Is the AT Pro Junk?

[Kodiak43351]

I have done this test in open holes deeper than that with both pro and gold detectors and hit hard. Only time I had trouble is when I put the coins in iron infested ground below nails. It was harder to pick them out but I did. I have good luck with mine but I have a lot of hours on them. I have a test garden also and it's almost 2 years old and no problem picking up targets. I have a nail and a nickel buried together and the gold picks the nickel out every time the pro not as well but gets it. I don't know what is going on with your test but the pro and gold are not junk. Let us know if you figure it out.

 

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[MD-Mainiac]

I have found coins at 10+ inches (quarters and nickels) dimes a 8+ inches... most of these finds have been on a beach in wet and dry sand (brackish water). I have had no problems with the AT Pro.
It is a superior machine.

 

[ohiochris]

"I'd say the coins were about 4-6" deep,..."




Lots of times when we try to eyeball things looks can be deceiving. In order to get accurate results you need to measure and have an accurate test. My ATP has trouble hitting on a freshly buried quarter in my front yard and 7" while in some other areas it will hit on one up to around 8 , so the soil type and conditions play a big part in depth ability.....also if there is any other metal in that same patch of dirt it will effectively "mask out" your coin at depth. Coins that have been buried for a long while are very different , depending on the location mine has hit on long buried quarters from 8" on up to 10+....in one particular location on one particular site mine hit on two seperate quarters at 12 ".....but thats extremely rare and even hard for me to believe if I hadnt seen it myself. The deeper coins are the more potential for target masking. And generally ( though not always ) , the longer they have been in the ground the deeper they can be detected , assuming favorable conditions.

 

[Metal Monkey]

So yesterday, my buddy and I, tried the same AT's at different locations. I buried a penny, nickle, and dime. I seemed to have no issues, and him either. So I went back to the location where this all started and had the same results. I know there's nothing metal in the ground because I went through most of the yard with no hits from anything. So the only thing I can think of is the electrical lines that are 100 ft away, or maybe electric is following the ground wire, down the pole, and maybe effecting the dirt and surrounding areas?

 

[diggininms]

What does your air test show? Mine wont air test a quarter over 6 inches. I think my pro has a problem just havent had time to send her in. She should still be under warranty. Anyone else air test them and results? Mine air tests a dime to 7 inches and a quarter to 6. I just feel like somethings wrong.

at pro both coils, makro racer, and detectnix pinpointer.

 

[MD-Mainiac]

You must have something wrong with your MD.

Sunday, yesterday, at a Salt water beach.. dry sand part... pennies at 7-8 inches, nickels a 8+ inches, dimes at 10+ inches.
Later in the day, at a home site next to a river (sandy soil) 10k gold ring at 6+ inches, copper pennies at 8+ inches.. nickel at 6+ inches...

I switch between std and pro mode before every dig, to determine if I am getting a bottle cap or a coin.

 

[xr7ator]

"I'm afraid to learn pro on an actual site. I don't want to miss any targets,"

Then dig ALL targets. What is your other machine that you know well??
My opinion is that you just don't understand the pro side of this machine and that you are used to a machine screaming at you that there is something good under the coil.

In the pro mode, a 10" dime is going to make hardly even a whisper. Try gettin it to "bong" over a target in standard mode, then switch to pro mode and swing over it again. You'll get it...

 

[relic nut]

I started in pro mode, learned and stayed in pro mode. It was just easier for me. Didn't want to learn it twice. This is my second detecter so I had a little experience. I think that helps

 

[el padron]

I started in pro mode, learned and stayed in pro mode. It was just easier for me. Didn't want to learn it twice. This is my second detecter so I had a little experience. I think that helps

Most of its buyer's have used it twice and then hung it in their garage. They achieved their goal after finding their first zinc penney. (Many haven't done even that.....)

The industry wide value that is presented in the most popular machines is amongst the lowest of every existing category of modern consumer electronics.

To add insult to injury the present circumstance also intentionally supplies a huge "repair and modification" secondary industry / market.
Its a reasonable value at about $125 new. They cost about $25 apiece to produce, possibly much less. It contains 15 year old technology that is available for pennies at the wholesale component level.

Its built out of the cheapest possible materials available that will still stay together if handled with extreme care.

Most of the threads that would have informed you of sincere user sentiment have been deleted.
See: "Why does a metal detector cost $2499 again?" while you still can.

Its an industry wide problem, that is only just beginning to be addressed.

 

[pkb]

Not junk at all. This is just the good stuff. Have had mine for about 3 years

 

[Metal Monkey]

So if my problem was indeed electrical interference from the power lines, isn't the changing of frequencies supposed to fix that?

 

[MD-Mainiac]

not necessarily. Depends on how strong the EMI field is. Have you tried these tests somewhere else?

 

[RobRieman]

So if my problem was indeed electrical interference from the power lines, isn't the changing of frequencies supposed to fix that?

I have never been able to change frequencies and have it solve any EMI or electrical interference problems with mine. There are some places I just can't hunt with the Pro. My other detector works just fine in these spots. I have a school I hunt that I can tell when the security system is armed or not. Crazy stuff.

 

[david680]

Our main goal was to learn the pro method. I'm afraid to learn pro on an actual site. I don't want to miss any targets, but if you think it's the freshly planted coins causing the issue, then I will go with that. It was just odd how a open hole would not pick up the coin, but it picked up the coin when we laid it on top of the ground.

Well, you either dig it all or you miss targets. But without a doubt, I think you miss more targets if you are not using pro mode.

 

[gselestow]

Were you notched or discriminated out on some targets. Maybe by accident?
Try holding the power button until it beeps twice then bump your frequency up one or two clicks so they are different from each other. I had an issue where my pin pointer was messing with mine. Once I changed the freq. all was good.

 

[I can dig it]

The frequency shift is small and won't help in bad EMI. It does help in some EMI though and is used when you are hunting close to other detectors to cut down on interfering with each other.

 

[arrowheadhunter01]

Pro zero, no discrimination, listen to the tones, and it pays off. Got to love the AT Pro for being able to hunt a field all day, than hop in the creek and hunt it too.

 

[Rustynailsandscrews]

No way is the AT Pro junk.
It has 1000's of owners around the world that swear by it and it is a beloved detector in the detecting community.
Hmm, time to sell my other detectors that are collecting dust since they don't get picked up any more.
More then likely your doing something wrong with settings.

 

[Metal Monkey]

So I did start to hunt in the pro mode. I hear a lot of tones going off, all the time while hunting. I figured out it must be the louder tone that tells of a definite good target?

 

[CaballoDeOro]

In general, louder means shallower. If the ground is trashy, the AT is talkative. It takes time to learn its language fully (50+ hours), just like any detector. You can reduce your sensitivity to lessen the sounds, but it's better to listen and learn. You're looking for clear, repeatable signals. Once you've learned what different targets sound like, you'll be able to ignore a lot of trashy targets with ease. If you are going to hunt very trashy sites (like old homesteads, etc.), investing in the 5x8 DD coil is a very good move. Its target separation is incredible.