The Classics Frequency

[Ronk]

The 6.59khz on My Classic doesn't limit it to higher conductors.Mine loves bullets and nickles and jewelery and it will also find some very small buttons.I have found gobs of buttons and small jewelery.I AM using a small coil and I haven't really tested a larger coil on the same targets yet.I have found targets from one side of the scale all the way to the other with this detector.Higher frequencies might be a little more sensitive to lower conductors especially Gold Detectors.A person shouldn't be worried too much if their lower frequency detector won't detect small jewelery or nickels and the like.With my Mr.Bill Modified C3SL and a 5.5" Ferret coil I have no problem detecting my 8 inch buried nickle in my moderate ground and then raising the coil a few more inches and get an nice clear soft repeatable signal that I would not pass up in the field.One good thing about it is...I never have any problem with EMI or working under power lines.I can run Max sensitivity just about anywhere and I rarely have to turn it down.My detector was designed as a general purpose detector and it does it real well and it also makes a good relic detector because I can run it with the Black sand Mode and that way I have a silent search all metal accept and have more control of the different sizes of iron or put a larger coil on and use it for cache hunting.The Classics have been under rated just like Monte says.They will still keep up with a lot of newer machines out there.Stick a small coil on a Classic 3SL modified and head out in the field around iron or nails or rusty junk and it will find those nickles and lower conductors without a hitch..that is IF you set it up right.I NEVER dig nails or small iron or those bottles caps with the crimp around the edge.
I have nothing against any detector out there but don't count the Classics out because they are not digital.They perform Great in the trash with the slow scan and fast recovery! Mine is still going strong and I'm still finding lots of goodies with it. They are simple but get the job done without frustration!!!
LLTC Long-Live-The-Classics!!!

RonK

 

[Jim West Pa]

n/t

 

[BarberBill]

Just goes to show that older isn't always bad, in fact often very good. One of my detectors is a Classic III Coinmaster and it performs quite well for a beep and dig machine I may be sticking my chin out here, but IMHO I seriously doubt that the frequency matters all that much on the detectors we use for general detecting (not gold or other special purpose) as the manufacturers have been building them from the 6.59 khz right up to around 17 khz and there are detectorists making good finds with all of them. I'm not saying you might not see any difference in some serious tests, but doubt most of us can tell the difference in the field. If we could, you can bet all the manufacturers would settle on that one frequency.
My thoughts,
BB

 

[Ronk]

