- Joined
- Jun 1, 2026
- Messages
- 282
- Reaction score
- 851
- Golden Thread
- 0
- Location
- Roswell, NM
- Detector(s) used
- All Garrett: Ace 250 (two), AceApex, VX-9. Have owned just about every Garrett ever made. First three detecter I made myself, with the first one in 1962.
- #1
Thread Owner
I’m not new to metal detecting as I started way back in 1962! I’m now 66 years old, so you do the math! The first three detectors I owned were home brewed BFO types. The last one was operated at 15 kHz (cycles per second back then!) which was an uncommon attribute. After moving from the Kansas City, area, to Denver, in 1973, the BFO detectors became almost worthless due to the mineralized soils. I remember ordering a Garrett Hunter (it may have been a Master Hunter) which worked better than the ones I built.
Since that time, my love for detecting ebbed and flowed, until I retired and moved to Roswell, NM in 2001. With renewed interest (more on that in a moment) I ended up a GTX 1000 Garrett, and then a GTI-2500. The latter was as good as any detector I’ve ever owned. In fact, the 2500 helped me find the most valuable coin I’ve ever found. I’ll share that one day, but not now.
Fast forward to 2015 ish, and I bought a few Garrett Ace 250s as gifts with hopes of bringing more folk into the fold! One of those returned to me when the owner died. At my age, those kind of things just happen! The Ace 250 is a great beginner detector, but not for me. I did purchased an Ace Apex which proved to me that Mr. Garrett’s company still makes great detectors! In fact, my new Garrett VX-9 will arrive this coming Wednesday!
I want to talk about the detecting situation here in Roswell, NM. Unlike most of the locations within 200 miles of the Denver, area, detecting within the parks and city property is allowed! This includes the courthouse, on weekends. Being a small town (≈65,000 albeit the census says just under 50,000) there are lots of festivals in various city-owned property. It is not uncommon to find several dollars in areas which were allocated to vendors. Oddly enough, the most detectorists I’ve ever seen in Roswell, at one time, totaled merely three! I’m in rare company!
As I alluded to, I’ll share my greatest find in a future post. As a teaser… If I sold that find, I could retire all over again!
Since that time, my love for detecting ebbed and flowed, until I retired and moved to Roswell, NM in 2001. With renewed interest (more on that in a moment) I ended up a GTX 1000 Garrett, and then a GTI-2500. The latter was as good as any detector I’ve ever owned. In fact, the 2500 helped me find the most valuable coin I’ve ever found. I’ll share that one day, but not now.
Fast forward to 2015 ish, and I bought a few Garrett Ace 250s as gifts with hopes of bringing more folk into the fold! One of those returned to me when the owner died. At my age, those kind of things just happen! The Ace 250 is a great beginner detector, but not for me. I did purchased an Ace Apex which proved to me that Mr. Garrett’s company still makes great detectors! In fact, my new Garrett VX-9 will arrive this coming Wednesday!
I want to talk about the detecting situation here in Roswell, NM. Unlike most of the locations within 200 miles of the Denver, area, detecting within the parks and city property is allowed! This includes the courthouse, on weekends. Being a small town (≈65,000 albeit the census says just under 50,000) there are lots of festivals in various city-owned property. It is not uncommon to find several dollars in areas which were allocated to vendors. Oddly enough, the most detectorists I’ve ever seen in Roswell, at one time, totaled merely three! I’m in rare company!
As I alluded to, I’ll share my greatest find in a future post. As a teaser… If I sold that find, I could retire all over again!
