Pulled the trigger on Vista Gold

Hope it arrives quickly, we've had mild weather, the grass is growing and the rattlers will be out soon enough. Seriously Keith, I hope Deep Tech sends you the small elliptical when it comes out, for free. You've sold a lot of Vistas lately with your videos and testing.

Death ray i don't think you will be disapointed, can't wait til hear your results

Good deal - can't wait for some field reports of your finds!

Keep us updated

HH

I ordered mine last week!!!

Mark: Look for it this week....going out the door on Monday!!

Ordered mine a last week also. I can't wait for the Gold to hit my good sites. All of them are littered with IRON

good luck to all you guys that ordered new machines i think you will be impressed!

Just a question for you guys. I don't want to start a war or fight...I am sincerely just curious.

Why are you being so quick to purchase these Deep Tech machines when all that has been posted are a few videos from an individual or two? This is exactly the same grounds that the Blisstool was brought out with...and yet it received so much negativity from ya'll. Every time a video was posted showing the Blisstool tested against other machines, with it coming out ahead, it was met with stiff unbelief and everybody was trying to discredit it. Now with these Deep Tech machines, it's presented the same exact way, but everybody is going crazy buying them and not questioning anything they've seen about them or waiting to see how it actually does in the field. Makes no sense to me but oh well. I was just curious and thought I would ask.

And what happened to the Blisstool?

Hey Daniel...

I think the interest in the DeepTech machine's are more for the unmasking reason's than the depth reason's..

I think the Blisstool was touted as just being Deep...Unmasking is not it's area to excel in...

And I am guessing the price point is about right ...The Blisstool is over a grand and looks like every concivable control was added to the design...Looks can be intimidating..LOL!!!

Alot of people want a DEUS or a GMP for the simple fact that they unmask very very well in iron...Yet the GMP's are not for sale here FCC regulation problem's...and the DEUS as you Know is close to twice the price of a DeepTech ..So if you can find that kind of unmasking perfomance for less money with alittle more depth to boot I think it is a self sell...

People like a good price point,,,,a simple to operate machine that perform's....

One of the worst thing's the overseas Blisstool promoters did was compare it against other brand's .then dismiss the other brand's...I think it started over seas in Russia or somewhere like that...By the time they got here they were already under tight scrutiny...

That will open a can of worms quicker than anything else...especially when they are compared against well established company's..

People dont like to see their machine being shown as being inferior....real world target's are complicated and one company's platform looks in the ground differently than another company's platfrom...So thing's can spin out of control when X machine is compared to Y machine..

Just my take...I know what I experience with detector's and offer my opinion...But thats just my opinion and what happens is in my dirt...

I personaly could care less what name it has on the faceplate as long as It finds me something in a hunitng site.....

What works for my style of hunting might not work for another fella and vice a versa...

The DeepTech's appealed to me right from the first time I saw them for their unmasking...The Blisstool appealed to me also the first time I saw it but the price of over a grand for a upstart machine kept me away....

I followed the DeepTech for a couple of years yet did not order from overseas...managed to get a couple of used ones here in the states from a couple of different people one from Javelin and one from another fella up north... ..or I still would not be ordering from overseas and taking the chance more than likely..

Now Knowing what I know I would order from overseas if I had to...But that is becasue of what I now know...


Keith

Hi Daniel, I cant speak for anyone else, but here is my reasoning. First and foremost, there are only a small handful of people in this hobby whose oponion or testing of a detector matters to me...and Keith is at the top of the list. Number two, I hunt similar sites as Keith...gold country, highly mineralized ground, full of iron. From what Ive seen, this detector suits that. I do not jump on every new detector. Ive never owned a ctx, a v3, Deus, etc. Right now I have a silver umax that's 12 years old, a bandido, a gold bug pro and an AT Pro. I like simplicity and I very much prefer analog audio. I am nervous about buying a detector from Bulgaria, but guys like AMC have had one for awhile, and haven't reported problems. Finally, the price is right. I'm a contractor in Cali...its been rough...and I feel selfish if I buy an expensive toy for myself...like Im taking away from my family...but its inexpensive enough ,that I was able to sell a little gold Ive found, and buy a guilt free toy. Later, Ray

Aaron -- I don't know...you tell me?? You were one of the big critics of the Blisstool. Unless you know something I don't, the Blisstools are still around and those that have them, are liking them more and more. It just seemed that from the get go, there was harsh resistance towards the Blisstool and people flat out refused to give it a chance where as now, everybody is embracing these other foreign made machines that, nobody in the U.S. knows much about. They are also unproven with time in the field here in the U.S. and all we've really seen of them are a few videos that aren't even in real world hunt conditions...just test bed tests or air tests. I'm just curious as to why these newest batches have been accepted as the gospel truth vs the Blisstool that was met with a lynch mob mentality.

