Beach hunting is one of my favorite things to do!  The problem is that I only get down to the coast once or twice a year.  Since my time is limited, I tend to take several pieces of metal detecting artillery with me!  This year one of those hunks of metal detecting weaponry was the new White’s Spectra V3.  The one I have is still called a “Vision” (complicated legal issue involving names!)…but it’s the same machine.  Now, the Spectra is one of those detectors that you look at and KNOW it will do some amazing things…be it inland on old coins or down in the wet sand.  The Spectra can utilize 3 separate frequencies simultaneously and comes stock with a 10 inch DD coil.  It also has a TON of stock pre-built “programs” or modes that you can select on the fly (Much, much easier than on the DFX I used to have) thanks to a quick “hot bar” arrangement along the bottom of the screen.  There’s also nearly UNLIMITED user adustable things under the hood…so many so that most new owners will “play it safe” with the stock programs for a while…and luckily, they work great!…not quite as conservative as I remember on the DFX.  For the “turn on and go” type hunters…no problem!  You only “play” with the advanced stuff if you want to…and luckily all the pre-made programs hard in uneraseble ROM…so a quick reset and you can “undo” whatever you did if something ends up out of whack.  In other words…don’t be afraid to “play”!

Unfortunately, low tide during vacation week was mid -afternoon (or EARLY in the morning!).  However, I love to hunt the “wet stuff” during waning tide, so off in the mid-day heat I went!  I was already familiar with the Spectra’s sand performance during a brief surf hunt earlier in the Summer…that short trip netted me a pocket full of clad and a ring!  My hopes were HIGH for this week!

When I started my hunt, I quickly picked the preconfigured “Salt Beach” mode.  It’s an exellent starting  point for salt drenched sand…and sets the cool color display to a mode that is highly visible in the bright daylight.  The 10 inch DD coil covers ground quickly and the presets of the “Salt Beach” mode seem to allow for fast hunting.  The only tweaks I made initially was bumping the gain…I found the area I was in allowed for a bit more “heat” while staying stable.  The balance of the “tried and true” White’s pole, display pod and electronics housing makes it easy to find a perfect balance.  I’m around 5′ 11″  (used to be taller before years of gravity got me!) and had no problem finding a notch on the  pole that allowed for that perfect compromise of maximum swing coverage, yet little “fatigue”.  I tend to opt for more swing coverage, using the momentum of my swing to help suspend the coil “just” off the surface of the sand.  One minor issue I had with the stock DD coil was a slight “falsing” when bumping the wet sand…I’ve heard this issue does not occur with other compatible coils though…and I adapted quickly to compensate.

One thing is for sure…other hobbyists are “intrigued” by the new Spectra!  I had quite a few folks (including some of the Carolina Beach area CRABS (Carolina Relic And Beach hunting Society…the “h” in hunting is silent! )  They are an awesome group of hunters who I thoroughly enjoy digging with every chance I get!  And…giving credit where credit is due, the big ol’ orange handled scoop you see me with in the photos was a loaner from the generous Carl Cladoff! (I forgot mine at home!)

One thing that INSTANTLY grabs attention is the wireless headphones!  It was almost bizaare hunting without a cord dangling by my noggin!  Especially when I stopped to dig the many targets…I usually have to do a little arm scoop motion to move the headphone cable so I don’t tangle it in my scoop as I dig.  In short…the wireless headphones ROCK!  Comfortable, wireless and plenty of volume.  There were a few unusual episodes of the audio having a left/right shift (kinda like when you adjust the balance on your car stereo) but nothing that was a problem at all.  I think I’ve seen on the forums that there’s a software update that prevents this.  However, I kind of like it!

My intial finds with the Spectra V3 were plentiful!  Plenty of targets were heard…at all sorts of depths.  The deepest I dug was over a foot on a quarter…and it was loud and clear.  The Spectra achieved PLENTY of depth on the Carolina Coast!  Sensitivity to gold was tested with my wedding band.  The Spectra hits HARD on gold rings…I just wasn’t luck enough to walk over one during the week.  However, the Spectra has scored two rings for me in the sand.  Neither was particularly valueable, but still fun to find!

