Eagle Spectrum is amazing despite its age.

[Coinstriking Michigan]

Eagle Spectrum is amazing despite it's age.

I just picked up a nice Whites Eagle Spectrum and I am in awe of how deep it is. Not to mention all the ways to customize your search. I got a strong signal that registered at about 66. I pinpointed it at 7 inches and dug down only to find the smallest button. I'm serious it was slightly bigger than a bb. I am really impressed with the versatility of the spectrum. Best air tests I have ever seen too. Anyone else think the Eagle Spectrum is a hidden gem?

 

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[Diggit]

It was a wonderful machine. Very sensitive and deep in good ground. The only place it really became"dated" was in it's discrimination in poor ground, and that was why the MXT and DFX replaced it.
It's still an awesome machine. The one thing I do remember about it was that it responded better with a slow swing.

 

[U.K. Brian]

It was a best seller for years for good reason. I made the mistake of "upgrading" to the newer/smaller/lighter XLT to gain the extra programme slots so I could have seperate programmes for each coil type but I still feel the older model had the edge.

 

[Coinstriking Michigan]

I really don't think I'll need another detector after using this. I've heard from some folks that the Eagle Spectrum is deeper than the DFX...not sure if it's true.

 

[Diggit]

I've heard from some folks that the Eagle Spectrum is deeper than the DFX...not sure if it's true.

I think it is, but in ideal ground. Like I said,it was a VERY deep, sensitive machine, but the discrimination and "poor ground"performance were lacking.
In Michigan, I'm pretty sure it will go deeper than the DFX and the XLT.. Probably even the MXT, which I have been able to squeeze a LITTLE bit more depth than the DFX.

 

[GreenMeanie]

I always wanted to try one of those out.
They are great machines from what I read about them.

 

[U.K. Brian]

Partly true re the DFX depending on the area your in. It needs more adjustment than the XLT to work best. So crossing a fifty acre field having optimised the XLT and the DFX on one side by the time I'm over the other side the XLT has kept more of its depth. There's also the question of what frequency to use with the DFX because size of target is so important and you just don't know whats under the ground so setting for a particular target size, large or small is total guesswork and there's a good chance you will pick the wrong one.

Running the frequencies together should in theory get round this but I'm in an area where Whites themselves suggested reserving twin frequency for the beach only. DFX is still a good detector for those who want one machine for beach and land especially at the secondhand price they go for but there's more to be taken into consideration than with many detectors. Wrong adjustments can cost so much in performance.

 

[Frankn]

My buddy got the Eagle and a couple of years later I got the XLT . We use to check each others signal to determine if they both picked up the same dept. I would say that they are about equal on dept and sensitivy. My XLT was lost in a fire and I now use a newer XLT, the one with the rainbow on the side, I think it is about a 3rd generation XLT. I use it for everything except cache hunting and beach hunting. For cache hunting I use an old Hays 2 Box, and for the beach, a Whites Surfmaster PI pro.

 

[Coinstriking Michigan]

You can really crank the Eagle up pretty hot and keep it stable. I noticed it loves tiny pieces of foil though which is a kick in the head. A damn gum wrapper at 4 inches sounds like a man hole cover.

 

[Frankn]

Wait until you find that 1 piece of #6 shot at 6" !

 

[U.K. Brian]

If your not at a rally, where there's going to be lots of detectors causing interference, use Pre Amp gain in preference to increasing AC and DC sensitivity. You still get an increase in depth but don't lose sharp pinpointing or the ability to size targets by audio.

 

[Coinstriking Michigan]

If your not at a rally, where there's going to be lots of detectors causing interference, use Pre Amp gain in preference to increasing AC and DC sensitivity. You still get an increase in depth but don't lose sharp pinpointing or the ability to size targets by audio.

I normally run my ac sensitivity between 70-73 and my pre amp gain between 4-10 depending on the area. I have never adjusted the dc sensitivity. If I remember correctly it goes from 1-5 and I keep it on 3. I didn't really understand what it was for so I left it alone.

 

[ridger12]

I used the Eagle Spectrum for several years back in the mid 90s. I sold it about eight years ago and have since used a Minelab Sov, and XLT E-Series and a Whites V3i. I will honestly say that of all the detectors I have owned the Spectrum Eagle was my favorite. When new detectorists ask me what kind of detector they should buy I tell them to find a Spectrum Eagle on eBay. I love my V3i but I really miss my Spectrum. I still kick myself for selling it and If I ever see another one at a good price I will buy it.

 

[U.K. Brian]

DC sensitivity is none motion/all metal. You can select it as the primary searching mode with the trigger clicked forward for constant use or pull tigger back to pinpoint. Its all the same. If DC is increased much the target audio gets wider and more mushy. Up Pre Amp and you increase performance in all modes without suffering loss of pinpointing.

If your way away from other detectors and EMI you should try maximum Pre Amp gain but you will need to drop AC sensitivity down to regain stability. I prefer to increase Pre Amp first and then use the AC/DC sensitivity controls to fine tune those settings.

 

[Coinstriking Michigan]

DC sensitivity is none motion/all metal. You can select it as the primary searching mode with the trigger clicked forward for constant use or pull tigger back to pinpoint. Its all the same. If DC is increased much the target audio gets wider and more mushy. Up Pre Amp and you increase performance in all modes without suffering loss of pinpointing.

If your way away from other detectors and EMI you should try maximum Pre Amp gain but you will need to drop AC sensitivity down to regain stability. I prefer to increase Pre Amp first and then use the AC/DC sensitivity controls to fine tune those settings.

Thanks Brian, I'll try and remember that when making adjustments in the field.