A Good Relic Detector?

[Mineo26]

Hey guys i was wondering if i could get a couple opinions on a good relic detector? I been learning the garret ace 250 for about six months now and i like it but i know i can find alot more with a better detector. Thanks

 

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[njnydigger]

White's MXT or MXT 300 or MXT Pro

Ran with one for two years. It is THE machine that relic hunters use most. Lightening fast. Major depth. Ability to fine tune all major settings. Simple to use. What more is there to say

Oh yeah, it can also be used for gold prospecting, coin & jewelry searching AND beach hunting

 

[l.cutler]

For relics my choice would be the Tesoro Tejon. No nonsense, no frills, deep and sensitive to small items. Oh, and a lifetime warranty too!

 

[Smudge]

When it comes to relic detecting, I know of a few people who swear by the Nautilus IIB or IIA. Disclaimer though, I have never used one myself.

 

[Iron Patch]

When it comes to relic detecting, I know of a few people who swear by the Nautilus IIB or IIA. Disclaimer though, I have never used one myself.

No question many people swear by them, but probaby not a detector for someone starting out. Big & bulky and needing to be ground balanced. Plus I think the budget is probably $200-$300. In that price range I like Tesoro.

 

[U.K. Brian]

Tejon if you want a light machine, otherwise a Nautilus DMC II-B (not the A as the sensitivity settings for both all metal and discrimination are fixed at a fairly low level the B is fully adjustable).

Go for an auto ground balance machine (ie fixed) and you will soon regret it. Won't be optimised for most sites and any coil you decide to add will not provide its best unless you open up the box and start adjusting ...switch back to the stock coil and its out with the screwdriver again !

 

[Iron Patch]

Tejon if you want a light machine, otherwise a Nautilus DMC II-B (not the A as the sensitivity settings for both all metal and discrimination are fixed at a fairly low level the B is fully adjustable).

Go for an auto ground balance machine (ie fixed) and you will soon regret it. Won't be optimised for most sites and any coil you decide to add will not provide its best unless you open up the box and start adjusting ...switch back to the stock coil and its out with the screwdriver again !

Auto ground balance and fixed are two very different things, and even fixed units will do ok most places. Otherwise they wouldn't sell so many.

 

[U.K. Brian]

Auto ground balance on most detectors does mean fixed. They sell so many because they are cheaper and a there's little bit of fear of ground balancing, but its a false economy.
Chinese detectors sell by the boat load but if you take the hobby seriously you soon learn.

With the cheaper Tesoro's most soon found they had to send them off with any new coil to have a little bit of additional circuit added plus a switch so the detector could be optimised to the new coil but could be switched back to the original internal setting when switching back to the old.

Its similar to the Compass "vari-filter". Two filter detectors needing a fairly slow sweep speed (less ground covered), four filter's fast (Tires you out). So go varifilter. Sounds great in a machine years ahead of Whites with their adjustable filter selection but what did you get for your money....a detector with three filters that didn't adjust at all.

 

[Iron Patch]

Auto ground balance on most detectors does mean fixed. They sell so many because they are cheaper and a there's little bit of fear of ground balancing, but its a false economy.

You are really going to confuse many people by keeping the waters muddy even if some companies falsely market their fixed GB detectors calling them auto. Considering the last sentence I quoted it sounds more like you should be the first one to set the record straight.

Fixed units do fine most places and give people a good start in the hobby, and if you think that's a false enonomy that's ok by me.

For anyone reading this who doesn't understand fixed ground balance vs auto., find out, they are no where near the same!

 

[Sandman]

Auto ground balance on most detectors does mean fixed. They sell so many because they are cheaper and a there's little bit of fear of ground balancing, but its a false economy.

You are really going to confuse many people by keeping the waters muddy even if some companies falsely market their fixed GB detectors calling them auto. Considering the last sentence I quoted it sounds more like you should be the first one to set the record straight.

Fixed units do fine most places and give people a good start in the hobby, and if you think that's a false enonomy that's ok by me.

For anyone reading this who doesn't understand fixed ground balance vs auto., find out, they are no where near the same!

Iron Patch is right on this one. Auto doesn't mean it adjusts by itself, it is a fixed Ground Balance. This is OK in some areas but not all or is it optimal. True Automatic adjusts according to the mineral conditions under the coil. Manual units we have to check the amount of minerals and adjust the GB our selves.

I think the Tejon is the way to go for one starting out for relics as it is deep, simple, and light weight. I use it mostly instead of my DFX. My Sov GT would get the nod with the Iron mask turned off or in All metal mode except for the weight which is almost twice as much as the Tejon.

 

[JOE(USA)]

As far as relic hunting is concerned, the Tesoro Tejon and the Lobo Super Traq are your choices. Other detectors may be very comparable but the Lifetime warranty is the tie breaker. Joe

 

[m bryan]

How does the omega 8000 compare with the tejon for relic hunting?

