Sunray X-1 Probe

dholland02

Bronze Member
Jan 15, 2012
1,034
399
Detector(s) used
Garrett Ace250
Minelab Safari
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Ebay but ur gonna pay for one. I just sold one and got over 400.
 

OP
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bountyhunter04

bountyhunter04

Jr. Member
May 7, 2006
48
57
WV
Detector(s) used
Whites Prizm V
Not sure if one is worth that too me or not! Lol wonder why they quit making them?
 

dholland02

Bronze Member
Jan 15, 2012
1,034
399
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Garrett Ace250
Minelab Safari
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Minelab up the price of the upper shaft..that's what I heard
 

khouse

Hero Member
Dec 6, 2006
789
74
Minelab up the price of the upper shaft..that's what I heard
That was the explanation from the company. But the price of the upper shaft hasn't increased much if any since the introduction of the FBS machines. I really believe it was other reasons like patent infringement or something similar?
 

Machinist

Jr. Member
Dec 19, 2014
45
13
Vancouver, WA
Detector(s) used
Minelab E-Trac, Sunray X1 Probe, 11" DD coil, & 10x5" SEF coil
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That was the explanation from the company. But the price of the upper shaft hasn't increased much if any since the introduction of the FBS machines. I really believe it was other reasons like patent infringement or something similar?

I bought mine on Ebay from a guy who owns a MD shop and knows the guy who builds them. According to him what happened is Minelab would not sell them in a bulk discount as they were doing. The manufacturer would have to pay retail price for every shaft and that would really raise the cost of the units. I really like mine though, on a review note!!
 

khouse

Hero Member
Dec 6, 2006
789
74
I bought mine on Ebay from a guy who owns a MD shop and knows the guy who builds them. According to him what happened is Minelab would not sell them in a bulk discount as they were doing. The manufacturer would have to pay retail price for every shaft and that would really raise the cost of the units. I really like mine though, on a review note!!
That may be true? But the upper shaft is like $68 retail. So even if he was buying them for half that and needed to raise his price $34 then we would still be buying them. Used ones have been going for $375 to even $400. I got scared of mine and sold it because it was out of warranty. I just figured I would sell it while the prices were high because I wasn't convinced that Sunray would always service them. Minelab needs to make a wireless pinpointer with the receiver that plugs into the usb plug. That would be cool!
PS: Really if the upper shaft was too much money then all Sunray had to do was to tell the buyer to send them an upper shaft. Problem solved.....
 

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Machinist

Jr. Member
Dec 19, 2014
45
13
Vancouver, WA
Detector(s) used
Minelab E-Trac, Sunray X1 Probe, 11" DD coil, & 10x5" SEF coil
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
yes, good point. I do not have any knowledge on its price history. They had already quite making them when I got mine. He and I just got into a discussion on them because I had noticed how people were just buying them up then and that the guy should make them again. That is when he told me that. I just wanted one I did not have to take the headphones off for. I like your USB idea!
 

khouse

Hero Member
Dec 6, 2006
789
74
Who better to make a probe for the Minelabs than Minelab. I think all manufacturers are missing the boat not making probes for their machines.
 

Iron Patch

Gold Member
Sep 28, 2007
19,254
8,730
Dirtyville
🥇 Banner finds
3
Detector(s) used
Deus
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I bought mine on Ebay from a guy who owns a MD shop and knows the guy who builds them. According to him what happened is Minelab would not sell them in a bulk discount as they were doing. The manufacturer would have to pay retail price for every shaft and that would really raise the cost of the units. I really like mine though, on a review note!!


I don't believe that for a second because what's another $20. I do find it interesting Sunray stopped making them right about the same time the prof-find came out. As for both, I actually sold my brand new never used X-1 to buy a Pro-find. The Sunray can't handle the moisture and the repairs from what I understand are not cheap, and I even wonder how long they would fix the thing for you. I mounted my new probe on my shaft just the same way as the Sunray and am very happy with it, and don't regret my choice at all. I did prefer how easy it was to flick the switch on the Sunray compared to the push button, but I'll gladly accept that to have the water resistance, and a product they continue to make and will fix at a reasonable cost. And just for the record I was a long time X-1 user and liked it a lot, but i just think the Minelab is now the better choice.... at least for me.
 

Machinist

Jr. Member
Dec 19, 2014
45
13
Vancouver, WA
Detector(s) used
Minelab E-Trac, Sunray X1 Probe, 11" DD coil, & 10x5" SEF coil
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I don't believe that for a second because what's another $20.

That is what I was wondering when Khouse replied above. I was not looking to make anyone believe anything. The discussion was about how the shafts were thought to be reason why they stopped making them, so I thought I would share what I was "told". I just liked it because when hunting parks, etc that I have to use headphones in I do not have to take them on and off to hear the pointer. I also like the fact that it works with the selected discrimination screen.
 

Iron Patch

Gold Member
Sep 28, 2007
19,254
8,730
Dirtyville
🥇 Banner finds
3
Detector(s) used
Deus
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That is what I was wondering when Khouse replied above. I was not looking to make anyone believe anything. The discussion was about how the shafts were thought to be reason why they stopped making them, so I thought I would share what I was "told". I just liked it because when hunting parks, etc that I have to use headphones in I do not have to take them on and off to hear the pointer. I also like the fact that it works with the selected discrimination screen.


I meant I don't believe that as an official reason, nothing to do with believing any individual on here.

My grey ghosts block a lot of outside noise, but with the combination of sound and vibration the pro-find is no problem to use.

Having a probe that discriminates is not as big a deal as I thought it would be, and as I said I was a long time sunray user. If it wasn't for the issues I listed above I would still be using one, but now the pro-find is just a better choice for me.
 

Machinist

Jr. Member
Dec 19, 2014
45
13
Vancouver, WA
Detector(s) used
Minelab E-Trac, Sunray X1 Probe, 11" DD coil, & 10x5" SEF coil
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Ok, I see. Sorry I misunderstood! Thanks for sharing your experience with the pointers!! I will keep it in mind if I have to replace mine. I also like that I do not have to carry extra batteries for the pointer. I wish Minelab would build one just like the Sunray. It is just so convenient having it all there together. They could sell it as an upgrade!!
 

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