ATX Finds Silver First Time Out & AT Pro vs ATX on Gold & Silver

[SoCalBeachScanner]

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The ATX arrived at my doorstep at 11:30 today. It was on the beach by noon to check it out and run a couple of tests. I went to Long Beach, CA, just parked in the back of the beach to find an open area to run the tests. I was in an area of the beach that would be unfriendly to a Pulse Machine. I was only on the beach for an 1.5 hours and most of that time was running a couple tests.

The first thing I found out after the Frequency Scan, Ground Balance, and Adjusting the Threshold, is that sucker is super sensitive. I started walking with my scoop at my side like I do with my AT Pro and the machine was sounding. I thought maybe the machine needed more adjustments until I held the scoop behind my back more, then it quieted down.

The first thing I found within ten feet was a pull tab, then a nail, then a quarter which I saw the edge sticking out of the sand after I got a repeated strong signal, within two feet from that quarter, I got another quarter. Looked like a very recent pocket spill, I scanned the immediately area and nothing else. There was a Volleyball court a 100 feet away that I have hit several times in the past with my AT Pro. By the volleyball area, first I got a washer, and when I scooped my second hit about five inches down, there was an army man in the scoop and a small chain hanging off the scoop. I took a couple of photos, put the chain in my pocket, and went back to run tests. After I ran the tests I found an electrical switch, 22 caliber shell, and a few steel bottle tops, and small pieces of steel that are not in the photo. I will need to bring my ProPointer to the beach of all places. That smaller stuff falls through the scoop and is hard to find, like the 22 shell did.

I never made it to the saltwater and the iron check does not work fully on steel bottle tops, but I may need to get use to the sound. The Iron check did work great on the nail.

When I got home, I saw the 925 and Italy stamped on the very small clasp connector of the bracelet. I couldn't believe it! I should have tried the AT Pro on the chain to see what it sounded like. I'm thinking the chain would not give a good repeated signal with the AT Pro, and I most likely, I would not have scooped it with the AT Pro.

I tested the AT Pro this morning prior to the arrival of the ATX

All tests were with the item laying flat inside a plastic coin case.

Used a 2.9 gram 14k Gold Band and a 1943 Silver Quarter

The AT Pro on the Gold Band would give a good repeated signal at 9", and no repeated signal at 10"

The AT Pro on the Silver Quarter would barely give a repeated signal at 8", you really had to pay attention to hear that skimming the sand.

The ATX on the Gold Band would give a good repeated signal at 15" and I swung the coil a half inch higher off the sand and the repeated signal broke up.

The ATX on the Silver Quarter would give a good repeated signal at 11" with the coil 1" off the sand. Any higher then 1" or so off the sand, the repeated signal cut out.

So! I'm impressed so far! The ATX will be deadly on gold in the surf. I was hoping for at least three more inches in depth on the Silver Quarter over the AT Pro, and it did that plus maybe a little more once I get the ATX dialed into my head.

The ATX will take some getting use to, especially that WeeWaa sound it makes on a repeated signal
In the very short time I used it today, I didn't pay attention to any High/Low or Low/High sounds, but I can tell the Signal Straight Indicator will help me determined size and depth with more time using it.
And! I may need a shovel instead of a scoop. I can't wait to take it for another spin.

Thanks for Swinging by

--------------------------------------PP is Dead On, I dug straight down from hole in center of coil
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[RustyGold]

Thanks SoCal for the ATX update! It's interesting to be able to compare the two Garrett machines.

 

[SoCalBeachScanner]

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Thanks RG ... it was only 60 degrees at the beach and it felt like 85 on the sand. I'm not use to MD'ing after 9AM ... I like my early mornings.

 

[devilpookie]

Very cool. I have been waiting forever to see some beach testing with the ATX. Thanks.

 

[DrJoePrime]

Very nice first hunt... Congrats!

 

[ron lord]

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The ATX arrived at my doorstep at 11:30 today. It was on the beach by noon to check it out and run a couple of tests. I went to Long Beach, CA, just parked in the back of the beach to find an open area to run the tests. I was in an area of the beach that would be unfriendly to a Pulse Machine. I was only on the beach for an 1.5 hours and most of that time was running a couple tests.

The first thing I found out after the Frequency Scan, Ground Balance, and Adjusting the Threshold, is that sucker is super sensitive. I started walking with my scoop at my side like I do with my AT Pro and the machine was sounding. I thought maybe the machine needed more adjustments until I held the scoop behind my back more, then it quieted down.

The first thing I found within ten feet was a pull tab, then a nail, then a quarter which I saw the edge sticking out of the sand after I got a repeated strong signal, within two feet from that quarter, I got another quarter. Looked like a very recent pocket spill, I scanned the immediately area and nothing else. There was a Volleyball court a 100 feet away that I have hit several times in the past with my AT Pro. By the volleyball area, first I got a washer, and when I scooped my second hit about five inches down, there was an army man in the scoop and a small chain hanging off the scoop. I took a couple of photos, put the chain in my pocket, and went back to run tests. After I ran the tests I found an electrical switch, 22 caliber shell, and a few steel bottle tops, and small pieces of steel that are not in the photo. I will need to bring my ProPointer to the beach of all places. That smaller stuff falls through the scoop and is hard to find, like the 22 shell did.

I never made it to the saltwater and the iron check does not work fully on steel bottle tops, but I may need to get use to the sound. The Iron check did work great on the nail.

When I got home, I saw the 925 and Italy stamped on the very small clasp connector of the bracelet. I couldn't believe it! I should have tried the AT Pro on the chain to see what it sounded like. I'm thinking the chain would not give a good repeated signal with the AT Pro, and I most likely, I would not have scooped it with the AT Pro.

