fellow just gave my brother one of these....was hoping i could get a review or two, possibly a few operating pointers, and any links to info concerning this unit that might help him get started with it....all he has ever detected with is a very old whites 99. dollar unit so i'm sure any help would be appreciated...............thanks,,,,,,,,,,,,gldhntr
BOUNTY HUNTER PIONEER 505 REVEIW NEEDED
- Thread starter gldhntr
- Start date
Ed in SoDak
Jr. Member
- Jan 15, 2006
- 21
- 1
Back in 2003, this is what I knew about it.
The Pioneer 505 may be a Landstar without ground balance knob or an SS2 with added depth readout. I don't know if that question ever got settled. Maybe it's two ways of saying the same thing. Bounty Hunter produced unique or hybrid models for several national retailers who wanted a different mix of features or a model unique to their brand. Strangely enough, you won't find much of this listed officially at the BH website, other than posts about it in the forums.
So this at least opens up some info to look for other reviews, as there is a lot of writings on these other models.
Sharpshooter II = Radio Shack 630-3012, Discovery 3000 Metal Detector (same as Sharpshooter II, but has an added volume control, also compared to the Land Star, it's sort of "in-between")
Land Star = RS 630-3015. Equivalent units, rebranded for Radio Shack.
And here's the BH website: http://www.detecting.com
Plus some more reading below. Enjoy!
-Ed
=-=-==-==-=
Bounty Hunter LAND STAR?
with Manual Ground in All Metals
The Land Star is a powerful metal detecting system offering tremendous versatility with two distinct systems integrated into one:
I. No-Motion All Metals Mode: In this setting, detected targets will cause the detector to sound off for as long as the target is under the searchcoil/motion is not required to detect a target.
II. Motion Discriminate Mode, Notch and Auto Notch Modes: These three modes fall under the Discrimination System. The unit will now emit three separate tones classifying metal under the Audio Target Identification System.
With four modes of operation and a separate Ground Trac Touchpad for Ground Balance Re-Tune in the All Metals Mode, the Land Star can be effectively utilized for any metal detecting application conceivable:
1. All Metal: The All Metals Mode is an excellent mode for gold prospecting, cache hunting or pinpointing objects when coin-shooting.
2. Disc: The Disc Mode offers different levels of discrimination adjusted by the Disc/Notch Control. An excellent mode of choice when relic hunting since iron is detected at the Disc/Notch Control's lowest setting.
3. Notch: The Mode of choice when coin-shooting or ring hunting. Can selectively eliminate certain types of pull-tabs while still detecting nickels and gold rings.
4. Auto Notch: A fully automatic discrimination mode that allows the operator turn-on-and-hunt discrimination. The Disc/Notch Control can be adjusted to increase the width of the Notch making possible the rejection of screw caps and zinc pennies while still detecting copper pennies, silver coins, nickels and many gold rings.
LCD Target ID
LCD Depth Readout
Touchpad Selection
Sensitivity Control
Ground Trac? Retune
Auto Notch
Variable Notch
Disc/Notch Level Control
Low Battery Indicator
3-Tone Target Audio
Manual Ground Balance
1/4-Inch Headphone Jack
Land Star Faceplate Features
Target ID Readout: Arrows indicate which type of metal or coin denomination is being detected
Depth Readout: Probable depth of coin-sized objects is indicated in inches 0-10
Low Battery Indicator: Located at the center of the faceplate/comes on when batteries are low
Headphone Jack: Can be either used with headphones or without (requires 1/4" plug)
4-Mode Touchpad Selection: For selection of Disc/All Metal/Notch/Auto Notch Modes
Disc/Notch Level Control: Allows for fine tuning the Discrimination Level for all modes of operation
Manual Ground Balance: Can be adjusted manually for ground conditions when operating in the
All Metals Mode
Ground Trac: Locks in the Manual Ground Balance position and Re-Tunes All Metals
Audio Target Identification
The 3-Tone Audio Discrimination categorizes metal targets under 3 audio output possibilities.
