Stupid Christmas!

[TroutBumDave]

I'm not a big fan of Christmas to begin with, but this year takes the cake. I had several family members ask me what I wanted for Christmas, including my mother/father in law, brother in law, my wife, my daughters, my parents, and my three brothers. What did I tell them? I was very plain and forthcoming -- "All I want is a gift card to Kelleyco.com", explained what for, where to get it, etc.

Here we are on the 26th and not one person got me a gift card. Well, at least to Kelleyco. I got a lot of sporting good store gift cards, movie gift cards, restaurant gift cards, gas gift cards, but... not a single gift card that I specifically asked for. I tell you, what's the point in asking if you're going to do the exact opposite? Bah!

Long story short, I won't be buying a metal detecter as soon as I thought I would. While I wait/save, I thought I'd ask a question or two. I'm fairly new to the hobby, but do have a little over a year under my belt. I've been using a Garrett GTI 2500, but it's starting to fail me. I live in Utah and like to hunt relics in Southern Utah, but also love coin shooting in parks, and trudging around in the northern mountains looking for cache's and the sorts. I'd also like to get into water hunting if possible.

My question is, what detector would you recommend? That's a broad question, I know, but after countless hours of reading and weighing the pros and cons of each brand/machine, I am completely lost. I like the AT Pro, I like the Etrac, I like the XPDeus. Maybe those are all wrong for me though...?

Penny for your thoughts, and thanks in advance.

Dave.


(I really do hate Christmas, but I truly am gratefull for the people in my life and the fact that I have the means to complain about stupid crap like this freely. I'm also grateful for the men and women who serve this country so that whiny boobs like me can focus on 1st world problems.)

 

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[Ammoman]

I was watching a news broadcast last year and they were talking about websites that buy Gift Cards and sell gift cards. I don't know how much on the dollar they give but it may be an option.

 

[mtsheron]

I'm not a big fan of Christmas to begin with, but this year takes the cake. I had several family members ask me what I wanted for Christmas, including my mother/father in law, brother in law, my wife, my daughters, my parents, and my three brothers. What did I tell them? I was very plain and forthcoming -- "All I want is a gift card to Kelleyco.com", explained what for, where to get it, etc.

Here we are on the 26th and not one person got me a gift card. Well, at least to Kelleyco. I got a lot of sporting good store gift cards, movie gift cards, restaurant gift cards, gas gift cards, but... not a single gift card that I specifically asked for. I tell you, what's the point in asking if you're going to do the exact opposite? Bah!

Long story short, I won't be buying a metal detecter as soon as I thought I would. While I wait/save, I thought I'd ask a question or two. I'm fairly new to the hobby, but do have a little over a year under my belt. I've been using a Garrett GTI 2500, but it's starting to fail me. I live in Utah and like to hunt relics in Southern Utah, but also love coin shooting in parks, and trudging around in the northern mountains looking for cache's and the sorts. I'd also like to get into water hunting if possible.

My question is, what detector would you recommend? That's a broad question, I know, but after countless hours of reading and weighing the pros and cons of each brand/machine, I am completely lost. I like the AT Pro, I like the Etrac, I like the XPDeus. Maybe those are all wrong for me though...?

Penny for your thoughts, and thanks in advance.

Dave.


(I really do hate Christmas, but I truly am gratefull for the people in my life and the fact that I have the means to complain about stupid crap like this freely. I'm also grateful for the men and women who serve this country so that whiny boobs like me can focus on 1st world problems.)

Well it's not Christmas' fault or the spiritual sense......it's family members who don't listen even though you are talking to them direct! I would trade with you in a heart beat and if you are curious I from my mother-in-beast got a cheesy rifle butane lighter; a gimmick dollar store pen that looks like a hammer; and a 7.5 oz. can of off brand nuts!!!! So at least you got gift cards that you can at least get something what you may can use. Did I mention I got dime store junk!!!

 

[TroutBumDave]

Haha, good point.










(I still hate Christmas)

 

[kingskid1611]

What I take from the story is that your family is like millions of others. They all heard only "Gift Card". At least they were willing to get you something. Mine tell me I am hard to buy for so now you can go to these places and buy their birthday presents throughout the year and save your money for what you want.

 

[mtsheron]

Haha, good point.



(I still hate Christmas)

It happens my friend! Family is a crazy dynamic that does not make sense nor can one try and understand the intricate nature of it. I told my wife specific a few weeks ago prior to Christmas to get me a Kellyco GC and she did. I told her however to do so the day I told her because Kellyco had them with 10% off!!!! Do you think she did?? No way! She paid full dollar! I just grin and take it and will put it toward something I want.

I do also look at it this way, we in the US are so lucky to still have anything. I mean we fight foreign powers that want to destroy our way of life and we also fight our own inept government who should be for us but sometimes I think they are worse than the foreign enemy!

