More Classic 3SL MR Bill Mods Tests

[Ronk]

It's been a while since I could hunt because of the heat and no rain.My ground is just about rock hard and it's moderate mineral content.I decided to bury another coin or 2 to test the Classic 3SL in these kind of conditions.I am using the 5.5 ferret coil that I bought from Monte about 13 or 15 years ago.I'm also using the Classic 3SL with Mr.Bill Mods that I also bought from Monte.I have a nickle buried flat at almost 8 inches and with the detector at max disc and sensitivity just past preset I can still get a good signal... not loud but enough you would not pass it up.I put the sensitivity to max and left the disc on max and I could raise the coil 3 or 4 more inches higher and got a good sounding signal with no problem. Then I put the detector in the black sand mode with the min disc and got a good strong signal and then increased the disc to max and it was almost as good as my air test.I use ruler to measure distances.I really love the Modulated audio as to help tell me the depth.A lot of newer detectors don't have the Modulated audio and all signals sound the same no matter what the depth.Of course if you have a depth meter that will get you in the ball park.This detector already had the Mr Bill Mods when I bought it from Monte and it also has the SAT Mod which is another great feature! Also the battery life is 60-80 hrs depending on quality of batteries and headphone use.Monte...IF you read this I just want to let you know that the Classic 3SL I bought from you is still working like a champ and It would be the last detector to go if I had a choice which I'm thankful I don't! The Classic 3 SL is a Great detector even without the Mods but if you can afford to get the Mods it is well worth the bucks and really increases the performance.The features on MY Classic 3-SL are...Mr Bill Mods which includes the external Threshold and Ground Balance Adjust..and external SAT Adust which is an external 2 way switch to toggle between Factory and Moded settings-Plus an increase in sensitivity that works similar to some of the Tesoro models like a Max sensitivity boost past the 3:00 oclock position to max.Anyway it will keep up with a lot of newer machines an surpass a lot of them in iron and masking because it has a very fast recovery speed.With the smaller coils it's a killer in and around nails and other trash..iron or not. I haven't done Monte's NailBoard test yet but I'll post when I do.I have other detectors but this is still my favorite!
Long Live The Classics!!!!!!!!
RonK

 

[Monte]

such as the 6

 

[Monte]

Ron,

I got the Nail Board 'kit' in the mail today, and sent it Priority Mail. You'll maybe have it Monday or Tuesday.

I reworked the numbers and I am selling the Nail Board kits locally for $10. I had mentioned $15 in my last post but I had other things on my mind. Tough times this past 3 months.

Anyway, it was because I wasn't certain of the cost to mail it out. So, hand-to-hand sales are $10 for the package, and $15 if I mail them out, and that is Priority Mail in the lower USA. It's in a regular cardboard Priority Mail envelope so I might see if I can get them to supply me with some padded envelopes for future mailings (if anyone is interested).

For those who have parted with a good Classic II or Classic ID, or even better a Classic III SL, Classic ID or an IDX Pro, only to acquire a newer upper-end model from ANY manufacturer, I do hope you are enjoying the newer super-featured detector. There are some good ones out there, to be sure. Naturally, you might be fortunate, like RonK, to have the best Classic III SL, Classic ID or IDX Pro, and that would be one with Mr. Bill's modifications.

However, if you still own a good working Classic and haven't used it much, I encourage you to. Compare the Classic with any other model using a similar-sized coil and hunt in an iron infested site. Maybe pick on a location that has a lot of the old crimp-style bottle caps and I'll bet you'll wonder why some of the more expensive newer units don't seem to match the Classic's performance.

It's going to be hot here this weekend but I think everyone else around the USA is about ready for a late-fall or early-winder kind of day. I hope you can bear the heat and get out hunting when it's cooler.

