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Hey Mr. Metal detector industry. Can we get with the program?

J

JASONSPAZ1

New member
Today, My Nephew got a toy Teddy Bear with USB ports on it. This Teddy bear which costs 39.99 can be hooked up to a PC, and the parents can go online and program it to talk to the child about the child's life. I asked myself, why do no Current detectors have USB ports, so I can edit programs and trade programs on line? Why do none of the detectors have higher resolution LCD screens like an iPOD or a Nintendo DS? The old argument of "A detector with those features would cost to much" is old.
HELLO! Have you seen the cost of todays High end machines. They cost as much or more than PC's and Laptops.
The technologies I just mentioned have been around for over 10 years. And all the detector industry has done is Re-hash and Re-introduce old models with new stickers. All of the current major detector manufactures are guilty of lagging in the R&D department. I hear through the forums that White's has a "long term R&D project' rolling out soon. I hope it is not just research and application of new adhesive sticker technologies. another example is Minelab. yes, the Explores SE, is nice and all. But why such a low system clock speed with an LCD as slow as spit dripping from a bully's lip. And where are the tiny battery packs that Mini DVR camcorders use?
I am not attacking any particular brand here. They all need to get with the program(pun intended).
Tesoro, maybe they are working on a DNA reading program that wont allow the detector turn on until the toggle knob scans your thumb and correctly id's you, and if it determines that you stole the detector your thumb will get "HoT". And maybe Garrett will come out with a fiber optic technology that will allow the machine to turn different shades of Green.
OK, I am getting silly and out of hand. I truly don't mean to offend any of the brand loyalists. I love my Garrett GTA-x 1250, and my Minelab Sovereign GT. But I love my USB ports as well as My Nintendo DS, iPOD and Teddy bear. And I would like to have a detector that is even mid range in performance with the user ease and application of todays mainstream technologies. What Happens if the Japanese enter the detector market? I'll tell you what will happen the detector industry will get Pearl Harbored and only a couple will survive. Please Mr. Metal Detector industry. Get with the latest technologies and merge it with your current detector in field performance. That merger would equal a new and great revolution. Imagine being able to plug your detector into the PC and get a readout of all the targets your machine sounded off on. Being able to show off and share on line that great program you created would be awesome.
Once again I do not mean to personally offend anyone, I am just trying to start and good healthy debate.

Thanks
JASONSPAZ1
 
You should look outside the U.S. for innovation.

What you ask for (and more) is already here from Titanium Systems.
Built in library to analyse/store/list finds.
Infra red port to exchange programs.
Wireless headphones.
U.S.B. port

Titanium is a French company. XP, another French company produces Tesoro type machines which are light, low battery consumption and some have an all metal primary search mode that combines the all metal mode with similtanous multi-tone discrimination. Wireless headphones with the transmitter built into the circuit board. Upgrade by chip replacement (and its a cheap upgrade you can do yourself in a few minutes).

Its the large manufacturers who keep turning out old machines with little more than new decals.
 
Can you pm me a link to them?
 
My oldest brother back in the 50's was finding the same kinda stuff we are now, and about the same depth, and if you read the post from the guy that's the engineer that designed almost all the detectors on the market, i think on one of the Fisher forums, where he works now in Texas , he says everything is bout like it was in the 90's, and HE'S THE MAN, many old timers have told me the same, and think on it,,, my detectors are 10 yr old technology, and just as good, better than most right now, somebody draggin their feet, due to the weight of decals and touch pads, c'mon folks, get inside the box, we still flyin piper cubs, why not a f-16, or a space shuttle, OHHHH Welllll, I enjoy what i got and what i do, specially ridin around in my 13 yr old car too :twodetecting::thumbup::usaflag::usmc:
 
Great logo, Bugar!

...I agree, some improvement could be made.

Yet there's a difference between concept, and reality of technical capability.

Some guy named Leonardo had all kinds of concepts, a long time ago, but the technical capacity and practical components were not yet available to fabricate the designs.

Hobby level transmitting devices are limited in RF output by the fed.

...We can't have folks running around scorching the earth, microwaving their toes, and interfering with TV stations!
There's only so much that can be done with limited rf output.

Commercial firms licensed to operate expensive sophisticated geophysical logging equipment certainly exist doing extensive work , in the oilfield industry, for one example. If there is sufficient reward for the efforts, a way shall be found to get the job done.
hh
rmptr
 
Hi, Boy Are You Right It's A Big Joke. Some Companies Have Not Even Figured Out What Headphone Jack To Put On A Detector Yet They Think They Run In Stereo. Another Good One Is They Claim More Depth (duh) Do You Think It's Because The Coils Are Getting Bigger With Each Passing Year. Next Year You Will Be Swinging A 10x14" As A Standard Coil. My 20 Year Old Machine Will Go Just As Deep As These New Toys On The Market. I Had A New ID Machine That Lied To Me So Much And Made Me So Mad That I Tied A Rope On It And Dragged It Home Behind My Truck And Laughed All The Way Home......The Only Improvements That I Have Seen In The Industry Is Lighter Machines And Less Battery Consumption But They Feel So Cheap And Are Made So Much Cheaper Now. The Battery Prices Are So High Now So You Lose Anyways. But On The Brighter Side You Use Less Batteries Now Cause You Can't Afford The Gas Money To Go Anywhere Anyways. Your Right About The New Machines Coming Out I Can See Them Designing Them Now "lets add another useless knob,change the sticker,up the model one number and charge a $100.00 more we will sell millions" ........It's Crazy For Sure....Thanks
 
