Youtube film clips

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Filed under: Detecting Diary, Other Posts, Articles, Blog Roll — Norfolk Wolf

Stuart (El Camera Mano) and I were recently commissioned to do a series of short detecting videos which would then be placed on “youtube” by Nigel at Regtons. It involved the use of 17 different detectors, so it was quite obvious from the beginning that the “Garrett Aces” format that we employed previously wouldn’t work. It would be pretty pointless and too repetative picking up machine after machine and commenting on it’s lightness/weight, ease of use, etc. I thought it would be far more interesting for people to see how each detector  performed over a set number of buried targets that  differed in size and conductivity and also to throw in a demonstration of their respective recovery speeds. There was no intention of testing the detectors against each other, or calling the recovery speed “a test”. I never have and never will like using the word “Test” in anything to do with metal detecting, there are just too many variables to have anything set in stone; it would be purely a demonstration of each machines capabilities when run at “sensible” levels.  Constraints on the time factor for each clip meant that there couldn’t be anything more than just having basic settings for all the detectors. To really do justice to some of the top of the range machines would mean a whole dvd for each. (Perhaps something to think of for ther future?)

I am well aware that I have hung myself out dry and am going to be shot at (again?) by any number of macho “I can do better than that with my detector, he doesn’t know what he’s doing”;  big chip on the shoulder type of guy. All I can say to them is, that if it offends your over-sensitive machismo nature, then don’t watch them, they aren’t directed at you!  They are meant more for the interested detectorist that have read about, but never actually had the chance to see how a particular machine functions. How many times have you seen a detector in a magazine and wished you knew a little bit more about it before parting with your hard earned cash? The “just in case it turned out to be not quite the ticket” for what or where you intended and it all ending up with you being dissapointed and out of pocket. Sure it’s an advert for the dealer that funded it, but it is also a chance for the ordinary detectorist to save money on not making a wrong purchase. 

One item I would like to make very clear.  No-one tells me what to write, or how something should be filmed. Just because others foot the bill, it doesn’t give them the right to expect me to “bend the rules”, I am first and foremost a detectorist and more important, to me at any rate, an honest one.

Many of you out there might think that I am biased towards a particular brand of detector? Well maybe for once in yer life yer right, I am, but that is only because they work for ME on MY GROUND.  How do I know that there isn’t any thing better at this moment in time? Because it’s my job to know, I don’t play at detecting for a couple of days a week when I’ve finished work; this is my work, it’s my living and has been for the last 9  years. There is no best “all round detector”, what works for me in my area might not work for you in yours and because I don’t use a particular brand doesn’t mean it’s useless. The bottom line with any detector whether it costs £100 or £1000 is that  IT gives YOU confidence when using it.

I hope I’ve managed to get across to you that there were no preconceived ideas, or, “right let’s make this one look bad” attitude, each one stood or fell on it’s own merits. 

I must say that most of the detectors were a real pleasure and I thoroughly enjoyed using them and also getting more of an understanding of what each manfacturer was trying to achieve. (They all try to reach the same conclusion, but go about it in different ways).

As regards the recovery speed demo, a little bit of cheating was involved with some of the detectors; otherwise a longer plank of wood might have been called for! If you notice, the coil is very close to the targets instead of being about the usual 4 inches above, but then you can all see that nothing underhand is going on. I was just as intent to get the viewer to listen to a “clean” target and then hearing how the tonal quality of the signal degrades even though the gap is sufficient wide to register the cut half after the coil has gone over the nail. Hopefully some people out there can understand that this particular signal can now safely be regarded as no longer “IFFY”. 

Stuart and I were also commissioned by Alan Hughes of C scope to do a short clip of the 3SMX and how to set up the 1220R. These I understand will be shown on the     C scope website, Alan was pleased with the results as we were so we must be doing something right. Let’s hope that he also gives you a taste by sticking them on youtube.

Finally For all of you that have watched them on Youtube /C scope or are going to. I hope  that you enjoy them and also get some benefit from having watched them. John Lynn.