Teknetics T2 Ltd Metal Detector: PROs and Problems, Reviews, Price and Specifications

All-Purpose Metal Detector

$489.99 (452.00 EUR)

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PAGE CONTENTS:

15 PROs of Teknetics T2 Ltd

23 CONs of Teknetics T2 Ltd

Technical Specifications

Reviews

Useful Articles

PROs of Teknetics T2 Ltd

PRO #1: Build quality is high, nothing is loose or breakable in construction.

PRO #2: Perfectly balanced weight - no arm fatigue after 8 hours spent metal detecting, which is rare in modern detectors, especially those with telescopic stems. Correct balancing of the T2 Ltd weight is only possible due to its S-shaped stem.

PRO #3: Best ergonomics thanks to the perfectly balanced weight of the T2 Ltd.

PRO #4: Easy-to-read display - all visual information can be seen without having to hold the screen close to your eyes or wear glasses specifically to view the smallest graphics. But this only applies to the use of the detector in daylight (see CON #13 and CON #15).

PRO #5: The entire menu is printed on the display and therefore is always visible. This makes navigation easy and fast.

PRO #6: The simplest and most user-friendly interface allows you to easily switch between operating modes using just one button and rotary knob. Plus, you have a trigger switch for ground balancing and instant target pinpointing. Switching settings and adjusting them will only take a few seconds! This is a very well thought-out interface design that really helps when moving from a trashy spot to a less trashy spot on the same hunt site, or frequently verifying questionable targets!

PRO #7: The MENU button is large enough to feel and press (without looking at it) with a gloved thumb, even through the rain/dust cover. And switching between features and search modes is done using a rotating knob that can be turned with the side of the same thumb - this is a one-finger control operation!

PRO #8: Long battery life (40 hours!) on one set of 4 AA batteries.

PRO #9: Replaceable batteries can be changed in seconds, even in complete darkness, thanks to the well-thought-out design of the battery compartment. The advantage of using replaceable batteries is that you can take as many of them as you need for a long metal detecting trip and not worry about the limited capacity of a power bank to charge the batteries.

PRO #10: Huge selection of search coils allows the user to get the most out of the T2 Ltd in regard to any type of targets in absolutely any trash conditions. In addition to the standard 7 x 11-inch DD search coil, there are seven optional search coils, both factory-made and after-market, ranging in size from 5 inches ("sniper") to 15 inches.

USER SUGGESTIONS to Teknetics:
The T2 Ltd needs a slightly larger elliptical search coil, approximately 9 x 12 inches, for more effective searching in plowed fields with deep furrows. Providing both greater surface coverage and better target separation than the 11-in round coil, the 9 x 12" coil can also be used effectively for deep coin/relic detection in large search areas with low to medium iron trash content.

PRO #11: Relatively fast Recovery Speed factory-preset for the two most used search modes - the multi-task audio-discriminate "bP" mode (the "BOOST" mode) and "All-Metal" mode (when activated from the "bP" or other Discriminate modes, except for the "CL" mode). Recovery Speeds of these modes are optimal for coin hunting in areas littered with nails when the T2 Ltd is equipped with a "sniper" search coil.

In fact, the T2 Ltd is unrivaled among similar single-frequency metal detectors when it comes to finding small or thin silver and gold coins in iron infested areas. I consider the T2 Ltd to be the best mid-range, single-frequency metal detector for detecting tiny hammered coins, besides other fantastic things this detector can perform when searching for coins.

When equipped with a stock 7x11" coil or 11" coil, and operating in the "All-Metal-bP" mode, the T2 Ltd not only has no equal among similar single frequency detectors, but can also successfully compete with modern multi-frequency detectors in detecting "fringe" coins (coins at the fringe of the detection field) in areas with low to moderate iron trash content (full details will be provided in my upcoming article on advantageous features of the Teknetics T2 series metal detectors, which is currently under development).

