Newb from New York with a question or ten.

[Bluezman]

Hello everyone, my name is Charlie, I'm from NY, and I'm an Al...er... Newbie. I've been lurking around this site for about a month now, but am no closer to deciding which M/D I want. So, I thought I'd ask you guys (and girls) about specific techical...."stuff".

One thing I'm conserned about is heavy ground mineralization in New York. I understand that some M/Ds allow you to adjust for mineralization, but others are pre-set at the factory. If someome could tell me which are which and which might be considered better for a strong mineralization area, (and why?), it might be helpful to me. whoo!

I have more questions, but I don't want to confuse everyone (mostly myself) with too much at once, so I'll leave it at that for now. I'll be thankfull for any information I get.Thanks, Charlie

 

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[ivan salis]

very simple --the "preset" types are auto ground balance / others are manual

the differance is high mineral or saltwater beach type areas or places with electric high power wires are best hunted with "adjustible type" manual type units that can be "tuned" or adjusted to account for this ---most of ther cheaper types (bounty hunter types)are "preset" units that do not have the ability to properly balance in this --- sometimes turning down the sensivity / and upping the disc level will help to steady up a unstable (beeping all the time or acting weird )machine--however it will lose some depth and not find stuff as well --its a trade off--the M6 unit by whites is a good unit but not cheap --around $600 - 700 there are a decent units in the $400-500 and as a starter unit to begin with the ace 250 at about $213 at kellyco or others is highly recommended ---good luck --Ivan

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Welcome. Something vaugely familiar . . .

Anyway. I have a Minelab Musketeer Advantage that has a manual ground balance, or you can just click it to a factory pre-set if you don't want to bother. Takes 20 seconds to manually balance so I always do.

Very simple, very capable analog detector.

 

[Bluezman]

Hello Ivan,...Hello Charlie, ( Charlie from NY eh...guess I'll have to sign my posts "Bluezman" from now on ). Thanks for getting back to me.

Let me throw out a little more information, both about me , and my situation.
I'm a retired millwright. I'm 61, soon to be 62. I worked in a noisy aluminum can manufacturing plant for 32 yrs. so my hearing is not what you might call spot on. Headphones would probably help a lot.
As far as what I can afford; I've saved a few sheckles, and could, if I wanted to, buy a top of the line machine. This being an entry level purchase, I've limited myself to a range of $200-$500.

Weight is also a factor to be considered, as my right shoulder was damaged extensively before I retired.

Ivan, thanks for the additional info on mineralization, I wasn't even thinking about high EM fields , or salt at the beach.
As a matter of fact, a friend, who also retired from the same company (on the same day)...(a story in itself!)) called me last night, and during the course of the conversation I mentioned that I intended to try my hand at swinging a M/D. He said "Let me know what you get, 'cause I've been thinking the same thing, and maybe we can go hit the beaches together." What an opening. I said something about not being so abusive, and we talked about places we could go.
Looks like a plan coming together.

But, getting back to finding the right m/d for me. I've searched out the 3 detectors recommended so far ; White's M6, Garrett's Ace 250 , and Minelab's Musketeer Advantage.

These are my impressions:

The M6: Looks real good (I watched the video), easy to operate, appears to have decent construction, good features, not to heavy; I would buy this machine if it were not $200 over what I initially wish to spend in order to "try my hand".

The Ace 250: Appears to be high volume mass produced, many features = (learning curve) , flimsy and awkwardly balanced construction, weight unknown, many good reviews / some bad, very low price.

The Musketeer Advantage: Looks to be very well constructed, old school analog (only as good as it's operator) = (learning curve), good depth, heavy= 4.2lbs w/batts., reviewers say poor balance but control box can be hip mounted (this also takes care of the weight issue), low price.

This is where I'm at so far, I'm leaning towards the Minelab. I guess I'm an old school kind of guy, but I'm still open to suggestions.

Charl...er...Bluezman

PS sorry if I didn't say thank you , I meant to...Thank You!

