Is the AT Pro semi obsolete now ?

[Back-of-the-boat]

If it works for you it isn't obsolete. But if you have an extra couple thousand dollars buy the next and newest machine out there and next year there will be another to buy and then the next year after that same thing but ask yourself if you are finding enough to justify constantly upgrading. Some people who will answer you are sponsored by detector brands, so they have to answer that the machine they are using is the best thing since sliced bread,So go with how you feel your machine does and if you need the newest machine on the block then by all means throw the AT away and fork out a couple grand for a new toy. JMO

 

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[Terry Soloman]

I have a donor in Mesa, AZ, that wants to give his AT Pro to a Veteran. He needs someone that knows how to use it to pick it up. He is a forum member and I hope he will respond. If you volunteer, I will find a veteran in the Phoenix area, that will benefit from taking up our hobby.
THANKS TO ALL!

 

[Terry Soloman]

If it works for you it isn't obsolete. But if you have an extra couple thousand dollars buy the next and newest machine out there and next year there will be another to buy and then the next year after that same thing but ask yourself if you are finding enough to justify constantly upgrading. Some people who will answer you are sponsored by detector brands, so they have to answer that the machine they are using is the best thing since sliced bread,So go with how you feel your machine does and if you need the newest machine on the block then by all means throw the AT away and fork out a couple grand for a new toy. JMO

$289 for a Minelab Vanquish 440, and it will blow your AT Pro back into the 1990s where it belongs. $640 for a Nokta Makro Legend. Hardly, "a couple grand for a new toy."

 

[crashbandicoot]

$289 for a Minelab Vanquish 440, and it will blow your AT Pro back into the 1990s where it belongs. $640 for a Nokta Makro Legend. Hardly, "a couple grand for a new toy."

That Legend,s sounding good to me. I was considering the AT Pro for my first detector but my mind is changing.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

the Tesoro Vaquero can out hunt the AT Pro, but all of a sudden ATP users are convinced it's the best thing since sliced bread.

That's your opinion and you're entitled to it. What I find interesting is that every time a new detector comes out, it's compared to the AT Pro. There's a reason for that. It's still one of the best machines out there for the price.

As I've stated before, I've done a few seeded hunts over the past couple of years and always found more coins than just about everyone at the hunt. More than the Deus guys, more than the Nox 800 guys and more than the CTX guys. Skill had something to do with it, but I'm not that good!

I remember finding a peace dollar three hours into one hunt! How all the other guys could have missed it is beyond me. It was in an area full of iron targets, but still, that's a big coin! I also remember finding a very worn half dime about 75 feet from where the hunt started. It was kind of deep for a seeded coin, probably around five inches down. But at least 50 guys missed it before I came along. My AT Pro with the larger coil sniffed that boy out with no effort.

Just my opinion on the AT Pro and a couple of my expereinces detecting against other guys with "better" machines...

 

[FreeBirdTim]

$289 for a Minelab Vanquish 440, and it will blow your AT Pro back into the 1990s where it belongs.

That's another issue I have with guys who use other machines. They like to insult the AT Pro to try and make their machine appear to be better. I respect your opinion, but there's no need to make comments like this here.

 

[oldkoot]

I have a donor in Mesa, AZ, that wants to give his AT Pro to a Veteran. He needs someone that knows how to use it to pick it up. He is a forum member and I hope he will respond. If you volunteer, I will find a veteran in the Phoenix area, that will benefit from taking up our hobby.
THANKS TO ALL!

i am just waiting for the call from you Terry it is still setting here waiting for you to find the person to help a vet learn, Terry's charity is a worthy cause, and I am glad to have had the AT Pro to donate I wish mine and my wife's health were not where they are because I would be more then willing to help a vet to learn this great hobby, so the least I could do is donate the detector to Terry's cause, not that I could teach them much on the ATP because I just never did mesh with it and did not take the time to learn the language of the ATP

 

[oldkoot]

That Legend,s sounding good to me. I was considering the AT Pro for my first detector but my mind is changing.

crashbandicoot i can only relay what i seen in the AT PRO, my wife and i purchased a house in Ohio the house was built in 1889 we had a fenced in back yard that was 3/4 of an acre, because of the age of the house and what little we could find out about the house in researching we decided to purchase a couple of detectors this was in late 2009 or early 2010 the two detectors we purchased was the ATP it had just come to market and a mine lab Xterra 705 with three coils the 705 was a used detector but in like new condition and came with three coils, neither of us had ever detected anything before that time, i had fiddled a little bit with a buddies old old detector but like i said neither of us had ever really detected, so we set out trying to learn how to detect,now let me tell you a Xterra 705 is not a machine for a newbie, which i was it was way above my pay grade at that time but i muddled through with it, but anyways my wife and i started hitting our back yard me with the 705 her with the AT PRO she would get a tone on the ATP I would run the 705 over the target then we would dig to find out what our treasure was, keep in mind we even went as far as doing air test with both machines in air test all showed the AT Pro to be deeper then the 705 and i am not talking a slight difference i am talking 4-6 inch difference, here is where the let down came in when we were detecting if i hit a target with the 705 and it would be reading really deep like full depth bars deep the AT PRO could not see that target at all,if the targets we went over were 6 inches or less the AT PRO would see them any deeper it would not, the Xterra 705 was hitting targets at 7-10 inches that i do not care what we would do the AT PRO would not hit, i kept telling myself this just could not be there had to be something wrong because the air test said it should not be but unfortunately it was, that is one reason i put no stock in air test to me all a air test is good for is to find out what a target IDs at, i will also say that when people are claiming to hit targets with the AT PRO at 10-12 inches i would literally have to see it with my own eyes to believe it, simply because i never could hit a target with my ATP any where close to them depths.
do not take that i am saying the AT PRO is a bad detector either, because it really is not we found many great targets in the 5-6 inch range with it just nothing deeper and keep in mind i detected that same yard all the way up to 2013 when we sold that property i still felt like it had more to give, it told me that a property is never truly hunted out

