Vaquero on the way! Cant wait to try it out.

[Rod48]

Vaquero on the way! Can't wait to try it out.

I read here a lot, but have not posted in some time. I have been more of a casual detectorist if you will, not putting much time into it over the past 10 years or so. I purchased a Compadre, 7 inch coil version, several years back after reading a lot about them on TNet. It has mostly sit in my garage except for a trip out now and then--maybe twice a year if that. I've since gained a renewed interest in metal detecting and have been reading a lot here lately, including the online book Mastering the Vaquero and Tejon. After much deliberation, and reading about all these new-fangled digital detectors, I decided to stick with the Tesoro brand and have just ordered the black Vaquero with 11x8 coil. Can't really say why, except that I am familiar with the Tesoro machines from using the Compadre, and like some of you I like the analog setup. Just my limited view, but I see Tesoro machines as workhorses. They may not be the sexiest as far as bells and whistles, but they are built solid, work as advertised, and have the best warranty in the business.

Thanks to all who contribute to the site and make it so informative.

 

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[Terry Soloman]

Read your manual more than once. Use discrimination set just at the Nickel mark, set your sensitivity at about 7 to start with, and keep it ground balanced. You are about to be amazed. Best of luck!

 

[tabman]

You're going really love your new Vaquero. Make sure that you get the 5.75 inch concentric search coil for it. It's a must have! If you're after gold rings, set the discrimination at the mark before 'nickel'. The one that's close to 11:00 o'clock position. Even better, get a nail and set the discrimination just barely high enough to discriminate it out. Set the threshold just high enough to be heard and run you sensitivity as high as you can go and still remain stable. Oh yeah, use a very slight negative ground balance. Those setting work great in my moderate soil, but my not work in Arizona.

tabman

 

[Rod48]

Thanks for the tips guys. Keep em' coming . I look forward to trying it out. I figure I will get the 5.75 coil at some point, as I am figuring on selling the Compadre.

 

[Rod48]

First time out observations. Slightly neg GB. Sens at near max. Thresh near max. Guess you might say I had it jacked up super tuned! Set disc just past the iron mark. Only found one 1955 nickel. Dug lots of trash. Noticed on air test with nickle on ground that depth is much greater when sens is set low. I need to experiment with your tips to optimize depth with accurate discrimination. Gotta learn to not dig so much trash.

 

[pinenut]

First time out observations.....Only found one 1955 nickel. Dug lots of trash....

Congratulations! Nothing wrong with a nickel and some trash for the first time out!

I was pretty excited when my new Tejon found its first penny! ^_^
Probably going out tomorrow to check out an old camp site...