 

[MD Dog]

Hello Blue, I started out alot like you only I didn't get enough info like your currently doing, smart move. I started with a low end Wal-Mart special bounty hunter. I did pretty good,lotsa coins, some gold and silver and then the bug hit with my first good find, beleive it or nor it was just a buff nickle. So of course I went over board, went to NYC and went to a "I sell every kind of electronics known to man super store" where I was sold the best MD that money can buy for $1200, a whites DFX. For two years I took it out only once in awhile due to health reasons and every time I did I had to reread the book and try to relearn everything again. Quite frankly it probably is the best machine made I don't know, but since then I sold it on e-bay and was able to buy two Ace 250s one fer me and one for my best half and haven't looked back. These 250s for the money are the bomb as my son says. They can and do do it all, once you get the expierience to know what settings to use where. Cheaply made? no way!
Take it from me all metal detectors do the same thing, they detect metals, the only differences are how deep, and do they tell you what they think is below grade. Every expierienced MDer here will tell you, no matter what machine you buy, either you dig the trash or you forgo the real treasures !

 

[Bluezman]

Hello WNYHobo, It's good to see that your pocket rockets (AA pair of Aces) are well
matched to your needs. I only hope I too can find a suitable match for mine.

I hope you don't think I was trying to put your machine down. Most of my impressions
were gleaned from reviews written by others and I was trying to find problems that might
affect my personal situation. I believe the 250 is a good machine as evidenced by it's
popularity, (high volume production) and many recommendations, but is just not particularly suited to my needs.

After extracting my foot, hopefully far enough, from mouth to go on...I apologize if I have offended you.

More detailed background. My accident caused my right arm to be ripped from the socket at the shoulder, tearing the cartilage, muscle, and nerve. Even two years after the operation I still have some pain and fatigue with extended use.

I am leaning towards the minelab because I believe it may do what I want (manually adjust the ground setting), and allow me to remove the control box, and wear it on my hip, thereby alleviating some of the stress and strain on my bad shoulder.

Thats my story and I'm sticking to it!

Oh, and don't worry, I don't have any illusions, I know I'll be digging my share of poptops. And after making aluminum cans for 32 years I guess it's about time for me to dig some up.


Good hunting.... but save some for me! Bluezman

 

[TonyinCT]

Welcome to the forum and TNet.
If I can help you with your purchase let me know.
I would look hard at the minelabs Xterra series. Light weight and they run pretty smooth.
TonyinCT
www.tcmetaldetectors.com

 

[SC_hunter]

Just found the specs on the ace 250.. I have one and never really thought about the weight..so here are the specs and weight..
Ace 250 Specifications

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Length: 42" to 51" - Adjustable

Weight: 2.7 lbs. (1.2 kgs.)

Frequency - 6.5 kHz

4 AA battery operation (batteries included)

2 year warranty

Search Modes:

All Metal

Jewelry

Custom

Relics

Coins

Settings:

Full Range, Multi Notch Discrimination Modes

Sensitivity / Depth

Mode, 5 Distinct Discrimination Patterns

Pinpoint

Mine seems pretty light compared to the one i used to use..an old Whites...but I did get some muscles with that one..lol HH and you will find one you like...Think most on here don't take offense to any preferences..Let us know what you get.

 

[MD Dog]

Hey blue I'm sorry if I gave you the impression I was at all offended, not at all. I was trying to express my applause that you were stopping to do what I hadn't. Check them all out and make the right choice for you. If you feel the 250s to heavy for your injured shoulder then by all means who am I or anyone else to argue that ! I did just have to say my veiw about the 250 shoddy construction comment. Notice I didn't say it was the best built or anything just that you normally get what you pay for but not with the 250, unusually you get alot more than what you paid for it.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

[=Bluezman !

after making aluminum cans for 32 years I guess it's about time for me to dig some up. Bluezman

*****************

Geeze peeps, we finally have fund him, who has a rope?


don Jose de La Mancha Tropical Tramp

 

[SC_hunter]

[=Bluezman !

after making aluminum cans for 32 years I guess it's about time for me to dig some up. Bluezman

*****************

Geeze peeps, we finally have fund him, who has a rope?


don Jose de La Mancha Tropical Tramp

Now if we could only find the bottle top maker...lol

 

[ivan salis]

if your looking a the musketeer --look at the 50 by minelab---it will be upgradible

 

[Bluezman]

Hello guys, I'm sorry it took so long for me to get back to the thread, but I just can't sit for long enough to type.
I was out on the tractor for too long and all the bumps from the frost heaving the ground up sort of pounded my back muscles into mush. I can either stand up or lay down but not sit. I finely found my old back brace, and now I've got 2 cardboard boxes, one on top of the other, and the keyboard on top of that, so I can stand here and type. Where there's a will...