That said...........I just found two coppers in my yard with my daughter and her el-cheapo metal detector we got her for Christmas to see if she may have a liking to hunt! Can't replace that with anything.

Well I am not going to get into theology here but Christmas is not about gifts and commercial items for sure!

 

[Jason in Enid]

Your family can't go down to CVS or Walgreens and buy you a KC giftcard. I don't even know how easy it is to buy them if you go to their website. If you spelled it to them the way you did here, could be PART of the problem.

 

[TroutBumDave]

Your family can't go down to CVS or Walgreens and buy you a KC giftcard. I don't even know how easy it is to buy them if you go to their website. If you spelled it to them the way you did here, could be PART of the problem.

Ya, I have nothing clever to say here. I believe I've just been had.

 

[foiler]

Two things to remember here. You got family and, you got presents. Merry Christmas.

 

[Loco-Digger]

The Rolling Stones said it nicely.

You can't always get what you want,
But if you try sometime you find
You get what you need.

Christmas is about giving, the wife wanted a new laptop, so she got one. I consider myself a very lucky man. I wrote what I wanted in detail and my wife got everything and still asked me for more wants and needs. I figure I'll play that card soon and get me a pair of insulated waders before she forgets.

 

[denwag]

Be thankful for your health, your family, and your friends. Someday as you get older hopefully you will find that nothing else matters in life. Everything else is just icing on the cake.

 

[mtsheron]

I am always reminded that every since I was a kid in the 70's then early 80's that Christmas was about toys......but I was a kid in the 70's. As I got older and am approaching 50 years of age now as I have been for many years now is that Christmas to me I could care less what I get if anything. I just want to attend church service and celebrate the true meaning of what we have done to this day. Sorry if I crossed that politically incorrect line just a tad. But we are a country and society of materialism and it can make you sick to your stomach to hear the conversations going on around you when in a store shopping this time of year listening to people have about it.

But I guess each of us are at different points in our lives and hopefully we all get it right before we cannot.

Hey, sounds like if you got on some of these forums/sites that you could sell those unwanted gift cards for like 3/4 what they are worth then put toward what you want.

Now to the person who posted how hard is it to get a GC from Kellyco on their site..............well, even a caveman could do it. I think it comes down to hearing the school teacher on Charlie Brown by some who are so self absorbed in their own world they only hear......"WAAA WAAA WAAAA WAAAA WAAAA". You can even put a message of to and from on it! Next time state you don't want a Kellyco git card but a CVS and Walgreens and you may get the Kellyco!

 

[TheRingFinder]

If you hate Christmas - You really shouldn't except and or expect anything from it - Wouldn't you agree?

That being said - You need to elaborate more on what type of hunting you will be doing, so we can steer you in the right direction for a detector.

What are you looking for?
Where are you hunting?
What price range?
Water / Land or both?
Etc.............

 

[Phantasman]

"I felt bad because I had no shoes, until I saw a man who had no feet"

Count your blessings, my friend.

 

[ivan salis]

it could be worse --one year everyone in my family , my then wife (now a ex of many years) and all my then "friends" all got me the same useless bum gift ..I lived in ohio where it would be cold around "christmas" time -- so everyone got me a 1 x size "el cheapo" $5 bargin "slightly illregular" sweater (please note at the time I was a 3 x size ) -- my wife at the time was a stay at home mom-- she using the money I made by going to sea for 8 months that year --working 12 to 15 hours a day , seven days a week -- bought her sister a sofa / bed --and her brother a large screen TV --I got a crappy sweater from her and both of them...as well as my own sister ...I now have a "thing" about sweaters --do not give me one as a "gift" , hell don't even say the "s" word around me..

 

[ivan salis]

at least you can "exchange" unwanted gift cards for cash at several sites online ..then use the cash to buy the detector you want --where there is a will there is a way...my ugly , wrong sized pitiful sweaters were on "special" bargin rack "no refunds" sadly --but even so , I didn't let them go to waste --I gave them to a local homeless shelter ..where they loved them... so my "real" gift was a good warm feeling for actually caring about others unlike those who put no thought or care into getting me a "gift"..

 

[TroutBumDave]

Well, my tongue-in-cheek post hit all the wrong nerves it seems. I even went in and added the post script thinking it would clarify the fact that my complaining about Christmas and not getting what I wanted was more to elaborate on the craziness of my family (the whole asking, and then doing the exact opposite) -- you can't tell me that your wife doesn't do the same thing... I hoped to elicit a smile and/or chuckle rather than be taken seriously. A few of you caught my drift, but most of you think I'm a spoiled douche-nozzle; that sucks. I really only posted this thread so I could get some suggestions on detectors because I was getting info-overload. Oh well, this isn't the first time I've put my foot in my mouth, nor will it be the last.

