Next dry sand machine?

[flgliderpilot]

I use a CZ-21 in the wet, and an AT Pro in the dry. I like the AT Pro because I can completely avoid pull tabs and junk while hunting with no discrimination. Pull tabs are 54-55, and nickels are 53-54. Problem is, pro mode encourages one to ignore deep (faint) targets. The popcorn chatter and a deep target blend together so while ignoring the chatter, you are effectively ignoring possible hits. It takes repeated swings over same ground to detect deep targets in pro mode.

I like that the CZ-21 has a boost which lets me positively hear deep targets... but hunting the dry sand with my CZ means I dig a LOT of trash which slows me down and it's a heavy beast.

Any suggestions for my next dry sand machine? I need something with very fast recovery like pro mode, a numeric target id, and a DD coil.. but I'd like something which will NOT get fainter with depth, or has it as an option.

Perhaps something by minelab? A backlight would be handy also.

I've considered reverse engineering my AT pro to see if I could disable the negative bias on the volume based on depth, but I don't think it's possible... I'm sure it's happening in software as that would make the most sense from an engineering perspective.

Thanks

 

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[RustyGold]

Maybe take a look at Minelab’s new offering, the Equinox, due out at the end of January.

 

[toddbbq]

if you completely ignore pop tabs and nickles you are also ignoring small to medium size gold rings as they too fall in that range and also large 10k and 14k gold rings can pop up in the penny range. Before I bought my CTX I used my AT Pro Exclusively in the dry sand and my Seahunter II in the wet sand and in the water. now all I use is my CTX for the whole beach from dry to the water. I am adding the Equinox 800 to my detector stash as I am hoping it opens up the wet sand and in the water for deep Micro jewelry I think I have been missing.

 

[cudamark]

I don't know of any machines that will meet all of your requirements. The closest will be the FBS machines by Minelab and the Deus.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Why not get something that works well in both dry, wet and water? The CTX is great for this, but wait a few weeks and the Equinox may do it better!

 

[flgliderpilot]

if you completely ignore pop tabs and nickles you are also ignoring small to medium size gold rings as they too fall in that range and also large 10k and 14k gold rings can pop up in the penny range. Before I bought my CTX I used my AT Pro Exclusively in the dry sand and my Seahunter II in the wet sand and in the water. now all I use is my CTX for the whole beach from dry to the water. I am adding the Equinox 800 to my detector stash as I am hoping it opens up the wet sand and in the water for deep Micro jewelry I think I have been missing.

I've never seen a gold ring come up as a solid 55. I'm sure there is a chance, but I'm willing to miss out and instead avoid digging thousands of pull tabs.

I never said I ignore nickels, they ring 53-54 consistently, at least at my beach. I love hearing nickels... I call them "practice gold".

 

[flgliderpilot]

Why not get something that works well in both dry, wet and water? The CTX is great for this, but wait a few weeks and the Equinox may do it better!

$$$

 

[Jason in Enid]

$$$

You have an AT-Pro, you can afford an Equinox, and it will be salt-water functional unlike the AT

 

[flgliderpilot]

You have an AT-Pro, you can afford an Equinox, and it will be salt-water functional unlike the AT

Oh wow I didn't realize they were in that price range. I just looked!

Equinox looks nice, except for the built in battery. 12 hours? A dead battery during a hunt means you are completely done for the day.

" Minelab has not yet released official information as to whether or not a user can change the battery over without voiding warranty "

I'm getting almost 40 hours from Alkalines. If they die I replace them and keep going. Built in battery is a big disadvantage.

Looks nice other than that potential issue.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Oh wow I didn't realize they were in that price range. I just looked!

Equinox looks nice, except for the built in battery. 12 hours? A dead battery during a hunt means you are completely done for the day.

" Minelab has not yet released official information as to whether or not a user can change the battery over without voiding warranty "

I'm getting almost 40 hours from Alkalines. If they die I replace them and keep going. Built in battery is a big disadvantage.