Monte

 

[Ronk]

Thanks Monte! I appreciate it Very Much! Maybe if enough of us Classic Fans sign a petition to get Whites to Put the Classics back out there even though I am just dreaming! What ever happened to "The Customer Is Always Right?" In My opinion they never replaced the Classics with something better in general all around performance.I think there are plenty of Analog Die Hards out there to keep the detectors coming off the assembly line for a long time especially with the mods that people have already done for them and knowing what they are capable of doing.In fact there are still plenty of people running older TR machines in a few parts of the USA that have little to no mineral and those machines will reject those bottles better than anything on the market today! I know there are parts of east Texas with practically no mineral in the ground and just about any old analog detector will get the same depth in the ground as in air! As long as people hang on to their older analogs a time might come where they will be in a place that they will be glad they hung on to them! Digital is fine and has come a long way in progress but still can't handle every single situation! I hunt in trash most of the time and there is ALWAYS iron in one form or another small and large and that's where the goodies are hanging out.You HAVE to have a small coil to get to the good stuff and not be afraid to dig a little trash once in a while depending how bad the masking is.Good targets are not always deep just masked by iron.nails and other trash. You never know what's under that flatten out tin can until you remove it then rescan. I search in some places that's just about carpeted with rusty nails and wire etc....but the Classics with their slow scan speed and fast recovery and small coils great audio can handle those places and pull out good targets in between trash! The Classics like I have which is the 6.59kz has a good choice of coils to choose from to handle any job. The DO perform just like Monte is always saying! Even some of the Classics are already starting to get a little harder to find than what they use to.If you have one now you might be glad later on that you kept it especially with the Mr.Bill Mods to increase an already great detector! I'm am still using mine after all these years I am not worried to hunt side by side with anyone using a more modern detector.In my opinion,the Prizm line didn't replace MY Classic.It might look prettier but looks isn't everything!
Monte...I'll post the Nail Board Performance Test when it's all completed.In fact sometime I might make a video of it and post it also!

RonK

 

[Ronk]

n/t

 

[Ronk]

Hey Monte!
I received my Nail Board Performance kit today but I haven't had a chance to test it yet.It sure is a Very Professional looking job! I was out for a while detecting with my favorite detector..the Classic 3SL Modified with the Ferret 5.5 inch coil and to my surprise I found my favorite pocket knife that I lost over 2 years ago and it was already about 3 or 4 inches down.It was still in very good condition with just a small stain of rust but Not rusted.It's still usable.I had forgotten all about it until today.I was running just enough disc to reject small nails and got a good strong signal and it didn't take long to dig it up and Presto! I found my Favorite pocket knife with my Favorite detector and also found some more coins but nothing too old.It was just too hot so I called it a day.I have permission to detect a very old area as soon as the weather cools down a bit and I will give the C3SL a good workout.A friend is going with me and even between the 2 of us it might take a very long time because it is about 16 acres and half is wooded.I know we'll never cover every inch of it but who knows what's down there!? I will probably use the Blue Max 9.50 part of the time until we narrow down or pinpoint an interesting spot.Right now I don't have any other coils for it but I probably will a later on.I also have to get me a lower rod to keep another coil on to save time in the field.I never did have a coil cover for the 5.5 Ferret and I don't know if it's hard to find one or not and I don't know if there are any aftermarket ones that will fit.I Never see that coil come up for sale anywhere!
Thanks again Monte for sending me the NBPK! I'm looking forward to the tests to see how a Great Classic will do!!! Almost forgot...I went to the AHRPS site and I really like it and hope to see it grow!

RonK

 

[Scotty (Upstate NY)]

I own a stock classic iii sl and have heard great success stories about Mr. Bill's mod but can't seem to find the instructions anywhere. Does anyone have a link?


Ty,

Scott

 

[Joel-Winnipeg]

I own a stock classic iii sl and have heard great success stories about Mr. Bill's mod but can't seem to find the instructions anywhere. Does anyone have a link?


Ty,

Scott

If you go down a bit (is Mr Bill still doing mods ) some posting on a sheet of instructions on it.

 

[Hombre]

Well Scotty,

...you dug up a real old post, Mr. Bill retired several years ago. I had a Classic lll SL that was stock,...I could ground balance it without the Mr. Bill modification just fine. The Threshold level was OK with my headphone set and there is a small Ground Balance pot/trimmer under the made in USA flag decal. It is accessed through the factory drilled hole. A small flat blade screwdriver is all that is needed to adjust it, counter-clockwise it goes positive, clockwise it goes negative, small, tiny adjustments about like the thickness of a nickel at a time. I adjusted mine to be very slightly positive and it would hunt anywhere without further adjustment. GL & HH



quote="Scotty (Upstate NY)"]
I own a stock classic iii sl and have heard great success stories about Mr. Bill's mod but can't seem to find the instructions anywhere. Does anyone have a link?


Ty,

Scott[/quote]