G
Guthers
Guest
i've narrowed down my choices...
Hello everyone! This is my first time posting! I've been lurking here for a few days however and have enjoyed everyones postings immensely.
Another first: Metal Detecting! I recently took a trip to Italy and after fantasizing about all the undiscovered coins and relics beneath my feet in Rome and Pompeii I realized that there were probably equally exciting treasures back home around Seattle. I've been able to think of little since, especially seeing how active and exciting the 'Todays Finds' forum is.
Today I rushed out to Fry's electronics to pick up an Ace 250, since it seemed to be the recommended beginner's detector (and it was the only detector for sale I could find in the Seattle area!) but it was sold out. I had to settle for an Ace 150. I reckon it will keep me occupied until I decide on my next detector, which brings me to the point of this post.
After digging around on this forum and others, as best as I can tell in the ~$1000 price range the best detector you can buy, feature for features, is either the Minelab Explorer 2 or the Whites MXT Tracker.
I am leaning towards the Explorer 2 at the moment. It seems to be a favorite of many people, and if the manufacturer's description is to be believed, it is excellent in discriminating between iron and good targets (ie, a nail and a coin) even when they're right next to each other. That seems like an important feature to have in a detector.
I was hoping people with experience with these (and other detectors in this price range) could help me make a decision about which detector to buy, and possibly recommendations on where to buy it. (ebay and kellyco are at the top of my list for dealers thus far)
Primarily, I envision myself using my detector to comb nearby parks and beaches (In Seattle, my short list includes Alki beach, Greenlake, and Marymoor park). I would be hunting the usual things: coins, jewelry, and class rings in the hopes of reuniting them with their owners (sappy!)
I realize that a lot about choosing a detector and being successful with it depends on understanding the device and practicing with it. Lets assume that I will do this with all diligence! What i'd like help with is understanding how these detectors are different, or if my research has left out a comparable detector with a must-have feature. Furthermore, if these detectors don't offer much more than what a much less expensive detector can do, that would be interesting to know, too.
One final question: I was leaning towards the Garrett brands due to their GTI technology but I was unable to find many recommendations here for the 2500 pro. As I understand it, GTI reports a guess as to the size of the object detected. Furthermore, if it thinks it has found a coin, it will report the denomination. These sound like useful features to have. Is GTI a technology that other detectors lack?
Thanks for any help! Tomorrow morning i'm going to strike out with my Ace 150. I'll report my findings, be they pulltabs or better!
John
Hello everyone! This is my first time posting! I've been lurking here for a few days however and have enjoyed everyones postings immensely.
Another first: Metal Detecting! I recently took a trip to Italy and after fantasizing about all the undiscovered coins and relics beneath my feet in Rome and Pompeii I realized that there were probably equally exciting treasures back home around Seattle. I've been able to think of little since, especially seeing how active and exciting the 'Todays Finds' forum is.
Today I rushed out to Fry's electronics to pick up an Ace 250, since it seemed to be the recommended beginner's detector (and it was the only detector for sale I could find in the Seattle area!) but it was sold out. I had to settle for an Ace 150. I reckon it will keep me occupied until I decide on my next detector, which brings me to the point of this post.
After digging around on this forum and others, as best as I can tell in the ~$1000 price range the best detector you can buy, feature for features, is either the Minelab Explorer 2 or the Whites MXT Tracker.
I am leaning towards the Explorer 2 at the moment. It seems to be a favorite of many people, and if the manufacturer's description is to be believed, it is excellent in discriminating between iron and good targets (ie, a nail and a coin) even when they're right next to each other. That seems like an important feature to have in a detector.
I was hoping people with experience with these (and other detectors in this price range) could help me make a decision about which detector to buy, and possibly recommendations on where to buy it. (ebay and kellyco are at the top of my list for dealers thus far)
Primarily, I envision myself using my detector to comb nearby parks and beaches (In Seattle, my short list includes Alki beach, Greenlake, and Marymoor park). I would be hunting the usual things: coins, jewelry, and class rings in the hopes of reuniting them with their owners (sappy!)
I realize that a lot about choosing a detector and being successful with it depends on understanding the device and practicing with it. Lets assume that I will do this with all diligence! What i'd like help with is understanding how these detectors are different, or if my research has left out a comparable detector with a must-have feature. Furthermore, if these detectors don't offer much more than what a much less expensive detector can do, that would be interesting to know, too.
One final question: I was leaning towards the Garrett brands due to their GTI technology but I was unable to find many recommendations here for the 2500 pro. As I understand it, GTI reports a guess as to the size of the object detected. Furthermore, if it thinks it has found a coin, it will report the denomination. These sound like useful features to have. Is GTI a technology that other detectors lack?
Thanks for any help! Tomorrow morning i'm going to strike out with my Ace 150. I'll report my findings, be they pulltabs or better!
John
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