METERS ARE USELESS..STAY WHERE YOU_R_TESORO

[Hombre]

Howdy CandyCane
What is your position on metered detectors? I allready figured out that you have a first model Bandido, because you was asking about a Shadow X2 7 inch coil for it on the Classified section. Did that 7 inch Tesoro coil meet your expectations? I like that coil on my Bandido, it's great in the nasty nail infested places I get to hunt in. For the record I like metered detectors, they have their place in my battery. Happy Hunting to you............Hombre

 

[slingshot]

Ok, everybody. What about TONE ID's? If the meter doesn't have the subtle ID characteristics, won't the TONE ID machine give better info? I have adjusted my Royal Sabre where the tone "breaks" at tabs and there are subtle differences not only in the tabs but also in targets according to their size and composition. The BH Tracker series is another example of this type. Also, with the tone id you still have the beep-dig capabilities without having to hesitate and look at a meter. The reason I have my Royal Sabre after all these years is it can be a (1) notch detector, a (2) standard beep-dig detector, and (3) a tone ID detector.

 

[candycane]

Howdy CandyCane
What is your position on metered detectors? I allready figured out that you have a first model Bandido, because you was asking about a Shadow X2 7 inch coil for it on the Classified section. Did that 7 inch Tesoro coil meet your expectations? I like that coil on my Bandido, it's great in the nasty nail infested places I get to hunt in. For the record I like metered detectors, they have their place in my battery. Happy Hunting to you............Hombre

Hombre,
I never held a detector in my hands until last November until I received my work visa [ in emergency medicine ] from Australia. I am working with the Royal Flying Doctor Service and hope one day to become a emergency room doctor. I am a small frame woman and detecting with a Minelab Sovereign wore me out fast. When I was in Perth I visited a detector shop and held a Tesoro and I was hooked. Now I own 3 Tesoro's and 1 Minelab gold machine...

Brandy

 

[Southwind]

If the meter doesn't have the subtle ID characteristics, won't the TONE ID machine give better info?

IF this is the case then you're right. But in most cases I believe the same circuit that feeds the audio feeds the display. That is to say that same subtle audio tone should also be seen on the display, and it's up to the user to know what to listen for or see. When I hear that broken signal I see the same on my display. I listen for that signal they may only give a quick solid high(tone ID on) tone in one direction, and when I look at the display I will see that quick solid high tone as a momentary high number as well. The different is the SignaGraph will often give you a clue that its likely a piece of iron, and that the signal is probably the result of the wraparound effect rather than a coin.

 

[Southwind]

At the risk of sounding like a Whites DFX commercial I'd like to explain why I prefer a meter using the DFX as an example.

My days of digging everything that makes a sound is gone. Hats off to those who do and I did at one time, but I no longer care to. Now I know you are thinking about all that good stuff I'm missing by my cherry picking, but let me explain my choice of using selective recovery.

Often I have time for a short hunt and will zip through a site relying on my detector, and experience, to make the most of the time I have. Many is the time that when I do have more time I return to the site I spent 30 minutes at and spend hours combing every inch and digging every signal. What I find is that once in a great while I will find something good I missed the first time, but the great majority of the time there will be nothing worth recovering. Because of this I am very comfortable doing the cherry picking I do.

Since I'm am a confessed cherry picker, having the very best cherry picker is a top priority. I chose the DFX because it is, in my opinion, the very best cherry picker money can buy. Some people prefer a beep N dig detector, but myself I want a detector to give me as much information as possible to make my decision to recover or not on. As far as I know there is no other detector that gives the user as much information about a target as the DFX. You don't just have a beep to base the decision to recover on, but 4 forms of audio and 4 forms of display information. Thats 8 different forms of input to base my decision on. Now before you start complaining about it be complicated, the DFX can be a simple beep and dig detector as well. You simply ignore all the other forms of information other than the beep.

In the end we all know success comes less from the right detector, and more from getting the coil over a good target. Even a beginner with a $100 detector can make some incredible finds if you get to the right spot.