JASONSPAZ1:

Great post! I have my original Garrett Money Hunter TR from 1978. Tomorrow my new and improved 2008 Garrett Ace 250 arrives. And it is amazing that the DEPTH on the two machines has not improved more than 25% in 30 years!
Just consider how far these other common technologies have come from 1978 to 2008:
--Portable phones (from briefcase size to tiny hand-helds)
--Computers (Remember the Commodore Vic 20, 4K RAM, uses TV as monitor, cassette tape recorder to store files?)
--Photography (From film to very high-tech digital)
--Internal combustion engines (from a goal of 1-HP per cubic inch, to now several HP per cubic inch)
--Internet (In 1978: Wazzat?)
--Ham radio (My current radio, Yaesu FT-817ND, the size of a soft-cover book, does far more than three radios the size of VCR's put together from 1978.
The technology surely exists and is not that expensive. I dream of a metal detector the size of my Ipod, with a walking cane for a sensor, which I can take into forbidden areas... :jump:
 
Well, first it's supply and demand. Fortunately (for us) millions upon millions aren't buying metal detectors like they're buying iPods, cell phones and computers. High tech, low dollar doesn't apply as much to a very small hobby industry. I'd imagine a large portion of the price of the detectors is used to pay the salaries of the engineers and brains behind these machines. Plus, most are made here in the U.S. so there's a certain living wage which we demand (and that's a good thing) that keeps the prices beyond your standard high volume, Chinese made cell phones, mp3 players and PDA's. This is a hobby. Relatively speaking, that same Coinmaster 5000 that sold for $369.00 in 1985 by todays dollar would be thousands. There's a LOT of technology packed into todays machines that (in my opinion) warrant an $800 purchase price. When you figure some people spend tens of thousands of dollars on other hobbies (race cars, car restoration, one lousy rare baseball card), $800 for a feature packed detector isn't much.
 
The remote control cars can be hooked up to the laptops to get optimal performance, detectors should be the same way.
 
As nice as a backlit LCD display would be on a MD, it draws considerable current to run it. To remain afield for awhile with this type of display requires lithium-ion batteries that are quite pricey! Besides, is that kind of screen resolution really needed to indicate a find? It would be more of a novelty IMHO.
 
Yes, I have been real critical of this industry even though I am the new guy! I am not selling anything and have been in Amature Radio and the Auto Industry for years! So I spot bad marketing trends like a shark detects injured prey int he water!!!LOL When you look at the insane amounts they charge us for something as simple as a metal detector we really do not get even close to our money's worth. First the screens on these all digital target ID units stink! My wifes $20 cell phone has a much better screen that is in color and has great resolution. My $500 cell phone has a screen good enough to watch movies and look at blue prints on! Where is the built in GPS also on my cell phone. Where are the topographical maps. Where is the data loging features and soil mapping etc....Where is the blue tooth for head phones and cell phones???? Where are the USB ports so I can synch my detector with my laptop or use my laptop with it to enhance it's processing power? Where are the broad spectrum pule induction units for $500 or less????? Where is the built in digital camera for takeing shots to document your find???? I already know that dealer on this site hate me and so will a lot of detectorist! I think that most of the people in this hobby have been trained like lap dogs to buy what ever the big names in the market turn out! It does not matter if it actualy has useful features or not or if it is any better then the things that came before it they have to have it! Soon they realize that ttheir old unit worked better so they sell their newest detector for a loss and buy back their old unit etc...... It is just crazy! Case in point what does a an F70 or an F5 or 250 ACE do that an old Whites 6000 Pro can not do? So if you already have something like Whites 6000,Fisher 1266 or a Tesoro LOBO Super Traq. why keep buying more of the same? Now I can see if someone is just getting started sure buy the new stuff but if you already got some premium high end stuff what is the point the new stuff is not going to do anything that your old stuff can not already do. How many detectors does it take to really do a good job? I mean do we really need 5-6 detectors each? Ultimately if someone has the money and wants to spend it that is their business but I think that too many people seem to fall intot he trap of thinking that they have to have the latest gear or they have to have a different detector for everything they do one for relics,one for coin shooting, one for wet sand, one for dry sand, one for under water, one for gold nuggets and only gold nuggets, one for rocks that have fallen from space, one for high iron sites one for no iron sites I mean it really gets silly at some point. My father in law has 54 rifles and shotguns. I hunt everything he hunts plus I target shoot in competition and I have 2 pistols, 2 shotguns, 3 rifles two of the rifles are antiques that are used regularly. In fact I shoot more rounds down range in a year then ever does. He does not own those weapons because he needs them he owns them because he really likes to collect things more then use things! Now I have no problem with people collecting things as long as they admit that this is a hobby seperate from what these devices are used for! The rifle industry has tried to make people think they need a gun for every occassion and every animal. They get people to either trade in and trade up or they just get you to buy something that really does not do anything that your other rifles do not already do. I see the same type of thing in this hobby.
 
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