I need discrimination....

[capri_auto]

So it was my third day out with my fisher impulse and I decided I need discrimination. Just digging too many damn nails and very little to show for it... So what do you guys suggest? I want something that can be used in water but filter out iron. I will also use it on land pretty often. The sites I am searching have a lot of small iron bits but I know the good stuff is in there... What do you guys suggest?

 

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[steve from ohio]

Excalibur. Works great in the water and is great on land too.

 

[capri_auto]

you guys have any links articles that show how to operate the Excalibur, I wanna learn some more about how it works and its abilities.

 

[capri_auto]

Will an excal. pick up on a small coin or ring near iron nails if iron discrimination is on?

 

[Tom_in_CA]

capri, a lot of folks see the glitzy magazine ads, and raving reviews about the pulse machines great ability on the beach. They are touted as "beach" machines, afterall, eh? But all the ads fail to tell the un-informed that you can not pass up nails/iron (barring some second guessing on tones).

I see occasional beach pulse users show up on beaches near me (of which some are strewn with nails d/t their commerical history). And when you see them pulling their hair out digging non-stop nails, you ask them "why didn't you just buy a discriminating beach machine?" and they say "because this one heavily advertised that it was the deepest on the beach, and would/could pick up tinsel fine chains, etc...." And to the extent a few of these beach pulse guys do think they can pass nails by the tone, "nagging doubts" usually send them back to check on quite a few "just to make sure". And other times, I simply see them leave some beaches, to go to greener grounds (ie.: beaches with less nails).

To answer your questions about the excaliber can pick up coins and rings next to nails, if you're going slow. There could be some masking effect, if the nail is over the coin, or you're not listening carefully, etc.... This is true of any discriminator: If the machine is going to try to reject the iron, then go figure: if the two items are over (or extremely close) to each other, the signal won't be as clear, or will be "drawn down", etc... But that's just the price to pay for being able to pass iron. If that's a problem for you, then you're going to need to dig out all the nails, and detect underneath them, for "just in case". Obviously not an option in some places.

The excal. will pick up some pretty small stuff (little charms, small gold earings, etc..), but it won't get "as small" as your impulse will. Ie.: you will miss some tinsel fine gold chains, or earing studs, etc... by using a disc. machine. But once again: that's just the price you pay for needing to pass iron.

I do see some people BRISTLE at the thought that they might miss an earing stud or dainty tinsel thin chain. So they stubbornly stick to their pulses. But then they get disgusted at the ratios of 30 nails per condutive target. So it's like Las Vegas: sometimes you have to pay the odds, and know you simply can not have it all. You're sometimes better off to speed things up, knowing you'll have the other 99% of gold jewelry.

 

[capri_auto]

capri, a lot of folks see the glitzy magazine ads, and raving reviews about the pulse machines great ability on the beach. They are touted as "beach" machines, afterall, eh? But all the ads fail to tell the un-informed that you can not pass up nails/iron (barring some second guessing on tones).

I see occasional beach pulse users show up on beaches near me (of which some are strewn with nails d/t their commerical history). And when you see them pulling their hair out digging non-stop nails, you ask them "why didn't you just buy a discriminating beach machine?" and they say "because this one heavily advertised that it was the deepest on the beach, and would/could pick up tinsel fine chains, etc...." And to the extent a few of these beach pulse guys do think they can pass nails by the tone, "nagging doubts" usually send them back to check on quite a few "just to make sure". And other times, I simply see them leave some beaches, to go to greener grounds (ie.: beaches with less nails).

To answer your questions about the excaliber can pick up coins and rings next to nails, if you're going slow. There could be some masking effect, if the nail is over the coin, or you're not listening carefully, etc.... This is true of any discriminator: If the machine is going to try to reject the iron, then go figure: if the two items are over (or extremely close) to each other, the signal won't be as clear, or will be "drawn down", etc... But that's just the price to pay for being able to pass iron. If that's a problem for you, then you're going to need to dig out all the nails, and detect underneath them, for "just in case". Obviously not an option in some places.

