Want to see a blast from the past??I broke out the old Scorpion for a Nail Board Test (VIDEO)

Shows what can be done in nails with patience...This works best on just nail sites..

Don't let the Video mislead you too far..I had this machine set up to do this..Things get tricky running like this but it does show How Much harder it is for Modern machines to Dissect iron by the methods used to create a ground cancelling motion disc mode.

Also the T/R mode really has no depth..But its fun to use at times and see what you can eek out...And it can overcome alot of nails on top of a coin too.

The machine is the video is an old one I had put back..And I see its not running right now and needs to make a trip to Garrett..But I got it to work in T/R mode.Yet even the T/R mode is not 100% right.

I have a Compass 77b somewhere in a box that i know is not working and its on 100Khz and its even better in nails..As the 100khz is really hates nails.

All in all its old technology but even today in the RIGHT area it can make some finds our 1000 dollar units cant..I like it on exposed nail sites where you can see the nails..

If it doesn't cost to much to get fixed I may do another video..It also has motion based disc mode like modern day machines still in use and its also no slouch in unmasking but does adhere to the physics like any other..Has a great all metal mode on it also..

I broke it out to do a video but found it was messed up.Started to not do video..then said hey I'll show a broken detector doing something neat!LOL

[www.youtube.com]

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

First detector I owned. Actually traded a Marlin .22 rifle for it. Built like a tank...and having to take it apart to replace the three 9v batteries was actually kind of fun. Seeing the guts of it every 15 hours (that was about the limit on 3 9Vs.)

After a week I thought it was a mistake and the hobby was not going to be for me. Once I learned it inside and out - no other detector has given me problems since.

The 10-turn GB pot was actually bad on it....Garrett sent me a new one free of charge and walked me through the wiring colors when I mistakenly forgot to take a picture of it. Soldered it all up and it was a great detector.

I regret selling it. Almost bought a used one I saw on eBay a while back. Good coin and relic shooter to 7-8 inches...and sensitive enough to hit birdshot. Found some decent pickers with it in Colorado.

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

Thanks for the video, some of us appreciate the legacy machines.

Up to my ____ in Pulltabs, Grant

Brings back memories of using the Gold Mountain 1650.....great unmasker and lightweight for the era.

No wonder you held on to it, that was amazing....especially the 3d nail and coin test.

Keith, I appreciate your video using the conventional TR-Disc. mode. Keeps me remembering how well a good conventional TR, or a TR-Disc. model, would handle nails and similar wire-iron, and I use mine in seminars and demonstrations to show why they were so good for us early-era Coin Hunters in the '70s and early '80s for hunting picnic areas with a lot of Bottle Caps. They were easily rejected and we could enjoy finding 'keepers' whereas all of out 'modern' detectors, relying on motion-based Discrimination to reject the ground signal and trash signals (or at least some of them) struggle to deal withy Bottle Caps.

I was Relic Hunting iron infested ghost towns and homesteads with TR's and TR-Disc. models before the coming of VLF-Disc. in '78 and on into the future of today. Their ability to handle common nails is also unmatched by any offering put out from any manufacturer today in their Ground Compensated Discriminate modes. I had one of the Scorpions with the stacked GB controls, and when making a move to a different state I decided to let it go because I couldn't find a good, small Concentric coil for it. I liked what it could do as a 3-mode featured detector, but didn't care for the 3-9V battery system or the top-heavy balance.

I still have a couple of even older Garrett models in my Outfit that I will take out from time-to-time just to have some 'fun' and get some enjoyment out of how they perform, and think back to those 'Good Old Days' when things were relatively 'simple' and more 'Hobbyists' had to take the time to learn how their detectri9rs worked in order to master them. That learned knowledge combined with field time moved many of them from Hobby states to the Avid Detectorist category. So many people in the hobby these days leave it all up to the visual and audible features and stylish ads and marketing and expect the detector, itself, will do all the work. Many never learn the basics or proper tuning and search coil presentation, or really know what an EMF looks like or how Discrimination works.