 

[ZincolnDigr]

Great post Southwind! Spot on!

 

[JHM]

Knowing how you detector reacts to different targets at different depths and around trash is more important than features. This takes time and effort. Meters can be useful if you can read the display and understand what it's telling you. It's true that ground minerals, depth, and trash can effect the display. The same can be said about any tone ID detector whether it has a meter or not. They are good in the right situation. Beyond that it's time to use the shovel. I've never met a detector I didn't like.

 

[Hombre]

I had a DFX for 6 years, tried every combination of settings on that machine, and my Wifes Tesoro Toltec ll would outperform it every time in the 'relic' type environment. What I mean by relic type hunting, these are places where an old house once stood, old school house, even an old Victorian house that is still occupied. I wanted a machine that would ignore small rusty ferrous targets, and still pick up the nickle and above higher conductors. The DFX that I had for so long was NOT that machine. I have had both machines, and compared them side by side, and the Toltec ll always found more in the nasty nail infested places that I usally hunt in. My very first detector was a White's XLT that I bought in 1994 and it was a nice machine, I then bought my wife the Toltec ll so she could join me and she became very good with it.

I never paid much attention to the Tesoro, as I prefered my XLT, but I could not help but notice that my wife was coming up with some nice finds rivalling my finds. This went on for several years and in the year 2001, White's came out with the new DFX, WOW !! I thought. I've gota get me one of those!! I soon traded my XLT for the new kid on the block ( DFX ). I liked it for a while, and I thought it was a souped up XLT, wrong!! IT was something less!!! The XLT was much more stable in the relic type places that I hunt in, and was sorry that I traded it for the DFX. Heck! My non metered Tesoros will whup up on the DFX in these type scenarios. By the way! I still have the Toltec ll, plus a couple of other metered machines. OK your turn. Respectfully.................Hombre

 

[Southwind]

That is interesting since my experience has been just the opposite.

I'm not familiar with the Toltec II, but a good hunting buddy had a Toltec 100 that I thought was one of the best until I bought a Whites Eagle Spectrum. In 1991 I bought the Eagle Spectrum because my hunting buddies had new top of the line machines. A Garrett Master Hunter and the Toltec 100. We took them to our local park, as we always did to test a new detector, and the Eagle cleaned house. Coin after coin was found that neither the Master Hunter or Toltec would even make a sound on.

In 2001 I decided it was time to upgrade again, hoping to pull a few more goodies out of the park that my Eagle had pretty much cleaned down to 10", so I bought a XLT. I tried everything possible but the XLT just didn't seem to have the performance my old Eagle had. It was a great detector, but it could not pull anything out my Eagle had missed. After 2 years I sold the XLT and bought a new DFX. Right off the bat I was back to pulling old coins from that park again. Not so much deeper coins, but coins that had been missed from being masked by junk and the likes.

I learned a valuable lesson about embracing technology some years ago about computers. I was your typical devout DOS man. I had tried Windows 2.5 and was not impressed. A good friend, also a computer guy, was always trying to get me to go to Windows claiming it was better. I used some valid reasoning to stand by my guns saying that Windows was just a lot of overhead that slowed the computer down. I would say I could do anything in DOS, and faster, than he could in Windows. This was true until processor technology caught up. I believe the same is true with detectors. For a short time manufactures were adding tons of features that only seemed to slow the detector down. What use is a detector that can sample the ground 10,000 times if you've got to hold the coil steady for 2 minutes? Detector processors are now starting to catch up to the features. The DFX, for example, has a crap load of features to enhance its ability to adapt to pretty much any hunting condition or situation, yet it still has good fast response.

I now embrace computer technology because it makes my job much easier, as does detector technology.

