Detector survey

Rattlehead

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Cave Spring, GA USA
Just curious.. This is more about design than functionality.

1) What kind of detector shaft do you prefer?
a) Straight Shaft
b) S Shaft

2) Which coil to shaft mount location do you prefer?
a) Center of the coil
b) Back of the coil

3) Battery life vs weight: Which of the two options below would you choose?
a) A 4.5lb detector with a battery life of 12 hours.
b) A 2.5lbs detector with a battery life of 6 hours.

4) Which battery type do you prefer?
a) Removable & rechargeable battery pack.
b) Internal battery - Manufacturer serviceable.
c) Standard disposable or rechargeable batteries.

5) How many hours does your typical day of detecting consist of?
a) 1-3 hours.
b) 3-6 hours.
c) More than 6 hours.

6) Would you be willing to pay $75-$125 more for a detector made from lighter materials such as carbon fiber to save a few ounces?
a) Yes
b) No

7) How important is the collapsibility of a detector (as in how compact it is once collapsed)?
a) Very important.
b) Somewhat important.
c) Not important.

8) Which style of pinpointing button do you prefer?
a) Thumb actuated button on the face of the detector controls.
b) Trigger style toggle or button on the rear of the control housing.

Who knows, maybe manufacturers will pick up some hints from this thread.

[edit] Please copy, paste and highlight your answers similar to how TNsharpshooter did below. Makes it easier to read the results.

[edit] Added another question. #8.
 
Last edited:
My answers would be:
1) a. Straight Shaft. Balances better to me.

2) a. Center of the coil. Makes it much easier to level your coil by pressing it against the ground. With rear mounted shafts like on the Deus, I find myself constantly fiddling with the coil trying to level it.

3) b. A 2.5 lb detector with a 6 hours battery life. Rarely do I spend more than 5 or 6 hours detecting in a day. I'd much prefer the trade off of less battery life for a lighter detector.

4) a. Removable rechargeable battery pack. I'd be curious to see how long a single 18650 or 2X700 could power a detector. I do understand why a lot of manufacturers are going with the internal batteries. Most likely for waterproofing. I'd actually be fine with water resistant and a user serviceable pack for the type of hunting I do.

5) a. 1-3 hours on average. 3-6 occasionally.

6) a. Yes!

7) b. Somewhat important. Its nice to have a compact set-up for travel but isn't a deal breaker.

8) b. The trigger style button is much more ergonomic and easier to operate IMHO.
 
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My answers would be:

1) a. Straight Shaft. Balances better to me.



2) a. Center of the coil. Makes it much easier to level your coil by pressing it against the ground. With rear mounted shafts like on the Deus, I find myself constantly fiddling with the coil trying to level it.



3) b. A 2.5 lb detector with a 6 hours battery life. Rarely do I spend more than 5 or 6 hours detecting in a day. I'd much prefer the trade off of less battery life for a lighter detector.



4) a. Removable rechargeable battery pack. I'd be curious to see how long a single 18650 or 2X700 could power a detector. I do understand why a lot of manufacturers are going with the internal batteries. Most likely for waterproofing. I'd actually be fine with water resistant and a user serviceable pack for the type of hunting I do.



5) a. 1-3 hours on average. 3-6 occasionally.



6) a. Yes!



7) b. Somewhat important. Its nice to have a compact set-up for travel but isn't a deal breaker.



My exact thoughts


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
1. Straight Shaft
2. Center coil mount
3. 2.5 lbs & 6 hr battery
4. Removeable and rechargable batteries / second choice removeable rechg. pack.
5. Typical 1-3 hrs with somee 3-6 hr.
6 unsure. if it's already fairly light a little extra weight does not affect my hunting time. I hunted all day, dawn to dusk, in the woods with an Inca and also with a Toltec 100 without probs in my younger days.
7 somewhat important, not a deal breaker either way but compact is better
 
My responses

1) What kind of detector shaft do you prefer?
a) Straight Shaft
b) S Shaft

2) Which coil to shaft mount location do you prefer?
a) Center of the coil
b) Back of the coil

3) Battery life vs weight: Which of the two options below would you choose?
a) A 4.5lb detector with a battery life of 12 hours.
b) A 2.5lbs detector with a battery life of 6 hours.

