give the detector a cobweb blowing out session stubble is very short and started rotting away,the field/s that i will be detecting on runs right next door to the great Roman north road from London upto scotland,so who can tell what the finds could be like.

 

[REVIER]

Just a few other things I have found with mine, there is plenty more.
I bought this because I am a jewelry hunter and it does this job way more than just well, as far as the ability to find chains I have swung nothing better.
No slouch at picking up coins, either.

 

[GA1dad]

P.S. that's cool you found a 7" model. Those haven't been made in a long time.

Really? This one must have been an extended closet queen then, cause it is in amazingly good condition. I figured it was only a year or two old.

 

[Stoof-tabsallday]

P.S. that's cool you found a 7" model. Those haven't been made in a long time.

Really? This one must have been an extended closet queen then, cause it is in amazingly good condition. I figured it was only a year or two old.

Yeah now they either come with the 8" or 5.75" hardwired.

 

[C.J.M.]

Hmmmmm try using headphones for faint sounds ,works a lot better

 

[Stoof-tabsallday]

I keep trying to use headphones myself but the cord is either in the way or I need to remove them and put them back on each time I go to dig.
Very annoying.
Strongly considering investing in the detecnix wireless pods that I can use my headphones with. Heard great things.

 

[amberjack]

The old 7" coil Compadre is the hotter of the 2 modals , think its roots are in the old Amigo's , I feel a coil change mod coming on

maybe not as deep as some but unmasking very good for a one knob detector.

AJ