THREE-TONE DISCRIMINATION classifies detected metal objects into the above 3 categories. Adjust the DISC control higher to increase the range of the low tone. As the DISC/NOTCH control is turned clockwise, while operating in the Disc Mode, Nails and Bottle Caps will no longer be detected while nickel and gold items will still emit a Low Tone.
Comes with 8" Open-Face Waterproof Searchcoil.
-=-=-=-=-==
the SHARP SHOOTER Metal Detector with Target ID system. Easy operation, No-Motion All Metal Mode with Automatic Ground Balance, VLF Motion Discriminate, Auto Notch, a Disc/Auto Notch width control for elimination of unwanted objects. An accurate LCD Target Identification and Mode Indicator Readout with Ultra Slow Sweep VLF Discrimination--outstanding features at an affordable price! Take aim at more Treasure with the SHARP SHOOTER!
Three Tone Audio Discrimination, No-Motion All Metals Threshold pinpointing and powerful depth capabilities make your hunting easier and more rewarding. Notch and Auto Notch eliminate pull tabs and still detect nickels and most gold rings. Detects coins up to 12 inches.
LCD Target Readout
S-Bar Handle System
Interchangeable Coil
Touchpad Selection
Disc/Notch Control
Sensitivity Control
Automatic Ground Balance
1/4-Inch Headphone Jack
8-Inch Open-Face Coil
Sharp Shooter Faceplate Features
Target ID Readout: Arrows indicate which type of metal or coin denomination is being detected
Mode Indicator: Indicates mode of operation.
Low Battery Indicator: Located at the center of the faceplate/comes on when batteries are low
Headphone Jack: Can be either used with headphones or without (requires 1/4" plug)
4-Mode Touchpad Selection: For selection of Disc/All Metal/Notch/Auto Notch Modes
Disc/Notch Level Control: Allows for fine tuning the Discrimination Level for both Disc and Notch modes of operation.
The Target ID will "lock" onto a target and hold a reading until another target is detected. The Target Mode indicator will have one arrow pointing to the mode of operation being used. Until another mode of operation is chosen, the arrow remains allowing a constant visual reference of what mode of operation is being used.
The Low Battery indicator will come on and stay on when batteries are low.
Audio Target Identification
The 3-Tone Audio Discrimination categorizes metal targets under 3 audio output possibilities.
When operating in the DISC MODE, detected targets will have three distinct tone categories for helpful identification of the detected item.
With some practice, it is easy to be able to determine most of the time what type of metal is being detected just by the tones being emitted by the Sharp Shooter.
Comes with 8" Open-Face Waterproof Searchcoil.
-=-=-=-=-=-=
Bounty Hunter?s Land Star (A Field Test) Mickey Cochran
When I saw the ads for the Bounty Hunter Land Star metal detector, my mind flashed back to the late 80?s when I first discovered the Big Bud Pro. The Bud Pro was an economical, deep-seeking, lightweight machine and I found my share of treasure with it. In fact, it remained in my stable of detectors until 1996. Now, looking through the new ads, my curiosity was piqued as to whether or not this new machine was of the same quality as its ancestors. I was also curious to know if this young parvenu had retained two of the old features of its elders that I had grown to like and respect; the surface blanker and the salt water switch. I happen to hunt quite a bit in trashy areas that other TH?er?s pass up and I also live quite close to the ocean, so I was indeed interested in the aforementioned features. Well, as it turned out, the Land Star does not have either of these features, but in my 25+ hours of testing it, I hardly missed them.
