Makro Racer Field Test

So far. . . . I have tested the Racer on the bench and test-garden. My findings/thoughts....... thus far:

Here is my lengthy dissertation on assembly & ergonomics: Far above average.

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Thoughts/feelings:
Extreme similarities to F75/T2 platform. . . . . . such as: audio language, nearly identical 11" x 7" elliptical DD coil, VDI 00 - 40 is iron...... identical to T2, nickel ID & dime ID nearly identical to T2, push/pull trigger switch functionality, similar menu tooling/thought process...... and a host of other features. For those that own/use a T2 or F75........ the learning curve is very short/easy/comfortable. K.I.S.S. theory employed. Exceptionally easy to set up & learn. No 'multiple menu's and/or sub-menu's' to contend with.

With a Sens of '60'...... the unit is nearly at max depth. Any additional boost in sensitivity (for the most part) only increases the audio volume on weak/deep/fringe targets. This is to say..... the modulated audio is circumvented when increasing Sens above the 60 - 65 range....... with the 11" DD coil. Sensitivity on this unit is called 'GAIN'.

ID FILTER is your Disc circuit. It's span is the entire spectrum....... from 00 - 99. Yes, some depth is lost ..... when Disc is increased. So far....... a ID FILTER setting of '5' is where I can achieve the most depth with the most acceptable amount of chatter. This unit does not have a adjustable tone-break. Thus far......... it looks like it may not be needed. Real-world testing/results will dictate.

AUDIO TONE ..... adjusts the tone of target responses .... to your specific hearing likings. I like higher audio responses for my best audible resolution/intelligibility.

Here is where things get interesting (important): the depth of all-metal mode ... vs ... ID mode is identical (once again..... in my inert Florida dirt). In fact .... the better/more intelligible selection.... is the 2-tone mode. This is the deepest mode. So far...... it appears to be a 15% reduction in depth performance in 3-tone mode....... and a greater loss in depth in "Beach" (wet salt phase shift compensation) mode...... as to be expected...... especially for this single freq unit. It's primary design intent is turf...... not wet salt.

This units ID accuracy is nearly identical to T2/F75 platform. Very accurate at shallow/medium depths....... then presents more jumpy/wider VDI span..... as targets become deep.

Test garden performance (Florida inert dirt base-reference: With 11" x 7" elliptical DD coil installed........ depth is identical to 1st Gen F75 performance on a low conductive nickel and high conductive dime. Adjacent target separation characteristics also appear to be identical. (Real world hunting scenario will be the 'tell-all').

Freq Shift is quite important. Finding the overall best freq selection....... so as to mitigate EMI does indeed affect overall depth/performance. There are 5 selections to choose from........ and seem to be a bit more effective vs T2/F75.

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The small 5" concentric DD coil is an eye-opener. Installed........ the Racer performs nearly identical in performance to the F75 SE in 'boost process' mode..... with 5" DD coil installed. Same performance/depth. Exacting numbers: 10.6" on a clad dime in Florida dirt. The 11" coil performs like a 'non-boost' process F75 with like-item 11" DD coil installed. Real-world performance measuring/testing to ensue. . . . . . to include head-to-head with GMP & F75LTD.

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Tomorrow will be in-the-field real-world testing.......... with subsequent reporting/posting.

Right on Tom. I will be watching this closely. I dont care what kind of dirt ya got,10.6" on a dime with a hockey puck is dang good. That right there sparked my interest!

Good report Tom

can't wait to see your real world/in field report

thanks

Hi Tom,,,,Far above average...LoL...Hey buddy thanks a bunch, I like your take on the Racer so far,very informative....I'm sure I will have questions later.....JJ

Thanks very much for the report Tom.-----Really looking forward to your further testings on the Racer.

Hi Tom,,,,first quick question is ......"The small 5" concentric DD coil is an eye-opener".....Would it be more of an elliptical shape....I thought concentric & DD were different? Can you clarify this?........JJ

Great report. Thanks Tom.

Discrimination is the root of all evil.

