How accurate is the Tesoro Mojave "Target Centering Reticle" ?

[ToddB64]

Greetings !

Just curious how accurate the "Target Centering Reticle" is on your Tesoro Mojave.

Their ad says "Pinpointing is a snap with the new target centering reticle.", which to me means
pin pointing is easy to execute, but that says nothing about accuracy.

I realize it would be normal for accuracy to vary from one detector to another, due to manufacturing tolerances, so I don't expect everyone to report the same. I also know that operator pin pointing technique, or lack thereof, can affect the accuracy.

My pin pointing and target recovery process with the 5.75" coil Compadre is as follows: (a) I "X" the target to check size, shape and sound, then if I decide to dig , (b) raise the coil while simultaneously scanning back and forth just enough to maintain a signal, to estimate target depth, (c) set coil on the ground and give it a little shake and tremble over the target area until I find and hear the most pronounced signal (I call this a dynamic version of pinpointing.), (d) then holding a Golf Tee with one hand above the center of the coil, I slide the coil away and plunge the Tee straight down into the ground, (e) next, using my Garrett Pro Pointer AT (aka Orange Carrot) set in audio mode, I scan the ground around the Tee with the tip of the Carrot to find the spot where I hear the strongest signal and if that happens to be a little away from the Tee, I move the Tee to that position, (f) then I cut a trap door with my Lesche digger and again with the aid of the Carrot, find and retrieve the target, either from the hole or the trap door dirt clod.

With the above process I can usually find the target within a 1 inch radius from where I first plunged the Tee. But to be honest, if I'm getting tired and losing concentration, that 1 inch might be 2 inches or more.

Back to my original question:
​

Is your Mojave "dead on", or is it generally .5" (That's point 5) radius from the reticle center, or is it generally 1.0" radius from reticle center, or 1.5" radius ?

Thanks for your feedback on this question.

ToddB64

 

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[Stoof2010]

I've never measured that accurately but it's just as good as my 5.75 on my other detectors.
I tend to like the 8" because of the hole, but it just like all other concentric Tesoro coils seems to be "spot on"

 

[Stoof2010]

Also, I don't use a probe while hunting (never was able to get good at it) and usually pull a plug so that's probably why I've never noticed if it's that perfectly spot on.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Very accurate. I can usually pop the target with my digger without digging a plug.

 

[Hihosilver]

Very accurate on my Mojave. I too like the 8” doughnut coil on the Mojave, getting an extra inch depth and the target centers very nicely in the doughnut hole. Dug a 7” quarter the other day with this set up. Kept digging and digging thinking maybe I missed the target and it was off to the side (like junk sometimes does), but eventually got to it, 7” down right in the center. I have not had the Mojave out but maybe three or four times, but each time I take it out... it surprises me.

 

[ArthurEvans]

I don't have the 5.75 inch yet, but I'm planning on getting it soon. The major contributor to my inaccurate pinpointing is not keeping my eyes on the spot when I move the coil away... I'll have to try the golf tee method, since I've got hundreds of them left over from my golfing days...

I've noticed on my Tejón with the 9x8 web, I expect the target to be a bit in *front* of the center of the web. Since that coil isn't circular, I just accepted that as the hottest point in the field generated by that shape of coil. It's interesting that the reticle on the 5.75 inch is a little closer to the front edge of the coil, on the online image at least. If the windings are circular inside the housing, I wonder why that is?