Vertex Adroit

[Mike(Mont)]

I had a hard time posting this but you can see (in post #60) the far right diagram shows the main unit parallel with the original line. The antenna is angled towards the target and that is how they calculate the distance by that angle. The part I don’t like too much is you have to let the antenna swing and aim at the target. I consider this a bit of a weak link. There is no vibrator or tone to show you have the correct line, At least that’s what happens with my fresh-dropped small test target. Hopefully a long-time buried target will be more pronounced and have strong lock-on. As I said you can get around this by marking the original line (which gives a tone and vibration when aimed at the target) then move over a ways and get a new line then you you have the intersection of the two lines. No depending on a free swinging rod this way. But really, that’s not a big issue for me but I can imagine some people might have more difficulty.

[Mike(Mont)]

You can go https://vertexdetectors.com and scroll down near the bottom of the page for the Adroit manuals in several different languages.

[Mike(Mont)]

Like in post #52 in the manual mode MDRI I place the Adroit on the ground with antenna pointing up and let it sit there for two or three minutes, then I circle it with L-rods and find the signal line to my test target. It is easier and more accurate for me this way compared to just following where the antenna points in the handheld configuration. I can only assume any other frequency generator handheld rod will work the same way. There is just something about walking across the signal line—that is the best discrimination.

[Mike(Mont)]

I tried my diamond powder with the unit set on the ground. It worked. I saw a video somebody said it doesn’t pick up diamonds only the dirt they are found it. I think they got that idea from a different locator because I saw that somewhere else. You know diamonds hit hard.

[Mike(Mont)]

Oh, I keep learning! I just found out in the automatic mode ADRI when it goes into tracking mode it vibrates and gives a tone when aimed at the target. I guess it has to be a long-time buried target to give these indications. So I have some digging to do when the ground thaws.

in previous attempts I must not have had a good target to track because I don’t recall getting these indications. So I guess I will find out here in a few weeks.

I’ve been getting more comfortable using this device. I looked at the log and it says I have over one day (24 hours) on the device. I guess I spent about ten hours just practicing the sweep technique on fresh-dropped targets in the manual mode MDRI. My confidence level is up. I spent countless hours with L-rods but this device is just not quite the same feel. I felt awkward with it but I’m doing better now. There at the beginning I was about to give up on it. So if you get one just persevere.

I’ve been researching other similar locators. I really haven’t found anything that looks to be significantly better and they all are higher priced—some by several thousand dollars more without much extra.

I will say wind is a big enemy. It’s windy here during the Winter months. And any warm day is especially windy what we have the Chinook Winds. Air flows over the mountains and heats as it is compressed as it drops. Some areas are worse than others. Patience is not one of my good qualities. Now that think about it I’m not sure I have any good qualities LOL Maybe stubborn is a good quality? I’m not quitting.

[Mike(Mont)]

I’m trying to think what changed to get the antenna to come more alive. I guess I was watching it too closely in the beginning. After a time my muscle memory must have taken over so I no longer have to think about it consciously. As I said, it was awkward and stiff at first for quite a few hours. I have to believe practicing the sweep in MDRI mode helped me over the hump. I didn’t have much hope there for quite a while. There was a definite learning curve for me but I got through it. So I’ll say again, stick with it and eventually you will get to where you no
longer have to consciously control the antenna, you just do it.

Also I sent in a few more questions to the factory about the RMS mode so I hope to hear back from them soon.

[Mike(Mont)]

I got a reply from the factory yesterday morning but they did not answer my questions about the RMS mode. I don’t know what happened, possibly the salesman sent my questions to the technician and he had replied yet. What they did answer was to do with the ADRI automatic mode saying you are supposed to walk in the direction of the suspected target area during the first stage where it scans through the 14 different frequencies. I have not been walking because my yard where I practice is not big enough. So I hope to a bigger area soon. I know from past experience I do not like digging in frozen ground. Some areas have thawed a bit in full sunshine but shaded areas are still frozen.

[Mike(Mont)]

We have cold weather and snow on the ground so I was practicing indoors. I turned the distance power up to 1000 meters and depth to 10 meters because I figured more power makes a stronger signal, but what I found was at close range the signal did not hit the target. I turned the power down to the lowest level and boom! I hit the target right on. I recall reading that high power is not as accurate. But for long range it’s best to use high power at first then lower the power as you get near the target.

[Mike(Mont)]

I didn’t realize how much difference it makes by wearing eyeglasses. I forgot yo take them off and I wasn’t having much luck finding the test target. Do I tried adjusting the frequency offset and still no luck, so I decreased it and got down to -7% before I started getting a lock-on. I thought this was strange then I eventually realized I had my eyeglasses on, so I took them off and I could not get a lock-on. So I changed the frequency offset back to 0% and I got a lock-on.i checked my glasses with a magnet and there is some magnetic material on there.

[Mike(Mont)]

Found this with the Vertex Adroit. Three sapphires, four diamond chips 14k 2.31g and the bad news my wife wants it. Guess I better give it to her. I was a few feet off about two meters on the pinpoint, but right on line. That Adroit gives a wide signal in ADRI automatic mode. I realize now I wasn’t performing the pinpoint procedure properly so that’s why I was off that much. Once you get a response you are supposed to mark it and then continue on. I turned back the opposite direction. But I’m still doing the gold dance!

[Mike(Mont)]

[Mike(Mont)]

Wife got it.

[Mike(Mont)]

Next time out I’m going to get a line with ADRI then move over a ways and get another line then narrow it down where the two lines intersect. This was in a city park with houses nearby so I’m sure there was multiple gold and that makes it easy to go off on a tangent when you are walking down the line to the target.

[Mike(Mont)]

I don’t recommend coming in from 90 degrees from the first line. You can still miss the target. That’s what happened to me. I walked right past it. Just a few meters from the first line is enough to get a nice intersection point. Any more than that and you risk getting sidetracked, at least in populated areas or anywhere there is chance if another nearby target. I realize you just can’t assume the rod is going to catch the target and swing towards it, especially if you walk right over the top of it. I just kept walking for a hundred meters past the target not realizing I had missed it. Then it was time to go so I never got it that day. But I had the second line, just didn’t get the rod to swing over it.

[Mike(Mont)]

I’m also going to use a zig-zag path when I’m MDRI manual mode. I think it will help to catch the small targets.