Please Help me...Hard choice...!!!

[hawk17966]

First to CARL (cose he owns 100 devices and certainly have enormous experience)........

Tomorow i am gonna buy another detector.....I have to choose between:

1) Minelab Musketeer

2) Troy Shadow X3


So, which should i buy????

Help!

[Carl-NC]

I don't have either one...

[hawk17966]

Some Joker ha!


Ha,ha,ha.....
Next time i'll wait you "behind the bush".....
It was rethorical question,since both models are so "sweet".....
Minelab is "Minelab", the one and only.....
But this small Troy looks so "tempty" so i can not make up my mind yet....
The prices are closely, also not playing huge role...
According to advertisements,overall performances are pretty simillar...
Si, i am still in big question....which one?
I know, best is to buy both, but right now i can not afford that...
I'll see...

[hawk17966]

Troy X3

So, finally,today i bought Troy Shadow X3!
I checked it only in my workshop for now,since is to late to
go outdoor,but tomorow i'll go on the field and see real X3.
What to say? Carl was right when claimed:
" I have an X5, but don't have enough time with it to form an opinion.
I will say that it is one of the best constructed detectors on the market, period."
But later, on my question which to buy; Musketeer or X3 he also said:
" I don't have either one... "
So,Carl.....my preliminary experience (few hours) give me hope that it is
good investment and you should buy one,too....
All works PERFECT, except pinpoint...i do not like it cose it is to
"deaf" and inert (like on many other models).....
It should be better!
But discrimination is PERFECT!
Depth is also very good! Comparing to Fisher 1265/66....i have a feeling
that X3 is deeper in some 10%....
Maybe is to early to be so euforic, i'll see tomorow on real field...
One more thing is not clear to me;
PCB's from my X3 and Mrand's X5 are exact the same ???!???
As you can see on posted photos below....
So i was wandering; what is the "geag"!? What is the defferences?
O.K. on front panel X5 have a few knobs more, but inside the box..? Same?
So, if that so....is is possible to know exact "spots" where to solder a
few wires and add those X5 knobs and mod X3 to X5 ????

Funny and interesting question! Any idea?
Mrand, what are your experience?

[Carl-NC]

" I have an X5, but don't have enough time with it to form an opinion. I will say that it is one of the best constructed detectors on the market, period."
But later, on my question which to buy; Musketeer or X3 he also said:
" I don't have either one... "

Yup... I have an X5, but not an X3. I have a Sovereign, and an Explorer, and an SD2200, but not a Muskateer.

PCB's from my X3 and Mrand's X5 are exact the same ???!???

Yes, they probably share the exact same board... this is commonly done. I'm sure the X3 lacks a few components, though I don't know which ones.

- Carl

[rumensat]

it will be very interesting to trace the schematic of X3 (X5).
if You can give me good pictures from two side of pc board i will try to make this.

[kt315]

thanks a lot.
can you give a list of all IC's of the PCB?

[Goodrat]

x3 DEPTH

If you do any air testing, crank up the sense as high as you can without falsing and set the disc to 3.
It will see a quarter at 17.5 inches.

[hawk17966]

Dont laugh on me!


People do not laugh on me...but i decided to give back that X3....
My first euforia was premature.....It is motion detector, giving a lot of false signals on the field.....I had nervs break down with it....and thats all...
Man who sold it to me agree to take it back and i'll take Musketeer tomorow....Minelab is Minelab, Troy might be a great machine, but i just can not work with it! Also i tried 1266 whicj is very good machine, but i just can not stand that kind of detector at all....I idore Cscopes and their way of working.....some White's....hopefully i'll like Musketeer... we will see...
I'll report my experiences in monday...
DO NOT LAUGH ON ME ! OR....
Ha,ha,ha....
O.K. go laugh...

[hawk17966]

more...


Hi KT315! Long time no see...!?

No big use from incomplete list of IC's....A few most important IC's had been already "scraped out"...their designators-labels....so they remain unknown for me....maybe somebody else can help?

[hawk17966]

Minelab Musketeer Colt or XS...?


I gave up Troy Shadow X3....Later turns that it was broken so my previous post indiced that it is bad detector.....maybe not...
But anyway i took Minelab MUsketeer Colt with TS 800 coil (18cm)...
Yesterday and today i checked it on the real field under real conditions...
It has not so much depth with that coil but it showed as real coin "killer" !!!!
I founded over 150 coins in no time!!!!!
Depth was from 5-6cm to even 25cm for few bigger coins...
Discriminante is PERFECT...
Audio is PERFECT...
Handling is PERFECT...
It is a "turn on and go" detector, very easy to use,"sweet"....
But curiosity pushed me to open the box....
Inside i found small,neat,smt pcb.....but with 'XS' label printed on it...
Also there is extra space for some pots, switches more....all wired up in overall design and jumped with jumpers....
So it showed again what Carl mentioned above...Colt and XS models of Musketeer type, are sharing the very same pcb....
I was thinking somehow to extend controls by adding those extra commands on it and make it to "XS" model....
Any knowledge,tips...???
regards
P.S.
I'll prepare photos and post here...soon

[hawk17966]

...

:confused:
Snap shots...

[ivconic]

X3 fixed!!!


Now i own Troy X3 !!!! Huarrraaaahhh!!!
I fixed it up!
There was break in connection on GEB trimmer!!!??
Now works perfect!
See....

[Carl-NC]

Bronze spear point?

[ivconic]

...


No, it is arrow made from iron, but must be some progressive technique...very low rust although i founded it on terrain suspected to datet form early byzant period, maybe even Roman!? Axe is younger.....12-13 century, also iron...although not sure yet...
I found so far over 2000 arrows...but this one is most strange, most beautifill....first time i see this kind!?

By the way! Need some help! Previous owner of Troy X3 was confused due bad GEB behaviour so he played with all trimms in device!? Unadjusted all!
I found out small crack ona ones connection and fixed up. Presumable it was GEB trimmer although not sure...So later i adjusted all trimmers step by step and somehow gained descent depth and very good GEB. Used ferrite rod to adjust it...Yesterday checked on the field again. Almost very satisfied with it.
Found 20 coins.... And i would be almost happy with it but ....
Look at previous post here....A friend claims if set disc. to 3 and sens to full it can detect quarter to 17.5 inches which means some 44cm in the air!!!!
My X3 cant do that! Same coin size can detect at 18cm in air and 16-17 in the ground (which showes it is very good detector since difference between air and ground is not significant)...
So i guess all those trimmers arent adjusted properly yet.
Well, i dont have chematic, dont know which trimmer adjust what, very hard to trace their nets....So i can not adjust them well....I am lost in a fog...
At the end here is my apeal; anybody can help here? If not posting schematic than to explain how to adjust those trimmers properly and retreive original performances....
I noticed that there is no way to fix problem just with one trimmer...It will need to turn almost every one a bit simultaneosly and always keep behaviour on detection, GEB and other....To much torture...at the end no guaranties it will be proper!?

I adjusted it somehow, it is working almost good, but i suspect it can work much better....i dont expect those mentioned 44cm...but a bit more than i have now...
Any help? Any tip? At least explanation on trimmers?
I would be so gratefull!
Many thanks in advance!
Best regards!