Anyway, I made the decision and ordered the the Minelab Musketeer Advantage from Kellyco.
The stick and coil, without the control box weights in at 23oz's. (under 1.5 lbs.).

[=Bluezman !

after making aluminum cans for 32 years I guess it's about time for me to dig some up. Bluezman

*****************

Geeze peeps, we finally have fund him, who has a rope?


don Jose de La Mancha Tropical Tramp

I got one, but I can't seem to find it right now. We didn't make that many cans anyway. Maybe we averaged one hundred ............................million a month.


Ya know, it's not all my fault. If you guys didn't drink so much, I wouldn't have had to make so many cans.

Hello SC_hunter , How about a plea bargun? I'm willing to give up the bottle top maker in return for immunity.

Ok, now I can't wait for my machine to come, so I can dig something up, take a picture of it, and post it here.....even if it's an old toilet seat!

It's time for me to eat some thing, and then lie down ( this retirement buisness is hard work . But before I do that, I want to thank all you guys who posted here. All the info posted here helped me in one way or another (even if I didn't get the one you recomended.) I started this thread with a magnet on a string, and now I have a bonified, honest to goodness, store bought M/D on it's way. I think I was lucky when I found this forum.
Thank You Bluezman

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Anyway, I made the decision and ordered the the Minelab Musketeer Advantage from Kellyco.

I'll jump start your detecting. Get a nickel and carry it in your finds bag (I keep a Buff in a flip case for this). When you set out drop the nickel on the ground. Turn on the detector with the coil above the ground at waist level and leave the ground adjust on fixed. Crank up the sensitivity as far as it goes. Now lower the coil (not over the nickel yet) and sweep the coil back and forth a couple inches (two or three) over the ground. Turn down the sensitivity until it is quiet for the full sweep & direction reversals.

Now pass the coil over the nickel and turn the discrimination up to where you get a good, "__ooOOOoo__" tone as you pass over the nickel.

Now repeat the sensitivity adjust, but with the coil just skimming the ground. Hardest part of starting out is to get a low sweep, level at either end, as close as possible without bumping the ground. Go get some treasure. If you gat a lot of false signals and pops as you reverse the sweep direction turn down the sensitivity a bit. Too much is too much; like playing the stereo at full volume. You get distortions and it sounds nasty - same with the detector. You want the right setting for the soil conditions, not the highest setting possible.

As you get familiar with the detector you will want to manually ground balance her. It is the big advantage of the Advantage. Go through the above, but crank the ground balance up full clockwise. Set the coil 1/2" above the ground and lift/snap it up quickly to about 6" above the ground. Turn the ground balance counter-clockwise until it is silent when you do this. I prefer mine so I just start to get a little background false-readings. That way I know I'm on the hairy edge. The good signals are still a whole different sound than the trash and falses.

But once in a while the iffy signals are deep coins or rings that make the trash digging worthwhile.

PS - Dig EVERYTHING until you get to learm your Musky's vocabulary. Coins are almost always "sweet" vowel tones. Foil squeeks or chirps and bottle caps click (except aluminum screw tops. They sound like Morgan Dollars, darn 'em). Nails "ip" if you're at low discrimination. When in doubt "X" in four directons (back-n-forth & front-2-back) and listen for the differences. If it beeps in one direction but not the perpendicular sweep it is almost NEVER a coin. Soda cans growl. It sounds like a terrier cornering a rat, swear to God. I laughed out loud the first time when I heard it and found the reason.

PPS - When you're doing the "X" you have to twist the coil/unit 90º for the front-2-back motion for it to do any good. The Musky uses a DD coil that actually is "sweet" along the whole length of the center spoke in the coil. The detecion swath is long but not wide. This also will produce a triple "beep" for targets very close to the surface. Each edge triggers a contact as well as the center.

 

[Bluezman]

Thanks Charlie, That's going to save me a ton. I made a file from your reply and saved it onto my desktop. I named it "ooOOOoo.txt" so I won't mistake it for anything else.

Bluezman