Mark Ellington
www.detectorstuff.com

“In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love”. For the not-so-young man (me), in the Fall my fancy turns to thoughts of metal detecting.  The Teknetics G2 arrived just in time to tickle my fancy!  (read more…)

I had the honor of receiving an early version of the new Teknetics G2. The G2 is primarily designed as a machine for seeking out gold and relics. However, as you will read in this review, it is also a very, very capable coin machine! Could this be the most powerful single frequency metal detector I’ve ever used? I knew from the first air test that this metal detector was going to be something “special”.

I waited with GREAT anticipation for the G2 to arrive. I had been following the excitement on various online metal detecting forums for weeks. Although I consider myself primarily a “coin hunter”, the prospects of a detector that was designed to be “hot” on low conductivity targets (gold, lead, brass) by the great Engineers at Teknetics had me speculating on the possibilities! Could it be a great “old nickel” detector? Would it be an awesome jewelry machine? The answer was “Yes!” The new Teknetics G2 is “first cousins” with the Fisher Gold Bug…with minor software tweaks.

The Teknetics G2 circuitry was designed by Chief Engineer Dave Johnson. The software was coded by Jorge A. Saad. Numerous other people both in and out of the Engineering Department also played support roles in bringing the G2 to life. The G2 operates at 19kHz and uses a single 9 volt battery.

First impressions…

The Teknetics G2 arrived double boxed at my home. After the always exciting “deboxing” of a new detector, assembly was a breeze. All the poles fit nice and tight with no unwanted “wiggling” or creaking while swinging the coil. Speaking of coils, the G2 ships with an awesome 11” DD elliptical coil…no doubt serious relic hunters were in mind! The G2 uses the familiar silver and black color scheme seen on other recent Teknetics releases. Included in the box with the G2 you will find two velcro cable straps, an instruction manual and an adjustable arm cup strap.

Folks familiar with the Teknetics Omega will instantly see the Teknetics family resemblance…very similar physically. However, like “beauty”, the resemblance is only skin deep!

According the Teknetics Chief Engineer Dave Johnson…

“The starting point for the Gold Bug /G2 platform was the Teknetics Omega, but about 80% of it is new. The biggest single change was going to two microprocessors, which was necessary to keep up with the increased performance of the new analog circuitry.”

There’s a nice golden trim around the faceplate that reminds the user it’s definitely a detector designed to find the yellow stuff!

Another thing you’ll notice right off the bat are the dual headphone jacks…AWESOME feature allowing the detectorist to use headphones with either a 1/8” or 1/4” plug.

I don’t know about you, but the first thing I do after assembling a new detector is turn it on! Firing up the G2, I observed how the LCD display is nice and crisp. Although the G2 does not have an internal backlight, I found it to be very legible in all light conditions so far (and easy-to-read at night with use of a LED headlamp!)

Grabbing the G2 reminds you of all the thought that went into the science of good ergonomics… the handle has the familiar curve seen in other First Texas metal detectors. The handgrip material is a soft, yet tough rubber material that is plenty “grippy” even when your hands are sweating or wet from rain.

Reaching up to thumb the controls is a cinch…everything is where it feels like it should be. The two knobs mounted prominently on the faceplate offer enough resistance to prevent an accidental bump from changing the settings…yet the resistance is light enough to make it “thumb friendly”. The membrane style buttons feel great and give a nice “click” when pressed.

Controls

The interface is simple and intuitive!

GAIN Knob -The “GAIN” knob on the left is also the on/off switch. Rotating the knob Clockwise turns up the heat! (and the G2 does have plenty of heat!).

ARROWS-Next you’ll see left and right facing arrows. These have different functions depending on whether you’re in Discriminate mode or All metal mode. While in Discriminate, the arrows adjust the amount of discrimination to use…with an interesting twist. The G2 is a “2 tone” detector while in discriminate. The discriminate setting offers a moving break-point for low tone and high tone. For example, if you adjust the discriminate setting to “40”, all metal falling below 40 in conductivity will be a low tone, while all higher conductive metals will be a high tone. The current discrimination setting is reflected in a target ID arc along the top on the LCD display, as well as in the bottom right hand corner.

When you’re in “ALL METAL” mode, the arrows function as manual ground balance controls. The ground balance offers very high resolution to allow for tweaking in any kind of soil.

Pinpoint/GG- The pinpoint button has double duties as well. When in discrimination mode, the pinpoint button…well…pinpoints! The LCD display will switch over to an “inches” readout based on coin sized objects. So far, the depth reading has been extremely accurate. The pinpoint function on the G2 also allows you to “shrink” the target by pressing the button while near the target (but not centered) so you can make it smaller, and easier to locate.

