In Reply to: Too hot for Nautilus?
posted by Don on March 03, 1998 at 04:58:51

Don, I live in Northern VA and use both the Nautilus DMCIIB and the Whites B&G Pro. Personally, I wouldn't be without either one! It's true that the older Nautilus doesn't do well in hot ground, but the newer DMCIIB uses a ground reject discrimination circuit much like the Whites. Both machines do great in moderately hot (Manassas/Warrenton) ground, although I haven't had occasion to compare them side by side in REALLY hot ground.

POWER TOOL: In most conditions, the Nautilus DMCIIB will blow the Whites away in the depth department.....even in Manassas soil. In better ground (Stafford/Fredericksburg) you better bring a backhoe! My favorite feature is the dual tone circuit- it's great for discerning targets without switching modes or looking at a meter. Presently my primary machine. Drawbacks: it's a battery hog (no prob if you get nicads & recharge every outing) and it's less ergonomic than the Whites.

PRECISION INSTRUMENT: The Whites B&G is a great detector in its own right. It pinpoints with extreme accuracy and is comfortable to use. That makes it great for trashy, hard-to-get-around-in spots as well as general hunting. I use it with the factory 950, a 600 and a 350 coil. With that combination I can hunt anywhere. Presently my secondary machine. Drawbacks: less depth/sensitivity than the Nautilus; need to switch modes/watch meter to discern targets.

As I said, I love 'em both for certain cicumstances. As far as which you should buy, that's a tough call. If you don't mind a little more of a learning curve and you're persistent and determined to squeeze a site for all it's worth, the Nautilus gets my vote. If you want to keep things simpler and more comfortable, try the Whites. From what I've heard, BOTH are simpler to use than the XLT! Wishing you success in your decision and good hunting! Bill