Got a question for experienced Tesoro users

[Bigtom123]

Lets say your running a cibola or a vaquero,,with a 5.75 widescan coil ,,in a part of town that's 150 years old and always used for festivals,houses once stood there too...Here's my thing,there's lots and lots of old junk and modern junk,and coins too.But they are heavily masked.
So,if I were to run one of the two mentioned machines with that little coil,if I cranked up the disc to nickel would I lose a lot of depth?

I once had a vaquero,and it set in the closet because I just was never sure I was ground balancing it right.Thats why I'm leaning toward a cibola...I'm not new to metal detecting at all,nut I'm leaning toward getting a few Tesoro's,possibly a silver and a cibola..Any helpful info is appreciated.

 

[pinenut]

Cibola and Vaquero are both OK in trash, as long as you're using a small concentric. Cibola is best in spots that aren't highly mineralized, like manicured park areas. Vaquero better in changing soil conditions, and if you like to change coils. My pick for trash though, is the Outlaw. It runs quieter in trash, especially iron like nails or bottleccaps. That's my opinion, and I'm sticking with it. ^_^

 

[slingshot]

You lose a little depth with Tesoros. I like the founder, Jack's suggestion- if you' re gonna set it that way, set it to where the nickel just breaks up. Same with tab discrimination.

 

[Bigtom123]

Thanks for the info, and I will look into the outlaw.Saw a few nice deals on the outlaw with 3 coils I think.
Its winter setting in now, so I'm just trying to pur something in motion. For the spring.

 

[jld66]

Well, from what you said, if you had a vaquero that sat in a closet because you were not sure if you were ground balancing it right. You will struggle with an outlaw also. It has manual GB too. Sorry but, it is pretty darn easy to ground balance a detector. There are basic instructions in the owners manual and if those, for some reason, are hard to understand for you. There are youtube videos that show you also. Combine the manual GB and the retune button on the outlaw, it may not be the machine for you either. The silver or even a compadre would probably suit you better.

 

[pinenut]

Well, from what you said, if you had a vaquero that sat in a closet because you were not sure if you were ground balancing it right. You will struggle with an outlaw also. It has manual GB too. Sorry but, it is pretty darn easy to ground balance a detector. There are basic instructions in the owners manual and if those, for some reason, are hard to understand for you. There are youtube videos that show you also. Combine the manual GB and the retune button on the outlaw, it may not be the machine for you either. The silver or even a compadre would probably suit you better.

The retune button is no big deal; just push the button in again with coil lifted, or quickly toggle from disc to all-metal then back to disc and it'll retune to normal threshold. Takes a whole second. GB is easy to learn. Hardest part is finding a clean spot of ground to set it... A "power balance" will get you even closer to where the GB should be set, and it's easy to learn too.
If you're smart enough to register on this forum and make a post, then you're able to GB a Tesoro. That said, the easiest manual GB Tesoro I have, is one modified with a 10 turn GB pot. I can get that one right on the edge, and still fine tune it either direction with a push of my thumb when needed. I think the only reason Tesoro ditched the 10 turn for the 3-3/4, was 'cause the 10 is too big to comfortably fit in the μMAX housing.

 

[jld66]

Well, from what you said, if you had a vaquero that sat in a closet because you were not sure if you were ground balancing it right. You will struggle with an outlaw also. It has manual GB too. Sorry but, it is pretty darn easy to ground balance a detector. There are basic instructions in the owners manual and if those, for some reason, are hard to understand for you. There are youtube videos that show you also. Combine the manual GB and the retune button on the outlaw, it may not be the machine for you either. The silver or even a compadre would probably suit you better.

The retune button is no big deal; just push the button in again with coil lifted, or quickly toggle from disc to all-metal then back to disc and it'll retune to normal threshold. Takes a whole second. GB is easy to learn. Hardest part is finding a clean spot of ground to set it... A "power balance" will get you even closer to where the GB should be set, and it's easy to learn too.
If you're smart enough to register on this forum and make a post, then you're able to GB a Tesoro. That said, the easiest manual GB Tesoro I have, is one modified with a 10 turn GB pot. I can get that one right on the edge, and still fine tune it either direction with a push of my thumb when needed. I think the only reason Tesoro ditched the 10 turn for the 3-3/4, was 'cause the 10 is too big to comfortably fit in the μMAX housing.