Sorry to hear your Scorpion needs repair and I hope they can handle it at a minimum expense to you. I currently have 3 older Garrett TR-Disc. models but I'm going to be selling one, and a few other units in my Detector Outfit, to trim it down. One of them, an American S2 TR-Disc., has a cracked search coil just ahead of the rod-mount 'ears' but I'm pretty sure it will be an easy fix. Otherwise it works fine, as does my Master Hunter TR-Disc. that dates to about 1975/'76 which is the two-coil package with Double-D standard coils.

There is a Scorpion at a pawn shop where I have managed to snag one detector at a bargain price, but for some reason he has a big $$$ tag on it and only the standard elliptical coil. It's been collecting dust for two years and maybe I'll see if he's interested in cutting the price? I'll have to see how it looks under the dirt and dust because I pamper all my detectors, but I have been looking for a pristine Garrett Scorpion for a few years now, hoping to get one with the round Concentric coil.

It is kind of fun to do a TR/TR-Disc. demonstration then watch guys, or gals, checking out their flashy modern stuff and trying to make them work like some of the decades-old equipment.

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Arkansas
Brings back memories of using the Gold Mountain 1650.....great unmasker and lightweight for the era.

That was from Gold Mountain Technologies, the 'resurrected' Gold Mountain. There are several stories related to that short-lived company that was so typical of the latter '80s to very early '90s when so many US Detector Companies were struggling and going out of business.

But you're right, the GMT-1650, also labeled as the Cobra (not the King Cobra which was a 'turn-on-and-go' model, just the Cobra), was basically a copy of Tesoro circuitry, like all the rest were, and I wish Tesoro would have made something similar with the Low-Range/High-Range control to fine-tune the Discrimination. Those were my favorite models out of everything GMT offered, and since they were more-or-less a Tesoro imitation they provided similar in-the-field performance. Terrific unmasking abilities at most of my Relic Hunting sites back then, and the very adjustable Discrimination range was a real plus. It could have used a Threshold control and maybe a smoother Ground Balance, but they worked well.

However, those were not a conventional TR-Disc. model like the search mode Keith was using with his Garrett Scorpion. The GMT-1650 / Cobra were very good examples of how the Quick-Response/Fast-Recovery motion-based Discriminators could work, comparable to the Tesoro line at the time.

Monte.

"Your EYES ... the only 100% accurate form of Discrimination!"
Stinkwater Wells Trading Post
Metal Detector Evaluations and Product Reviewsmonte@ahrps.org ... or ... monte@stinkwaterwells.com503-481-8147Fisher-1, Makro-1, Minelab-1, Nokta-1, Tesoro-2, White's-1Garrett MS-3 -- Killer B's 'Hornet' & 'Wasp'Note: Detectors are listed alphabetically by Brand. Models are chosen based on search site conditions.*** All working well today to make memories for tomorrow. ***

One reason Garrett Ground Hogs were so popular, even still a favorite my many today.

DeepTech Vista X with 3 search coils.
Works for me

Thanks for the memories,Keith---nothing beats the sound of the ole nonmotion Garretts.

Thanks Monte, I used to have a GM 1650, King Cobra, and Scorpion (GM version). The Gold Mountain Scorpion I think was made prior to Garretts version. They all ran at 15 kHz. The King Cobra I have now (2nd one) is modified with GB and Threshold.....tuned by Keith Wills. It runs on 8 aa batteries. The King Cobra is a tweaked Tesoro Gold Sabre Plus (big box), but deeper and lighter....can also be hip mounted. Audio on the King Cobra is more refined. The two tone Notch and wide range Disc, makes it the best cherry picker I have ever used. Back to the Garrett Scorpion....it was underrated.

Greetings again 'Arkansas.' It's nice to know someone who also understood and liked some of those good old, short-lived, GMT detectors .... and others from a while back. Other than Bill Maahan Jr. I am only using first names and last initials in my history below.

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Arkansas
Thanks Monte, I used to have a GM 1650, King Cobra, and Scorpion (GM version). The Gold Mountain Scorpion I think was made prior to Garretts version.

