Little over a month with my Vaquero

[MonsterTab]

No major finds yet, have grabbed a little over 3 bucks in clad, and found some interesting relics. Rabies tag (1964) handful of bullets and shotgun shells. Best coin finds are 2 wheat pennies.

The machine is easy to use, easy to GB and picks up amazingly small targets with the stock coil. I am slightly concerned with depth however. It hits iron very deep, I hit a horse shoe at over a foot, but besides big targets I am not pulling much of anything beyond 5". I dig all solid hits with discrim set at around 11 oclock and my deepest "smaller" find has been a .45 brass casing at 6".

I do not doubt it will find Jewelry and I do not doubt it will hit gold rings fairly deep, 8"+. It air tests and picks up tiny pieces of gold and air tested on my wedding band at 14".

Silver coins though I do not think this is the ideal machine. I am air testing dimes at about 8" with sensitivity at 10 and threshold around 1 oclock. Buring coins in yard it goes silent deeper than 6".

I plan to keep this MD as a Jewelry hunter, but I may look into investing into another machine for deep coin duties. Anyone have/had similiar results?

Jewelry: I believe the Vaq is going to be as capable as most machines on the market.

Coins: Im on the fence. I might just not have had my coil over anything deep yet, but the air tests and buried coin tests have me concerned.

 

[Henrikras]

Hi Sir.
I enjoyed the Utube made by Silver53 with his VAQUERO. I am going with threshold close to max., and sens. 9-10. Thats keeps the deept on every target. Be carefull with the discrim !
11 oclock is to must, you could overlook small jewelry (small gold has low discrim). My setting is just above The iron (8-9 oclock), and then I am turning the potentiometer (discrim) until its go silence. Thats helps me which target I have do dig, or not dig. I Got the XP Deus and has done some test. The VAQUERO has more power, and has more deept than the Deus.
This VAQUREO gets 9 Stars form me.

 

[SpiritRelic]

Are you supertuning the vaq?.It don't get much deeper or better than the vaq.This has been tested and tested.The vaq and tejon are two of the deepest vlf detectors on the market.Just do the research on this issue.I have compared this myself.But you do not get the depth on the vaq without supertuning.Alot of times this procedure is forgotten when we get to the site we want to go deep on.It has happened to me Alot.I tell myself,i did not find any deep coins,then look at the vaq and sure nuff,no supertune!. :-[

 

[MonsterTab]

No, I have not been super tuning though I thought I had. I watched video of 53silver "Supertuning Vaquero" and have not been doing it properly. I have been ground balancing and have been running sensitivity at 10 and threshold at 1-3 oclock with discrimination around 11.

Apparently I need to run discrim lower and push sensitivity into the red. This is all great news as besides this little issue (which apparently was user error) the machine has been everything I have hoped for.


Thank you for the replies, cant wait to test out the new settings.

 

[Matt_SC]

Apparently I need to run discrim lower and push sensitivity into the red. This is all great news as besides this little issue (which apparently was user error) the machine has been everything I have hoped for.

Don't forget to also turn the threshold up (after you set the ground balance) as this is part of "supertuning" and will also increase depth.

 

[SpiritRelic]

Yes for max depth after everything is set,turn the threshold all the way clockwise .The vaq was made to be supertuned.The vaq is the only current model that has this superior advantage of supertuning .The Tejon does not have any advantage of supertuning.Neither the outlaw or golden etc...Do not forget while the vaq is supertuned you cannot switch into all metal pinpoint with the red button or you will blow your ears out!.If you want to hit the pinpoint button,first turn the threshold to a 12o'clock position.I have to buy me another vaq.I have sold two that i have had.A high tone and low tone.I got to get another vaq for real!.It is a deep coin detector for sure. :-D

 

[Matt_SC]

The vaq is the only current model that has this superior advantage of supertuning .

The Cibola can also be supertuned.