4) Which battery type do you prefer?
a) Removable & rechargeable battery pack.
b) Internal battery - Manufacturer serviceable.
c) Standard disposable or rechargeable batteries.

5) How many hours does your typical day of detecting consist of?
a) 1-3 hours.
b) 3-6 hours.
c) More than 6 hours.

6) Would you be willing to pay $75-$125 more for a detector made from lighter materials such as carbon fiber to save a few ounces?
a) Yes
b) No
As long as weight savings was 4 or more ounces.
7) How important is the collapsibility of a detector (as in how compact it is once collapsed)?
a) Very important.
b) Somewhat important.
c) Not important.
 
Just curious.. This is more about design than functionality.

1) I’ve used both (2 Garrett’s with S-shafts, and a Minelab with both stock and aftermarket straight shaft), and can honestly say I have absolutely no preference.

2) a) Center of the coil

3) b) A 2.5lbs detector with a battery life of 6 hours. I rarely hunt longer than 6 hours at a time without a break. But assuming the batteries are user changeable, overall runtime frankly isn’t a legitimate issue - just change the batteries or recharge during a lunch break, and then continue to hunt to to my hearts content :yes:

4) a) Removable & rechargeable battery pack. I absolutely loved the flexibility and performance of the RNB rechargeable pack I used when I had my AT Max. With a pair of those, I could conceivably have unlimited hunt time by charging one pack while running with the other. While I understand the waterproofing benefits of an internal battery only serviceable by the manufacturer, I don’t feel like I need that level of water tight security for my style of hunting and it limits the user’s options. As a land hunter, I’m not hunting in much more than a light drizzle. The chief benefit of a waterproof machine for me is a quick and easy hosedown for cleaning!

5) a) 1-3 hours. That’s most common for me, but I have the opportunity to do hunts of 3-6 hours or longer often enough that battery life is of key importance.


6) b) No. That might seem like an odd answer from someone who spent exactly that on an aftermarket carbon fiber shaft that I absolutely love on my Equinox. While a slight weight reduction was a nice side benefit of the shaft, it wasn’t my primary motive for the replacement. For me, the additional benefits were more important than weight: better balance, more compact when collapsed, higher overall quality, superior adjustability, and in the case of the Equinox, no shaft wobble. Long story short - for that amount of money, I need to see a lot more benefit than just a couple of ounces of weight reduction. A couple pounds weight is a different story, but a couple of ounces is negligible.


7) a) Very important. I travel a lot for work, and when I can, I bring my detecting equipment with me. I fly a corporate aircraft for a living, and space is often at an absolute premium. Quick and easy breakdown and setup is key, as well.
 
1) Balance is key, don't get shafted..

2) Center! Rear mounts are for fold up military units to keep them even smaller when folded up. Stupid idea for any other reason..

3) Gotta go with a long battery life, 6 hrs is absurd..

4) Old school batteries, alkaline, can get them everywhere, AA..

5) D over 9hrs..

6) I would rather pay more for lighter materials, AND double up on thickness and durability, having the same weight in the end is okay with me, especially if it's bullet proof...

7) C, not important, collapsibility is a weak link in everything and anything that's ever been made to collapse.. As a water hunter, if you don't religiously keep all those joints clean it can just all lock up anyway. My machine cannot collapse.

8) Hydrodynamics, companies need to think about how a machine is going to swing entirely under water..

<°)))>{
 

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Just curious.. This is more about design than functionality.

1) What kind of detector shaft do you prefer?
a) Straight Shaft
b) S Shaft

2) Which coil to shaft mount location do you prefer?
a) Center of the coil
b) Back of the coil

3) Battery life vs weight: Which of the two options below would you choose?
a) A 4.5lb detector with a battery life of 12 hours.
b) A 2.5lbs detector with a battery life of 6 hours.

