GTP 1350: TO THE BEACH AND FALSING DISCUSSION

[DavHut]

OH be still my beating heart! you have said the magic words:

"Another beach I may try is very small but normally locals go there and have for years. Again I think this beach may be over looked by most detector people because of it's size."

"Pocket beaches", as I like to call them, are tops. LOTS of people + very little space = CONCENTRATED FINDS.

Ill take a small, densely packed beach any day over the "surf highways" some people go for.

As for your falsing problems the answer is twofold. One, work the SENS and reduce if needed to control some of that. The 1350 is very sensitive and your results will suffer, especially during the learning phase, if you try to crank the gain too much. Don't worry; you wont really lose much depth until you cross into the lower SENS settings - but you will suffer for it if you try to go to high and NOT understand all that's happening.

Big Cat said it well, when he said, "you get used to it." He's right, you do - but it takes awhile to learn the nuances. As you are getting there, watch that SENS and strive to feel your unit working.

Secondly, detecting is a physical activity. You need to develop a "swing rhythym" that has you slowing at the end of your swing turnarounds. This will help you keep your coil square to the ground at the ends of the swing.

Especially be aware of the turns YOU make as you reach the end of a pattern line or switch search directions. Normally this causes your swing to go wide and speed up dramtically - the 1350 then tries to compensate and likely falses as a result

The goal is to avoid "arcing" your swings and keep your coil on the same plane, at the same speed. It's similar to golf - it doesn't matter what the rest of you does, but that club face HAS to meet the ball in the right place to control the shot.

I tend to move my body around the swing as opposed to the other way 'round. The ancients used to view the earth as the center of the universe. Likewise, the coil becomes the center of my universe as I swing it. Some have said I look like Im waltzing or practicing karate as I swing the coil, but I am keeping the coil in line. If you understand ergonomics and body dynamics, you can directly apply them to your detecting.

The 1350 is constantly adjusting for conditions below the coil. The machine is easy to operate, but is demanding to master. It really is for everyone - newcomers who just want to turn on and go and experienced users who want to get the most. You'll need to sense all this and work with it, not against. Call it "Zen Detecting".

Keep at it and keep your batteries warm.

David

 

[Dick from IA]

Dave, A really nice review of detecting techniques for use with the 1350, but also for any detectorist with any brand.

I think the 1350 is the detector I'm going to buy very soon, and this forum has definitely swayed me from the BH Time Ranger over to the 1350. I used to think VDI and Constant Depth Indication was a must, but I'm learning more that listening and using the profiling feature will, in the long run, find more of the targets I'm searching for vs. trash.

Thanks.

Dick from IA

 

[DavHut]

"I think the 1350 is the detector I'm going to buy very soon, and this forum has definitely swayed me from the BH Time Ranger over to the 1350..."

+++ You should buy the best tools you can afford. Get them used if you need to... if they're quality, it wont matter. But, I think in the end, you'll find the Garrett to be a better built machine, built by real detectorists, for detectorists. Consider Charles Garrett - a genuine American detectorist, a man who engineers and USES his own equipment ~ and has for the last 40+ years.

On the other hand, when BH went foreign-conglomerate, their lineup went consumer-oriented (I know more than a few detectorists who miss the old Big Bud). Now, I am not knocking them outright, as they are designed to detect metal - and they work. But the ones Ive seen are, to me, well...fragile and toyish (I am sure someone who swears by BH's will sound off on this, so let me say these are only my opinions).

On the other hand, ANY Garrett is designed from the ground up as a detector that can,
A.) Detect deep and well, with usable features that matter.
B.) Take some punishment and last.

Also, I wonder just how easy it would be to get service with a BH should you ever need it. I know for a fact that Garrett is a top notch outfit in this regard. Just call them up and you'll get to talk to a person, probably Mrs. Mary Penland, their customer service contact (that itself is a rarity these days). I recall I once called because I needed some new battery holders for my 1250, as the originals had developed a crack.

I spoke with a nice guy who said they would have a few sent out to me right away, at no cost, and could he please have my name and address. I cant recall his name now, but I found out later he was a sales director at Garrett - and had answered the phone because Mary was away from her desk at that moment. Just ask around here about the service quotient at Garrett ~ then hold on to your hat!

There is such a thing as value. While you may spend less for the BH, I dont think you will ever regret the money spent on a Garrett. Once spent, the money is gone, but the legacy of your decision lingers forever.

"I used to think VDI and Constant Depth Indication was a must, but I'm learning more that listening and using the profiling feature will, in the long run, find more of the targets I'm searching for vs. trash..."

+++ It is a tendency in the modern techno-world to have a machine do everything for us, but in detecting, this reliance will hurt you.
The point I feel you are making, if I may be allowed to say so, is that if you are doing more screen watching than digging, your recovered target count is going to diminish.

I still think that a VDI readout is a good thing - as far as it goes. Always remember that ALL detectors can be fooled, quite easily, by the things beneath their coil. They are after all, DETECTORS, not absolute identification devices. A mangled pulltab will VDI as, well who knows? Alas, that coveted gold ring will read exactly the SAME as that pull tab.

