Garrett ADS2 metal detector question...

[Suckerpunched]

I posted this in the Reviews section but thought it may get noticed here more. Just looking for some info on this model as I saw one at a thrift shop for $45. Don't know if it works yet but just wondering if anyone had experience with this model and if it is a good old detector for coins and jewelry...
Thanks.......TC

 

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[Tom_in_CA]

I believe the full title/name of that unit is the "Master Hunter ADS II", right? That is Garrett's earliest foray into motion discrimination. It came out in 1982 if I recall.

The all-metal mode was great. So if you didn't need disc, would still be competitive today. But the rest would would be a real dinasour by today's standards. Better than the earlier VLF/TRs, but still wimpy by today's standards. I used to hunt with one of those, and continually had my b*tt kicked by guys with 6000d's. Those earliest Garrett motion discriminator's simply lacked depth. Depth was perhaps 7" on a coin if you really tried? But a lot would depend on coil size, coin size, soil conditions, sweep speed, settings, etc....

There was no auto-tracking, so if you intended to work the wet salt beach, you would need to continually ground balance when moving further to, or farther away, from the water's edge. That required switching back and forth from all-metal (to get your balance) and then back to disc. A real headache. You had to really pay attention to know when you had drifted in ground balance, since the threshold would stay the same (since, of course, it's motion based), but in fact, you have would drifted if you changed mineral/salt content.

For their time they were OK. But as with any machine of that era, about the only place they'd be useful now, is if you had some place where you weren't necessarily following behind others, in hard-hit sites.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

HI Guys: The old Garrett can still hold it's own in cache hunting, especially if the Blood Hound attachment is used. The two 7's form my basic, backed up with the Discovery and White twin box units. I even use my Sea Hunter with my self made large coils on land.

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[homefires]

That machine is OLD, Heavy as Hell and Kicks But!

The ADS did have auto ground balance (TRACKING). Hence the name ADS.


They went from 15Khz the Groundhog used to 5.5Khz with the ADS system.

With the 5" snipper coil, it will find gold.

With the 10 or 12 " coil it will plow the ground on relics.

You have to have the Arm Rest if you want to do any real hunting.

I have one and still use it.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Home fires, you are a true detectorist, a connoiseur of quality machines.

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Homefires, I don't think the old ADS was auto-tracking in ground balance. The threshold might have maintained nicely (leading you to think you were ground balanced perhaps) but you could indeed go off-balance. As an example: We used to purposefully go a half to one-turn positive on the ground balance, before we switched over to disc, in order to knock out hot-rocks. If it were going to automatically track to the right ground, this would not have been possible. Of course by being off-ground-balance a little depth was lost, but that's what we had to do, in order to loose hot-rocks. Or another way was to balance to the asphalt, then move on over in to the adjacent turf and switch to disc. Once again, not ground-balanced so there would be depth loss in order to loose hot-rocks. And no, it would not track to correct-ness.

So I'm not sure what you are talking about, unless you are referring to the ability the machine to keep the perfect threshold. Some people confused that with thinking they were in ground balance, or that the ground balance (of the all-metal mode) had nothing to do with the disc. mode. It did indeed, and it was indeed "locked" once you set that multi-turn-knob.

 

[U.K. Brian]

Unfortunately Homefires and a few others have got it wrong on this one.

Both the ADS II and the ADS III (both sold as "Master Hunter") were VLF/TR's.
ADS (Automatic Detection System) referred to the four function ADS switch on the handgrip that retuned and switched from VLF ground cancel to VLF discrim. to TR discrimination. This had been used on Garrett detectors for five years by the time the ADS II arrived in 1982.

Main features VLF discrimination, TR discrimination and VLF ground canceling.
Factory calibration for prospecting.
Manual-Automatic and semi-auto tuning.
Salt water mode.

Arm rest was included free and you could buy sling and hip mount kits.

Coils included 14,12,10.5 and 7.5 inch co-planars and 8, 3.5 and 3/4 inch co-axials plus the already mentioned Bloodhound attachment and you could order 9 foot and 50 foot cabled versions of the 3.5,7.5 and 10.5 inch coils.
So much for only modern machines having good coil ranges !

Weight was slightly under 5lbs.

The similar styled ADS III had the same performance but replaced the sensitivity meter with one that provided coin depth.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Brian, thanx for the clarification. There is a difference between auto-TUNE and auto-TRACK. This era did not auto-track in the slightest. Actually, some people preferred the old manual era, as it could be manipulated. But it's hard to argue with the depth and ease of today's machines though

 

[homefires]

Corrected I stand!

It is only the Tone that was maintained.

 

[Suckerpunched]

Thanks for all the info,,,,,and I would have bought it just to check it out but went back after work today(only open Weds and Thurs) and it sold this morning.....for half price..........Oh well,,,, least I learned something....
HH.....TC