Shopping for begginer detector

[NJHunter]

I went to the local hobby shop today to take a look at detectors and they recommended the Whites Coinmaster Pro at $279.99. I'm looking for something in the $300 range. Is this a good detector?

 

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[Peyton Manning]

Email this dealer williaming<[email protected]
I just bought one from him. He has better prices than msr. Tell him Vern sent you

 

[NJHunter]

Does he have the Coinmaster or different brands/models?

 

[NJHunter]

While doing some research I kept reading that the Coinmaster doesn't do well on salt water beaches and that is where I'm going to be doing most of my hunting. What would be in the $300 range and work well on the beach?

 

[Peyton Manning]

just email him. he knows his stuff. I just bought am MXT PRO from him. it lists for 899 and he sold to me for 700

 

[NJHunter]

I just sent him a message. Thanks.

 

[Terry Soloman]

While doing some research I kept reading that the Coinmaster doesn't do well on salt water beaches and that is where I'm going to be doing most of my hunting. What would be in the $300 range and work well on the beach?

Nothing. If you stay in the dry sand, any single frequency VLF detector will work. If you move into the wet saltwaer sand, you'll need a multi-frequency, or pulse induction machine. The quest for the perfect metal detector to this point has been quixotic. Minelab, has come the closest to building a fully submersible beach machine that can discriminate out iron in wet sand and saltwater. The “Excalibur” uses Broad Band Spectrum, or “BBS” technology, and retails for about $1,300.00.

According to Minelab, their BBS operating system, “simultaneously transmits, receives and analyses a broad band of multiple frequencies to deliver substantial detection depth, high sensitivity and accurate discrimination for a wide range of target types.” The key takeaway here is “multiple frequencies.” Unfortunately, radio waves regardless of their frequency still have to be filtered and balanced in heavily conductive wet-ocean sand and highly mineralized saltwater. That limits the systems depth capabilities.

Single frequency VLF machines (Very Low Frequency), have even more limitations in the harsh saltwater environment. Take for example the Tesoro Lobo Super Traq. This VLF single frequency machine (17.9Khz) is one of the finest and deepest gold nugget finders on the market today. The Lobo Super Traq, is capable of finding BB-sized gold nuggets eight-inches deep in heavily mineralized ground, or a nickel in dry beach sand at 14-inches. Put that same nugget – or even the nickel, seven-inches deep in wet saltwater sand and the Lobo could walk right over it while chattering, or maybe without seeing it at all. Why?

The magnetic iron sands (“Black Sands”), salt, and high concentrations of other minerals in the water and sand conspire to bounce the radio waves away from the target. Conductivity and mineralization act like a shield around the target and create white noise that must be filtered electronically. Think of it as turning on your bright headlights in a heavy fog at night. All that powerful light is diffused and causes a complete white out – you can’t see anything three-feet past the hood of your car! However when you turn on your yellow fog lights, you can see a little further – not as far as you could in clear daylight, but further. That is why all radio wave machines must be “ground balanced” or tuned, to maximize their depth potential, and why BBS filters and multi-frequencies are so effective – yet still limited.

Unlike BBS and VLF metal detectors, which constantly send and receive thousands of low frequency radio waves per second, a Pulse Induction (PI) metal detector fires high-voltage pulses into the sand several hundred times per second. If no metal is present the electric pulse decays at a uniform rate with no anomalies. When metal is present a small “eddy” current flows through it causing the voltage decay time to increase, which creates a measurable anomaly. Unlike VLF radio waves, electronic pulses are impervious to the effects of conductivity and mineralization, and are unaffected by salt or black sands.

PI metal detectors give the user superior depth capabilities in all metal detecting situations and soil conditions. Using the same heavy fog at night metaphor that I referred to earlier, pulse induction is like headlights that cut completely through the fog as if it were not there at all. The trade-off for that added depth and clarity is the inability to discriminate, or block out iron targets that you generally don’t want to waste time and energy digging. While a pulse induction machine detects all metals without discrimination, the minute differences in the signal tone and quality can give a skilled and experienced operator a clue as to what the target may, or may not be.

