Newbie question on detectors

[G-bone]

Hello all.

I have been contemplating a Metal Detector to ad to my arsenal of Au hunting tools.
Looking at models in the $600 to $700 range, more specifically for gold, but also for caches and treasure hunting.

After looking at a few, I had a question on a feature that did not seem to be available.

All Metal detectors come with headphones, right?
These are great cause you can hear smaller sounds and also save on battery power etc.
But when you have those earphones on - you cannot hear the your surroundings.

So my question is....
Do any detectors have external microphones on the units that you can toggle too in order to hear outside noises without having to take off your head phones?
You could switch to outside mic and hear all goings on around you, or if people or critters are sneaking up on you too.

Plus you could amplify the signal to hear what further away.

I apologize up front for not spending hours and hours researching all he different models up front, before posting this question. Time is not on my side..

Thank you to all

G

 

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[Terry Soloman]

Hello! No, most detectors do not come with headphones. Some people use one ear with the headphone and the other ear free, some use one eared headphones, some just use the metal detector speaker. When I'm in the desert I sometimes use the headphones with one ear out so I can hear wild pigs early in the morning or late in the evening.

 

[airscapes]

I use an FM wireless setup with in-ear ear phones. I seal one tight that blocks out other sounds and leave one loose so I can hear the MD but also hear my PinPointer and what is going on around me. I have seen external speakers sold to clip on a D ring near your ear that let you ear better without Headphones. I can find a link and update this in a minute

Goes along with an amplifier for prospecting.. on this page
http://www.docsdetecting.com/docsplace/coiltek/coils3.html

 

[woof!]

The two-legged species of wild pig is just as dangerous as the 4-legged kind, gotta be able to hear them, too.

Then there's rattlesnakes......

I never use headphones unless it's so windy that you can't hear the speaker; or there's so much ambient noise from machinery and/or 2-legged wild pigs that the headphones are necessary.

 

[villagenut]

I'm with Terry on this, If I am hunting somewhere where I don't want to not be snuck up on... I have the headphone on one ear and the other restng above my other ear. There are adjustments that allow this without discomfort. With most good headphones, if they are over both your ears you can't hear much at all, even if the threshhold is at a minimum or off.

 

[thumper]

They make a headphone that only covers one ear i think. Think its called rattlesnakes

 

[Tom_in_CA]

G-bone, you say you want a detector for:

"..... more specifically for gold, but also for caches and treasure hunting...."

You've been too vague here. Like when you say for "gold", do you mean, as in, gold NUGGETS ? Or were you meaning gold jewelry (or gold coins) ? And if you meant gold jewelry, are you intending it for the beach ? Or land ?

And the whole issue of "caches" (treasure-hunting) is going to be one of those "how serious do you intend to be?" type questions. Because ANY detector can find caches (jar and toaster sized objects). But if you really intend to be serious (like if you have some sort of lead or tip or something), and you *only* want to find the large items (and not be bothered with pesky small items), then get yourself a 2-box unit.

Otherwise, without being more specific, your question is like asking "what's the best motor vehicle?". That only begs the question of "what do you want to do with it?". Eg.: gas mileage? Then get a mini-cooper. Haul gravel? get a truck. Take the kids to soccer practice? Get a mini-van. Speed? Get a Corvette. And so forth.

 

[bzbadger]

If I understand your question let me answer to the best I can. For the money I'd say Garrett AT Gold, have threshold and is great for what I believe you are looking for. As far as headphones, you did say something about microphone but I've never heard of a microphone for detectors to hear something outside the detector, I assume you want the security of being able to hear your surroundings and that means either keeping one earphone off an ear or buy a single earphone headset. I have several headphones and the single is what I use if im by myself in case something or someone were to unwisely sneak up on me.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Detector Pro makes a one-ear headphone called the Rattler. I use this for most detecting.

I also have a set of their Black Widows that block out most ambient noise. Great for detecting but poor for knowing what's going on around you.

I just ordered a set of Philips "passive noise isolation" ear-hook headphones (earbuds with loops) that will work with a wireless FM off my Sansa .mp3 player. I anticipate they will be good for audio while still allowing some ambient noise in.

"..... more specifically for gold, but also for caches and treasure hunting...."

And you want an SUV that gets 46 mpg, can do 0-60 in 5 seconds, can tow a 8,000 pound boat and costs $11,000 new.

 

[G-bone]

Thank you all for your responses.
Yes I was vague as far as the detector itself and my goals with it.

I am looking at the 600 to 700 price range.
Type of gold...Nuggets primarily, checking tailing and header piles during highbanking or drywashing or sniping in local streams (so water proof).

And the AT Gold is one of the top choices right now.
From what I've read so far, they do what I need for the streams and desert scanning.

