Old detectors of yesterday are a work of art, built to last.

Although I didn’t start in the late sixties or seventies, was very fortunate in my detecting career using all types of equipment both from long ago and today’s top end. Always had a joy collecting vintage metal detectors, and use them occasionally for fun. Sure, I use top end detectors for tough ground or when park turf hunting. But, there are times when I want to have fun and rough it out, out comes the vintage models of long ago. Picture below, are three Whites BFO ( 1963-64-65) models in working condition. The large 18” wooden coils are for cache hunting, haven’t found a cache yet but have dug plenty of horseshoes and other stuff.

Hopefully, if weather permits I’ll hit an 1840-70’s trail this weekend. Which was also campsites for pioneers, on opposite side of river. Will share my finds, I know horseshoes will surface, hopefully other interesting finds surface as well.

For those of you never experiencing swinging a whites BFO, it’s no walk in the park. My hats off to those old timers from this era, they were Truly the greatest generation in our hobby.

Paul

upload image free



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/05/2019 08:05PM by Apolonio (CA).

Wow, beautiful detectors. The coils look like they are light. I know the detectors is not light lol. The boxes look they could be geiger counters.

I started detecting while I was in school and saved up the money for a Compass 77b Professional and an extra coil. I think it cost $275.00 new.

Rick, N. MI Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wow, beautiful detectors. The coils look like they
> are light. I know the detectors is not light lol.
> The boxes look they could be geiger counters.
>
> I started detecting while I was in school and save
> d up the money for a Compass 77b Professional and
> an extra coil. I think it cost $275.00 new.


Hello Rick,

You’re definitely part of the greatest generation in our hobby, I missed it by a few years. Compass 77B is great in iron, Tom from Salinas introduced the 77b to me in the late nineties. Since then, I’ve acquired a couple they are great in iron.

Thanks for sharing, my hats off to you starting back then.

Paul

Are those original coils to the unit, Paul? If so, what type? Nice war ship, too! Replica?

ozzie Wrote:
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> Are those original coils to the unit, Paul? If so
> , what type? Nice war ship, too! Replica?


Those are not originals.

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Beautiful!

Very cool Paul! They look like they were made from film reels!

Retro. Although antiques now....I can imagine back in the day these were futuristic. So much art here, wonder who designed them, Thanks for sharing

Hello Ozzie,

Two of these three Whites BFO have a set of three original wooden coils, 3.5”, 12” and 18” inch wooden coils. The far left unit, each coil is tuned for this particular unit and can not accept other coils from another BFO model. The middle blue model, came with three original coils it’s the earliest model I have. The unit to the right, accepts all coils it has an additional null tuner on the front which allows the unit to quickly tune to null any coil, from there the second null tuner tunes the unit even closer with the combination tuner fine tuning it even more.

User is constantly tuning these as ground conditions change, every few seconds at times with maybe a long stretch of several seconds without retuning.

The wooden ship, Yes these are replicas. Have about six of them, beautifully hand crafted. I didn’t make these, gave up dusting these off years ago. They are beautiful, this model is the HMS. Victory.

Thanks Ozzie,
Paul



ozzie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Are those original coils to the unit, Paul? If so
> , what type? Nice war ship, too! Replica?

silverfiend Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ozzie Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Are those original coils to the unit, Paul? If
> so
> > , what type? Nice war ship, too! Replica?
>
>
> Those are not originals,

They are originals, what may not be original are the 6” wooden coil. This size may have been added later, but the 3.5”, 12” and 18” wooden coils are definitely original and came with each unit.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/2019 08:07AM by Apolonio (CA).

NASA-Tom Wrote:
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> Beautiful!


Thank you Tom,

These are a work of art, beautifully made.

Paul

IDXMonster Wrote:
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> Very cool Paul! They look like they were made from
> film reels!


Thanks IDX,

It’s amazing they still operate as they did 55 plus years ago, heavyweights for sure built like Sherman tanks.

