Boosters and Headphones for SDC2300

[PhaseTech]

I'm happy to report that the B&Z booster works well with external speakers on the SDC. I used it yesterday and compared the signal response to headphones, and couldn't really pick much difference. I still prefer a good set of headphones as that is what I'm used to, but I will definitely grab the external speaker combo whenever the wind isn't blowing. It will also make video filming so much easier as well. the other cool thing is the bypass switch which comes in handy whenever you are doing a Noise Cancel.

I also tested a set of Sunray Pro Gold headphones, and the response was very loud. The output is slightly muffled, but they block out external noises quite well so you hear target signals easily. If you have poor hearing and prefer headphones, these should be high on your shopping list.

But my favourite headphone is still the old Koss TD-80. They are discontinued now, so I've tried many alternatives, and I have found one that sounds just as good if not slightly better: Technics RPDH1200. These are a dj headphone with a very high output. I've got some video footage of target signals I've picked up using these headphones and when you unplug them, there is nothing coming out of the speaker that would pull you up. They are pricey but well worth it in my opinion.

Cheers, Nenad

 

[Teemore]

God info, always appreciated.
Cheers T.

 

[Syndyne]

Cheers Nenad! Looking forward to seeing the videos.

All the best,
Shauno.

 

[Coyote]

Info from the God's!

Some good add on's are starting to come forward. Have to get the SDC2300 first.

 

[Bacchus]

G'day all

Very much a newbie , expecting my SDC to arrive Tomorrow and are seriously excited , after
watching many hours of video on detecting I have not yet come across any ear phones / muffs / buds
which seem suitable to be worn with an Akubra style hat.

Advice appreciated

Cheers

Rick

" Life is to short to drink bad wine "

 

[grubstake]

...after watching many hours of video on detecting I have not yet come across any ear phones / muffs / buds which seem suitable to be worn with an Akubra style hat. Advice appreciated

Aussie-made Funnel Web hats as illustrated, are available at good prospecting shops for around $40. Fully washable too.

 

[Marty]

But my favourite headphone is still the old Koss TD-80. They are discontinued now,

Cheers, Nenad

Nenad
If ML has discontinued them , what is ML using now ?

Marty

 

[PhaseTech]

Hi Marty, Minelab only ever supplied the TD80's for a very short period. The standard has always been the UR-30.

My TD-80's are now a backup. I prefer the Sunray Pro Golds. They give a clearer response on faint signals, are more comfortable, and block out wind noise much better. I've actually bought a heap of headphones and done a comparison on about 9 different pairs. I'll post the results when I've written it all up.

 

[Marty]

Thanks for that
The UR-30's are just to loose of a fit and when I opted for a set of waterproof H/phones for the CTX I had a set of Gray Ghost Amphibian Headphone modded, however I cant use them on the 2300 due to yet another different fitting that you guys have used between the two models

Are you able to make me a patch lead that will allow me to use the CTX fitting at one end to a 1/4 male jack at the other?

Cheers Marty

 

[AngerManagement]

Just finished repairing and re building a B&Z booster...

I guess it has a place but.....

In addition, the so called external speaker that some purchase, to clip onto the harness etc... Oils ain't oils and speakers are not speakers.... The frequency response on the one I was look at; was lacking at the higher level and could lead to missed signals and or many false signals. Either way, not ideal.

I would suggest that there are any number of items easy available and cheep; that may well enhance what you can hear, that could improve your positive strike rate re feint signals etc.

People forget that just because they think they can hear, that they can.... Problem is that this is not SO...

At 16 I may have had great hearing, at 30 it was well on the way down hill, at 50 bwhaaaaaaaa needless to say that it gets worse not better as we get older.

And it is not a liner rate of fail. Thus volume is not always the fix.... Some loose certain frequencies / tones and thus it is a combination of Gain, Tone etc that one needs...

 

[Coyote]

Are you taking them to the training sessions Nedad?

 

[PhaseTech]

Can you clarify your question?

 

[Coyote]

PM sent Nenad

 

[PhaseTech]

Just finished repairing and re building a B&Z booster...

I guess it has a place but.....

In addition, the so called external speaker that some purchase, to clip onto the harness etc... Oils ain't oils and speakers are not speakers.... The frequency response on the one I was look at; was lacking at the higher level and could lead to missed signals and or many false signals. Either way, not ideal.

I would suggest that there are any number of items easy available and cheep; that may well enhance what you can hear, that could improve your positive strike rate re feint signals etc.

People forget that just because they think they can hear, that they can.... Problem is that this is not SO...

At 16 I may have had great hearing, at 30 it was well on the way down hill, at 50 bwhaaaaaaaa needless to say that it gets worse not better as we get older.

And it is not a liner rate of fail. Thus volume is not always the fix.... Some loose certain frequencies / tones and thus it is a combination of Gain, Tone etc that one needs...

Some very true points.
I think a lot of people just don't like headphones full stop, so want an external speaker. In order to run it, you obviously need to amplify the signal. Most amplifiers over the years that I have tried with headphones always coloured or distorted the sound which I was not a fan of, so rather than trying to amplify the sounds, I was always a believer of getting the best headphones you can afford to enhance what the detector is already producing.

Now, when using an external speaker which does have a limited frequency, means that a lot of the extra noise/hiss introduced by an amp are just not heard through the speaker. This has been true for most amps/boosters i have tried. Basically the good old GME speaker and boosters make a good match. But I agree with you, if you can adjust the Tone, such as on the GP and GPXs, you can make a massive difference due to not only your hearing, but the ability (or lack of) of the speaker to reproduce certain frequencies. Now the SDC has only 2 different tones to pick from, High or Low, but it is still worth experimenting with to see which one you prefer.

