Speakers or headphones

Just wondering what people prefer.
I got a speaker today and found it a lot better to use then the headphones.
Is there any down side to using a speaker

I have a question to ask?

Have you ever tried to listen to the radio when it's on low volume, and others nearby are chatting away?

Same as speakers to headphones.

You WILL miss the subtle signals, but speakers to some, are more comfortable.

It's up to you.

I think the only downside would be that the speakers don't necessarily offer the full range of audio compared to a good set of earphones. But I think most people appreciate the benefit of using a speaker over the headphones, especially in the Australian heat. More than a few experienced Prospectors have told me that using a speaker rather than say the Koss earphones means you'll be loosing targets all the time. I can't say how accurate this is though.

On the other hand, a speaker enables you to hear someone who is yelling out to warn you about that charging bull, a snake that is sunning itself near your foot... or an angry screaming farmer who doesn't realize you arranged a prior deal with his cousin to detect on his property.

Still, the earphones that fit over your ears cancel out almost all external sounds and enable you to hear targets that might otherwise be very faint on a speaker box, if not altogether inaudible. The soft material on many earphones seems prone to destruction by the compound used in the Bushman insect repellent (Deet). Just a note to those who use it and wonder why their black earphones turn white-ish after applying bugspray.

I too am curious to hear how many people prefer a speaker over the headphones. I'm thinking about getting a speaker simply because I need to have my hearing engaged. As mentioned on the State Forrest websites: People are just as prone to assault, robbery and violence in the parks and forests of Australia as they are in the city. I don't want to get bushwhacked!

nero_design wrote:I think the only downside would be that the speakers don't necessarily offer the full range of audio compared to a good set of earphones. But I think most people appreciate the benefit of using a speaker over the headphones, especially in the Australian heat. More than a few experienced Prospectors have told me that using a speaker rather than say the Koss earphones means you'll be loosing targets all the time. I can't say how accurate this is though.

On the other hand, a speaker enables you to hear someone who is yelling out to warn you about that charging bull, a snake that is sunning itself near your foot... or an angry screaming farmer who doesn't realize you arranged a prior deal with his cousin to detect on his property.

Still, the earphones that fit over your ears cancel out almost all external sounds and enable you to hear targets that might otherwise be very faint on a speaker box, if not altogether inaudible. The soft material on many earphones seems prone to destruction by the compound used in the Bushman insect repellent (Deet). Just a note to those who use it and wonder why their black earphones turn white-ish after applying bugspray.

I too am curious to hear how many people prefer a speaker over the headphones. I'm thinking about getting a speaker simply because I need to have my hearing engaged. As mentioned on the State Forrest websites: People are just as prone to assault, robbery and violence in the parks and forests of Australia as they are in the city. I don't want to get bushwhacked!

Bushmans repellent can do some real damage if your not careful.... I have heard of it melting plastics like tackle boxes ,wet weather gear,fish finder screens,watch faces ect...

Simple solution to your comfort zone is to use a speaker.

problem i know using a speaker is that anyone in range knows when you hit a target and can be on you like a bad rash.

Hi Guys
Horses for courses I reckon. Speakers are great when it's hot and reasonably still. But if the wind comes up the phones are the go.
I don't think a good speaker system will miss anything.
cheers
Brett

gof2 wrote:problem i know using a speaker is that anyone in range knows when you hit a target and can be on you like a bad rash.

I've not experienced this but I HAVE heard of a few stories of this happening. What happens? Do they wander over and start waving their coils near the area you were just scanning or are these just people that like to watch over your shoulder to see what you end up digging?

I used a speaker for 2 years but went back to headphones chasing small gold and now prefer to stick wth the headphones, I feel I do better, seem to concentrate more. phill

An old bushy told me that in the old days they used to dissolve sugar in hot water and splash it on their boots, that attracted the flies to their feet, and away from their faces!!!

Cheers Bill ....LASSETER'S LEADS

the only problem i have with my speaker is the coil picking it up when i wave a hand full of dirt under it looking for the target. i have to remember not to lean forward as much

Hi all,
After listening to nearby speakers sounding off in years gone bye was convinced I would never use them.
After watching JP's dvd's through the series was convinced to give it a go. Bought an enhancer + speaker from JP for the 4K and was hooked. Later linked up dual speakers.
Now using twin speakers with the 4500, combined with the wide brimmed hat and no ear infections, feel sure the headphones will only ever come out of wrapping in strong breeze conditions.
QldSandy!!!! I was told you have instructions for fitting a bypass diode to lessen hearing impact during startup. Could you please post here or email it to me?

Monoman, try using a plastic spoon to check for a target, failing that you can wave the handful over the top of the coil.