Thanks again,
Paul

Arkansas Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Retro. Although antiques now....I can imagine back
> in the day these were futuristic. So much art here
> , wonder who designed them, Thanks for sharing


Thanks Arkansas,

Whites electronics made these, about the tail end when Geiger Counters stated to faze out. You’re right, everything they made back then with tubes in them were works of art. Radios, Geiger Counters, BFO metal detectors and other neat gadgets.

Thanks again,
Paul

except for the capacitors who cant last

I have used both a Garrett BFO and the Compass 100 kHz units just for the heck of it. Garrett's coil within coil idea is neat. They still find stuff in iron...LOL. What kHz does the BFO run?? Would like to try a C-scope someday.

Excellent post Paul. Thanx for sharing !

I started in about 1975-ish, when I was in Jr. High school. Had a Whites 66TR (which is circa 1972 or '73-ish, so it was only a few years old, at the time). The school chum who got me hooked on it, was using either a 94b auto, or a 77b auto. Thus we were obviously in the post BFO era. We were in the era of all-metal TR, and TR disc. was just beginning to come out. I do remember seeing a few BFO's in action at that time. But guys were quickly dumping them in favor of the more-sensitive TR's.

Ironically, more caches were found with dinosaurs like what you show in your pix, than with today's far-superior detectors. And the reason is: That those old machines were not that sensitive to coin-sized targets. If I'm not mistaken, those early BFOs were doing good to get a coin to just 2 or 3", right ? Yet they could find a toaster or jar sized object to much deeper. So in effect, they sort of acted like a 2-box unit, where it was difficult to get small objects, yet bigger objects came through just fine. Hence the perfect discriminator for pesky individual coins, nails, tabs, etc.....

Contrast to today's wonderful machines, where we effortlessly pass those durned hubcab overload signals. Doh ! But back then, that was all they could find. And go figure, all the ghost towns were virgin in those days. So the first guys to hit them, with machines that acted like 2-box units, were actually finding caches more often than caches being found today.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/2019 02:53AM by Tom_in_CA.

Hello Tom,

You started several years before I did, my passion was there in my early years of being a treasure hunter but unfortunately didn’t start until later.

Whites 66TR, boy right after BFO technology. Actually, I believe Whites still carried BFO in the early seventies and promoted both BFO and TR.

You’re right on the money with the depth on these old Whites BFO, these larger coils bypass smaller targets hitting on larger size targets. This Sunday or Monday, going to spend a few hours at Woodsville combing an area I’ve had good success at. Opposite side of river, hopefully no rain and ground isn’t too muddy.

See you in the near future Tom,
Paul

Tom_in_CA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Excellent post Paul. Thanx for sharing !
>
> I started in about 1975-ish, when I was in Jr. Hig
> h school. Had a Whites 66TR (which is circa 1972
> or '73-ish, so it was only a few years old, at the
> time). The school chum who got me hooked on it,
> was using either a 94b auto, or a 77b auto. Thu
> s we were obviously in the post BFO era. We were
> in the era of all-metal TR, and TR disc. was just
> beginning to come out. I do remember seeing a fe
> w BFO's in action at that time. But guys were qu
> ickly dumping them in favor of the more-sensitive
> TR's.
>
> Ironically, more caches were found with dinosaurs
> like what you show in your pix, than with today's
> far-superior detectors. And the reason is: That
> those old machines were not that sensitive to coin
> -sized targets. If I'm not mistaken, those early
> BFOs were doing good to get a coin to just 2 or 3"
> , right ? Yet they could find a toaster or jar s
> ized object to much deeper. So in effect, they so
> rt of acted like a 2-box unit, where it was diffic
> ult to get small objects, yet bigger objects came
> through just fine. Hence the perfect discriminato
> r for pesky individual coins, nails, tabs, etc....
> .
>
> Contrast to today's wonderful machines, where we e
> ffortlessly pass those durned hubcab overload sign
> als. Doh ! But back then, that was all they co
> uld find. And go figure, all the ghost towns were
> virgin in those days. So the first guys to hit th
> em, with machines that acted like 2-box units, wer
> e actually finding caches more often than caches b
> eing found today.

