What are your beliefs about metal detector? Old Tech VS New?

[DigDog]

I've asked people in the past to tell me what target is in the ground and I've yet to see anyone get anything right to any great degree........it's farcical at times.
If it keeps people happy to keep acquiring the latest most accurate target ID machine that's OK,it's good to see happy folk.

I just go from my own personal experience. Seen stuff like gold about everywhere on the Id range.
I guess if you just want to cherry pick silver coins or pennies thats up to you but i think some have too much confidence in the accuracy that it is definitely a piece of foil/junk and not something good like a piece of gold jewelry etc.
That one or two times you decided not to dig you could have left something behind that would have paid for your detector.
There are too many variables to be that certain.
Couple ways of doing it.
In an outing you can cherry pick the first 20 holes you dig out of say 50 responses or you can just dig the first 20 responses.
The first way you left 30 responses letting the detector tell you nothing good was there.
Odds are out of the 30 there was something interesting or valuable.
The second way you know for sure and probably in the end find more.
The other interesting thing is the hobby in general is supposed to be the excitement of what you might find.
If i knew exactly what i was discovering and every target was basically the same it would take some of the excitement out of it.
No different if the streets were littered with pennies and you say ok today im going to go out and pick up all the pennies i can find. They might as well just be laying on top of the ground.
To each his own I suppose.

 

[david bull]

I've asked people in the past to tell me what target is in the ground and I've yet to see anyone get anything right to any great degree........it's farcical at times.
If it keeps people happy to keep acquiring the latest most accurate target ID machine that's OK,it's good to see happy folk.

That was one of the things that amazed me about the XL Pros. Not only would they identify but would tell you if the coin was clad or silver or zinc/copper and instead of rolling numbers it would actually lock onto the I’d!

 

[ken(toronto)]

One of the best youtube videos is "Metal Detecting NYC" by Merrill; he tells it like it is, and test all the new detectors. One of the best video was the one where he detected with 3 other guys, ALL using the super detector ML Nox 800 with the large coil at the time. He detected a deep target that sounded real good and very high numbers. They all took turns detecting it, and agreed it's deep silver. It was DEEP, and took 15 minutes until they finally dug it out ...it turned out to be a large chunk of rusty iron!! ha ha. ha People do not realize that due to the law of physics, there is absolutely NO way to identify a target accurately unless using a different technology (such as ground penetrating radar where you can visualize the object). Depending on the strength and phase of an electronic signal to make the call, is highly inaccurate since these parameters has infinite variations depending on the conductivity, size, shape, orientation, thickness, density, ....etc , of the object! The evolution from analog to digital readouts o-99, 0-40, 0-60..etc is just a marketing ploy to insinuate the new detectors are "more" accurate, which is not true. Yes, the newer machines will find silver better than the old machines, why? because the new machines go deeper whereas the older machines may not..

 

[Nauti]

Bang on Ken,you have exposed the fantasy of accurate I'd.

 

[DigDog]

One of the best youtube videos is "Metal Detecting NYC" by Merrill; he tells it like it is, and test all the new detectors. One of the best video was the one where he detected with 3 other guys, ALL using the super detector ML Nox 800 with the large coil at the time. He detected a deep target that sounded real good and very high numbers. They all took turns detecting it, and agreed it's deep silver. It was DEEP, and took 15 minutes until they finally dug it out ...it turned out to be a large chunk of rusty iron!! ha ha. ha People do not realize that due to the law of physics, there is absolutely NO way to identify a target accurately unless using a different technology (such as ground penetrating radar where you can visualize the object). Depending on the strength and phase of an electronic signal to make the call, is highly inaccurate since these parameters has infinite variations depending on the conductivity, size, shape, orientation, thickness, density, ....etc , of the object! The evolution from analog to digital readouts o-99, 0-40, 0-60..etc is just a marketing ploy to insinuate the new detectors are "more" accurate, which is not true. Yes, the newer machines will find silver better than the old machines, why? because the new machines go deeper whereas the older machines may not..

Thats why I thought $1600 for the new “2d” technology was just that. Marketing. Just a fancy id meter that is no more accurate im sure.
Ive also said the future probably not in my life would be detectors with a visual view like an xray which they already have to a degree. I forgot the name of it but even if it were to be like a medical grade device where you could see the threads on a screw it would not tell you the properties of the metal with certainty.
Someone just told me it was a fool’s errand to look for small gold in a foil littered tot lot . I would argue he probably left alot of gold behind.
But here is the thing everyone does this for different reasons. If just silver coins is your thing then thats fine, but where i am unfortunately due to history and other factors there is no old silver.
Every single hunt would be a failure and no point in doing it at all unless I decided to travel several hours each way each time. I might as well find a different hobby.
If you are doing it as a hobby to relax, break up the monotony and intrigued on what you might find then why not basically dig everything.
I can give you a short answer and that is people get spoiled by technology. Nothing becomes good enough, fast enough.
I believe the hobby started out with the thrill of what you might find.
Think how boring sports would become if everyone already knew ahead of time who will win and the final score.

