Ideas for next build

[Denots]

Just looking for some ideas for the next detector to build, so far I have a working surf pi and an mpp with a geotech baracuda on the bench still a work in progress.
I realise these detectors are mainly for beaches but they have been a good introduction to the world of detector circuits, I?m now looking to build something that I can use in fields where we are looking for coins and artifacts.
I?d like something reliable and easy to use with discrimination and maybe some other nice features.
So far I?ve used a minelab equinox 600 and was not impressed, also been using a Tesoro which actually works really well and is preferable to the minelab.


I know some of you guys produce your own kits and boards and I?ve had a good look around the projects pages but there is too much choice and I?m not 100 percent sure what I?m looking at with some things.


Just looking for some suggestions for a good detector build for digging farmland looking for coins and artifacts. Quite like the look of the tgsl board on diydetector.
Any suggestions??

Tia

[waltr]

The TGSL which is a VLF detector and a GeoTech project with lots of build info.

The other way to go is a better PI detector like the version of the Hammer Head I built using a micro processor to do all the timing.
Mine will disc high verse low conductors but will NOT ID or reject iron.

I mostly do farmland detecting and it is great to find old coins and relics but must dig lots of iron.

Thread on my HH here:
https://www.geotech1.com/forums/show...ake-on-the-HH2

TGSL here:
https://www.geotech1.com/forums/foru...e-Bandido-TGSL

[Denots]

The TGSL which is a VLF detector and a GeoTech project with lots of build info.

The other way to go is a better PI detector like the version of the Hammer Head I built using a micro processor to do all the timing.
Mine will disc high verse low conductors but will NOT ID or reject iron.

I mostly do farmland detecting and it is great to find old coins and relics but must dig lots of iron.

Thread on my HH here:
https://www.geotech1.com/forums/show...ake-on-the-HH2

TGSL here:
https://www.geotech1.com/forums/foru...e-Bandido-TGSL

yes that’s one thing that drew me in with the tgsl was the amount of documentation, seems like a good option.
The hammer head project sounds quite interesting as well, I’ll have a read through that.
Thanks for sharing

[Denots]

Loving the sound of your hammer head, programmable ic sounds interesting and is something I’d like to have a play around with, only problem is I only have a Mac and no access to a windows machine, the ic programmers all seem to run on Windows, I know on Mac you can use wine to emulate some windows programs so might be possible still.

[waltr]

Loving the sound of your hammer head, programmable ic sounds interesting and is something I?d like to have a play around with, only problem is I only have a Mac and no access to a windows machine, the ic programmers all seem to run on Windows, I know on Mac you can use wine to emulate some windows programs so might be possible still.

The newer IDE X from Microchip does run on a mac.
https://www.microchip.com/mplab/mplab-x-ide

This supports the PICKit3 and newer programing/debug tools even on a MAC.

[bklein]

What was it that you didn’t like with the eq600? Did you run the later firmware?

[kt315]

i see at ebay so much kits and pcbs from former USSR people. all with micro using, also surf. you can choice anything you wish.

[Denots]

What was it that you didn’t like with the eq600? Did you run the later firmware?

well as mentioned we had been using the Tesoro and found lots of stuff, mainly junk but a few coins and other things like buckles and buttons, also the same with surf pi but not as many exciting finds, we was then loaned the equinox by a friend who can’t get used to it and gave it to me with the hope I could learn how to use it and teach him. All we was given was the detector, charge cable and quick start guide, taken it out 4 times now and I feel that the screen is useless as it gives one number say in the 20’s then you start digging scan again and it’s gone down into the minus and then starts discriminating it out, finding the screen too distracting, You basically have to dig everything.
with the Tesoro both of us can pinpoint a target and usually dig one small hole before we have retrieved the item in not a lot of time, the equinox has us digging pits lol, taking too long to retrieve things from the ground.
Tbh I’m a bit disappointed, for that sort of money I’d expect some sort of precious metal mode, instead we are digging more junk with the equinox than we do with the Tesoro, pinpointer mode doesn’t seem to work either, every time the coil goes anywhere near the ground it starts going awol. Every time it’s switched on we do the auto ground balance and I’ve even tried adjusting it manually but still doesn’t seem any better, maybe after a software update perhaps it might be better but it’s not mine to mess around with so I daren’t start trying to do software updates.
The only other thing I don’t like is after hours of use it starts to get uncomfortable in my hand where the bottom of the screen rests on the top of my hand when holding the handle, I reposition my hand but the over time it slips back through to its resting point.

i see at ebay so much kits and pcbs from former USSR people. all with micro using, also surf. you can choice anything you wish.

this is the problem there is too much choice, was hoping for a couple of suggestions that would work well for digging coins in farmland.
All these sales people will tell you their device is the best but I’m just trying to avoid disappointment on my limited budget
Thanks

[Denots]

The newer IDE X from Microchip does run on a mac.
https://www.microchip.com/mplab/mplab-x-ide

This supports the PICKit3 and newer programing/debug tools even on a MAC.

Thank you I shall look into that, will your code work on that chip as well?

[kt315]

to avoid disappointment on my limited budget
---
ok i know you prefer waste your money on the cigarettes. sometimes on beer.
so what i see there right now.... tesoro eldo.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tesoro-eldo...cAAOSwum9dFkBj

[kt315]

fortune pro

https://www.ebay.com/itm/metal-detec...IAAOSwlxddF82E

[kt315]

quazar avr

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Quasar-AVR-...YAAOSwMhVcRhSA

[Denots]

to avoid disappointment on my limited budget
---
ok i know you prefer waste your money on the cigarettes. sometimes on beer.
so what i see there right now.... tesoro eldo.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tesoro-eldo...cAAOSwum9dFkBj

Yes very limited, I work minimal hours each week and enjoy life away from work, it has its tolls like not having money in my pocket all the time, it just means I have to make better decisions before buying anything, hence the reason I asked for everyone’s opinions.
Do you have any personal experience with any of these boards? Are all the components easy enough to get?

I think I’d like to support a group member and buy from them if I can find something suitable

[bklein]

A Tesoro might be all you really need. The EQ is frustrating with ID variation and picking up bits of foil etc. it will go deep but find too much junk probably. A beach pi though won’t have ID at all and worse on depth generally.
I know a guy with an eq800 and he just hunts quarters with it in parks - which it’s great at. I like finding rings in beach sand much better.

[Denots]

A Tesoro might be all you really need. The EQ is frustrating with ID variation and picking up bits of foil etc. it will go deep but find too much junk probably. A beach pi though won’t have ID at all and worse on depth generally.
I know a guy with an eq800 and he just hunts quarters with it in parks - which it’s great at. I like finding rings in beach sand much better.

the Tesoro conquistador we’ve been using is faultless for the fields we’ve been digging, surf pi has proven quite effective although obviously end up digging every signal but it has found me more metal than the eq600 so can’t fault it for that.
Ive got a tgsl board that turned up today, bought it out of curiosity more than anything but the more I learn about it it seems like this could be the one, I like the black finish to the board, looks sleek