My first take from your report Tom is that the Racer is very much a T2 SE /F75 for less money, with a few different features, in a quality built package. Both the T2 and F75 are very well respected so that is good news that the Racer has similar performance. Thanks Tom

Bryanna - Nebraska

Current - New to me but not new MXT Pro and T2 SE2 - Previous Minelab Sovereign GT, Minelab Safari, Whites DFX, Whites Eagle Spectrum
Smile its a good for you!

Hi,,,Me again the manual does state this......"IMPORTANT! Frequency shift may impair performance. Therefore, it is suggested that you do not shift the frequency unless it is required and operate it with the default settings".....This would be the first machine that I have seen that says that in the manual.......JJ


PS: I'm wondering if these coils are tuned for the exact operating frequency of the machine...This would explain it's depth varying with a slight frequency shift....This can be a very good thing....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/08/2015 02:21AM by jimmyjiver.

How well does it handle EMI?

I think in inert dirt Racer will be very similar to T2/F75, but in 4 bar soil, Racer will take lead. Meaning by the way, Racer will call nonferrrous indeed nonferrous whereas First gen F75/T2 will call same target iron with iron tone. Just a hunch.

jj....... your right. I should say 'round DD' instead of 'concentric DD'. And it's about 4-1/2" x 5"....... slightly elliptical.

Bryanna...... yes....... a $600 package instead of a $1000 unit.......... with nearly the same performance. Although it does appear the F75 w/11" elliptical DD coil and 'boost process' is still the trump-card for deep silver coin hunting.

UMMM so it seems it is nothing to different from what we have already just in a different package and lower price. Can it trump the DEUS???? With the small coil I would think but I still like the deus with the programing you can do and the new update coming

LowBoy

TAKE A LITTLE TIME KICKBACK AND WATCH SOME OF MY DETECTING VIDEO'S BELOW ON YouTube

[www.youtube.com]

If you don’t dig it, then how are you going to know what you’re missing!
How can you have your pudding if you don’t eat your meat!

Bang for the buck. Some of us can not afford to try them all. That is why I appreciate good reviews and this forum. From what Keith mentioned in his post the Racer seems a tad bit better at depth than the Fors. The comparison with those detectors along with the F75 leaves the Fors behind when cost/performance/depth is calculated. I look forward to your real world evaluation.

I have been at the Minelab conference the last few days and hear I have a Racer waiting for me when I get home. That being the case I just wanted to say thank you Tom for the preview; it gives me something of great interest to read while I sit here waiting for my delayed flight boarding!

how accurate is the TID at depth ??

Goodmore, you never got any good detector reviews over at FM???

Findmall sticks by their sponsors. The Guv has strict rules about posts. The dollar always wins. Just like the detecting mags. I want to hear what a detector is good at and what it does poorly. I got tired of arguing in the views section. I have a much better outlook on things when I stop communicating with people I despise. I watch the classifieds and that is about it.

Tom, as always, fantastic job. The two things that stick in mind are:

(1.) As possum mo said, EMI. I have the 2nd Gen F75 LTD, I still think it's a little chattery. Better with the upgrade, but still find myself playing with settings more than I like.
(2.) Depth comparisons say on buttons and Minie balls? I won't it you in a court of law, but what does your gut say?

Thanks

Chuck

what does the TID say on tops ,silver foil ,cans at depth ,and what does the vibrating handle say ?

Dave Johnson has moved to Turkey ?

Hi,,,,yeah thanks to Tom this site tends to practice and not prohibit the freedom of speech... The First Amendment to the United States Constitution codifies the freedom of speech as a constitutional right.....I do however like it when the forum is running smoothly and is educational and not confrontational.....LoL.....JJ

goodmore Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Findmall sticks by their sponsors. The Guv has
> strict rules about posts. The dollar always wins.
> Just like the detecting mags. I want to hear what
> a detector is good at and what it does poorly. I
> got tired of arguing in the views section. I have
> a much better outlook on things when I stop
> communicating with people I despise. I watch the
> classifieds and that is about it.


guvner's got his "whip" out again!..ohhhhh!.the humanity!

(h.h.!)
j.t.

The comparison of the Racer to the F75/T2, so far (prior to real world testing) begs the question:
If I already have the F75/T2, should I buy the Racer? Conversely, if I buy the Racer, do I need to keep the F75/T2?

Looking for answers...what will real world testing reveal?