Another thing the beach taught me about the V3…it’s pretty darned water resistant!  I was caught in SEVERAL downpours…with nowhere to go!  There was never a problem with moisture getting into the “innards”…see my earlier Spectra V3 Review (part 1) for a photo of the rubber seals around the display pod and the electronics housing.  I also noticed the V3 seems to handle a variety of temperature swings without an issue.  My Wife likes to keep the Condo COLD!  When coming from the frigid inside to the hot and humid outside, no problem…something else…See those buttons on the display?  They glow in the dark!  Nice touch!  I have to admit…when I first heard the V3 would have a color display, I was worried about visibility in bright daylight.  However, my concern was unfounded.  The display is excellent in both bright light and NO light.  The backlight (which is adjustable) works great when you want to get in some night hunting.

Another cool feature I learned to appreciate on this trip is the rechargeable battery pack.  It charges fast!  Great when you want to “top it off” after a hunt.  The reason I say “top it off” and not “recharge” is because the battery life was splendid!  It lasted much longer than I did!  Just in case though, there’s an extra battery pack that you can carry with standard AA batteries.

Digging one of the many coins heard by the Spectra V3!

When all is said and done, the White’s Spectra V3 is a great beach machine!  The default, out-of-the-box Beach Hunting program works well and there are more adjustments than the average hunter will ever explore!  However, it’s pretty cool knowing that flexibility and adjustability are available at your fingertips.  I think White’s has another hit on their hands with the Spectra V3!

Author digs another of MANY coins found with the Spectra V3!

Part 3 coming soon!

*Special thanks to Dave and Carl Cladoff for the use of their photos!*

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-Mark

Dave

There’s allot of different styles, some work better than others, some work one day and not the next, some just don’t work on certain beaches or for certain people but here’s mine.

This was how I did it today.

First I found my detector, then I found a beach.  not funny hu?, hooked up with Jay this morning.

Jay

Before I continue, I have to say I hip mount on an ammo belt. I have a hook on my left side to hook the handle of my scoop that drags in the sand, I can tell exactly where I have been that way.

I start at the dune line and work to the water, do this a few times and you should be able to tell where the target area is.

Looking for the hot spot...dune to water line

Today I hit the low line first, crappy pic but I hope you can see where the digs are and how I tightened up the grid and didn’t even check the middle area.

Grid pattern and dig holes

I did this pattern for just over half the time I had out there than turned to head back in the high area.

Last night there were some storms move through and you can see how the sand blew into drifts, exposing some holes where the shells were showing.

fluffy sand is too deep

The fluffy sand on top was way too deep to find much but the holes were OK.

On my way back I saw Jay hitting the water….er actually I saw the 18 inch rollers hitting him

Jay fighting the surf

He was persistent, he worked on that target for 15-20 minutes but he did get it.

His PI did what PI’s do best, a deep iron hook   to add to a couple of tent stakes.

PI find in the surf

We were out there just under two hours.

Here’s my goods

Dave's finds

The ring is stamped OGSY, what ever that means, than .925 and has one Peridot in the middle and 21 of 22, yup one missing   stones that Ping green. Cool real Nitro and not CZ.

Dave's ring find

The three P’s. Patients, Practice and Persistence.

Happy Hunting

-Dave

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Carl Cladoff

DetectorStuff Member Carl Cladoff recently responded to my inquiry about reading beach cuts…and how to find the goodies therein.  His response (originally seen HERE) give great insight into the awesome dynamics of surf and wind…and how they factor into whether you finish a hunt with treasure…or nothing!  Thanks for allowing me to publish this Carl!  -Mark

Yo Mark!  I usually refer to those ‘sand cliffs’ you see primarily in the fall and winter as a cut…terminology may vary depending on where you are…

This was September at Kitty Hawk:

Last fall at Kure Beach

Pine Island last winter

The sharper the edges and the steeper the drop…the fresher they are…ideal time is when they are being created by the surf but it can be the most hazardous to your own safety…not recommended…choose the calm after the storm…hunt from the bottom of the cut to the surf line.