Mickey Cochran
It was a cold, rainy day in March when I first made Mickey Cochran?s acquaintance. Mickey is a representative for Bounty Hunter. He had e-mailed me to inform me that First Texas (owner and manufacturer of B.H.) wanted to advertise on my web site, The New England Treasure Hunter (http://www.netreasure.com/tnether.html). We traded e-mail for a few days, then I decided to give him a call. We talked about the old days of treasure hunting for a while and then our conversation swung around to the Land Star (L.S., henceforth) and the similarities between it and its illustrious antecedent, The Big Bud Pro. Besides being a very personable guy, Mickey is also a veteran treasure hunter. He obviously sensed my eagerness to give it a try, so it wasn?t long before he asked me to do a field test. I was nearly finished testing another machine at the time and jumped at the opportunity to test the L.S.
First Impressions
The detector arrived and I began to assemble the machine. The control unit, upper stem, and armrest come assembled in one piece, and the coil and lower stem as the other. I just unpacked the box and put them together, connected the coil and the batteries the metal detector was ready to go. Easy as pie.
Front Yard
As I was familiar with the Bounty Hunter Bud Pro and Bud Pro SED detectors, I immediately took the L.S. into the yard for a quick test. By the way, if you aren?t experienced in the use of metal detectors, I advise reading the manual first. It will save you a lot of time and grief. Anyway, after digging a few memorial pennies and a couple of clads I was ready to take it out in the field. Later that evening I sat down and read the BH manual thoroughly. It?s well written and easy to understand.
Features
In some ways the L.S. metal detector is very similar to The B.H. SED, but the Land Star truly has an identity all of it?s own. It features 5 push button controls, including an all metal automatic ground tracking push button and 3 control knobs.
All Metal Mode
Push the all-metal button and you are in the all-metal mode. In this mode you will read all metal targets and this mode can also be utilized to detune and pinpoint targets. The all-metal ground tracking push pad monitors and adjusts the Land Star to compensate for subtle changes in ground mineralization while hunting in the all metal mode.
Disc/Notch Mode
. The Discriminate mode is set by pushing the disc button and then adjusting the disc/notch knob. Pressing the Notch button puts you into the adjustable Notch mode (in this mode you can adjust your detector to notch out troublesome items, from nails to pull tabs while still detecting most good targets). Push the auto-notch button and the notch window is automatically set to reject most pull tabs while at the same time you set the disc control to reject as much or as little trash as you desire.
Notch Mode
In the notch mode, the discrimination control is the notch adjustment. In this mode, all targets except those that fall into the notch window will be detected. If the discrimination control is adjusted to the pull tab position, small rings, nickels, and higher conductivity coins will be accepted, but most pull tabs will be eliminated.
Tri-Tone I.D.
The three tone audio ID system was like an old friend. In the discrimination mode, a target will sound off with one of three distinct tones based upon its conductivity. Nickels emit a low tone, Pull tabs and early date I.H. Cents sound off with a medium tone, and copper pennies, silver and clad dimes, quarters and half dollars, etc. respond with a high pitched "sweet" tone.
Target I.D.
Throughout the many hours of testing it was obvious to me that the visual target I.D. readings were very accurate, about as good as the other manufacturer?s mid and top line units. By using a combination of sound and meter readings it?s possible to spend an entire day just digging coins (if you are pressed for time or just plain lazy).
Depth Reading
I found the LCD depth meter to be about as accurate as the other major manufacturers? models over GOOD targets. Targets read at odd angles will not be properly I.D.?d with ANY detector.
In The Field
During a stretch of warm, clear weather, I took the L.S. to a beach that has a history of turning up mid-40?s silver coins in the spring and is a gold ring magnet in the summer. Here I found a couple of small, hand made silver rings, 2 gold plated rings and a few corroded clad coins. I wasn't really surprised. Unless there has been a recent Northeaster tearing up the beaches, you can't expect to find a bonanza in the early spring along the shorelines of Cape Cod. The beaches had been pretty well vacuumed by detectorists throughout the mild winter and the only thing that would have helped me on this day was a surprise Northeaster. Unfortunately, the day was bright and clear. At dusk I headed for the car determined to do better the next time out.