There are some Great Digital machines out these days but one of the problems I've noticed after reading most of the forums of ALL the Brands IS...A lot of people get frustrated because the VDI numbers are not always accurate at depth or it mis-identifies a target that is very shallow or maybe the depth reading is not spot on and other things.Nothing is perfect..not even Metal detectors!Ha! Meters are a nice tool to have even though most of them are hard on batteries.I like tone id myself for the most part but if the target is nice and clear and and gives a good lock-on swinging the coil in several directions it's usually a good target. I've watched some of those test videos of how targets respond and one thing I don't understand is the detector is suppose to be a slow sweep detector but on the video they are swinging coins back and forth at Break Neck Speeds and you don't do that in the real world or in the field.I thought those days at swinging a detector like a golf club were over.You shouldn't have to swing the coil in an air test any faster than if the target was in the ground in my opinion.One more thing..I remember years ago when reading on the forums how people were getting great depth with brands I won't mention here and how little they cost compared to more expensive brands,Now the depths they are saying are no better or even less than what they were clamming back then.Here's my point.Everyone is so obsessed with depth these days and they buy a detector based on That alone and then when they don't get the depth with their machine that someone else got with the same machine they sell it or trade it back.The ground conditions are different everywhere and people get different depths or results with the same detector.Most coins are really not that deep or they are beyond the depth of detection but I still believe there are more good targets that are shallow and deep but they are masked by iron or other trash things. I really don't think that the frequency would matter too much on the shallow masked targets.Most detectors would probably find it IF it wasn't masked.I do know of some brands that are very good at unmasking but not everything.Sometimes we just have to dig some trash to reach the goodies no matter what detector we use.
Back to the Classics.They are one machine that do exactly what they were designed to do.That is...Slow sweep and fast recovery and Great in the iron and something else I like about them is they get better battery life most everything out there,even with cheaper batteries they still have great battery life.I have never been worried about not finding lower conductors because the proof is in the pudding.Like I said before...My Classic loves nickels and bullets and jewelry even small jewelry.It Will find very small targets but I use a small 5 inch coil most of the time.It has no problems with rings but a tiny necklace is a challenge.I think Whites chose the right frequency for the Classics.It does Great as an General purpose detector.They are built with quality and are very solid.I have read reviews from some who say some of these newer detectors feel very flimsy and have to be careful with them so they won't break and some other construction problems.The Classics don't have that problem and are still fairly light and balance very well especially with smaller coils.Even with the 9.5 coil on mine I can swing it all day with no problem.I will probably get me new fanggled digital one of these days.I DO have metered machines but the Classic is still my favorite so far.It will never be in the closet to collect dust.When I lay it down to dig I never have to worry about it chattering it is very quiet and it doesn't have EMI problems at all.It does have the Mr.Bill mods but I made one more mod to mine.I moved the DISC control on top of the handle..really beside the handle right where I rest my thumb.so I can Thumb the disc to see where targets drop out.Even though some don't like to thumb that's fine.That way I have my other hand free all the time.Almost forgot.On my C3SL the headphone jack is at the rear of the detector where it should be on all detectors so your headphone cord is clear out of the way.It DOES make a big difference to me! Every single control on the Classic has a useful purpose.No gimmick controls.
You are right BarberBill...Most people even blindfolded wouldn't know what frequency the detector was using if noone ever told them.For most general detecting I wouldn't be crying over the frequency.I find my share of nickles and other lower conductors just fine with my C3SL and it works just as good for a relic detector.I have used this same detector for a lot of years and know it so well that I know what to expect.It wouldn't surprise me if I found a gold nugget with it.Not a flake but a small nugget.It hits lead very good! Like I said before..I've found lots bullets and small buttons with it.I found real tiny button last week but I don't know what kind of metal it is yet.I NEVER dig nails or bottle caps either.The Classic puts a stop to them.I DO dig a few of the square tabs but there are so many different types of metal in them they disc out in different places on the dial so I don't want to miss any goodies that read the same but they are usually shallow where I hunt. I could go on about the performance of my Classic3SL but Monte knows way more than I do about them.In fact I bought mine from Monte about 15 or so years ago and it still works like a champ!!!
HH

RonK

 

[BarberBill]

I agree there is a lot of obsession with depth and I suspect that many of the claims fall right in there with claims of gas mileage and big fish. I'm happy with quick response and retune along with decent handling and discrimination as long as the machine gets reasonably good depth, doesn't have to be the deepest.
As to displays, I've had very acceptable results with my MXT down to 8+ inches or so. I seldom double check the depth as I'm going to retrieve a target that appears to be good, anyway so I don't pay much attention to that, One thing I've noticed on machines with a display, they seldom id a coin as junk, but often id bottle caps, washers etc. as coins. Nearly always a coin identifies as a coin.

I'm glad I had a good number of hours under my belt with beep and dig machines before I began to use machines with a display as I've found the audible nuances to be as important to me in deciding whether to dig as the visual indications. Over the last several years I've used several machines with the display a fair bit and I have to say that I generally like them, especially when hunting any area with excellent grass where you prefer to disturb it as little as possible.

All that said, it still comes down to our eyes as the only truly accurate discrimination and I've retrieved quite a few good targets with both types of machines that didn't give the indications expected from the classic solid signal. If it sounds or displays strangely, better dig to be sure. And, as is often mentioned on the forums, and experienced user with a detector they know will out perform a beginner just learning an expensive top of the line machine, most of the time. My two bits.
BB

 

[bowser]

i have had 2 idx-pros ,the one with the MR BILL mod worked great, till i broke the nob, by misuse and leavin the batteries in it and they leaked.I have bought a used one since for short money without the mods. The quick response and the iron rejection makes this detector an excellent machine,In MA soil ,it gets to 7 inches or more easily in most places .I feel it is a better and more accurate coin machine than my mxt.JMHOP JIM