Ground Penetrating Locators

[Islandeer]

Ive been doing quite a bit of research on ground penetrating locaters and haven't come up with too many reviews. My question is, can anyone give me any information regarding these machines? Do they work? Has anybody ever had any experience using these devices on beaches? The science behind them seems logical, measuring the resistance between probes. Some of the machines I have looked at online were manufactured by GPL or Accurate Locaters, please see link below. Any insight on these machines would be greatly appreciated.

https://www.kellycodetectors.com/catalog/viii-8-ground-penetrating-locator

 

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[Tom_in_CA]

.... experience using these devices on beaches?....

Beaches ? What would you be looking for on the beach, where you think these machines would be right for the task ?

These machines are only for very large objects. Like tracing out building foundations, giant bunkers, big huge chests, etc... They do not have the resolution to show shape or have any benefit on coins, and typical fumble-fingers beach-hunter objectives.

And even if you're looking for a cache (something that a GPR might show), why not just get a 2-box machine?

 

[Islandeer]

Tom, my main concern would be mineralization from salt water given that manufacturers claim they can locate sources of water, caves etc. My main objective is to identify concentrations of coins and larger objects on beaches. I am not very familiar with a 2-box machine so thank you for the advice.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Tom, my main concern would be mineralization from salt water given that manufacturers claim they can locate sources of water, caves etc. My main objective is to identify concentrations of coins and larger objects on beaches. I am not very familiar with a 2-box machine so thank you for the advice.

Many many machines do *just fine* on wet-salt beach minerals. And if you got into some nasty jet-black mineralized sand (rare) just reach for a beach pulse machine. "mineralization" is not-so-insurmountable that only a GPR somehow solves that.

And I don't understand why someone would be looking for water or caves on the beach ?

I can understand "concentrations" of coins, but it would depend on what you mean by "concentrations" . Are we talking chests full ? Are you talking hands-fulls (like where mother nature groups them at bedrock divots?).

GPR's are more the domain of bottle diggers. Who are looking for ground anomolies to tell them where outhouse pits were (for instance). And sure, they'd show large anaologies. But if your definition of "concentrations" was to mean "entire chests", then don't think that the GPR is going to show magical shapes of chests and jars. They don't have that sort of pixel size detail. Instead you just see blurs and blobs.

A 2 box machine will handle wet normal beaches just fine. The depth on a soda can will be up to 2 ft. or so. The depth on a toaster oven will be 4 or 5 ft. The depth on a refrigerator sized objects will be 6 or 7 ft., etc..... So too will many standard machines achieve those depths (and so too will a GPR, etc...). But the benefit of a 2-box unit (like a TM 808), is they DON'T see any object smaller than a soda can . Thus you're not bothered by nuisance individual coins. And is only going for metal (not "voids" or "caves" or "water" or whatever you're saying the GPR claims).

If your "concentrations" are scattered "patches", then no, the 2-box won't work. They have to be assembled into one unit. Like a jar, box, chest, or whatever. Not sure how a GPR works for "scattered" but I betcha that's not going to get anything smaller than big box either.

 

[Carl-NC]

Tom, what Islandeer is asking about are resistivity meters, not GPR.

Islandeer, resistivity meters work, but the GPL and Accurate Locator models are really crappy versions, both based on a 1971 Popular Electronics DIY project. What you want to look for is a genuine 4-probe device (2 force/2 sense) that does data logging. Also operates in current force mode, not voltage. To use one properly, you have to data-log an area and then map it to see anomalies, it doesn't work in real time like a metal detector.