There are a few portable headphone amps available in consumer land that have very low distortion but unfortunately they all use 1/8" sockets, and are quite pricey.

 

[Marty]

Can you clarify your question?

I would like a patch lead for underwater headphones that fit to my CTX , leave the plug as is but have a patch lead made so that the CTX underwater headphones can be used in a 1/4" jack plug
If that makes sense

Marty

 

[Heatho]

Just finished repairing and re building a B&Z booster...

I guess it has a place but.....

In addition, the so called external speaker that some purchase, to clip onto the harness etc... Oils ain't oils and speakers are not speakers.... The frequency response on the one I was look at; was lacking at the higher level and could lead to missed signals and or many false signals. Either way, not ideal.

I would suggest that there are any number of items easy available and cheep; that may well enhance what you can hear, that could improve your positive strike rate re feint signals etc.

People forget that just because they think they can hear, that they can.... Problem is that this is not SO...

At 16 I may have had great hearing, at 30 it was well on the way down hill, at 50 bwhaaaaaaaa needless to say that it gets worse not better as we get older.

And it is not a liner rate of fail. Thus volume is not always the fix.... Some loose certain frequencies / tones and thus it is a combination of Gain, Tone etc that one needs...

Some very true points.
I think a lot of people just don't like headphones full stop, so want an external speaker. In order to run it, you obviously need to amplify the signal. Most amplifiers over the years that I have tried with headphones always coloured or distorted the sound which I was not a fan of, so rather than trying to amplify the sounds, I was always a believer of getting the best headphones you can afford to enhance what the detector is already producing.

Now, when using an external speaker which does have a limited frequency, means that a lot of the extra noise/hiss introduced by an amp are just not heard through the speaker. This has been true for most amps/boosters i have tried. Basically the good old GME speaker and boosters make a good match. But I agree with you, if you can adjust the Tone, such as on the GP and GPXs, you can make a massive difference due to not only your hearing, but the ability (or lack of) of the speaker to reproduce certain frequencies. Now the SDC has only 2 different tones to pick from, High or Low, but it is still worth experimenting with to see which one you prefer.

There are a few portable headphone amps available in consumer land that have very low distortion but unfortunately they all use 1/8" sockets, and are quite pricey.

Also don't forget that volume and loudness are 2 totally different things. The 5000 delivers a much softer signal than the SDC which sounds a lot more compressed and in your face. The SDC almost sounds to me like it has some type of auto gain control or dynamic compression built in as it can seem to boost and get louder when it finds target, from a very quiet and stable threshold.

A member here was using an external speaker and booster setup the other week where we were detecting (SDC) and I could here him pinging targets from a few hundred metres away.

Some people can have trouble hear subtle changes in tone and loudness or volume also.

 

[Marty]

A member here was using an external speaker and booster setup the other week where we were detecting (SDC) and I could here him pinging targets from a few hundred metres away.

Some people can have trouble hear subtle changes in tone and loudness or volume also.

A nothing thing I found Using the BnZ with the 2300 when the boost batteries are on there way out, I had to up the booster vol to 8 and I found that that point that I would miss out on some targets dont ask me how or why but when I fitted new batteries and set the booster back to 4 smaller targets just popped out all over the place

Something to look out for, when you can no longer get the targets @#4 change the batteries

Marty

 

[Twapster]

Hi Marty, Minelab only ever supplied the TD80's for a very short period. The standard has always been the UR-30.

My TD-80's are now a backup. I prefer the Sunray Pro Golds. They give a clearer response on faint signals, are more comfortable, and block out wind noise much better. I've actually bought a heap of headphones and done a comparison on about 9 different pairs. I'll post the results when I've written it all up.

I've been toying with the headphone vs external speakers for my F1A4 M2 and bit the bullet today and purchased the Numark Electrowave headphones http://www.numark.com/product/electrowave , while I decide on the single or double B&Z. I think I will go the double speakers.

Atleast if i'm not using the detector I can have a crack at being a home DJ! So thanks PhaseTech for your info on this topic so I could do a little research myself, will let you know how they perform.

 

[PhaseTech]

Can you clarify your question?

I would like a patch lead for underwater headphones that fit to my CTX , leave the plug as is but have a patch lead made so that the CTX underwater headphones can be used in a 1/4" jack plug
If that makes sense

Marty

So you'd want to plug in your waterproof headphones in say the wireless module? This is the only reason I can think of why you'd want to do this.

 

[PhaseTech]

Also don't forget that volume and loudness are 2 totally different things. The 5000 delivers a much softer signal than the SDC which sounds a lot more compressed and in your face. The SDC almost sounds to me like it has some type of auto gain control or dynamic compression built in as it can seem to boost and get louder when it finds target, from a very quiet and stable threshold.

A member here was using an external speaker and booster setup the other week where we were detecting (SDC) and I could here him pinging targets from a few hundred metres away.

Some people can have trouble hear subtle changes in tone and loudness or volume also.

Yes, I agree on the obvious targets, but the deep/fainter ones are still just as hard to pick up as on a GPX. It may be just coincidence but I have found more deeper targets with the SDC when using good headphones and low Sensitivity. Smooth threshold = you investigate more of the faint variations.

All this talk of digging faint signals is making me bust to get out there :|