 

[ken(toronto)]

Thats why I thought $1600 for the new “2d” technology was just that. Marketing. Just a fancy id meter that is no more accurate im sure.
Ive also said the future probably not in my life would be detectors with a visual view like an xray which they already have to a degree. I forgot the name of it but even if it were to be like a medical grade device where you could see the threads on a screw it would not tell you the properties of the metal with certainty.
Someone just told me it was a fool’s errand to look for small gold in a foil littered tot lot . I would argue he probably left alot of gold behind.
But here is the thing everyone does this for different reasons. If just silver coins is your thing then thats fine, but where i am unfortunately due to history and other factors there is no old silver.
Every single hunt would be a failure and no point in doing it at all unless I decided to travel several hours each way each time. I might as well find a different hobby.
If you are doing it as a hobby to relax, break up the monotony and intrigued on what you might find then why not basically dig everything.
I can give you a short answer and that is people get spoiled by technology. Nothing becomes good enough, fast enough.
I believe the hobby started out with the thrill of what you might find.
Think how boring sports would become if everyone already knew ahead of time who will win and the final score.

Yep, you said it! I'm still using the Fisher CZ6a I bought 2nd hand in 2001. It's great for what I use it for, shallow modern "junk" clad coins (Canadian) and the occasional silver /gold jewellery piece. zero discriminate, all metal. Basically I use it for relaxation and breaking up the monotony. There are zero old silver coins in my area; to find any, I'd have to travel maybe 2 hrs , may not even find any, it is so hunted out! Nevertheless, I still enjoy reading and watching youtube videos about the new super duper ,super complicated, super $$$ machines, with their gazillion programs to adapt to every detecting situation one may encounter, and pinpoint target ID accuracy with precise # ID for each target.......for a good laugh! I've seen some make up a ID table, very useful I suppose to tell you what each # means. Choices of Hunt modes: Field 1, field 2, field 3, beach 1, beach 2, wet sand, dry sand, saltwater, fresh water, damp soil, dry soil, clay soil, mineralized soil, heavily mineralized soil, normal soil, frequency 1, 2,3,4,5,6,7, SMF1, SMF2, SMF3 , 2D, 3D, 4D........don't laugh, it's coming!

Ken

 

[DigDog]

Interestingly enough he also has about every detector and continues to get the top of the line best and shows how the $400 legend is the best for the money.
finding 29 out of 30 what the Nox 800 found. Be interesting the honest reviews of users of the new technology detectors if it was worth the extra money
Will it find stuff of course, but how do you prove it found something something else didn’t ? You have a open field all it takes is to be off by an inch having swung the coil in the same exact direction, speed and hight having the same exact emi, and moisture conditions oh and same settings.
As much as many want to make it 100% skill and equipment, luck and timing has a part.
Here is where the obsession takes over as luck is not part of the vocabulary but rather probabilities and numbers backed by a scientific consensus.

 

[DigDog]

Yep, you said it! I'm still using the Fisher CZ6a I bought 2nd hand in 2001. It's great for what I use it for, shallow modern "junk" clad coins (Canadian) and the occasional silver /gold jewellery piece. zero discriminate, all metal. Basically I use it for relaxation and breaking up the monotony. There are zero old silver coins in my area; to find any, I'd have to travel maybe 2 hrs , may not even find any, it is so hunted out! Nevertheless, I still enjoy reading and watching youtube videos about the new super duper ,super complicated, super $$$ machines, with their gazillion programs to adapt to every detecting situation one may encounter, and pinpoint target ID accuracy with precise # ID for each target.......for a good laugh! I've seen some make up a ID table, very useful I suppose to tell you what each # means. Choices of Hunt modes: Field 1, field 2, field 3, beach 1, beach 2, wet sand, dry sand, saltwater, fresh water, damp soil, dry soil, clay soil, mineralized soil, heavily mineralized soil, normal soil, frequency 1, 2,3,4,5,6,7, SMF1, SMF2, SMF3 , 2D, 3D, 4D........don't laugh, it's coming!

Ken

Well, have to have something for everyone and everything. Thats how you sell more.
You know i never had a fisher though, always contemplated one and came close. Maybe one day