Looks nice other than that potential issue.

Yes, but you can plug it into a portable battery and keep hunting. The only place that setup might not work would be in the water. Besides, how many 12+ hours days have you hunted? You can't plug it in the night before a hunt?

 

[toddbbq]

14k 5,5g nugget ring

I have one solid 56 on the AT Pro and I know they are few and far between but when they do show up The good targets are worth the 1000 poptabs dug 5.5g 14k. Size 4.5 gold nugget ring. I too love Nickle TID it tells me the last people detecting were not doing a good job of digging lol

 

[dewcon4414]

Not many of us hit it for 12 hours........ but thats assuming the battery keeps its full life too. Im just hoping they have a cap for those battery connectors...... salt water is a bear on any metal..... even SS. BUT...... its supposed to be fast....... its light weight..... TID digits..... notch. I dont remember if this one has modulation on tones.. like a gain....or tone adjustment allowing all targets to sound about the same.... much like the Xcal in disc mod compared to PP. Id be very surprised if we gain much on small gold in or on the wet sand...... dry sand ... its a huge plus with the 20 and 40khz. Multi and salt setting really limit what you get micro wise.

 

[smokeythecat]

I like my XP Deus for dry sand. It has done very, very well, lots of gold and some very small and deep gold too. I have it set on an automatic "dry beach" mode and I hear and dig all nickels, I also hear and ignore the aluminum and on great occasion dig a pull tab, as some gold goes in that range also. Where I go there are not a lot of pull tabs and I like to dig them to clean them off the beach and also to make SURE they are not misleading me. They are not misleading me.

 

[lookindown]

You already have what you are looking for...run your AT Pro in standard mode...you get the same audio on targets at all depths.

 

[scarfaceses26]

You already have what you are looking for...run your AT Pro in standard mode...you get the same audio on targets at all depths.

My friend at pro doesnt work in the saltwater its going crazy all-time ı tried 3 times sensivity full of down but its going crazy again

 

[toddbbq]

I agree with Lookingdown the ATPRO is a very good "Dry sand" detector. As all AT Pro users know or should know that it is horrible in the Saltwater and saltwater wet sand.

 

[scarfaceses26]

I agree with Lookingdown the ATPRO is a very good "Dry sand" detector. As all AT Pro users know or should know that it is horrible in the Saltwater and saltwater wet sand.

Yes toddbbq its very good on the dry sand and its working very well but in the saltwater its terrible

 

[Escape]

I like the DFX on the beach, wet and dry sand. I had it out at at the beach a few weeks ago and for some reason I dug up a lot of deep rusty bottle caps in the wet sand. Heading home it occurred to me that the unit has a bottle cap reject adjustment. Sort of forgot about it because I don’t adjust it. Next time out i jacked up the bottle cap reject and dug only two bottle caps. I know that increasing it is a trade off but sometimes its necessary.
Regarding the CZ21 I recently bought the bracket that puts the control under your forearm. Amazing difference. Swung it for hours where before 45 min had my arm aching. Because of that I used the belt harness. Its good in that it takes the weight off your arm but I found that carrying and moving the detector in three connected pieces to be really cumbersome. So much so that I was choosing other detectors over it. I thought having the controls upside down would be a problem but its not at all. I still have easy access to the pinpoint button and the discrimination knob. Highly recommend it.

 

[lookindown]

I found 17 pieces of gold with my AT Pro the first summer I used it...all in the salt water including 11 gold rings...it is only about 2 inches shallower on targets than my CZ21...that was on the West coast of Florida...I have posted my settings on here many times...everyone tries to use Pro mode in the salt environment...I use STANDARD MODE....People think standard mode makes it like using an ACE 250 but its not...My ACE 250 is completely useless in the salt because of falsing.

 

[lookindown]

flgliderpilot is looking for a dry sand machine...we kinda got off topic talking about the AT pro in salt.