Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.BlogSpot.com.
Do you know what the square box like object is? I got it wrong when I first saw it.
It has some markings on the bottom but they are hard to make out.
Do you see anything in the picture that goes with the box? I didn't know they went together until a few days later.
See if you can figure out what it is. I'll give the answer at the bottom of the post.
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I've used a variety of detectors over the years including detectors made by most of the major manufacturers, including Whites, Fisher, Tesoro, Garrett and Minelab. I've used custom made detectors even more than the detectors made by those companies.
I often get emails asking about what detector to buy. As you probably know, that is a tough decision, I can't make that decision for anyone without knowing a lot of details, such as where they want to hunt, what they want to find, and even knowing something about them.
I can say I wouldn't choose Tesoro for wet sand or water hunting, and you should not be fooled by their advertising a lifetime warranty. It is not a lifetime warranty at all. They will not honor the warranty when they determine that the detector is obsolete. They also have other ways to get out of their "lifetime" warranty.
Anyhow, today I thought I'd compare two very different types of detectors made by the same manufacturer. I chose the Garrett Ace 250 and the Garrett ATX. Those are two very different detectors.
The Ace costs just over $200, while the ATX costs over $2000. On the basis of that alone you might think that the ATX will be the far superior detector, and in some ways it is, but there are times when the Ace might be the best choice, and price isn't the only factor, there are times and places where the Ace will actually perform better.
The Ace has basic target ID. The ATX does not. The ATX does have a feature called "iron check" but as the manufacturer says, iron check is conservative. It does not always identify iron.
Both have discrimination. You probably know how I feel about discrimination. There is nothing wrong with using discrimination, but use it discriminatingly. That means don't use it too much.
If I were to describe those two detectors in a few words, here is what I would say.
First the Ace 250. Inexpensive - Easy- Productive - Limited
Now the ATX. Expensive - Challenging - Powerful - Rugged
The Ace 250 would be a good beginner's detector. The ATX would probably be very frustrating for a beginner.
There are other times I would choose the Ace. It is excellent for quickly scanning an area.
The ATX, on the other hand could drive you crazy in a junky area where there is a lot of small trash unless you learn how to effectively deal with that. It will detect nearly invisible small pieces of iron and it takes a while to learn to effectively deal with that. Many people would not have the patience.
Don't get me wrong. I think the ATX is a great detector. It is just not for everyone or every situation.
Like I often say, "Detectors are something like golf clubs. Select the one that is right for the situation."
If you hunt for different things at different types of sites and can afford it, you might want to have more than one type of detector in your arsenal.
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Answer to quiz.
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| Picture clipped from a web site selling vintage items. |
The object is a vintage letter and stamp moistener. Water was put in the container and the wheel had an axle that fit into the slots. When the wheel was turned stamps or whatever could be moistened by the wet wheel.
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| Picture of the found container with wheel inside. |
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No significant change in beach detecting conditions yet.
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