When in All Metal mode, the pinpoint button acts as a “ground grab” for quick, on-the-fly ground balancing. Just pick a spot without any metal (easy to do since it’s in all metal mode), press and hold the pinpoint/GG button and raise & lower the coil to the ground (around 12 inches will do it), listening for the audio to level out. I found this easiest to do with the GAIN at around the 12 o’clock position. When the audio levels out (no change when lowering or raising the coil), just release the button. You’re all set!

MODE/Threshold knob- The knob on the right side doubles as a mode switch and threshold control. If the knob is “clicked” in the fully counter-clockwise position, the G2 is in Discriminate mode. A turn to the right puts it into “ALL METAL” mode. To adjust the audible “hum” you hear, continue rotating the knob to the right. The adjustment goes from -40 to +40…at zero, you’ll begin to hear the “hum”. While using “ALL METAL” mode, you’ll notice the LCD turns into a ground phase reading.

That’s about it for controls! How simple is that? Now to the good stuff….

Using the Teknetics G2

I’ve mentioned that I’m mainly a coin hunter and while the G2 is going to become a legend for relic and jewelry hunters, it can also clobber coins!

I’ll be honest with you…I did not expect much from the G2 in the way of coin hunting abilities. After all, it’s an 19 kHz machine (higher frequencies love low conductors but not silver….usually!). It also doesn’t have fancy little “icons” to tell me what it thinks will be my prospective find. What it does have, however, is a “no nonsense” approach of raw power, razors edge precision and amazingly accurate ID. My first trip out the the ol’ coin test garden was mainly to see how it did on my buried nickels. I had visions of the G2 being an old nickel killer! My guess was right…it kicked butt on all the nickels…even one that is near an old piece of iron! I quickly was slapped in the face with the realization that the G2, combined with the awesome 11” DD elliptical coil sorts through targets like a laser pointer! The G2 offers a darned-near “real time” view of what’s in the ground. The knife edge of the DD coil separates amazingly well…and the processing power of the G2 can keep up with it. Somehow, coins are still VERY visible even when nestled amongst junk and iron…more-so than with any other detector I’ve used.

Okay…next up was to try it out on some buried silver coins. 4 inch Quarter…yep, no problem. Accurate ID and depth reading. 6 inch Dime, once again…loud and clear. Okay now…surely this thing won’t be able to hear or see my 8 inch silver dime? But…it did! Not only did the G2 “see” the dime, it LOCKED on the dime with an amazingly consistent ID! The audio was very modulated and soft, but consistent. Folks that are going to use the G2 as a coin machine; Invest in some good headphones! The G2 “talks” to you with the amazingly descriptive audio. One thing I wish the G2 had is an internal volume control, but most serious hunters will have good headphone with their own audio controls.

REAL WORLD…

Away from the test garden, the G2 continues to impress me. It’s rugged enough to handle the rigors of swingin’ in the woods…and a MUCH better coin machine than I could have ever predicted. On lead and brass…wow! Easily THE DEEPEST DETECTOR I’ve ever used on low conductors! I’m not really a “relic guy” but I’ve been digging lead shot and .22 caliber bullets at depths I’m afraid to put into writing! (disclaimer time…in my dirt!) There’s a lot of discrimination resolution on the lower conductors too. On coins….it’s right up there with the “big boys” at much higher retail value! Now…the G2 is not designed as a coin machine. However, it DEFINITELY can find ‘em!

I hunted one area I’ve hunted dozens of times (literally). This spot is THICK with old iron, aluminum fragments, foil, etc. The area is only around 10 feet by 20 feet. I cranked up the Discrimination on the G2 and started hunting. The G2 picked out two copper pennies very quickly…neither one was deep (only about 2 to 4 inches), but they had been “masked” in the past by the trash…and invisible to at least a dozen other detectors. The G2 had no problem sniffing ‘em out… Not valuable finds, but an example of the “see though” ability of the G2. I was impressed!

During my G2 adventures, I hunted near an electric cattle fence. On most of my detectors I have to crank down the gain or sensitivity (or twiddle with threshold). The G2 handled the fence in Discrimination mode with gain “cranked”…within 20 to 30 feet. No audible “pulses” from the fence were heard. Switching to All Metal mode, I could “hear” the fence, but it wasn’t distracting. The G2 circuitry handled it quite well! All indications are that the G2 seems to run smoothly in areas that have given me problems due to electrical interference.

