SD2200D the good the bad and the gold?

I've just bought my first minelab detector a SD2200D and im interested to gain all the advice i can from people who have had any experience with this model detector?
thanks
adxom

G'day Adxom. welcome to the forum.

If you could be a little more precise in terms of what exactly you'd like to know about the operating characteristics of the SD2200d,I'm sure some members of the forum including myself will be more than glad to help.
I'm sure you just don't want to hear,that its a very good all rounder.

Cheers kon61.

Hi yall yella seekers,

If I may ask the questions then, seeing as im very close to aquiring my own 22:

Iv'e heard little monos can be noisy, are they any good for finding fine gold?

Are DDs worthwhile for mineralised ground to quieten it down? What size is mostly used by people.

I know its widely regarded not to use discrimination, but does any one use either channel independendently?

Is it worthwhile to get the external booster for the headphones?

What sort of things can go wrong, or might I not do right when operating a 22?

What sort of settings do people commonly use? Yes I know it depends on the ground type and coil, so general or popular combos...

Cheers,

GT

G'day GoldTone,
22 is a damn fine machine!
You can use monos, but by using them, you're inviting a LOT of extra ground noise. If you can put up with it, then you're a better man than me. I like the sedateness of the DD, even at the sacrafice of that extra depth and possibly that extra nugget - but that's my opinion.
DDs DO quieten down mineralised ground.
Discrimination is pretty much totally USELESS on the 22.
Haven't tried individual channels but have heard about it and I will use it when all else fails.
External Booster, almost a essential - it's like a drug, use one and you just wont go back!
Set everything to normal, use Tracking until you learn to use the Fixed and everything will be just fine!
Settings....pretty much normal....there's not much to play with (that's why they're so damn good!)

Good luck and leave a small piece for me......

I run a 14 inch coiltek mono as my main coil.
The mono's are noisy but I have been using them for years so am used to the chatter and dig ANYTHING that sounds even remotely like a nugget. Any signal that persists after 2 or three passes should be investigated.
I dont use an amp but the threshold is very quiet so on windy days it can be hard to pick up the faint variations in the threshold. The signals come through loud and clear though and when you pass over a big target it still hurts the ears so an amp would only hurt more!
22 is a great machine. I have found tiny pieces at a few inches and I know it punches deep on the bigger nugs.
Im not too stressed about the small stuff I leave behind which is out of range of the older machines as it does not make sense to me to be chasing flyspecs. I would rather spend my time chasing the bigger ones and the patches.
Gonna invest in an 18" commander mono soon to go real deep. I reckon any mono coil that is bigger than that would be a bit much for the 22 but would be happy to be corrected on this.


Happy prospecting
Chris

G'day Moonlight.

The only way you'll be able to use the Commander 18" Mono on the 2200d is if you constantly run it in tracking with level adjust set fully anticlockwise so as to hopefully compensate for some of the ground noise. If you intend using it in channel 1,yes you'll dumb down ground noise but at the cost of about 30% depth loss.Always use it in both channels.It will give you the best of all worlds. Your better off buying its equivalent brother the 18"Commander DD where you'll get minimal depth loss over most soil conditions and you'll be digging far less hot rocks,false hot ground signals or buried charcoal.OK it might not have the depth in quiet to moderate mineralized ground as that of the mono but,I can assure you at least you'll keep your sanity,when swinging over hotter ground.

Cheers kon61.

Agreed Kon61!!!

Just joined the forum and spotted this discussion. I run a 2200 and fully agree about the 18" coil. The ground noise and false signals all but disappear. I have found that if I have hit a patch using the 2200 I go back over it with a series of smaller coils or try and beg/borrow a 5000 from a mate. Together the two detectors have proven to be deadly. My very crutsy old mate told me "run the 2200 in fixed and no discriminator - run it deep and in both channels and KEEP AWAY FROM MULLOCK HEAPS (no rubbish to worry about)!!!!" lol

Yep i aggree with all said run in auto track and when you get a signal then go to fix check and dig away lol i like to keep it simple that's why i and many many others love there sd2200d mine. Has the discrim which i only. Use occassionaly on beach detecting, these machines don't have all the bells and whistles of the newer minelabs, but i reckon the more there is to fiddle around with , the more there is to go wrong mate. As to the mono coils, get yourself a good 14 inch DD LIKE THE COILTEK 14INCH DD it will make your detecting a pleasure, quiet ground almost as deep as the monos, more ground coverage because the dd coils have a blade type pattern into the ground thereby no missing those nuggetts you would miss with the mono very little depth difference realy that can be diserned and more than compensated by extra inground coverage of the dd coil. So pop on a 14 inch dd as your regular coil and get used to useing that setup and you will soon be gazing down at those lovely bits of yellow stuff. almost forgot if you want to try the discrimination at the beaches ect you. Will havet to use a dd coil anywaay as mono don't allow discrim to work. Ok get out detecting with the best minelab still i reckon. There's no way i would pay 6 $6000 when you can buy a real nice SD 2200D FOR APPROXIMATLY $1995 with extras. Regards krakenup ken