John, you nailed it right on the target!
*** GARRETT *** are you listening? ***
- - -
John-Edmonton wrote:
"And...........being an experienced - satisfied user of imaging, I truly hope it comes back for us coin/jewelry hunters."
*** Absolutely spot-on, right and correct. ***
- - - - - - - -
This will be a long post. Thank you to everyone for bearing with it.
- - - - - - - -
Here is a personal view ... GARRETT please note.
First, some background. Then a note to Garrett.
Background:
(1) I have been detecting since 1990. That is for 29 years. It isn't just a light hobby, I am serious about it (and love it). I have been dedicated to recovering relics, as well as coins. The collectible coins go to a heritage collection. Clads and zincs put gas in the car and batteries in the detectors. The trash goes to recycling. Everybody benefits. I have had people -- citizens, cops, and city employees -- thank me for my work.
(2) I have returned lost items -- a silver class ring, a gold brooch, and a silver holy medal. Two of them took years of searching, on the Web and old newspapers. I have never taken any financial reward. It's just the right thing to do.
(3) I have owned and used the following detectors: Fisher CZ-7a Pro. Fisher CZ-70. Teknetics Gamma. Garrett AT3 Beach Hunter, and Garrett GTP1350. They did some "serious" detecting. They were sold to make room for my current two units.
(4) My current two units are: Garrett GTI2500, and Teknetics Omega 8000 Version 6.0.
In these 29 years, I have searched parks, curb strips, beaches, and homesites with owner's permission.
- - - - - - - -
OK, Garrett? I probably know what I am talking about, about as well as anybody.
*** Now here comes the point. ***
It is:
*** Target Imaging. ***
With the Garrett GTI2500, I see the "image" of the target in the ground.
Your GTI2500 shows me three (3) kinds of information:
... (1) Kind of metal ... iron, foil, nickel/tab, zinc, copper, silver.
... (2) Depth ... how many inches deep.
... (3) Size ... it's coin size, or smaller than a coin, or larger, or much larger.
All THREE of those pieces of information are CRUCIAL to effective detecting.
(Sorry for the ALL CAPS, but "crucial" means exactly what it says. No fooling around.)
*** NO other detector *** now on the market *** shows all three of those target factors.
Only the GTI2500 does.
Not your AT "Pro".
Not your AT "Max". How in the world did you decide to market a new detector with the "Max" name, when it lacks one fundamental factor that is already in another detector?
Hard talking here.
Garrett -- to my view, and based on my experience with many detectors (see above) -- that is a step down on your part. Call it something else, but not "Pro" or "Max".
- - -
Now let's get down in the ground.
The GTI2500 has a three-element coil. The other detectors have a two-element coil.
On the GTI2500, there is one (1) Transmit winding, and two (2) Receive windings. It "sees" two cone-shaped images in the ground -- one relatively large and deep, and the other relatively small and shallow.
When pinpointing, the GTI2500 compares those two images and computes both the DEPTH and SIZE of the target. The readout screen shows the result.
The other detectors have a two-element coil, with one (1) Transmit winding and one (1) Receive winding. They "see" only one "cone" image in the ground. What's the problem? Their screens show the depth, but only **IF** the target is about the size of a coin. Bigger, deeper target looks like smaller, shallower target. The user manual describes this, but it sure as heck isn't emphasized in the marketing and sales. (Hard words to accept, Garrett?)
What's the difference? You're in an older public area. It has crushed cans, lids, copper and brass industrial junk, and can slaw, as well as wanted targets like coins and relics.
The GTI2500 **shows** you have a coin-size target at 6 inches. Dig it, and you have it.
The others **show** you have a coin-size target at 6 inches. Dig. Yes, you might have a coin at six. But you might have a copper washer at 8, or a piece of slaw at 10. That's 10 inches of repeated digging and pinpointing. And more time digging trash when you could be covering more area for what you're wanting.
... Yes, if that's what you like to do -- no problem. But here's the key point. With the GTI2500, you *know* what you're looking for when you start your dig. With the others, you don't know until afterward ... it was guessing, all the way down.
- - - - - -
Note to Garrett:
Garrett, we need a modern detector with Graphic Target Imaging.
We need a replacement -- or enhancement -- for the GTI2500.
- - - - - -
This is already a long post. I hope it has not offended anyone.
But I also hope it jostles Garrett -- both Engineering and Marketing -- to take a long hard look.
- - - - - -
Wrapping up. The main point is the "Imaging" above. There is one other feature worth noting.
The GTI2500 also has a "Surface Elimination" feature.
Set it for (say) 2 inches, or 4 inches, and the detector will not respond to shallower targets. It will only show you the deeper ones.
If you're in an older area, where there are likely to be deep targets -- but also likely to have the shallower modern junk like bottle caps, foil wrappers, and pulltabs -- set the Surface Elimination to ignore that junk.
Find the older, deeper stuff first. You can always come back again later, if you want to -- after you've gone over the place for the deep targets.
- - -
Bottom Line.
We need a modern detector -- updated from the GTI2500 -- with FULL Target Imaging and Surface Elimination. Lighter in weight. With a numeric VDI and ground mineralization readout.
I will be in waiting line to buy it, immediately.
- - -
Cheers,
Joe
I remember digging grass strips, looking for silver. The GTI always gave a nice solid punch on silver, with proper ID and size. Just like taking candy from a baby.
I really hope Garrett invests in utilizing that option again.
