whites beach hunter id 300 or Minelab excalibur 2

Pauln

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May 15, 2013
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I have a whites beach hunter ID that I got about a month ago and enjoy. Everyone else I see on the beach has a Minelab Excalibur. They say it can identify bottle caps from rings and they pass up the bottle caps. Others say, dig everything. I know it goes a little deeper than the Beach hunter id, but if I am going to pick up everything anyway and that is the major difference is it worth the extra money? Does anyone have both or used both that and give me good feedback? And how well does it identify bottle caps from rings? The beach hunter shows rings and bottle caps the same. Any suggestions?
 

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Treasure_Hunter

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Jul 27, 2006
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Detector(s) used
Minelab_Equinox_ 800 Minelab_CTX-3030 Minelab_Excal_1000 Minelab_Sovereign_GT Minelab_Safari Minelab_ETrac Whites_Beach_Hunter_ID Fisher_1235_X
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The biggest advantage to excal is it can tell difference between iron and any other metal, it will also tell you when there is gold with iron no others will and your hunting with 17 freq.

I can tell a lot of times when it is a bottle cap, but not every time and no one else can either....there are too many variables to it. Corroded caps are hard to identify many times while brand new ones are easy...

I use to use Beach Hunter ID, while it was a very good detector it was not in same league with my excel in my opinion.

I have 2 excals both have the pinpoint mods on handle fore reverse disc hunting and both have large 15" DD coils, one has custom headphones It is common in all medal mode to find targets 18-22+ inches deep, after removing couple scoops of sand you switch to disc to see if it is iron.

I dig no iron with excal and that is a major advantage......

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 

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Pauln

Full Member
May 15, 2013
115
195
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The biggest advantage to excal is it can tell difference between iron and any other metal, it will also tell you when there is gold with iron no others will and your hunting with 17 freq.

I can tell a lot of times when it is a bottle cap, but not every time and no one else can either....there are too many variables to it. Corroded caps are hard to identify many times while brand new ones are easy...

I use to use Beach Hunter ID, while it was a very good detector it was not in same league with my excel in my opinion.

I have 2 excals both have the pinpoint mods on handle fore reverse disc hunting and both have large 15" DD coils, one has custom headphones It is common in all medal mode to find targets 18-22+ inches deep, after removing couple scoops of sand you switch to disc to see if it is iron.

I dig no iron with excal and that is a major advantage......

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

THank you for your advice. I've been looking for someone who has actually used both. I have the money so I am going to upgrade based on your experience. I've heard the excal has to go back due to issues often. Have you ever had an issue? Why do you have two excels?
 

Tom_in_CA

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Mar 23, 2007
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The excalibur will be able to pass crown cap bottle caps, if you learn the sound. They sound rattier. But ..... if you're in an area where you don't want to take any chances, you may elect to dig them anyhow.

as for the sturdiness of the excal, I never had any trouble with mine. I mean, sure after enough years of "bashing it around" it needed service, but ..... that's to be expected of any machine you put thousands of hours on.
 

Treasure_Hunter

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Detector(s) used
Minelab_Equinox_ 800 Minelab_CTX-3030 Minelab_Excal_1000 Minelab_Sovereign_GT Minelab_Safari Minelab_ETrac Whites_Beach_Hunter_ID Fisher_1235_X
Primary Interest:
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I have had excals for 5 years, had one I sold and still own 2. I have had to send to repair 4 times, BUT, 2 were my fault. Cracked coil when I let one fall on concrete after standing it up on side of van cool up.

I pulled a wire loose on headphones another time because of not using cable strain and having it too tight.

I have only had one actual detector failure, the oscillator failed on one of my excals, but it is at least 8-10 years old so I am not concerned. It is in repair now...

Personally i

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dewcon4414

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Mar 22, 2006
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I think another reason that makes the Xcal popular are some of the Mob people do.... you have to consider that added cost. BUT these mods help sell a lot of machines. I think most know about my issues.... if it can break its broken..... BUT i have 2 Xcals and just got a Sov, whats that tell you? Just not a better VLF machine on the market right now IMO. You never open a box so rarely do you hear of flooding. Wed all love to have the factory ability to swap coils and get better headphones, but thats pretty consistent with the other machines as well. Whites does have excellent service and more locations for repairs.
 

dbsmokey

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Jan 12, 2004
363
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Oregon
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CZ-21, Nox 800
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The biggest advantage to excal is it can tell difference between iron and any other metal, it will also tell you when there is gold with iron no others will and your hunting with 17 freq.

I can tell a lot of times when it is a bottle cap, but not every time and no one else can either....there are too many variables to it. Corroded caps are hard to identify many times while brand new ones are easy...

I use to use Beach Hunter ID, while it was a very good detector it was not in same league with my excel in my opinion.

I have 2 excals both have the pinpoint mods on handle fore reverse disc hunting and both have large 15" DD coils, one has custom headphones It is common in all medal mode to find targets 18-22+ inches deep, after removing couple scoops of sand you switch to disc to see if it is iron.

I dig no iron with excal and that is a major advantage......

