This Compass 99B was manufactured over forty years ago.How does your current detector compare with my air test results with this old friend? Clad Quarter 10" Clad Dime 8" Zinc Penny 8" Nickle 8"
Find's Treasure Forums
Welcome to Find's Treasure Forums, Guests!
You are viewing this forums as a guest which limits you to read only status.
Only registered members may post stories, questions, classifieds, reply to other posts, contact other members using built in messaging and use many other features found on these forums.
Why not register and join us today? It's free! (We don't share your email addresses with anyone.) We keep email addresses of our users to protect them and others from bad people posting things they shouldn't.
Click here to register!
Need Support Help?
Cannot log in?, click here to have new password emailed to you
Changed email? Forgot to update your account with new email address? Need assistance with something else?, click here to go to Find's Support Form and fill out the form.
Maybe an air test isn't a good indicator of a detector's performance?
- Thread starter Ron from Michigan
- Start date
Uncle Willy
New member
I was a happy Compass owner for many years but air tests mean absolutely nothing other than to give an idea as to what your detector might do under absolute ideal conditions - but no one hunts in the air. 
One of my first Compass detectors was the 77 IB.
Bill
One of my first Compass detectors was the 77 IB.Bill
Uncle Willy is right: You'd have a dickens of a time trying to replicate that depth in field conditions. The problem with those old TRs was they didn't work in minerals. Even moderate minerals (normal ground) would decrease your depth to about 6" on a penny. Sure you could get "good at it" and "ride the knob" with precision (as experts learned to do) to keep it on the threshold. But that was a bear.
I did see one type of ground that allowed those old Compasses to get every bit as much depth in an air test, as they did in the ground: We have a beach near us that is bleached white sand. No mineralization at all, especially on the dry sand. Some guys using Compasses (and other TR all-metals of that era) on this beach back in those times, could indeed get a coin down to nearly 10", if they struggled to listen for the whispers. That's because going through this sterile mineral free sand, was like detecting through air
About the only benefit your Compass will have nowadays, is not to compete for depth, but to cut through nails as if they weren't there. Those of all-metal TRs would pass (null) over individual nails, but if a coin were under nails, (even up to 3 or 4) it would get a conductive signal. Sure maybe not too deep, and sure no TID, and sure a bear-to-keep balanced, but definately has its place in ghost town hunting in some instances, even today.
I did see one type of ground that allowed those old Compasses to get every bit as much depth in an air test, as they did in the ground: We have a beach near us that is bleached white sand. No mineralization at all, especially on the dry sand. Some guys using Compasses (and other TR all-metals of that era) on this beach back in those times, could indeed get a coin down to nearly 10", if they struggled to listen for the whispers. That's because going through this sterile mineral free sand, was like detecting through air
About the only benefit your Compass will have nowadays, is not to compete for depth, but to cut through nails as if they weren't there. Those of all-metal TRs would pass (null) over individual nails, but if a coin were under nails, (even up to 3 or 4) it would get a conductive signal. Sure maybe not too deep, and sure no TID, and sure a bear-to-keep balanced, but definately has its place in ghost town hunting in some instances, even today.
I just finished testing my Hunter BFO from Garrett and it approached 7" inches on a nickel -but you had to listen to the subtle charactestic change in the background. When you put these detectors in bad ground is when the differences show up. The BFO is similar in that you get natural rejection of paper clips and small iron fragments and are still able to find gold objects covered by these hindrances. They can make awesome tot lot machines.
Some of the best performing units like the Explorer don't air test well, but is one of the best metal detectors for depth.
Tom,I'm from that era of BFOs and TRs.Your point is that threshold knob would have to be adjusted every few seconds to keep it at max sensitivity,and depth in the field is not going to reflect the air test at all..These old detectors do excel in some conditions.Again I agree.
LOL there's enough space in that unit to pack a lunch.
I think the older hunters are better,because of the extra effort made with the quirks of these early metal detectors.By the way I have been tempted to buy one of those early BFO units.
I love my bfo in some conditions, but like Tab said I feel like I'm carrying a suitcase around. Don't know how I did it back then. Oh wait. I remember. We had an adjustable extension that would let you manage the weight and bulk by using both arms to swing the thing. Still got mine.
Slingshot,I had one of those extensions on my Garrett Coin Hunter TR and it actually worked pretty well.
BarberBill
New member
I've had the impression that air tests didn't compare too directly to actual in ground results, but were useful to compare one detector to another on a testing table. On the other hand, this seems to be in error if we are talking about a detector that tests pretty well in the air versus another that doesn't, but does well in the ground. I guess when all's said and done, how deep you're digging targets with whatever you use indicates the performance of that particular unit.
BB
BB
G/Day slingshot,
I have still got a soft spot for my old BFO, I have yet to find a detector that will outperform it as an ore sample tester, it has been spot on every time and I am certain I would have tossed aside a lot of rocks that contained microscopic gold if I had not test them with the BFO. I still use it for this purpose.
Cheers,
Adrian SS
I have still got a soft spot for my old BFO, I have yet to find a detector that will outperform it as an ore sample tester, it has been spot on every time and I am certain I would have tossed aside a lot of rocks that contained microscopic gold if I had not test them with the BFO. I still use it for this purpose.
Cheers,
Adrian SS
BarberBill,that's exactly why I usually hunt with my Explorer.
AdrianSS,what is the BFO unit you still use?