The Beach Again
This time I was hunting a nearby beach just a day after a classic Northeaster. Not too many folks in this area are aware of just how productive this beach can be after a storm. This particular beach is very tough to hunt, as it?s full of black sand and rocks, but after heavy storms it will usually produce a number of of old coins. The first 3 hours there I spent working the top and middle of the beach in low level (iron reject) discriminate mode and I had accumulated a handful of miscellaneous objects, including sinkers, lures, leaders, and .22 shells. I was becoming worn out from digging all that junk, but I kept going. Finally, my persistence was rewarded as I popped up a 1952 Ben Franklin Half at mid-beach level underneath a large rock. I wasn?t about to call it quits after finding that so I decided to work down near the water line. I set the L.S. to all metal and adjusted the ground balance for salt. Within 15 minutes I had mucked out of the wet sand two coal black Walking Liberty Halves, 2 nearly unrecognizable Large Cents and a few large sinkers. Even though this is a black sand beach, the L.S. was amazingly quiet near the water line. This wasn?t totally unexpected, as the older Bud models I had owned also ran silent close to the water. Some of the sinkers were extremely deep, up to a foot and a half or more down in the heavy, wet sand. I recall thinking at the time that this was very good penetration for an 8" coil. I knew then that the L.S. delivers plenty of "bang for your bucks."
Silver Surprises
A few days later I took the LS to a local football field that had been used for recreational pursuits since the mid- 1800?s. It was a warm spring day and the ground was very moist from weeks of rain. Ideal conditions for finding silver. I started out using very little discrimination, relying on the L.S.?s versatile trio of tone I.D., visual target I.D. and depth meter to identify my targets. About an hour into the hunt I received the biggest surprise of the field test?a 1921 Morgan Silver Dollar. It was just 5" down and slightly tipped on its side. The Land Star?s meters and high pitched tone read it dead on. Though not a rare find by any means, it was the first Silver Dollar I had found in many years. That day I also dug a dateless V nickel and several other silver coins, including a couple of Mercury Dimes and an 1899 Barber Quarter. At the end of the day I was stiff and sore from all the digging, but I went to sleep with a smile on my face.
Relic Site #1
I put the L.S. to a much tougher test the next time out as I worked a multiple use relic site that is plagued with corroded iron. After several hours of hot, sweaty work I had unearthed a few buckles and buttons that varied in size and condition, a couple of nice old locks and a 1788 Massachusetts Copper that was badly worn. The Mass. Copper was about 8" down in an area that had been heavily hunted. I was really getting the feel of the L.S. as darkness forced me to retire for the day. So I departed, convinced that this was a very serious, deep seeking machine that is adaptable to just about any situation.
Relic site #2 (Field Of Thimbles)
After the productive day at the last relic site, I was primed and excited to hunt Relic Site #2. This one is a little different from the other. There is very little trash at this site, mainly large, twisted and broken iron nails that can fool many detectors. In the Colonial era this was a fishing camp on a bluff by a river. My wife and I had taken many fine buckles, buttons, and State Coppers from this site in previous years and I was wondering if there was anything left. When I think of this site, it's with a certain fondness, (as far as we were the first relic hunters who had ever worked it as we know).It?s always an incredible thrill to find an unworked, Colonial fishing camp and this site had produced well for us in the past. This time out, it didn?t deliver any coins or buttons, but what it did produce were several fine colonial buckles and 10 thimbles. That?s right, 10 thimbles. All of these thimbles were of different shapes and sizes. All were found in the same area we had hunted many times before. In over thirty years in the field, I?ve never found so many old thimbles at one time or in one place.
