Your top three choices, under a grand, for my conditions please

[NWMP]

Hi. I have limited experience, but some success, water detecting. I am currently using my AT Pro, and I have had it for several years. I like this machine and this is not a slap on the ATP. But I am coming to believe that either A: I am not setting the ATP up correctly for my lake conditions, or B. My local conditions require a different machine, like say P.I. ? I can go to a few fresh water lakes with deep sand and the ATP runs like a champ. Smooth, no falsing, a real pleasure to water detect with. Then I can go to some lakes an hour or two away with heavy mineralization/black sand or black muck and primarily rocky bottoms. In these lakes the ATP seems helpless. Ground balancing under water brings a staccato machine gun noise, and constant falsing even when dropping the G.B. and sensitivity. So, in some lakes it purrs like a kitten, and others it sounds like the mother ship from close encounters of the third kind. All connections snug, good batteries, no overhead EMI etc. I really don"t know at this point........ Your opinion please. And to avoid a brand loyalty scuffle, what three machines, under or around a grand, would you recommend for fresh and salt water mineralized lakes ? Thanks.

 

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[CASPER-2]

I WOULD RECOMMEND = see if there are other TH"ers in your area - try and hook up and see if they will let you try there machine
I could recommend 3 - so could others and you buy one and end up with same results cause come to find out they have a power line running under water
in that lake and now you wasted money on another machine for nothing
ive had a few spots with strong radio signal towers that gave me bad noise and thought my machine had a short or was leaking - another spot I found out is near huge power cables running out to an island
- luckily I met others that said when they hit a certain area at same beach they got same thing on their brand - so now I know

 

[ColonelDan]

Casper-2 gives sound advice that could save you money.

 

[WaterWalker]

A couple more things you could try...even though Casper's recommendation will certainly produce the be the best results.
If you can't get others to go, barrow other detectors and try them yourself.
As for the ATPro...
Try to Ground balance over the source of the falsing (eg. a hot rock), at half sensitivity.
I have used several detectors on one beach with success UNTIL the Acela Amtrak train comes by, about 5 minutes either side of the actual train's passing withing sight, VLF BBS and PIs all go crazy.

 

[CASPER-2]

actually that is what I meant to get others to go with and maybe borrow other water machines - maybe someone wants to try a AT PRO
I have 3 cz21s so if I know ahead of time and someone wants to try - they just have to let me know so I can make sure batteries are fresh
if I was near by - id certainly let him give one a swing

A couple more things you could try...even though Casper's recommendation will certainly produce the be the best results.
If you can't get others to go, barrow other detectors and try them yourself.
As for the ATPro...
Try to Ground balance over the source of the falsing (eg. a hot rock), at half sensitivity.
I have used several detectors on one beach with success UNTIL the Acela Amtrak train comes by, about 5 minutes either side of the actual train's passing withing sight, VLF BBS and PIs all go crazy.

 

[cudamark]

The Minelab BBS and FBS machines tend to do quite well in adverse conditions such as mineralized ground and around EMI sources compared to other detectors I've tried. Still, as mentioned, there may be no machine that will work good if the conditions are REAL bad. I have one beach I go to that has underground communication cables running out to the lifeguard tower. No way you can hunt within 30 feet of that area with anything I've tried to use. (and I have 13 detectors!)

 

[Terry Soloman]

Some fantastic advice above - really!

Now here is mine. Keep the AT Pro, great machine for all-around detecting, and spend $600.00 on a 10.5" Tesoro Sand Shark pulse induction machine. You'll save $600.00-$1,000.00 over the Multi-Freqs, with a better warranty. You have the AT Pro for all your dry work and most lakes, and the Shark for high mineral and salt.

 

[NWMP]

Thanks all, appreciated. Plenty of good advice throughout this thread.

 

[adamBomb]

As Casper said...check with others in the area and try to some trial runs if possible. Assuming its not interference you need to decide if you want a PI or VLF detector.

