My Tarsacci salt review

Had a good friend loan me his Tarsacci for a few months. Settings: Sens 9, Black sand ON, Salt 33, 9khz, disc -30, G-bal 623. Tested both coils

First off, if you are tall like me the detector is NOT long enough. I know Steve is working on an extension but here is the problem. Not enough coil cable length. So if you are tall and plan to order one, be sure to ask for longer coil cable length . Myself, I would need 4-5 inches more rod length.

Pros: Works good in the wave wash [all metal mode], good depth, silent running wet sand, NO EMI issues in a known EMI problem area, Awesome battery, good sound and volume. Pinpoints well in mixed mode, good target separation, fast recovery speed, large coil was just as stable in saltwater.

Cons: Too short, lousy coil mount location on small coil, poor on target identification [vdi display]. Iron wrap around issues, gold chain issue?.
I will probably ramble some so if you have a question please ask. For the most part worked in all metal.

I was impressed how the Tarsacci handled moving salt water. While it is no GT Sovereign, it is 100% better than the Equinox. There is an initial disturbance by the wave and then sometimes on withdrawal but working in the wash is more than workable. Also you will never lose or bury a target in a hole of soft sand like the equinox. The tarsacci will chase it all the way until you recover.

The ability of the machine to give you tone and VDI numbers at depth is a question. I was not confident that the machine separates the difference between iron and non-ferrous well at depth. While I dug very few nails and no bobby pins the MDT had an issue with the ferrous Mexican coins. Many of them would want to ring-up and some of them indicated must dig. I would say anything past 8 inches had issues to where the target would not lock-out. I am sure more time on this machine would solve some of this confidence.

One tip I have on deep targets is to take a small scoop of sand 3-4 inches off. The MDT did better reading targets regardless if there was water in the hole made or not.

On my last day both myself and my friend were on the MDT and myself the Equinox. I found a gold wrist chain that had a small name plate on it. I hit a solid 5. When we got together the MDT would not lock out on the chain with the 12”round coil, even on top of it. I could take the Equinox to about 4” above it and still locked out at 5.

All in all, the machine was a pleasure to use. The increased coverage of the larger coil is well noted, and in my case no difference in salt water effect on the machine. Target identification takes a bit longer than the Equinox, but the MDT exceeds in moving water contact. It is not even close. Also the loss of EMI issues for three blocks of beach is a huge plus.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/2021 07:17PM by midalake.

I'm 6 feet tall and the Tarsacci had plenty of length for me.

My biggest complaints were the coil mount location and elliptical shape of the stock coil, tiny difficult to read numbers, and the weak plinky sounding tones.

Pros were good overall build quality, good target ID, and 1 - 2 inches more depth than the Equinox in the wet sand on coin-sized targets.



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/2021 05:11PM by Badger in NH.

Badger in NH Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm 6 feet tall and the Tarsacci had plenty of len
> gth for me.


I am 6'4 and it is too short.

Interesting, about the coil cable possibly being too short...

Hmm...

Steve

steveg Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Interesting, about the coil cable possibly being t
> oo short...
>
> Hmm...
>
> Steve

Hi Steve

With the stock set up and the shaft extended all the way I estimate there is only enough coil cable left to extend 1" Dave

Good report(s).
midalake............ just curious: What was the rationale for having Black Sand: "ON" ? (((This can cause depth loss...... and loss of sensitivity to smaller gold targets. , . , . , . , . under several circumstances))).

midalake --

That's a real concern. For folks wanting more extension length, this may be a real challenge...

It's not just a case of where "less wraps" of the coil cable around the shaft would allow an "effectively" longer cable?

Steve

NASA-Tom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good report(s).
> midalake............ just curious: What was the ra
> tionale for having Black Sand: "ON" ? (((This ca
> n cause depth loss...... and loss of sensitivity t
> o smaller gold targets. , . , . , . , . under seve
> ral circumstances))).

The rational. The machine was completely unstable without it. Even with the black sand on I could hear the ticks of the larger pieces of black sand. I tried all kinds of settings to try to eliminate the use of the black sand mode and was unsuccessful at finding a combination that would work.

steveg Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> midalake --
>
> That's a real concern. For folks wanting more ext
> ension length, this may be a real challenge...
>
> It's not just a case of where "less wraps" of the
> coil cable around the shaft would allow an "effect
> ively" longer cable?
>
> Steve

The stock set-up fully extended had zero cable wraps.

