Why no Fors Relic machines in various classifieds?

[finderskeepers]

Just curious. I know it's a very new machine, but there seems to be a fair number in the community who purchase machines just to "try them out" and then offer for sale.

 

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[Rogue Relic Hunter]

i bet some of these machines are bought by people thinking they are going to find gold rings and silver dollars everywhere they look. they prob set their expectations too high and dont want to do all the work required by this hobby.

 

[johnnycat]

Probably because they work pretty good.

 

[Tom Slick]

Everyone likes them so well they don't want to part with them?

 

[Fletch88]

Digger in VA sold his before the UPS truck got out of the driveway! I have a CoRe for sale if anyone is interested.

 

[DiggerinVA]

I still have a bad taste in my mouth from that machine.....most over hyped machine I have seen! Not on this forum but another....and youtube. Only machine I liked less was the Whites Coinmaster, but it was a $170 entry level machine. There will be plenty on the used market next year......some people aren't quick to admit they made a $700 mistake. The same people who are raving on this detector are the ones who raved about the Fors Core a while back.....now there are plenty of those on the forums for sale. Some machines common of the classifieds like the Deus and V3i are just there because people give up on figuring them out. But the Makro machines are very simple to set up and operate. The only thing I did like was the way the programs and settings are laid out.....

 

[finderskeepers]

I still have a bad taste in my mouth from that machine.....most over hyped machine I have seen! Not on this forum but another....and youtube. Only machine I liked less was the Whites Coinmaster, but it was a $170 entry level machine. There will be plenty on the used market next year......some people aren't quick to admit they made a $700 mistake. The same people who are raving on this detector are the ones who raved about the Fors Core a while back.....now there are plenty of those on the forums for sale. Some machines common of the classifieds like the Deus and V3i are just there because people give up on figuring them out. But the Makro machines are very simple to set up and operate. The only thing I did like was the way the programs and settings are laid out.....

What were your issues with the machine?

 

[DiggerinVA]

What were your issues with the machine?

1.) Ergonomics of machine.....Same as Core handle is angled way too far forward and armcuff is too high in relation. This causes discomfort in wrist and lower arm after just a short period on a machine that is well balanced and you should be able to swing all day. Also, the grip only has enough room for your lower 3 fingers....your index finger is on the trigger switch at all times so you cant use it to support the machine, which is the finger that supports most of the weight on most machines. Most uncomfortable machine I have swung....more so than CZ-3d or AT pro. And the Relic is not heavy!

2.) Loves rusty iron! For a machine that is suppose to compare to the Deus in iron trash this thing sucked. Does very well on "tests" out of the ground, but in my actual "in ground" ...."real world" trashy iron sites this machine would grab bent, rusty nails and lock on! They would ID in the 80's in all directions. No comparison to a properly set up Deus!

3.) Target ID at depth....If you watch the videos on this machine you will notice that the Screen is very seldom shown unless on shallow targets. Reason for this is that it tends to be jumpy or push the ID numbers way up on targets at depth. This was especially true on tiny targets such as .22 brass or tiny lead targets. I understand this is a higher freq. Relic machine but so is my Tejon and my AT Gold. They do not ID a .22 bullet and a silver dime with the same number! Most of my relic sites are full of tiny .22 bullets and only when using my TDI or targeting tiny cuff buttons and such do they cause such a problem with my other machines.

The machine does have a great menu set up that I really like and is very easy to use.....also has good depth on non-ferrous targets as long as you don't put any faith in the screen. Overall I seen no improvement over my current detectors.....so I sold the machine.

 

[boogeyman]

Wait until a few days after Christmas. You'll probably see a flood of em after everyone gets their shiny new machine! Also remember some folks can't afford to shell out for several detectors, so whatcha got even though it might be junk is better than nothing.

 

[Monte]

DiggerinVA, like you, I am involved in all aspects of metal detecting and have been for quite some time now. During this coming time of year many of my preferred sites to Relic Hunt get snowed on, frozen over, and/or become inaccessible. That's been my preferred type of hunting whenever I set off on a detecting jaunt, but late fall and winter usually shift me into more of the urban Coin & Jewelry Hunting activity. Mingled with these two main detecting activities I do try and work in some Gold Nugget Hunting, and periodically some Beach Hunting or Cache Hunting, and I even hire my services out for contracted private site searches.

