Which detector had the "Toughest" learning curve before you mastered it?

For me it was the Millennium Baron 2.10. A ton of adjustable, useful features.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/2017 01:52PM by Alpha Goat.

Whites Spectrum XLT

Blisstool V3.

I never mastered it, finally gave up on it. Way too heavy anyway.

.

Mastered??

How does one know when they do?

That should be the question asked here.

Seriously I don't think anyone ever masters a detector.
Just too many scenarios (different) for a detector to respond to or not respond to.

Anyone here for example hunt p in all 50 states using a particualr model detector.

Or could one say they have mastered a detector for their ground?

Or is there a "master" and then a "grand master".
Like chess.

To think I could use the word master when applied to locating things I can't even see.
Mind boggling!!

I can see the targets I shoot with a gun.
I can see a golf ball, where it lands when I strike with a club.
The arrow out of my crossbow where it hits the target.

I am only a USER of certain models of metal detectors, nothing more, nothing less.

Btw, how many "cheaters" do we have here?
What am I referring to here.

Anyone here compare detectors while over targets?

Could a person actually determine a detector's tendencies by doing?

Is this part of mastering?

Sure I find a deep silver with Etrac couldn't I.
Reads 45 conductive and the depth meter pegged.

Slip another detector I am new too.
And see how this deep silver sounds.
And denote detector's tendencies.
And apply for future endeavors.
Naturally likely digging the target to confirm its identity.
Is this mastering??

Even sweeping a detector over a test garden full of coins, is this cheating or part of mastering?

Just food for thought here.

IMO, the only Master I know of is Larry Hagman.
Why?
He had a tough job in my book.

Something to think about.



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/2017 04:04PM by Sod-buster.

Sod-buster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mastered??
>
> How does one know when they do?
>
> That should be the question asked here.
>
> Seriously I don't think anyone ever masters a dete
> ctor.
> Just too many scenarios (different) for a detector
> to respond to or not respond to.
>
> Anyone here for example hunt p in all 50 states us
> ing a particualr model detector.
>
> Or could one say they have mastered a detector for
> their ground?
>
> Or is there a "master" and then a "grand master".
> Like chess.
>
> To think I could use the word master when applied
> to locating things I can't even see.
> Mind boggling!!
>
> I can see the targets I shoot with a gun.
> I can see a golf ball, where it lands when I strik
> e with a club.
> The arrow out of my crossbow where it hits the tar
> get.
>
> I am only a USER of certain models of metal detect
> ors, nothing more, nothing less.
>
> Btw, how many "cheaters" do we have here?
> What am I referring to here.
>
> Anyone here compare detectors while over targets?
>
> Could a person actually determine a detector's ten
> dencies by doing?
>
> Is this part of mastering?
>
> Sure I old find a deep silver with Etrac couldn't
> I.
> Reads 45 conductive and the depth meter pegged.
>
> Slip another detector I am new too.
> And see how this deep silver sounds.
> And denote detector's tendencies.
> And apply for future endeavors.
> Naturally likely the target be dug to confirm its
> identity.
> Is this mastering??
>
> Even sweeping a detector over a test garden full o
> f coins, is this cheating?
>
> Just food for thought here.

Jeez - what a kiljoy.
(and of course you're right BTW)

White's V3i - I'm sure it has more adjustments than any other detector ever made, and in many cases adjusting one feature affects many others. I don't think it can ever be "Mastered".

Some oldtimers have come pretty close....those that try the detector of the month and move on never will...

Tesoro compadre... that one knob had ne going for a long time but then one day it just clicked and it's been rainbows and gold ever since

V3i-----Tooooo many adjustments!

Welgund Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tesoro compadre... that one knob had ne going for
> a long time but then one day it just clicked and i
> t's been rainbows and gold ever since

One knob to rule them all!

V3i and still didn't like it put 2yrs on it

White's GM4B gold detector, not sure though If I truly mastered it.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In a democracy, it is difficult to win fellow citizens over to your own side, or to build public support to remedy injustices that remain all too real when you fundamentally misunderstand how they see the world.

Explorer.

Cross that out. The Deus, by far. Never mastered it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/2017 11:18AM by Detectorist.

The Fisher Coin$trike was my first detector, it was a lot of detector for a noobie.....and looking back on it, as long as there wasn't any EMI in the picture (which totally killed it), it was a good machine, but had a design unlike anything I've ever seen since.

Whites V3i for sure

Thinking back, it was probably the Garrett Master Hunter 7x. It had a bunch of dials on it and I just never felt I had it tuned quite right. 5-6" on a good day was about all the depth I could get out of it. However, at the time I had a business in Columbus Ga and now suspect I was hunting in some nasty ground. I also remember it took 6 nine volt batteries. Although I dug some good old coins with it, don't feel I ever quite mastered it. HH jim tn

Sod-buster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mastered??
>
> How does one know when they do?
>
> That should be the question asked here.
>
> Seriously I don't think anyone ever masters a dete
> ctor.
> Just too many scenarios (different) for a detector
> to respond to or not respond to.
>
> Anyone here for example hunt p in all 50 states us
> ing a particualr model detector.
>
> Or could one say they have mastered a detector for
> their ground?
>
> Or is there a "master" and then a "grand master".
> Like chess.
>
> To think I could use the word master when applied
> to locating things I can't even see.
> Mind boggling!!
>
> I can see the targets I shoot with a gun.
> I can see a golf ball, where it lands when I strik
> e with a club.
> The arrow out of my crossbow where it hits the tar
> get.
>
> I am only a USER of certain models of metal detect
> ors, nothing more, nothing less.
>
> Btw, how many "cheaters" do we have here?
> What am I referring to here.
>
> Anyone here compare detectors while over targets?
>
> Could a person actually determine a detector's ten
> dencies by doing?
>
> Is this part of mastering?
>
> Sure I find a deep silver with Etrac couldn't I.
> Reads 45 conductive and the depth meter pegged.
>
> Slip another detector I am new too.
> And see how this deep silver sounds.
> And denote detector's tendencies.
> And apply for future endeavors.
> Naturally likely digging the target to confirm its
> identity.
> Is this mastering??
>
> Even sweeping a detector over a test garden full o
> f coins, is this cheating or part of mastering?
>
> Just food for thought here.
>
> IMO, the only Master I know of is Larry Hagman.
> Why?
> He had a tough job in my book.
>
> Something to think about.


