NEW HUNTER. NEED ADVICE

[jgyarddog24]

IM NEW TO HUNTING BUT NEEDED SOME ADVICE. I AM LOOKING TO BUY MY FIRST DETECTOR. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT A BOUNTY HUNTER TIME RANGER. BUT CANT FIND MUCH INFO ABOUT IT. LIKE ALL THE ENDS AND OUTS ABOUT IT. THE MORE INFO I CAN GET WOULD VERY GOOD IN MAKING MY DECISION. THANK YOU.

 

[antsy]

buy the fisher f2.its the best detector you going to get under $300 dollars.antsy

 

[BH-LandStar]

If you want more info on the Time Ranger, go to:

http://www.detecting.com/products

Scroll down to the Time Ranger picture and click on it...You can also download a copy of the manual there too...


HH,

BH-LandStar

 

[nugget]

I'd probably suggest the T4 from bounty hunter or similar, they are a good unit to learn on and you can upgrade at any time. whatever you choose GOOD LUCK in the field. HH regards Nugget.

 

[dl_mooney]

I too am looking to pick up a BH Time Ranger,understand there have been 3 upgrades,how can I be assured of getting the latest,Prices seem to run around $400. Thanks David L. Mooney

 

[abladd]

BH-LandStar,
I as well am new to the hobby and wanted to thank you for the website link. I have been trying to find the manual for my Gold Digger and there it was. Thanks again.

Bill

 

[Rivermarine1]

I got started with a Sharp Shooter at Christmas. My wife bought it as a gift. Costs about $250.00, haven't been skunked yet and still getting good finds. I may upgrade someday,but for now I'm happy.

 

[dobbie]

i guess when i grow up...i will get one

 

[fishes02]

I got my BH T-IV for Christmas, and I have not been disappointed. It has paid for itself three fold. Saying as much, I'm hooked like the rest of the detectors on this site. And just like "nugget" stated, you can upgrade at any time. Something I just did today. Should rcv my Whites MXT on Monday. Will let you know how it goes, but the T-IV was an outstanding detector to start with, didn't cost much, and I was able to determine if this is something that I really wanted to do within spending an arm and a leg.

Good luck/

 

[metalKid]

i would sudgest that you get a bh sharp shooter 2 or the pioneer 505 they are prety much the same if you get a metal detector you should also get a cheep pinpointer for about 45.00 bucks

 

[dirt jockey]

You asked about the TR and most everyone gave you advice about other machines. There are some really good, competitive machines on the market. I started with a Pioneer 202 which is the same exact machine as the Quick Draw II. I've had hours and hours of fun with that machine - like many of the other BH detectors, it is a coin magnet. My dream machine was the TR. Finally after a few years and a great bonus from work I got one. There is a learning curve but it is really very easy once you spend some time with it. Honestly, I'd put it head to head with any machine out there and know that it would hold it's own. You can spend a lot more for a machine and you can spend a little less for a good machine. But after looking them over, doing comparisons and reading reviews of others I am really pleased with my TR purchase.

Here's my 2 cents worth - purchase a machine you can afford and learn it through practice, practice, practice. Don't get discouraged, sometimes false signals, pull tabs, and junk can take some of the fun out of it - but don't give up. Soon you will be finding good targets right along side the big boys with their really expensive machines. After all, a detector is really only as good as the person using it. In my opinion, BH provides an excellent line of detectors for every budget. Some have more whistles and bells but if you take the time to learn what it is saying, it won't let you down. I can honestly say, in the years I've been detecting, I've never once been skunked. I may have only found a penny but I've always brought home something. I know I'm rambling but the joy of detecting is worth much more than fussing over the various brands, how much you spent on your machine, and which one is best. One last thing - I know from experience - BH's customer service is excellent. They go above and beyond in trying to satisfy the customer. I've never once regretted getting the 202 and the TR is proving itself to be one of the best purchases I've ever made. If you have any specific questions about the TR feel free to private message me. Thanks for your time,

Happy Hunting

 

[kelly spann]

You might be interested in the titan series too, they are made by bounty hunter and have great discrimination and are good around salt water also. I'm thinking of upgrading to maybe the titan 3000. They also have a titan 1000 and 2000 model at a real good price at kellyco.

 

[waltship]

Go to youtube and watch some vids on metal detecting.