 

[JOE(USA)]

How does the omega 8000 compare with the tejon for relic hunting?

m bryan ,

Well, that's a big question! Here are some highlights:

1. Company wise - 1st Texas Prods. is acquiring a bunch of brand names. Not so good in my book.

2. The O-8 has a tremendous amt. of selectability. This may seem to be a good thing but my experience tells me that only a very small percentage of detectorists take the time to learn how to use this type of detector. Case in point, the Minelab Explorer SE, great versatile detector, but very few people know how to use it to it's potential.

3. Repairs and repair costs: Tesoro wins !

4. Why is there such a lack of reviews on this detector?

5. My feeling are that a DD coil should be used for most relic hunting.

6. If you are into ID readouts and whistles & bells buy the O-8.

Joe

 

[ok2raise]

Take a look at all the tesoro their one for every budget. i also sell them . i sell what i use & use what i sell.i dont carry any other brand.
several of them are excellant coin machine and are second to none. with the life time warranty it makes it that much better

 

[Mineo26]

thank you everybody for your replys! i found a used tejon on ebay for a decent price so hopefully i win it. all the knobs on it scare me alittle but if i can learn my droid x then i can learn this lol.

 

[Iron Patch]

thank you everybody for your replys! i found a used tejon on ebay for a decent price so hopefully i win it. all the knobs on it scare me alittle but if i can learn my droid x then i can learn this lol.

Have you ever ground balanced a detector? If not, you might want to consider the Vaquero as it's suppose to not be as finicky as the Tejon. I have used both, but just for a few hunts, and me being an automatic GB guy since day one, I know enough to suggest the question, but not to answer it. It would also save you a few $$$.

 

[NGE]

I would suggest looking into Fisher X series detectors, such as 1265-X or 1266-X. Both are light weight, 3 knobs and one toggle switch operation, dual freq's, 5 & 15. And excellent for relic hunting, also, they are no longer made. I have the 1266-X and many have made offers to me, to try and get it, but I am no dummy I am keeping mine, had it since new. I paid 400.00 for it from KellyCo........NGE

 

[Swartzie]

thank you everybody for your replys! i found a used tejon on ebay for a decent price so hopefully i win it. all the knobs on it scare me alittle but if i can learn my droid x then i can learn this lol.

i had a 250 for about a year and a half and just bought a Tejon a couple days ago. I can see there is a bit of a learning curve. You will also need headphones. With the 260 I never needed headphones because it would just ding whenever it found a target. But, now I really them need to listen to the signal with the Tejon. A much better way to go. It's a nice upgrade.

-Swartzie

 

[therover]

The Fisher 12XX series are good relic detectors, but they are single frequency, not dual. Some have dual discrimination, similar to the Tejon.

I would say trying to get the Tejon is a good idea. Manual ground balancing is easy once you get the hang of it. For the Tejon, once you have your pitch set the way you like it, your sensitivity set fairly high ( 7-8...don't run it too high to start off...you will still go plenty deep) just pull back the trigger and hold it in that position to put it into fast all metal and make sure you hear the threshold. If you can't, you have turn the threshold knob until you can just hear the hum/noise/whatever you want to call it ! Start to bob the coil up and down between 2 - 10 inches off the ground ( continuing to hold trigger back) and start to adjust the ground balance knob clockwise or counter-clock wise until the threshold sound while bobbing remains the same...that is, the threshold sound does not get louder when the coil goes up OR down. You want the threshold sound to be constant while bobbing the coil. Once the sound is constant, release the trigger and you are ground balanced. You can now either hunt in all metal or discrimination mode. I like using the trigger method of ground balancing as opposed to putting the unit in all metal because it has a faster re-tune when you pull the trigger back. As you are hunting and the Tejon starts to act squirrley or erratic, just pull back the trigger and re-check the ground balance. You may be in different soil conditions than before, and all it takes is a few bobs of the coil with the trigger pulled back, adjust the ground balance knob clockwise or counter-clock wise until you get a stable threshold, and be on your way. Simple. Just make sure you don't bob the coil too fast. A nice, easy up and down motion...just make sure the coil is parallel to the ground when you do it. Also, if you adjust the sensitivity up or down, make sure you re-ground balance. Some say you don't have to on most occasions, but since it's so easy to GB, I say do it.

Just think of ground balancing as a way to 'discriminate' out the ground minerals. You don't want the detector to react to the ground while sweeping.

The Tejon, being very sensitive, high gain, and using a high frequency, it can't get near the wet salt sand without seriously reducing the sensitiviy and upping the discrimination. Since salt water is conducitve, it 'sees' the wet, salt sand as one big target. I tried with both the stock and small concentric coil and the machine is too sensitive. On the dry sand, works like a charm and it WILL find small foil and gold. Similar...it will find deep bullets and relics AND coins.

The ONLY reason I sold mine is that I hunt salt water beaches 85% of the time and needed money for another water proof unit.

 

[Mineo26]

thank you for your post rover. when i receive the machine i will be looking at your post step by step.