DFW_THer
Bronze Member
- Feb 20, 2008
- 1,184
- 1,493
- 🥇 Banner finds
- 1
- Detector(s) used
- Garrett Carrot Glued To A Stick
- Primary Interest:
- Metal Detecting
Hi Folks.
This is my first post. I figured I might as well ask a few questions after a quick introduction, so may as well get it done in the proper forum.
Name's Brad, I'm 22, live in the DFW area as you might have gathered, and I've been detecting for at least 10 years. I've owned a number of detectors, and had my fair share of interesting discoveries. What a great hobby.
At any rate, I just picked up a Garrett 1500 from a local fellow when he responded to an ad I placed in Craigslist. I've used this detector for maybe 5 hours total, and I'm just not impressed! What am I doing wrong? This thing 'air-tests' GREAT, but when it comes to pinpointing and reliable target ID, I just can't seem to get it right! I haven't had a lot of top end detectors, but certainly find my way around and have a good basic knowledge of the features of any given detector. I've worked with White's, (IDX / MXT) (great), Fishers (CZ5) (deep), Tesoros (cibola / Tejon) (ok), even worked with a bounty hunter for a time (QD2) (lol).
But back to this Garrett. When I get out in the field, I have a HELL of a time pinpointing. Even in Relic mode which is very little disc, if I scan over a shot gun shell, (which are always abundant in mid 20th cent. sites), I just can't get a solid signal. They are an EASY read and pinpoint for any of my other detectors. Even at a solid 8", I'll get an even, soft, repeatable tone with my Whites.
After I finally pop the casing out of the ground, I always get a long, delayed, and unclear beep, making it near impossible to draw a clear X and pick out the target. I'm not even sold on the non-motion/imaging button. The sizing is accurate yes, but it doesn't always work right away. Sometimes it takes three or four pushes of the button before I get a reliable non-motion/all metal signal. The same can be said for my CZ or IDX, but not every time like the 1500. I also find that my target separation is not nearly as good as a $200 white's machine, or even my BOUNTY HUNTER for that matter. I've used the Scorcher coil for it, and it does a little better, but with that I have to sacrifice the imaging, and it's the imaging that is the most reliable thing about the detector. I know my soil isn't bad, I don't think the detector is malfunctioning because it's perfect in an air test, and doesn't have any trouble with clad 4" and shallower (if theres no junk nearby). I really think the main reason for my dissatisfaction is its inability to separate two targets that are close to one another. I think that's why I'll get very inconsistent readings, and a lot of 2 and 3 sweep beeps, and then nothing. What I mean by that is when I re-check a good belltone. It turns into maybe one or two medium tone beeps, then usually nothing. Sometimes I'll still dig, and then nothing. And I can honestly say it's not the soil... My IDX pulled a couple deep wheats from the exact same area.
I've used the detector in clayish ground, really dry and hard ground, and of course the ideal, dark and wet ground.
I mean, I've got ZERO confidence in this machine. I'll take it out to a site with the same discrimination settings as my Fisher or Whites, and hardly get any good signals, when I know there should be MANY signals. Sometimes I'll throw my ring on the ground to make sure all is well. It sounds off perfectly...
Sorry to come off as such a belly-acher in my first post! I'm really not, I'm just a bit confused and looking for some of you pros to give some words of wisdom.
Give me a hand, will ya?
Thanks!
Brad
This is my first post. I figured I might as well ask a few questions after a quick introduction, so may as well get it done in the proper forum.
Name's Brad, I'm 22, live in the DFW area as you might have gathered, and I've been detecting for at least 10 years. I've owned a number of detectors, and had my fair share of interesting discoveries. What a great hobby.
At any rate, I just picked up a Garrett 1500 from a local fellow when he responded to an ad I placed in Craigslist. I've used this detector for maybe 5 hours total, and I'm just not impressed! What am I doing wrong? This thing 'air-tests' GREAT, but when it comes to pinpointing and reliable target ID, I just can't seem to get it right! I haven't had a lot of top end detectors, but certainly find my way around and have a good basic knowledge of the features of any given detector. I've worked with White's, (IDX / MXT) (great), Fishers (CZ5) (deep), Tesoros (cibola / Tejon) (ok), even worked with a bounty hunter for a time (QD2) (lol).
But back to this Garrett. When I get out in the field, I have a HELL of a time pinpointing. Even in Relic mode which is very little disc, if I scan over a shot gun shell, (which are always abundant in mid 20th cent. sites), I just can't get a solid signal. They are an EASY read and pinpoint for any of my other detectors. Even at a solid 8", I'll get an even, soft, repeatable tone with my Whites.
After I finally pop the casing out of the ground, I always get a long, delayed, and unclear beep, making it near impossible to draw a clear X and pick out the target. I'm not even sold on the non-motion/imaging button. The sizing is accurate yes, but it doesn't always work right away. Sometimes it takes three or four pushes of the button before I get a reliable non-motion/all metal signal. The same can be said for my CZ or IDX, but not every time like the 1500. I also find that my target separation is not nearly as good as a $200 white's machine, or even my BOUNTY HUNTER for that matter. I've used the Scorcher coil for it, and it does a little better, but with that I have to sacrifice the imaging, and it's the imaging that is the most reliable thing about the detector. I know my soil isn't bad, I don't think the detector is malfunctioning because it's perfect in an air test, and doesn't have any trouble with clad 4" and shallower (if theres no junk nearby). I really think the main reason for my dissatisfaction is its inability to separate two targets that are close to one another. I think that's why I'll get very inconsistent readings, and a lot of 2 and 3 sweep beeps, and then nothing. What I mean by that is when I re-check a good belltone. It turns into maybe one or two medium tone beeps, then usually nothing. Sometimes I'll still dig, and then nothing. And I can honestly say it's not the soil... My IDX pulled a couple deep wheats from the exact same area.
I've used the detector in clayish ground, really dry and hard ground, and of course the ideal, dark and wet ground.
I mean, I've got ZERO confidence in this machine. I'll take it out to a site with the same discrimination settings as my Fisher or Whites, and hardly get any good signals, when I know there should be MANY signals. Sometimes I'll throw my ring on the ground to make sure all is well. It sounds off perfectly...
Sorry to come off as such a belly-acher in my first post! I'm really not, I'm just a bit confused and looking for some of you pros to give some words of wisdom.
Give me a hand, will ya?
Thanks!
Brad