To make sure I am well prepared to handle all of the places I might go, the trash content I might face, and handle some challenging high iron mineralized ground which surrounds me, I pick-and-choose the makes and models of detectors I want to keep in my personal arsenal. Naturally, from time-to-time there w2ill be changes, but only when something comes along that I feel provides me with better feel and fit for comfort, better handling, ample adjustment ns w/o being too cluttered or confusing, and has the search coil selection I need to achieve the best in-the-field success rate I can for the sites hunted.

Glancing at your 'signature' detector selection I see the following:

"AT Gold, AT Pro, Whites TDI, Bandido 2 umax, Tejon & Compadre"

Not a bad selection of detectors, and certainly each one will also be a model admired by someone else who feels it satisfies their wants and needs, too. I had and used both of those Garrett models and I credit Garrett Metal Detectors for boldly making some changes to shift from the less-performing former models to these, and the AT Pro really helped to bring about some changes in the industry. It caused some grief, in my opinion, with the folks over at White's who had some catching up to do with packaging from what they had. I worked with both the At Pro and AT Gold and noted their strengths and weaknesses, but compared with what I was mainly using at the time, a White's MXT Pro, Teknetics T2 and Omega 8000 V4, I just didn't like the smaller-size display read-out on the subdued grayish AT Pro background. And while they worked pretty well, they fell just a little short of what I used in the densely iron littered sites I usually hunted.

I used a White's TDI but only the TDI SL appealed to me, and I only had a minimal number of places where I felt they did me any good, so I let it go as well.

Then there are the three Tesoro models, of which I have owned many. Maybe 5 Compadre's, 3 Tejóns, and no fewer than a half-dozen Bandido II microMAX models of which I try to keep at least one of them, and a Silver Sabre microMAX, in my detector arsenal because they work well for what they can do for me.

While I might not care for a TDI, the two 'AT' series models, or the Tejón or Compadre for my own uses, I know their goods and bads and fully understand why others might find them just what they like to have for their hunting needs. I have read, and I even believe, there are some problems I have with some, and there has been some 'hyping' about all of them in various Forums and by a select number of people. To each their own.

That said, I do know that I have made my own choices and based my decisions on a lot of in-the-field use and side-by-side comparisons with most common detectors we see in use, and I like to speak up when I have differing opinions that I feel strongly about. Not for the sake of argument, just to state my opinions and views from use and experience in fairness for readers.

I still have a bad taste in my mouth from that machine.....most over hyped machine I have seen! Not on this forum but another....and youtube. Only machine I liked less was the Whites Coinmaster, but it was a $170 entry level machine. There will be plenty on the used market next year......some people aren't quick to admit they made a $700 mistake.

Sorry to hear the FORS CoRe or FORS Relic didn't work out for you, but I certainly do not their they are 'over-hyped' and shouldn't be compared with a very inferior, lower-end detector. I don't feel I made a mistake, and I have purchased two hardly-used FORS CoRe's, one for my oldest son (45 soon) because I know what it can do and it was a definite move up for him. The other I got for a good friend.

As for the newer FORS Relic, I got one for a different friend, and I bought another one for myself just to keep a different search coil mounted that I use quite often. I keep my main-use 5½" DD on my original Relic, and bought another to keep the 5½X10 Concentric mounted for the low-to-modest littered sites, mainly where iron nails are the main offender. I am sure you have reasons why you like what you use, so I thought I'd clarify what I made my extra purchases, and it's because I use them and they work excellent for my needs.

The same people who are raving on this detector are the ones who raved about the Fors Core a while back.....now there are plenty of those on the forums for sale.

I 'rave' about the Relic simply because it offers some adjustment features that are 'functional' yet the detector is well balanced for me and 'simple' to use. The 19 kHz performance does provide a slight 'edge' at unmasking some keepers in really ugly iron littered sites.

Oh, you won't find my CoRe for sale, either, because it is a very solid-performing 15 kHz detector travels along ion my back seat with the Relic and Racer 2 and one of my Tesoro models, all ready to get grabbed and put-to-work when I need them. One of my detecting buddies, Gregg Z., has his CoRe, and at least one, possibly two new CoRe 'back-up' units just because they are impressive performers.

Some machines common of the classifieds like the Deus and V3i are just there because people give up on figuring them out.