FWIW, I agree with all of you, and I am a very lucky person to have what I have.

That being said - You need to elaborate more on what type of hunting you will be doing, so we can steer you in the right direction for a detector.

What are you looking for?
Where are you hunting?
What price range?
Water / Land or both?
Etc.............

1. I'm looking for suggestions on metal detectors.
2. The deserts of Southern Utah and the high mountains of Northern Utah mostly, but parks and schools as well.
3. I think $1,500ish is probably close to my limit, but I could go higher if given the right nudge.
4. I only do land at the moment, but that's only because I've never had a detector that could handle water. I would like to water hunt.
5. I'm not biased for any company and am willing to try anything.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Dave.

 

[mtsheron]

Well, my tongue-in-cheek post hit all the wrong nerves it seems. I even went in and added the post script thinking it would clarify the fact that my complaining about Christmas and not getting what I wanted was more to elaborate on the craziness of my family (the whole asking, and then doing the exact opposite) -- you can't tell me that your wife doesn't do the same thing... I hoped to elicit a smile and/or chuckle rather than be taken seriously. A few of you caught my drift, but most of you think I'm a spoiled douche-nozzle; that sucks. I really only posted this thread so I could get some suggestions on detectors because I was getting info-overload. Oh well, this isn't the first time I've put my foot in my mouth, nor will it be the last.

FWIW, I agree with all of you, and I am a very lucky person to have what I have.



1. I'm looking for suggestions on metal detectors.
2. The deserts of Southern Utah and the high mountains of Northern Utah mostly, but parks and schools as well.
3. I think $1,500ish is probably close to my limit, but I could go higher if given the right nudge.
4. I only do land at the moment, but that's only because I've never had a detector that could handle water. I would like to water hunt.
5. I'm not biased for any company and am willing to try anything.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Dave.

Well your budget is a good one so your not going to be restrained there. Now when you say water I assume just coil submersion for the most part in shallow creeks and river beds? If so most systems even the cheaper detectors have sealed coils and connections and should indicate so in their description.

Don't know enough about Utah to know what would be best but I assume any or most detectors would work because I have never really seen a detector for geographical zones only. You will want a detector with capability I would say to adjust sensitivity; threshold; notch out or discriminate; and maybe a system with a few coils like a package deal.

I think there are quite a few that will fit your bill and need and one off hand that I would like to try one day being the E-Trac by Minelab. Maybe even the Safari could be a close second by Minelab that would be a roughly $500 cheaper option.

I also think maybe if you are into wireless technology the XP Deus but it has a steep learning curve and quite honestly the benefits are best when you attend Andy Sabisch's one day school for this detector.

The Fisher F75 would also be a great option for a detector with a cult like following that gets great feedback.

You could even look to the Teknetics Omega 8500 system which I like the looks of and it I am sure will be a great detector once it gets a lot of in field use and feedback from consumers.

So there are a few for thought. I would say do your research and compare models head to head and pick what system best fits your needs. Good luck.

 

[vferrari]

Well your budget is a good one so your not going to be restrained there. Now when you say water I assume just coil submersion for the most part in shallow creeks and river beds? If so most systems even the cheaper detectors have sealed coils and connections and should indicate so in their description.

Don't know enough about Utah to know what would be best but I assume any or most detectors would work because I have never really seen a detector for geographical zones only. You will want a detector with capability I would say to adjust sensitivity; threshold; notch out or discriminate; and maybe a system with a few coils like a package deal.

I think there are quite a few that will fit your bill and need and one off hand that I would like to try one day being the E-Trac by Minelab. Maybe even the Safari could be a close second by Minelab that would be a roughly $500 cheaper option.

I also think maybe if you are into wireless technology the XP Deus but it has a steep learning curve and quite honestly the benefits are best when you attend Andy Sabisch's one day school for this detector.

The Fisher F75 would also be a great option for a detector with a cult like following that gets great feedback.

You could even look to the Teknetics Omega 8500 system which I like the looks of and it I am sure will be a great detector once it gets a lot of in field use and feedback from consumers.

So there are a few for thought. I would say do your research and compare models head to head and pick what system best fits your needs. Good luck.

To Dave,

I wholeheartedly agree with the advice above [though I can't speak with authority on the minelab machines mentioned], especially the comment regarding the XP Deus and the bootcamp. If you can't attend the bootcamp (not sure how far west Andy has made it) and if you decide to get a Deus, then getting Andy's guide book on the Deus is the next best thing. I am liking my DST modified F75 LTD and also want to put in a plug for the Teknetics T2 (with DST), which is similar but cheaper than the F75 though it cannot handle concentric coils. I think the AT Pro is a fine performing machine, but in your budget you can get a lighter, better balanced machine like the Fisher or XP that you can swing all day and at my age, that is a big factor. HH