About Sergei UpstateNY

Brief Info About Sergei UpstateNY: Metal Detecting Activities and Achievements since 1993

Sergei UpstateNY is the founder, designer, content writer, photographer and editor of MetalDetectingWorld.com. He has been an avid metaldetectorist since 1993, and a tester of metal detectors and accessories since 1998. His articles, tutorials and guides on metal detecting contain original content based on his own experience in metal detecting and treasure hunting, as well as his considerable experience in field-testing various mid-range and high-end metal detectors.

His main expertise is coin shooting, coin cluster hunting, non-ferrous relic hunting, coin cache and artifact cache hunting, as well as field-testing advanced metal detectors and accessories followed by writing reports for manufacturers. Any feedback is welcome!

• Nick name:
• Sergei UpstateNY
• Country of birth:
• U.S.S.R.
• Years of metal detecting:
• since 1993
• Metal detecting activities:
• Coin and Non-Ferrous Relic Hunting, Coin Cluster Hunting and Deep Coin Cache Hunting.

• Countries and Regions Visited with Metal Detectors:
  • in USA: New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, Indiana, North Carolina
  • in UK: Wyltshire
  • in Chile (South America): El Quisco on the Pacific Ocean coast line
  • in Russia: St. Petersburg (Leningrad) Region, Pskov Region, The Ural Mountains Region, Irkutsk Region in South-Eastern Siberia
  • in Estonia: North-Eastern Region
  • in Ukraine: Kievan Region, Chernigov Region

Testing Metal Detectors and Accessories

Where I test metal detectors:

1. In Real-Life Search Conditions

For initial learning and field-testing any unfamiliar metal detector, I use a search area the size of two football fields in a vast abandoned farm field that was deeply plowed in the distant past.

This former settlement site was hammered by local coin/relic hunters in the early 2000s. As soon as they cleaned this hunt site out of all good shallow signals, they stopped visiting this location. It has been forgotten by detectorists since then. However, various non-ferrous, coin-sized targets still lie throughout a plow layer of 20" (50 cm) thick, and larger objects are buried at greater depths.

The vast search area also contains several super trashy spots and numerous spots with man-made sporadic mineralization.

On one side, the entire search area is bordered by a large river which was one of the main trade routes in the region during the Medieval times.

Also, at some point on the river bank within the search area, there used to be a ferry landing in the 1930s. Thus, this place offers great opportunities for testing any advanced metal detector both on land and underwater.

Since I know the search conditions in this area well, it is much easier for me to experiment with the settings of an unfamiliar detector to learn their characteristics. And it takes me less time to create the optimal search programs to perform the various coin/relic hunting tasks in other hunt sites where I just fine-tune my programs.

2. In Controlled Test Conditions

1) 100-Target Test Garden - I use it not only for a quick familiarization with the audio, features, functions and search modes of any metal detector that I get my hands on, but also to confirm or refute its abilities claimed by the manufacturer. Most importantly, this multi-target test garden, which also includes a dozen customizable test setups, helps me discover hidden capabilities of the latest technology metal detectors.

For some strange reason, such capabilities are never mentioned in user manuals, books, blogs or YouTube videos. Whatever outstanding capabilities I discover in any advanced machine, I then use them accordingly to create the most effective search programs for specific targets, metal detection tasks or search conditions. And my test garden helps me hone my search programs greatly.

The only challenge in keeping such an extensive test plot intact is the activity of moles who sometimes dig tunnels through my target-seeded test spots and push my coins, relics, or even rusty nails into their tunnels. It's funny, but I have to adjust the positions of the target samples at one or two test spots every month during the summer.

2) 8 Test-Pits Strip with 8 dug pits, each measuring 27" x 27" x 27" (70 cm x 70 cm x 70 cm). The main purpose of these pits is to test specific targets that are not included in my test garden. I sometimes use test pits to experiment with the settings of any modern metal detector and to compare the performance of two or more competing detectors, just like in my test garden.

Each pit features several reinforced depth slots in one wall for inserting plastic slats with sample targets attached. This allows me to simulate various situations of positioning one or more targets in the ground that typically exist in real search areas.

The key factor here is the presence of ground mineralization between the coil and the target sample(s). Of course, the absence of long-established "halos" around target-samples eliminates halo effects from the process; thus, only bringing the test conditions closer to the real conditions typically encountered during searches.

Nevertheless, the advantage of using such a test plot configuration is that not only I can control the environment various detectors will be tested in, but also to quickly see which detectors will or will not penetrate deep enough into the ground and at what depth.