I know, right. When pumping the coil as its lowering, if tone get louder, GB needs to be lowered. Tone lowers or goes silent, GB needs to be turned up. Like operating a radio's volume knob. Can't hear it, turn it up. Loud, turn it down. Pretty basic stuff. I never held a detector before I got a vaquero and have no problems with GBing. Not to be a jerk, but just can't see why or how people struggle with it. Like you basically said, if you can't operate a computer, you can GB a detector.

 

[fltacoma]

Honestly, I had the same problem and I put my vaquero in the closet for a while, until I found out how to accurately ground balance. That's how I found a three ringer 13+ inches in the ground. It's well worth doing it. The Cibola is the lazy man's vaquero lol

 

[Mega]

Having the ability to manual GB is far better than a fixed GB,on my UK Vaquero called a Laser Trident 2 Extreme it comes with both manual and fixed which on the normal Vaquero its only manual,it only takes seconds anyway and just makes a detector get the maximum performance out of it.

 

[Miser67]

Manual ground balance is essential in mineralized ground. In low mineralization soil I have not found it so important. Just my experience.

 

[D&P-OR]

Yep!

Manual ground balance is essential in mineralized ground. In low mineralization soil I have not found it so important. Just my experience.

 

[BarberBill]

Ground balancing is relatively easy, think of turing a radio. If the sound increases as the coil approaches the ground, turn the knob back a bit. If it disappears, turn the knob up a bit. Once you're close, fine tune by tweaking until the sound is relatively even.
BB

 

[Stoof-tabsallday]

Ground balancing is relatively easy, think of turing a radio. If the sound increases as the coil approaches the ground, turn the knob back a bit. If it disappears, turn the knob up a bit. Once you're close, fine tune by tweaking until the sound is relatively even.
BB

I agree. And it's doesn't have to be perfect. As close as you can get it is usually better than preset detectors come from the factories.
I don't really go crazy while balancing it. If it sounds steady up and down I'm good.

 

[fltacoma]

I know that for the Vaquero, if you go slightly negative on the ground balance, then it will go a little deeper!

 

[pinenut]

I know that for the Vaquero, if you go slightly negative on the ground balance, then it will go a little deeper!

Try Monte's "power balance" technique, which is to ground balance in disc mode. You can get closer to maximum depth that way. ^_^

 

[pan4au]

just a thought..If you like the cibola.. you might want to buy a used one and do the ground balance mod.. I modded mine and very happy with it..

 

[Stoof-tabsallday]

Just be careful.
I also modded mine.
Can completely ruin the detector to the point that Tesoro can't fix it.
But for a cost they will always make it stock again if you send it in and didn't totally break anything...

 

[Bigtom123]

Haven't bought a tesoro yet,I have the funds but just rereading everything over and over.I appreciated all the help.
I like dd coils ,, i just find them great..I was ready to pull the trigger on a new vaquero when I got a pm from a member telling me the new dd coils that come on the v are junk.
Now I'm not so sure which way to go.
But you guys have all been a great deal of help,and that's greatly appreciated.

 

[pinenut]

Haven't bought a tesoro yet,I have the funds but just rereading everything over and over.I appreciated all the help.
I like dd coils ,, i just find them great..I was ready to pull the trigger on a new vaquero when I got a pm from a member telling me the new dd coils that come on the v are junk.
Now I'm not so sure which way to go.
But you guys have all been a great deal of help,and that's greatly appreciated.

Tesoro's DD (widescan) coils are not junk, but on most Tesoros, your discrimination will work better with their concentrics. I would still choose their newest 11x8 DD over the 9x8 concentric though... The 9x8 concentric works well, but weighs a bit more than the classic 8" donut and with all the spokes it has, the 9x8 tends to get caught more on twigs and such. The 11x8 DD (widescan) is very well made, light, sensitive and has good depth. It's a a good coil, but being a DD, discrimination won't be as clean as with a concentric...

SO... My choice on a new (or used) Vaquero would be to get it with the 11x8 DD, but only use it in places without too much trash, when you want good coverage and depth. I'd then want either (preferably both) the 8" donut and/or the 5.75" concentric to use in moderate and heavy trash... I don't know what sort of soil you have or how trashy your spots are, but the 8" donut and 5.75" concentric are my two favorite Tesoro coils. ^_^

 

[Bigtom123]

I live in western Pennsylvania, Just outside of Pittsburgh.. I think I'm gonna pull the trigger on v or cibola...One more question, if I run the disc to dime, will it have a broken signal if trash is near the dime?