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Has anybody tried a nailboard test on a excal (link to Nailboard test?) Are good targets, near iron, masked? I think they are but I'm not certain. I wish I had done a nailboard test on mine when I had one. Also, I wonder how the BHID does on this test. I will try the BHID and report back. I don't have an excal, anymore. Can someone try it and let us know? That, in my opinion, is of great importance. Because the exal nulls on iron, if it is nulling and masking, good targets are being missed. Thanks
 

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The-Bone

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Nov 13, 2007
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i can tell you this much: i've tried my BHID with a gold ring and a large nail(nail through the ring,below it, above it and to the sides) and the BHID will sound off like it is supposed to on a good target. I like the BHID but Whites refuses to make a non floating coil and i personally am not fond of threshold machines( i know, i know there are advantages to having the threshold but i can't stand all the noise and with the BHID the threshold changes soo much while hunting it is impossible to lock it in to a comfortable volume). That said i was in your shoes last your trying to decide on a water machine. I tried a Sea Hunter PI for a while but grew weary of digging lobster trap wire. I settled on a Fisher CZ21. Depth seems excellent and it does not have a threshold. It was between that and the Excal. I googled Excaliber Sounds and found a video that showed one in use by a diver recording the various responses as he waved the coil over different targets. That was enough for me!! I applaud all that can distinguish the various sounds that machine makes but i knew if i bought it i would be nothing but frustrated. It is supposed to be the creme de le creme of beach machines but was not a good fit for me. See if you can try one before you buy. They are not cheap.
John
 

bigscoop

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Jun 4, 2010
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i can tell you this much: i've tried my BHID with a gold ring and a large nail(nail through the ring,below it, above it and to the sides) and the BHID will sound off like it is supposed to on a good target. I like the BHID but Whites refuses to make a non floating coil and i personally am not fond of threshold machines( i know, i know there are advantages to having the threshold but i can't stand all the noise and with the BHID the threshold changes soo much while hunting it is impossible to lock it in to a comfortable volume). That said i was in your shoes last your trying to decide on a water machine. I tried a Sea Hunter PI for a while but grew weary of digging lobster trap wire. I settled on a Fisher CZ21. Depth seems excellent and it does not have a threshold. It was between that and the Excal. I googled Excaliber Sounds and found a video that showed one in use by a diver recording the various responses as he waved the coil over different targets. That was enough for me!! I applaud all that can distinguish the various sounds that machine makes but i knew if i bought it i would be nothing but frustrated. It is supposed to be the creme de le creme of beach machines but was not a good fit for me. See if you can try one before you buy. They are not cheap.
John

There is a lot going with the Excal until you get use to it. I've come to view as running two machines at once, a threshold machine and a tone I.D. machine. I say this because both sources can produce a variance of target responses. I think this is what's so confusing to new users, getting use to listening for both threshold responses and tone responses. Before I started using the Excal I was a CZ-20/21 guy, just high, med, low tones and minimal variance in the responses of these three ranges. So going to the Excal took some adjustment, for sure. Was it worth it? I have to say it was.
 

Treasure_Hunter

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Minelab_Equinox_ 800 Minelab_CTX-3030 Minelab_Excal_1000 Minelab_Sovereign_GT Minelab_Safari Minelab_ETrac Whites_Beach_Hunter_ID Fisher_1235_X
Primary Interest:
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I had the beach hunter I'd, I think the only difference between it and the 300 is the coil size.

Whites was paying minelab for the right to use one of minelabs copyrights on the multi-freq, I think it had 3 different freq, it listed minelabs copyright on the unit....

I traded the BH ID in on a Sob GT and bought several used excals over next couple years and never looked back...

I love the custom excals I have.....


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Pauln

Full Member
May 15, 2013
115
195
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I had the beach hunter I'd, I think the only difference between it and the 300 is the coil size.

Whites was paying minelab for the right to use one of minelabs copyrights on the multi-freq, I think it had 3 different freq, it listed minelabs copyright on the unit....

I traded the BH ID in on a Sob GT and bought several used excals over next couple years and never looked back...

I love the custom excals I have.....


Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Thank you everyone for your reply. I enjoy my beach hunter. It tells me when it it Iron clearly, Rings vs bottle caps is an issue but I'm picking up everything anyway. Whites is a great company. That being said, I think I'm going to get an excal and keep my beach hunter as a back up. If it wasn't for everyone I know who had the beachhunter upgrading to the excal and being so thankful they did, I'd be find with the beach hunter but action and experience is better than my feelings. I found the exal new for $1,100.00 Think I'm going to get it today. If I don't enjoy it I know I can always sell it for the same price. But I'm excited because I hear it is pretty amazing. We will see... I'll keep everyone updated what I think when I get it.
 

Treasure_Hunter

Administrator
Staff member
Jul 27, 2006
48,304
54,460
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Detector(s) used
Minelab_Equinox_ 800 Minelab_CTX-3030 Minelab_Excal_1000 Minelab_Sovereign_GT Minelab_Safari Minelab_ETrac Whites_Beach_Hunter_ID Fisher_1235_X
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thank you everyone for your reply. I enjoy my beach hunter. It tells me when it it Iron clearly, Rings vs bottle caps is an issue but I'm picking up everything anyway. Whites is a great company. That being said, I think I'm going to get an excal and keep my beach hunter as a back up. If it wasn't for everyone I know who had the beachhunter upgrading to the excal and being so thankful they did, I'd be find with the beach hunter but action and experience is better than my feelings. I found the exal new for $1,100.00 Think I'm going to get it today. If I don't enjoy it I know I can always sell it for the same price. But I'm excited because I hear it is pretty amazing. We will see... I'll keep everyone updated what I think when I get it.

Check our classifieds here, Poppa has one for $825 which is a better deal..

You van trust poppa too.....:thumbup:

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