....And another question..

[ironglow]

  As I said in my post immediately previous to this one..I have a detector that is about 12 years old..A Troy Shadow X2 (Tesoro base)..an upscale model at the time..
   How have detectors changed in the last dozen years?  What advances have been made in the technology?

[reliquary]

The last one I wore out was a Garrett Master Hunter...lasted from the late-80s till about three years ago; was rebuilt at the factory once around 2001.  I bought a midgrade ((~$400) Bounty Hunter to replace it.  The BH is lighter, simpler to use, has fewer batteries & dials. 
 
I used the BH to go over some places I'd already worked with the Garrett, and picked up a few more coins from the same grounds.  It identifies silver coins more readily than the Garrett.  It's easier to pinpoint with.  It discriminates better.  Depth is about the same, with the same size coils as before.
 
Point: the technology seems to be better, capabilities maybe a little better...you get what you pay for.

[Macthediver]

I've been detecting for quit a few years but still don't really understand the machines the way some folks do. I have a minelab Excabiler because I run in the water most the time, had a fisher 1280X before that. I think the new thing now though is multi fequency machines?? As I understand it my fisher was single signal pulse?? the minelab multi? Really something you have to study up on if your looking at buying new machines. I also have a  Garrett Ace 250 which is a nice easy to run low end machine. I've found things with the Ace, but run the Excal most the time. Ace is nice to hand to friend that want to tag along and play on the beach while I'm in the water.
Mac

[barber]

I have a Minelab XT70 and a XT705. The are single frequency , but have three different coils that are different frequency, so just change coils and you have a different frequency, for coin hunting or prospecting etc.

[ironglow]

Thanks guys, I really have to catch up.  I never was quite as avid over MDing as I have been with my guns..but I'm going to break back in to it for this summer.
  My Troy ios actually a custom built on a Tesoro base..so I am pleased with the long battery life from the single, common 9-volt battery.  What I didn't get of course, is a visible indicator system.  Am I missing something without the visible display ?
 

[barber]

I don't think you're missing anything without the visible display, other than a lot of junk readings