At least besides ground minerals - the main obstacle to detecting metal, other variables that affect depth penetration and target separation are included in the testing process: target surface area, target angle, proximity of iron trash, moisture content, target defects, and target surface textures. And I can easily manipulate most of them to determine the strengths and weaknesses of any metal detector being tested.

Manufacturers Who Sent Me Free Metal Detectors and Accessories to Test and Review:

• Nokta (1 detector + pinpointer)
• Fisher (1 detector + pinpointer)
• Teknetics (2 detectors + pinpointer)
• XP (2 detectors + pinpointer)
• Minelab (2 detectors)
• White's (4 detectors)
• Makro (1 detector)
• Detech (1 detector)
• Gold Fish (1 detector)
• Mars MD (6 search coils for 3 different detectors)

METAL DETECTORS That I Have Used Before and Use Now

Here is a list of metal detectors I have used since 1993. Some of these machines were so advanced for their time that they became legendary. As technology continually evolves to adapt to the changing reality of metal detection, new advanced detectors regularly come onto the market and set new standards in the metal detection industry.

Metal detectors that are in my arsenal today:

• Nokta The Legend (May 2023 - present) has become my go to detector because it outperforms the XP Deus 1 in all search conditions, the Minelab Equinox 900 in low to moderate iron trash areas and the XP Deus 2 in super trashy areas in my locale. The Deus 2 cannot compete with the Legend in such areas because the Deus 2 does not have the optional 6" and 6x9" 'sniper' coils that are available for the Legend. In less challenging search conditions, the Legend is on par with the XP Deus 2.

Since I have 4 optional search coils for the Nokta Legend metal detector, I now effectively use it for all my metal detecting tasks. For this reason, all other metal detectors on this list have been retired.

After field-testing and experimenting with the Nokta Legend intensively for over a year, I can assure you that you will not be disappointed if you arm yourself with this machine to detect coins and relics at previously 'hammered' hunt sites.

I am currently working on a 20-page, in-depth write-up on the Nokta Legend metal detector based on the results of testing and exerimenting with this machine in my test garden and various hunt sites. My write-up will cover the Nokta Legend's amazing capabilities, some of which are not mentioned in the user manual, its advantages (over its more expensive multi-frequency rivals), and what it takes to use the Legend to its full potential (e.g. finding more coins/relics in iron-infested and/or 'searched out' hunt sites).

My other articles with how-to's and specific combinations of settings for effective Target Separation, Coin Unmasking, Deep Coin Hunting and Deep Coin Cache Hunting will be compiled in a special section dedicated to this detector. Specifications, picture, price, and my in-depth review of the Nokta Legend metal detector can be found on this page - Nokta The Legend reviews

• XP Deus v2.0-v5.2 (2012 - 2023) - This two-page article/review covers the advantages and disadvantages of the XP Deus fully wireless metal detector which appeared on the market in 2009. My girlfriend and I began using the XP Deus units in 2012. After trying different versions of the Deus firmware under various challenging conditions and having terrible mishaps with most of them, I finally settled on the firmware version v4.1 for myself and v3.2 for my girlfriend. My second detailed review covering some aspects of the v4.0 and v4.1 versions is posted on my 'XP Deus Reviews' Page.

With the addition of the Nokta Legend to my arsenal, I stopped using the Deus v4.1 because the Legend, with its multi-frequency technology and more advanced Tonal Discrimination, proved its absolute superiority over the Deus. My girlfriend still uses the Deus v3.2 sometimes, mainly because of its featherlight weight.

After field-testing, experimenting and treasure hunting with the Deus for 11 years, I have accumulated enough hands-on knowledge of this detector to write 16+ articles, including tutorials and guides, that have helped many Deus users around the world learn and understand the Deus 1 or Deus 2. If you are a beginner Deus user, you can quickly learn a lot from my write-ups on the Deus all compiled in this directory: Articles on XP Deus and Accessories

• Teknetics T2+ (2019 - present) - This review page contains specifications, picture, price, and reviews from real users of the Teknetics T2+ (now T2 Ltd) mid-range single-frequency metal detector.

After experimenting with and testing the T2+ for two seasons, I can state with full responsibility that this is the most capable and versatile metal detector among all single-frequency MID-RANGE metal detectors on the market today. The fantastic combination of algorithms in the T2+ platform, extended 'iron' range on the Target ID scale, the super-fast interface allowing quick switching between modes, availability of 3 optional searchcoils - 6 x 10" DD 'sniper', 13" DD and 15" DD, the relatively fast, deep seeking 'bP' ('Boost Process') mode, and the reactive 'All-Metal' mode allows the user to easily implement many detecting tricks used by professionals.

