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Rick ND...and the pro's and cons of the "PATRIOT meter" & the "DTI meter"
- Thread starter Rustyjuan
- Start date
First thing you have to remember that this is just my opinion and my style of hunting, other may vary.
The Patriot is a well built meter and good quality and see why Joe Patrick took a while to get this one put together. The light that is used is the best I have seen on a detector meter and easy to see. This also goes for the meter itself as it is easy to see it. The auto calibration is great and i felt it will help many and dont have to worry about bumping the controls, so you know it is always calibrated. The cable is long enough so those that want to hipmount the control box has plenny of extra cable which the Minelab Digital was a little short on. The SunRay was just long enough with not any to spare.
Being I had the S1 probe on the cable was not long enough to reach the meter, so I had to use my Uniprobe instead of my S1 probe.
Now the bad I didnt like with the Patriot was I couldnt beleive the iron sentry light as i got several coins the light was blinking on, but this is because there may have been iron too the meter was seeing and my areas i hunt has a lot of iron in them. For me it was of no use and I could tell more with the threshold I was getting. Like any meter the Patriot also you have to go more by the tone than what the meter or light is telling you. This was something I figured even before I got the Patriot meter as with the Sovereign the meter can not tell you anything the tone of the detector is not telling you. What this comes down to is if the tones say it is bad the meter can not tell you anything but it is bad, if it does the meter is not working correctly.
Now with the digital meters I have used on the Sovereign since 1996 I have got used to the numbers and how 1 or 2 number difference can make a big differnce between trash and a IH penny or even a nickle and pulltab tails. With this in mind I couldnt tell the 1 or 2 number differece with the Patriot meter like I can with the SunRay DTI meters which to me was the best meter ever built. I found that with the new zinc penny and IH I had to run the linear mode to tell them between some of the pulltabs on the Patriot meter. I found they had to run closer to the upper end of the segment for the screwcaps to be a good coin, with the SunRay DTI I find the screw caps would read 177-178 while the IH or new zinc penny would read 176-177. In my test I did find one IH and it read lower in the screw top segment than normal in both the block edit and the linear mode, but the tones just sounded too good to be a pulltab is why i dug it. I rechecked my calibration and recalibrated it on a quarter again to make sure it was right on and tried it again. I feel the numbers are much easier to see on the SunRay or the Minelab digital meter over where the meter showed on the Patriot meter. Like I said before I am used to the digital numbers and being I learned it this way may be why I preferre it as this is what I know and do great with.
When doing the Sovereign wiggle which I do on many of the weaker signals, or any signal to get the best signals I find the Patriot the nettle would be bouncing around and go higher than the accual target ID was. I think from what I understand was the meter will lock on to the ID so when i was moving the coil the ID was changeing. I think it was when it seen the target it would lock on to the ID, but when doing the wiggle it would be changing and with it doing this the nettle would go higher with the momentum of the nettle. Like I say it was made to lock on to the correct ID and me doing the wiggle it was changing faster like it was suppose too and feel this is something you have to learn to use.
Over all the Patriot is a great meter, but not for me and my hunting style I am used to, so it has been sold. I find the SunRay DTI meter is what I am used to and what I can tell the good from the bad better with. I also find the rescaled Minelab meter to read 180 also a great meter, but for my GT it would be too short to see and would have to be modified.
I did like the Patriot to sit on top of the handle on my GT even though i had to slide down the rubber hand grip and tear it to mount the Patriot meter on the handle.
I will say no meter will make your Sovereign find coins that are not there and no meter will read good if the tones are not right, so like many have said before the tones is what you go by with the meter double checking what you hear.
Rick
The Patriot is a well built meter and good quality and see why Joe Patrick took a while to get this one put together. The light that is used is the best I have seen on a detector meter and easy to see. This also goes for the meter itself as it is easy to see it. The auto calibration is great and i felt it will help many and dont have to worry about bumping the controls, so you know it is always calibrated. The cable is long enough so those that want to hipmount the control box has plenny of extra cable which the Minelab Digital was a little short on. The SunRay was just long enough with not any to spare.
Being I had the S1 probe on the cable was not long enough to reach the meter, so I had to use my Uniprobe instead of my S1 probe.
Now the bad I didnt like with the Patriot was I couldnt beleive the iron sentry light as i got several coins the light was blinking on, but this is because there may have been iron too the meter was seeing and my areas i hunt has a lot of iron in them. For me it was of no use and I could tell more with the threshold I was getting. Like any meter the Patriot also you have to go more by the tone than what the meter or light is telling you. This was something I figured even before I got the Patriot meter as with the Sovereign the meter can not tell you anything the tone of the detector is not telling you. What this comes down to is if the tones say it is bad the meter can not tell you anything but it is bad, if it does the meter is not working correctly.
Now with the digital meters I have used on the Sovereign since 1996 I have got used to the numbers and how 1 or 2 number difference can make a big differnce between trash and a IH penny or even a nickle and pulltab tails. With this in mind I couldnt tell the 1 or 2 number differece with the Patriot meter like I can with the SunRay DTI meters which to me was the best meter ever built. I found that with the new zinc penny and IH I had to run the linear mode to tell them between some of the pulltabs on the Patriot meter. I found they had to run closer to the upper end of the segment for the screwcaps to be a good coin, with the SunRay DTI I find the screw caps would read 177-178 while the IH or new zinc penny would read 176-177. In my test I did find one IH and it read lower in the screw top segment than normal in both the block edit and the linear mode, but the tones just sounded too good to be a pulltab is why i dug it. I rechecked my calibration and recalibrated it on a quarter again to make sure it was right on and tried it again. I feel the numbers are much easier to see on the SunRay or the Minelab digital meter over where the meter showed on the Patriot meter. Like I said before I am used to the digital numbers and being I learned it this way may be why I preferre it as this is what I know and do great with.