When equipped with a 13" or 15" search coil and operating in the "All-Metal-bP" mode or "All-Metal-CL" mode, the T2 Ltd can detect large coin caches buried up to 2.7 feet (85 cm) and 3.6 feet (110 cm) deep, respectively. Among all the advanced detectors produced by First Texas Products, the Teknetics T2 Ltd is second only to the Fisher F75 in finding the deeply buried sizable coin hoards and metal masses.

PRO #12: Not overcomplicated with various adjustable settings. The detector offers only the minimum necessary functions and modes that can satisfy any user preferences and objectives.

PRO #13: L-type handle - This type of handle prevents wrist damage after long-term use.

PRO #14: 2 Types of Ground Balancing Procedure: the FastGrab function allows for quick, semi-automatic ground balancing, while the Manual GB allows for fine adjustments and advanced Manual Ground Balancing.

PRO #15: The user manual is comprehensive and can be compared to a small guide to metal detecting as it contains a lot of useful information; however, it is not without some shortcomings (see CON #19 below).

Useful information about the Teknetics T2 Ltd metal detector, practical tips and expert advice, as well as descriptions of the secret T2 Ltd settings for those challenging coin hunting tasks that other single-frequency metal detectors fail to handle, will be given in my article - "Advantageous Features & Modes of Teknetics T2 Ltd", which is currently under development.

CONs of Teknetics T2 Ltd:

CON #1: Headphones are not included in the basic package and must be purchased separately or as part of the Pro package which will cost more. With the basic package, your first experience with the Teknetics T2 Ltd will be without headphones which are primarily required to hear the faint responses from desired targets.

USER SOLUTION:
Since the T2 Ltd has a standard 1/4-inch stereo jack, the user can use any headphones with a stereo jack that are suitable for metal detecting. To have maximum comfort when detecting and recovering targets, as well as the most informative audio provided by the professional wireless headphones, the user can employ universal wireless headphones designed for metal detecting, which, together with the wireless transmitter, are included in the Garrett Z-Lynk wireless headphones system kit.

A little modification can be made to the upper shaft of the detector to attach a dust/weatherproof case for the wireless transmitter - see details in this tutorial: The Best Way to Mount a Wireless Headphone Transmitter onto Your Metal Detector

USER SUGGESTIONS to Teknetics:
1. Include specially designed headphones for the ?2+ in the basic package so that the user 1) does not resort to using unsuitable headphones that will not allow him to hear and learn all the subtleties of the detector sounds, and 2) does not conduct metal detecting without headphones at all, so as not to miss many desired targets.
2. Design wireless headphones for use with a transmitter that is either built into the detector or is part of a wireless headphones kit similar to the Garrett Z-Lynk kit.

CON #2: "Face" and "Elbow" rain/dust covers are not included in the basic package and must be purchased separately. Although two rain/dust covers (one for the control box and another for the battery compartment) provide only minimum protection (from weather and dust), they should still be used from the very beginning, especially in rainy or muddy conditions, to avoid problems with the electronics or rotary control knobs (mechanical potentiometers). The rotary knob failure is discussed in CON #17 of the Fisher F75+ metal detector which has the same user interface as the T2 Ltd.

Of course, there are T2 Ltd users who do not use the "Face" rain/dust cover for the reasons discussed in CON #13 and CON #15, or simply do not bother to get one, and therefore expose a detector that is not waterproof to a high risk of damage from water or dirt ingress. A specially designed detector stand could reduce the risk, but Teknetics does not manufacture such stands.

USER SOLUTION:
Although suitable clear plastic bags can be placed over the control box and battery-compartment module of the detector when detecting in rain or muddy conditions, they can easily tear when in contact with sharp objects on the ground surface, exposing vital parts of the detector to water and dirt. This is why in rainy weather it is best to use rain/dust covers together with plastic bags.

USER SUGGESTION to Teknetics:
"Face" and "Elbow" rain/dust covers should be included in the standard detector package!

