Garrett vs Minelab under the same conditions - stock standard

[Guest]

What percentage of nugget producing ground is actually under power lines? 0.009%?

Seems like a nothing test for one machine over the other?

 

[Ben78]

Ben78, I will have to give the 5000 a go with the dd in cancel mode. I have read that you can use the smooth class of timings in this mode as well.

Cancel is actually a pseudo mono mode so you can use any of the timings, fine gold etc works great.

 

[condor22]

My take on all of this is, you do some research, you spend your money, it's your detector, be happy with what you have. If your not, get a different one and try that. Failing this, Go Fishing.

I recently had a conversation with a long time detectorist, the context of which was; (his comments)

Minelab, design, test, refine, retest in Australian conditions and then release for sale in Australia as well as the rest of the World. I was also told that Garrett designed and tested the ATX in the States, went through their process and released it for sale. Then they bought it to Australia to try it.

If this is correct and from my own design experience, if a product is designed to compete, would it not be better to test it where it is intended to compete before the design is finalised and it's released.

Many, will have personal preferences, it's a bit like Ford vs Holden, both good cars, but some fans of either can be very one eyed and others just want a set of wheels that work.

 

[Nugget]

My take on all of this is, you do some research, you spend your money, it's your detector, be happy with what you have. If your not, get a different one and try that. Failing this, Go Fishing.

I agree 100%. Buy to your own needs and budget and don't worry too much about what everyone else is doing.

I recently had a conversation with a long time detectorist, the context of which was; (his comments)

Minelab, design, test, refine, retest in Australian conditions and then release for sale in Australia as well as the rest of the World. I was also told that Garrett designed and tested the ATX in the States, went through their process and released it for sale. Then they bought it to Australia to try it.

If this is correct and from my own design experience, if a product is designed to compete, would it not be better to test it where it is intended to compete before the design is finalised and it's released.

I recall hearing that Garrett were testing the ATX in Australia well before it's release, so I'm not sure if the above is accurate or not. Either way many are trying to compare a $3000 machine against a $6500 machine and it's fairly obvious to me which will come up trumps.

 

[condor22]

True, Nugget, it's like comparing apples with oranges, different technology. I think you may be correct that the ATX was tested in Australia before its release here. However, I think the comment to me was made in that it had already been released in the U.S.

So unless they did any changes after testing here, those comments may stand.

 

[stalker]

It was tested In west oz and fine tuned for wa dirt before It was released.

 

[Tassie Daz]

Took my newly received 20" coil out for a run today to a place that's incredibly noisy [Its an old copper mining site. Lots of rust, iron and all sorts of junk]. I wasn't expecting any gold as the place didn't have any gold mined although along with the copper gold was found. What I was hoping to find maybe was the remnants of coinage left behind by the young guys who were the mine workers in the 1860's.[not keen to use the banks maybe they buried coins in containers in the ground upon which they erected their tents and there lived] Well, I arrived and purposely started UNDER the power lines that crossed the site. [not sure what you call high voltage power lines but these were the ones that are at the top of our stobie poles, with three cables ] The ATX purred like a kitten on factory settings [as set out in the startup docs] and to be honest I thought it was quieter than the DD coil. Anyway, cant wait now to get to VIC in Oct.

 

[Guest]

Took my newly received 20" coil out for a run today to a place that's incredibly noisy [Its an old copper mining site. Lots of rust, iron and all sorts of junk]. I wasn't expecting any gold as the place didn't have any gold mined although along with the copper gold was found. What I was hoping to find maybe was the remnants of coinage left behind by the young guys who were the mine workers in the 1860's.[not keen to use the banks maybe they buried coins in containers in the ground upon which they erected their tents and there lived] Well, I arrived and purposely started UNDER the power lines that crossed the site. [not sure what you call high voltage power lines but these were the ones that are at the top of our stobie poles, with three cables ] The ATX purred like a kitten on factory settings [as set out in the startup docs] and to be honest I thought it was quieter than the DD coil. Anyway, cant wait now to get to VIC in Oct.

Theory is correct.

Buried coin hoards though are buried near identifiable
Markers like a fence post, near a large tree or large
Rock.