When doing the Sovereign wiggle which I do on many of the weaker signals, or any signal to get the best signals I find the Patriot the nettle would be bouncing around and go higher than the accual target ID was. I think from what I understand was the meter will lock on to the ID so when i was moving the coil the ID was changeing. I think it was when it seen the target it would lock on to the ID, but when doing the wiggle it would be changing and with it doing this the nettle would go higher with the momentum of the nettle. Like I say it was made to lock on to the correct ID and me doing the wiggle it was changing faster like it was suppose too and feel this is something you have to learn to use.
Over all the Patriot is a great meter, but not for me and my hunting style I am used to, so it has been sold. I find the SunRay DTI meter is what I am used to and what I can tell the good from the bad better with. I also find the rescaled Minelab meter to read 180 also a great meter, but for my GT it would be too short to see and would have to be modified.
I did like the Patriot to sit on top of the handle on my GT even though i had to slide down the rubber hand grip and tear it to mount the Patriot meter on the handle.
I will say no meter will make your Sovereign find coins that are not there and no meter will read good if the tones are not right, so like many have said before the tones is what you go by with the meter double checking what you hear.
Rick
I guess, Had you started out with the Patriot meter, the DTI would have been your second choice.
I kind of understand because I bought the Explorer as my next detector after the PredatorIII and then I was oh so curious about other detectors and purchased them also...such as the sov xs2apro, tesoros golden umax, the excalibur 800, tesoros compadre, an old whites 4900D, only to realize that the minelabs were the top notch of the lot. I guess one does'nt appreciate technolgy when you "start from the top" so to speak... I hope I'm making sense?
but anyway....Thanks for the informative reply !!!
I kind of understand because I bought the Explorer as my next detector after the PredatorIII and then I was oh so curious about other detectors and purchased them also...such as the sov xs2apro, tesoros golden umax, the excalibur 800, tesoros compadre, an old whites 4900D, only to realize that the minelabs were the top notch of the lot. I guess one does'nt appreciate technolgy when you "start from the top" so to speak... I hope I'm making sense?
but anyway....Thanks for the informative reply !!!
Joe Patrick
New member
Rick,
I am sorry to see that our Patriot meter was not exactly what you were looking for. But, that's the way it is with all detecting equipment. We each have our favorite detector, accessories and setup. That's a big part of the fun and enjoyment of this hobby... trying and using different equipment and discovering and deciding what works best for each of us. I have certainly tried my share of equipment over the years!
Perhaps I need to 'come out' with a digital, numeric-LCD version of the Patriot meter for you 'die hard' 'digi-meter' fans. What do you think?
Joe
I am sorry to see that our Patriot meter was not exactly what you were looking for. But, that's the way it is with all detecting equipment. We each have our favorite detector, accessories and setup. That's a big part of the fun and enjoyment of this hobby... trying and using different equipment and discovering and deciding what works best for each of us. I have certainly tried my share of equipment over the years!
Perhaps I need to 'come out' with a digital, numeric-LCD version of the Patriot meter for you 'die hard' 'digi-meter' fans. What do you think?
Joe
Tony N (Michigan)
Active member
Now that is something I'd pay $500.00 for in a heart beat!
Joe,
As we know everyone like something they understand with detecting, some like to try things they hope to understand. The digital meters are one I find will tell the difference in the tones our ears can not on those that are trash versa coins. On the analog meters I find that even in my test equipment looking at a differnt angle can make a big difference on what we see as far as reading. Now with the digital I have always been able to see the exact number no mater where i am looking at the meter and may be why I preferre the digital as I can see the exact number it is.
We can all make speculation on how a detector or accessory will work, but you never know untill you have tried one which it took me quite a while to make up my mind on trying one of the Patriot.It is a great meter and I can see where you spent alot of time and money getting it just right. If it would have been a digital meter I am sure it would have been one I would have kept as long as I used a Sovereign. If and when you ever make a digital meter I am sure I will be one of the first to try one, that the way we know how something will work for us.
I will say that we all have different likes and dislikes or we all would be using the same detector, the only way to know if you will like something is to try it, which I recomend for those on the Patriot meter. If you get a chance to try one I sure would. My Patriot went to a multi line dealer as I am sure he wanted to give it a try too being so many love this meter.
Thanks for building a great meter that I know some really love.
Rick
As we know everyone like something they understand with detecting, some like to try things they hope to understand. The digital meters are one I find will tell the difference in the tones our ears can not on those that are trash versa coins. On the analog meters I find that even in my test equipment looking at a differnt angle can make a big difference on what we see as far as reading. Now with the digital I have always been able to see the exact number no mater where i am looking at the meter and may be why I preferre the digital as I can see the exact number it is.
We can all make speculation on how a detector or accessory will work, but you never know untill you have tried one which it took me quite a while to make up my mind on trying one of the Patriot.It is a great meter and I can see where you spent alot of time and money getting it just right. If it would have been a digital meter I am sure it would have been one I would have kept as long as I used a Sovereign. If and when you ever make a digital meter I am sure I will be one of the first to try one, that the way we know how something will work for us.
I will say that we all have different likes and dislikes or we all would be using the same detector, the only way to know if you will like something is to try it, which I recomend for those on the Patriot meter. If you get a chance to try one I sure would. My Patriot went to a multi line dealer as I am sure he wanted to give it a try too being so many love this meter.
Thanks for building a great meter that I know some really love.
Rick
Joe Patrick
New member
Tony,
I wish that I could, but the Advantage is not designed to be a target ID metal detector.
Joe
I wish that I could, but the Advantage is not designed to be a target ID metal detector.
Joe