If this metal detector were as ultra-light as the XP Deus, it would be my girlfriend's "workhorse". For now, the T2+ is her primary backup, used when the long-expired batteries of her old Deus v.3.2 suddenly die during a hunt. By the way, the battery life of the four AA batteries that power the T2+ is over 40 hours when using the headphones - which is rare in modern metal detectors.

As of 2024, the latest Teknetics flagship is the Teknetics T2 Ltd (it also goes by the name T2 SE). It is essentially the same T2+, except for the color (black) and the addition of the Digital Shield Technology (DST) function and a few advanced search modes.

• Teknetics G2+ (2019 - present) - This review page contains specifications, picture, price, and reviews from real users of the Teknetics G2+ mid-range single-frequency metal detector.

This machine joined my arsenal of metal detectors as a second reliable back-up for my girlfriend, allowing her to detect "difficult" targets such as small, low-conductive coins and non-ferrous relics at trashy sites. This is because of the G2+'s relatively fast 'All-Metal' mode (same as that of the T2+) used in conjunction with a 6 x 10" DD 'sniper' searchcoil. The G2+ also has other optional coils: 13" DD and 15" DD.

Although the manufacturer claims G2+ to be a gold-nugget-hunting detector, its operating frequency of 19 kHz is only appropriate for detecting gold nuggets larger than a bird shot.

• Fisher F75+ (2019-2021) - This review page contains specifications, picture, price, and reviews from real users of the Fisher F75+ mid-range single-frequency metal detector.

In my local search conditions, the F75+ proved to be efficient at super trashy sites where it could separate good and bad signals in the 'FA' mode when equipped with the 6 x 10" DD 'sniper' searchcoil. Equipped with the stock 7x11" DD or 13" DD searchcoil, the F75+ shined at hunt sites with zero to moderate iron junk content where it was possible to detect "fringe" coins and non-ferrous relics ( in the 'bP' or 'CL' mode).

And equipped with the 13" DD or 15" DD searchcoil, the Fisher F75+ was unrivaled in searching for deep large coin caches (in 'Motion All-Metal mode). Those were search situations when I enjoyed using this detector regarding the results.

The unexpected happened at the end of the second season of field testing and using the F75+. The rotary knob of the F75+ interface started to malfunction, i.e. the knob did not change the parameters of the selected functions or modes during infinite rotation.

Lightning-fast switching between modes ended up being a time-consuming and annoying attempt to get the knob to work. Because it was impossible for me to find a replacement for the broken mechanical potentiometer, I eventually gave up using the F75+ for coin and relic hunting except when searching for deep coin caches.

• Pulse Star II Pro (2006-present)
This PI deep seeker is my current tool for specific projects such as locating deep, sizable ferrous and non-ferrous "items".