Good luck with it.

 

[Tassie Daz]

Ok Wolf. thanks, but this is a place where maybe hundreds of young guys were housed by the mine owners I think, so they would have been in close proximity to each other. They wouldn't have had the luxury of "private" space to hoard away their coinage, so that's why I'm hoping they may have used the privacy of a tent covering or even a bed roll to squirrel away what they had. Please, its only a theory. I could and probably will be wrong but at least I'm getting the chance to "play" with the new coil. As an aside, I read on here the other day someone say that they had real hassles with the weight of the big coil and that it tired them out and all they wanted to do was get back to the 14" DD. I've tried to find that post but cant, so if you read this, I reworked my lifting point on the shaft so that when I picked up the coil, the detector was balanced. That means that the lifting point is TOP SIDE of the second extension, and it worked a treat. If you read this, and its not clear, let me know.

By the way, I'm not using the Garrett sling when using the 20" coil. I'm using my own version of the Minelab harness made from an army belt, straps for webbing from laptop bags, buckles and anchor points from those bags I've had in the past. And then a very accommodating wife who can make her sewing machine "Talk".

Its taken a little while to work it out, then rework it, but now it works well. Had the 20" on the other day and I reckon I spent 2 hrs swinging it with little effect on my frame.

 

[Roscoe]

Tassie Daz, Just being out there with coil on the ground gives you a chance mate. You never know what will pop out, keep it up daz good things will happen.

 

[Tassie Daz]

Yeh, I'm hopin' Roscoe. The good thing is that, while I cant expect to find gold around the Copper triangle of SA, I certainly could expect to find a nice full or half Sov, or maybe even a five pound SA coin. The early settlers have been around here long enough so here's hopin'.

 

[Roscoe]

Daz, Some real nice coins and relics come out of SA. Old mining camps always have nice little surprises.

 

[Tassie Daz]

Condor22, "My take on all of this is, you do some research, you spend your money, it's your detector, be happy with what you have. If your not, get a different one and try that. Failing this, Go Fishing."

I like you comment mate cause in the end that's what it all boils down to.

 

[condor22]

Thanks Daz,

Too many people get emotive over their choices in life and sometimes get critical of other's choices.

I was seriously looking at the ATX or the SDC2300 as a 2nd detector, partially for the wife to use occasionally and partially to do the little my GPX5000 might not.

At the end of the day, it boiled down to justifying the $4,000 and I really couldn't. So to give me coin, beach and artefact capability as well as basic gold, I spent $1,000 on the X-Terra 705 duel pack and a couple hundred $ on a 6" DD.

Yes there are other brands and styles of cheaper detectors but that's my choice.

PS I still have my fishing rods.....

 

[Tassie Daz]

Yep, you're right. In the end, Condor we research, we decide and then we buy, and because we've bought we have to think that what we bought was right for us, based on the above. The ML-ATX-Whites argument [or discussion] has been going on for so long and in the end, its the decision made that counts. And I'm like you........still got the rods, so if all else fails......I'll go drown a worm!

 

[Guest]

Half the battle is having faith in whatever your using & being/staying positive.
Tassie Daz you seem to have plenty of both so I reckon ya won't be too far off something good!

 

[Goldpick]

As they say, variety is the spice of life, it would be a pretty boring world if every single person on our forum owned a Minelab. It is gold to see people venturing out into other brands to give them a go, I don't think I have ever seen our Whites section so busy. With regards to ATX owners, they are just getting on with finding stuff, regardless of what comparisons are made. You can sit here and compare detectors till the cows come home, but unless your out there looking, not much is going to come your way.

Your detector purchase is a personal choice, and you shouldn't have to justify it to anyone else.

 

[Tassie Daz]

Amen and well said Goldpick, Mbasko & Condor. So maybe we'll see all of you at Laanecoorie in Oct.

 

[condor22]

Amen and well said Goldpick, Mbasko & Condor. So maybe we'll see all of you at Laanecoorie in Oct.

What dates? I'll be in the area about 8th Oct for a couple weeks.

 

[Tassie Daz]

Well planned mate. The bash is from the 10 - 12th OCT. See on the forum under meetups I think.