That's a lot to think about but it's true. Specially now days. Men with many detectors, master at none.

DFX

the "Toughest" learning curve before you mastered it

I'd suspect, subject to correction, but the more possible adjustments a detector has, the less you actually know.

Suppose you have 10 switches (LCD controls if digital) that can be either on or off. Only choice is on of off. You only want to change 3 of the controls at a time picking from among the 10 total controls. You adjust 3 switches at a time off or on, and do it again, and again, each time selecting 3 different switches of the 10. You have 220 different possibilities.

Suppose you have 10 vernier dials with 10 positions each. There are 100 possible settings (ignoring the in-between settings). You adjust 3 of the dials at a time, now you have 171,700 different settings. Frustrated yet?

Suppose you have a detector with only 3 dials, each with 10 position settings, you adjust them 2 at a time, you still have 465 possible settings. Which is the best?

In the end, people eventually just set everything to their favorite setting and leave it (based on someone else's recommendation, which is based on someone else's recommendation, which is based on ....ad infinitum). It isn't a perfect set-up because there are too many unknowns to determine the 'best' settings. But, it is practical and appears to work well-enough, so it is good enough.

Moral of the story ... you can't master what you don't know, and you don't know the best settings to use on just about all adjustable detectors. And if the thing has no dials and is completely Automatic, you are set to the average setting at the factory, it is still equally unlikely to have the most efficient settings as the more expensive multi-dial detector.

Lot's of settings ... no settings, it doesn't matter. Not even the manufacturer has any idea how to adjust the thing to maximize efficiency for your current conditions.

Hence, no one has ever mastered a detector ... they've only grown extremely familiar with a few favorite set-ups that seem to produce.

definitely the Xp deus for me, 3 yrs and I'm still learning all the time

You tube videos I think have helped the detecting community as a whole.
One thing though you tube videos have not keyed on so much.

Is the actual audio.
Yes there are different settings on a detector, but even if the settings are perfect for the object beneath the coil to be "detected" with audio, do folks actually know every time the object beneath their coil is nonferrous?

Yes there are beep and dig.
But there are detectors that offer more, tell more to folks.

Some obviously give a wider latitude of audio whatever to user on a nonferrous object.
This latitude here broader depending on the model.

Of all detectors I have used (not that many actually), XP Deus offers the greatest latitude of reporting audio. Be it length, clarity, quality, etc.

So this another variable for a person to supposed "master".

How many targets and targets in various scenarios does it take to hear all possible audio combinations (per detector model/coil combo)?
When someone figures this out, be sure to let me now.

Garrett Scorpion was my first detector. So far it has the highest learning curve compared to the others. Deus was up there as well with that menu and option set.

My YouTube - [www.youtube.com]
Website - [www.thehuntergt.com]

While the spectrum was revolutionary in many ways it was just a pain to adjust. So much so that I skipped the xlt version and the DFX and the V3I. The Deus is on my list of best detectors but it was also a hard detector to master. It was educational learning how different frequencies have effects on targets. Still not a fan of wireless coils.

nautals DMC II setting that head was tough sometimes

I think I would have to say the DFX. It was the one that taught me all the components and their interactions that make up a metal detector. I make no claim to mastery over it, but it turned a metal detector into a metal detector into a metal detector.....

HH
Mike

We simply can’t even think about using these machines to their fullest potential.
Especially the complicated ones.

I spent 15 years in a factory operating computer controlled machines 36 hours a week.
I was learning stuff till the last day of my employment.
I’m self employed in powertools selling, service and repair. I find I’m learning new stuff every day.

Detecting and fishing is a never ending pursuit of the unknown and learning new tricks/facts/machines/tackle/etc.
The day you stop learning is the day you loose fascination. Sad day indeed.

And then you’ve got the wife,... now that is something else all together.

HH
Johnb

The most complicated detector I have ever used was the AKA Berkut 5. Menu options, amount of settings and subsettings etc. were plenty. More than the average hunter would ever need.
Excellent detector once you got the hang of using it. I never learned it long enough to get its full potential out of it. Spent more time fiddling than detecting..............it did find gold!!!

DeepTech Vista X with 3 search coils.
Works for me

I would say the Tesoro Toltec 100... more dials and switches than you could shake a stick at... but if, oh man that 'huge' IF, you ever got
it figured out, it was a class machine... but with changing ground conditions, you had to be on top of it all the time

Micheal

Sod-buster is right : youtube videos help each other learn machines faster. Because you can see and hear what type signals that a proficient user is trying to isolate.

The Explorer II was hard for me to learn. But going out with a proficient user, and trading off flagged signals, allowed the "lights to go on". Haha

Another tougher one was the ctx.

Probably the Sorex Pro because I couldn't understand the English translation very well from the manual. I'm pretty good with it now but in no way have I mastered it.