CON #3: The lack of wireless headphones, which have long been a standard accessory on modern metal detectors, puts T2 Ltd users at a disadvantage compared to users of other mid-range metal detectors with wireless headphones or wireless headphones systems. Wireless headphones provide freedom from the headphones cord, meaning greater maneuverability and comfort for the user. But wired headphones not only significantly reduce comfort and maneuverability when detecting and recovering targets, but also fail over time due to damage to the wires inside the cable at stress points - this is the main potential problem with all wired headphones.

USER SOLUTION:
See my solution in CON #1 above.

USER SUGGESTION to Teknetics:
Develop a built-in wireless module and wireless headphones to ensure that T2 Ltd users have the best experience with the detector and are not at a disadvantage compared to users of mid-range detectors equipped with wireless headphones.

CON #4: The detector is NOT waterproof, only its search coil is, which makes its electronics vulnerable to moisture. If metal detecting is carried out in heavy rain, both the control box and battery-compartment module must be wrapped in plastic bags since the dust/rain covers will not protect against water ingress. Since the detector cannot be completely submerged underwater, its use should be avoided even in the shallow water of a stream, river or pond due to the risk of accidentally dropping it into water.

USER SUGGESTION to Teknetics:
It is time to jump on the waterproof bandwagon so that the T2 Ltd can safely compete with mid-range waterproof metal detectors in wet conditions.

CON #5: The loudspeaker is positioned in the wrong place - on the bottom of the battery-compartment/loudspeaker/on-off-volume-control module (under the armrest), making it vulnerable to dirt and water ingress, as well as to being punctured by stubble (in a harvested field) when placed on the ground and without the protection of a neoprene rain/dust cover (not supplied with the detector).

USER SOLUTION:
If you do not use the loudspeaker at all, cover its grill with duct tape to keep dirt, sand or water out of it.

USER SUGGESTION to Teknetics:
Reposition the loudspeaker on the armrest module so that the loudspeaker would be less susceptible to damage caused by external hazards.

CON #6: The battery compartment lid is not airtight or weather resistant, allowing dust, small dirt particles, sand and moisture to enter the battery compartment and reach the batteries. To avoid trouble, the user should regularly remove dirt and/or moisture (condensation) from the battery compartment.

USER SOLUTION:
The best solution is to use the "Elbow" rain/dust cover. When metal detecting in rainy weather, it is recommended using the dust/rain cover along with a suitable plastic bag placed over the battery compartment module.

USER SUGGESTION to Teknetics:
The battery-compartment lid should be made thicker and at least airtight, and have a small synthetic fabric-screen behind the ventilation hole.

CON #7: Small coil-cable connector with flimsy retaining ring does not allow the user to quickly plug the coil cable into the socket in the control box. It gets worse when the user’s fingers are wet or cold, or when he/she is connecting the searchcoil in dim light, total darkness or during heavy rain. In such situations, fiddling with the connector requires a lot of patience! The small diameter and long thread of the locking ring are what make the cable connection procedure challenging. The best connector for the coil cable is one that allows you to plug the cable into the control box without looking at the connector while plugging it in.

USER SUGGESTION to Teknetics:
Design a coil-cable connector similar to the standard coil-cable connector of the 2000s. Such a connector is larger in diameter, has a shorter length, larger pins, a flat guiding notch, and a wide, grippy locking ring for quickly connecting the coil cable to the control box.

CON #8: The stock coil is a "mud collector" (very critical in extreme mud conditions). The stock 7 x 11-inch DD search coil has the most impractical open design ever created: there are 6 "spokes" placed diagonally; thus, forming 15 ACUTE-ANGLE corners (an acute angle is an angle measuring from 0 and 90 degrees) in the pattern!

If you do not clean the coil frequently, it gains extra weight (it may double or triple within a few minutes!) that 1) hinders your fast sweeping of the coil, and 2) will eventually cause significant fatigue in your arm, shoulder, and back. The former is critical when you operate my T2 Ltd in certain Audio-Discriminate modes that require fast coil-sweeping for maximum detection depth and Target-ID accuracy.