I don't think it was the price of the Bliss that did it. The Deus is also foreign made, was unproven here in the U.S, and packs an almost $2k price tag...but people jumped on it to give it a go. This is the only forum you can really go to and see people talking about finding the perfect detector to unmask items...all the other forums are based on depth, depth, depth. They want what can go the deepest in the ground.

Anyway, just ramblings from a hotel room. First big archery shoot of the year and I'm down in sunny Gainesville, Florida shooting it. Was 70 degrees here today...warm and nice. Was in the 20s back home in TN with snow. Ya'll have fun digging with the new toys.

How many people on this forum do you see using or talking about the Blisstool anymore? A friend of mine whose opinion I really trust and who had one told me it was: "basically a machine with over driven 80's parts" That's all I needed to know.

I don't have anything against the Deeptech machines, and if they work as good as Keith says they do, great! And they perform as good as a Deus that's great too...especially for those that cannot afford the Deus. However,, some of you guys already had a Deus, now your wanting a Gold, thinking that somehow you'll now do better with a simpler machine that's half the price, less controls, easier to use, ect, ect.

Why?

Aaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
. However,, some of you guys
> already had a Deus, now your wanting a Gold,
> thinking that somehow you'll now do better with a
> simpler machine that's half the price, less
> controls, easier to use, ect, ect.
>
> Why?

. Just because. I had an F75SE and then bought a G2. Same logic there. Since I am a Deus owner that bought a Vista Gold, I feel compelled to answer. Aaron, there never has been any GOOD logic. I simply like playing with new toys. Three weeks away, I may sell 'em all and start using something else. There is NO method to my madness. I just never gave my brain time to mature. If I was a kid, and my daddy was still alive, he'd quickly say: "NO!!!! No Vista Gold!!!!! You already have a great detector. Now....get BACK to the woodshed and wait on me!!!!!"



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2013 01:52PM by Kevin B.

Where are the Bliss users yous ask? Well I have one and its niche is deeeeeeeepth.And I like it. Just not much time this season for me to use it. Work and such.Just simply ramble over to the other forum and you will see several guys that have them and say they are simply the deepest they have ever used.Most guys migrated over there;they go where the dedicated machine is the topic.Steve

Keith Southern Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hey Daniel...
>
> I think the interest in the DeepTech machine's are
> more for the unmasking reason's than the depth
> reason's..
>
> I think the Blisstool was touted as just being
> Deep...Unmasking is not it's area to excel in...
>
>
> Keith That is why the people are choosing the deeptech machines over the blisstool because to them the seperation abality is what they are after and the blisstool seems inferior even though it may be somewhat deeper where the iron is not present

Aaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
However,, some of you guys
> already had a Deus, now your wanting a Gold,
> thinking that somehow you'll now do better with a
> simpler machine that's half the price, less
> controls, easier to use, ect, ect.
>
> Why?


I've had some time to ask myself "WHY?" . From what I have seen from people whose opinion I trust, it is deeper than a Deus. So....good Deus-like separation, with good depth. The vast majority of my sites require a machine that separates well. The Deus has found me some good stuff at those sites. Down to a certain depth. But my Deus, even in ground that is a bit less mineralized than Keith Southern's, could NEVER attain a dime with a repeatable tone at 12 inches. Unheard of. And a nickle at 13 inches. That is the big eye opener for me. And with a unit that is lite weight. And that has a fast recovery speed. But even though I think that these reasons are ample enough to warrant buying and trying one. It STILL boils down to one small, yet personal element: I simply wanted a new toy. Anyway, maybe this addendum will answer the quoted question: Why? Hope my Vista Gold gets here this week. I have several places that are ready and waiting. And not having any VDI, I predict that I will be doing ALOT of digging. But I want to see if I have been missing anything deeper. I suspect that I have been passing iron grunts that, with a bit more UMMPH, it would have sounded non-ferrous. Time will tell.