Conclusion
In terms of it?s depth and discrimination capabilities I found that the Land Star is pretty much equal to most of the overpriced, over hyped, glamour machines on the market. The Land Star is very sensitive and is a quiet, smooth-operating instrument. Do I advise you to buy this machine? Well, if you are looking to buy a deep seeking, stable, accurate, target I.D. discriminator and don?t want to take out a second mortgage to do so, take a look at the Land Star. Then with all the money you?ve saved you can take your wife out to dinner and explain to her where you?ll be every weekend for the next 2 months.
The Pioneer 505 may be a Landstar without ground balance knob or an SS2 with added depth readout. I don't know if that question ever got settled. Maybe it's two ways of saying the same thing. Bounty Hunter produced unique or hybrid models for several national retailers who wanted a different mix of features or a model unique to their brand. Strangely enough, you won't find much of this listed officially at the BH website, other than posts about it in the forums.
So this at least opens up some info to look for other reviews, as there is a lot of writings on these other models.
Sharpshooter II = Radio Shack 630-3012, Discovery 3000 Metal Detector (same as Sharpshooter II, but has an added volume control, also compared to the Land Star, it's sort of "in-between")
Land Star = RS 630-3015. Equivalent units, rebranded for Radio Shack.
And here's the BH website: http://www.detecting.com
Plus some more reading below. Enjoy!
-Ed
=-=-==-==-=
Bounty Hunter LAND STAR?
with Manual Ground in All Metals
The Land Star is a powerful metal detecting system offering tremendous versatility with two distinct systems integrated into one:
I. No-Motion All Metals Mode: In this setting, detected targets will cause the detector to sound off for as long as the target is under the searchcoil/motion is not required to detect a target.
II. Motion Discriminate Mode, Notch and Auto Notch Modes: These three modes fall under the Discrimination System. The unit will now emit three separate tones classifying metal under the Audio Target Identification System.
With four modes of operation and a separate Ground Trac Touchpad for Ground Balance Re-Tune in the All Metals Mode, the Land Star can be effectively utilized for any metal detecting application conceivable:
1. All Metal: The All Metals Mode is an excellent mode for gold prospecting, cache hunting or pinpointing objects when coin-shooting.
2. Disc: The Disc Mode offers different levels of discrimination adjusted by the Disc/Notch Control. An excellent mode of choice when relic hunting since iron is detected at the Disc/Notch Control's lowest setting.
3. Notch: The Mode of choice when coin-shooting or ring hunting. Can selectively eliminate certain types of pull-tabs while still detecting nickels and gold rings.
4. Auto Notch: A fully automatic discrimination mode that allows the operator turn-on-and-hunt discrimination. The Disc/Notch Control can be adjusted to increase the width of the Notch making possible the rejection of screw caps and zinc pennies while still detecting copper pennies, silver coins, nickels and many gold rings.
LCD Target ID
LCD Depth Readout
Touchpad Selection
Sensitivity Control
Ground Trac? Retune
Auto Notch
Variable Notch
Disc/Notch Level Control
Low Battery Indicator
3-Tone Target Audio
Manual Ground Balance
1/4-Inch Headphone Jack
Land Star Faceplate Features
Target ID Readout: Arrows indicate which type of metal or coin denomination is being detected
Depth Readout: Probable depth of coin-sized objects is indicated in inches 0-10
Low Battery Indicator: Located at the center of the faceplate/comes on when batteries are low
Headphone Jack: Can be either used with headphones or without (requires 1/4" plug)
4-Mode Touchpad Selection: For selection of Disc/All Metal/Notch/Auto Notch Modes
Disc/Notch Level Control: Allows for fine tuning the Discrimination Level for all modes of operation
Manual Ground Balance: Can be adjusted manually for ground conditions when operating in the
All Metals Mode
Ground Trac: Locks in the Manual Ground Balance position and Re-Tunes All Metals
Audio Target Identification
The 3-Tone Audio Discrimination categorizes metal targets under 3 audio output possibilities.
THREE-TONE DISCRIMINATION classifies detected metal objects into the above 3 categories. Adjust the DISC control higher to increase the range of the low tone. As the DISC/NOTCH control is turned clockwise, while operating in the Disc Mode, Nails and Bottle Caps will no longer be detected while nickel and gold items will still emit a Low Tone.