Will one machine do it all? Not in my opinion. I always advise new beach metal detecting hobbyists to have a VLF machine for dry sand (as well as their other dirt detecting needs), and a PI machine for the water and wet-sand (and deep farm field and relic hunting). In truth, it all comes down to what you prefer and can afford. Good Luck!

 

[NJHunter]

Thank you. I can't spend $1000+ however, I did see the Garrett at pro and it looks like people have some success in wet sand with it. Do you know anything about that?

 

[Tom Slick]

The AT Pro is a VLF detector and has the same problems as the other single frequency detectors on wet saltwater sand and it retails for much more than $300. The White's Coinmaster will work well for the money on the dry saltwater sand.

 

[NJHunter]

The AT Pro is a VLF detector and has the same problems as the other single frequency detectors on wet saltwater sand and it retails for much more than $300. The White's Coinmaster will work well for the money on the dry saltwater sand.

So there's no reason to spend the extra $200 on the AT over the Coinmaster?

 

[NJHunter]

Anyone know anything about the TC-7010?

 

[norbyx]

Anyone know anything about the TC-7010?

Don't throw away your money.... there is NO cheap metal detector for salt water. Period, not even the V3i I had that is a multi frequency detector loved salt water. Other than Excalibur, or CZ21 you would have to go to a PI machine, and they aren't all that cheap. Also in the water you WILL need a good sand scoop, not a cheap one that can work in the dry sand, and that is about $100-150 more. So going in the water is expensive. My advise, start in the dry with the coinmanster and if you manage to like metal detecting a lot, and start finding some good items, maybe in one year or two you will be able to pay your water metal detector with your finds.

 

[gleaner1]

So there's no reason to spend the extra $200 on the AT over the Coinmaster?

Not unless you want to spend almost twice your budget.

 

[NJHunter]

I decided to spend more, if its worth. Although I know the MTX Pro is a lot more than I originally said I wanted to spend I read that it can handle a lot of different terrain and I plan on being on the beach a lot. What's the opinion on them?

 

[gleaner1]

I decided to spend more, if its worth. Although I know the MTX Pro is a lot more than I originally said I wanted to spend I read that it can handle a lot of different terrain and I plan on being on the beach a lot. What's the opinion on them?

Dry salt beach should be okay for most decent machines. Now you just have to do the research and decide for yourself. I say stick with a lower price unit to start, they are all good, and you can upgrade after the first year or so. You need to learn detecting, and all the beginner models are good for this. Just be patient and learn detecting before you start shelling out serious cabbage on a higher end machine.

 

[norbyx]

Well the mxt-pro is one of my personal favorite detectors. It is quite easy and it performs in most terrains and it is deep. Just remember to get extra coils for it as the 300ltd coil is a very big coil and not good for trashy areas. Is it worth the money? Yes every penny.

 

[NJHunter]

Well the mxt-pro is one of my personal favorite detectors. It is quite easy and it performs in most terrains and it is deep. Just remember to get extra coils for it as the 300ltd coil is a very big coil and not good for trashy areas. Is it worth the money? Yes every penny.

Thank you. Is $820 with headphones a good price?

 

[coketab]

just a thought you should check out new England detectors talk to Richard this place has beaten every deal I have ever seen a friend got a Garrett pro pointer and the lesche for 137 that isn't bad say just the pro pointer is 127 by itself. just a thought they will beat any price almost. pm me if you have any questions I can put you in contact with him directly anytime of day.

 

[NJHunter]

Ok so a couple of my dad's coworkers detect and one uses some $1000+ machine, way out of my range, and the other guy uses a bounty hunter. The guy told my dad that uses it on the beach and uses in wet sand. He did, however, say that when he uses it on really wet stuff he gets chatter. My father didn't get the model but the price was around $180. I asked my dad to get the model tomorrow. What do you guys think? Do any of you use bounty hunters?

 

[Peyton Manning]

Thank you. Is $820 with headphones a good price?

NO don't pay that. William just sold me one for 700