Want to hear from ATX users about machine

[Featherdfishead]

I have been looking at the ATX for awhile. I've read nearly everything out there about the machine but want to hear more from people useing the small 8" mono coil and people that are useing the infinium coils. I prospect mostly and am curious about falseing and depth and sensitivity between the two coils. Any comments on the ATX are welcome, thanks

AjR

 

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[John-Edmonton]

If you Google Garrett ATX Metal Detecting Forum you will find lots of information. Having said that, I am on my 2nd season using it. I use it for water hunting and relic hunting in the summer and fall. I also use it in the snow to search for lost coins from people sledding on hills.

In a nutshell, it is a PI metal detector, getting some of the best depth in the industry, especially in highly mineralized soil. It does not have discrimination like a vlf metal detector. What it does have is a low-high signal for copper and silver, and a high-low signal for gold. Iron and read in both audio tones. It was designed to find gold nuggets in very high mineralized soils. It is water proof. I use mine in hunted out beaches on land and water. In the woods for relic hunting, I only did low-high signals, searching for silver or copper targets. It has modulated audio ( deeper targets are not as loud as shallow ones) and also has a non-motion mode which gets even better depth then the motion mode. You can check my You-Tube videos to hear the audio on some hunts with it.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8CORF4dsmopibINy0fWzGA

 

[Featherdfishead]

Thanks for the information on the ATX John. I watched your videos and enjoyed them, also your shotgunshell rings. My wife makes jewelry and i may make afew of your rings in the future. I find antique shells sometimes while detecting that are frequently in great shape from staying on the surface or very shallow. I recieved a response from another forum that concerned me due to already haveing some of the same concerns.

"I had one got rid of it and bought a sdc 2300 and have not looked back."
Things I did not like about the ATX:

1. floppy coil
2. sand and dirt jamming up the cams.
2.5 PIA to take apart cams and clean
3. coil falsing
4. PIA changing batteries. Dont drop the battery holders as they are cheap plastic
5. water pooling in the detector nooks and crannies after being washed.
6. PIA to change coils

Things I dont like about the sdc 2300....there are none

What have you found in your time in regards to floppy coil, cams, falseing, ect.

Thanks
AjR

 

[John-Edmonton]

Floppy coil? It has adjustable tension. Not a problem.
Sand in cams? Not if I washes the cams in the water prior to getting out and again at home with fresh water
I have taken the cams apart a few times....challenging, but got it done.
Coil falsing? EMI underground. Retuned machine as suggested with little or no EMI left
Changing batteries is easy....holders can break if dropped with batteries
Pooling in nooks and crannies? Turn it upside down to let water drain out
Changing Coils? Never changed coils, but heard it can be challenging.

I hunt as cold as -25C with no issues except the batteries losing power without a hot pac.

 

[hoosierguy]

I live inland in a state with very little to no natural forming deposits of gold....really like the form factor of the ATX, wish they made it as a VLF detector.

 

[Koffee]

First off I am detector agnostic and have a few different brands in my arsenal. I like my ATX but no detector is perfect and all have some issues.

ATX Issues I have

1. Weight it is heavy
2. Floppy Coil - I had to go to aftermarket item to solve this problem
3. Solid coil cover for a non-solid coil - Had to pickup after market

Other then these I am totally satisfied with everything else, on this machine.

SD 2300

I tried this and looked real hard at picking one up but I had one big concern.

1. This is durability, I prospect for gold in the California foot hills and Sierras with a trip a couple times a year to Alaska . I need a machine that can take a beating and the current design of Minelab's prospecting machines makes me scratch my head. My detector is going to get dropped and will be rubbing up against mother earth as I climb to my spots.

I have just been gun shy of buying one of these to have it broken quickly in the field. The price also prohibits me from owning a backup just to sit in my truck. Time may prove me wrong if so I will probably pick up one of these machines.

Cheers - Koffee

 

[Featherdfishead]

Thanks for the responses on the ATX, I just got myself a slightly used SDC 2300 for $2800 with nearly full warranty and i'm stoked. Get it next week.

Koffee, i also mine in N.Cal up in Siskiyou County were I live. I'll work the machine hard this summer and expect it to hold up but i'll let ya know. The ATX cost less and had more coils but for me it came to slight weight difference, compatibility and mostly coil falseing. I hate machines that have allot of falsing, I scrape my coil on the ground constantly. I will likely design something to keep the arm cup from collapsing every time i set the machine down, along with a light case for protection and a mini weight belt for my under water use, of which i'll likely do as much of as land detecting. I mine year round in the water so i'll be testing it in very cold water too. Cameras i dive with wont work due to the batteries getting cold so i may have to seal some hand warmers and mount them to the machine around the battery compartment. Not a problem till it needs to be done though.
AjR