The excal. will pick up some pretty small stuff (little charms, small gold earings, etc..), but it won't get "as small" as your impulse will. Ie.: you will miss some tinsel fine gold chains, or earing studs, etc... by using a disc. machine. But once again: that's just the price you pay for needing to pass iron.

I do see some people BRISTLE at the thought that they might miss an earing stud or dainty tinsel thin chain. So they stubbornly stick to their pulses. But then they get disgusted at the ratios of 30 nails per condutive target. So it's like Las Vegas: sometimes you have to pay the odds, and know you simply can not have it all. You're sometimes better off to speed things up, knowing you'll have the other 99% of gold jewelry.

Great post. Yea I thought I would be able to deal with digging all targets, but here in jersey there is just too much junk. I dont mind digging all no ferrous targets, that seems easy compared to what I've been doing.

How about the Fisher impulse-20? Seems I can get one half the price as a used excal. Is this machine worth it? Again I'll be using on land and water, about 50/50.

 

[Iron Patch]

If you're just doing shoreline get an explorer and have the best of both worlds.

Pulse units often look good on paper, but not so good in real detecting conditions. I'm not a beach hunter, but have used both a PI and my explorer at the beach and there is no question the Minelab will find 10 times more being able to avoid the iron. My beaches sound similar to what you're dealing with.

 

[capri_auto]

How would you compare iron discrimination between the sovereign and explorer? Can you wade with the explorer as long as the box is dry?

 

[Iron Patch]

How would you compare iron discrimination between the sovereign and explorer? Can you wade with the explorer as long as the box is dry?

Never used a Sovereign, but when the explorer came on the scene plenty of Sov guys made the switch and never went back. I don't think there's anything the Sov can do better then the Explorer, but I bet there are some things the Ex would be better at.

As for using it at the beach the Sov might be a better choice because I think you can hip or chest mount it. The tide at my beaches goes way out so I never had the need to have to go in the water.

 

[capri_auto]

Thanks for the advice. I heard the slimline coil has some issues, are these pet peeves or cause actual performance loss? How much is a replacement? Sorry about all the questions, but you seem to know about these explorers.

I only scuba a few times a year so the detector doesnt have to dive, but would like it to be fairly weather proof and survive streams.

 

[Iron Patch]

Thanks for the advice. I heard the slimline coil has some issues, are these pet peeves or cause actual performance loss? How much is a replacement? Sorry about all the questions, but you seem to know about these explorers.

I only scuba a few times a year so the detector doesnt have to dive, but would like it to be fairly weather proof and survive streams.

Yes, not a good idea to buy an explorer with the slimline. The problem was noise, and Minelab obviously agreed coming out with the pro coil and getting rid of the slim one. (Too much noise would be a cost in performance) I had never used one, but from what I've read, and how things played out, I wouldn't want one.

Most detectors you'll be good up to the control box but if it were me I'd probably want to chest mount it. You know, you should really look at what your budget is, and there's a chance you might be able to pick up two units and do it that way. You can easily do that for the cost of one new high end unit. Dealing with water and land makes it tough to choose one detetor, but if it's fresh water it's a whole lot easier.

 

[Stanl (MI)]

Here's a link to another Forum with the Explorer Guru.

SE Slimline coil: http://www.findmall.com/read.php?19,526640,526640#msg-526640

I think that I would double check advice, if the giver has no first hand experience with the item.

 

[UncleVinnys]

Check this out - discrimination explained on 3 different detectors.


http://www.scribd.com/doc/37883443/Before-You-Buy-a-Metal-Detector

 

[Iron Patch]

Here's a link to another Forum with the Explorer Guru.

SE Slimline coil: http://www.findmall.com/read.php?19,526640,526640#msg-526640

I think that I would double check advice, if the giver has no first hand experience with the item.

Ok, how about Minelab getting rid of them and bringing out the pro coil early? They didn't do that for no reason. Just my opinion, but a Minelab guru ain't gonna be using a slimline, or he ain't no guru!

PS... I think there's enough people that know what they're doing here that we don't need advice (and links) from another forum.

 

[dale68]

Take a look at the garrett AT pro. Audio and visual id,submersable to 10 ft.