I know those are two detector models I don't care for, and I have tinkers a little with the Deus but will never own one. The V3i morphed from the original Vision and it had so many problems for months that called for constant factory visits I gave up on it. When I was a White's master dealer in 2012 and '13, I tried to get to like the V3i, but it didn't like me and I felt the same. Too much fussing and tinkering when their own MXT Pro was the superior all-purpose performing model and I stuck with it.

But the Makro machines are very simple to set up and operate. The only thing I did like was the way the programs and settings are laid out.....

Yes, the Makro Racer series models have a 'simple' and easy-to-use control adjustment and display. I like the better balance and 'feel' of the newer S-curve rod on my Gold Racer and Racer 2. Even more I like their in-the-field performance that favorably challenges the CoRe and Relic in hard-hunted sites I have searches since mid-'69 that are terribly littered with a lot of iron and building rubble.

1.) Ergonomics of machine.....Same as Core handle is angled way too far forward and armcuff is too high in relation. This causes discomfort in wrist and lower arm after just a short period on a machine that is well balanced and you should be able to swing all day.

As with any make or model, it also depends on the users build, how they hold and operate the detector, and how far out they extend the rod system. I keep the rods shorter so the coil is a proper 12"-18" in front of my leading toe, and the CoRe and Relic I can use more comfortable, even with the larger 7X11 standard coil, for lengthy searches in pasture and open range land, or at a beach of a sports field, etc.

Also, the grip only has enough room for your lower 3 fingers....your index finger is on the trigger switch at all times so you cant use it to support the machine, which is the finger that supports most of the weight on most machines.

Yes, your are partially correct. I do have three fingers under the Pinpoint rocker switch or push-button, and that is the same as how I have operated most detectors that have used an 'S' rod configuration since at least 1983. It lets me keep my index finger (trigger finger) at-the-ready to use a rocker-switch, push-button or toggle switch for Pinpointing. I find the CoRe and Relic to be very easy-to-use, quite comfortable and controllable, but like I said, I don't extend the coil way out in front which usually causes more imbalance and fatigue, not to mention encouraging poor sweep technique.

Most uncomfortable machine I have swung....more so than CZ-3d or AT pro. And the Relic is not heavy!

I had a CZ-3D and it was the awfulest CZ I ever owned. Never came close to matching the performance on the CZ-5's I used. The CZ's, like the AT pro and AT Gold and Compass Scanner series and quite a few other detectors I kind of liked, they were too top-heavy for me and uncomfortable. The CoRe and Relic balance very well and are a lighter-weight detector.

2.) Loves rusty iron! For a machine that is suppose to compare to the Deus in iron trash this thing sucked. Does very well on "tests" out of the ground, but in my actual "in ground" ...."real world" trashy iron sites this machine would grab bent, rusty nails and lock on! They would ID in the 80's in all directions. No comparison to a properly set up Deus!

The CoRe, Relic and Racer 2 handle iron very well, but we have to remember that not all 'iron' behaves like we anticipate. Some ferrous junk man has shaped into configurations that enhance their conductive properties, such as round iron washers, crip-on bottle caps, rusty tin and other 'sheet' iron or 'flat' iron, and that's just how it is. I started hunting iron littered railroad ghost towns in May of '69, and there are dozens of them I have worked over these past forty-seven-plus years and these models do well.

Yes, bent nails, another mis-shaped, man-made ferrous object, can prove to be challenging with many detectors. I usually do pretty well using a favorite detector model with a smaller-size Concentric coil mounted than I do with most Double-D coils, but with the CoRe, Relic and Racer 2 I use a 2-Tone sewrch mode in low-to-modest trash and where iron nails are the main ferrous trash offender. When I get into rusty tn or a lot of other annoying iron debris, I pick the 3-Tone mode and with that processed audio I can usually hear the lower, bass-like audio hint just before, just after, or both when I cross an iron object dead center. Most are easy to 'classify' however and get a proper lower-tone and 'Iron' range Target ID response.

3.) Target ID at depth....If you watch the videos on this machine you will notice that the Screen is very seldom shown unless on shallow targets. Reason for this is that it tends to be jumpy or push the ID numbers way up on targets at depth. This was especially true on tiny targets such as .22 brass or tiny lead targets. I understand this is a higher freq. Relic machine but so is my Tejon and my AT Gold. They do not ID a .22 bullet and a silver dime with the same number! Most of my relic sites are full of tiny .22 bullets and only when using my TDI or targeting tiny cuff buttons and such do they cause such a problem with my other machines.