Well for me the depth thing does not get my attention. I am a nugget hunter, and I have been using Minelab PIs for many years. If I want depth I fire up a GPX 5000. Since I have doubts the Blisstool will outdo the GPX for depth I really have not given it very much attention. If it weighed under three pounds I might take notice.

Target separation I do understand and do pay attention to. I actually am still a bit skeptical of video tests but am putting more weight in what Keith is reporting. Now that our first batch of product testers has their machines on order I will see what they think. May even be in the market to buy one of theirs when they get tired of it!

Steve Herschbach
DetectorProspector.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2013 06:56PM by Steve Herschbach.

Kevin B Wrote:

> It STILL boils down to one small, yet personal
> element: I simply wanted a new toy.

Can't argue with that. Been in that boat lots of times !

I thought about waiting for kevin to sell his gold, but its prime relic/prospecting season, and I didnt want to wait, lol.

deathray Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I thought about waiting for kevin to sell his
> gold, but its prime relic/prospecting season, and
> I didnt want to wait, lol.


I'd a made you a good deal!!!! But.....it's too late now!!! lol.....kiddin around with ya
Seriously, I am gonna apply myself to it. I may actually form a bond with it. I have some awesome spots, even some new spots, way out in the woods, were all that remains is a plie or two of chimney rocks. 500 acres. Several old homes sites. The loggers saw them. The owner is a good friend of mine. Man!!! The possibilties. Only problem....the timber was select cut a couple of years ago. The tree tops remain. And of course, the new foilage that springs up when trees are taken out of the way. I'l need to go now, in the deepest part of winter. I may have to get me one of them GPS things to mark where they are at. I mean they are in some DEEEEEEEP woods back on the edge of nowhere.

Just talked to the UPS driver. Meeting him at the New Holland tractor place to get my package. See.....I could NOT wait until he delivered it this afternoon. Not THERE is dedication, my friends. That, or I'm simply a nut. A nut with a new detector.

You're a good nut, Kevin. You're probably detecting, testing the Vista Gold. Cant wait to hear.

You're definitely a nut - hahahaha - good luck and enjoy!!

Kevin B Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just talked to the UPS driver. Meeting him at the
> New Holland tractor place to get my package.
> See.....I could NOT wait until he delivered it
> this afternoon. Not THERE is dedication, my
> friends. That, or I'm simply a nut. A nut with a
> new detector.

Kevin B Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just talked to the UPS driver. Meeting him at the
> New Holland tractor place to get my package.



i would not have been surprised if you said that you drove to new york to get it and bypassed ups lol

squarenail_cache Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Kevin B Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Just talked to the UPS driver. Meeting him at
> the
> > New Holland tractor place to get my package.
>
>
>
> i would not have been surprised if you said that
> you drove to new york to get it and bypassed ups
> lol

Ha Ha ,...I'll bet that was next on his mind. Ha Ha LOL

Daniel this is just my thoughts and this usually does not mean much.

Blisstool came out swinging and blowing their own horn. I think that is why everyone kinda pulled back on the units. I don't think the way to sell something is to put all the other companys down.
I have no doubt the blisstool has its place and will earn its own way into the market. The unit is kinda complicated with all the adjustments and settings. This will prevent and newbie users from making it a first purchase. (I do not own one) so I can not be a good judge of the unit, other than what I can read between the lines.

The Vista units seem to let the detector sell itself. Keith has a lot of respect on the forums. He tells it like it is and if it is not good, he just does not say anything. That is a characteristic of a Southern Gentleman. When you see him get excited about a unit, then you need to pay attention. BUT, the Vista units are not for everyone. If you are a coin shooter, there are better units. The Vista, to me, is a great relic machine or gold unit. ( I do own One)

I have not had time to make a honest review other than the quality of the unit. In my opinion, the unit could be better in construction. There are certain parts that just look cheap. the battery compartment is one.
The other is the Pots. It looks like they would be easy to snap off. The shank (stem) on the pot must be smaller than the units made here in the states. With proper use none of this should be a problem but for the price, it should not BE a problem.

NOW, I am very proud of you and what you are doing with your sport. It could not happen to a better guy. Good luck and keep us updated. I checked and it is not on tv for me to watch....