Rip in background, some may call it a scallop…notice deep hole by the darker shade of water…excellent area for a water detector if current is weak:

Cut with rock exposure Dec'08:

Another view of erosion:

This was extracted from the rocks:

Get on high ground. Look for ‘rips’ and ‘ horseshoes’ by standing on a lifeguard stand, a hotel balcony, pier, or beach cam. Rips can be very subtle and hard to see or they can be an obvious ‘riptide’. Watch the sea foam, especially for the subtle current. Most of the water line will have foam oncoming…look where the foam seems to be outgoing. A riptide may have
seaweed that you can observe going out. Do not get in the riptide for safety’s sake. Ask any of the quaded
mobile lifeguards where the riptides are located. They can tell you the street locations.  I discovered this last year.

The horseshoes’ and horseshoe cuts are much more noticeable in the fall. Tracking them
from the center of the arc towards the water usually reveals a line of coins, followed by
pulltabs and lighter rings, progressing to fishing weights and heavier gold jewelery. All
sorts of similarly weighted objects can be in the mix.

The last 2 weeks have been very slow for me due to the mid summer sand build up.  I have noticed small pockets of targets, mostly coins where I have found black sand.  Water hunted this weekend for 4 plus hours at low tide covering a mile stretch of troughs and holes…2 targets…a quarter and a pair of sunglasses.  Many many Blue Crabs in the water and in the shallow surf this weekend…bring a chicken neck, some string, and a poled net…can fill a bushel basket in no time!

Good hunting! CC

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Mark Ellington

Detectorstuff.com

As most of you know, I am a big fan of the Fisher F5! The F5 blew me away with the “control” I had over how I wanted to hunt…and its amazing flexibility to handle various soil and radio noise pollution situations. However, as much as I love the F5 and despite its growing “cult” following, the Engineers at First Texas knew there was even more potential in the basic electronic platform from F5. The always amazing Dave Johnson wanted to create a machine that exceeded the performance of the F5 and simplified the controls. (One thing for which I’m very thankful…. Dave Johnson is NEVER satisfied with status quo!).

When I was given the chance to field test the Teknetics Omega 8000, I jumped all over it! I knew it grew from lessons learned on the F5, so expectations were high. The Omega did not disappoint .

The first thought that pops in my mind when I think of the Omega? Buttery Smoothness! I dare say this is the “calmest” metal detector I’ve ever used…by calm, I mean there’s nearly no (as in ZERO) audio noise when it’s set correctly..and when you’re not hitting an accepted target. Do not be fooled…just because it’s quiet does NOT mean it’s not sensitive! The Omega hit targets both in my test garden and “in the wild” plenty deep! As a matter of fact, with the optional 11″ DD biaxial coil it was getting nearly as deep as my F75! Now, not all is perfect (darn close though!). The Omega is NOT as good at identifying Nickels as the F70 or F75, but on silver coins it flat-out kicks butt!

Let’s start with the basics… The Teknetics Omega is the pinnacle of the latest batch of machines flowing forth from the braintrust at First Texas. Lead Engineer of the Omega project was Jorge Saad (of Fisher F5 fame) with major contributions from Engineer John Gardiner. The line of “newest” machines includes the Alpha, Delta and Gamma. The current “King” of the Tek line is still the legendary T2…but the Omega is nipping at its heels! The Omega follows the basic silver and black color scheme as seen in the other Greek named units. Each unit has its own unique trim colors too…the Omega’s is a nice blue!

The first thing you’ll notice when looking at the Omega is the Zen-like simplicity and balance. The face has two prominent knobs which control on/off , Sensitivity and Discrimination. There are also several membrane style buttons, but they are flush with the surface of the face plate making the Omega look very, very sleek. I found out from Teknetics Engineer’s that one of the goals of the Omega was simplicity coupled with outstanding performance…and in my opinion, they succeeded completely.

Checking out the physical design and ergonomics, you’ll find a very balanced and lightweight detector that you can swing for hours. The grip has a nice rubberized texture and the handle has an ergo-friendly curve that helps to relieve stress in your hand over the long haul. Even when using the larger 11″ DD coil balance is great…a little bit heavier up front, but nothing you’ll pay much attention to. Even if you did notice the extra weight, you’ll soon forget it when you’re bent over digging dimes at 8 to 10 inches! (yep…confirmed in my dirt!). The overall physical package of the Omega is nice and solid. No clicks or creaks while swinging the coil. All the locking collars are secure.