Pleasant Garden, NC
AT Max, Nokta Impact, MX Sport, Nokta FORS Relic, GPX 4800, Infinium, Racer, Deus, F75SE, Nautilus DMC II (order of acquisition, last to first)

Does an archeologist argue with a plow? A bureaucrat with a bulldozer?

I felt that the CoRe was very similar to the sound and ID of the T2 when I used it. So now it seems like the Racer is pretty close to that.

That's not saying that it is a bad thing either. The only thing I see is...you could get the Racer for $650 or whatever it is new...or you can find used F75s V2s for about that same price as well. You can find used original F75s and LTDs for around $400-$450 too.

People have asked how this company can offer such a good machine at such a good price. Maybe it's because they are actually just copying what another company has already developed. Looks like it to me. Little money put into research and development = lower price. That's what I think.

Discrimination is the root of all evil.

It may be that the racer is not everything I was hoping for...I think it's strong point is the small coil. As for the price that is another great reason to get one. When I was at the GRD in South Carolina there were a lot of detectors and I saw a lot of deus's and F75 and the Natalus (spelling)..Most of these guys have been doing this for a long time and know their machines. Where we hunted you have to know what you are doing to come home with some winner relics. As someone said on this post. The racer may not be anything really new just packaged at a great price and as Tom I think said it is more like a T2 and F75 but the small coil is the strength or something like that. Keith likes it in his soil where it may do a better job then the deus but then I talked to someone that really knows the deus and lives in an area where the dirt sucks and he said try the gold program for really bad dirt.

Tom also wrote that the deus is not suited for a smaller coil...I would like to see the 9" on targets and the Racer 5" on a target. But air tests don't impress me. The dirt changes everything. So can they make a deus with a small coil that works? If so and they test it on heavy iron and it seperates in iron better then the 9" then that could change a lot of places I hunt. Or can they make a software update that can make the 9" work better in iron?

It would be nice if you could pack the racer like the deus so if you had to have that small coil you could take it with you and it could fit in a smaller backpack.

But so far I am waiting to see more testing from Keith and Tom and will Keith use this machine as one of his top machines. It sounds like for the price and the coils you are up to speed with higher priced detectors. And I wonder what the company is doing when reading all of this? They may have another machine a new flagship that is getting ready to be released. I would think the same for Fisher. So this is all great reading and at the same time I'm learning more about the deus and what it can do...I have to say a lot of hunters had their TX power on 3 all the time an on all of their programs. Silencer always on-1 for relic hunting and the frew always on 8-12 and sometimes even on 4. Very few would use 18 except for EMI or cross talk from other Dues's..Just my two cents on a rainy Calf day.

LowBoy

TAKE A LITTLE TIME KICKBACK AND WATCH SOME OF MY DETECTING VIDEO'S BELOW ON YouTube

[www.youtube.com]

If you don’t dig it, then how are you going to know what you’re missing!
How can you have your pudding if you don’t eat your meat!

PittsburghWill Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> People have asked how this company can offer such
> a good machine at such a good price. Maybe it's
> because they are actually just copying what
> another company has already developed. Looks like
> it to me. Little money put into research and
> development = lower price. That's what I think.


Agree. This machine looks like a more modern F70/F75, sounds like one too. With its depth and backlight I can see it becoming a very popular machine as long as quality doesn't become an issue.

All I ask, if for the Racer to be deeper than my F19 with 13 inch Ultimate. In my soil. That will be the deciding factor if I buy one or not.

ncwayne Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The comparison of the Racer to the F75/T2, so far
> (prior to real world testing) begs the question:
> If I already have the F75/T2, should I buy the
> Racer? Conversely, if I buy the Racer, do I need
> to keep the F75/T2?
>
> Looking for answers...what will real world testing
> reveal?

Interesting that we have a report on the Racer, compared to the F75/T2, but it seems that the report on the F75 LTD2 is delayed.

I like some of the features a lot on the Racer, but would really be hard pressed to dump my F75 LTD2 for one, unless there's a compelling, real world reason. Actually if they are that much alike, I wouldn't, if it were say hotter on small silver, perhaps. If I didn't already have the F75 LTD2, I'd probably go for the Racer.