AT Gold vs G2 vs GB Pro ?

Besides the obvious water proof design how do the subject machines stack up performance wise?
Do they all GB to salt for instance? I'm assuming being designed for prospecting they should all be able to compensate for black sand and salt?
Can they pick up Canadian clad?
Target separation, adjacent iron masking.
J Gardiner (Woof) has stated on another forum that the G2 and GB's are designed specifically for DD coils, would the ability to use a concentric give an advantage to the AT Gold in some situations?
EMI susceptability.
Has anyone on here done a side by side evaluation in a controlled test garden?
Thanks for any replies.
Cheers
HH

Bob
Nova Scotia
Omega w 11" & 5" DD, 10" Con.
Cibola, Compadre
6000/D GEB Coinmaster

I have a GB Pro, and while I can't offer much info on many of the questions you ask from personal experience (as I've never used an AT Pro), I can tell you that the GB Pro and G2 are essentially identical units (presuming you have two with the most recent software build); the GB Pro comes stock with a 5" DD coil and the G2 comes with an 11", and the handle/rod configuration is different. That's it. (Not to confuse you, but the Gold Bug DP is yet a third unit, but it is simply a Gold Bug Pro but one that comes stock with an 11" coil; this makes the GB DP and the G2 identical, except for the rods).

Also, I see in your sig you have an Omega...the DD coils for an Omega are identical to the GB Pro/G2 coils; thus, if you got EITHER the G2 or the GB Pro, you'd have BOTH coils to use, since you already have the 5" and the 11" for your Omega.

Just a few thoughts...maybe someone else can answer the rest...

Steve



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/2012 09:50PM by steveg.

The Tek G2 and the Fisher Gold Bug Pro/SE are (internally) the same units........... hence, identical performance. If you go to the thread titled:
Rcpt Ack of F75 LTD Proto......... and go to page 5.............. you will see multiple field-tests/write-ups on the Tek G2.

.......... Of note: Just because a unit can ground balance to the wet salt.......... does NOT mean that it will operate in this type of environment with any type of respectable performance.

Not long after the AT Pro came out, I did some real time tests/comparisons between the ATP and Gold Bug (2.9) with their similar coils. I'd just gotten the ATP back from the service dept for repairs of a couple of the early "bugs" and it was working much better than what it did originally. The GB edged out the ATP in every conductive range as well as ergonomics/balance, and ease of seeing all the pertinent info on the display. The AT was only superior in it's ability to be submerged. Even though this is some of the info that I think you're asking for, it is important to remember that it can only be "fact" with the two examples of these detectors that I have. It's at least possible that another two examples might exhibit different or varied results. Ultimately, you have to do your own tests or take a leap of faith.

It seems from reading the extensive write up Tom referred me to that none of these machines would be a "preferred" choice for salt shore searching. Excepting dry sand jewelery. The AT Gold, MAY, have some advantageous use for iron infested sites, if it can precisely disc the iron as good as the G2/GB machines. Its water proof design gives it a field utilisation advantage, but is there an EMI stability penalty? I know my Omega is chatty around rural elementary shools (EMI) requiring sense settings in the 60s to 70s.
I'm targeting fresh water beachs that had 19th century company picnics, used by persons from lumber camp and mining camp facilities no longer in existance (these are 4x4 access lakes). I also have access to areas that "age of sail" ships were built, low tide salt water mud flat. Both have widely different requirements detector wise, maybe I'm expecting to find too much capability in one single machine? Budget precludes any of the "Big boys"!
Cheers
HH

Bob
Nova Scotia
Omega w 11" & 5" DD, 10" Con.
Cibola, Compadre
6000/D GEB Coinmaster

Having used the GB Pro, I would recommend that unit over the G2 **IF** you plan on doing micro jewlery hunting. The 5" coil on the Pro I have found completely outperforms the 11" coil on the G2 in this area.

If you want a bigger coil, I would still buy the Pro and also buy the 10" elliptical coil to go with it as it too outperforms the 11" coil on micro jewlery.

Of course, if you're not interested in micro-jewlery, please disregard everything I just said. :-)

If you are exclusively hunting a wet salt environment........... you need a unit that is very specifically designed for that environment. Multi-frequency or PI units are your only choice.

Truer words were never spoken.

It took me a long time and many units to come to that realization.

Taking into consideration the type of hunting I'm interested in (post #5) would a Sov GT be an acceptable choice?

Bob
Nova Scotia
Omega w 11" & 5" DD, 10" Con.
Cibola, Compadre
6000/D GEB Coinmaster

Since you mentioned both fresh and salt water then yes, I would recommend the Sovereign GT over any of the other detectors you listed.

Please remember the Sov is not waterproof so you must protect the control box.

Yes..... Sov GT would be a very good wet-salt choice. Remember though..... it is (in a form) "locked" in the 'salt' mode.

Tom
Regarding the "salt mode", not exactly sure what you mean, is there a salt setting on the GT a la the CZ3D? Or are you refering to the GT's ground balance tracking factory bias, ie the way ML set up the GT to track the ground as it sees it?
I'm hoping to get the opportunity to try a GT tomorrow on a salt beach. My first MD group meet.
Cheers
HH

Bob
Nova Scotia
Omega w 11" & 5" DD, 10" Con.
Cibola, Compadre
6000/D GEB Coinmaster

The Sovereign has no "salt mode" like the CZ-3D. It is set at the factory.

The BBS technology used by the Sovereign balances very well in wet salt sand and gets good depth, but like any dual or mutli-frequency machine, it loses some sensitivity to the smallest metal targets. No avoiding that.

Only hunting N.J. shores for years in wet salt sand enviroment CZ or Sov were the best I used......If I really had a choice probably the CZ's which were weather and rain resistant and went a little deeper would be the way to go. I do understand that in some areas across the U.S. only thing that will work in wet salt sand would be a PI unit..

Correct........ the electronic architect of the Minelab Sov is locked in 'salt' mode.

So, for the type of hunting sites I've outlined (post line #5), which machine is preferable, CZ-21 or Sov Gt?
Can the CZ-21 be outfitted with a coil like the 12x10 Critterhunter is so enthused about on his GT?
Can a CZ be effectively used on land or would my Omega come into better play for that?
Many questions from a newbie, I really appreciate all the feed back from you guys, thanks alot!

Bob
Nova Scotia
Omega w 11" & 5" DD, 10" Con.
Cibola, Compadre
6000/D GEB Coinmaster