GTP 1350 Accessories

[deedeelou]

I am planning to buy a Garrett GTP 1350 in the next couple of days. My question is: What accessories are worth the extra money? For example, coil covers, rain/dust covers, loop supports, etc.

Perhaps it would help if I added that I intend to use it mostly in the woods and streams in West Virginia, but also occasionally on the beach in and around Ocean City.

Thanks a bunch!

Dena

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Upgraded Night Vision Monocular Digital Infrared Monocular Telescope for 100% Darkness with 8X Zoom - Grab it through Amazon!

[Sandman]

I would highly suggest a coil cover for evey coil you have. It's lots cheaper replacing a cover than a coil. Rain and dust covers can be a large Zip-Loc bag. Loop supports are a waste of money. If your loop flops around, tighten the bolt or change washers. Also I would buy the next size loop and the smallest one for sniping in very trashy areas.

Enjoy the new detector. Good Luck,

Sandman

 

[ModernDayWarrior]

Make sure you get some headphones, they really help.

 

[FrankTM]

I would highly suggest a coil cover for evey coil you have. It's lots cheaper replacing a cover than a coil. Rain and dust covers can be a large Zip-Loc bag. Loop supports are a waste of money. If your loop flops around, tighten the bolt or change washers. Also I would buy the next size loop and the smallest one for sniping in very trashy areas.

Enjoy the new detector. Good Luck,

Sandman

I agree the coil cover is a definate must. I have not really used head phones, or the dust cover. If you get a larger coil that would be another good option, depending on what type of detecting you are going to do.

Frank

 

[txkickergirl]

Coil covers, and some kind of dust cover. If you are hunting near streams or if you get caught in light rain you will want to protect your machine. I got the cover, I got tired of fighting with bags to protect it. I also say yes to the headphones, they might be a pain but you really get more sound from them. Best of luck

 

[JoeinMemphis]

Coil covers, rain cover, headphones, and SPARE BATTERY HOLDERS!! The holders crack and fail. They are cheap insurance. HH Joe

 

[dahut]

What Joe said. Contact Garrett for new battery holders - theyll send them free.

If you intend to use it as your only detector then some coil options are worth considering:

The 4.5" sniper coil. Great in trash for picking among the in-between spaces.
The 12" coil. Great for the deep woods where lots of bio-refuse covers targets.

Ensure that whatever headphones you get have COILED cords. I use a digitype for the summer and full cuffed one in the cooler seasons.

Get the Garrett dust cover. You have a great detector - dont bag it in plastic except at the beach. The Garrett cover is classy.

Keep the thing out of the sun, the heat is murder on the LCD display.

Here are a few things about the GTP1350 for you to chew on...allright, here are A LOT of things for you to chew on! Some of it is repetitive, for good reason. Good luck.

A. Read the booklet that comes with the detector - MANY TIMES. Study it, peruse it, take it to the bathroom with you, if needs be. I've read and re-read it, yet, I never really caught on to the distinct sound that is heard when you engage the Profiling feature...that is until I found the rather small mention of it in the booklet. Before that, I just sort of dummied right on past it.

Along the same lines, there is little mention made about how deep targets sound off with a SHORT DURATION TONE, while shallower ones have a longer tone. This is different than many detectors, which have weaker amplitude audio on deep targets (Audio Modulated).This tone length thing is something you can learn, though, by simply turning off all tone ID and Profiling.
Then the 1350 detector will just signal "long" over shallow or large targets and "short" over smaller/deeper targets. Isolate that feature of the audio and run this way for several hours and it soon becomes second nature. Again, it's mentioned in the booklet, but isnt really developed as a user tool..

To me, this is a problem that Garret could rectify - the information is sort of sketchy, for a detector that really has so much going on. For a newbie, they try to guide you to learning through using. But there is much they could offer in the way of "tips" that would help.

B. This comes from out good friend Andreas in NM:

1. Tape the coil cable straight up the lower rod.
Leave some cable flex at the coil, though.

2. Set the threshold to the point where you can barely hear it.

3. After number 2, run sensitivity at 6-8.
{{ The 1350 is very sensitive. I found a small earing, about a 1/4" in size, the other day. That's very common with the 1350. However, running the SENS too high will only cause it to false and go erratic on you, especially in trashy environments. This is because the coil "sees" too mnay things beneath it. Your best bet is to start low and work up, never the reverse. Your goal is to achieve the most SENS you can run while maintaing stable operation.}}

4. Run it in jewelry mode for max depth.
If you run it in coin mode, you loose some depth.
{{ I dont really get this one, but I know Andy. If he said it, that's a good place to start!}}

5. Get the 4.5 inch coil for it.
That coil will give you great target separation and ID around old houses and in trash.
{{The smaller coil focuses the detection cone, but in so doing loses a little depth. BUT, since it is more focused, it will also allow you to run the gain (SENS) up to compensate, and so offset the depth loss.}}

6. Make sure you always have spare battery holder.That is the only weakness of the Garrett.
{{When mine developed a crack I called (or emailed) Garrett and talked to Mary Penson. They sent two more, for free. Call them before it happens.}}

7.If the ID jumps from iron to coin and vice versa...it's junk.
If it jumps around within the coin range, it's a deep coin most of the time.