NASA-Tom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good report(s).
> midalake............ just curious: What was the ra
> tionale for having Black Sand: "ON" ? (((This ca
> n cause depth loss...... and loss of sensitivity t
> o smaller gold targets. , . , . , . , . under seve
> ral circumstances))).

Hi Tom

I guess to expand, Dew was helping me in the beginning and expressed to try to keep the black sand off. So we worked together on it a bit. I might have been able to get it done in the wet sand with a little sensitivity trade-off. However with water contact and the water moving black sand I don't think it would be possible. It would be nice to hear from someone who may have settings that might solve this.
I guess my case is why the designer put this mode in.

midalake Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> steveg Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > midalake --
> >
> > That's a real concern. For folks wanting more e
> xt
> > ension length, this may be a real challenge...
> >
> > It's not just a case of where "less wraps" of th
> e
> > coil cable around the shaft would allow an "effe
> ct
> > ively" longer cable?
> >
> > Steve
>
> The stock set-up fully extended had zero cable wra
> ps.


So, you are saying that with the cable extended straight, alongside the shaft (instead of wrapped), there is only 1" of "slack" left, when the stock lower rod is fully extended?

Steve

steveg Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> midalake Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > steveg Wrote:
> > ------------------------------------------------
> --
> > -----
> > > midalake --
> > >
> > > That's a real concern. For folks wanting more
> e
> > xt
> > > ension length, this may be a real challenge...
> > >
> > > It's not just a case of where "less wraps" of
> th
> > e
> > > coil cable around the shaft would allow an "ef
> fe
> > ct
> > > ively" longer cable?
> > >
> > > Steve
> >
> > The stock set-up fully extended had zero cable w
> ra
> > ps.
>
>
> So, you are saying that with the cable extended st
> raight, alongside the shaft (instead of wrapped),
> there is only 1" of "slack" left, when the stock l
> ower rod is fully extended?
>
> Steve

YES.

Badger in NH Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm 6 feet tall and the Tarsacci had plenty of len
> gth for me.
>
> My biggest complaints were the coil mount location
> and elliptical shape of the stock coil, tiny diffi
> cult to read numbers, and the weak plinky sounding
> tones.
>
> Pros were good overall build quality, good target
> ID, and 1 - 2 inches more depth than the Equinox i
> n the wet sand on coin-sized targets.

Badger, Once I customized my Black widows to work with the MDT all tone issues were solved.

Oh, my. That's a real dilemma, then, for folks who desire more "shaft extension..."

Sounds like a coil-cable extension would be required...

Steve

midalake....... are you with Dew?

I know if I do not have Salt Balance proper...... the unit is 'chatty'.....then Black Sand "ON" produces better stability.

NASA-Tom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> midalake....... are you with Dew?
>
> I know if I do not have Salt Balance proper......
> the unit is 'chatty'.....then Black Sand "ON" prod
> uces better stability.

No, we are in different locations. I feel the salt balance at 33 for my spot was correct.

Steve I got right at 2" left on full extension of shaft. But I'm mainly looking for streamlined lower for better swinging in the water.

The first year i had my MDT i got 6 gold chains in the salt water...... so it will find them. Ive not found any with the larger coil yet.....but its just been a hard year thus far for gold and me getting out there. As far as iron, my machine spends a lot of time underwater so ive got a pretty good feel for iron at depths. If it dont give the iron tone....you get mixed tones and most of the time those will be a high tone. Cant say ive ever gotten a low tone that turned out to be iron. Also on aluminum.... it also seems to upscale just below what iron might wrap around to ...27 - 28. A quarter is around 20..... well above my gold range. To me it seems the machine once you have a lot of time on it IDs DEEP iron pretty well to depth. You can get a clearer tone by removing a scoop... which in doubt i do. But thus far i cant say ive dug what i though was iron and it turned out to be gold..... and ive dug a lot of targets.