4) Which battery type do you prefer?
a) Removable & rechargeable battery pack.
b) Internal battery - Manufacturer serviceable.
c) Standard disposable or rechargeable batteries.

5) How many hours does your typical day of detecting consist of?
a) 1-3 hours.
b) 3-6 hours.
c) More than 6 hours.

6) Would you be willing to pay $75-$125 more for a detector made from lighter materials such as carbon fiber to save a few ounces?
a) Yes
b) No

7) How important is the collapsibility of a detector (as in how compact it is once collapsed)?
a) Very important.
b) Somewhat important.
c) Not important.

Who knows, maybe manufacturers will pick up some hints from this thread.

1. Straight shaft
2. Center
3. The lighter the detector, the better. Batteries are cheap compared to elbow and/or shoulder surgery.:lol: In a perfect world, give me both a lightweight detector and longer battery life.
4.The Equinox is my first with the manufacturer-serviceable ( user -serviceable will happen) battery. Always used disposable or rechargeable batteries up until now. This will be a toss up.
5. 3-6 hours
6. Leaning towards Yes on this one.
7. Not important at all

I would like to see longer arm cuff straps. The straps work okay with bare arm or just a long sleeve Tee-shirt but any more than that and the strap is useless.
 
like a center mounted coil, it doesn't matter whether straight or s curve shaft.I have both, almost prefer s curve but coil size has a lot of influence on the decision.
 
1 s shaft easier on the back and shoulder
2 center
3 mostly depends on balance, but probably 2.5 with 6 hrs
4 disposable or rechargeable
5 1-3
6 no
7 somewhat important
 
Some mixed results on a lot of things, but I see a couple of things that are definitely trending in one direction:

1) Everyone who has posted so far prefers the shaft mounted in the center of the coil. For the life of me I can't understand why some manufacturers continue to mount the shaft at the rear of DD coils. Its understandable on Concentric coils, but makes no sense whatsoever on DD coils. For anyone who has swung both types it's easy to see why.

2) The majority seems to prefer the straight shaft.

If survey results are still the same after more participation, there's at least TWO things manufacturers should take into consideration.
 
My responses

1) What kind of detector shaft do you prefer?
a) Straight Shaft
b) S Shaft

2) Which coil to shaft mount location do you prefer?
a) Center of the coil
b) Back of the coil

3) Battery life vs weight: Which of the two options below would you choose?
a) A 4.5lb detector with a battery life of 12 hours.
b) A 2.5lbs detector with a battery life of 6 hours.

4) Which battery type do you prefer?
a) Removable & rechargeable battery pack.
b) Internal battery - Manufacturer serviceable.
c) Standard disposable or rechargeable batteries.

5) How many hours does your typical day of detecting consist of?
a) 1-3 hours.
b) 3-6 hours.
c) More than 6 hours.

6) Would you be willing to pay $75-$125 more for a detector made from lighter materials such as carbon fiber to save a few ounces?
a) Yes
b) No
As long as weight savings was 4 or more ounces.
7) How important is the collapsibility of a detector (as in how compact it is once collapsed)?
a) Very important.
b) Somewhat important.
c) Not important.

Answering like the example above makes it much easier to read the results. Nice job TNSS.
 
1. C- I like both: S shaft for lighter weight detectors under 3 lbs., Straight shaft for the heavier detectors over 3 lbs.

2. A- Center

3. B- 2.5lbs/6hrs

4. B- internal rechargeable batteries. (I am experienced at PC board work and battery work. No problem for me to replace after warranty period)

5. B- 3 to 6 hrs

6. A-yes

7. B-somewhat on the 3lbs and over detectors

8. A- button
 
Last edited:
Just curious.. This is more about design than functionality.