As far as treasure hunting, Don't know how serious yet. Still testing the waters there.
There are some old stone house foundations up in the hills behind our house and was interested in scanning around them.
But I suspect any detector will do for that kind of stuff at the level of money I'm willing to spend.


The whole thing with the headphones ... I see everyone has there thing that works and that's cool.

But I had this concept of an external mic that you can amplify and hear things much better than with just the one ear or even both ears. When I get my detector, I think I will mess around with this and work up a proto-type.
My hearing's going south anyway, which is why the idea came up in the first place I guess.
And I like the idea that if I see someone in the distance, I can flip the switch and hear them and like one mentioned, hearing things or people coming up behind you, etc.
So just thinking out loud here on an idea.

Thank you all.
And if anyone has recommendations on a comparable detector to the AT gold, I'm all ears

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I's take a serious look at the Fisher F70. A good general purpose detector and it has what is needed for gold prospecting. You could add a 10" Concentric coil eventually that would pinpoint the tiny nuggets and bits a little better. Have heard great things from users of this detector.

The Fisher Gold Bug 2 is more geared specifically for gold - and an excellent choice.

Nothing wrong with Garrets, though. Can just be a matter of personal taste. Ergonomics and layout of display and menu, etc.

Never gave consideration to an external mic for headphones. Lifting one side is the same motion as reaching up to flip a switch.

My first detectors were audio only so I got used to listening while keeping an eye on the surroundings. The audio reacts a lot faster than the display and I sweep fairly fast so I key on the sound then investigate hits with the display. I'm a hunter and it's just natural to scan the area repeatedly. But I do like my one side Rattlers when I'm hunting city parks.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

G-bone, thanx for being more specific. Ok, now that you've clarified that you meant "nuggets" (prosepecting), when you said "gold": Be aware that machines that can go back-&-forth from a) nuggets, to b) coins/relics/caches , will excell in neither arena. They are a compromise between the 2 venues.

And again, back to the "cache" topic; If you really have a notion to find a cache (like if you have a tip or a lead, etc...), then ANY "coin" or "nugget" machine is not going to be the best for that. I mean, sure, they can, no doubt, find toaster and jar-sized items. That's not the problem. The PROBLEM is, that they will ALSO hear/find all sorts of small stuff at the same time. So ironically, for cache hunting, you do NOT want a machine that is so frickin' sensitive, that you're "able to find pinhead sized stuff". Unless you intend to strip-mine, that is. Otherwise, if you truly want to *only* get the can/jar sized items and larger, get yourself a 2-box. Like a TM-808.

 

[T.C.]

Killer Bees....I've got a pair and I really like them!!

They make a headphone that only covers one ear i think. Think its called rattlesnakes

 

[creade]

A lot of the detectorpro headphones have a toggle switch on them so you can shut them off,if you needed to hear something. If it was my money, I would buy a at gold

 

[Fletch88]

Fisher F-19, Gold Bug Pro, Teknetics G2+, Minelab Xterra 705, would all be good choices. I keep the left side of my Bushmasters up on ear enough I can hear my surroundings when in certain urban areas. I wear good high snake boots in warmer months when hunting ghost towns or in woods.

 

[bigfoot1]

I will NEVER hunt the california mtns.with headphones on.not even one ear.headphones are great and in the right place I use mine....but..
[h=3]hey kugar...a little advice needed[/h]

 

[danloop]

I never use headphones.

 

[mikeraydj]

I use headphones just to keep it on the down low in parks. It seems when people hear that beep they have to come and investigate.

 

[Skippy SH13]

T

But I had this concept of an external mic that you can amplify and hear things much better than with just the one ear or even both ears. When I get my detector, I think I will mess around with this and work up a proto-type.
My hearing's going south anyway, which is why the idea came up in the first place I guess.
And I like the idea that if I see someone in the distance, I can flip the switch and hear them and like one mentioned, hearing things or people coming up behind you, etc.
So just thinking out loud here on an idea.

There's a lot of headphones out there that'll already do that. Consider hunting headphones. Many of them have audio inputs. While I've not used them, an example would be the Howard Leight R-01526 Impact Sport Electronic Earmuff

It'll amplify conversations around you (volume control) and has an input port. Connect to your metal detector and go. You might find you need some sort of intermediate volume control if your detector doesn't have it on the base unit.

-Skippy

 

[Skippy SH13]

I use headphones just to keep it on the down low in parks. It seems when people hear that beep they have to come and investigate.

AMEN to that. I also think by not doing the beep, we're much less likely to disturb folks at the park with their activities. I know that if I were hanging out with my family and heard BEEP BEEP BEEP for 3 hours straight, it'd probably bug me.