I think once you get used to a detector, unless you have a huge improvement over your old one, like the Eagle did for me, you tend to feel the new one is a lesser detector. Contrary to what many believe, detector technology is a constantly improving thing. Faster processors, better target ID'ing and separation and better ground condition handling gives the advantage to the newer detectors. Something we just don't see it because we have become so accustom to the old "reliable standby"

 

[Hombre]

Howdy southwind
I'm glad the DFX is working for you! It was just not my cup of tea, and instead of moving forward in technology, I think that White's took a step backwards with the DFX. I HAD the DFX for SIX years, and tried the stock Coins & Jewelry program, and while the DFX had a stronger audio response on the medium depth coins ( six to seven inches) it never found anything deeper than my XLT. Neither of these two detectors do as well in the places I like to hunt in, as I like two pole filter machines, like my Tesoros and my White's IDX PRO modified. I don't hunt many Parks that are wide open, where a fast swing detector would excell at, and the DFX or XLT has that in spades. I tried tweeking the settings on the DFX, and every time it would change something else, and make the DFX unstable. I don't know, maybe I should have sent it back to Sweet Home to have it checked out, maybe I had a bad one. I even read the Jeff Fosters book several times, and used some of his methods to get the DFX to perform. Never hapened. Regards............Hombre

 

[Southwind]

You are not alone Hombre. I've seen others post the same response as yourself about the DFX. It's always left me scratching my head. I've owned 3 different DFX's and have a buddy, that used to use the Master Hunter, that now owns a DFX, and all have performed the same in the field. Perhaps its the location? I've seen people say they don't get more than 6" in an air test with their DFX, yet I have a video on YouTube showing my DFX getting an easy 10" on a gold ring with the factory Coin & Jewelry no less. I like putting my money where my mouth is and prove what I say. I've never understood how there can be such a big difference in opinions of detectors. Some, like the DFX, you either seem to love or hate.

 

[XLT-user]

In my opinion the XLT is a much more stable and better machine. Again stress the point, my opinion. The prolific DFX users Like Larry(IL) will sure argue that point. I like the XLT better.

 

[Hombre]

Howdy southwind
This thread is getting Looooong winded, just curious did it take buying three DFX's to find one that works?

 

[Southwind]

Hehe No!

I bought the first and still use it. I traded a motorcycle for second DFX, and then sold it to buy a Minelab SE, which I didn't care for, and then traded that SE for another DFX. I got the same performance out of all 3. After my buddy watching me pull old coins at 9-10" out of our park he bought a DFX, and now does the same.

Allow me to elaborate on my comment about not caring for the SE. I think the Minelab SE was a great detector, it was just too heavy, and I didn't care for its lack of sensitivity to small gold.

 

[Hombre]

Howdy Southwind

After reading all the great posts, and looking at all the pictures of the great finds on the Explorer Forum, you would think that you would see more gold finds on there. What I see on that forum is mostly deeeeeep silver coins, and large cents being found. BTW, You seem to be more talkative on the forum, as you did'nt answer several PM's I sent you. Respecfully.......Hombre

 

[Southwind]

Eeek! Sorry. I seem to have a problem seeing my PM's here. I apologize, I am not ignoring anyone on purpose.

Yes that was my experience with both my SE and my Sovereign GT. They are, as far as my experience, the best there is for very deep high conductive targets such as silver, but lacking in the small low conductive targets such as gold. Here in southwest Kansas we don't have a lot of really old coins to be found, so I make it up with lots of gold. I've found that with some adjusting I can pretty well match the Minelabs ability on very deep silver, but nothing I could do with the Minelab would get it to match the DFX's ability on small gold.

Unless something really different new comes out before next season(April) I plan to buy an E-Trac. I am somewhat brand loyal, because Whites has been very good to me, but I have no problem jumping ship if the right one comes along. For the longest time I used mostly Garrett and Tesoro detectors. Garrett mainly because we had a local dealer, and Tesoro because... well... they were darn good detectors. I bought a Whites Eagle Spectrum in 1991 because of all the reports of it being so far ahead of the rest, and never looked back.

On a side note. I don't regret having tried the Minelabs. I've learned a lot from them that I now apply to my DFX that makes it even better.