Operationally, the Omega rocks! The cool analog style knobs offer just the right resistance for “thumbing” the controls…not too loose, not too tight. The membrane buttons seem to follow design cues from the Delta…flush with the faceplate. This took a little getting used to, but once you swing it a while, you’ll learn how to get to the commonly used options…and in typically brilliant Dave Johnson design style, everything you need is accessible with no more than a button press or knob turn. I think he’s winning that “war on bad user interfaces”!

I’ve spent many, many hours hunting with the Omega. I’ve used both the stock concentric coil and the optional 11″ DD coil. Both are great for various applications…but I LOVE the 11″ DD (more on it later in this report)! I owned a Fisher Coinstrike for quite a while, and while a few things about it bugged me, one thing it did very well…It LOVED round objects! The Omega seems to as well…it sounds off HARD on even small targets when they are round. I was hunting a local park and heard a nice “round sounding” target that pinpointed at 5 inches. I “X’ed the target and started digging… up came a TINY copper washer at 4 inches! I wasn’t so much astounded at hearing such a small target, but I was amazed at how good it sounded at that depth!

The Omega ships stock with a 10″ elliptical concentric coil. I’ve always loved this coil design… It’s a great balance of weight and performance. Pinpointing is dead-on in the center of the “tear drop” shape. This coil also separates targets well (better than most concentrics I’ve used). Depth is very good and can accurately ID coins in my test garden at 8 inches!

Display and Audio:

LCD display on the Omega in very intuitive. Everything is where it “feels” like it should be. The ID digits are nice and large…and the display is very visible in various types of light. One thing that instantly grabs your eye is the cool “horizon” style ground phase monitoring.One quick glance and you can tell whether you need to ground balance or not! The further out of balance you are, the more bars show…you’ll also notice a little arrow above or below the display indicating which way to adjust to get things balanced. Speaking of ground balancing, it’s a snap. You have the option to manually balance or use a one button “grab”. The quick grab seems to always be very accurate in my local soil…so I tend to use it most often. If you do desire to manually tweak the GB, the resolution is incredible. There’s an “up or down” arrow above and below the “GND GRAB” button that lets you physically adjust the balance.

Another new visual feature on the Omega is the “signal” graph. It works just like it sounds…when you locate a target, this will give you a signal strength reading on the fly. It can be very useful for sizing targets or cherry picking for deep stuff.

Something else I really like about the Omega display is the “Setting” window. It changes to reflect whatever option you’re adjusting at any given time. For example, while tweaking ground balance, the adjustment is shown here…same for tone modes, frequency, sensitivity, etc.

The Omega 8000 audio is spectacular! There is TONS of information in the how the signal sounds…it is very hard to describe with words. The closest example is the old style analog detectors of years past… a lot of the “Old Timers” could tell you whether a target was good or bad with a single audio tone! How? Well, it was HOW that single tone sounded…smooth or harsh. Their ears were self-trained to distinguish amazing amounts of information. The Omega audio has similar characteristics.

There are 4 tone options available: Single, 2 tones (ferrous and non-ferrous), 3 tones and 4 tones. Each can have advantages depending on your hunting style.

Discrimination:

Let me just say this…if you discriminate out an unwanted target on the Omega…it’s gone! No spitting or sputtering…it’s just “gone”! The discrimination on the Omega is splendidly designed..and very smooth and linear. I spent a bit of time testing to see if you lose any depth when cranking the discrimination…my observation is no. Even when it is “cranked” for cherry picking silver coins, the depth seems to hold steady (reminds me of the CZ line…another Dave Johnson creation!). Iron handling on the Omega is great…and my experience with co-located targets (a coin butted up against iron that’s been discriminated out) is great. The machine seems to reset almost as fast as the F75 for these situations.

The brand-spankin’ new 11″ DD coil!

New 11 inch biaxial Omega DD coil

I have never, ever seen a great detector transformed into an AWESOME detector by something as simple as an optional coil! (simple for me to say…I didn’t have to design or build it!). The new coil makes the Omega into a butt kickin’ depth demon on par with (or exceeding) the “big boys” of the industry. Side-by-side testing with my F75 indicated it is almost as deep on silver coins! Wow! In real world use, the new coil genuinely makes the Omega feel like an entirely different beast…I keep having these Clark Kent and Superman mental images! It is THAT good! Word of wisdom…if you already have an Omega, run, don’t walk, to your nearest dealer and grab one! It is indeed worth it!