If PI you have the Sandshark, Whites DF, and Garret Sea Hunter. They each have their advantages...sandshark best warranty and cheapest, DF probably has the best reputation and might be the deepest but is also most expensive, and the SH can change coils/headphones.

If you go VLF you can try to find a used CZ21 or Excalibur...both can be found used for around $800 (give or take a $100) depending on condition.

 

[penzfan]

Based on my experience...Excalibur or Sand Shark...

 

[NWMP]

The Sand Shark definitely looks attractive, for many reasons. It sounds deep enough for my needs, and being able to sterilize the Chinese when I turn it on, is not such a priority these days. I only use my Tejon when I am willing to go super deep for fur trade relics etc. The clay or rock base below the sand in my lakes are all easily reached by even the weakest depth reviews that I have seen for the S.S. I think that I may have found what I am looking for, thanks all.

 

[jyt2017]

Used excalibur. 900$. Market value for a used newer one. Blues are hot to trot, but price out around the same.

Next would be a cz 21. I don't use them so I don't know about their resale value but I would say its on par with the excal. There are differences in the two machines, but there basically the same performance. I am not gonna say ones better than the other.

The next two options. Sand shark or Surfmaster. Those are PI units. They beep when they hit metal. But, will hit deep! They run a few hundred cheaper. Used. New there both under a grand.

Notice I didn't suggest the bhid. Its good for cherry picking swim holes and thats it.

ATP is cheap, will get you wet. And is effective. I was kinda hoping for a model that was duel feq to come out. For salt water too. I don't know if they are gonna do that. They just updated their ace series. So I won't hold my breath. ATP is single freq so its gonna have a harder time in mineralized aoil. So will the excal and cz, but there designed to handle it better[multy freq]. If its that black mineralized stuff, your best bets a PI. Just realize your gonna dig a lot. hehe. GL - Joe

Hi. I have limited experience, but some success, water detecting. I am currently using my AT Pro, and I have had it for several years. I like this machine and this is not a slap on the ATP. But I am coming to believe that either A: I am not setting the ATP up correctly for my lake conditions, or B. My local conditions require a different machine, like say P.I. ? I can go to a few fresh water lakes with deep sand and the ATP runs like a champ. Smooth, no falsing, a real pleasure to water detect with. Then I can go to some lakes an hour or two away with heavy mineralization/black sand or black muck and primarily rocky bottoms. In these lakes the ATP seems helpless. Ground balancing under water brings a staccato machine gun noise, and constant falsing even when dropping the G.B. and sensitivity. So, in some lakes it purrs like a kitten, and others it sounds like the mother ship from close encounters of the third kind. All connections snug, good batteries, no overhead EMI etc. I really don"t know at this point........ Your opinion please. And to avoid a brand loyalty scuffle, what three machines, under or around a grand, would you recommend for fresh and salt water mineralized lakes ? Thanks.

 

[NWMP]

Used excalibur. 900$. Market value for a used newer one. Blues are hot to trot, but price out around the same.

Next would be a cz 21. I don't use them so I don't know about their resale value but I would say its on par with the excal. There are differences in the two machines, but there basically the same performance. I am not gonna say ones better than the other.

The next two options. Sand shark or Surfmaster. Those are PI units. They beep when they hit metal. But, will hit deep! They run a few hundred cheaper. Used. New there both under a grand.

Notice I didn't suggest the bhid. Its good for cherry picking swim holes and thats it.

ATP is cheap, will get you wet. And is effective. I was kinda hoping for a model that was duel feq to come out. For salt water too. I don't know if they are gonna do that. They just updated their ace series. So I won't hold my breath. ATP is single freq so its gonna have a harder time in mineralized aoil. So will the excal and cz, but there designed to handle it better[multy freq]. If its that black mineralized stuff, your best bets a PI. Just realize your gonna dig a lot. hehe. GL - Joe

Thanks for the info buddy. I live on the dry bald prairie so going super buck on the biggest, latest, hottest isn"t a real priority. If I lived closer to big water, then things might be different......or not. I appreciate your time and effort. I think that the Sand Shark will more than meet my needs.