Yes, all detectors can sometimes have a problem with some targets that, due to several variables, tend to 'off-read.' That is part of this detecting game, but I can usually call a lot of the .22 short, long and long-rifle cases, most of the .22 caliber lead bullets, and that comes from learning the detectors and coils and spending ample time afield with them.

I don't get .22 lead bullets ID'ing like a silver dime.

The machine does have a great menu set up that I really like and is very easy to use.....also has good depth on non-ferrous targets as long as you don't put any faith in the screen. Overall I seen no improvement over my current detectors.....so I sold the machine.

Yes, the Relic (like the CoRe and Racer 2) does have a very nice, straight forward and easy to operate menu system and display. Actually, I prefer my CoRe and Relic control system to the Racer 'series' because you select an adjustment feature and it doesn't 'time-out' on you like the Racer series do quickly. And with the CoRe and Relic, you can quickly go back to tweak an adjustment function because it holds that function until you change it.

I get excellent depth-of-detection with all three of my Primary Use models, and I also get Target ID read-outs that are pretty accurate. You might have found them to be an improvement over YOUR current detectors, but I sure did. The CoRe bumped my other detectors and took the #1 all-purpose detector spot in January of last year, and today it and the Racer 2 share a very close #2 position tie to my #1 Relic with nabbed that title in January of this year. For ME, they work well.

Just my own thoughts and opinions in support of my decisions to change up to these newer, top-end, great performing detectors to replace what I used to use.

Monte

 

[finderskeepers]

Thanks to all who take the time to share their thoughts.

 

[DiggerinVA]

I dont expect anyone to take my opinion or advice over Monte, who has about 4 times the detecting experience that i have. However, i do have enough to realize fairly quickly that some machines are never going to be "for me". Not saying that some wont just fall head over heels for that i machine. Just like Monte, i know that i will never have any desire to own the V3i, but plenty of people love it and it is Whites starship machine. I will take the MXT All pro over the V3i anyday. Just to clarify....i am not calling anyone out as being dishonest, just simply stated the things i experienced and my opinion of the machine. Happy hunting to all!

 

[Monte]

However, i do have enough to realize fairly quickly that some machines are never going to be "for me". Not saying that some wont just fall head over heels for that i machine.

We are equally on track here because we all need to spend time with any detector model to learn it enough to know if it is going to be a "for me" detector that has the features, the packaging, and performance we need for what we like to do. It's kind of sad when I read about, or talk to, someone who has acquired a detector without ever experiencing it or really studying about it to know what capabilities it has ... only to find out they bought it because somebody else said it was just the right detector for them.

I know quite a few people who enjoy this great sport, and am involved in a few detecting clubs and 'groups' and get to hear others opinions. I know that Joel L. tried a Nokta FORS model and, like you, didn't care for the pistol grip. On our last Welcome-to-Hunt Outing in early September to several ghost towns in Nevada, however, I met up with at least four people who had other brands and models, to include Minelab, XP, Tesoro and White's, and after some field comparisons and evaluations, letting them have the chance to handle all the models I had along with me, three of the four said they were going to buy a Relic. The all determined it was comfortable, well balanced, and a good set of adjustment features, and out-performed all the models they had without a lot of adjustment tinkering.

The fourth decided to get a new Racer 2 as he liked the in-your-face display and additional adjustment options, and one of the three who was going to get a Relic did so quickly AND he also bought a new Racer 2. It gets interesting how we all have our own sets of opinions, and I have mine as well, and that means we'll all have our own likes and dislikes and not always agree. Fortunately there are some good detector options out there for us.

Just like Monte, i know that i will never have any desire to own theV3i, but plenty of people love it and it is Whites starship machine. I willtake the MXT All pro over the V3i anyday. [/QUOTE] I guess you could call it a 'starship' detector or at least their most expensive 'flagship' model, but no one could pay me enough to want to own and use and rely on that model. Another friend of mine, Brian W., has his V3i figured out and can do pretty well with it, so 'for him' that was a good detector that he has put in a lot of time learning. It isn't his only detector, however.

Like you, also, I would take ... and DID take ... their MXT All-Pro over anything else in their product line to do what I need a detector to do in the tough hunting environments I hunt. TheMXT All-Pro (or MXT Pro, the same detector) was my main-use detector, complemented by White's MX5, Teknetics Omega 8000 and the two favorite Tesoro's I like to have on-hand.

