More APEX Hunting..........

[John-Edmonton]

Well, it's very simple to navigate around the different programs, frequencies and other settings. The "mode" button is strictly for the different preset modes, including a programmable mode. Plus, as all the previous GTI, ACE, and AT Models, you can notch out any selected target(s) you choose. The menu button gets you to the frequencies choices, sensitivity, iron audio, volume, back light etc. Using the "+" and "-" buttons allow you to go to 5, 10, 15,20,MF KHz and salt mode. Iron audio is available in all modes, should you want to use it, and always adjustable. You can turn it off with the push of a button.

The recovery speed on the APEX is fast, and fixed. I found a couple of common US dimes and as I figured, the APEX banged very hard on them. I also tried a US quarter, and as I guessed, it also hit hard. For Canadian coins, hunting with the iron audio turned on to a comfortable audio level, and listening for both the iron "grunt" along with the high pitch alerts you to a dime, some nickels and a quarter. Some nickels will read in the low 50's with a steady sound. Pull-tabs generally read a strong double beep in the low 50's. Deep pull-tabs will not always give a double beep. Beaver tail pull tabs read in the mid 50's with a nice sounding audio. If you don't dig them, you could miss out on a nice gold ring.

I got a silver Canadian quarter with a VDI of 83, and buried it vertically in the ground. I did get an audio reading in all directions swinging the coil, however, the audio tones varied considerably. Swinging the coil over the quarter with it orientated in a parallel position to the center of the coil, gave a distinct double beep high tone. When swinging the coil over the coin with it lined up in a perpendicular aspect to the center of the coil, it gave a mid tone sound bouncing around in the mid 50's. I could not make the audio disappear completely at any particular swing direction. The top of the silver coin was down 1/4" in extremely wet soil.

Below are my finds including some hunts in the woods and parks. I am still learning the APEX. Adjusting the operating frequency makes a substantial difference when hunting for low conductors vs. high conductors. For general hunting in parks, I used the multi-frequency mode.

If you like the ACE machines, you are definitely going to love the APEX.

 

[ChuckVT]

Great report! Thanks! I have mine preordered!

 

[Mat in MA]

I don't see a pinpoint button. How do you pinpoint with the Apex?

 

[shortcut1224]

Big middle button bottom row is your pinpoint button.

 

[wildwilly]

John, how do you date the shotgun shell brass? I find a lot on the farm here, mostly 12 ga. , some 16 ga. and a few 10 ga. Often wondered who would shoot a 10 ga. at a bird. Makes my shoulder hurt to think about it.

 

[michealwhelan]

wildwilly: 10 gage good for long range Canadian Goose and clearing a bar in the old west. Other than that it is just a shoulder buster.... Hmm come to think of it, it's always a shoulder buster.

 

[jmaclen]

Thanks for sharing your information so far John. I have a couple of questions. How accurate is the target ID on 4 to 6" deep low to mid conductors like lead, nickel or brass? How is it on small gold jewelry or even sub gram nuggets?

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[John-Edmonton]

John, how do you date the shotgun shell brass? I find a lot on the farm here, mostly 12 ga. , some 16 ga. and a few 10 ga. Often wondered who would shoot a 10 ga. at a bird. Makes my shoulder hurt to think about it.

Google headstamp shotgun and you will find a variety of sites.

 

[John-Edmonton]

Thanks for sharing your information so far John. I have a couple of questions. How accurate is the target ID on 4 to 6" deep low to mid conductors like lead, nickel or brass? How is it on small gold jewelry or even sub gram nuggets?

Thanks,
Jeff

My APEX was pretty accurate for depth on coin size objects. The shallow reading one s were in the top 2-3 inches. As always, the readout is always an approximation, based on the size of the target and the mineralization of the surrounding matrix. The deeper ones were at 5+ inches. My deepest coin was a silver coin, in the shallow water at a lake. It took me 2 scoops of my long handled sand scoop to retrieve it. Copper targets gave a nice strong repeatable signal in the 80's, and the brass headstamp I dug up also gave a strong signal. I didn't get a chance to dig up any lead, however I air tested a small 22 lead end of a bullet, reading 42-44 up to 5.5" air test. It really likes the higher conductors, like silver coins. At about 3". in multy-frequency, I still manages to get an audio reading of a tiny 3 millimetre gold flake. I have a whole set of air test depths for various targets with different frequencies, and Garrett had asked for the results and they remain off line. What I can say, is that you get the best depth running the multi-frequency option. The higher chosen frequency worked better on gold nuggets and the lower frequency was more sensitive to higher conductors.

I had to return the APEX along with a request for 2 sets of Canadian coins, one set in pristine shape, the other set well corroded. Canadian coinage is hard to pick up, and get any kind of recognizable ID on them. The AT PRO was probably the best detector ever for our coinage. The APEX I returned was one of the earliest models, and more software was still needed to be installed and tweaked. When I get the updated version, I can do more testing and post it. So, I am waiting, like everyone else for it to arrive. Hope this helps.

 

[jmaclen]

Thanks John, yes that does help. I have detected in Alberta some and your modern clad are definitely an adventure, no point rejecting the ferrous range for sure.
I have long been hoping for a Garrett or First Texas modern multi frequency detector that could do well in higher mineralization and work well in our western gold fields. The Apex sounds promising so far.