 

[RelicRod]

I have to agree with pretty much everything Dirt Jockey said. I got my TR for 3 or 4 years. I don't get out much, but I've taken it to New Mexico, Kaua'i, and around here in Colorado. I really like the "Sniff" mode. While on a beach in Kaua'i, a couple of years ago, a person lost a hitch pin for his sailboat. He spent hours looking for it in the sand. He came up to me and asked if I could give him a hand. Hey no problem. I asked if he had a similar pin. He handed it over, and I promptly put the TR in sniff mode. I found his lost pin in a few minutes. He was impressed.

You'll be very, very happy with a TR. I am.

 

[Ed in SoDak]

I love my TR and my wife loves hers. I have a T2 also and if I had to choose, I'd keep the TR. It's not as high-powered as the T2, but I like the TR's features and I'm as comfy and familiar with it as an old pair of shoes.

-Ed

 

[Oakman404]

ACE 250! The best entry level tector ever built.

 

[Ed in SoDak]

The Ace 250 is quite good from what I hear, but with the OP inquiring about a Time Ranger, he might be looking for something a step or two above entry level, As was I when I passed by the others and specifically chose the TR. If you like the TR's features but are looking to save, either buy used or look at the Land Ranger, which has most of the same features.

-Ed

 

[Ed in SoDak]

I too am looking to pick up a BH Time Ranger,understand there have been 3 upgrades,how can I be assured of getting the latest,Prices seem to run around $400. Thanks David L. Mooney

Apparently there's at least four distinct versions of the Time Ranger.

First came out around 1985. It had a little circular antenna on top, called the Auto-Corelator. Said to pick up interference, say from power lines, and auto-tune it out. I've never seen one, but older manuals and ads show it on top of the brainbox. Due to reports of it breaking it was supposedly moved to inside the box.

Version 2, the one I bought new in the mid-1990's, had apparently dropped the Corelator concept, as there's no reference to it in my manual. Otherwise, I think the two early versions are similar, if not identical. Powered by two 9-volt batteries. Most obvious difference between this one and the latest version is the Blanker display on the bottom right of the panel. It had a 0", 2" and 5" blanker depth indication using an arrow. The action of the Blanker was supposed to ignore surface trash to the indicated depth, but presumably detect items that were below this depth. (Never worked for me.) Sniff could both Accept or Reject and took a few more button presses. Neither was very helpful to me as they were too broad in their ID range.

Version 3 is powered by two C-size batteries. It came out around 2000 or so, but I'm not certain of that date. I think some other circuit changes were also implemented, such that it behaved just a little different on some targets than version 2. Pineapple, who used to post very regularly on the old "original" Bounty Hunter forum, owns both a V2 and v3 and liked certain aspects of both versions, so he kept both in the stable. He still maintains his website, full of extensive reports on his detecting activities: http://koloheboy.freehosting.net/ Well worth a visit!

Version 4 seems to have come out around 2003, going by the copyright date of the latest PDF manual from the Bounty Hunter website at www.detecting.com. Going just by the manual, it is significantly different from my version 2. The operation of both the Blanker and Sniff mode has changed. It also now powers up "ready to hunt" in aPpreset Disc mode with iron and foil already rejected, whereas mine powers up in the Disc mode, with a blinking notch cursor. One of the Preset modes has been changed to a more-sensitive All Metal Motion mode (with no ID), which does not exist on mine. The All-Metal No-Motion mode is now called a Pinpoint mode and may also be slightly different. It has returned to using dual 9-volt batteries.

Hopes this helps people identify which version of the Time Ranger they have or are looking at buying.
-Ed

 

[wasp]

Good info on the different versions of the Time Ranger Ed. I too love my Time Ranger (version 4 bought last spring) and would recommend it to anyone interested in starting out with a detector that is simple to use in the preprogrammed modes. You can "grow into" it later as you learn the more advanced features. Simple for a beginner to use and understand with no need to upgrade to a more expensive detector later unless you want to do some serious gold nugget hunting or need a completely submersible unit for underwater hunting.

If you can afford one I say get it. I don't think you will be sorry.

 

[Ed in SoDak]

Here's some info on the original Time Ranger and its "Sentron Co-relator." Man, talk about an advertising catch phrase! This is an old review written by Mickey Maguire, an early BH field tester. He took a picture of it too!

-Ed


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BOUNTY HUNTER TIME RANGER
by Mickey Maguire


[attachment 116180 TimeRangerOne.jpg]