I cant begin to tell you why your machine was chatty..... except that i can normally quiet it with the correct GB and SB especially in 9khz. With the standard coil i started with 30 and sometimes moved it up to 33. However with the new 12" its seems to react differently. In the wet sand mine was chatty the other day hunting with Cliff. I moved it up and it just wouldnt settle down even at 35 in 12khz. I ended up going the other way..... turning the SB down.... ended up at 20 i believe and it ran smooth even in the oat meal. Did the same thing yesterday.... it was falsing every time it scrubbed the sand.... so i turned the GB down and it ran great. I also did a GB..... which changed it from my auto set of 560 to 482. My question, after reading Aarons posts about increasing the SB can eliminate foil..... what happens when we go the other way?

midalake......... What beach(s) are you hunting? Are you in Mexico (because of all the Mexican iron coins you are digging)???
You also state that the Sov GT is 100% better than the Equinox. How is ID-at-depth with the Sov GT in your black sand wet-salt conditions?

NASA-Tom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> midalake......... What beach(s) are you hunting? A
> re you in Mexico (because of all the Mexican iron
> coins you are digging)???
> You also state that the Sov GT is 100% better than
> the Equinox. How is ID-at-depth with the Sov GT in
> your black sand wet-salt conditions?

Yes, on beaches in Mexico Tom. When I hunted with the Sovereign it was in PP mode and I dug it all except for double ringing targets. I never reversed discriminated. The sovereign is completely silent and is unfazed by the EMI there. On a half block of beach I would have to de-tune a little for black sand, otherwise full power.

Depth, hard to say? I dug super deep targets with both the equinox and Sov. In the wet sand I can get away with running 24 sens on the Equinox and 23 with close water contact.

When in moving water contact, the Equinox falls on it's face. I remain still until the water recedes. In fact, if I have a target and the water comes up, I can not hear the target any more or ID it. I have to wait for the water to recede. This is the 100% difference between the Sov. and Equinox and in fact the MDT as well because the MDT works as well as the Sov. in moving water contact.

Lately with the Equinox I have been hunting in all metal. When checking targets that don't break down or double ring I have just recently dug several nonferrous targets that when checked in discrimination failed to ring in. However nothing of real worth. But interesting anyway. There does seem to be the possibility that horseshoe mode will confirm targets deeper. Dave

Midlake-What was your threshold setting? Maybe I missed that. Once you have the right GB and SB, I find the tradeoff to not using black sand ON, is in using a reduced threshold and/or sensitivity setting. You will lose depth with black sand ON if it's not needed.

Abenson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Midlake-What was your threshold setting? Maybe I m
> issed that. Once you have the right GB and SB, I f
> ind the tradeoff to not using black sand ON, is in
> using a reduced threshold and/or sensitivity setti
> ng. You will lose depth with black sand ON if it's
> not needed.

Threshold setting was 0. For the record I really do not understand the threshold setting on the MDT as it starts at 0 goes to minus numbers. 0 was recommended to me?

Yes, I tried tuning the machine in without black sand. Could not get it done. But confused, I am being told it might be a target ID issue with using black sand not a depth issue??? Personally I did not see depth being an issue? So it would be great for clarification here.

If I were to lower sensitivity would I not also compromise depth? In my limited testing running 7 sensitivity would lose considerable depth.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/2021 03:33PM by midalake.

I tested the shaft and cable issue... and the problem doesn't exist. I'm 187 cm tall and I'm using the nearest notch to the electronic box of the lower rod... but I was curious how about another end.... and not a problem at all. You need to remove few cable wraps and is ok. Who is using all way extended shaft rod? 2.5 tall Yeti or Big Foot ?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/2021 03:14PM by Shelton.

NASA Tom

When I Ground Balance with the GB button verses Ground Balancing manually (pumping coil till no sound up or down), the numbers could be 100 points apart the latter being the higher number.

I also noticed with the one button GB'ing, in all metal there is still a tone when coil is pumped going towards the soil.. . .. Is the one button GB'ing a hot balance?? verses pumping method?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/2021 06:08PM by ozzie.

Midlake-For someone without a lot of experience I would start by running the threshold at -2 and the sensitivity at 7. Then as you get more experience with the Tarsacci you can start to creep those numbers up. I have about 300 hours on my Tarsacci now and I still rarely run the Threshold above -1 or sensitivity above 8. With both those numbers maxed out it's really hard for someone without a lot of experience to recognize a good signal from a false/chirp/iron. Yes black sand ON can cure the chirp problem and allow you to run higher threshold and sensitivity but you will lose depth.

