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Garrett AT PRO lac ks threshhold adjustment

Z

Zadok2

New member
I have been informed on the Garrett 1-800 number that the AT Pro lacks a threshhold adjustment and is a silent search machine. Since many gold nugget finds allegedly occur after hearing a slight change in the threshhold tone, the silent search on the AT Pro is not ideal for gold prospecting. I think I'll consider the new Goldbug Pro by Fisher, instead. The prices are identical.
 
On modern machines the theshold doesn't matter that much like in the old days. basically all it does is establish the audio for pinpoint and all metal. The AT gives a faint sugnal for deep targets and a strong signal for shallow targets. Gone is the faint target audio boost found on some Garrett machines.

Bill
 
:usaflag:My Ace 250 will also give a faint signal on very deep targets in pinpoint mode. Not sure if it's supposed to but it does.
 
The threshold is key when hearing changes in ground minerals. To bad. Its a must when relic hunting. Beep and dig will not work in heavy minerals. Lets hope the Pro can deal with this type of ground. We will know soon enough. I have three camps I test new detectors in. All are different.
 
Uncle Willy said:
On modern machines the theshold doesn't matter that much like in the old days. basically all it does is establish the audio for pinpoint and all metal. The AT gives a faint sugnal for deep targets and a strong signal for shallow targets. Gone is the faint target audio boost found on some Garrett machines.

Bill
Click to expand...

Bill think this is true in the pro mode. In the regular mode all targets give the same loud beep deep or shallow.

Jason
 
whatever (ground change or object) would cause a threshold to just MINUTELY increase volume on a detector running threshold based AM would also produce an audible response on the AT?
 
Whites has a silent search gold prospecting machine with NO THRESHOLD. Seems to do well from what I hear. Its called the Whites GMZ.

Haters always Hate...

The machine isnt even out yet to get reports, GEEZ....
 
I think the Pro mode will do fine. The deeper or smaller targets will give a slight tone and the larger or near surface targets will give a louder tone just like in all metal mode. Just like was demo'd in the video.
 
Yeah seems everyone has their own private crystal ball. HAA. The demo showed the AT picking up gold just fine. Folks who hang onto the threshold scenario are still living in the days of the BFO.

Bill
 
I would think so. I haven't played with one yet but will when one is available. You could contact Steve Moore or Brent Weaver at Garrett and get the real skinny on that aspect. It states that it is set up for prospecting so I don't see any problems. It operates at 15 khz, has a DD coil, automatic and manual GB, ground tracking, so it shouldn't have any problems.

Bill
 
That's true. The standard mode is for novices or folks who want to keep it simple. The PRO mode is for the professionals who know how to use all the toys incorporated into it. This is the mode that makes this detector an awesome piece of equipment whereas you can fine tune it like a swiss watch.

Bill.
 
I think I was told it has the ability to measure and record ground mineral content so one can set it accordingly. In the PRO mode this isn't even remotely like any other detector out there. It's a breed all its own.



Bill
 
Yeah they've got that aspect pretty well covered. Brent Weaver done his homework on this one. I'm anxious to see how you do with one in the tough volcanic soils of Southern Oregon.

Bill
 
Yeh I tell ya Bill...I was prospecting here in Oregon with my 2500 the other day and came accross the hottest soil yet I've encountered here...drove the 2500 nuts. Should have had my Infinium. As you know the GTI 2500 ground balance goes to a max of 12.75 and then its over load time. I ground balanced it and it balanced out at 12.70. It was useless there. Will go back with the Infinium soon, I found 7 old pocket gold mines there which were very shallow old smallish quartz veins that spilled into the Rogue River long ago. I'm curious how the AT PRO would do there compared to the 2500. Will give it ago when I can get one.

Alan
 
Technology has come a long way. It is possible that the ATpro is constantly adjusting the threshold right at zero? Not a fixed setting way under audible. This way if there is any change in the ground it should be heard in the Pro mode. I know Charles has gold prospected a lot with his machines. So if he tells me he has a silent search machine that will hunt gold - well I'll believe him. We should give the machine a chance. We have to understand that this isn't a single purpose machine. If it can perform all it's duties well then I don't see what the problem is? If it cost $3500 then maybe we would expect it to be - but it cost $597........
 
Uncle Willy said:
I think I was told it has the ability to measure and record ground mineral content so one can set it accordingly. In the PRO mode this isn't even remotely like any other detector out there. It's a breed all its own.
Bill
Click to expand...

From what I've seen from the glossy and videos it's Pro mode looks and sounds very similar to a Teknetics T2 running in 3+ or maybe BC audio mode. The iron audio switch is the only thing that looks and sounds unique. Can't wait for mine to show up so I can see for myself.

One thing I noticed from watching one of the videos (where the guy finds a 3 ringer) was that he had the AT Pro set up so that it was chattering like a Fisher F75/Tek T2 or one of the 13 khz tosoros. I know that those machines do that because they set the pre-amp gain high to make up for the higher frequency not penetrating ground as well as lower frequencies. That is how all of those 13 Khz machines get great depth. I wonder if the AT Pro also uses that method to get good depth and if so then I wonder if the AT Pro will also be a chatty machine if the sensitivity is set for best target separation and depth.

My 2 cents on the threshold (just to keep this post on topic :) is that a threshold is still a useful tool in the hands (or should I say ears) of a "pro" detectorist. I have often been made aware of a target I might have otherwise missed due to threshold changes, this is especially true of targets that are just outside of the coil's footprint - not close enough to ding but close enough to make the threshold wobble. However sometimes I prefer silent search and so like machines where you can choose whether to hunt with or without a threshold.
 
On detectors with a threshhold control, turning the control down so that no sound is heard (silent search) will mean that you will NOT hear the weakest signals, which just might be very deep large nuggets or very tiny shallower nuggets. Has Garrett done anything to retrieve such signals with the silent search on the AT PRO?
 
Get off the "Hater Kick" . After diggin in the worst soil in the US for 40 years the question is important. Any way come November we all will know. I would not lay down 600 for something I did not think woulld work. Tex Kinsey
 
we'll have to agree to disagree on the importance of threshold based all metal at least up through the present. I have several fields I hunt locally and also go to the Brandy Station area in Virginia all of which are very heavily ferrous mineralized. It's just a matter of fact that if you try to hunt in those spots in discrimination mode all metal, you might find the relative easy stuff if there is any but still miss a bunch. Use threshold true all metal set up the right way and the amount of additional targets you will hear and recover will be very significant. The group hunts started over in the Brandy area about nine years ago. Just ask anyone that was at the first one over there that tried to hunt in disc mode. When you see it for yourself, it's pretty eye opening. Maybe you were there, Bill. The guys with the 2500's that were running threshold based true all metal were having some of the best success. But hey, don't believe me....here's an excerpt from the 2500 owners manual:

"This is true all metal detecting, which produces
the deepest-seeking signals.
You will want to hunt in this mode when
greatest depth is sought, such as when
searching for caches or deep relics. Gold
hunting (electronic prospecting) will also
be carried out in this mode. You will probably prefer to use this mode
when searching for nuggets or at other
times when highly mineralized ground is
encountered. "

I will be getting an AT so I can see for myself if it really can handle these sorts of situations in a new more effective way (in lieu of threshold based AM) or not. I'm hardly just blowing smoke or trying to downplay it prior to its release. No "hater" here. If it renders some of what I've learned up until this point (and in part the functionality of the 2500) obsolete, bring it.
 
That is usually a function that goes with an all metal mode. So the AT PRO doesnt have one so we will have to see how it works on gold without it.

Alan
 
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