Detectors through the years

[Bum Luck]

It occurred to me that in order to detect intelligently, we need to know what model detectors there were in what decades.

I know that the WW2 mine detector was a great surplus machine post WW2 that started many folks on the hobby, but was there anything else before that, and how about in the 50's? 60's? 70's? 80's? 90's?

A part of the discussion should be the different types, such as BFO, TR, etc.

Does anyone remember what was used when?

 

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[homefires]

I Scooped this Garrett List of here some time back.

It gives a good Idea of what was going on about when.

 

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[cudamark]

I must have missed this thread when it was first posted. Brings back some memories. My first detector (which I still have) was purchased in the summer of 1970. It's a Treasure Probe IV and came in a little case with 3 coils. It cost around $60 if I remember correctly. A BFO machine that was lucky to locate a quarter under 3" of dry sand. The main shaft was plastic and the first time I installed the big coil, the shaft broke where it attached to the head so I fiberglassed it permenantly together. It was a happy day when later on I got a GOOD detector from White's.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

A few people asked what good it is to know about the old machines, but think about it...... If you know that an area has probably been hunted in the past and you know a bit about the limitations of the older detectors, you can adjust your plan a bit and possibly work out some good spots that would have been passed up years ago. Plus it kind of helps when you realize that a place that was considered "hunted out" ten years ago was thought of that way based on the capabilities of the machines that were around then. Sure the top six inches might be completely pounded clean of older coins or relics, but those guys would have missed a lot that newer machines can find. I'd love to go back over a few places where I grew up that my mom and I hunted in the early 80's with an old Coinmaster and see what I could find there today.....

 

[U.K. Brian]

Only trouble with that Ken is that there were deep detecting machines years back and less rubbish/no pulltabs so people were prepared to use a non discriminating pulse or a detector in all metal mode (or Whites Supreme, no discrimination but did introduce ground balance to detecting).

 

[toysoldier2]

My First Metal Detector

The term "GOLDAK" brings back fond memories of my first metal detector. But its funny, because my GOLDAK was actually gold colored. My best friend and I use to hunt together. He would walk behind me and find things my GOLDAK would miss. His metal detector was called a "METROTECH". This was back in the late 60's.

 

[homefires]

YeP! Some of those old machines in the Right hands can beet a pile of the New machines out today.

 

[Deft Tones]

A few people asked what good it is to know about the old machines, but think about it...... If you know that an area has probably been hunted in the past and you know a bit about the limitations of the older detectors, you can adjust your plan a bit and possibly work out some good spots that would have been passed up years ago. Plus it kind of helps when you realize that a place that was considered "hunted out" ten years ago was thought of that way based on the capabilities of the machines that were around then. Sure the top six inches might be completely pounded clean of older coins or relics, but those guys would have missed a lot that newer machines can find. I'd love to go back over a few places where I grew up that my mom and I hunted in the early 80's with an old Coinmaster and see what I could find there today.....

Bingo!