 

[alloy_II]

The Garrett AT pro is far from obsolete operating at 15 khz frequency makes this an excellent coin and jewelry detector.

Your Garrett AT pro will still be locating treasures long after my more expensive Equinox 800 has died becasue of poor quality build..

Most of t he people who own these more expensive detectors including myself never learn to master them.

Pay a lot of money for extra features then operate the detector in a crippled mode. For coin shooting I'll be running in the lower single frequencies.

After reading the Minelab patents they hold on the 800 technology, I know this is the right approach.

 

[LandSeig]

I run a ATPro and it’s a tough old war horse and its a fairly beginner friendly machine. I’m not against improving technology, I’m just a little rough on equipment and need something fairly bullet proof. I would love to see a multi frequency AT model.

 

[Emil W]

Are you SURE the machine "missed" those targets, or did you miss them the first time through? Today I found a metal nut, about the same size as an earring back, down Seven-inches with the SMF NM Legend, using factory settings. I'll have the video up as a premier on my youtube channel about 7:45 EST. The Apex is not a good machine, but it is better than the AT Pro.

Yes, I'm positive the machine, set at SMF, missed those targets. Although there weren't many, there were enough.

When testing a new detector I use it first on hunted-out property since the reason for buying a new detector is because you expect it to find more than your previous machine -- otherwise why did you buy it?

After originally using the machine in MF and digging each suitable target, I then went over the same field in each individual frequency. Any target found in an single frequency is then checked with MF for signal comparison. In some cases I could say maybe I should have dug that the first time, but in others, the MF signal was definitely not one I'd ever dig.

It's important to test a new machine against itself to know the best settings. In the case of the Apex, that meant testing the MF setting against it's own single frequencies. The only way to accomplish that is to find an actual target in the field, first with the MF setting, then going over the same target with each of the single frequencies. Then repeating the process but using single frequencies first, then MF.

With the Apex, I found targets in various single frequencies that did not produce a good, clear signal in MF. Only after checking the target with each frequency do I dig it to see what it actually is. This blind-testing is the most objective way to tell how the user reacts to what the detector is telling them -- it's the user who determines what's worth digging. You can't do that in a test-bed where you already know what the target is.

I did the same after purchasing the Deus. I tested it alongside the Apex, finding a target with the Deus then checking the same target with the Apex for signal comparison.

As for saying any detector "is not a good machine", that's purely subjective. Even the most basic machine has its place. My very first detector was a $10 machine from Sears in the early '70s that my parents got me for my birthday. The only thing you could do was turn it on. No volume. No headphones. No knobs or settings. The two first things I found in my childhood yard were a knife and an old brass brooch that I still have somewhere. Not everyone needs or wants the most sophisticated detector.

 

[crashbandicoot]

crashbandicoot i can only relay what i seen in the AT PRO, my wife and i purchased a house in Ohio the house was built in 1889 we had a fenced in back yard that was 3/4 of an acre, because of the age of the house and what little we could find out about the house in researching we decided to purchase a couple of detectors this was in late 2009 or early 2010 the two detectors we purchased was the ATP it had just come to market and a mine lab Xterra 705 with three coils the 705 was a used detector but in like new condition and came with three coils, neither of us had ever detected anything before that time, i had fiddled a little bit with a buddies old old detector but like i said neither of us had ever really detected, so we set out trying to learn how to detect,now let me tell you a Xterra 705 is not a machine for a newbie, which i was it was way above my pay grade at that time but i muddled through with it, but anyways my wife and i started hitting our back yard me with the 705 her with the AT PRO she would get a tone on the ATP I would run the 705 over the target then we would dig to find out what our treasure was, keep in mind we even went as far as doing air test with both machines in air test all showed the AT Pro to be deeper then the 705 and i am not talking a slight difference i am talking 4-6 inch difference, here is where the let down came in when we were detecting if i hit a target with the 705 and it would be reading really deep like full depth bars deep the AT PRO could not see that target at all,if the targets we went over were 6 inches or less the AT PRO would see them any deeper it would not, the Xterra 705 was hitting targets at 7-10 inches that i do not care what we would do the AT PRO would not hit, i kept telling myself this just could not be there had to be something wrong because the air test said it should not be but unfortunately it was, that is one reason i put no stock in air test to me all a air test is good for is to find out what a target IDs at, i will also say that when people are claiming to hit targets with the AT PRO at 10-12 inches i would literally have to see it with my own eyes to believe it, simply because i never could hit a target with my ATP any where close to them depths.
do not take that i am saying the AT PRO is a bad detector either, because it really is not we found many great targets in the 5-6 inch range with it just nothing deeper and keep in mind i detected that same yard all the way up to 2013 when we sold that property i still felt like it had more to give, it told me that a property is never truly hunted out