Tom in SC

As for me, the iron volumn was the deciding factor in buying a Vista Gold. I love the 25khz and the fact that it can actually get good depth and still hit on silver with depth, but to get great target separation and to be able to turn down the volumn of the actual iron signal is a home run in my book. I have several civil war sights and one revolutionary war sight that is just littered with iron and the masking of good targets has made them appear to be pretty much hunted out. Only a machine like this gives you the chance to possibly unlock these sites. Could prove to be some exciting hunts. Plus I see the possibility of this being used at the beaches as a dry sand machine on small gold and silver chains, an added plus. And just to add a little more interest is the fact that it could even be a good prospecting machine if it can handle the high mineralization problems and can locate small enough gold in real world conditions. This part remains to be seen, could be more on a par with the Gold Bug Pro. More of an all around machine but more depth than theGold Bug Pro. As to the Blisstool, I have to agree With Tom in S.C. Blisstool pushed their product in kind of a better than everyone else at everything type of deal. Just seemed like real comparisons were not there and all info was coming from this one company. So like so many of you I have waited to see how things shake out with this detector. Depth without stability of signal and target separation is of no use to me, and this is the issues I am waiting to hear from actual owners of the Blisstool that I still do not know if it is capable of. ...Stuart

Hi S&R - below is some Blisstool info from an independent experienced user. I will say that the machine truly excels in hot dirt. It can GB out Culpeper, VA red dirt where no other VLF machine can do that while still discriminating out iron. This is a proven and verified achievement. In mild dirt it gets amazing depth. It is not as fast as the DeepTech in separating iron and the DeepTech Gold is much hotter on low conductors as should be expected with a 25kHz vs. 8kHz machine. And, as a 2 tone machine, the DeepTech has a much more user friendly out of the box experience...

To each his own...every product should have a defining point of difference...a unique selling point (USP) as they say in the world of corporate marketing - that USP may be important to some and useless to others....

This is a copy paste from another forum of an experienced detectorist's review of the Blisstool in Culpeper, VA - at the fall DIV - XXI. I'll be using one at the Spring DIV in March.
Regards,
Barry

hunterjoe
My BLISSTOOL review for DIV XXII
November 24, 2012 10:00AM Registered: 3 years ago
Posts: 199

Hello everyone. I would like to share my experience with the Blisstool V3 at DIV XXII.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on a Blisstool.
Day one for me was just a learning day. Learning to ground balance and burying targets at different depths to see what it could do.
Making many adjustments to get the best depth and signal clarity. The most important thing to do is to have it perfectly ground balanced, so signals will come in clearly. I noticed when the ground changes, especially on the hilltops where it was much hotter ground. the machine would sound like radiation, making crackling sizzling sounds, so it was time to re-ground balance.

This machine is a single tone, beep & dig machine. Learning to ground balance was a bit tricky at first. I felt more comfortable with it on day 2 as I continued to fine tune it. I noticed that the coil is very sensitive if bumped it would false a bit. So the best coil position was 1/2" to 1" off the ground and nice level smooth swing. Depending on trash density you could swing it fast, but when trashy or nail infested areas you must work slower. The good signals always came in very clearly & crisp. Bad signals always had a crackling noise. I dug a few nails not trusting it, trying to make a bad signal sound good. Even the deepest signals sound good 12+ inches, but are much shorter & quieter but still good. It will find very deep iron 2+ feet, because it is past the discimination depth. I had to give up several super deep targets, It can find huts also, barrel bands, horseshoes etc. I picked up several bullets on top of the ground, it would double beep clearly on the surface targets. On day three I was rolling - digging many bullets, some brass, a 1785 conn copper, a first for me. Also A block I coat button that broke.

I was able to run the gain @ 4 for maximun depth in the red hot dirt & it was running smooth. But at this gain level I would pick up surface hot rocks, but not a problem.
I talked to Carter Pennington & he said I could ground balance the hot rocks out, WOW ground balance the hot rocks, what other vlf can do that? I dug 50+ bullets

here are my final V3 settings. GAIN: 3-4
in culpeper GROUND BALANCE: 6-8
DISC LEV 4-5
DISC DEPT 6-7
DISC TOGGLE SW. 3 or III
THRES 3
SILENCER 1-3

So I really like this machine!!! I'm going to sell my TDI & get another Blisstool for my sweetheart Loretta, or Ladydigger. I've signed her up for DIV 23 & I hope she gets picked because she can dig some relics & coins & she is so darn lucky!!! Also very fun to dig with & does not give up.