The Garrett GTP 1350 is the same model as the GTAx 1250, with the addition of Profiling (sizing)...
In trash you can't rely on the Profiling alone, because the coil sees too many targets at once and the reading is off.
{{ But in general, it works very well. }}

The GTP 1350 can profile size with ALL Garrett coils, unlike the GTIs.
{{ The GTI's have a third receiver winding in the coil, meaning the Imaging feature offered by those models MUST have that third winding. The Profiling of the 1350 is time based, so they can use any of the Garrett Crossfire coils.}}

Is the Garrett deep Yes if you follow my tips.
It is as deep as every other top of the line detector out there. I compared it to the Whites MXT and can say the Garrett hits better on silver and copper, but the MXT is a little hotter on nickels.The Garrett runs more quiet.

The Garrett is well balanced and fun to use. You don't have to read the manual every time you use it, because it's that easy. There are no outside controls you could accidently bump or turn.
{{ I agree on the ease of use, but the 1350 is complex for all of that. READ THE MANUAL }}

Target ID is right on if you use the right coil for the area you hunt in. Nickel can come in a little higher some time, so accept one more notch up.

I liked the 1250 better, because I don't fancy the profiling. Performance is the same.

HH,
Andy

C. And another group of "user tips", from yours truly

Posted By: DavHut
Date: Wednesday, 14 December 2005, at 9:29 a.m.

In Response To: Hoping to pickup my GTA 1350 tomorrow. (Farnum)
A great machine, one you can and should practice a lot with. The Garretts are overlooked a lot by people as being toylike, goofy and ineffective - I know, I used to say those things myself. But, that was my undoing; the more I use mine (1350), the more capable I find it to be.

- NUMERO UNO. It's very sensitive and running your SENS too high will kill you...especially in trashy sites. Always start low (4-5) and work your way up till the falsing begins, then back down a notch or two.

As Bill Revis says, "The 1350 is sensitivity driven."
He also says, "...the SENS control is NOT a depth control." He's right...it is a gain control for the receive circuits. Cranking it up has a combined effect: increasing the gain AND sending the circuits into instability, especially in the presence of trash/minerlization/multiple targets.

- Like Andy says, strap the cable to the lower rod so it doesnt flop around, as it'll pick up the wires in the cable if your SENS is set high. But don't tie it down rock solid - give it a little strain relief. I use Velcro straps.

- In clean sites, you can crank er 'up a bit. 8-10 isnt too high in low trash, mildly mineralized soils. The depth is there.

- Deep/small targets result in SHORT DURATION beeps. NOT "softer" sounding ones... shorter. The amplitude of the signal is the same, but the duartion changes. This one fact gave me fits the first time I had one of these (1250).

- Don't be afraid to swing it a little faster than recommended. It gets a bit deeper when you do and still picks up the good signals, especially where they are shallow.
But remember, and this is a point Bill Revis makes time and again, steady and thorough will always win over fast - slow down once you've found a "hot spot" and then work to isolate the signals.

- Test the trash separation at home on the floor, in your yard etc, so you have an idea of how things work in the real world. This factor will make or break you. When I place a dime at 2-3" from a nail, I get a clean "dime" signal with the stock coil. That's good separation. You should learn what yours does, too.

- Work to pinpoint without the button, what used to be called "X'ing," and what I like to call "MindsEye Pinpointing." The 1350 lends itself to this, it's easy to learn and saves time. That way you can save the Profiling feature for when it's needed, which segues into the next part...

- Understand that the profiling feature comes on AFTER pinpointing for a reason... it's part of a planned sequence of operation.

Some folks complain about the Profiling, but I LIKE it. To be fair, I didnt at first. But once I decided to let it teach me how it should best be used, I got a new appreciation for it. Here's the sequence I follow, referred to as the Edmonton "Profiling Double Tap" **

A. After "X" pinpointing, simply release the PP after manually pinpointing.
B. The Profiling will auto-engage and then you allow it work, letting the data sink in...
C. Turn off Profiling by pressing the PP button once more .