Thank you.A very good and well thought out response,especially for a first time buyer.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

My AT Pro coin finds:

1723 Rosa Americana, 10 KG II and III coppers, 5 Half Reales from 1740's to 1784, 1785 Connecticut copper, 1785 Bar Cent, 1787 Fugio Cent, 47 large cents, 1824 Capped Bust half dollar, over 100 IHC's and on and on it goes.

Then you have my relic finds: 8 colonial shoe buckles, over 200 pre-1840 flat buttons, mid-1700's trade axe, Rev War era stirrup, late 1700's flintlock plate and on and on it goes.

I rest my case.

 

[Scrappy]

I was wondering that about my CTX recently, being 10 years old and all. I pretty much concluded that many great machines capable of finding almost anything in the ground were invented years ago. Nothing new will cause some miracle to happen out there, though they might help a little. If You’re “one”with your machine I still think that’s the winning combo.

 

[JWag]

I had an AT Pro until I lost it. (Left it on the back of my truck and drove off like a dumba$$.) Currently using a borrowed Ace 300.

I had a lot of difficulty with the ATP. The biggest problem was moving targets. I'd get a decent signal and start digging but not find anything. Check again and the target has moved. This would happen over and over. I'm sure it was my lack of experience but who knows? I was just beginning to get the hang of it when I lost it. I don't get to hunt as much as I'd like to but I would love to replace that ATP particularly since there are some creeks I'd like to get into. I'd like to consider one of the newer ones but.... 1. Money, and 2. Never really finished learning the ATP and would like to. Perhaps someone in my area could help this veteran learn how to use it if I get another.

 

[ADHD_Outdoors]

I'm glad I stumbled on this thread. I bought an ATP in 2011, used it a few times that year, never registered it, coil went bad, set it out in the shop and started fish-fishing again. Last month I sent it back to Garrett to be fixed. They did a fantastic job and I had it back within a week. I've had it out a few times and found everything from nearly dissolved fence wire to modern bullets, cartridge cases, shotgun shells, +100 year old iron, twist-off tops and enough aluminum beer cans to anger the least-committed environmentalist. Nothing great yet but only made 2-3 trips.

I look at it like buying new rifles. What can this one do that my Model 70 can't? Shoot farther, flatter, more accurate? No in most cases and more than not, not enough for me to buy the newest, biggest, baddest. This is a hobby for me, not an occupation or contest. Marketing is a wonderful tool. Successful marketing is huge business.

 

[treasureguy56]

I have had an AT Pro for a number of years now. And I had great fun with it. I also just got an 11x14 Reaper coil for it. But I can't help but wonder, is this model over the hill now ?

I am an Equinox 800 owner and user , I do love my machine and I fully believe in it . That being said , my beatiful wife loves her AT pro and can kick my butt a good portion of the time . Like so many others on this site would say , it depends on your personal frame of mind . If you still believe in your machine I'm sure your still making good finds .

 

[treasureguy56]

That's another issue I have with guys who use other machines. They like to insult the AT Pro to try and make their machine appear to be better. I respect your opinion, but there's no need to make comments like this here.

I fully agree with you !!

 

[Irishgoldhound]

I’ve had my At Pro for 12 years now and yes, of course it will not out hunt a multi frequency detector in mineralized sand or salt water beaches. In a park or fresh water beach it can find the stuff just like the others. I have an Xp Orx which is much faster and deeper than the At pro but I still use the Pro in parks because I know it so well. In may be slower in recovery than my XP but the pro is still fast enough. I can pick gold rings out like nobody’s business in a park with the Pro. One thing about the AT Pro is, they are very durable. The Apex, better than the Pro??, I don’t think so. Sure the Apex is multi but its not water proof and it sounds like crap.

 

[Mojave1]

I hunted a field near my house with the At Pro and during 5 hunts I found around 10 Civil War bullets, a general service button and four, 1800's coins. Someone talked me into getting a Nox 600 so I could clean up what I missed so I did. I went out into that field about 3-4 more times with the Nox and found 1 clad dime...lol. Has far as I can tell, the only place multi makes any difference is in the wet sand. I only hunt with At Pro & G2+ now and have found 2 silvers and a IHP recently. I'm not in a Facebook or Youtube finds contest and as long as I find something good occasionally I'm ok with it