Monty
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2005
- Messages
- 10,746
- Reaction score
- 167
- Golden Thread
- 0
- Location
- Sand Springs, OK
- Detector(s) used
- ACE 250, Garrett
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
Since taking up this metal detecting hobby I have already owned 3 different detectors, no make that four! Each one seems to have at least one feature that I like above the others. Like many on the forum I have been seeking the perfect do it all detector and have reached the conclusion that it might not exist. Before I make my final judgement I need to do some serious metal detecting for rellics and jewelry as opposed to just coin shooting. So far I have done mostly coin shooting mainly just to learn my machines and to be able to understand what the machines are telling me and to use them to their best advantage. It looks as if many of the forum members never go beyond the coin shooting stage, mainly because it is fairly easy and is instantly gratifying and just fun. I own one machine that is just beyond the entry level, the ACE 250 by Garrett. This little machine has big features that you won't find unless you move up to detectors costing many hundreds of dollars more. The ACE may have done more to get more new people interested in metal detecting than anything that has come down the pike in several years. If you could only own one detector you could probably get by with the ACE for nearly everything except of course under water detecting. My second detector is a Bounty Hunter Land Ranger which is a mid-level machine price wise and is near the top of the line for Bounty Hunter. The Land Ranger has several bells and whistles not available on the ACE and will probably handle a greater range of specific needs than the ACE. It has a variety of coils and accessories available usually much less expensive than other brand name detectors and the LED screen give you as much or more information than you can handle. One feature I like is that the read out remains on screen longer than on the ACE and you can quickly glance at it to verify data from a "hot" target. On the ACE if you are not looking at the screen at the tame you detect a target you have to pass the coil back over it to verify what you have. It is very good at picking up and identifying the smaller targets such as dimes. It has 4 distinct tones that tell ou what your target may be without looking at the screen. It has manual ground balancing as an option. There are other features but those are the ones I use most. My top of the line detector si the Garrett GPI 2500 Pro. I has virtually all the the bells and whistles you could ever want, probably more than a normal persons senses can handle at one time without overload. Although have had it only a couple of weeks I find the learning curve to be manaegable even for one with less than years of experience. It comes with two coils, one that is the "standard" size and a larger 14 1/2" coil for working open areas and deep targets. I was able to pick up a smaller 5.5" coil as part of my negotiated purchase price. Two features I use most and really like is the abilitiy to read out the approximate size of my target and multiple search frequencies. The size factor helps determine whether I want to dig or not, almost eliminating the need to "dig everything". The 2500 although a single search frequency machine has the ability to switch search fequencies to help eliminate interference. For instance if you are searching near another detectorist whose machine is on the same frequency you may have a lot of bleed over causing innacurate readings. In that case you just have to go to the menu and switch to another frequency which will eliminate the problem most of the time. A distinct advantage for club hunts. You also have 100% sensitivity and discrimination control. Disadvantage? It is heavier than my other machines and uses twice as many batteries. After a couple hours of swinging the loop you can really notice the fatigue factor. The fourth machine I have owned was a Chinese made machine which was probably an all right unit but I just prefer U.S. made machines. I got it as a gift and traded it in on my Bounty Hunter. So, I hopefully have all the detectors I will need for this lifetime. They all have a distinct character and personality as far as machines can have. I have noticed that on a given day one of the machines may be just a little off and not delivering the expected level of success whereupon and I can switch to another and be back on track. My goal is to possibly do some traveling and try my hand at different sites, civil war battle fields, etc. I also plan to do some club hunts , get to know the metal detecting fraternity a little better and pick kup all the expert knowledge I can. Oh, and to find some of those darn silver coins! JIM
Upvote
0
) 