Comes with 8" Open-Face Waterproof Searchcoil.
-=-=-=-=-==
the SHARP SHOOTER Metal Detector with Target ID system. Easy operation, No-Motion All Metal Mode with Automatic Ground Balance, VLF Motion Discriminate, Auto Notch, a Disc/Auto Notch width control for elimination of unwanted objects. An accurate LCD Target Identification and Mode Indicator Readout with Ultra Slow Sweep VLF Discrimination--outstanding features at an affordable price! Take aim at more Treasure with the SHARP SHOOTER!
Three Tone Audio Discrimination, No-Motion All Metals Threshold pinpointing and powerful depth capabilities make your hunting easier and more rewarding. Notch and Auto Notch eliminate pull tabs and still detect nickels and most gold rings. Detects coins up to 12 inches.
LCD Target Readout
S-Bar Handle System
Interchangeable Coil
Touchpad Selection
Disc/Notch Control
Sensitivity Control
Automatic Ground Balance
1/4-Inch Headphone Jack
8-Inch Open-Face Coil
Sharp Shooter Faceplate Features
Target ID Readout: Arrows indicate which type of metal or coin denomination is being detected
Mode Indicator: Indicates mode of operation.
Low Battery Indicator: Located at the center of the faceplate/comes on when batteries are low
Headphone Jack: Can be either used with headphones or without (requires 1/4" plug)
4-Mode Touchpad Selection: For selection of Disc/All Metal/Notch/Auto Notch Modes
Disc/Notch Level Control: Allows for fine tuning the Discrimination Level for both Disc and Notch modes of operation.
The Target ID will "lock" onto a target and hold a reading until another target is detected. The Target Mode indicator will have one arrow pointing to the mode of operation being used. Until another mode of operation is chosen, the arrow remains allowing a constant visual reference of what mode of operation is being used.
The Low Battery indicator will come on and stay on when batteries are low.
Audio Target Identification
The 3-Tone Audio Discrimination categorizes metal targets under 3 audio output possibilities.
When operating in the DISC MODE, detected targets will have three distinct tone categories for helpful identification of the detected item.
With some practice, it is easy to be able to determine most of the time what type of metal is being detected just by the tones being emitted by the Sharp Shooter.
Comes with 8" Open-Face Waterproof Searchcoil.
-=-=-=-=-=-=
Bounty Hunter?s Land Star (A Field Test) Mickey Cochran
When I saw the ads for the Bounty Hunter Land Star metal detector, my mind flashed back to the late 80?s when I first discovered the Big Bud Pro. The Bud Pro was an economical, deep-seeking, lightweight machine and I found my share of treasure with it. In fact, it remained in my stable of detectors until 1996. Now, looking through the new ads, my curiosity was piqued as to whether or not this new machine was of the same quality as its ancestors. I was also curious to know if this young parvenu had retained two of the old features of its elders that I had grown to like and respect; the surface blanker and the salt water switch. I happen to hunt quite a bit in trashy areas that other TH?er?s pass up and I also live quite close to the ocean, so I was indeed interested in the aforementioned features. Well, as it turned out, the Land Star does not have either of these features, but in my 25+ hours of testing it, I hardly missed them.
Mickey Cochran
It was a cold, rainy day in March when I first made Mickey Cochran?s acquaintance. Mickey is a representative for Bounty Hunter. He had e-mailed me to inform me that First Texas (owner and manufacturer of B.H.) wanted to advertise on my web site, The New England Treasure Hunter (http://www.netreasure.com/tnether.html). We traded e-mail for a few days, then I decided to give him a call. We talked about the old days of treasure hunting for a while and then our conversation swung around to the Land Star (L.S., henceforth) and the similarities between it and its illustrious antecedent, The Big Bud Pro. Besides being a very personable guy, Mickey is also a veteran treasure hunter. He obviously sensed my eagerness to give it a try, so it wasn?t long before he asked me to do a field test. I was nearly finished testing another machine at the time and jumped at the opportunity to test the L.S.