All of them, in the sites I hunt both Relic Hunting and urban Coin Hunting, worked a lot better for me, and I put time in with the Vision/V3/V3i series to try and like them, getting my first Vision the week before their official introduction. The only reason the MXT Pro was #1 instead of the Omega 8000 was because it worked better in a dense iron nail infested site and passed my Nail Board Performance Test which the Omega 8000 failed. The Teknetics T2 'Classic' , only with the smaller 5" DD coil, was also in my arsenal and it, also, passed the NBPT for relic Hunting, but I still preferred the Omega 8000 V.4 for most Coin Hunting needs. The T2 was too jumpy and erratic with the standard 11" BiAxial (DD) search coil.

I liked all of those detectors more than, and still do, the V3i. Just for me, the Nokta FORS CoRe out-performed all of the visual TID and audio Tone ID detectors in had, and replaced them all joined by the Relic and Racer 2.

Just to clarify....i am not calling anyone out as being dishonest, just simply stated the things i experienced and my opinion of the machine. Happy hunting to all!

Again, I am with you 100% on this, and it's all a matter of making friends with our best hunting 'buddy,' or 'buddies' .... those being the detector makes and models that go out hunting with us all the time. Sometimes we can even add a human hunting buddy.

Nope, nobody I've seen post on this thread was dishonest, just committed to their own opinions and decisions. Which, by the way, brought about another decision I made later yesterday after making my earlier post above. I decided that since I have a few detectors on-hand that I am selling, I am going to buy another Nokta Relic. That way I can keep one with a 5½" DD mounted and the other has the 5½X10 Concentric coil mounted, and I will get a 3rd Relic for the standard coil and spare 5½ DD to use when I want the 7X11 as well as let it be my 'loaner unit'. Then someone can be on a detecting jaunt with me and get to put in as much time as they would like to try and learn what the Relic has to offer and how nicely it can balance and feel during a day's worth of hunting.

I might have the Tesoro Eldorado and two coils sold, and that leaves a choice condition Teknetics Omega 8000 V.5 w/2 coils to sell and I'll be able to acquire another Relic. Or ... I might just pick up a 2nd CoRe as it will provide the same physical packaging and almost the same in-the-field performance.

I wish everyone the best of success on their next foray afield, and also invite anyone to contact me if they're interested in attending a WTHO in 2017. We host two Outings a year, might have three next year, and our 5th WTHO will be in April, the week after Easter Weekend. So far they have been at locations 'Out West,' but I'd like to find a few sites to hunt in the Central States or 'Back East' such as a CW Relic Hunting location or two. Then we can share 'opinions' and all try some 'hands-on' detector comparisons. I'm sure it would be interesting.

Monte

 

[Tradertom]

Great thread.

 

[3RINGER]

Not being brand specific, I use and hold onto what works best for me in a given site. The Relic in my case has produced and has gained a spot in the keeper detectors. In the thick stuff it produces for me, due to the locations I use it I'm not swinging the stock coil. 5.5x10 and the 5.5 is what I use with it. Will it take the place of my ATP and small coil..no but nice to have when needed.


Long story short and to get back to the OP, for those that take the time it will produce so think most are holding onto them. That being said just wait till next springs new units come out and some folks will have them up looking for others.

 

[Monte]

Not being brand specific, I use and hold onto what works best for me in a given site.

Exactly the way it should be, but naturally that fits most of us who own and use more than one detector. Quite often we read a poster who states they have limited funds and only own, or plan to own at this time, only one detector. For them it might be a bigger struggle to find the best of what's out there to fit their needs.

The Relic in my case has produced and has gained a spot in the keeper detectors. In the thick stuff it produces for me, due to the locations I use it I'm not swinging the stock coil. 5.5x10 and the 5.5 is what I use with it.

I only use the standard 7X11 DD coil when hunting more open areas such as sports fields and big grassy parks, so those are less frequented because they are on my late-fall/winter months of Coin Hunting. The bulk of my hunting and site selection fits the Relic Hunting category, and I use smaller coils virtually always for the past 47+ years of Relic Hunting and before that for a lot of trashy site Coin Hunting tasks.

