Garrett ATX Information and Questions

[joe]

I'm tempted this Sunday to give it another good workout with a video. As I said found everything else with ATX other than nug. Hopefully soon so I can celebrate the christening

 

[WalnLiz]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you Joe, and best of luck out there mate. Stay safe in that heat.

Cheers Wal.

 

[joe]

Thanks Wal, talking about heat - just came back from outside the carport and my cat was munching on a baby tiger snake , second in less than 24 hours. I take it the bush is going to be worse.

 

[WalnLiz]

You need to take that cat out to GG and it may help eliminate the leach problem... Keep your eyes firmly plastered to the ground mate.

Cheers Wal.

 

[Heatho]

Wal, are you doing any testing with the mono coils or just the standard DD?

 

[kleinman98]

I finally got my deepseeker package so as long as it isnt too hot I might test it out around Hargraves with my brother sometime next week.

 

[WalnLiz]

Wal, are you doing any testing with the mono coils or just the standard DD?

Testing both mate.

Cheers Wal.

 

[Alex G]

Hello all .I just joined the forum and firstly will introduce myself. My name is Ross and I hail from W.A.Was reading posts re the ATX and thought I would fill you all in on what I think after talking and reading all I could find about them.I looked for tests that were done by blokes from Aus with no ties to retailers or Garrett. Also read a lot from U.S as they have been out there for a while now.
I purchased mine last week from a business in W.A and I must say I am very happy with the deal I got.Still have to wait for deepseek pack but it's on the way.
They seem to me to be very sturdy and fairly well made but, a bit heavy if you were to carry them around for to long even with the supplied sholder harness fitted.I am looking at minelab pro swing but have been told Garrett are making one so will wait and see
Seem to be very easy to opperate with controll at finger tips and audio is good (even for someone like me who has to be fitted with two hearing aide in a couple of weeks)
Have only mucked around in the yard a few time as to hot to get dinkim in the field.I am tossing up between the Garrtee 5" coil or the infinium DD as a small coil but will wait and see when my deep pack comes and i can try it out in the firld.
There are a couple of little nitches I have found in it and though not serious' none the less they are there (1) When the skid plate is fitted you cannot tie the coil end into the soft case when the machine is put in as shown and if you turn it upside down the belt will slip undone no matter what you do.I have cut the belt off and will get someone to sew a strap from one side of the case to the other and (in the bottom of the case) that way I will be able to secure all the Garrett coils with the detector facing up or down.Another thing is the coil keeps creeping up from square to the ground and I have found the only way to stop it is to get it set with the screw loose then tightn it ,but don't over do it (it's only plastis in plastic)Think I have gabbeled enough for now so will see you all later

Hi there,
My coil screw snapped after 5 minutes.Every time I ground balance and in gold fields you will do it often,coil never stayed parallel with the ground.Take it from a mechanic,if there no washer in between,materials will eventually "grab" and snap.I like things tight and tight it is now.I went to screw place in Abeckett street in Melbourne and got new nylon screw with nylon washer.It made bracket tight enough no matter how hard you ride-coil is solid.And I can go tighter if needed.Nylon washer- I guess that would of pushed Garrett over their budget.

Another issue I have(my machine is 4 months old now):Battery cover o-rings swell up and caps no longer go back in the holes.I don't know if it's wrong lubricant on o-rings but the fact is its a real problem.I contacted Garrett Qld and waiting for the reply but from previous experience my gut tells me to get some o-rings from down the road.

And last issue: I have been waiting for deepseeker coil 4 months now.And from Garrett US to QLD dealer,they only promise.I call them regularly.I tried more than 10 US suppliers because I can get nowhere in Australia and no one will ship here because of Garrett new policy.Prospectors Patch have promised as soon as they get it but like I said it has been 4 months.Those coils are 500$ in US and 800+ here?I am sorry,I won't wait no more and will get one using family in US.

For those of you that like customer service like me think twice before you go Garrett.

 

[WalnLiz]

Hear where you're coming from mate, and have had numerous similar reports from all over the country. Not a good look for the Australian agent and it's the sort of frustrations that we can all do without.

From personal experience with the machine itself, (and I "was" thinking of purchasing one), that thought has certainly been put behind me now, and unfortunately many will find it is not the value for money initially hoped for.

Good "luck" with it mate....as I think you will need "luck" on your side.

Cheers Wal

 

[Ben78]

I spent a bit of time with one today. I reckon there must have been something wrong with it. Ground Balanced fine. Not a buggerys chance in hell was it detecting a 0.17g nugget. A vial with a gram of bits left the GPX positively screaming, barest of murmur from the ATX.

Disappointing, I was hoping this was gonna turn out to match the hype...