First Impressions
The detector arrived and I began to assemble the machine. The control unit, upper stem, and armrest come assembled in one piece, and the coil and lower stem as the other. I just unpacked the box and put them together, connected the coil and the batteries the metal detector was ready to go. Easy as pie.
Front Yard
As I was familiar with the Bounty Hunter Bud Pro and Bud Pro SED detectors, I immediately took the L.S. into the yard for a quick test. By the way, if you aren?t experienced in the use of metal detectors, I advise reading the manual first. It will save you a lot of time and grief. Anyway, after digging a few memorial pennies and a couple of clads I was ready to take it out in the field. Later that evening I sat down and read the BH manual thoroughly. It?s well written and easy to understand.
Features
In some ways the L.S. metal detector is very similar to The B.H. SED, but the Land Star truly has an identity all of it?s own. It features 5 push button controls, including an all metal automatic ground tracking push button and 3 control knobs.
All Metal Mode
Push the all-metal button and you are in the all-metal mode. In this mode you will read all metal targets and this mode can also be utilized to detune and pinpoint targets. The all-metal ground tracking push pad monitors and adjusts the Land Star to compensate for subtle changes in ground mineralization while hunting in the all metal mode.
Disc/Notch Mode
. The Discriminate mode is set by pushing the disc button and then adjusting the disc/notch knob. Pressing the Notch button puts you into the adjustable Notch mode (in this mode you can adjust your detector to notch out troublesome items, from nails to pull tabs while still detecting most good targets). Push the auto-notch button and the notch window is automatically set to reject most pull tabs while at the same time you set the disc control to reject as much or as little trash as you desire.
Notch Mode
In the notch mode, the discrimination control is the notch adjustment. In this mode, all targets except those that fall into the notch window will be detected. If the discrimination control is adjusted to the pull tab position, small rings, nickels, and higher conductivity coins will be accepted, but most pull tabs will be eliminated.
Tri-Tone I.D.
The three tone audio ID system was like an old friend. In the discrimination mode, a target will sound off with one of three distinct tones based upon its conductivity. Nickels emit a low tone, Pull tabs and early date I.H. Cents sound off with a medium tone, and copper pennies, silver and clad dimes, quarters and half dollars, etc. respond with a high pitched "sweet" tone.
Target I.D.
Throughout the many hours of testing it was obvious to me that the visual target I.D. readings were very accurate, about as good as the other manufacturer?s mid and top line units. By using a combination of sound and meter readings it?s possible to spend an entire day just digging coins (if you are pressed for time or just plain lazy).
Depth Reading
I found the LCD depth meter to be about as accurate as the other major manufacturers? models over GOOD targets. Targets read at odd angles will not be properly I.D.?d with ANY detector.
In The Field
During a stretch of warm, clear weather, I took the L.S. to a beach that has a history of turning up mid-40?s silver coins in the spring and is a gold ring magnet in the summer. Here I found a couple of small, hand made silver rings, 2 gold plated rings and a few corroded clad coins. I wasn't really surprised. Unless there has been a recent Northeaster tearing up the beaches, you can't expect to find a bonanza in the early spring along the shorelines of Cape Cod. The beaches had been pretty well vacuumed by detectorists throughout the mild winter and the only thing that would have helped me on this day was a surprise Northeaster. Unfortunately, the day was bright and clear. At dusk I headed for the car determined to do better the next time out.