Gold Mountain died and Frank B. went over to run D-Tex which also died. Bill Mahan Jr., son of 'the' Bill Mahan who owned and ran the original D-Tex, bought Gold Mountain and also rounded up some of the parts from the also defunct D-Tex, and he made a new model called the Thunderstick with the new company which was to become Gold Mountain Technologies. It takes ample $$$ to get a new business going and this was all happening in a very brief window of time. He sold Gold Mountain Technologies to Jim B. who had been at Garrett. Remember, this is back in the day that I have commented on quite a bit when many detector companies were folding up shop or having a difficult time. Ron Mack, President of Compass Electronics told me at the time I was hired in July of '87 that **times are tough. The metal detecting industry more or less peaked from '83 to '86 and it is a real struggle. We're for sale, and other companies are also available or doing their best to stay afloat.**

As it was told to be my Jim B., Garrett had been in the red and Charles took over the then new and popular Industrial division and Jim B. handled the Hobby Detector division. Well, I knew Charles and enjoyed conversations with him and admired how much he liked the hobby end and associating with Coin Hunters, Relic Hunters and Electronic Prospectors at shows or just about any opportunity possible. Jim B. said he got the hobby detector business up and going well and brought them out of the red, which was a hefty number, and into the black. He felt he was doing his job well when, according to Jim, he was talking with Charles who told him he wanted Jim to take over the Industrial/Commercial detector business and Charles was going to reign over the now improving and popular Hobby Division of recreational metal detectors.

Jim was upset and angered so he quit and bought the old Gold Mountain from Bill Mahan Jr. and continued with the other models. Bill had told me at the Texas Council of Treasure Clubs in '88 about his new Thunderstick which he had there and showed it to us. When I checked it out I told him it's not a bad package but it works almost identical to a Tesoro. Bill then told me and a couple of others there that it basically was as he had copied a Tesoro. Jim B. told me the same thing when I spoke with him, and I was one of the Gold Mountain Technologies 'Distributors' and wanted to know all I could about his direction with GMT.

One thing he told me was that he was really upset with Charles and wanted to cut in on some of the market, and that's how he came up with the gold detector's name because Garrett already had the Scorpion Gold Stinger so Jim B. named his the Gold Scorpion. So, Garrett was the first to offer that model name.

Quote
Arkansas
They all ran at 15 kHz. The King Cobra I have now (2nd one) is modified with GB and Threshold.....tuned by Keith Wills. It runs on 8 aa batteries. The King Cobra is a tweaked Tesoro Gold Sabre Plus (big box), but deeper and lighter....can also be hip mounted. Audio on the King Cobra is more refined. The two tone Notch and wide range Disc, makes it the best cherry picker I have ever used.

Most people in the hobby today haven't even heard of the short lived Gold Mountain Technologies, or probably the only 15 kHz detector Tesoro made, the Golden Sabre Plus. But yes, you're correct that it was the model they very closely copied. Jim B. and GMT I was told, had legal action pending against them for infringement on circuitry and other matters.

I sold my GMT-1650 to a friend in Utah in our club before I moved back up to Oregon and he outfitted it with an external Threshold, went to AA batteries and did something else to it. About '96/'97 I stumbled across three good deals in two weeks time and acquired unmodified models, ... 2 GMT-1650's and 1 Cobra, and they were all in 95% to 100% condition, physically, and they were flawless in function. In the following year I had both cash and trade offers once people saw what they did at sites we were Relic Hunting in Oregon, Utah and Nevada. It was a rare experience to come out ahead on three detectors like I did with those. Haven't encountered one for sale since.

Quote
Arkansas
Back to the Garrett Scorpion....it was underrated.

I agree. I do wish they would have made more of the Concentric coils for them, but tomorrow or Tuesday I am going to go check out the pawn shop I mentioned before and see if he still has it and, if it is clean and working OK, I'll see how negotiable he might be. I don't need it but a clean specimen would be fun to have around.