A good example of the most practical and convenient coil design is a 13-inch DD coil made by MARS-MD for the T2 Ltd. Despite its large size, the Mars coil has the simplest cross-type open design with only 2 sharp corners! Cleaning this coil takes just a few seconds!

USER SOLUTION:
To avoid wasting time on frequent cleaning of the search coil from dirt/mud/snow, wrap the stock coil in three or four plastic bags and secure them with duct tape, covering the entire bottom of the coil to ensure durability of your coil-wrap. Just keep the duct tape off the coil cable to avoid having to spend a lot of time removing the disposable coil wrap later.

USER SUGGESTION to Teknetics:
Change the complex open design of the stock 6-spoke search coil to a simple 2-spoke pattern with rounded corners, allowing for quick and easy cleaning both during and after the search. This is especially critical during metal detecting on plowed fields in rainy weather or when the surface is covered with wet snow, which causes the coil to quickly collect a heavy weight of mud and/or wet snow.

CON #9: Closed-design search coils are not filled with epoxy resin. This makes any closed design search coil (such as a 5" DD Sniper coil or a 10" DD Elliptical coil) susceptible to damage of internal wiring and solder joints due to the coil accidentally or frequently bumping into hard surface obstacles (rocks, tree roots, hummocks, etc.) during the search. The 5" coil of my Fisher F75+, which uses the same coils as the T2 Ltd, became unusable after a small metal part inside it broke off or became dislodged and then moved around inside the coil every time I moved it, producing false signals.

USER SUGGESTION to Teknetics:
Make the closed-design search coils epoxy filled.

CON #10: The detector falls on its side when placed in upright position on slightly sloped or uneven ground. This is due to two reasons. The first reason is the location of the control box high above the ground due to its positioning on top of the long handle, which upsets the vertical balance of the detector. The second reason is the narrow stand at the bottom of the battery-compartment module under the armrest, which does not provide vertical balance of the detector when placed on an uneven surface. And the stock and optional search coils do not have "triangular cuts" on their "heels" or flat "heels" to help maintain the upright position of the detector.

For those users who do not place the detector on the ground during target recovery, this inconvenience may not be a big deal, but for some, this detector-tipping-over issue has been a major annoyance since the first day of using the T2 Ltd. Normally, after finishing or during the target recovery procedure, some users quickly grab the detector by the handle without looking at it. Then, if the user has acquired the target, he/she gets up from his/her knees, and resumes the search. With the T2 Ltd, every other time its user reaches out to grab the detector handle, the unit is not where the user placed it on the ground! This is very annoying because the user has to halt the search process and either locate the detector by moving his/her hand around, or turn around and look where it is to grab it!

The detector-tipping-over not only disrupts the search process flow, but also causes the following: 1) unnecessary jarring of electronics in the control box upon impacts against hard surface objects (the rain/dust cover cannot fully absorb the blow), and 2) accidental damaging of the phone jack and headphone cable, at the point where it enters the jack, when the cable is strained and bent by surface objects or bumps after the detector has fallen on its side.

USER SOLUTION:
To prevent the T2 Ltd from falling on its side and to keep it out of the mud and dirt, the user can use the Nokta Impact detector stand which fits the 7/8-in (22mm) tubular three-section stem of my T2 Ltd perfectly. The Nokta Impact stand weighs just a few ounces, keeps the detector 5 inches above the ground, and its "legs" are spaced 7-1/4-in apart, which is wide enough to maintain stable vertical balance of the detector.

USER SUGGESTIONS to Teknetics:
Design a detector stand that 1) ensures that the Teknetics T2 Ltd remains upright on a slightly sloped or uneven surface, and 2) keep the battery-compartment module with a loudspeaker on its bottom above the ground, i.e. off the mud, sand, dirt and water. And 3) include this stand in the standard detector package!

