Help me pick a better detector?!

[cheese]

Hello!

I am looking for advice on a new MD. Probably a used one. I just don't know what to look for exactly. I am new to the hobby, but totally hooked. I am currently using a radio shack discovery2. I have learned it pretty well. I also have learned I am missing targets. I have been ignoring iron signals, but my MD will give an iron signal over gold sometimes. Also, the depth is not good. I want to find old coins but mostly find recent clad because that is what is close enough to the surface to give me a good signal. I usually pass over the broken weak signals. I bet a lot of them are silver coins. I am hunting antebellum period sites, and have lots of historical places I can go. Most of them have never been hunted as far as I know. The main reason I want a new one, and I want to get something respectable, is because I have discovered a ghost town. It is in the woods, and according to the history I have found on it, it was founded in the early 1700s and was destroyed by the British in the American Revolution. I want to hunt it, but I don't want to miss the good stuff. I think it might be a good place to find revolutionary war relics, and nice old coins...maybe pine tree shillings and that sort of thing.

I am thinking that these relics are going to be more than 4 or 5 inches deep, and that is where my current MD seems to drop out. What are you opinions of the Fisher 1266X? I understand it is a no-frills MD that can detect deep.

I don't want a lot of fiddling with knobs, buttons, programs, etc..., and I want tones, not a threshhold to listen to.

I also have been considering a whites MXT and a Garrett ace250.

I'm open to all ideas. I don't have enough knowledge on the subject to know what I need and don't need.

I'm so exited about the ghost town, but it's a bit of a drive from here and I decided I'm not going until I have a machine that will help me make the most of the trip.

Thank you!

 

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[cheese]

Thank you all very much for the help! With the advice on this forum and others, I made a decision and now have a fisher CZ7 quicksilver on the way. I determined that it was what I wanted, and began looking for one. I found one that's basically new (2hrs or so on it) for a good price, and got it!

Thanks again for taking the time to help me with this!

 

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[Lowbatts]

Wow! And I didn't even throw in my pitch, since I am one of the few remaining CZ-7 owners out here. A lot of CZ7 series owners moved up with the evolution of the CZ series because of it's one major fault, the battery drain on batteries left in the comparments. (Ah, the handle "Lowbatts" starts to have meaning..) but during normal usage it's battery life is exceptional. The other big drawback is it's not hipmountable, as with prior and successive CZ models.

The CZ-7 is my tool of choice for the serious sites, such as the one you mentioned. I take nothing away from White's high end machines, and there is a range of great White's models, but I'm a Fisher kind of guy. Those mid-level Garretts are just that, mid-level machines. Great in their own right and when used to their strengths no doubt. Same goes for all mid-level machines but any of the CZ series is one real high end machine. Ease of use, probably best target separartion in the field and just plain likeable.

You'll swing it a little slowly when looking for those old coins that may be hidden by little objects of iron or junk a llittle above and offset from them, and you will find them. Some people will say CZ's are more than 10 year old technology. But remember, that's because Fisher pioneered the technology that some others have come out with in relativley recent years, and they did it with more simplicity than anyone else. Nope I don't sell 'em, just love 'em! Been waiting for the next big leap in technology and it hasn't happened yet so I'm still in the CZ series and will remain there until the technology I am waiting for pops into the market.

You're in for more than treasure hunting now, you're in for treasure finding! Good choice and welcome!

 

[stoney56]

That's a good choice Cheese! Now that you found a CZ, go find the real diamonds. HH and best of luck! I know you won't be dissapointed.

 

[cheese]

Thanks! So far, the only negative things I've heard about this machine are: The battery problem, and the inability to hip-mount. Neither of which concern me. I have some decent electronics ability, and probably am going to modify this thing a little anyway. I think I am going to either install, or mount seperately, a micro relay to eliminate the battery drainage (it will isolate the batteries when you turn off the unit), and a battery pack with charging jack. I don't know exactly how or if it will be done until I get the machine and see how important the issues are to me. If I do nothing about it, I can still live with removing the batts when I put it away.

The guy that sold it to me said the batts only discharge over a period of a couple of months. Shoot, if that's the case, I'll be running the batteries down more often than that by using it.

As far as not being able to hip mount it, why is that exactly? I'm not too sure I'd want to anyway.

Lowbatts...you made me proud of my decision! BTW: it only cost me $310.00 w/free shipping.

 

[Carl in CO]

Is the CZ 7 just an older model of the CZ 70 they have on Kelleyco or are they basically the same thing?
Since We've gone this far, I'd really like to hear about a field test. How deep will it really pick up say a buried penny, dime, quarter and 50 cent piece? How accurate is it on object identification and depth of target?

 

[Lowbatts]

Hi Carl, my personal best is 12" on quarters, 8+ inches on dimes/nickels. and almost 11" on a wheaties/IH's. These are the exception of course and not the rule. A lot of factors go into the detection depth, soil, ground balance and my personal demon masking. The CZ series is simply the best at target separation especially targets at depth and those that are masked. But you'll want to look at some CZ-specific forums. I'll not knock any other detectors here because I know there are great finds made by users of all makes. But if you have the budget, look for one of the newer CZ models or get one of the closeout CZ5's, a great machine at a good price.