Monte

"Your EYES ... the only 100% accurate form of Discrimination!"
Stinkwater Wells Trading Post
Metal Detector Evaluations and Product Reviewsmonte@ahrps.org ... or ... monte@stinkwaterwells.com503-481-8147Fisher-1, Makro-1, Minelab-1, Nokta-1, Tesoro-2, White's-1Garrett MS-3 -- Killer B's 'Hornet' & 'Wasp'Note: Detectors are listed alphabetically by Brand. Models are chosen based on search site conditions.*** All working well today to make memories for tomorrow. ***

I always liked Tesoro, but felt some models were too heavy.....pre MicroMax (or Umax). When the Gold Mountain came out, it was lighter and the Disc functioned identical to Tesoro. I also suspected GM somehow had a link to Garrett because their coil connectors were almost identical to the 15 hHz GroundHog. I also had a Pillar brand detector that acted like a Tesoro.....also in the mix of things...LOL. Garrett Scorpion Gold Stinger.....seems like a long name. Keith Southern also tested on Tube video a Garrett Gold Hunter A3B (waterproof).....kinda wonder what guts it had. The AT3 and AT4 were Freedom 3's guts in a waterproof shell....same type shell as A3B. I realize that everything now-a-days are basically computers and technology keeps pushing ahead. Still analog detectors are easy to use, dependable, and I never got skunked....yup that's fun.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/2018 02:01AM by Arkansas.

I wish I could try the scorpion without buying one.........


RR

Glad Yall liked it!!

Hope I can get it fixed.Theyre fun to use at times.

Monte Great as usual Detailed writeup..

Wish I hadn't sold my 1650..But yes it was a motion VLF..and heavily copied Tesoro..better low end range.

I've often pondered looking into getting some more coils to work on the Scorpion but always kept it on back burner..has to be some coils out there that will work (besides the hard to find conctrics that were availabe for awhile from Garrett0..maybe need rewiring or the likes...Id like to see if I could get a AT-Pro series DD Stock coil to work...may fool with it one day.I believe coil for coil the Scorpion analog is deeper than the AT.

Monte let us know if you snag the Scorpion at the pawn shop...I usually offer half at pawn shops on machines.They have nothing in them..Ive gotten some great units at pawn shops here locally for hardly anything.

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

Brings back memories of using the ground hog and master hunter ads ll of yrs long gone to time Keith! I found so much silver with those units in my cutting teeth days that I’d be called a liar if I stated even just an approximation of the amount. That’s back in the day when parks on the outskirts of town and/or in small towns where they never seen a detector would produce the amount of silver in one day that takes the avg digger 2/3 yrs to find now days and when you could go back the 2nd day and dig just as much as the 1st!

Fast forward from around mid eighties when I was using the master hunter as my main unit for coin hunting to early nineties when I got my 1st gta 1000 at around the same time the whites spectrum series hit the market and the digital age of detectors had arrived and for a minute I was in hog heaven with the lightness/ergonomics and the turn on and go vs the old cumbersome clunky/finicky tr/vlfs but something was lost in the conversion/arrival of the “new age” units :-/ I did however, make the best coin find of my life to this day with that old gta 1000 though. I was hunting an old northern lumber camp town one day and about 200 yards from a lake they used to stage the logs in I got a whisper of a signal and dug that bar cent I showed here before which I sold for $3200 in 2002

After using that gta for around 5/6 yrs I did spring for the newer updated digital version of the master hunter = the Grand Master CXIII but again. Something was lost on it too compared to the earlier analog versions and since then I’ve not had another analog Garrett of any model. I went from those to the analog fisher units along with the digital Garrett’s as my main units for water, relic and coin hunting until around 1999 when I started experimenting with all makes/models from around the globe. Gotta love this hobby :-)

Thanks for the blast from the past

I checked the Pawn Shop and the Scorpion is gone. The proprietor did suggest one other place in a neighboring town and I'll check there today on my way back from a doctor visit. I was surprised he has about 7 detectors there, the most I've ever seen, but only one of them is newish, 95% condition and in a zippered detector bag, but he's asking $400 for it (a Garrett AT Gold). The other dirty and rather worn models also bear a bigger price tag than they should have.

Oh well, I'll check the other place today and if I find one, reasonably priced and working, I'll report back.

Monte