Because the Relic is such an excellent performer for me in so many places I hunt, to get the most performance out of its great sensitivity and ability to unmask good targets in trash, I keep my main Relic outfitted with the round 5½" DD coil, and I bought a 2nd Relic that I keep the 5½X10 Concentric mounted to. My plan now is to get a 3rd Relic (maybe brand new to take advantage of the Nokta Holiday Offer and get the free stuff) and keep the stock 7X11 DD mounted on it and have all my needs covered as far as coil-size category needs are.

There are times I swap the 'OOR' coil from my CoRe to the 7X11 DD and that has been working just fine, but I have another Relic in my sights for a permanently mounted standard coil. Since weather has kept me away from several old relic sites, I have been using the Racer 2 w/7X11 DD all month long and that is working okay in open Coin Hunting locations. Actually, I plan to get another new Racer 2 for assigned coil duty. I keep the 5½" round or 'OOR' DD on one Racer 2 full-time for all the highly littered and iron infested sites I hunt, and another usually has the 5½X10 DD coil mounted as I use those two coils the most, in that order, on the Racer 2. Been working a 7X11 DD all month now and might nab another Racer 2 just to keep that size coil mounted full-time and grab the unit I want, ready-to-go as needed for a site.

Will it take the place of my ATP and small coil..no but nice to have when needed.

I almost kept a different brand in my arsenal this summer, picking up an 'as-new' MXT All-Pro since I know it well and it used to be my primary-use detector, but I could only live with it around for maybe four or five hunts, pitting it against my Relic, Racer 2 and CoRe, and then it was gone.

I have my Relic, Racer 2, CoRe and Silver Sabre µMAX as my regular carry companions on the back seat of my pick-up, and with a Gold + and Gold Racer as back-ups, it gets crowded around here. I borrowed an AT Pro again to do some re-evaluations in August, and hunted with an acquaintance who uses only one detector, the AT Pro, and we shared units and did some comparisons at a small park. I can appreciate what it seems to offer some folks and if that fits their wants and needs, terrific.

This year I have also used the F19, T2 'Classic' and F75 on a few outings to compare features and performance, then gave them back to their owners. They are 'OK' but they aren't a Relic, to be sure, and were also not up to the performance I got from my CoRe or Racer 2. I think the only model that I have owned that has been around in recent years that I enjoyed the most and made a good showing of keeper finds with it, was the Omega 8000 V.4. I might keep alert for a pristine condition unit come up and get it just to have a 'simple' but 'functional' detector on-hand that I can use as a loaner-unit for friends, family, and property owners I invite to join me when I get permission to hunt private property.

Long story short and to get back to the OP, for those that take the time it will produce so think most are holding onto them. That being said just wait till next springs new units come out and some folks will have them up looking for others.

I think, and know, that many people who bought a Core, Racer 2, or Relic, released in that order, really enjoy them and have no plans to part with them. They might add something else to their detector inventory, but these are all keepers for them because the work so well. Therefore, very few seem to hit the Buy/Sell/Trade listings compared with a lot of other popular detectors.

Monte

 

[Geochem]

I dont expect anyone to take my opinion or advice over Monte, who has about 4 times the detecting experience that i have. However, i do have enough to realize fairly quickly that some machines are never going to be "for me". Not saying that some wont just fall head over heels for that i machine. Just like Monte, i know that i will never have any desire to own the V3i, but plenty of people love it and it is Whites starship machine. I will take the MXT All pro over the V3i anyday. Just to clarify....i am not calling anyone out as being dishonest, just simply stated the things i experienced and my opinion of the machine. Happy hunting to all!

As I learn from others on TN, you are certainly one I listen to learn from, along with Monty. Both of you have tons of experience to mature others no where near your experience level. Thank you for your many fine and enlightening posts!

 

[Geochem]

Exactly the way it should be, but naturally that fits most of us who own and use more than one detector. Quite often we read a poster who states they have limited funds and only own, or plan to own at this time, only one detector. For them it might be a bigger struggle to find the best of what's out there to fit their needs.
[/COLOR]

I only use the standard 7X11 DD coil when hunting more open areas such as sports fields and big grassy parks, so those are less frequented because they are on my late-fall/winter months of Coin Hunting. The bulk of my hunting and site selection fits the Relic Hunting category, and I use smaller coils virtually always for the past 47+ years of Relic Hunting and before that for a lot of trashy site Coin Hunting tasks.

