Beach and Coin Detector

Morning all,

Had a thought after reading Gold Gem and Treasure this week.

With all this rain in Qld I thought I would buy a second detector for beach work.

This is would be a new detector. I think the 5000 I use for gold is too good and I do not want the salk air in its workings, plus the sand.

I suppose this will give me something to do, quick to get to for a Sunday morninm g or arvo work out and go a see what I can find on the beach, parks etc.

Now the question - what do I buy?

Should I grab a Minelab - E Trac, Sovereign GT or XTerra 705 Dual. ( Costs are around $1,200 to $1,500 new)

OR The Whites Prizm 6T ( Costs $860 )

Or is their something else?

The Whites 6T had a great write up and as a second detector for a bit of treasure seeking on a beach on the Gold Coast after the tourists have left the beach for the day you never know how many Rolex's you may find ? ! !

Anyway it would be great to hear some fellow forum members thoughts.

Acan

hey acan
i have an x-terra 705 on here for sale i have used it a few times and found it was good for coins and heard its a good beach detecting unit its in good condition mate im about to stick it on ebay but ill part with it for $950 with the 2 coils im more into sluicing and panning than detecting and its just sitting around really....i can email photos if you like its located in sydney but will post at cost if need be...like ive said i dont really know much about detectors and would rather sell it on here than on ebay......

Acan My personal preferance would be the Sovereign GT as I have the very 1st. Sovereign that Minelab brought out and I would not get rid of it for quids. With the notch discriminators. and working at different frequency's at the same time make this one hell of a coin and ralic machine. But saying that, it does have a little problem handling very high minerized ground like up in the triangle. I have used it in the gold fields, in parks and on the beach and found many a coil including a Half Sovereign dated 1853, but no gold. Minelab may have now fixed the high mineral problem on the GT model.
But it all boils down to the dollars and what you want to spend, top machines top dollars. You get what you pay for.

Wombat

Hi Acan
We use a Garrett Ace 250 its a great beach detector has a great discriminator very light, easy to use and only cost between $300 and $400.
There is a new Ace 350 and AT pro on the market now, a little dearer and we havent tried them out yet. But the 250 is a little beauty.


Mono

Hi Acan, I had a Sovereign GT but only used it in the beaches. I have heard that if you buy a Coiltek Platypus DD coil for it you can find gold nuggets with it, good luck with finding yourself a new machine.
uncle bob.

Great comments. Skysite I am still working out what to get, so place on Ebay. If I change my mind I will bid for it.

Minelabs are great and do come up with the goods. But the Whites and Garrets may do the job on the beach.

I know that you get what you pay for, and I never have a problem with that. So still thinking. And yes Mono I have heard some good reports on the Garrets.

Acan

Of the detectors you have mentioned the Sov GT will kill them all on the beach and in all but moderate to heavy iron mineralised ground as would an old SOv XS or Excalibur. If you get a Sov then be sure to get the TID meter (numerical, not graphic)

I thought my Sov XS worked Ok in Wedderburn so long as I used the ALL Metal mode. The Disc mode was useless in that ground

Acan wrote:Great comments. Skysite I am still working out what to get, so place on Ebay. If I change my mind I will bid for it.

Minelabs are great and do come up with the goods. But the Whites and Garrets may do the job on the beach.

I know that you get what you pay for, and I never have a problem with that. So still thinking. And yes Mono I have heard some good reports on the Garrets.

Acan

no problem mate will leave on a little longer im in no hurry just let me know ethier way...
Dave

Have you checked out the Whites MXT as an option? I have one and am very happy with it. It does everything well.
Panther

Hi All i also run a ACE 250 its a turn on and go machine when looking i also had a squize at the whites prizim but went with the ace
monoman

im an xt705 user, mainly on the beach. TID is awesome, has tracking mode as well as a beach tracking mode which allows going from dry to wet sand without the need to re-groundbalance. Salt water isnt a problem with the GB at all. Can get waterproof coils also (i have a little 6" for the tideline). Discrimination is fantastic and goes pretty deep. Can see how deep a target is before digging.

i cant compare it to anything other than an XT30 (my first detector) but i think its pretty good

Hi Guys,

Some great info coming through.