CON #11: The mounting plate of the control box is too flexible, which is evident when connecting/disconnecting the searchcoil cable to/from the control box. The box rotates slightly to the right or left when connecting or disconnecting the cable, respectively. Perhaps, the flexible mounting plate is intentionally used to absorb the impact of the control box on the ground in case the detector, placed on an uneven surface, loses its vertical balance and falls over on its side (as described above).

However, the inconvenience of this design is that you have to hold the control box tightly when plugging the coil cable into the socket or pulling it out of it. If you hold the detector by the handle with one hand while connecting/disconnecting the coil cable with the other hand, completing this procedure will be problematic, or even worse - will lead to damage to the plug or socket. And how long will the mounting plate last if you continue to connect/disconnect the coil cable this way?

USER SUGGESTION to Teknetics:
Make the control box mounting plate rigid to prevent the control box from turning left or right when connecting/disconnecting the coil-cable plug.

CON #12: The foam coating on the detector handle easily absorbs liquid mud from gloves (when they are covered in it), which then dries and hardens, making the handle very difficult to clean. Cleaning the dirty handle of the T2 Ltd often becomes a laborious task, even if you do it under running water using a sponge or soft brush.

USER SOLUTION:
You can make the handle easy to clean by tightly wrapping it along its entire length with a rubber strip made from an old bicycle inner tube (made of butyl rubber).

USER SUGGESTION to Teknetics:
Replace the high-friction foam elastomer coating on the handle with a coating made of hard rubber for fast and easy cleaning.

CON #13: The lack of a display backlight makes it difficult to see menu items in low light and impossible to view in complete darkness unless you use a headlamp. In both cases, navigating through functions and modes, as well as adjusting settingss, becomes a problem, especially when using the "Search-and-Investigate" search style requiring frequent switching between certain functions and/or modes to verify questionable targets.

USER SOLUTION:
The only solution here is to use a headlamp.

USER SUGGESTION to Teknetics:
Build an adjustable display backlight into the detector so that you can see the screen in complete darkness, and through the rain/dust cover window (see next CON# 14) not only in dim light, but also in bright daylight!

CON #14: The plastic window of the "Face" rain/dust cover is so soft that it is always curved, causing constant reflective glares on its not flat surface that block the view of the detector screen. The display backlight could help, but, as we discussed above, the T2 Ltd does not have one.

USER SUGGESTION to Teknetics:
The plastic window of the "Face" rain/dust cover should be made of thicker and harder plastic to stay flat all the time and allow you to see the screen through it.

CON #15: The inconvenient listing order of selections in the DISCRIM menu, as well as the inability to move up the menu, increases the time it takes to return to the top of the menu or to move to a menu selection that precedes the selection whose value you just adjusted. To complete either of this two actions, the user can only step down through the menu selections, thus scrolling through the entire menu.

This is not a big deal when you do not frequently adjust more than one setting during your search. For example, you may need to frequently re-adjust only the Ground Balance setting in a search area with varying ground mineralization. In this case, you can use the RECALL function by pushing the MENU button to recall the last adjusted setting. But this function only applies to one setting at a time.

Navigating through the menu without the "move-up" option requires more button presses and therefore significantly slows down the search process and disrupts its flow when using the "Search-and-Investigate" search style. This style requires frequent switching between certain settings and/or search modes and/or activating/deactivating more than one feature that must be frequently re-adjusted to check questionable targets. Time spent scrolling through menu options frequently can eventually add up to a significant amount of time that could have been used for metal detecting instead.

USER SUGGESTIONS to Teknetics:
1) List the DISCRIM menu selections in the following order: # OF TONES, SENSITIVITY, and DISC. LEVEL.
2) Make the Menu selections in larger letters! This is especially critical when searching in low light conditions where menu selections become unreadable (even when using glasses) due to the lack of display backlighting.
3) Make the MENU button also function as a toggle between the Discriminate and All-Metal search modes. The best way to switch back and forth between these two modes could be to press the MENU button 2 times within 2 seconds. And recalling the last adjusted setting using the original RECALL function could be done by pressing the MENU button once within 3 seconds.