Summary

The Teknetics G2 is definitely a multi-purpose metal detector! Want to search for gold nuggets? Want to go crazy deep on brass buttons and bullets? Want to still have the ability to hear deep silver with amazingly accurate ID? If so, check out the G2!

What will owners of the G2 notice? Here’s what Teknetics Engineer Dave Johnson has to say:

“The stark simplicity and effectiveness of the user interface. The amazing “see-through” in iron trash. The hots on low conductivity targets.”

He also says this:

“This platform sets a new industry standard for simplicity combined with leading-edge performance, going well beyond the previous such standard, the Omega.

Although this platform is primarily a gold prospecting and relic hunting machine, it is also very good at finding coins in trashy areas. Its characteristics are not optimized for “deep silver”, so customers whose beeping is primarily deep coin hunting in non-trashy areas should probably look into some other machine such as the T2 or F75 with boost mode, CZ3D, or Omega with 11″ accessory searchcoil.”

Teknetics G2 Specifications:

• Mechanical: S-rod with electronics housing on rod, 3-piece breakdown construction, nonmetallic telescoping lower rod, adjustable position arm rest
• Weight: 2 Ibs, 8 oz with battery installed
• Standard searchcoil: 11″ elliptical biaxial DD
• Batteries: Single 9 volt rectangular alkaline
• Operating principle: VLF induction balance
• Operating frequency: 19 kHz, crystal controlled
• Reactive overload: 10,000 micro-cgs (with standard searchcoil)
• Resistive overload: 1,200 micro-cgs (with standard searchcoil)
• Ground balance range: From ferrite to salt water inclusive
• Discrimination ground suppression: Combination of 2nd and 3rd order methods
• Target ID ground suppression: 3rd order
• Battery life: 15+ hours on good quality alkaline
• Operating temp range: 14 to 122 degrees F (-10 to +50 C)
• Operating humidity range: 0 – 90% non condensing

Find out more about the Teknetics line of metal detectors at www.tekneticst2.com

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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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So where shall we begin with this beast?

When you take it out of the box, it doesn’t really look much. But as soon as you turn it on and want to adjust things.. Whoaa!

Lot’s of adjustments, you could ruin a whole weeks worth of detecting if you’d start out right away and try to adjust everything.

In the beginning I really suggest you keep to factory programs and the manual.

Ok out in the field:

Park:

I start out my field test in a simple good old park.

First thing I notice, the adjustments are a blessing if you have the guts to stick with it. (but a PITA if you just wanna detect)

I of course find lot’s of targets, living in Sweden most parks have never seen a metal detector.

Much trash to comes out, I soon learn the so called “DC Phase” feature can help ID some coinage. (especially small coins)

The cans soon started to turn out to be a problem, scattered around the place both whole and cut pieces they where hard to seperate from coins.

I soon noted using VCO and doing a “+” sign over the target helped to ID some of them to my relief.

I did well with 2 hours and got well over 15 coins, inluding a few silvers and early 1900′s copper coins.

Summary:

Ok well it does very well in the park to say the least. Found several coins and various bobs and ends.

I think this is where it’s at it’s best.

Relic Hunting:

Now I bring it to a older part of the park where relic hunting is possible but much small iron plagues the ground.

Because of constant silence and a few broken signals (discrimination kicking in) I decide to lower disc so I get better tones on the none ferrous stuff. (stuff that isn’t iron)

Also recalling from the manual that Correlate frequency might help I changed it and re-ground balanced.

It was better now, the none ferrous tones where more crisp and not so broken.

Still it was beeping every second or so, so I slowed down and lowered volume which made it much more tolerable.

Summary:

It found very little but it did ok, just barely though. A smaller coil would have been prefered but none was available at that time. (forgot at home)

The heavy iron was a plague and that she was constantly chattering didn’t make it more enjoyable really.

Now I moved on to the beach at the camping grounds of the park.

Beach Hunting:

Re-ground balanced, switched to Best Data freq and made a few other adjustments then I felt ready to go.

I quickly learn much foil was at the beach but it was easy to tell by using the VCO pinpoint function as they had irregular shapes.Cool

The method was the same used on the cans in the park.

Not expecting much due to it being hit with my Explorer II I slowly remembered I hadn’t searched it all!

Now after I found the unsearched spot a while I started picking up some coins, I found one tiny child’s toy ring (which often the dentist gave kids back in the days) it was very small with a small green glass piece in.

Now I went to the hunted part of the beach and didn’t really find anything there, a few small pieces of scrap metal my Explorer missed was all.

That was quite expected.

Summary:

It works very well for beach hunting especially with a larger coil.

Note! It was written to make it stand out where the DFX excells, i.e. in which hunting styles it works best.

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