rayoh
Full Member
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2017
- Messages
- 167
- Reaction score
- 476
- Golden Thread
- 0
- Location
- northeast Ohio
- Detector(s) used
- Minelab Etrac-Notka Legend
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
- #1
Thread Owner
I tried an Omega 8500 shortly after they came out and I immediately compared it to the 8000 models. I had the version 4 and 5 models in previous years and loved both of them. Absolute silver killers they were. The first 8500 was a nice detector, but it just was not like the 8000 both in audio and response. I traded it off without giving it a real chance. I started investigating the 8500 again last fall and recently bought another at the cheap price of 399.00.
I got it two weeks ago and immediately braved the cold and took it to my test bed. I tried all tone and filter options and settled on these settings. 3 tone and filter 3. Filter 3 got the best audio in my test bed and allowed me to use a slower swing speed. I had thought that 5 tone(unmodulated) would help with the weak audio on deep coins, but it plain "lights up the ground" with just tiny specks of metal sounding way too good. I just don't see me using that option in my trashy parks and schools.
By using 3 tone I have found the 8500 to still produce real weak audio on coins 6 plus inches. I can hear them, but you have to have some good headphones or you will miss the signal.
Today, I found some snow free, thawed ground and had a nice two hour hunt with the 8500. I found 22 coins(two wheats) and most were in the 4 to 7 inch deep range. I found the depth meter to be way off. The first 8500 was the same.When the pinpoint read 3 inches, it was always 4 to 5 inches deep. If it read 4 inches, it was 6 to 7 inches deep. My first 8500 had the factory 11 inch dd coil. This 8500 has a similar sized coil(nel hunter which is 8.5x12 inches) so I don't believe the coil caused this quirk.
I really liked the 8500 and will keep it through the 2019 season. For the record, I did not dig any mid tones today as I did not want to fight the partially frozen ground. The 8500 accurately banged my 5 inch nickel in the test garden.
I got it two weeks ago and immediately braved the cold and took it to my test bed. I tried all tone and filter options and settled on these settings. 3 tone and filter 3. Filter 3 got the best audio in my test bed and allowed me to use a slower swing speed. I had thought that 5 tone(unmodulated) would help with the weak audio on deep coins, but it plain "lights up the ground" with just tiny specks of metal sounding way too good. I just don't see me using that option in my trashy parks and schools.
By using 3 tone I have found the 8500 to still produce real weak audio on coins 6 plus inches. I can hear them, but you have to have some good headphones or you will miss the signal.
Today, I found some snow free, thawed ground and had a nice two hour hunt with the 8500. I found 22 coins(two wheats) and most were in the 4 to 7 inch deep range. I found the depth meter to be way off. The first 8500 was the same.When the pinpoint read 3 inches, it was always 4 to 5 inches deep. If it read 4 inches, it was 6 to 7 inches deep. My first 8500 had the factory 11 inch dd coil. This 8500 has a similar sized coil(nel hunter which is 8.5x12 inches) so I don't believe the coil caused this quirk.
I really liked the 8500 and will keep it through the 2019 season. For the record, I did not dig any mid tones today as I did not want to fight the partially frozen ground. The 8500 accurately banged my 5 inch nickel in the test garden.
