So, my Mojave's second 1,000 coin season Clad hunting.

[Dancer]

It has been a tough season in my neck of the woods. Many of my hot spots are depleted and arnt coming back very fast. The Mojo found a higher % of quarter's this year than last. 34% but only 75 nickels compared to last year's 100. Squeezed $107 bucks this year over $84 last year. Couple thin Silver rings, a large Eisenhower dollar coin, my third. Again no gold. My other machines haven't found any either. A plus even with my 70 year old ears I can usually call what it's beeping. Big trouble (for me) are those aluminum wire clippings around sport field fences. Suck me in every time. Run my sensitivity from wide open to down to 3 depending on conditions. Keep my discrimination just to the left of nickel / red line. Had a lot of fun hunting the Compardre, but Ill stay with the MoJo.

 

[dirt doctor]

MoJo , I like that ! Nice report ! I just recently got a MoJo myself . I got a fabulous deal on a like new , barely used one .Now , I too have my MoJo working ! I've found a silver Rosie with it so it's now Baptized . I'm starting to pick up the tonal nuances . I 'm still getting fooled a lot but I'm relearning the sounds of Tesoro ( had a few over the years). I've got a couple of years on you and had to sell off a few of my heavier detectors because even though I liked them my shoulder and back were really starting to ache .Those aluminum wire fencing clippings and cut pieces of copper wire play heck with me also ! You've done well , keep it up and congrats !

 

[Monte]

Tesoro can easily drop the Compadre and Silver [size=small]micro[/size]MAX because the Mojave easily tops both of them in versatile design and performance as it blends what they each offer plus has the functional 2-position Low/High GB selector.

I'm just seven months short of hitting your age mark but my health and impaired mobility has plagued me since an on-the-job back injury at Compass Electronics 30 years ago last month. Been worse since having to use a cane since early '93 and I've found it necessary to keep trimming my detector outfit as I go along to shift to only lighter-weight and well-balanced detectors. One benefit is that since about '71/'72 I have favored smaller-size search coils to better handle the dense brush and debris I deal with for a lot of my detecting, or metal structures and fences when urban Coin Hunting. I have over ten detectors in my Regular-Use Detractor team and one, only one, has a mid-size coil mounted. Everything else has a 5" to 7" coil attached.

Of all my detectors the only non-display models I have are my favorite Tesoro's, and they do have a more distinctive audio you can learn a lot from compared with most modern detector offerings. Best of success when you start on Mojave Year #3.

Monte

 

[walnut]

If Tesoro could drop the Compadre due to the newer Mojave, why not go one step further and say drop the Mojave due to the Vaquero? Aren't they really almost the same machine, but the Vaq has a true ground balance? Just wondering
I have a compadre and a vaq and a Fisher but never tried a mojave yet. Just wondering if it really has that strange compadre magic.

I guess I'm still kinda wondering what is special about a Mojave, especially for someone who already has it's big brother and it's little brother, like me

 

[Monte]

If Tesoro could drop the Compadre due to the newer Mojave, why not go one step further and say drop the Mojave due to the Vaquero? Aren't they really almost the same machine, but the Vaq has a true ground balance? Just wondering.

Apples and oranges in that suggestion. The Mojave was introduced as a newer model in the black color scheme, and using a new design and thinner 7" Concentric coil. It has some features that set it apart for the other two lower-end models in the Tesoro line-up.

The Vaquero, however, is in a different class, or really in two different classes. For one, the Vaquero is a fully versatile offering that features a Threshold-based All Metal mode with manual Ground Balance as well as a variable Discrimination mode for silent-search operation. Additionally, it operates at ±14.[size=small]5[/size] kHz which is a little higher frequency and might offer a little 'edge' for some hunting applications. So it is in the upper-level of models and not in the lower-end, simple-to-adjust model group..

I have a compadre and a vaq and a Fisher but never tried a mojave yet. Just wondering if it really has that strange compadre magic.

Well, you didn't specify which Fisher model you have which would make it interesting to compare different models and features. Also, within one brand there can be some notable differences in performance-afield between one companies model offerings.

I own and use three White's models, an XLT, a modified Classic ID and the newer MX-7. All of them work quite well, but all of them are a bit different and have their own set of strengths and weaknesses. Likewise I own two Nokta FORS CoRe and two Nokta Relic models and the new Nokta-Makro Anfibio Multi, and they also offer their own differences. Some similarities, yes, but differences as well making them each nice fits in my Detector Outfit.