I'll give you an example. When I went to Culpeper VA, the one day I used the Tarsacci all day long it was raining and the soil was very saturated. For people that have hunted that soil before with a GPX, knows when the soil is saturated you lose both depth and the nails really start to sound good. This particular day was the most challenging environment I have ever used the Tarsacci. Because of the wet ground I had to run either 6.4 or 9 KHz, threshold -2, sensitivity 7, Salt balance all the way up to 50, ground balance changed between mid-500’s up to low-800’s, all metal mode. Black sand OFF worked best but the machine was quieter with is ON. However, the signal changed with it on to a more elongated signal which made it harder for me to tell a good target from a ground signal or bad ground balance. I also lost about 2" of depth.

I don't know your beach, maybe it has black sand and in that case use it ON. But according to your other settings it doesn't sound like it did or has very little. Hope that helps.

Abenson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Midlake-For someone without a lot of experience I
> would start by running the threshold at -2 and the
> sensitivity at 7. Then as you get more experience
> with the Tarsacci you can start to creep those num
> bers up. I have about 300 hours on my Tarsacci now
> and I still rarely run the Threshold above -1 or s
> ensitivity above 8. With both those numbers maxed
> out it's really hard for someone without a lot of
> experience to recognize a good signal from a false
> /chirp/iron. Yes black sand ON can cure the chirp
> problem and allow you to run higher threshold and
> sensitivity but you will lose depth.
>
> I'll give you an example. When I went to Culpeper
> VA, the one day I used the Tarsacci all day long i
> t was raining and the soil was very saturated. For
> people that have hunted that soil before with a GP
> X, knows when the soil is saturated you lose both
> depth and the nails really start to sound good. Th
> is particular day was the most challenging environ
> ment I have ever used the Tarsacci. Because of the
> wet ground I had to run either 6.4 or 9 KHz, thres
> hold -2, sensitivity 7, Salt balance all the way u
> p to 50, ground balance changed between mid-500’s
> up to low-800’s, all metal mode. Black sand OFF wo
> rked best but the machine was quieter with is ON.
> However, the signal changed with it on to a more e
> longated signal which made it harder for me to tel
> l a good target from a ground signal or bad ground
> balance. I also lost about 2" of depth.
>
> I don't know your beach, maybe it has black sand a
> nd in that case use it ON. But according to your o
> ther settings it doesn't sound like it did or has
> very little. Hope that helps.

I appreciate the help! Does anyone know of a vid that explains the threshold setting?? Can you explain the effect of the lower thresholds? Because at 0 the machine does not have a threshold.
Thanks

Sheldon..... there are 5 holes on the middle shaft. Im only 5'7" and i use the second hole nearest the coil only because i want more lower shaft in the middle shaft. Otherwise id be fully extended. So some more lower shaft is good for me. Id let it out to that last hole. As a beach guy i like a wide swing even in the water.

to me the threshold acts very much like GAIN on an explorer.

I'm a wet sand guy but like having the coil right in front of my toes, just far enough away that I don't hit the coil while I walk. I get less back fatigue that way.

I'm 6' and like coil closer to me so I don't hyper extend my shoulder. I like the 12" balance. It doesn't feel as nose heavy like I get with the Equinox with its 11" coil. Its my understanding that Black Sand on doesn't effect depth but can increase depth if you have Black Sand. I've noticed in areas of noticeable EMI it helps to have it on to help stabilize.

Dave......... looks like everyone is coming to your rescue!!!!.......to see to it that you succeed! This is awesome.

First........ your experiences with the Equinox "in the splash" is correct. It is not uncommon to clearly/loudly detect a 5" deep Nickel. Then........ with a bit of sloshing saltwater over this 5" deep Nickel.....and it becomes completely undetectable.
Secondly..... Yes. You are running the Sov GT in All Metal Mode. This Mode will present the best stability and depth; yet, no ID. BUT....... with some skillset...... you can tell (with fairly good confidence factor)........and non-ferrous target ....compared to a ferrous target.
Yes. The Tarsacci is nearly completely unaffected by rushing/moving saltwater.

Tarsacci Threshold. A setting of '0' is wide open. Dropping the numbers into the 'negative' numbers (ie: -2, -3, -5 etc......)....... quiets the unit down. It then takes a stronger signal to 'break squelch'..... and present a 'target audio' in your headphones. In other words: Let's say you have a Thresh setting of negative-five... (-5). With this setting........ small and/or weak signals ...will NOT be heard. I like to run Thresh on '0'......and hear every little nuance.

Clear as mud?