• Metal detectors that are no longer in my arsenal:
  • Minelab E-Trac (2009-2012)
    Although this detector brought me lots of metal detecting fun and great finds, I could not swing a 2-kg unit on a regular basis for longer than 12 years (total time I spent with E-Trac, Explorer II, Explorer II Pro and Explorer XS detectors). If it was not for its heavy weight and cumbersome design, I would probably continue using it for some challenging coin/relic hunting situations.
  • Minelab Explorer XS (2000-2006; see Minelab Explorer II below)
    This was the first model in the Explorer series. When it came along with Y2K, it changed the game in the fields forever even though it was the heaviest machine of all. For a few years of using the XS, I kept turning a blind eye to the heavy-weight issue because it was well compensated by many great finds.
  • Minelab Explorer II (2006-2009)
    As the second model in the Explorer series, the Explorer II had a better balanced body than that of the XS, but did not perform as well as the XS. And its weight of 4.8 lbs was killing my arm.
  • Garrett Ace 250 (one-day successful usage)
    This unit is not for serious detecting but one can have some fun with it under favorable conditions!
  • XP GoldMaxx Power (2009-2012)
    This machine made my girlfriend a star among local treasure hunters in the early 2010s. With the GMP, she would beat everybody in the number of finds on every hunt!
  • White's Spectrum XLT (1995-2002)
    I can not believe that this "hit of the 1990s" is still one of the most effective machines today! With the XLT, I learnt a lot about metal detecting back in the day.
  • Tesoro Cortes (2001-2015)
    This was my trophy at a competition hunt and, for many years afterwards, it served me well as an excellent backup. And my friends and relatives coming along to my hunts enjoyed using the Cortes for its reliability and simplicity. One guy who bought this detector from me for his wife in the mid 2010s recently told me that, since then, his wife has been so in love with this detector that she does not want to use anything else! Tesoro always meant quality, and no other md manufacturer could beat the Tesoro's lifetime warranty!.. Too bad that Tesoro went extinct. :(
  • White's Goldmaster GMT (1998)
    I tried this gold detector at the gold-bearing banks of Santiago River in Chile, South America. It was an unsuccessful experience because I had not had enough time to learn this machine well before using it in real search conditions. But once I found gold nuggets using the old-timer's method of gold panning, I completely given up on electronic gold prospecting on the river banks due to my overwhelming "gold-rush" excitement.
  • White's Treasure Master TM-808 (it was retired after field testing)
    This 2-coil, deep seeking VLF detector found metal objects the size of an ax head, buried only at the relatively shallow depth of 20 inches (50 cm) for such objects. The reason for such a poor performance was the strong influence of ground mineralization on the detector's depth penetration range. This is also why it is hard to fine-tune this detector in search areas with variable ground mineralization. In moderately mineralized soils, this detector will detect ax heads at greater depths, but do not expect the same incredible depths as with Pulse Induction (PI) deep seekers.
  • Fisher Gemini II
    I borrowed this machine to test it for a week from a WW2 military relic hunter. This 2-box, deep seeking VLF detector did a better job than the White's Treasure Master TM-808 due to the Fisher's more efficient 2-box design. This detector was capable of finding steel helmets, rifle and machine gun barrels, metal ammunition boxes, small field artillery pieces, and large pieces of armor up to 5 feet (1.5 m) deep. Such impressive performance is the reason why this detector has been very popular among the WWII relic hunters for years. But it is not efficient for coin cache hunting due to being susceptible to effects of ground mineralization.
  • Detech EDS Plus II (after field testing, I put it in the closet where I still have it)
    This Bulgarian-made detector did a good job at hunt sites with little or no junk. On sites littered with iron trash, this detector was useless.
  • Barracuda PI (I used it for surf wading off the Atlantic Ocean beach a few times)
    This is one of those great early Pulse Induction machines used for surf wading and underwater treasure hunting. Too bad such simple and reliable machines are no longer made.
  • Gold Fish 2 Pro (it was retired after field testing)
    This is a poor imitation of the Pulse Star II Pro deep seeker (see above). You could still detect some deep targets with the Gold Fish 2 Pro, but without the luxury of using some advanced key-features that make a big difference.
  • Makro JeoHunter (it was retired after field testing)
    This apparatus was simply a joke. Makro sent it to me as a compensation for the unlawful use of my content. I tried to use the JeoHunter as long as I could tolerate a ton of inconveniences caused by flaws of this outdated VLF detector. As my tolerance quickly disappeared, I gave this troublesome device away to searchers for wartime relics. These detectorists usually hunt in teams, and it would not be a problem for two enthusiasts to manually ground balance such a cumbersome device equipped with a super heavy, large search coil, and then carry it around.
  • Garrett Grand Master Hunter CX-II (1993-1996)
    This was my first metal detector. It is hard to imagine using it now, but it got me addicted to the hobby!

If you would like to read other users' reviews on metal detectors listed above, please visit my Metal Detector Reviews page.

• ELECTRONIC PINPOINTERS That I Have Used Before and Use Now:

  