Then, due to health and mobility limitations and a need to use lighter and well balanced devises, I have added two Teknetics Omega 8000's and a T2 back on my 'Team' of detectors because they also give me some things I enjoy over other TID models. The Omega's do not work like the T2, and they can be a bit frustrating to use in pea gravel or other highly mineralized environments compared with almost anything else I use, but for some casual urban Coin Hunting they are the lightest model that I have ready-to-grab and work well.

Then there are my Tesoro's. I have my all-time favorites models which includes two Bandido II [size=small]micro[/size]MAX units and a Silver Sabre [size=small]micro[/size]MAX [size=small](µMAX)[/size], and while both work essentially identically, weigh the same, and use the same search coils, they provide me a quick turn-on-and-go option over the manually Ground Balanced model. I have owned other Tesoro models, to include Vaquero's and a Mojave, but for me and my needs, these two do what I want and need.

In your case the Vaquero and Compadre might provide all you want from a pair of Tesoro devices. It's a personal choice thing.

Compadre 'magic' you ask? See my next comments.

I guess I'm still kinda wondering what is special about a Mojave, especially for someone who already has it's big brother and it's little brother, like me.

The Mojave is the lower-end offering and the Vaquero, in your case, is similar to the Bandido II µMAX that I favor because they are the fully adjustable upper-end offerings.

So, just what is the 'Compadre 'magic' or the Mojave 'special' features? Let's take a look.

Lower-end 'basic' or 'entry-level' Tesoro's include these two earlier models, The Compadre and Silver µMAX, that are "turn-on-and-go" detectors that do NOT have a Threshold-based All Metal search or Pinpoint function. They are motion-based Discriminators and that's all. So, how do they differ?

Compadre: One external knob for Discrimination adjust and no variable Sensitivity control. It also has a hard-wired, non-interchangeable search coil. It's 'magic' is having the ED-180 Discriminate range to adjust for all metal accept in the motion-based Disc. mode. Nothing really 'magical' about it except that it does let some folks run really low to get a little improved depth and find better targets in that lower-end of conductivity. Initially the 'standard' coil was the thick-bodied 7" but then they also added the option of a hard-wired 6" [size=small](they call it 5.75)[/size] or the brown 8" Concentric coils.

Silver µMAX: The strengths over the Compadre are that is does have a variable Sensitivity control and also has interchangeable coil ability. However, the motion-based Discrimination is limited to a fixed All Metal accept or a variable ED-120 range of acceptance. Standard coil is brown 8" 'donut' type Concentric.

Now look at what the Mojave brings us at a very attractive MSRP:

Mojave: Features the newer black color package. It has a variable Sensitivity control like the Silver µMAX, but features the variable ED-180 Discrimination 'magic' control like the Compadre. Like the Silver µMAX it has the interchangeable search coil capability, but better still it comes standard with Tesoro's new thin-profile 7" Concentric coil. And perhaps the better NEW feature, that neither the Compadre or Silver µMAX offer, is the two-position High/Low preset Ground Balance selector switch. This can provide peak performance in Discrimination better ground or bad ground.

Therefore the Mojave offers what both the former low-end models do plus the better coil and GB selector. A true value from Tesoro.

Monte

 

[Dancer]

When hunting with the Mojave. I generally turn the sensitivity dial to where it starts to crack up a little. Than back it off until it stabilizes. Usually keep the discrimination to just left of the nickel/ red line. I guess if you knew there was a light necklace, or small earing around , I would open it up. Once I got familiar, I became to call trash targets to a high degree. But like any machine, there's those iffy signals. Got to check your self. Other day, I got a decent coin beep. But with a little break up in the signal. (Was hunting a area with some trash) Anyway I walked away. So something kept telling me to go back there and dig it. So went back and found the signal. Checked it over real good. Still sounded good but a little trashy. So I cut a plug, probed it. It was a little deeper and off to the side. Turns out a clad quarter sitting with a 3/4 tilt. Just a quarter but I got a little juiced, cause that machine had just enough to get me back there.

 

[walnut]

Thanks Monte, yeah that's how I look at it. I guess in my mind, the Compadre-Mojave-Vaquero are all in the same line of high sensitivity to small items, fuller scale ED range, analog detectors, but the Vaquero is definitely in a class by itself with the extra control features, and all metal VCO.

For whatever reason, I have found all of my best gold with the Compadre, so I am willing to buy into the idea of that one being "magic". I should use it more than I do.

The Fisher is the F2, once again an inexpensive machine that seems to punch above it's weight class based on posts that I have read on the forums. I seldom use it, mainly just the Vaquero. These 3 will have to pay their own way for awhile...

 

[walnut]

How stable is the Mojave down closer to iron on the dial? With the Vaq, adjusted GB neutral, it is pretty quiet. If I go just a little negative, it gets pretty chattery at the old home sites which have some old nails and other iron trash.