It's a simple sequence, very logical - easy to get used to.
NOTE: You can also press the PP once, at any time, to engage the Profiling function.

** The "Edmonton Profiling Double Tap" is just deliberately turning on the Profiling and then, just as deliberately, turning it back off as part of your hunt sequence...Life gets less stressful when you accept these things.

- Keep your batteries warm, when it's cold.

- Use headphones all the time.

- Get both the dust and coil covers and put them on..

- Make my "Rubber Bumper PinPoint Mod".
Get a 3/8-1/2" stick on silicone rubber bumper at the hardware store and stick it on the PP button. This makes the tactile PP pad a much more positive function. It's a Godsend and a must do, IMHO.

- Finally, go back and read my first tip again, Numero Uno.

Welcome aboard,
David

 

[Keppy]

I talked to the tech at Garrett and he told me with these new coils you do not need coil covers.He also said that you ....only need coil covers with the foam filled coil ....for you could cut or crack those coils these new ones you don't have to worry about them cracking or cutting ....The only reason for coil covers on the new ones is so you don't scuff up the bottom of your coil..... and he said scuffing will only hurt the bottom of the coils looks ...will not hurt your coil so i quit THROWING my money AWAY on COIL COVERS FOR the new EPOXY FILLED COILS.............FOR THEY DON'T NEED THEM GET IT IT'S A SALES GIMMICK COIL COVERS FOR THE NEW COILS......YOU DON'T NEED THEM.....................

 

[dahut]

I talked to the tech at Garrett and he told me with these new coils you do not need coil covers. The only reason for coil covers on the new ones is so you don't scuff up the bottom of your coil..... and he said scuffing will only hurt the bottom of the coils looks.

I quit THROWING my money AWAY on COIL COVERS FOR the new EPOXY FILLED COILS. FOR THEY DON'T NEED THEM GET IT IT'S A SALES GIMMICK...

Of course it is your money, and if a few bucks for a coil cover is an issue then by all means save your money.
And as for "sales gimmicks," so what? They dont really bother me, either. It's really okay if manufacturers sell these things...really. Not the end of the world. It's called collateral or expansion marketing and, as always, the choice is yours to buy or not.

The Garrett tech is right, as are you. They are not needed - until you come to re-sale time. Then, both you and your buyers will be glad you used one. Then again, only you can decide if you wasted your money on a coil cover, when your scuffed up coil detracts from the sales price.

 

[Keppy]

I talked to the tech at Garrett and he told me with these new coils you do not need coil covers. The only reason for coil covers on the new ones is so you don't scuff up the bottom of your coil..... and he said scuffing will only hurt the bottom of the coils looks.

I quit THROWING my money AWAY on COIL COVERS FOR the new EPOXY FILLED COILS. FOR THEY DON'T NEED THEM GET IT IT'S A SALES GIMMICK...

Of course it is your money, and if a few bucks for a coil cover is an issue then by all means save your money.
And as for "sales gimmicks," so what? They dont really bother me, either. It's really okay if manufacturers sell these things...really. Not the end of the world. It's called collateral or expansion marketing and, as always, the choice is yours to buy or not.

The Garrett tech is right, as are you. They are not needed - until you come to re-sale time. Then, both you and your buyers will be glad you used one. Then again, only you can decide if you wasted your money on a coil cover, when your scuffed up coil detracts from the sales price.

Yes i never thought about the resale value and every used detector i sold the coil was like new and had a coil cover on ..sold one from 1985 i had and that detector was really used i got it new and sold it last year.I got top price for all the used detectors i sold but the bottom of the coils were like new..I guess i should rethink this ...thanks for putting me stright Dahut i think i better get a couple of coil covers...

 

[bootybay]

Hey dahut...mucho thanks on all your tips for this machine..me thinks ya helped me out big time on it... will let ya know as of right now, we are having a nor eastern storm here, so long as its NOT raining tomorrow or sunday...I am hitting low tide... maybe the sea gods will be good to me eh...

again thank you

Rae

 

[gallileo60]

Best thing I can tell you is SNIPER COIL........Love mine on my Ace, and on my Buddy 1350....I hardly ever hunt with any other coil now, you can run the sens up a bit higher, with less falsing...You do lose a bit of depth, but believe me in alot of places it is more than worth it..I can get right up on a metal fence, and search places i never even dreamed of searching before...Your gonna love the 1350...

 

[bootybay]

humm sniper coil will be on list for the 1350 and I do also need the coil cover for the rergular coil on it ..as it didnt come with it..but thats ok, I cant complain on that one...