Okay so I've been using the SDC for a while now, so feel I'm somewhat qualified to do a pro/con list for anyone who is considering buying one.
Cons:
1. The armrest in stock form is a bit of a pain, particularly when wearing extra clothing. But, it is very easily solved by getting Black Al's cover, and / or buying a black plastic Minelab armrest and neoprene cover. http://youtu.be/yu42XhTt-Gg
2. It can have a tendancy to not want to sit still when recovering a target, but just get into a habit of flattening the coil and you'll have no dramas. You have to flatten the coil flat on the ground anyway so you can sweep your scoop over it, so it's really a non issue
3. The lack of controls! For some, they would see this as a positive, but for a long time GPX user it has taken some getting used to. Try telling a GPX5000 user that you will take away Motion, Stabilizer, Tone, Signal etc. However, to be honest, I have found myself concentrating a bit more on technique and listening and less time making small tweaks
4. No ability to connect your own preferred headphones or booster - this is soon to change
5. No discrim. The SDC handles wet beaches so well, it's a shame there isn't at least a simple Iron Reject mode. So if you want to give it a crack finding jewellery on the beaches, you'll just have to dig everything.
Pros:
1. Shaft collapses to easily put it behind the car seat, or fully fold it down to slip it in a backpack
2. C Cell batteries. For some this is a turnoff, but I think C Cells are a perfect match for the SDC. AA cells wouldn't give a long enough run time, and D cells would make it heavy. The unit is supplied with rechargeables and if you want a second set of batteries you're looking at about $50-$70. This is much cheaper than buying a second GPX battery!
3. The lack of controls. Yes, this is also in the Cons list, but that is very personal. For most people, particularly newbies to the hobby, simplicity is everything. There is enough to remember when it comes to gold detecting already - the last thing a newbie needs is to worry about his/her detector settings.
4. Signal - noise ratio. The SDC doesn't have the smoothest threshold ever, but it also doesn't react to much other than metallic targets. The signal response stands out so well, that even a person using a detector for the first time ever will very quickly learn what the "dig me" signals are.
5. Performance Niche = Gold
Well the SDC picks up VLF gold in PI soils, enough said. Or put it this way. For years, everyone has always stated how VLFs pick up the tiny stuff PI's miss, right? Yes, but after taking the SDC to a spot literally pounded for the last 15 yrs with every detector under the sun and finding over 30 targets I ask myself: "How much have the VLF's missed?"
6. Waterproof. Not that I can see myself taking the unit underwater anytime soon, it's good to know that when it starts bucketing down I can just stand there and take it, and I know my detector is nice and safe.
7. Coil is rock solid. The coil is like a sniffer dog leading you to the next nugget. The way it sticks forward allows you to get it under logs and bushes. It does mean you occasionally have to tap it back into position depending on the terrain, so make sure you wear no-metal shoes.
8. Results. Yep a pro-con list is meaningless unless the thing can actually find gold. And I can honestly say I've never found gold so consistently in the Adelaide Hills before. The SDC (touch wood) has a 100% strike rate so far. When I'm done taking it to my old patches (this won't be for a while yet) I'll be using it for what it was designed for and that is a patch hunter, knowing that if there's any gold there I'll have a very good chance of hitting it.
Nenad
Cons:
1. The armrest in stock form is a bit of a pain, particularly when wearing extra clothing. But, it is very easily solved by getting Black Al's cover, and / or buying a black plastic Minelab armrest and neoprene cover. http://youtu.be/yu42XhTt-Gg
2. It can have a tendancy to not want to sit still when recovering a target, but just get into a habit of flattening the coil and you'll have no dramas. You have to flatten the coil flat on the ground anyway so you can sweep your scoop over it, so it's really a non issue
3. The lack of controls! For some, they would see this as a positive, but for a long time GPX user it has taken some getting used to. Try telling a GPX5000 user that you will take away Motion, Stabilizer, Tone, Signal etc. However, to be honest, I have found myself concentrating a bit more on technique and listening and less time making small tweaks
4. No ability to connect your own preferred headphones or booster - this is soon to change
5. No discrim. The SDC handles wet beaches so well, it's a shame there isn't at least a simple Iron Reject mode. So if you want to give it a crack finding jewellery on the beaches, you'll just have to dig everything.
Pros:
1. Shaft collapses to easily put it behind the car seat, or fully fold it down to slip it in a backpack
2. C Cell batteries. For some this is a turnoff, but I think C Cells are a perfect match for the SDC. AA cells wouldn't give a long enough run time, and D cells would make it heavy. The unit is supplied with rechargeables and if you want a second set of batteries you're looking at about $50-$70. This is much cheaper than buying a second GPX battery!
3. The lack of controls. Yes, this is also in the Cons list, but that is very personal. For most people, particularly newbies to the hobby, simplicity is everything. There is enough to remember when it comes to gold detecting already - the last thing a newbie needs is to worry about his/her detector settings.
4. Signal - noise ratio. The SDC doesn't have the smoothest threshold ever, but it also doesn't react to much other than metallic targets. The signal response stands out so well, that even a person using a detector for the first time ever will very quickly learn what the "dig me" signals are.
5. Performance Niche = Gold
Well the SDC picks up VLF gold in PI soils, enough said. Or put it this way. For years, everyone has always stated how VLFs pick up the tiny stuff PI's miss, right? Yes, but after taking the SDC to a spot literally pounded for the last 15 yrs with every detector under the sun and finding over 30 targets I ask myself: "How much have the VLF's missed?"
6. Waterproof. Not that I can see myself taking the unit underwater anytime soon, it's good to know that when it starts bucketing down I can just stand there and take it, and I know my detector is nice and safe.
7. Coil is rock solid. The coil is like a sniffer dog leading you to the next nugget. The way it sticks forward allows you to get it under logs and bushes. It does mean you occasionally have to tap it back into position depending on the terrain, so make sure you wear no-metal shoes.
8. Results. Yep a pro-con list is meaningless unless the thing can actually find gold. And I can honestly say I've never found gold so consistently in the Adelaide Hills before. The SDC (touch wood) has a 100% strike rate so far. When I'm done taking it to my old patches (this won't be for a while yet) I'll be using it for what it was designed for and that is a patch hunter, knowing that if there's any gold there I'll have a very good chance of hitting it.
Nenad
