AT Pro for water hunting, to CZ21 experiences?

flgliderpilot · Oct 22, 2015

I have an AT Pro, and it's a fine detector. It's found me plenty of good stuff in salt water. However, it does chatter, and I know that small or deep targets are getting missed because I am ignoring the faint chatter. If I slow down I can find those targets in the chatter, but I am considering upgrading to a CZ-21 to help with these deeper or smaller targets.

I've done some wet sand depth comparisons with by buddy who has a CZ-21 and there was not much difference in depth, so that is not my motivating factor for the change. The boost mode sounds like something I would really use often.

I was hoping to try his CZ but lately we have been on different schedules.

Anyone out there who has upgraded from an AT pro to a CZ-21 give me their experiences?

I'm interested in things like weight difference with and without computer chest mounted, battery life/convenience comparisons, leaking issues, comfort, reliability, etc, comparisons.

Thanks

Fletch88 · Oct 23, 2015

Yep hat's the only beaches I hunt. I used it for only a couple trips to beach. I was able to gb it down to 15-20 and get it to run stable but depth was now where close to a cz in Autotune.

tcornel · Oct 24, 2015

You should consider the CTX 3030. By the time you are done buying and modifying the excal will have 1000++ in the excal and you should be able to pick up a slightly used 3030 in the 1500 to 1700 range. Once you learn the ctx the ATP will be relegated to backup use on land and water. There are many threads on the differences between the 3030 and excal. I sold off the ATP for 400 or so which meant I had about the same new $ as the excal would have cost me.

jeepGold · Oct 24, 2015

Being an AT Pro owner I'm sure you don't want to hear that it's not the best and I'm sure you do pretty good at the beach. My AT GOLD (for being a 600.00 machine) does dang good at a park. Living near the beach I decided to get an excal 1000. i got it used for 800.00 off CL. MINT w/no warranty of course, but mint. Not a scratch. I quickly did the remote PP, upgraded the headphones and did a hip mount. It does very well but I got SICK and TIRED of pulling pennies at 14+ inches. I also got tired of shorted wires. That's when I went with the CTX 3030. it aint cheap. If you don't plan on detecting ALOT, you probably won't make the money back in any short future. What I can tell you is that the pennies went from handfuls to a couple and the higher change and jewelry finds went skyrocket. Haven't hit a mother load find yet but i KNOW that when my coil goes over it, it won't miss it.
I say sell what ever detectors you can dare sell, save a little and get a CTX. Get a 17" coil to compliment the 11", get a 6" for the parks, do the water gasket mod for 10.00 and your DONE! i hunt face deep in the salt water routinely and it holds up like a champ.
Just my opinion. And fyi, there was one in the classifieds section here last week for 1200.00

cudamark · Oct 24, 2015

jeepGold said:
Being an AT Pro owner I'm sure you don't want to hear that it's not the best and I'm sure you do pretty good at the beach. My AT GOLD (for being a 600.00 machine) does dang good at a park. Living near the beach I decided to get an excal 1000. i got it used for 800.00 off CL. MINT w/no warranty of course, but mint. Not a scratch. I quickly did the remote PP, upgraded the headphones and did a hip mount. It does very well but I got SICK and TIRED of pulling pennies at 14+ inches. I also got tired of shorted wires. That's when I went with the CTX 3030. it aint cheap. If you don't plan on detecting ALOT, you probably won't make the money back in any short future. What I can tell you is that the pennies went from handfuls to a couple and the higher change and jewelry finds went skyrocket. Haven't hit a mother load find yet but i KNOW that when my coil goes over it, it won't miss it.
I say sell what ever detectors you can dare sell, save a little and get a CTX. Get a 17" coil to compliment the 11", get a 6" for the parks, do the water gasket mod for 10.00 and your DONE! i hunt face deep in the salt water routinely and it holds up like a champ.
Just my opinion. And fyi, there was one in the classifieds section here last week for 1200.00

So, you ignore the 12-30's now? I've found some real nice gold, and yes, silver jewelry in that range.

Fletch88 · Oct 24, 2015

Dig all above small iron if you want the loot!

jeepGold · Oct 24, 2015

No. And by the way a penny is 12.36 /12.37. I only do that when I find a penny peppered area. Same with 12.15 when it's pull tab city. In the wet I'm wide open..

flgliderpilot · Nov 21, 2015

Got the CZ, holy crap Autotune is sensitive. I've never had to keep my scoop on my shoulder before but I do now.. or if I drag it I need to keep it waaaay back there.

Made a chest mount, using it without was way too hard on my arm especially in rough water.

Only have an hour on it so far. Pinpointing has been a little awkward at first, will need to learn the machine, but it definitely had me digging deep.

cudamark · Nov 24, 2015

PI machines will make you dig deep too.....the question is, are you finding anything good?

flgliderpilot · Nov 25, 2015

cudamark said:
PI machines will make you dig deep too.....the question is, are you finding anything good?

Only have about 4hrs on it so far, so just a few dollars in clad as of yet. On the dry sand, pull tabs ring a little weird... they bounce between mid and high erratically. Bottle caps seem to hit anywhere, mostly high tones so I went from digging none of these with my AT Pro to all of them with the CZ. That's ok though because I spend most of my time in the water, and it works great there.