Anyone know of a detector that is PC compatible?

[Lasivian]

IE. the new Spectra from White's would have been perfect if they had put a USB port on it and added PC communication.

 

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[Functional]

IE. the new Spectra from White's would have been perfect if they had put a USB port on it and added PC communication.

If you Google:
"white's spectra" usb
You'll find that the new "V3" version is supposed to have something like what you asked. It's more bucks than I'm prepared to put out right now, so I'm planning on improvising, (using an old PDA and my Compass Magnum 420).
See: http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,264982.0.html

Unfortunately, the battery pack in my PDA was on its last legs and has since decided to become totally disfunctional, so I have to order a new one before I can proceed with my planned modification. I don't plan to have as many features as the Minelab, or White's, but then again, they likely wouldn't have optional GPS and data logging software built in. (Its even more unlikely that they will be able to play MP3's, video's, games, have WiFi and email, and do a host of other things that my old PDA can.)


F.

 

[Lasivian]

White's sent me this information when I asked about the possibility of a usb detector:

Dear Kevin Schuman

Thank you for your interest in White's products.

White's hopes to have our dongle and share software available for our
Spectra V3 next month, September 09.

With the White's dongle, the Spectra V3 user will be able to develop
programs on their PC, as well as share (upload and download) Spectra V3
programs over the world wide web.

The dongle will reliably interface any Spectra V3 through the wireless
connection.

The price has not yet been decided upon.

Manufacture cost are low.

Sincerely
Steve Howard
White's USA

I'm leery of having to buy one more item to interface with a PC, something that should have come in the detector to begin with. I mean my Garmin GPS is waterproof and it has a USB port.

Also since it takes it's own software it's likely not going to be Linux compatible. (I'm one of those people tryig very VERY hard to stop running windows)

 

[Carl-NC]

IE. the new Spectra from White's would have been perfect if they had put a USB port on it and added PC communication.

As mentioned, we have this, it's just wireless. But the question I have is, what is meant by "a detector that is PC compatible"? That is, why do you want a detector to communicate with a PC? Transferring a user program is obvious, but anything beyond that?

- Carl

 

[Functional]

White's sent me this information when I asked about the possibility of a usb detector:

Dear Kevin Schuman

Thank you for your interest in White's products.

White's hopes to have our dongle and share software available for our
Spectra V3 next month, September 09.

With the White's dongle, the Spectra V3 user will be able to develop
programs on their PC, as well as share (upload and download) Spectra V3
programs over the world wide web.

The dongle will reliably interface any Spectra V3 through the wireless
connection.

The price has not yet been decided upon.

Manufacture cost are low.

Sincerely
Steve Howard
White's USA

I'm leery of having to buy one more item to interface with a PC, something that should have come in the detector to begin with. I mean my Garmin GPS is waterproof and it has a USB port.

Too bad they didn't think to make it more waterproof by having it use bluetooth and skip the USB port altogether.

Also since it takes it's own software it's likely not going to be Linux compatible. (I'm one of those people tryig very VERY hard to stop running windows)

As a mainly Ubunutu user, I can understand, but maybe you will be able to get away with using Linux with Wine to run their software? I guess the reality of it is that, so long as they rush products to market, there will be glitches in software and a need to patch, or replace bad code.

F.

 

[Lasivian]

Too bad they didn't think to make it more waterproof by having it use bluetooth and skip the USB port altogether.

F.

Actually, bluetooth is slow and terribly unreliable for data transfer. Bluetooth 2.0 can do 2.1 Mbit/s best case, USB 2.0 by comparison can do 480 Mbit/s.

Also the garmin 60cs I was referring uses an epoxy sealed connector, and a rubber plug over the top of that, i'm sure the same would be possible on a detector that is not supposedly "waterproof".

IE. the new Spectra from White's would have been perfect if they had put a USB port on it and added PC communication.