I tested the AT Pro this morning prior to the arrival of the ATX

All tests were with the item laying flat inside a plastic coin case.

Used a 2.9 gram 14k Gold Band and a 1943 Silver Quarter

The AT Pro on the Gold Band would give a good repeated signal at 9", and no repeated signal at 10"

The AT Pro on the Silver Quarter would barely give a repeated signal at 8", you really had to pay attention to hear that skimming the sand.

The ATX on the Gold Band would give a good repeated signal at 15" and I swung the coil a half inch higher off the sand and the repeated signal broke up.

The ATX on the Silver Quarter would give a good repeated signal at 11" with the coil 1" off the sand. Any higher then 1" or so off the sand, the repeated signal cut out.

So! I'm impressed so far! The ATX will be deadly on gold in the surf. I was hoping for at least three more inches in depth on the Silver Quarter over the AT Pro, and it did that plus maybe a little more once I get the ATX dialed into my head.

The ATX will take some getting use to, especially that WeeWaa sound it makes on a repeated signal
In the very short time I used it today, I didn't pay attention to any High/Low or Low/High sounds, but I can tell the Signal Straight Indicator will help me determined size and depth with more time using it.
And! I may need a shovel instead of a scoop. I can't wait to take it for another spin.

Thanks for Swinging by

--------------------------------------PP is Dead On, I dug straight down from hole in center of coil
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You can't compare A PI detector to VLF detector . The PI will win every time. The only fair test with the AT PRO and the ATX would be in fresh water. The AT PRO was made for fresh water, it doesn't work well in salt water.

 

[Fletch88]

Come on SoCal you can hunt up there with an Ace. Get out there in that wet, black sand you were saying was so bad and burn some rubber! Gosh man you dropped the coinage to be able to do so

 

[ron lord]

Very cool. I have been waiting forever to see some beach testing with the ATX. Thanks.

If you are thinking about buying a PI detector for the beach , the Tesoro sand shark would be a better buy over the ATX. Both go very deep and will find small Gold ,but the ATX cost $ 2500 with a 2 year warrant and the sand shark cost $650 with a life time warrant. So do you spend $2500 ,good for 2 years ,or spend $650 good for as long as you own it.

 

[SoCalBeachScanner]

You can't compare A PI detector to VLF detector . The PI will win every time. The only fair test with the AT PRO and the ATX would be in fresh water. The AT PRO was made for fresh water, it doesn't work well in salt water.

Sure I can Ron Lord,

I compared both the AT Pro and the ATX because I own both machines. These tests were for my own comparison. The AT Pro does work in mineralized saltwater, but you need to tune is down and you lose depth. The gold ring test was to see in my own mind what the difference is in dry/moist hard packed sand so I know what I'm dealing with in a depth difference when I start using the ATX in mineralized saltwater.

And my test of the silver quarter was to see the difference in depth because I was finding old silver in the dry/moist hard packed sand that were at the max depth of my AT Pro.

The tests may not be fair to you, but they were fair to me, and if anyone else could use the info, so much the better.

 

[SoCalBeachScanner]

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If you are thinking about buying a PI detector for the beach , the Tesoro sand shark would be a better buy over the ATX. Both go very deep and will find small Gold ,but the ATX cost $ 2500 with a 2 year warrant and the sand shark cost $650 with a life time warrant. So do you spend $2500 ,good for 2 years ,or spend $650 good for as long as you own it.

Hi Again Ron Lord,

I'm sure you have been detecting for a while, so you should know that you get what you pay for. What I paid for the ATX is just over half of what you quoted and Garrett has a long reputation of backing their machines, warranty or not.

 

[devilpookie]

If you are thinking about buying a PI detector for the beach , the Tesoro sand shark would be a better buy over the ATX. Both go very deep and will find small Gold ,but the ATX cost $ 2500 with a 2 year warrant and the sand shark cost $650 with a life time warrant. So do you spend $2500 ,good for 2 years ,or spend $650 good for as long as you own it.

Thanks for the advice. I was kinda waiting to see how good the disc is on the ATX. Lots of iron crud on a couple of my favorite beaches. That Tesoro warrantee is great. I've dealt with Garrett and they were super cool too but 2 years vs lifetime, wow.

 

[SoCalBeachScanner]

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Come on SoCal you can hunt up there with an Ace. Get out there in that wet, black sand you were saying was so bad and burn some rubber! Gosh man you dropped the coinage to be able to do so

Hey Fletch,

I'm working on it Fletch, I'm working on it

I will be meeting up with TNet user DrJoePrime this afternoon to hit the highly mineralized sand in Long Beach this afternoon as the tide is going down. So we'll see how she does.

 

[LootHunter]

SoCalBeachScanner,

Thanks for the write up on your new ATX. I have been on the fence with regards to this machine and have been thinking about getting a PI detector. Look forward to seeing more of your testing and the results.

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

SCBS and Ron:

What I would love to see is a meaning full comparison of the Garrett (ATX Extreme PI , Infinium LS and the Sea Hunter Mark ll) metal detectors, as they are implementations of the PI technology with the flexibility to change the head phones and search coils as needed for land and shallow water. Unfortunately, Tesoro no longer provides/supports this capability in their current PI design(s).

Extended/life time warranties are not important to me as it is not cost effective for me to hold on to any detector which is unreliable/needs frequent maintenance since it cost(s) me an average of $77.00 for shipping and insurance to return a metal detector for repair.

You can't compare A PI detector to VLF detector . The PI will win every time. The only fair test with the AT PRO and the ATX would be in fresh water. The AT PRO was made for fresh water, it doesn't work well in salt water.