New Detector on the Way!

Well I finally stuck a fork in it and purchased a Different Detector. I had my eye on a couple CZ models and the T2 and F75. After doing my taxes my budget got a bit smaller, but not that bad. It only forced me to look at used and not new. Well after all the looking and searching what did I buy - A Minelab Safari - Ok I know that is somewhat out in left field but here are the reasons I stuck a fork in this Unit:

1. I had always wanted to try an Etrac but could not bring myself to spend 1500 for a new one and used ones are not that far off - the Safari is like Etrac Jr Same Engine less Options
2. My DFX made me realize that options all though they can be good can also be bad. If I was honest with myself I spent more time adjusting and fidling then swinging - The Safari can be a Turn on and Go machine ( well almost)
3. I hate ground balancing - I am always wondering if I have it right or in the case of my DFX did it have it right. (I think AutoTracking often can tune out a good target) - Minelab FBS does not require Ground Balancing in the traditional sense
4. Cost - I got this Safari, with one year of warranty left, for one third the cost of a new Etrac
5. The Savings will let me look for a second detector to complement the Safari and still be less then cost of Etrac new - The Second one will be later but I am open to suggestions.

Ok I did have some concerns:

1. The swing weight has been reported to not be the best.
3. The tones seem to drive people batty but my DFX with Tone ID was a very very chatty beast to say the least - may not be that bad
4. How much do I loose by not having all the Etrax Options -will they improve my finds (Opinion - more options means -more fiddling - means less swinging - means less finds)
5. The FBS Technologies known weakness at detecting small gold and gold chains - I was so hoping to fill my Jewelry Box with lots of pretty bling
6. Recovery Speed - pretty slow - my guess coming from a strong electronic background is that FBS Technology - because of all the Frequencies it has to process - may never be as responsive as a single frequency VLF detector.

Hope I made the right decision. I think I did. Looking forward to learning the songs of the Safari - hope they sound sweet and lead me to pretty silver & gold -and copper and tabs and foil - No Trash No Treasure!

Anyone with Prior Safari or Quattro experience please feel free to Chime in

Thanks

Bryanna

Congradulations on the new detector. Knowing the detector and hunting good sites are your next objectives. I have the E Trac and never used the Safari. But I read most of the forums and Safari owners find many good things.

i run a safari , I wanted fbs technology, but not the big price tag. Its a good machine. Excellent discriminator. If it starts to get heavy, shorten the shaft, and do tighter sweeps. If you want a fast response, run it in all metal, you still get the multi tone audio, listen for the hi tones. Have fun.

Thanks, looking forward to getting her. She is being shipped snail mail so I have to weight. I know sweeping slower helps the detector deal with trash better and running wide open sounds like the way I may go. I also wonder how does FBS technology do when it comes to masking. I watched Tom's Video and he pointed out how masking hides desired targets. I know some machines are better the others just wonder if FBS has any advantage. Also how hard is it to pinpoint with that large coil - any tips on better pin pointing with Safari or Explorer or Etrac I think the would be similar at least.

I have had a Safari for almost a year and it is a silver monster. I have found very small silver and gold{up to 5"} with stock 11" coil. Sensitive and great seperation. The places I hunt would wear you out digging for gold but silver has a tone you wont forget even with iron trash in the hole. The only time I digg low tones is when I'm hunting volleyball courts, tot lots or middle of sports fields[Closed schools and parks] that shoudnt have that much trash and more likely to be there. IMHO their are better gold machines but not a better silver coin or ring machine. The CZ's gave me tennis elbow untill I got used to wearing it on my belt. The Safari is wearing my shoulder out as I make long swings and a marathon hunter. I just cant seem to part with it. I have found 110 silver coins with it in less than a year in a city that has had clubs hunting in it for over 35 yrs. Strong shoulder and want silver coins go to a FBS Minelab. You will dig aluminum{who doesnt} but not rusty nails.The only time a ETrac beats my Safari is in heavy iron or they get their coil over it first. It is just as deep. Its never hunted out untill hunted with a Minelab is my motto.

Time to celebrate! Did you do the best thing, make the best choice? Forget about it! Just go hunt and get to learn your machine. It can serve you very well. It is a great tool. Now go have FUN!
CONGRATS!
Tom

Past(or)Tom
Using a Legend, a Deus 2, an Equinox 800, a Tarsacci MDT 8000, & a few others...
with my beloved, fading Corgi, Sadie

Thanks very encouraging words Can not wait to start swing and learning.

Bryanna

Congrats! I have never used a Safari,but have swung a Sovereign for 10 years,and have had a couple explorerd. My advice...dont get frustrated,slow down your coil swing,like real slow. Learn your tones,listen for silver wisper,even if itd a mixed tone. Dont use disc,go by tones. Also,minelabs suck at air test....dont be discouraged,it will go deep,in the soil,where it counts. Oh yeah,use good headphones. Ray

You will find it to be a very stable unit......... mostly due to how it handles varying dirt mineralization. You WILL need to get use to the different audio presentation vs your older unit...................... but..................... in due time...................... it will become music to your ears. It is a very good, deep general-purpose detector. You will probably be frustrated with it.... on your first few hunts.......... then............ things will start to 'click'.

Keep us posted/updated!!!

Unfortunately a Safari is not an Explorer but its still heavy and better units out there for gold jewelry....Well learned its a good unit and easier to learn than an Explorer and only time will tell whether your decision was the right one for you so good luck and any questions lots of helpful forum members to aid in your learning period...

I have long suspected that ground balancing and its modern cousin automatic ground balancing and improper use of the same have left many good finds in the ground even though a detector capable of finding them has been over head a number of times. Some people are lucky and have mild soil forgiving to ground balancing. But even these lucky souls can loose a target at the hands of phase based autotracking. I caught my DFX tuning out a good target many times and I am sure there were many more I did not notice.

Here is a common scenario:

Hunting along you hear what sounds like an iffy deep target. You stop to investigate further. You swing your coil multiple time trying to get more information so you can decide to dig or not dig. As you start swinging the target becomes more iffy and at some point you decide to move on. Pretty Normal scenario when hunting. What I discovered by accident at first is if rebalanced my machine all of a sudden that iffy target reappeared and sounded less iffy, then instead of walking away I dig for the treasure.

Now here is another variation that also leads to lost treasure:

Take the scenario above but this time the iffy target is a larger piece of iron it sounds very much like a deep silver but iffy. Again you swing to investigate. This time after a period of swinging over this large target the target begains to sound more iffy and you decide ah yes I am a great detectorists and have decided that sweet iffy sound is nothing but iron. Well it was iron and you did make the right decission but there is a dark side to this scenario for those of you with phase based autotracking. While swinging over that iron your detector has started to make changes to your ground balance. In fact has significantly changed your ground balance to the point that good targets can and will be missed. Now on the plus side your autotracking will, once you start swinging over normal ground, correct the ground balance. But what happens if there is a nice piece of deep silver or an old deep coin in your first couple swings - the autotracking may not be fast enough to correct and that target may be lost.

So in short I am glad the Minelab FBS is not prone to these ground balancing faults.

Bryanna

NASA-Tom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You will find it to be a very stable unit.........
> mostly due to how it handles varying dirt
> mineralization. You WILL need to get use to the
> different audio presentation vs your older
> unit......................
> but..................... in due
> time...................... it will become music to
> your ears. It is a very good, deep general-purpose
> detector. You will probably be frustrated with
> it.... on your first few hunts..........
> then............ things will start to 'click'.
>
> Keep us posted/updated!!!