I sold mine after 3 months- didn't use it very much.
Here's some stats I found on the detector and why the TR type detectors were phased out (for those who care to read)!
Why were the TR detectors phased out ?? Because they had a poor depth range
on small coin and jewelry sized objects. The reason they had poor depth was because
they were too sensitive! They were so sensitive that they picked up a signal or feedback from? iron minerals found in most soils.
? ? The only place in the U.S. where you can find soil that is free from iron minerals is Southwest Florida, here the beaches are pure white because the sand is pure limestone.
? ? The TR machines were also too sensitive to things like radio interference and electrical (60 cycle) interference. So, when you increase your coil size (which is also an antenna) you increase all these problems!
? ? ? ? If? indeed you do have the original ADS model,? this unit may have been built before another company, "Bounty Hunter" invented VLF "Discrimination."
? ? VLF detectors go deeper because they are able to hunt without the iron minerals presenting a problem. . . you could say they "reject," the problem caused by the ground mineral iron.? ? At first however, they didn't know how to make the new VLF detectors reject a second item at the same time.. namely the trash.
? ? Bounty Hunter was the first to make a breakthrough! They invented "Phase Delay"
(or VLF motion discrimination). This new technology was first marketed in a detector
called, the Bounty Hunter Red Baron. In order for this new detector to work,(ignore both the trash and the iron minerals) the coil had to be moving, and I mean really moving!
You had to whip the coil fast over the ground! The faster you went, the deeper it
detected and the discrimination worked better as well!
? ? The Red Baron was a killer on arms and shoulders! But it also had another problem,
it wasn't very good in high trash areas. The problem?? The detectors speed of recovery
was so slow. You see,? the new VLF discriminators sort of? 'shut down' when they
encounter a trash target which they are suppose to reject.
After this shut down, there is a 'pause' before the circuit resets itself for the next target. With the very fast speed of the coil, and the slow recovery speed,? well, in a trashy area the detector was off more than on! That is great on battery life. . . but poor on treasure recovery!
? ? The Garrett ADS II and ADS III were the first "SLOW MOTION" VLF DISCRIMINATORS and they were also the first, 'fast recovery' detectors. These machines were the "HOT" detectors for several years and still today they are competitive as far as depth goes.
? ? But they are too heavy, and the public prefers target ID today.
? ? If you have an original ADS and not the ADS II or III, sell it for as much as you
can get. . . and if nothing else buy the cheapest Whites, Garrett, Fisher.
? ? As concerning depth. . . .
? ? If you have the ADS II or III the twelve inch coil will give you two to three
inches more depth on coin sized objects over the 7 1/2 inch coil which was standard
with your machine. That is, if the area isn't real trashy. If the area is trashy, and
you have your detector instructed to reject the trash, the 7 1/2 inch coil will go deeper because the smaller coil has less chance of? going over multiple targets. . . a 4 inch coil would be better still!
? ? If the targets you are looking for are small gold nuggets, the original ADS will
be just fine, because the prospecting mode is always "VLF all metal" and the original ADS has that.
? ? The small 4 inch coil will pick up the tiny BB sized and smaller nuggets at a
greater depth than the 8 or 12 inch coil. The 12 inch coil will detect the bigger
marble sized nuggets deepest.
? ? Your first thing to consider is, "Do you want to put in hours searching areas with
TR discrimination, where others have already hunted in VLF Disc.?"
? ? Even if you do have areas to hunt that have never been detected, do you want to find stuff dating back to the 1920's. . .? or use a VLF disc. and find stuff dating back to the 1820's or older?