Conclusion:

In a recent conversation with First Texas Engineer Dave Johnson (designer of the CZ series, Gold Bug, T2, F75, etc., etc.) he said:

“There is (in my opinion, which seems to be shared by others) an overall character to the “O-8″ (as I see some are starting to call it), of straightforwardness, elegant simplicity, smoothness and predictability of response, and high level of performance which is difficult to sum up in a short catch-phrase. It’s a good tot-lotter in the hands of a beginner, as well as a versatile high-performance coinshooter & relic hunter in the hands of the experienced enthusiast. It’s the machine you can recommend to almost anyone and not go wrong.

Lots of the stuff I’ve designed is stuff that other people liked but which didn’t really excite me personally. Guess you can tell that I really like the Omega.

–Dave J. “

When I hear something like this coming from someone with Dave Johnson’s background…I stop and take notice!

The Omega reigns supreme in “quiet” operation…deceptively so. This machine is somehow still sensitive to small targets…and gets great depth…ESPECIALLY with the optional 11″ DD coil. In my opinion, the Omega 8000 is a brilliant addition to the Teknetics line-up. It has simplified the user interface without sacrificing control or power…Outstanding performance, intuitive controls and stability. Quite a combination!

Teknetics Omega 8000 Features:

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Part 1 of however many it takes!

To say there are a LOT of features and options on White’s newest flagship, the Spectra V3, is an enormous understatement!    I’ve spent weeks deliberating on the best way to present a review of the Spectra…and I finally decided to break it into phases.  If I tried to put everything into one story, I think it would almost be overwhelming! (to me too…trying to write it!)  There will no doubt be some outstanding books and tutorials written on this machine.  I would strongly suggest buying one of those when they become available (Jeff Foster or Andy Sabisch?).

This first “phase” report is about the packaging, contents and overall new user impressions.  As the chapters continue, I will branch out into other aspects such as assembly, air-testing, interface and “real-world” usage.

So here we go!…

White’s Spectra V3 Review, part 1

Arrival and unpacking:

Shipping box

Is there any better feeling than to arrive home and find a new metal detector on your porch?  Nope!  The distinctive White’s logo meant one thing and one thing only…the new Vision had arrived (name later changed to Spectra V3…more on that later).  Now, there are those who carefully open the packaging…and there are those who tear into ‘em with kid-at-Christmas enthusiasm.  I started out “careful”, but due to the hefty staples holding the outer box, I said “The heck with it!” and starting yanking and pulling!

Spectra inner box

My enthusiastic box pulling yielded another pleasant surprise…double boxing!  I like it when dual boxes are used.  The inner box is the one with all the cool artwork and product information.

packed as shipped

Call me weird, but I love to see stuff securely packed from the factory…as the Spectra V3 was!  Each item has its place..and is protected by a separate clear plastic bag (I had already pulled it off the display section).  Nice and snug…as it should be!

All the goodies

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This time I take apart the Display/control pod! In the first part of this series, I “deconstructed” the under-arm housing. LINK HERE. Upon removing the screws on the control pod, I am very impressed by the use of a nice heavy rubber bushing/seal. So far, all parts appear to be very high quality on the Spectra V3. Each half of the display seat into a recessed groove…nice and water tight! There’s also a beefy rubber grommet/seal where the pod back connects to the back of the handle…once again helping keep the elements at bay….

READ MORE BELOW!  More Pics…

Partially Apart Vision Pod

*Use CAUTION when reassembling! Put the whole thing back together with pressure from your fingers…making sure all the parts are seated properly. DO NOT use the screws to “pull” it back together or you may strip them out!

Board and connectors inside display housing

Thanks again to the great folks at White’s Electronics (Carl and Alan!) A full review of the V3 is coming very soon!

Rubber Bushing near handle

Inside the back of the housing with connectors

Heavy rubber washer/seal between front and back halves of the housing

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V3 board 1

V3 board view 2

Vision Spectra V3 board view 3

Speaker with seal

V3 board ID

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