GTI 2500

[Reggie]

I have been using the 2500 for months now, and I have observed the following with it. The pinpoint button locates the target very well, but in pinpoint mode the image depth and the target I.D. are way off, compared to both the real target as well as the reading in discriminate and in all metal "operate" modes. In short, the pinpoint readings are way off, except to zero in on the target.

Second observation: the 9.5 inch coil is accurate as to size and target i.d. to only 4" depth most of the time. Rarely it is accurate as to size image and target i.d. to 6". However, the 12" coil is accurate to 6" depth most of the time, and sometimes accurate to 7". The pinpoint problems persist with the larger coil, however.

The most frustrating thing is that even with proper target i.d., the size indicated is often much larger than the target's true size. So I might think I have found an aluminum can even though I know better when the target in my test garden (18 mos. old) actually is a quarter or a dime. Incidentally, I find that pinpointing in the all metal mode using the X pattern is better than using the pinpointer button in identifying the target and its size. This situation happens often, unless I'm digging a target less than 4 to 6 inches. Is all this common with the 1500 and 2500?

 

[bnstone]

That's funny because I have had the exact opposite experience with my 2500. I find, when hunting in discrimination mode with search image on, the initial size and depth readings can be pretty flaky. Once I switch to pinpoint and go back over the target it locks on solid in both size and depth even up to 6". In fact, I've been amazed at the accuracy of the depth reading. I can dig the hole to the depth indicated and many times my target will be sitting at the bottom of the plug I fold back or right on top of the hole. It's been a quantum leap over my old Bounty Hunter in the amount of digging and size of the hole I need to locate targets. I can't speak to the coil differences. I have the 9.5 and 12 but I have only hunted with the 9.5 so far. I'm curious as to which experience is most common among 2500 users?

 

[Uncle Willy]

Centering the target correctly is absolutely critical on GTI's for readings to be accurate. It takes some practice. Are you watching the signal strength indicator when centering your target in pinpoint?

Bill

 

[cwilk]

I find pinpointing very accurate except for targets on the surface which I sometimes miss by up to 2 inches especially if I've been hunting for awhile or if there is more metal buried nearby. I find depth to be accurate down to 5 or 6 inches and I find imaging accurate to about that depth as well. I am not a fan of digging targets much deeper than 6 inches anyway but if I am in an area where I am finding a lot of old coins I dig targets down to about 10 inches. Many of those coins I have found deeper than 6 inches have imaged to size C and the deepest my machine normally indicates a size B target is 7 inches and that is only if it is lying perfectly parallel to the grass and soil conditions are optimal. This is my experience in moist dirt. I find sand adds about 1-2 inches to these numbers, very dry dirt subtract some depth. I rarely dig pop and beer cans anymore but I do wonder what I might be missing as you seem to be. My 2500 (or it's operator) is fooled most of the time by pipes or structural metal at around 10-12 inches where just a bit of the metal is sticking up into the detectors range in discriminate. Like you, I also often pinpoint deeper targets in All Metal mode to solve this problem.

I dig about 95 percent of all targets I detect size A, B or C. I am finding more and more large coin spills sized C and lately I have been digging a lot of size D targets hoping for a really big coin spill but getting only junk so far. I've also had a few coin spills cause an overload signal. My largest spill of over 60 coins imaged as size C.

I am not a fan of the 12 inch coil yet. Sometimes when I use it, I do well. Other times I can't pinpoint with it at all. I blame this all on the operator. I find it throws the detector out of balance. I really like the 4.5 inch scorcher coil. If they could figure out how to make a 6 inch imaging coil I would probably buy one immediately.

I look forward to Bill or John or Terry or some of the other 2500 users whom I rely on answering. Hope this was at least somewhat helpful.

Chris

 

[Reggie]

Yessir, I do watch the strength indicator as prescribed. I learned on the 1500, but got the 2500 for relic hunting civil war sites. Maybe my machine needs another, second, recalibration? Or is this phenomenon common? Thanks.

 

[Reggie]

I find the 12" coil to be usable by mounting it backwards-to distribute the weight closer to me, thus minimizing the naturally poor balance in swinging the big coil. The 12 inch coil goes deeper without any apparent loss of sensitivity for small objects like coins.

 

[Uncle Willy]

It might need tweaked a bit. Contact Melinds at Garrett. melinda.harper@garrett.com

Bill

 

[cwilk]

Do detectors require 'tune ups"? I guess they do take quite a bit of wear and tear, at least mine does.

Chris

 

[Mick in Dubbo]

G'day Reggie.
What you just described, is what I was finding when I first Bought my 1500. After 25 hours of use in the field (including 6 hours of practice at home) it started to make sense. After a few more hours, I got even better (which is where I am up to at the moment).
The Key to the problem, is that you haven't got the target properly centred, even though you feel you have. I'm not having a shot at you, 'cause I was doing exactly the same thing. I was dead sure that I had the targets centered! After ringing up my local dealer, who told me to pay close attention to the intensity meter and let the detector tell you when it's centred, I started to improve.
After a few more hours, and a bit more experimenting, I found a better, easier and more reliable method. What I now do, is when I have located a target, I go over it with the pinpoint on to get a depth reading. The shallowest reading, will put a target in the centre of the coil, but the main aim here is to make sure that you have the coil high enough to give a reading of at least 3 inch's. Any less than that, and the pinpoint won't function properly. The next step, is to hit the pinpoint button again (called detuning). This will shrink the pinpoint down to a narrower signal. The big pay of to doing this, is that you will get a far more reliable size reading. I find that doing this, will lock screw caps into size C 99.9% of the time, while locking a coin of a diameter of an inch or less into size B 99.9% of the time!
As far as accuracy at depth goes, 6 inches is about where it will maintain an accurate sizing (from what has been said here in the past). When you think about it, that coil in the middle (the sizing coil) is only little, so you can't expect it to go too deep.
If for some reason, you have a bit of trouble locating a particular target, then you can apply a standard concentric pinpoint. Press the pinpoint button, go over the target and centre the coil, then slide it back towards yourself. The target will disappear under the 12 o'clock position of the middle coil. Practice with a coin you can see at home.
Good luck.
Mick Evans.