The Beach Again
This time I was hunting a nearby beach just a day after a classic Northeaster. Not too many folks in this area are aware of just how productive this beach can be after a storm. This particular beach is very tough to hunt, as it?s full of black sand and rocks, but after heavy storms it will usually produce a number of of old coins. The first 3 hours there I spent working the top and middle of the beach in low level (iron reject) discriminate mode and I had accumulated a handful of miscellaneous objects, including sinkers, lures, leaders, and .22 shells. I was becoming worn out from digging all that junk, but I kept going. Finally, my persistence was rewarded as I popped up a 1952 Ben Franklin Half at mid-beach level underneath a large rock. I wasn?t about to call it quits after finding that so I decided to work down near the water line. I set the L.S. to all metal and adjusted the ground balance for salt. Within 15 minutes I had mucked out of the wet sand two coal black Walking Liberty Halves, 2 nearly unrecognizable Large Cents and a few large sinkers. Even though this is a black sand beach, the L.S. was amazingly quiet near the water line. This wasn?t totally unexpected, as the older Bud models I had owned also ran silent close to the water. Some of the sinkers were extremely deep, up to a foot and a half or more down in the heavy, wet sand. I recall thinking at the time that this was very good penetration for an 8" coil. I knew then that the L.S. delivers plenty of "bang for your bucks."
Silver Surprises
A few days later I took the LS to a local football field that had been used for recreational pursuits since the mid- 1800?s. It was a warm spring day and the ground was very moist from weeks of rain. Ideal conditions for finding silver. I started out using very little discrimination, relying on the L.S.?s versatile trio of tone I.D., visual target I.D. and depth meter to identify my targets. About an hour into the hunt I received the biggest surprise of the field test?a 1921 Morgan Silver Dollar. It was just 5" down and slightly tipped on its side. The Land Star?s meters and high pitched tone read it dead on. Though not a rare find by any means, it was the first Silver Dollar I had found in many years. That day I also dug a dateless V nickel and several other silver coins, including a couple of Mercury Dimes and an 1899 Barber Quarter. At the end of the day I was stiff and sore from all the digging, but I went to sleep with a smile on my face.
Relic Site #1
I put the L.S. to a much tougher test the next time out as I worked a multiple use relic site that is plagued with corroded iron. After several hours of hot, sweaty work I had unearthed a few buckles and buttons that varied in size and condition, a couple of nice old locks and a 1788 Massachusetts Copper that was badly worn. The Mass. Copper was about 8" down in an area that had been heavily hunted. I was really getting the feel of the L.S. as darkness forced me to retire for the day. So I departed, convinced that this was a very serious, deep seeking machine that is adaptable to just about any situation.
Relic site #2 (Field Of Thimbles)
After the productive day at the last relic site, I was primed and excited to hunt Relic Site #2. This one is a little different from the other. There is very little trash at this site, mainly large, twisted and broken iron nails that can fool many detectors. In the Colonial era this was a fishing camp on a bluff by a river. My wife and I had taken many fine buckles, buttons, and State Coppers from this site in previous years and I was wondering if there was anything left. When I think of this site, it's with a certain fondness, (as far as we were the first relic hunters who had ever worked it as we know).It?s always an incredible thrill to find an unworked, Colonial fishing camp and this site had produced well for us in the past. This time out, it didn?t deliver any coins or buttons, but what it did produce were several fine colonial buckles and 10 thimbles. That?s right, 10 thimbles. All of these thimbles were of different shapes and sizes. All were found in the same area we had hunted many times before. In over thirty years in the field, I?ve never found so many old thimbles at one time or in one place.
Conclusion
In terms of it?s depth and discrimination capabilities I found that the Land Star is pretty much equal to most of the overpriced, over hyped, glamour machines on the market. The Land Star is very sensitive and is a quiet, smooth-operating instrument. Do I advise you to buy this machine? Well, if you are looking to buy a deep seeking, stable, accurate, target I.D. discriminator and don?t want to take out a second mortgage to do so, take a look at the Land Star. Then with all the money you?ve saved you can take your wife out to dinner and explain to her where you?ll be every weekend for the next 2 months.