When hunting with the Mojave. I generally turn the sensitivity dial to where it starts to crack up a little. Than back it off until it stabilizes. Usually keep the discrimination to just left of the nickel/ red line. I guess if you knew there was a light necklace, or small earing around , I would open it up. Once I got familiar, I became to call trash targets to a high degree. But like any machine, there's those iffy signals. Got to check your self. Other day, I got a decent coin beep. But with a little break up in the signal. (Was hunting a area with some trash) Anyway I walked away. So something kept telling me to go back there and dig it. So went back and found the signal. Checked it over real good. Still sounded good but a little trashy. So I cut a plug, probed it. It was a little deeper and off to the side. Turns out a clad quarter sitting with a 3/4 tilt. Just a quarter but I got a little juiced, cause that machine had just enough to get me back there.

 

[slingshot]

Well, mine is of necessity. My sites are so depleted and now fenced in the Compadre just makes sense. New droppings blast the audio, the trash is little, and the weight just fine for 71 years. To top that off, I just visited our new Dollar Tree and Sunbeam batteries are 2/$1 and last 20 hours! That's 50¢ versus $3.50 apiece st Wally World!!

 

[Dancer]

How stable is the Mojave down closer to iron on the dial? With the Vaq, adjusted GB neutral, it is pretty quiet. If I go just a little negative, it gets pretty chattery at the old home sites which have some old nails and other iron trash.

Well walnut, I've never had the urge to go digging around all them rusty nails for Silver. So hopefully someone who has will help you out on this. But In my ground I haven't had any problems that adjusting the dials couldn't overcome.


When hunting with the Mojave. I generally turn the sensitivity dial to where it starts to crack up a little. Than back it off until it stabilizes. Usually keep the discrimination to just left of the nickel/ red line. I guess if you knew there was a light necklace, or small earing around , I would open it up. Once I got familiar, I became to call trash targets to a high degree. But like any machine, there's those iffy signals. Got to check your self. Other day, I got a decent coin beep. But with a little break up in the signal. (Was hunting a area with some trash) Anyway I walked away. So something kept telling me to go back there and dig it. So went back and found the signal. Checked it over real good. Still sounded good but a little trashy. So I cut a plug, probed it. It was a little deeper and off to the side. Turns out a clad quarter sitting with a 3/4 tilt. Just a quarter but I got a little juiced, cause that machine had just enough to get me back there.

 

[walnut]

I was just curious. No problem

I have just been wondering, is it a high gain compadre or does it have some real change in the circuitry.

How stable is the Mojave down closer to iron on the dial? With the Vaq, adjusted GB neutral, it is pretty quiet. If I go just a little negative, it gets pretty chattery at the old home sites which have some old nails and other iron trash.

Well walnut, I've never had the urge to go digging around all them rusty nails for Silver. So hopefully someone who has will help you out on this. But In my ground I haven't had any problems that adjusting the dials couldn't overcome.


When hunting with the Mojave. I generally turn the sensitivity dial to where it starts to crack up a little. Than back it off until it stabilizes. Usually keep the discrimination to just left of the nickel/ red line. I guess if you knew there was a light necklace, or small earing around , I would open it up. Once I got familiar, I became to call trash targets to a high degree. But like any machine, there's those iffy signals. Got to check your self. Other day, I got a decent coin beep. But with a little break up in the signal. (Was hunting a area with some trash) Anyway I walked away. So something kept telling me to go back there and dig it. So went back and found the signal. Checked it over real good. Still sounded good but a little trashy. So I cut a plug, probed it. It was a little deeper and off to the side. Turns out a clad quarter sitting with a 3/4 tilt. Just a quarter but I got a little juiced, cause that machine had just enough to get me back there.

 

[walnut]

..

 

[Nomad NJ]

I’m 71 and recently sold my Minelab Sov Gt. This was a great machine that was discontinued a few years ago. I now own only a Vaquero with three coils. The 5 1/4, 9x8 and 11x8. I feel that this is all I will ever need. I love the weight of the VAQ. I think this is the last detector that I will ever own. Who knows if I will ever have the warranty since Tesoro may be out of business. It seems that I have not been finding as much as my original Fisher 1225 when I first started detecting. I found some really nice rings with this machine. It stopped working and I gave it to a friend. NowI’m finding clad and fake jewelry. Last year I found a lot of sterling but not any this year. It’s even hard to find clad as a lot of people just use debit & credit cards. I go to about 3 seeded hunts a year with my VAQ using the 11x8 coil. The hunts are not a good as a few years ago. Im getting more disappointed recently.