 

[liltracs]

Ive only had my 2500 a few months also. Its took some practice but this s a deadly machine. Centering the target is critical for a proper ID and depth reading. I use mine in both modes w/ great sucess.This is a very sensitive machine so you have to be real meticulous in your techniques. It shows a half dollar as a size b target which I think is awesome.Depth in all metal is also unbeleivable. The only issues Ive seen are w/ 24 notches of disc. A zinc penny will range kinda wide. In all metal thiers no issue with this. Also I get a false coin signal bounce about a foot from a buried aluminun can which also is no big concern just a technique to learn.

 

[Reggie]

Thanks for your reply Mick. I have done all you have said, but still observe this phenomenon. In fact I learned the specifics of this observation in my coin garden where I KNEW the targets I was hitting and thus could be sure of what was happening. I have left a number of good I.D. targets in the ground because the imaging signals indicated large objects. Now I am very sure the sizing was off, though I had centered the targets. I take a long time to center each beep with this machine, while my White's DFX and MXT are much quicker to center. I like the imaging concept enough to take this additional time. I can only guess that my machine calibrations are off, from what you guys are experiencing with yours. Thank you. Reggie

 

[cwilk]

You are not the first person who has said to turn the coil around. I have not tried it yet. What about the coil wires which will now be within the field of the coil. The wire generates a small field too. Seems like they would interfere. I have to try this out.

I had my 12.5 inch coil permanaently mounted on my spare lower rod assembly. I keep my 4.5 inch scorcher on it because I use that coil all the time now. Besides my Lesche digging tool, which I received as a gift, it is my favorite MD accessory.

Chris

 

[Reggie]

Out of an abundance of caution, I turned the coil back the way it was intended to be used. Same result. Imaging is different in pinpoint, which is different from All Metal mode, which is different from Discriminate modes (jewelry, custom). The target i.d.s are all different, too. I do get more accurate results in Discriminate modes, though target i.d. is always to the left of the correct indication (e.g., i.d.= cent, when the target is a dime or a quarter). ?????

 

[cwilk]

When using my 12.5 inch imaging coil this happens to me (targets indicating one notch to the left) all the time when I don't have the target properly centered. Like I said a few posts ago, I sometimes have a difficult time pinpointing with the large coil. I also made a post a while ago after a hunt when I was using the 12.5 inch coil and my batteries were low I found absolutely nothing. I went home and got my stock coil and went over the same area and found about a dozen coins. I was about to give up on the coil but decided to try it with freshly charged batteries. Had a great hunt. Found a mess of coins. Almost all were IDed correctly. Found a ring. Was pinpointing right on. I did a factory reset after installing the big coil. This seemed to work. I never have to reset when changing to the sniper coil nor have I ever read any place that reseting is necessary after changing coils. That said, I now always do it when I swap to the 12.5 inch coil although I might be imagining better performance. It may be that with practice I am getting better.

Chris

 

[Reggie]

I found that experience helps with this machine, as with all my other machines-GTI 1500, CZ20, DFX and MXT. That's why a planted a test garden in Jan, 2007, with all U.S. coins at 1 or 2 inch spacing. I now know where the coins are without a detector! But this machine has recently been giving me 3 different signals in 3 different modes: discriminate, all metal and pinpointer. The I.D. was different in all 3 modes; the depth was about the same in 2 modes, but way off in the other; the imaging was wrong MOST of the time. So UPS has it for a vacation trip to Garland, TX. The good people there had recalibrated it months ago, so I suspect a circuit or the entire board is giving up the ghost. Whatever it takes to be " as new" is what I want! Thanks, everyone for your suggestions.

 

[cwilk]

How much does a tune up cost? How old is your 2500? How long has it actually been since you had it in for servicing?

Chris

 

[Paul(NWO)]

n/t

 

[Reggie]

They only needed one coil-which is the one I've used 100% of the time for hunting. I just used the 12 inch coil to check on its depth readings in my coin garden. Thanks. Reggie

 

[Paul(NWO)]

if not you will have to pay for what's done except for coils. My old GTA1000 was sent in with specific things that I wanted done and they charged me for those but asked if If I wanted some things done for free. What Garrett did for free was of greater monetary value than what they charged me for. They asked me to send in the unit with the coil and a new coil was thrown for free. Out of warranty and only adjustments to be made should be way less than $100. If new parts are needed then the fees will ad up. If you're not experiencing problems then there's not much to be done! Don't worry about Garrett honesty and integrity. They beat any auto manufacturer and our government.
HH

 

[cwilk]

I am merely wondering if it would be prudent to send the old girl to Garland next Winter for a checkup. It couldn't hurt and it will be well within warranty period. I would be willing to pay shipping both ways. I have dealt with Garrett customer service on a few occasions and have always felt really great afterward. One of the rubber pieces on the arm rest of my 2500 was torn and they overnighted me new. At the same time I had a tiny wobble in my shaft for which they also sent a part. They have an excellent business model and unless they do something stupid, like outsource manufacturing or service, they own me as a loyal user for life.

What is the significance of NWO?

Chris