 

[SpiritRelic]

The vaq is the only current model that has this superior advantage of supertuning .

The Cibola can also be supertuned.

That's right!.I forgot about the Cibola.

 

[MonsterTab]

How do you know if its trash or just too deep? Meaning I am detecting in all metal for extra depth, find a good target. Upon moving discrim up I find it goes silent just below nickel.

Now assuming the discrim knob is doing two things, discriminating metals and losing depth then when it discriminates out couldn't that mean you cut depth to the point it could not see it anymore? Meaning a dime at 9" could get discriminated out because of depth but it would appear it got discriminated because of trash.

Understand? How do you differentiate between the two?

 

[Henrikras]

I'll made this "fast grip" swich on my VAQUERO, similar function as on the TEJON, like double discrim.. With that I don't have to screw at the discrim. potentiometer over a unknow target. Its telling me, " dig or not dig". If I want to Use the discrim. pot as standard, I simple leave the swich in OFF position. Wry do this! It's faster and gets me more time to search.

 

[spellman]

Dont forget to run your ground balance in the negative/ power balancing this also helps with depth. If your not sure about what I mean look up power balancing. There are alot of posts about it .

 

[SpiritRelic]

Here is a tip for a new vaq user.Set it up.Set disc at tab.Start by just finding coins.Don't worry about nothing else.Get ground balance,supertune if you want the extra depth,set the disc on tab.This is only to get you used to finding and pinpointing deep coins.Stay in disc mode.You do not loose much depth at all in the disc mode.The vaq is made more to stay in the disc mode.Meaning this detector does not switch back and forth from disc to all metal that easy.Don't go by what people say about running in low disc setting right now.You need to get the feel of locating deep coins without hitting a lot of trash.Just try it,You will like it.Then when you get the hang of the vaq,then lower the disc.When you go out and hunt this method you will be back to thank me. :-Q

 

[Rodger44]

Hi Henrikras can you give me your opinion on which detector you like the best in stability,depth, and discrimination on your vista gold , vaquero, and blisstool. Hope you can help me out. Thanks

 

[kingingkunsan]

I'll made this "fast grip" swich on my VAQUERO, similar function as on the TEJON, like double discrim.. With that I don't have to screw at the discrim. potentiometer over a unknow target. Its telling me, " dig or not dig". If I want to Use the discrim. pot as standard, I simple leave the swich in OFF position. Wry do this! It's faster and gets me more time to search.

You lost me. I guess I am in need of electronics course. I would have no idea how to achieve this feat. Besides if it improves the machine why has Tesoro not upgraded the Vaq with this feature? Again I am lost so maybe I am missing something.

 

[knightsquad]

Sometimes you just dont!
Dig it and find out, then you'll learn the sounds...
Listen for the Crackle!
AND raise your coil while sweeping. If you're still getting strong
signals and you're up a foot or more then you KNOW it's not a coin....

How do you know if its trash or just too deep? Meaning I am detecting in all metal for extra depth, find a good target. Upon moving discrim up I find it goes silent just below nickel.

Now assuming the discrim knob is doing two things, discriminating metals and losing depth then when it discriminates out couldn't that mean you cut depth to the point it could not see it anymore? Meaning a dime at 9" could get discriminated out because of depth but it would appear it got discriminated because of trash.

Understand? How do you differentiate between the two?

 

[atomicscott]

Are you supertuning the vaq?.It don't get much deeper or better than the vaq.This has been tested and tested.The vaq and tejon are two of the deepest vlf detectors on the market.Just do the research on this issue.I have compared this myself.But you do not get the depth on the vaq without supertuning.Alot of times this procedure is forgotten when we get to the site we want to go deep on.It has happened to me Alot.I tell myself,i did not find any deep coins,then look at the vaq and sure nuff,no supertune!. :-[

Yep, Spirit is right on! You gotta crank that sens way into the red zone and at least 3/4 to max on threshold to get the better depth.