I started out in 1972 with a cheap Jetco ? (something) BFO and a couple of years later bought a used White's Coinmaster BFO. Yes, they were not very deep on coin size targets. Enough, though, to hook me into the hobby and I've been at it ever since.

I may still have both of those detectors up in the attic. If, so, Paul, you are welcome to the White's Coinmaster if I still have it. I'll look and let you know.

HH jim tn

Y'all ole foggies!!!!!!!!!!!-----I didn't start out until 1975 with a big ole wrist killin Whites blue box somthin or other.

Paul, I located the White's Coinmaster and as mentioned, I'll send it to you. P M to follow.

I forgot, those big old rascals were battery hogs. This one has 2 battery holders, (all wires still intact) 1 holder holds 8 AA batteries and the other 6. I suspect it probably still works.

HH jim tn

jim tn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I started out in 1972 with a cheap Jetco ? (someth
> ing) BFO and a couple of years later bought a used
> White's Coinmaster BFO. Yes, they were not very de
> ep on coin size targets. Enough, though, to hook m
> e into the hobby and I've been at it ever since.
>
> I may still have both of those detectors up in the
> attic. If, so, Paul, you are welcome to the White'
> s Coinmaster if I still have it. I'll look and let
> you know.
>
> HH jim tn

Hello Jim,

You definitely started early, wow a 1972 Jetco those were the first from from this company. I think Sven started off with a model from Jetco, I actually have that model and it’s probably the same one as your when you started.

Thanks for the kind offer, passing the Whites Coinmaster BFO. I actually have one, in working condition and probably have all of Whites BFO models including the rare GhostTowner BFO. It’s ok I have the same model as yours, pass it down to the grandkids and take it out with them for surface coin shooting.

Many thanks for sharing your experiences, you are definitely from the greatest generation in our hobby,

Thanks again,
Paul

D&P-OR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Y'all ole foggies!!!!!!!!!!!-----I didn't start ou
> t until 1975 with a big ole wrist killin Whites bl
> ue box somthin or other.


Hello Del,

Thanks for sharing you started in 1975, and with Whites blue box lunch pail. Yeah, I missed the opportunity of starting back then, but made it up collecting vintage metal detectors.

I think we may have chatted on the phone once, over a Blisstool v-5 or V-6? I still use the blisstool V-6, it’s definitely deep.

Thanks again,
Paul

Sounds like a wonderful vintage collection you have, Paul. My grand kids are far more interested in Mustang cars and off road trucks and iPhones then they are detecting.

Good luck and have fun! HH jim tn

BFO's------Relco to Jetco to D-Tex to White's TR to Garrett VLF/TR to White's 5000GEB to D-Tex VLF/TR's ..............................................

DeepTech Vista X with 3 search coils.
Works for me

Back in the early 70's I started with a Relco then went to a Heathkit but one day I was hunting in an old abandoned park that looked more like woods than any present day park. After hunting for several hours I ran into a guy there who asked me how I was doing.
I was pretty proud to dig into my pocket and show him my small handful of Indian Heads and Barber coins. He was wearing a carpenters apron and dug in with two hands showing my handfuls of beautiful old coins and jewelry. I couldn't believe it that he had done so well. Why?
Because he was using a top of the line Compass 77B. I went home and begged my dad to let me buy one. He wasn't too sure about me spending that kind of money, but he did, and man did the coins start rolling in. The good old days!

I bought my Compass 77b in 1972 when I was in the 11th grade. Took me awhile to save enough money.

The BFOs and TRs were before my time but always had a soft spot for all metal box Whites. I would drool over them in the Treasure mags back in the 70s but being a kid did not have the cash for one. I did save all summer and got a one knob Detech Gremlin to find old coins. Did not use it long as lucky to hit a coin on top of the ground with it. So when I had a little more cash was determine to get the latest Whites XLT. I did and found my first Silver coin with it and that got me hooked on this great hobby.