whispers in the wind

[Chef Geoff]

I agree with most of what has been said in this thread and as I posted a little while ago, VLF technology has basically reached its ultimate depth (law of physics) though the processing Of the returning signal has still probably got some live in it.
VLF technology was jumped on by manufacturers in the late 70's as it was the easier system to manipulate, had research been carried on by the big companies, with pulse induction or even non motion induction balance then we would be detecting at far greater depths. If there is any truth in the Minelab rumour which I doubt, then it would seem that they cracked the discrimination problem with PI machines.
As to UKBrians comments, I'm afraid the second hand market is fed by the fickleness of us detectorists and our wish to believe the promise of adds telling us that "this is the only machine you will ever need".
Just one point Zorro, It is not physically or financially possible to be a "professional" detecorist.

[Salty (Karl) Cardiff Scan Club]

Excellent post Geoff

[Neil]

Great posts gents very interesting and informative.

Regarding "professional detectorists" and whether they exist or not, I am friendly with an American detectorist who is about my age and does the Florida Treasure coast line searching for Spanish treasure. He started doing it as an amateur and I believe is now full time for at least 5 years. He agreed that there is a finite amount that can be recovered, but he has emailed me some of his finds in the past and I can assure you he is earning $100k plus a year easily. He also has personal agreements with many of the Miami private beach hotels. I'll ask if he'll let me post some of his finds on here. It blows my mind what he has found in modern diamonds, let along the Spanish solid gold spikes (hammered into the hull to avoid import duty} and other finds!

This is a 1715 Spanish gold and emerald ring he found a couple of years ago.

cheers
Neil

[Roman (Ray)]

WWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOO.THATS VERY NICE.VERY NICE INDEED.

[zorro]

Geoff surely if someone's only source of income is from metal detecting finds then that makes him a "professional", in my mind anyway.Might not fit into a job CV application though, agreed.
as for not "physically possible" not quite sure what that means.
Brian, i think, posted some of his holiday pics on here from New zealand a while back...all paid for from detecting gold whilst out there. i know friends of his have made a very good living from detecting meteorites in certain regions of the Arctic circle (apparently you dig every signal as the only signals you'll get there are meteorites)and sell them for thousands.
Then theres Mel Fisher who has discovered some of the richest ship wrecks in the world with use of metal detectors, admittedly under water ones, so there are people out there who make a living from detecting, though they are few and far between i agree.
agree with you as to the fickleness of detectorists, my point was that people buy these detectors hoping that they will finds hoards every time and believe the hype only to find out the machine falls well short of their expectations and quickly sell the detector. the "better" machines don't tend to hit the 2nd hand market straight after their launch as , generally, the people like them.

[Chef Geoff]

There is a big difference between a professional detectorist and a professional treasure hunter, the latter is, at least at the beginning (as Mel Fisher was) usually backed by a consortium.
Uk Brian doesn't earn all his income from detecting though, yes He is the closest you can get ie full time but if he stopped detecting tomorrow he wouldn't starve.

[16.5DD (richard)]

ireland service is not closing as far as they know have been chatting with martin there and finnbarr.
i would sugest this machine may well be nearer £3000 than £1000 and  if it has got 2 phase it will destroy all other detectors that have ever been used sub £5000 your talking real forward here .
the fact is it will work with not problems on sites formally bad soiled and not loose a single mm of depth if it does work pulse.
forget the lot if this comes to light as a detector the claims will be true 20inches will be a 1p probably not old georgians they will be nearer 30 .
bigger spade boys and girls
im going to sell my house to buy 2 just incase one breaks pmsl.

[16.5DD (richard)]

things have changed with regards to detecting for a living . in the late 80's my dad detected for a living really it kept us going anyway he didn't earn loads but he only did wetsand .
these days i would say there are not many people that only detect as a source of income but it is possible to do as is winning the lottery the chance of doing good is low but still possible but i think collectively the minority may get lucky in both yet many try.

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

i should imagine that the cost will be anything from 1000/1500 i also think that it may cost detecting as a hobby a bit more as if you can pull finds from 20 inch then you are really going to be taking them from situ i wonder how the archis look at this.....any thoughts.?

I'd like to take you all back to Paulywows comment above. Now  all us detectorists have used the excuse that we only remove coins artifact from the first 12 inches. i.e plough depth....not en situ.

What stronger argument would the anti detectorist lobby need if we started diggig up  artifacts so well into the undisturbed layer. If the publicity of this machine is to believed it could see the start of the end of metal detecting. i.e we lose the plough level defence.

[outlaw]

[quote

What stronger argument would the anti detectorist lobby need if we started diggig up  artifacts so well into the undisturbed layer. If the publicity of this machine is to believed it could see the start of the end of metal detecting. i.e we lose the plough level defence.
[/quote]

Thats a very valid point !

Plus imagine the mess on grass land trying to re fill holes after digging out 20" + on clay etc.  £5000 for the elite with large pockets 

[igglepiggle]

i think more should be done in the development of a lighter machine

detector manufacturers have got the ultimate detector on their drawing board but if they were to release them on the market they would destroy themselves so they let the modifications drip into the market  so they add little modifications to their machines and then resell you the same machine with  X number of ££££ increase in cost

thats what i think

[1morecoin]

You also have to remember that most coins and artefacts after natural settling are well within the detecting range of the top of the range detectors, so unless soil has been tipped on a site which would obviously make the targets deeper in the ground or the soil is boggy which will make the coin or artefact sink deeper, so there would only be the odd occasion that the machine would be needed, one scenario would be picking the stragglers from a deep scattered hoard, so in theory you will be digging the same size holes in pasture with this machine as you would with your Explorer, Etrac or LTD.

Obviously the beach is a different ball game with coins and rings sinking and getting covered by lots of sand, this new Minelab would come into its own and clear up   everything in its path.

Steve.