Cheers
Peter

Speakers when set up properly with a good quality booster for the purpose such as the B&Z will outperform headphones, this I have proven time and time again. However the system has to be set up properly, which means on the GP series having the volume control set at 12 O'clock and the threshold elevated slightly compared to headphone use. On the GPX range things are a little different due to the internal Volume controls but once again easily set up to perform well. As a side note I have worked in very high wind conditions and also with machinery working nearby and have found the B&Z Booster/Speaker system to work just as well as headphones. As Nightjar said no more ear infections, and I can keep and "ear" out for what's going on in my surroundings.

JP

I`ve used telex under chin headphones for the last almost thirty years, these are ultra sensitive cool in summer and you can also hear the going`s on around you,in high wind conditions I use my home made telecom phone speaker head set these out class any of the high price stereo units,I have a speaker set up but don`t like it, I like to rig for silent running.
cj

I used headphones for the first 25 years or so and would have defended my desision to the death. 2 years ago I was exposed to a chap who was using an external speaker and did not think much of it. I had a bit of a think and with JP's explaination on our ears designed to hear noises from a distance, I decided to give it a try. the first attempt was dismal as I used a cheap crap $2 shop speaker. I thought this is a joke and continued to use the headphones. I then saw a mate of mihne in action with a good set of the trucky UHF speakers (4 inch square ones) and was surprised at how well they went. Anything I could hear with the headphones, we could hear with the speaker. So I was convinced that it would be a better thing.

I then setup with a good enhancer and the trucky speakers and now will defend speakers to the death. Even with wind and noise around, my years of experience has "tuned" my brain to listen for the right noises. I know if I get a reading that is within the machines capability, I will hear it.

Chris.

hi nero, have had people up slope and down slope, also had one guy waited 15 mins while i had a smoke then dug the target, a sardine can.so i'm now back on headphones.reg.

Sorry, a bit off topic-

Has anybody used noise cancelling earphones (Bose etc) for stopping wind noise ? My wife has a pair for plane flights and I was thinking of stealing them.

Jigalong.

Head phones make your ears hot, close down your senses and can be dangerous in the sense of becoming disorientating.( Don't give them to a person that turns their "map" upside down in an effort to understand it)
As firmly stated and I conker. Sounds from a distance make more sense.
Go the speaker. If the wind is up, turn it up.
Just for laughs. I would rather hear the gun fire when going in silent mode after dark than not know when to run. LOL
Never have done this and wont, but some do.
Brett.

Gday

As far as the debate over headphones versus speakers go, I guess that they both have there place in certain conditions.

For a few years I have been using the behind the head type of lightweight headphones and have found them to give a nice sharp response, at times better than the larger headphones, one of the drawbacks are that you can hear a bit more external noise and this included the sound of external speakers used by others.

That would be the only criticism I have of external speakers as they can be annoying to others in the area, and that they let others know where you are, but as previously commented our hearing is designed to hear things better at a distance, and I guess this is because in days gone by we would have been also hunted as a food source, so therefore we would have been able to better hear twiggs breaking and movement of something that was heading our way and planning to bite us, giving us early warning to bolt.

One time while detecting with headphones on an Emu popped up right in front of me, he was sitting on a clutch of eggs, I didnt hear his warning noises, and it could have turned out badly, he was about ten feet from me, but lucky for me he took off and gave me time to go get the camera and get some photos of the eggs and newly hatched chicks, if I had been using the speaker it would have moved him earlier.

I think that there are definately advantages in using external speakers and I am going to be using them a lot more, just have to give myself the time to get over the habit of using headphones.

cheers

stayyerAU

hi nero,wasnt ignoring your question,puter went up the creek,wrote a reply but god knows who got it.one goes uphill of me,another goes down hill,some actually turn off & watch.

gof2 wrote:hi nero,wasnt ignoring your question,puter went up the creek,wrote a reply but god knows who got it.one goes uphill of me,another goes down hill,some actually turn off & watch.

That's rather cryptic ?
I guess that's what happen when a body wears headphones. The outside message gets muffled. LOL
Only joking no offence.

Back in 1978,79,80s i detected without headphones thinking that the little speaker inside the detector was enough to find targets!
Since owning a minelab i only use speakers, i put up with the dripping ears, the heat, the sweat and everthing that comes with prospecting, just like the huge holes for junk that i have dug that were the smallest little sound that external speakers i am sure would not have heard!
Scotty

Nightjar wrote:Hi all,
After listening to nearby speakers sounding off in years gone bye was convinced I would never use them.
After watching JP's dvd's through the series was convinced to give it a go. Bought an enhancer + speaker from JP for the 4K and was hooked. Later linked up dual speakers.
Now using twin speakers with the 4500, combined with the wide brimmed hat and no ear infections, feel sure the headphones will only ever come out of wrapping in strong breeze conditions.
QldSandy!!!! I was told you have instructions for fitting a bypass diode to lessen hearing impact during startup. Could you please post here or email it to me?