 

[Guest]

I spent a bit of time with one today. I reckon there must have been something wrong with it. Ground Balanced fine. Not a buggerys chance in hell was it detecting a 0.17g nugget. A vial with a gram of bits left the GPX positively screaming, barest of murmur from the ATX.

Disappointing, I was hoping this was gonna turn out to match the hype...

HI Ben, where the coils on both machines identical?

Would be awesome to show a video via Youtube of your experiences or for that matter anyone else's.

 

[dave14110]

Hmm, I was going to get the Minelab CTX then Garrett released the ATX, So I have waited to see the reports on ATX. With the reports of poor service as in waiting for coils that were part of Original package. The bad reports of floppy Coils due to a simple bolt. the fact that we have inconsistent reports on it handling some saying it's great others saying it isn't any good on mineralized ground. Problem is who do you believe. I won't be buying an ATX. Thanks all for reports on poor service by Garrett to Australia.
I have heard the states have a similar issue with minelab service but it is not an issue for us living in Australia as they have been super quick for me within 14 day send to return.

 

[Ben78]

HI Ben, where the coils on both machines identical?

Would be awesome to show a video via Youtube of your experiences or for that matter anyone else's.

ATX had the stock DD, GPX had the Commander 11" DD - about as closely matched in coils as you can get.

I don't have an external speaker on my GPX so would have been not very useful to take a video.

 

[joe]

Just posted some footage detecting with ATX

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=54173#p54173

 

[Alex G]

Hear where you're coming from mate, and have had numerous similar reports from all over the country. Not a good look for the Australian agent and it's the sort of frustrations that we can all do without.

From personal experience with the machine itself, (and I "was" thinking of purchasing one), that thought has certainly been put behind me now, and unfortunately many will find it is not the value for money initially hoped for.

Good "luck" with it mate....as I think you will need "luck" on your side.

Cheers Wal

Hi mate,Thanks.
Overall it's a good,compact unit and it does perform well in gold field.
Anything less than 0,2g is a bit of a challenge for ATX unless it sitting right at the top.
I wish Garrett would stop pouring honey on how everything is sensational and great and a little more prepared to deal with issues when they arise.If people are to spend this type of $ the least they can do is reply to an email.
I won't give up until I get my hands on big coil and see if it was worth waiting for.

Regards
Alex from Melbourne

 

[Alex G]

Hmm, I was going to get the Minelab CTX then Garrett released the ATX, So I have waited to see the reports on ATX. With the reports of poor service as in waiting for coils that were part of Original package. The bad reports of floppy Coils due to a simple bolt. the fact that we have inconsistent reports on it handling some saying it's great others saying it isn't any good on mineralized ground. Problem is who do you believe. I won't be buying an ATX. Thanks all for reports on poor service by Garrett to Australia.
I have heard the states have a similar issue with minelab service but it is not an issue for us living in Australia as they have been super quick for me within 14 day send to return.

They might get better when it picks up.
On the other hand it will only get busier so they will never catch up.

 

[WalnLiz]

Hear where you're coming from mate, and have had numerous similar reports from all over the country. Not a good look for the Australian agent and it's the sort of frustrations that we can all do without.

From personal experience with the machine itself, (and I "was" thinking of purchasing one), that thought has certainly been put behind me now, and unfortunately many will find it is not the value for money initially hoped for.

Good "luck" with it mate....as I think you will need "luck" on your side.

Cheers Wal

Hi mate,Thanks.
Overall it's a good,compact unit and it does perform well in gold field.
Anything less than 0,2g is a bit of a challenge for ATX unless it sitting right at the top.
I wish Garrett would stop pouring honey on how everything is sensational and great and a little more prepared to deal with issues when they arise.If people are to spend this type of $ the least they can do is reply to an email.
I won't give up until I get my hands on big coil and see if it was worth waiting for.

Regards
Alex from Melbourne

Been testing the big mono Alex. Can i suggest if you haven't already purchased it to try and hire or borrow one for a day. Don't want to dampen your spirits...but i think you may be disappoited if you're chasing gold with it.

I'd stick to the 11"" DD, as you'd need to be built like a weight lifter to handle the big coil for more than an hour at a time....unless you build yourself some sort of harness better than the bungy supplied.

Cheers Wal.

 

[Alfie]

Hi all just wanted to know if anybody has used a garrett ATX under water and how it went? Thanks

 

[Pete_The_Prospector]

Has anyone had an ATX out in the goldfields yet?
All the talk about them seems to have died :/

 

[joe]

I have Pete, few times - the last trip was with Wal. No complaints so far, just because I haven't pulled out a nugget with it doesn't mean anything bad. Time will tell