Sorely disappointed.

[jleland]

I did my very first "Test Garden" tonight and wow, am I ever in the dumps guys. Here's my garden plot:

1 Zincoln @ 3" deep-detected and pinpointed to within a fraction of an inch.
1 Wheat Cent @ 3"-no detection.
1 Modern Nickel @ 1"-detected and pinpointed to within a fraction of an inch.
1 Buffalo Nick @ 1" -no detection
1 Modern dime @ 2" - no detection
1 merc dime @ 2" - no detection
1 1964 Quarter @ 4" no detection,
1 Clad quarter @ 4" no detection,
1 Walker Half @ 6" no dirty rotten filthy detection

Not one to give up, I tried my 10X14 DD, thinking mineralized soil. Wrong-the results were comparable to the above. Then I put on my 12.5 Crossfire II, same as above.

There is a nearly new GTAx1250 on the market-cheap.

 

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[Deadshot]

A few things you should think about before getting down on your detector.

1. Maybe lower your Discrimination down a little bit. That will help your detection depth on targets like nickels and gold jewelry.

2. Test gardens are not a reliable source to test detection depth on. When you dig a hole to bury a target you disrupt the matrix of the ground minerals that normally help improve the conductivity of the ground. When that ground matrix is disrupted (depending on the mineralization of the ground) it can severely reduce your target detection depth.

3.The best test you can do is to go out to a location where you know you will find a variety of coins (soccer, football, baseball field) and really pay attention to what your machine will do. Try to pick a small area and hunt it really slow and thorough with your disc. set right below the Nickel range. Dig every signal that you hear and note the depth at which you are digging. When you have the area satisfactorily cleaned out lower your Disc. down a couple notches so that it still ignores most the iron but picks up all the pull tabs and aluminum scraps and raise the sensitivity a little if the conditions allow, then search the same area again in the same manner. You will be amazed at the amount of coins that you find on the second trip and the gain in depth that you get on nickels and smaller gold items.

4. Don't give up!! You have a high quality machine that will serve you well if you use it to its capabilities.


Happy hunting,
Deadshot

 

[jleland]

Quality advise! I have done most of those things, but nonetheless, you give info that I can try.

 

[hollowpointred]

i am not entirely familiar with the GTAX1250 but i also own a Garrett machine and agree that it probably is a discrim problem. make sure you dont accidentally have those coins notched out on your discrim. also,coins in the field can actually be easier to detect due to something called the halo effect. after a metal object has been buried for a while, the metal will begin to leech into the surrounding soil causing a halo.since your detector detects the surface area and not mass this halo will make the target more detectable than a freshly buried coin in a garden.

 

[ClamBob]

Sounds like a ground balance problem...picking up nickels but not silver. Silver should ring out like crazy on most detectors.
I don't have a Garrett (actually I do but not a modern one) but my CZ 20 has a learning curve that I still haven't mastered.
Find a clean spot and ground balance over and over again. If your machine has an all metal mode, make sure there is only a very little difference when raised away from the ground quickly. If you are overcompensating you will certainly miss the deeper objects.
I have found that a slight oversensitivity is better than not hearing the ground at all. When you don't hear the ground at all, you don't know where you are tuned.
I sure hope this helps.
BTW...leave your garden in place...it could be years before you get real life readings from it.
HH,
BobJ

 

[vwayne1]

Jleand, I'll give you a hundred bucks for it.

 

[ClamBob]

VWayne1...I hope the background of that quarter pendant icon ISN'T your shaved, oiled chest.

HH,
BobJ

 

[southern gent]

I agree that you are probobly having balance issues. The absence of a "halo" from the targets will hinder your signal as well. Leave your "seed" in the garden for a while and I'm sure you'll see a big difference. Another thing thaat comes to mind is the detectors signal cycle. How fast/slow you can pass over targets and how your speed should change for target depth. These are the reasons we use a test garden. I can't remember if the GTAX1250 is motion or non motion, or what the pulse rate is. Better consult Garrett for that . I wish you well. HH! Chris

 

[bakergeol]

To heck with your test garden- do air tests with coins to see if you are getting the same depths. If your Garrett has an "all metal mode" or non discriminate mode test coins in this mode to see if the depths are the same.. If you have eliminated incorrect GB, incredibly bad ground and excessive discrimination(I doubt this as you are hitting nickels and not dimes) perhaps your machine is not functioning correctly. If you bought it new from a dealer it probably is still under warranty. I know from time to time someone on the Shadow forum would complain that their recently acquired X-5 had poor depth and was insensitive. Turns out previous owners had attempted to "tweak" their machines. When their attempts proved disastrous they just dumped them on E-Bay..

Good Luck

 

[jleland]

Jleand, I'll give you a hundred bucks for it.

SOLD!

not.

 

[slow sweeper]

Test gardens are a great way to check a detectors depth capabilities.



NOT !!!

 

[DigEmAll]

I'll go $250.00 with the extra coil and shipping!

 

[vwayne1]

I would say about a year, and you will get better results from your garden. I have an xlt, and my results were about the same on my garden. Garden is about 3 mounths old now, and it is getting a little better. Definately a long-term project, but very handy for testing other detectors or coils, down the road.

 

[Monty]

Get a manual and if you don't have one, email Garrett and get one. Read it front to back and that will probablly solve your problem. JIM

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

What do you get when you air test?

 

[neilo]

The garrett 1250 comes with different modes one of which you can set up to yourself to reject or accept certain targets are you sure it is not in that mode I think its called custom mode . It could be set up in such a way to only accept certain coins and not others. I find it hard to believe it wont detect silver coins as these are generally the strongest of signals. This is what makes me wonder about modes. Also heavily mineralised ground is one of the main problems causing loss of depth. Also how high off of the ground are you swinging your coil. ?Air testing is not any use unless it is done with the coil sitting flat on the ground and the targets passed in the air ?above the coil. By using this method the machine still has to ground balance and cope with soil conditions. ? Hope you can sort it out, seeya Neilo ?

 

[Born2Dtect]

Talk to other owners, check out fourms, read the manual again, look for a book or a video on your machine. Until you try all the combinations of settings on your machine don,t give up. The test garden will get better with age. By the way the object should be in contact with the earth, not like a friends who put them in plastic bags. There is a reason the seasoned hunter finds more, he is a better hunter because he knows his machine. Keep at it. You'll get there.

Ed Donovan

 

[jleland]

Hey Fellas

I have done many of the things mentioned-and recently took the machine out to try it in the field. I think it is performing as intended, but I don't think it is the machine for me. I have decided to sell it and purchase the DFX. Many of my fellow club detectorists love the WHite's and I held a DFX in my hands on Sunday.

Yup, I'm buyin that DFX.

 

[Monty]

$251.00 plus shipping? Wait this ain't eBay! Never mind!

 

[jleland]

$251.00 plus shipping? Wait this ain't eBay! Never mind!

I bought the detector In July this year. I paid 680$ for it at that time. THe going price is about 350$ in ebay. An offer similar to that will be considered.