So over all I dug with ringfinder, fieldtracker, tony in oh, oh eric & thomas & son. Thanks you guys for all the fun.
I was comparing signals with the GPX4500, 2- GP3000's , 2- Infiniums. They also tested me in the field, the Bliss was right everytime. On one instance the GP3000 said good signal deep, the Bliss crackled severly stating iron. I was right. Bent nail!!

Here were some responses to this post:

ringfinder
Thanks Joe, it was fun as always hunting with you,
November 24, 2012 11:23PM Registered: 6 years ago
Posts: 7,252

I can say, I tried my darnest to get a signal that Joe couldn't hear, but the BlissTool came through every time. One time I thought I might have a good signal and Joe checked it out and it was a real small nail, one that a GPX 4500 will almost always pick. Although I don't get to hunt with my GPX a lot like the Virginia guys do, I try to hunt as best I can in the 3 days we have at a DIV. It usually takes me at least a day or two to get the hang of my GPX and what it is telling me. I wish some of the guys from Virginia like Ear K. or Don would have come by and gave the BlissTool a work out. Those guys know how to work the GPX, I am just a beginner.

I can tell you, by the 3rd day, Joe and his BlissTool were smokin, every time I turned around he was calling out that he had found a bullet or button on our walkie talkies. He is a fun guy to hunt with.

Congrats Joe on another great hunt. By the way, the last time we hunted the Beauregard farm, Joe with his trusty TDI found over a 100 minie balls in 3 days, so if he is saying he is selling his TDI, that's saying something for the BlissTool.

HH all, Denny

Tony in Ohio
Re: My BLISSTOOL review for div XXII
November 24, 2012 11:10AM Registered: 6 years ago
Posts: 645

I was having a bit of trouble with my Infinium digging nails so Joe and I compared signals for an hour or so and the Blisstool was always correct.
At one point, Joe detected a bullet at about 6 inches and stuck his shovel in the ground within about 5 feet of it and told me to go find it with his detector.
Took only a moment before I was holding the bullet.
The detector seemed light and easy to swing. With so many settings it will probably take a while to learn the machine in a variety of soil conditions, but I plan on adding one to my arsenal.
Thanks Joe for letting me give your new toy a try.

p-cap
Thanks for the great review
November 24, 2012 01:19PM Registered: 5 years ago
Posts: 1,427

Sounds like it work's pretty good and much cheaper than the alt machine that all are so high on.. I shall have to save up...

search and recovery Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As for me, the iron volumn was the deciding factor
> in buying a Vista Gold. I love the 25khz and the
> fact that it can actually get good depth and still
> hit on silver with depth, but to get great target
> separation and to be able to turn down the volumn
> of the actual iron signal is a home run in my
> book. I have several civil war sights and one
> revolutionary war sight that is just littered with
> iron and the masking of good targets has made them
> appear to be pretty much hunted out. Only a
> machine like this gives you the chance to possibly
> unlock these sites. Could prove to be some
> exciting hunts. Plus I see the possibility of this
> being used at the beaches as a dry sand machine on
> small gold and silver chains, an added plus. And
> just to add a little more interest is the fact
> that it could even be a good prospecting machine
> if it can handle the high mineralization problems
> and can locate small enough gold in real world
> conditions. This part remains to be seen, could be
> more on a par with the Gold Bug Pro. More of an
> all around machine but more depth than theGold Bug
> Pro. As to the Blisstool, I have to agree With Tom
> in S.C. Blisstool pushed their product in kind of
> a better than everyone else at everything type of
> deal. Just seemed like real comparisons were not
> there and all info was coming from this one
> company. So like so many of you I have waited to
> see how things shake out with this detector. Depth
> without stability of signal and target separation
> is of no use to me, and this is the issues I am
> waiting to hear from actual owners of the
> Blisstool that I still do not know if it is
> capable of. ...Stuart

Thanks Barry. Great info on the Bliss. Things had begun to quiet down on this machine since people actually began to get their hands on them for real testing. This is the type of testing that makes me sit up and pay attention. Who knows, it may turn out to be my next "toy" after I get used to the GOLD....Stuart