Whether you offer a VDI reading, or a cursor as Garrett does, the indication is the same - and the decision is yours to dig. ALWAYS.***
Garrett has wisely given you all the information you need to decide to dig the target. More seems, well, superfluous. Using the most important detector of all ~ your trowel ~ is the only certain ID feature any of us have.

Whatever detector you get, make the habit of digging those targets that are repeatable and clean sounding. When your machine gives you these indications, bend your knee my friend, and dig.

David

***There are two features along these lines that I have seen work, in the hands of an experienced user. Whites offers a spectrum graph on the XLT that can make a difference and Tesoro has their VDI "Sum" mode on the Cortez.
The Spectrum is fussy to use, IMHO, and the Garrett will go a tad bit deeper than that Cortez, from what I've seen.

 

[Dick from IA]

Thanks, Dave, for taking the time to respond so completely to my inquiries. The more I hang around this Forum, the more impressed I am with the number of intelligent detectorists there are here.

One more question for you or anyone reading this:

Batteries: Should I use rechargeable, and if so, which brand and charger? Or is it just as reasonable to purchase regular alkalines?


Thanks Again. Dick from IA

 

[DavHut]

I use alkalines in my detectors. I keep my eye out for sales and buy bulk lots, Dick. I recently got a 24-pack for $4.66. Just keep your radar on and be ready to buy them when you see them, they're usually "counter top specials".

However alot of folks use the rechargeables, both NiCad (Nickle Cadmium) and especially the new NiMh(Nickle Metallic Hydride). Both of these have a huge current capacity, and they last long enough under the modest requirements of detecting. says it's okay to use them, too.

I got a set of four NiMh's tonight, in fact, with charger for $9.88 at WalMart. They're designed for digicams which have some serious current draw and that's what I got them for. They offer a slightly reduced voltage over alkalines(about .2 volts), but this is of no real consequence. However, they last for hundreds of charges and they do the job**.

** Dont let the NiMh batteries sit in their charger, plugged in though, once charged. They can be damaged if you do so. NiCads are less affected by this.

The NiMh's come in overnight charge, quick charge (2-4 hours) and super quick charge (1hour) varieties. The price goes up with each type and each has its own charger, as they're not to be interchanged, so watch out for that. Im cheap, so I got the overnighters.

NiMh's don't develop "memory", either, whereas NiCads will. If you dont know, using and then charging NiCads to the same level each time will cause them to take no more than that lcharge evel - even if its only half the total capacity! This takes time to develop and the best way to defeat it is to allow them to discharge fully, then fully recharge them.

Either way, NiCad or NiMh, these cells have come a long way in recent years and you would'nt be unwise to use them. However, they take some conscious thought and care to keep them at peak, so make sure you carry some spares - alkalines, of course!

 

[Dick from IA]

Wow, thanks for the very complete answer to my question, Dave.

Now to a decision; thinking Ace 250 now; still learning this hobby and I might like one more season of "Basic Training" before flying the big ones. And hey, what's the hurry, it's just a hobby. Isn't It???


Dick from IA

 

[DavHut]

"Wow, thanks for the very complete answer to my question, Dave.
As most of the folks round here can attest, keeping an answer under one sentence AINT my strong suit - there's just always more to say...

Now to a decision; thinking Ace 250 now; still learning this hobby and I might like one more season of "Basic Training" before flying the big ones. And hey, what's the hurry, it's just a hobby. Isn't It???
Just a hobby? Well, yes, until you find the "Big One". Then it turns into a compulsion REAL fast. For me, the B.O. was the very first thing I ever found with a 'tector, literally. I had just powered up my new Tesoro Silver Sabre II and didnt know nuttin...well, I knew that if you got a good signal in at least one direction, then dig it up.

I got one. I dug it up. "IT" was a 1936 Mercury Dime, buried next to a rusty old nail - I've been hooked ever since.

The 250 is a dandy little machine - I just got my first one a week ago. It is sensitive, with great gain. It also has a lightning fast response time and good target separation. I have been finding cents at 6" with the SENS turned down to half, lots of small fiddly bits and all while swinging at about any normal speed I want.

Pinpointing is easy enough and the weight and balance are superb. Get some 1/4" headphones with a 90 degree angled end connector and coiled cable - then turn the connector all the way around under if your right handed, fully up if your a southpaw. Relegate the ones that come with it as spares. This is a must do, hard learned from experience.

Dont trust the depth indicator totally (this might be the Yeller Feller's only shortcoming**). Use the coil lift method, ie, raise your coil to determine depth. If the signal dies when you lift it up from ground level, dig it - its a deep one! If you are waving your coil around on a dime indicator a half foot or more in the air, well, it's shallow. You get the point, Im sure

Nicest thing about the 250? You wont feel cheated and will keep it for a while, learning a lot.

Remember:
Dig all signals that are repeatable.
Dig all repeatable signals below 3", regardless of ID.
Dig all targets that signal with clean audio.

Carry spare batteries and headphones, a long trowel and smile a lot, 250 in hand.

David

** The only other one is that they should've made it in Garrett Green.