As mentioned, we have this, it's just wireless. But the question I have is, what is meant by "a detector that is PC compatible"? That is, why do you want a detector to communicate with a PC? Transferring a user program is obvious, but anything beyond that?

- Carl

Anything. We assume detector manufacturers know best, yet i'm certain if we had access to write our own code to control the device that the open source public could do FAR better. I for one would love to have my detector plugged into a hip-mounted notebook computer recording all the results of every target looking for any tiny variation between pulltabs and everything else I dig.

When compared to even a simple notebook computer detector has very little "computing power" to speak of, a simple netbook would definitely increase performance astronomically.

While i'm not certain I think with enough power behind a detector some infinitesimal differences could be found between pulltabs and gold rings.

 

[Carl-NC]

Anything. We assume detector manufacturers know best, yet i'm certain if we had access to write our own code to control the device that the open source public could do FAR better. I for one would love to have my detector plugged into a hip-mounted notebook computer recording all the results of every target looking for any tiny variation between pulltabs and everything else I dig.

I cannot be very specific right now, but "we are listening."

- Carl

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Good evening my friend Carl: It seems that you are enjoying your new position. Do a good job, which I know that you are quite capable of, and I just might buy a White to go with my Garretts.

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[Carl-NC]

Good evening my friend Carl: It seems that you are enjoying your new position. Do a good job, which I know that you are quite capable of, and I just might buy a White to go with my Garretts.

Don Jose de La Mancha

I am specifically thinking of you for a project I am currently involved in!

 

[Eu_citzen]

Anything. We assume detector manufacturers know best, yet i'm certain if we had access to write our own code to control the device that the open source public could do FAR better. I for one would love to have my detector plugged into a hip-mounted notebook computer recording all the results of every target looking for any tiny variation between pulltabs and everything else I dig.

I cannot be very specific right now, but "we are listening."

- Carl

I'm glad to hear that someone listens to their costumers these days.

 

[Functional]

Too bad they didn't think to make it more waterproof by having it use bluetooth and skip the USB port altogether.

F.

Actually, bluetooth is slow and terribly unreliable for data transfer. Bluetooth 2.0 can do 2.1 Mbit/s best case, USB 2.0 by comparison can do 480 Mbit/s.

Things should really fly when they get around to using USB 3.0 then.

Also the garmin 60cs I was referring uses an epoxy sealed connector, and a rubber plug over the top of that, i'm sure the same would be possible on a detector that is not supposedly "waterproof".

IE. the new Spectra from White's would have been perfect if they had put a USB port on it and added PC communication.

As mentioned, we have this, it's just wireless. But the question I have is, what is meant by "a detector that is PC compatible"? That is, why do you want a detector to communicate with a PC? Transferring a user program is obvious, but anything beyond that?

- Carl

Anything. We assume detector manufacturers know best, yet i'm certain if we had access to write our own code to control the device that the open source public could do FAR better. I for one would love to have my detector plugged into a hip-mounted notebook computer recording all the results of every target looking for any tiny variation between pulltabs and everything else I dig.

When compared to even a simple notebook computer detector has very little "computing power" to speak of, a simple netbook would definitely increase performance astronomically.

While i'm not certain I think with enough power behind a detector some infinitesimal differences could be found between pulltabs and gold rings.

I couldn't see carrying around a laptop connected to my detector, but as I posted back in August in "Metal Detector Modifications", using a suitable PDA that can connect and up load to your laptop, might be the ticket. Many PDA's have additional useful features, like GPS, a digital camera, software for data logging, digital voice recorder for notes on the go, (and a mp3 player, but if your that bored, you need a new hobby), etc.
For more of my ramblings on the potential use of a PDA with a metal detector, see: http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,264982.0.html

Another pet topic of mine is Fractal Search Coils, but so far nobody has commented on that post of mine in the "Great Ideas" section. Don't know how practical it would be for a metal detector, but I know Fractal Antenna's are the big thing in communications.

It's approaching midnight as I type this, so I think I'll head off and quit rambling.

F.