705 vs Safari

[issombeituni]

I was thinking of getting another detector for me. I just purchased a 705 and love it and handing that to my wife. I was thinking of getting a safari do you think its worth it or just get another 705

 

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[Fletch88]

I was thinking of getting another detector for me. I just purchased a 705 and love it and handing that to my wife. I was thinking of getting a safari do you think its worth it or just get another 705

Buy the Safari. There's night and day differences between single freq and FBS detectors. You won't disappointed.

 

[dholland02]

Safari with out a doubt. I absolutely love mine.

 

[Bart@Big Boys Hobbies]

for the $ the MINELAB X-TERRA 705 is hard to beat!

 

[Longhair]

for the $ the MINELAB X-TERRA 705 is hard to beat!

I agree whole heartedly.
Remember, the Safari is the bottom of the FBS line, while the 705 is the top V-Flex unit.

Personally, when I bought an FBS machine I wanted both FE & CO numbers, and the Safari doesn't give you FE. To really benefit from the difference, you need an Explorer or E-Trac.

 

[issombeituni]

I been reading and don't know to much about the safari but the 705 has manual and auto ground balance does the safari has this? I read the manual and didn't see anything

 

[Longhair]

I been reading and don't know to much about the safari but the 705 has manual and auto ground balance does the safari has this? I read the manual and didn't see anything

Auto ONLY.
No manual GB. No GB Tracking Offset. No Beach Mode. No Prospector Mode.

 

[issombeituni]

interesting. I love all those modes

 

[dirtscratcher]

For the price if a safari you could get a lightly used explorer or etrac. If your going to buy another detector my in the world would you get another just like you already have.

 

[wolfdog]

I would buy the Safari,may be the bottom end but it is one heck of a detector.

 

[Longhair]

No manual GB. No GB Tracking Offset. No Beach Mode. No Prospector Mode.

Also....
No back light. No low battery audio alert (meaning that you have to pay attention to the screen to know). And the Safari weighs ¾lb more to boot.

Now I'm not knocking FBS by any means. It makes a great compliment to V-Flex (the reason that I have both). If you want to fully appreciate what FBS can do for you, an Explorer or E-Trac give the user more information and are the way to go. IMO, the Safari is a at best a relativly small step sideways.

 

[locater]

Do you currently have all 3 frequency coils 7.5, 3, & 18.75 khz for your 705? If so, you and your wife could run 2 different frequencies at the same time and interchange if you got another 705. If not, they would cost an additional nearly $200.00 a pop for each, that would cost you more than the Safari with the FBS and 11" DD coil. I personally like the DD coils.

 

[Longhair]

If not, they would cost an additional nearly $200.00 a pop for each, that would cost you more than the Safari with the FBS and 11" DD coil.

And then he would have two detectors with only one coil each, which would also seriously restrict the usefulness of both machines. Again IMO, having only one coil for any land machine is limiting and unacceptable.
I would much sooner call Bart, and for the price of a Safari you can probably get a 705 dual coil pack with two coils that are different from the one that you already have, making both machines more flexible.

 

[locater]

I think a safari with it's FBS technology and 28 frequencies with that ONE 11"DD coil is very acceptable. The only thing each additional 9" concentric coil for the 705 gives you is ONE additional frequency, other than that they give NO additional capability.

Different size coils such as a 6" for trashy areas, or purpose specific coils is another matter.

 

[Longhair]

Different size coils such as a 6" for trashy areas, or purpose specific coils is another matter.

Precisely the point. You need more than one coil to be as effective as you can be, regardless of the machine. And FBS coils cost no less than Xterra coils. So being that they cost virtually the same, why not have two machines with three different coils that can be used on both units?

Your 28 frequency argument doesn't hold much water, as FBS only selects three frequencies from 28 available, and you have no control over which three it uses. An Xterra can be tailored for certain target types, which is how one machine can be set up as a coin killer with a 3kHz coil, or it can be a formiable gold stalker with an 18.75kHz coil....user specified.

 

[locater]

I agree to a certain extent Longhair. If I had a 705, I would certainly want all 3 frequency coils. You are absolutely correct, that with a specific frequency coil you can target specific items VERY effectively. BUT, if I had an FBS detector the ONLY reason I may have to get a different coil than the stock 11"DD would be IF I needed it for a specific purpose. Such things might be as I said, a smaller coil for very trashy areas or a large one for added depth or large areas of searching for speed. Special specific applications.,

That being said if the current coil on it is working for all a person"s needs, buying another coil just to buy one is costly and most likely unnecessary.

A great example is my CTX. I only have the stock 11"DD coil. With that coil and the CTX capabilities in high trash areas it is VERY effective. No need for a small coinshooter coil, for me. It shows the target along with the junk. Someone else in another area may feel the need for one. Some day I may get the large coil for speed in large areas.

It all depends on a persons area and targets. To maximize the 705's capabilities all three coils are a must have. Not so with the safari, or CTX etc..

 

[Longhair]

This is a great discussion.

However, unlike your CTX (FBS2), the FBS machines can't manage multiple targets under the coil at once, making the need for larger/smaller coils pretty much a necessity just as with an Xterra.
Your CTX is in fact a combination of both FBS and V-Flex technologies. A hybrid if you will, incorporating the digital aspects of V-Flex and multi-freq ability of FBS, which in turn is what enables it to do what it does.

So, back to FBS & V-Flex...
I hunt sites with both technologies, so I can honestly say that when a 6" coil is called for, regardless of which of the two technologies in this discussion is being utilized, an 8"-9"-10.5" or 11" coil isn't going to do.
I recently worked a homesite that was so littered with iron trash of all sorts that an 8" coil on my Explorer was a total waste of time. A 6" (which I have for the 705) was the largest coil that could be used if any level of sanity was to be maintained, and even with that and the faster response of the 705 I had to go snail speed to uncover anything worthwhile. In iron trash density like that, the fixed 3kHz 6" on the Xterra works extremely well looking for high conductors. It is capable of distinguishing good high conductors from rusty square nails and foil trash w/o the mental fatigue far better than an FBS unit. An unusual situation...absolutely....but we do encounter such.

 

[locater]

It is a great go Longhair,

The FBS is just a step in the progression in the technological ladder. I guess that's why all these technologies can be applied in a lot of different ways and with different results, depending on ones specific application.

Yesterday for the first time I saw firsthand the true capabilities of the CTX. Like your situation I was in a very trashy area, and I tried the high trash program for the first time. On two different occasions I pulled a coin out of the same hole as a nail. The CTX visually showed me the good target and the junk. Pretty amazing!!

I guess as far as issombeituni is concerned, now that we got his head spinning real good, he'll have to make a decision based on his wallet, and personal applictions and preferences. I hope he is happy with whatever choice he makes, it's a great hobby!!

 

[Fletch88]

I've had a 6x8 sef for my Etrac sitting in my storage room for a month now. I'm going to try an old blacksmith/ pallet shop that is so full of iron halos my Vaquero I had last time I tried this site was all but useless. Will be running TTF or sure. I know there's gotta be silver mixed in with iron.

 

[issombeituni]

I have the 18.75 and 3kHz coils