Because the Relic is such an excellent performer for me in so many places I hunt, to get the most performance out of its great sensitivity and ability to unmask good targets in trash, I keep my main Relic outfitted with the round 5½" DD coil, and I bought a 2nd Relic that I keep the 5½X10 Concentric mounted to. My plan now is to get a 3rd Relic (maybe brand new to take advantage of the Nokta Holiday Offer and get the free stuff) and keep the stock 7X11 DD mounted on it and have all my needs covered as far as coil-size category needs are.

There are times I swap the 'OOR' coil from my CoRe to the 7X11 DD and that has been working just fine, but I have another Relic in my sights for a permanently mounted standard coil. Since weather has kept me away from several old relic sites, I have been using the Racer 2 w/7X11 DD all month long and that is working okay in open Coin Hunting locations. Actually, I plan to get another new Racer 2 for assigned coil duty. I keep the 5½" round or 'OOR' DD on one Racer 2 full-time for all the highly littered and iron infested sites I hunt, and another usually has the 5½X10 DD coil mounted as I use those two coils the most, in that order, on the Racer 2. Been working a 7X11 DD all month now and might nab another Racer 2 just to keep that size coil mounted full-time and grab the unit I want, ready-to-go as needed for a site.


I almost kept a different brand in my arsenal this summer, picking up an 'as-new' MXT All-Pro since I know it well and it used to be my primary-use detector, but I could only live with it around for maybe four or five hunts, pitting it against my Relic, Racer 2 and CoRe, and then it was gone.

I have my Relic, Racer 2, CoRe and Silver Sabre µMAX as my regular carry companions on the back seat of my pick-up, and with a Gold + and Gold Racer as back-ups, it gets crowded around here. I borrowed an AT Pro again to do some re-evaluations in August, and hunted with an acquaintance who uses only one detector, the AT Pro, and we shared units and did some comparisons at a small park. I can appreciate what it seems to offer some folks and if that fits their wants and needs, terrific.

This year I have also used the F19, T2 'Classic' and F75 on a few outings to compare features and performance, then gave them back to their owners. They are 'OK' but they aren't a Relic, to be sure, and were also not up to the performance I got from my CoRe or Racer 2. I think the only model that I have owned that has been around in recent years that I enjoyed the most and made a good showing of keeper finds with it, was the Omega 8000 V.4. I might keep alert for a pristine condition unit come up and get it just to have a 'simple' but 'functional' detector on-hand that I can use as a loaner-unit for friends, family, and property owners I invite to join me when I get permission to hunt private property.I think, and know, that many people who bought a Core, Racer 2, or Relic, released in that order, really enjoy them and have no plans to part with them. They might add something else to their detector inventory, but these are all keepers for them because the work so well. Therefore, very few seem to hit the Buy/Sell/Trade listings compared with a lot of other popular detectors.

Monte

I'm new to the MD world, and currently semi retired and enjoying to learn MD equipment and why and how they differ. Your posts are very enlightening. Thank you for sharing your great depth of MD knowledge and experience!!!

 

[Monte]

I'm new to the MD world, and currently semi retired and enjoying to learn MD equipment and why and how they differ. Your posts are very enlightening. Thank you for sharing your great depth of MD knowledge and experience!!!

I see you are located here in the USA, and I'm curious what part of the USA? Also, what metal detector(s) do you currently own, as well as search coils, and have you been considering a new-to-you detector? If so, what ... and why?

Also, what type of metal detecting have you been doing or plan to do in the future? Urban traditional Coin & Jewelry Hunting, or perhaps more rural Relic Hunting, or maybe a specialty adventure like Beach Hunting or Gold Nugget Hunting? I hope things are going well with your learning, and if I can be of any help or answer any specific question, feel welcome to shoot me an e-mail.

Right now I am enjoying the Christmas and New Year Holiday, to include the above normal wintry snowfall we are getting. I am also looking ahead to the first of the year and planning my January get-away to take two or three weeks and travel southward into some drier and warmer climates to get a good start on metal detecting in 2017. It's a great time for me to get away, evaluate detectors and coils, and get limbered up for the old sites I really enjoy working come springtime.

I trust you have some goals in place to work towards as the new year arrives. I set a higher-than-normal Annual Coin Count Goal and need to get a good start on it come January 1st, and that means some travel to go thin down the coin counts in areas that are 'local'... to others. Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year, and be ready to get out and enjoy the greatest outdoor sport, ever!

Biased,

Monte

 

[tabman]

I don't do a lot of writing, but I'll say this much, so far I'm very impressed with the Nokta Fors Core.

tabman