  • Teknetics Tek-Point (my current "workhorse")
    This and another cutting-edge pinpointer - Fisher F-Pulse, made me put all my other electronic pinpointers on the shelf in 2019. I have used the Tek-Point intensively since then. I also field-tested it against several competitive units present on the today's market, and, in terms of efficiency and functionality, this PI pinpointer of the conventional type outperformed all the VLF and other PI models tested.
    The only pinpointer that matches the Tek-Point in performance is its "twin brother" - Fisher F-Pulse, listed below. These two devices differ only in name and color. I do not know why, but I prefer the Tek-Point. Maybe because of its 'electric green' color that keeps me calm when I spot a silver coin in a pile of dug dirt. :)
    The link above will take you to the reviews page that includes the Teknetics Tek-Point's specifications, image, price and reviews from other users.
  • Fisher F-Pulse (my girlfriend's "workhorse")
    This is another capable electronic pinpointer in my arsenal, that, just like the Teknetics Tek-Point model, surprised me during field-testing not only as a target-locating tool, but also as a mini-detector.
    The link above will take you to the reviews page that includes the Fisher F-Pulse's specifications, image, price and reviews from other users.
  • Nokta Makro PulseDive
    This is another very useful pinpointer in my arsenal because it is not just an electronic probe, but also a real mini metal detector when equipped with either of two Mono search coils - 5.5" and 8". Each of these two 'sniper' coils allows me to easily use the mini-detector in narrow, confined spaces where the desired targets are expected.
    Like the Teknetics Tek-Point and Fisher F-Pulse, the Nokta Makro PulseDive features powerful Pulse Induction technology that allows me to effectively locate and extract 'coin clusters' in any type of soil.
    The link above will take you to the reviews page that includes the Nokta Makro PulseDive's specifications, image, price and reviews from other users.
  • Garrett Pro-Point (retired after 900k years of intensive usage)
    This was certainly the most ergonomic and practical pinpointer of its time (late 2000s). I used it for many years until the best representatives of a new, 'breaking new ground' class of Conventional PI pinpointers (two units listed above) appeared on the market in 2018/2019. The link above will take you to the reviews page that includes the Garrett Pro-Point's specifications, image, price and reviews from other users.
  • XP Mi-6 (retired right after several field-testing outings)
    Using this pinpointer was probllematic for me because the On/OFF button is too small to feel and press with gloved finger. Not to mention that this button is on the wrong side of the device! For all details, see the page linked above.
  • PRO-Point II (the second generation)
    This was my first pinpointer in the early 1990s (and I still have it!), but using it in deep woods was impractical for me because, like all electronic pinpointers of that time, this one was not designed to increase one's time efficiency in the field (or in the woods). The early pinpointers and probes like this one were specifically designed for use only on manicured loans to avoid damaging the grass while very carefully extracting coins.
• Articles Published in Paper Magazines:
  • "From Russia... With Relics", "American Digger" magazine, Vol. 3, Issue 4, July - August 2007, pages 27-30
  • "Searching The Obvious" in "Lost Treasure" magazine, page 26, December 1998 issue
  • "Exploring 'White Spots' In Winter" in "Western and Eastern Treasures" magazine, May 1998 issue
  • "The Art Of Treasure Hunting", "Western and Eastern Treasures" magazine, "The Best Finds of 1997" issue, January 1998 issue
  • "New York Cache Uncovered", "Treasure!" - White's Electronics gazette, Christmas 1997 Edition
• Photos Published:
  • Cover photos in "Western and Eastern Treasures" issues of March and December of 1998
  • Cover photo in "Lost Treasure" issues of January and December of 1998
  • Photo of Silver Coins Cache (recovered in Upstate New York) in the White's Electronics gazette, Christmas 1997 Edition
  • Inclusion of my photographs of finds in some popular books on metal detecting.
• Participation in Competition Hunts:
  • C.A.S.H. BASH Competition Hunt, Connecticut, October 2005
  • C.A.S.H. BASH Competition Hunt, Connecticut, October 2003
  • Empire State Metal Detectors Association Club Hunt, New York, September 2003
  • South Jersey Club Hunt, , New Jersey, September 2003
  • C.A.S.H. BASH Competition Hunt, Connecticut, October 2002
  • Empire State Metal Detectors Association Club Hunt, New York, September 2002
  • Mid-Atlantic Chapter Competition Hunt, New Jersey, September 2002
  • Ulster County Metal Detecting Club Hunt, New York, September 1996
• Activities Related to Treasure Hunting:
  • Presentation on Metal Detecting Hammered Silver Coins and Medieval Relics in Western Russia at the club meeting of the Empire State Metal Detector Association in Latham, New York, July 2014.
  • Presentation on my Treasure Hunting trip to Russia at the Nursing Home of St. Joseph Church in Latham, New York, 2002.
  • Gold panning in South America, 1998
  • Technical consulting during the production of a documentary "Looking for Dutch", a movie about a legendary treasure hidden by a renowned New York City gangster Dutch Schultz in Upstate New York, 1997.
• Official Achievements:
• Placement into the Guinness Book Of Records (since 2002) for earning the title of the world's fastest metal detectorist in the US for finding 20 pre-buried tokens within a 30 minute time limit during "Jeremiah Burr`s - Cash Bash 2002" organized by the National Metal Detecting Leagues (NMDL). I am still holding that record (page 83 of the 2008 edition of the Guinness World Records Book).

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