I just keep thinking how many great people are on this site. Acan

Hey Acan I have an Ace 250 its a really good detector the only problem i have with it is the salt water.
Its fine on the dry sand but hit the wet and it will go off you have to have it on bout 2 or 3 sensitivity which means you dont get much depth at all :/
But i can say that it's a good little machine, very light and has found me many items

I think I may have narrowed my search down.

What are all's thoughts on the -

Garrett Ace 350 - $297.45 USD

Shipping cost: USPS Express Mail - $75.00 USD

I have not been able to find one in the land of oz. Kellyco in the US can mail to me. Total cost around $372.45 US

OR whom should I call in the land of oz.

This seeems a great base unit, turn it on and try to find a ferw coins and rings. Acan

Hi Acan

Try http://www.goldminingcentre.com.au/Metal%20Detectors/Ace%20350/index.html

Be aware if buying your unit overseas yep you may save a few bob, but for any warrenty work it will have to be sent back overseas.

Cheers,
Steve

Thanks Steve,

I would prefer to buy in oz. I will look at your link.

You going out today? Acan

Hopefully mate...weather permitting as rain is forcast for today.

I just checked out your latest video. Gee the ground is hard. I thought you had a bit of rain. The QLD coast is hopeless, raining right now. Acan

That area is all shale with about an inch or two of top soil over the top. Very shallow with a lot of small stuff trapped in the shale.

You blokes are not having much fun up there with the weather, hope it picks up for you soon.

Hi Acan my beach detector that i used for many years was a Minelab FT1600 picked it up for about 300 dollars
years ago .Dynomite on the beach right down to in the water no balance to worry about all auto no problems
wet or dry sand .Best finds were third of acarrot dimond ring at 12 inches and a Italian silver chain at about the same depth. realy good beach detector got sick of digging targets. and i see there is one on ebay at the moment for a starting bid 170 dollars i was thinking of bidding on my self could do a lot worse.
Just my opinion Shane

Hi Shane, Thanks for your thoughts I will go to the listing and have a look. Acan

hi
i always thought my minelab gt1600 was pretty good for beach work , but i wasn`t going to mention it because i don`t know how it would stack up against the more modern machines mentioned above
cheers
dave

It seems the minelab 1600 has a following.
Anyone can confirm the use of this machine on the beach.
Any stories of finds with this machine.
Has anyone had a 1600 and a ace 250? Thanks Acan

Hi Acan,
I have had the Ace 250 and the Sovereign GT, the GT goes a lot deeper than the 250 can. The GT will go into the water and the wet salt no problems as the Ace 250 will be struggling.
uncle bob.

Like Panther, I have a Whites MXT and agree it is a very capable machine, 3 seperate detectors in the one package 14khz operating frequency, choice of programmes coin/jewellery, relics, prospecting great range of options in each channel salt option too....when I get bored finding junk with my GP Extreme I hook up the MXT and it's like a new game altogether......Being based a long way inland (Wimmera) I don't get to see too many sea beaches but there is treasure in many other places and I have found a little bit here and there.
.
Whites have a GMZ in their range, switch on and go machine, 3 controls On/Off - Sensitivity switch, Ground Reject Control, Normal / Salt options....silent search so only a target will get your attention....All Metal only so dig everything....50khz frequency. Claims to be a good initial (tyro's) gold machine....Gotta start somewhere!

Thinking of getting one for my arsenal about now....under $600 good warranty what more do I want.....Oh Yeah a spare $600 and I'm in.

Cheers cranky

TheH0ward wrote:im an xt705 user, mainly on the beach. TID is awesome, has tracking mode as well as a beach tracking mode which allows going from dry to wet sand without the need to re-groundbalance. Salt water isnt a problem with the GB at all. Can get waterproof coils also (i have a little 6" for the tideline). Discrimination is fantastic and goes pretty deep. Can see how deep a target is before digging.

i cant compare it to anything other than an XT30 (my first detector) but i think its pretty good

Hey Wardie,

What coil/frequency are you using on the 705 to get smooth operation at the beach. I am always interested in any detector that might be better than my sov on salt beaches

Yes I must agree Ivanl.
Learn to use the detector or tool, as you put it, and excellent results can be had from the simplest of eqipment.
Just look at what the old watchmakers of 150 years ago could do with a set of turns and a Bow and no elecricity and only using oil lamps for lighting.