Monoman, try using a plastic spoon to check for a target, failing that you can wave the handful over the top of the coil.


Cheers
Peter

Hi NJ,
Since getting the 4500 I used the B&Z external speaker setup that I have been using since the 3000 days, but decided to try out the inbuilt booster of the 4500 and see what it was made of. The B&Z unit runs off its own 2 x AAA batteries and they last seeming almost forever, although the sound get "tinny" when the batteries are due for a change.

Since I run dual speakers, with one on each shoulder I needed to put a switch in the line to break the circuit to both speakers at the same time. I also decided to try and make it similar to the way the B&Z works, with a bypass function. I used a mini toggle switch to break the circuit and some testing in the shop showed me a resistor of between 50 ohms and 250 ohms placed in series with the speakers dropped the volume to a level that stopped the piercing squeal when the detector was ramping up. It also drops the volume level when you want to be a bit secretive in digging a target in the company of those that you would like to keep at bay, if you get my drift.

I settled on 100 ohms for the resistor value and it is soldered across the switch contacts so that when the switch is open circuited, the resistor drops the voltage to the speakers, thus decreasing the volume level. These resistors should be available at any electronice outlet as well as the mini toggle switch. Anyone handy with a soldering iron and a little bit of knowledge should be able to do this. If you are not confident in doing it yourself, then get someone to do it for you. There are a few pics below to help out. Cheers.

Picture of the switch with the resistor in place.


The switch sitting in the speaker housing.

Thanks QS for the info, will give it a try.
This debate on phones vs speakers will no doubt be around for a long time. Was discussing the fors and against today and I recalled something that happened on last trip.
My partner was using dual externals, one just below each shoulder in quite windy conditions and her wide brimmed hat kept blowing off. She discarded the hat but later commented how signals were now more difficult to distinguish. A couple of short lengths of cord and a chin strap was fitted to the hat. A noticeable improvement immediately on signal reception no doubt due to the sound reflection from the brim.
Probably liken it to people cupping their hand behind their ear if they miss something when being spoken too?
Just a thought.

Peter

"I used a speaker for 2 years but went back to headphones chasing small gold and now prefer to stick wth the headphones, I feel I do better, seem to concentrate more. phill"

That's the way I went too - Headphones, speaker and back to headphones (but good quality). Because I have had bad hearing in one ear, I just purchased some Ratphones from the USA. These have separate volume controls for each ear.

I find I can concentrate on the really tiny signals better with headphones, than with with a speaker - and they keep the flys off my ears !

Has anybody tried noise cancelling earphones in strong wind ? Previously I have resorted to the football sock over the headphones and that works reasonably well.

Cheers,

Jigalong

Hi JP
With the B&Z booster systems which is powered by 3 x AAA batteries, how long do they last with good quality batts
Cheers Goldfever

G'day Gold fever, the B&Z's use 2 x AAA batteries which (assuming you use good quality Alkaline batteries) should last you about a month working approx 6 to 8 hrs a day (so long as you remember to turn off the booster at the end of each day).

JP

Now that summer is almost past, it may be worthwhile visiting this topic again. For those interested, I found it by using the search function and put in 'external speakers' and the topic came up.

I was thinking of changing to external speakers particulary in the heat of the day, but found they seem to hard to find as they are advertised on the Prospecting Shops website. I run a 4500 and thought all I had to do was attached the speakers to battery - do you need a booster?

In the hot weather at the moment I wear a hat and the headphones you get for Ipods, which is a reasonable set up. However I wouldnt mind trying external speakers, so what do you buy?

Jeff

jeff,
the small speaker that came with the dettac combo works fine
if you want to try others just make sure they have a stereo jack
so the minelab battery will reconise it.

hang on thats if your using a 4500,
i'm not sure what you have if not a 4500 then the
dettac booster combo is good, no need to worry
about aaa battery's as it runs on detecter battery,
still never ran out of battery with the 4000 lith ion
cheers fencejumper

I have a GP 3000 with a Super Sound Detacc Booster and corded external speaker and like it alot.

QsldSandy, JP, or anyone:
One thing that was not talked about here is how about a wireless-cordless external speaker(s) put on the usual spot, on the collar bone-shoulder area, is a great idea that maybe has never been done before and should be looked into seriously??

Also another idea:
"I went and purchased a cordless headphone set from radio shack(Tandy) and a stereo adapter to plug into my x-30..It is nice. No cords and you dont even have to put the headphones on your ears..they wrap around your neck from behind. I just wrap them around my neck and go..you can hear them fine without them being on your ears..its really nice..I tried to find the link but could not.. the part number on the set is 33-1253 cordless headphones. No interference with the x30 at all volume control..really nice to have gents"

P.S. The sooner the better that Minelab comes out with a "built in and on the shaft" battery-booster-external speaker combination from the factory, on a new GPX 5000 what I am waiting for.