1) What kind of detector shaft do you prefer?
a) Straight Shaft
b) S Shaft

2) Which coil to shaft mount location do you prefer?
a) Center of the coil
b) Back of the coil

3) Battery life vs weight: Which of the two options below would you choose?
a) A 4.5lb detector with a battery life of 12 hours.
b) A 2.5lbs detector with a battery life of 6 hours.

4) Which battery type do you prefer?
a) Removable & rechargeable battery pack.
b) Internal battery - Manufacturer serviceable.
c) Standard disposable or rechargeable batteries.

5) How many hours does your typical day of detecting consist of?
a) 1-3 hours.
b) 3-6 hours.
c) More than 6 hours.

6) Would you be willing to pay $75-$125 more for a detector made from lighter materials such as carbon fiber to save a few ounces?
a) Yes
b) No

7) How important is the collapsibility of a detector (as in how compact it is once collapsed)?
a) Very important.
b) Somewhat important.
c) Not important.

Who knows, maybe manufacturers will pick up some hints from this thread.

[edit] Please copy, paste and highlight your answers similar to how TNsharpshooter did below. Makes it easier to read the results.

1. A
2. A
3. B
4. B
5. A & B, 3 hours
6. Yes, but it depends how much lighter
7. B
 
Thanks for all the replies so far. I added one more question (#8) to the survey which concerns the location of the pinpoint button.
 
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1) What kind of detector shaft do you prefer? Unsure about this. Both seem fine to me. It's more about the balance.
a) Straight Shaft
b) S Shaft

2) Which coil to shaft mount location do you prefer?
a) Center of the coil
b) Back of the coil

3) Battery life vs weight: Which of the two options below would you choose? This depends on the balance, but I would likely accept more weight to gain more battery life.
a) A 4.5lb detector with a battery life of 12 hours.
b) A 2.5lbs detector with a battery life of 6 hours.

4) Which battery type do you prefer? I preferred the removeable, rechargeable battery pack, for charging convenience, but waterproofness is more important. The question doesn't address waterproofness, so my preference stands with removeable.
a) Removable & rechargeable battery pack.
b) Internal battery - Manufacturer serviceable.
c) Standard disposable or rechargeable batteries.

5) How many hours does your typical day of detecting consist of?
a) 1-3 hours.
b) 3-6 hours.
c) More than 6 hours.

6) Would you be willing to pay $75-$125 more for a detector made from lighter materials such as carbon fiber to save a few ounces?
Not to save a few ounces, but yes, to improve structural integrity.
a) Yes
b) No

7) How important is the collapsibility of a detector (as in how compact it is once collapsed)?
a) Very important.
b) Somewhat important.
c) Not important.

8) Which style of pinpointing button do you prefer?
a) Thumb actuated button on the face of the detector controls.
b) Trigger style toggle or button on the rear of the control housing.
 
done ;)

Just curious.. This is more about design than functionality.

1) What kind of detector shaft do you prefer?
a) Straight Shaft
b) S Shaft

2) Which coil to shaft mount location do you prefer?
a) Center of the coil
b) Back of the coil

3) Battery life vs weight: Which of the two options below would you choose?
a) A 4.5lb detector with a battery life of 12 hours.
b) A 2.5lbs detector with a battery life of 6 hours.

4) Which battery type do you prefer?
a) Removable & rechargeable battery pack.
b) Internal battery - Manufacturer serviceable.
c) Standard disposable or rechargeable batteries.

5) How many hours does your typical day of detecting consist of?
a) 1-3 hours.
b) 3-6 hours.
c) More than 6 hours.

6) Would you be willing to pay $75-$125 more for a detector made from lighter materials such as carbon fiber to save a few ounces?
a) Yes
b) No

7) How important is the collapsibility of a detector (as in how compact it is once collapsed)?
a) Very important.
b) Somewhat important.
c) Not important.

8) Which style of pinpointing button do you prefer?
a) Thumb actuated button on the face of the detector controls.
b) Trigger style toggle or button on the rear of the control housing.

[edit] Added another question. #8.
 
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