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Ze strony detectorpro.co.uk
"WHICH DETECTOR SHOULD I BUY?
There are a multitude of detectors to choose from. Much of your choice is down to personal preference - does it feel comfortable to hold? Can you see any screen clearly? What is the weight and balance like?
Detectors run at various frequencies - typically from 4 to 20 kHz - with the generally agreed principal that lower frequencies penetrate deeper into the ground, but are less sensitive to small objects; and that higher frequencies penetrate less deeply but are more sensitive to small objects, particularly gold and silver. Some machines, notably the Minelab BBS and FBS machines run at multiple frequencies simultaneously.
Coils tend to be either concentric type (polo shaped) or widescan (DD type). Debate rages over which are best. Generally, concentric coils are slightly deeper than widescan, but give a conical shape, so the deepest signal may only be 4 or 5 cms across, so it is recommended to overlap your sweeps by 50%. They are easier to pinpoint with, due to their conical signal shape. Widescan tend to go down to the same depth across the whole coil, they are less affected by ground mineralisation, do not require the 50% overlap, but are slightly harder to pinpoint with.
Don't jump in blindly and buy some of the cheap rubbish seen on internet auction sites. Ebay can be a good source of well priced secondhand detectors, as can Staffordshire Detectors (see links page). Do some research and stick to the better known manufacturers.
Also keep in mind that a lot of people have been detecting for many years now - for stubble fields, pasture and other undisturbed areas you therefore want a detector that will go as deep as possible, with plenty of sensitivity. For freshly ploughed soil and other recently disturbed areas, you are best sticking to a sensitive, but not overly powerful detector - the cheaper Lasers and Tesoros are good for this.
Current popular choices are: Fisher - the 1225-X(5.5kHz), 1270-X(8.2kHz) and CZ-3D(5 & 15kHz); Garrett - the Ace 250(6.7kHz) ; Laser - the Hawkeye(10kHz), Scout(10kHz) and the Trident 1 & 2(14kHz); Minelab - the Explorer 2(multi-FBS), the Quattro(multi-FBS), the Sovereign GT(multi-BBS), the X-Terra 30(7.5kHz) and X-Terra 50(7.5 & 18kHz depending on coil); Red Heat - the Tornado(13.7kHz) ; Tesoro - Compadre(12kHz), Cortes(10kHz) and Tejon(17kHz) ; Whites - the DFX(3 & 15 kHZ), XLT(6.5kHZ) and MXT(14kHz); and, finally; XP - the Goldmaxx Power(18kHz).
With the odd exception, we would generally recommend going for a detector at £300 upwards. Best choices at the moment, for good, all-round detecting on arable, pasture and beach(dry sand), would be:
For ease of use and light weight, with good sensitivity and average depth - Garrett Ace 250; Laser Scout and Trident 1; plus the Tesoro Compadre.
For better depth, but still light and easy to master - Fisher 1225-X and ID Excel; Laser Trident 2; Minelab X-Terra 30 and 50; plus the Tesoro Tejon (UK model).
For better depth and sensitivity, but a bit harder to learn - Fisher 1270-X, CZ-3D, Coinstrike and ID Edge; Minelab Explorer II, Quattro and Sovereign GT (all good on the beach - wet sand); Red Heat Tornado; Whites DFX, MXT and XLT ; plus the XP GoldMaxx Power.
Always use your detector with good headphones - don't use the inbuilt speaker, it will flatten batteries quicker and you will miss faint targets. Don't use standard hi-fi headphones, they are not built for it. Good detector headphones can be found from: DetectorPro, Maz-Tec, SunRay and Troy.
HOW DO I FIND LAND TO DETECT ON?
Beaches can be freely detected. Be careful with parks and other local authority land - there can often be byelaws about detecting.
For farmland, you have got three choices. The easiest is to go to rallies, where land will be available for a day or a weekend. The downside is cost - typically £15 per day.
Second up, we have - join a club. Clubs often have land available exclusively to members. This can be a good option, although it depends on the club, some may well have been detecting the same land for years, making finds few and far between.
And third option - get your own farms. This can be the hardest option. It entails knocking on doors and asking politely - be prepared for a lot of "no's", but stick with it and you will be successful. Always try to go in person, phone calls can work, letters are a waste of time.Try to pick times of the year when farmers are less busy, ie: not during ploughing, drilling and harvesting.
On a final note, always make sure you are adequately covered for public liability. Joining a club will usually get you this insurance, as will joining The National Council for Metal Detecting as an individual member."
Darek
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