Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 8:04 pm Post subject: newbie
Hi, we are new to detecting and want ideas for a good user friendly light weight detector. We live in Winston-SAlem and will have difficulty making your meetings, but would love to come done for hunts. Please post any suggestions you may have and we will look into the options that you have had good experiences with.
Thanks,
Nola
Great question.... what to start with? I am glad you are doing the research on the front end rather than just buying a detector not knowing if it will be the right on for you.
This is an excellent hobby and we want to be sure you enjoy it fully by getting the most out of your detector. Before you take any advise on "what detector should I buy" you need to answer a few questions so we can REALLY help find the better choices for YOU.
1) are you buying a new or used detector?
2) how much can you spend? (tough questions, but really important)
3) what do you want to find? (coins, jewelry, civil war relics) It is best to say what you will be looking for the most, what really peaks your interest
4) where will you be looking to find stuff? (schools, old home sites, houses lived in now, farm fields, the beach the woods?)
These questions will help narrow the field of possible detectors. After you answer these, then we can look at "creature features" and options that best fit what is important to you, like weight of the detector, accessories available and "bells and whistles"
Thanks for the reply. We want to be able to use it in multiple venues!! We live near a famous old wagon road. Also would love to look in creek beds for gold nuggets. But would not want to pass up the opportunity to bring it along to beach or old homesite to find coins, jewelry, or artifacts from the past.
We would like one that with a little reading and practice can figure out. Also to know that it is really sensing what it is what is down there to a good depth. I need to be able to figure out what it is telling me on a consistent basis. I bet that is too much to ask!
We could spend btwn $400-500 $.
Joe is right in trying to ID the type of activity you will be doing most. First off, all detectors will lie to you. Second the more expensive the unit, the more you get, Bells & whistles. $400 to $500 hundred range is a good start. Your machine that you will be using at the beach is a difficult one. Most detectors that are usable at the beach also, are mainly a land machine. These units are not water proof and doesn’t respond to salt well.
Your $700 to $800 units are more versatile between land and the water. They have setting that will help you on the beach. Plus they have a lot more of the Bells and whistles.
Most detectors that are beach machines are pulse type and can be used underwater or in the surf. They don't make good land detectors.
It also is good to go to a multi-detector dealer and look at what they have, don't buy right off the bat but look and try a few out. See how the feel, ask if they know of a club close by. Now Barbee of Barbee Detector Sale in Burlington is a great guy, I know him and he can help you and advise you in what to watch out for. He want try and push you into a sale and he is not associated with this club. If you go to see him, tell him the Henry Hicks from Charlotte sent you.
Just remember: don't rush into buting a detector. Joe can help you a lot on our web site.
Good Luck _________________ Metal detecting/Treasure Hunting
A Hobby for those with an Adventurous Heart and a Inquisitive Mind[/i]
Thanks for the reply. We want to be able to use it in multiple venues!! We live near a famous old wagon road. Also would love to look in creek beds for gold nuggets. But would not want to pass up the opportunity to bring it along to beach or old homesite to find coins, jewelry, or artifacts from the past.
We would like one that with a little reading and practice can figure out. Also to know that it is really sensing what it is what is down there to a good depth. I need to be able to figure out what it is telling me on a consistent basis. I bet that is too much to ask!
We could spend btwn $400-500 $.
While I put some thought into it, do some research on the White's M6, very versitle, good coil selections, in your price range after the current rebate offers. I'll think a little more about it and give a few others to consider.
Thanks for the great responses. My husband and I have been exploring this on the internet and may up the budget to $800 b/c of several points you made and the objectives we have.
We are now looking at the minelab x-terra 70. I would love to hear if any club members use this detector and what they think!
Thanks for the great responses. My husband and I have been exploring this on the internet and may up the budget to $800 b/c of several points you made and the objectives we have.
We are now looking at the minelab x-terra 70. I would love to hear if any club members use this detector and what they think!
I know one of the detectors I suggest in my PM to you was the Xterra 70, it is a good machine. Best of all, it has a unique feature in having a processing chip in the coil itself, this allows the Xterra to run coils that use different frequencies. The reason that is important, you may want to use a low frequecy coil, like 3khz when looking for coins and then switch to an 18khz frequency when searching for gold or relics, and then switch to a 7khz coil when looking for a little bit of everything at the beach. It's light, easy to learn, quality construction and very versitile. I don't know of any current members using an Xterra right now, but if I'm wrong, someone with chime in.
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