CON #16: The lack of automatic deactivation of the user interface results in accidental switching of search modes or changes in settings in the menu selections during searching. This mishap often happens due to accidental touching and turning of the "Settings" knob by the user at the moment of lowering the metal detector to the ground before digging the target or lifting the detector from the ground after the target recovery is completed.

USER SOLUTIONS:
1) You can partially solve this problem by navigating to the top line of the Menu after adjusting the settings and before starting the search. Thus, the name of the current search mode (DISCRIM or ALL METAL) will be highlighted. Then, if you accidentally turn the "Settings" knob during metal detecting, none of the settings in the menu selections will be changed. Only the search mode will change, and you can easily (with a light flick of your thumb) turn the "Settings" knob left or right to return to the search mode you were using before the accidental switch.

2) You can use a suitable plastic cap that is slightly larger in height and diameter than the "Settings" rotary knob. After adjusting the key settings of your T2 Ltd and before you start detecting, place this cap over the rotary knob and under the "Face" rain/dust cover, which will press down on the cap, thus keeping it in place. The cap, in turn, will prevent accidental rotation of the knob by hand. The only drawback of this solution is the inability to change settings or modes to check questionable targets or adjust the detector to changing search conditions during metal detection.

USER SUGGESTIONS to Teknetics:
Add automatic deactivation of the user interface and its manual reactivation (using the Menu button) to the T2 Ltd, as is implemented in its "brother", the Fisher F75+ metal detector. If adding such a function is not possible, at least swap the "Settings" knob and the Menu button on a control panel.

CON #17: Custom settings cannot be saved in memory after the power is turned off. This is very inconvenient, because after turning on the detector, the user has to re-set the values of all the key features, returning them to the values that were used before turning off the detector for a coffee break during the search or for another reason. If some time passes between hunts, the user must write down the values of the key settings, that are optimal for a particular search location, so as not to forget them! Moreover, the user must record several combinations of settings specifically used in different search areas.

USER SUGGESTION to Teknetics:
Build into the T2 Ltd the function of automatically saving user settings in memory, so that they would remain in memory even after the detector is turned off!

CON #18: The lack of an adjustable "Recovery Speed" (Speed of Response) setting makes it impossible to fine-tune the detector to suit current trash conditions. As a result, the factory preset "Recovery Speed" levels in the Audio-Discriminate and Motion All-Metal search modes available in the detector are sometimes not appropriate for the trash conditions encountered at the hunt site. This increases the number of missed targets, even when using a relatively narrow stock 7 x 11" elliptical search coil. And unfortunately, the user manual does not specify the factory preset "Recovery Speed" levels for the search modes, which makes it difficult for an inexperienced user to choose the most suitable search mode.

USER SOLUTION:
If you suspect that the search coil you are currently using is not providing sufficient target separation when metal detecting in a given trashy area (e.g. you start to hear more iron grunt and falsing when good signals suddenly disappear), there are 3 ways to improve target separation. The first one is to switch to the "FA" search mode which has the fastest Recovery Speed (the "Recovery Speed" levels of all audio-discriminate modes will be specified in my future article on the T2’s advantageous features and modes, which is currently under development).

However, the higher the "Recovery Speed", the lesser the detection depth. The super fast "Recovery Speed" of the "FA" mode is factory set to handle the most extreme ferrous trash situations and therefore may not be appropriate for a search area with less trash. Using the "FA" mode in such an area where the coins/relics lying 5-6 inches deep between iron junk can be detected may result in missing these desired targets because they will be "unreachable" in the "FA" mode.

In this situation, you need to select an audio-discrimination mode with a Recovery Speed that is lower than the "FA" mode but higher than the Recovery Speeds of the other modes. If the area is not heavily infested with iron, it is better to use the "bP" mode (the "BOOST" mode) which has many advantages over other audio-discrimination modes (all details will be given in my future article).

When you encounter an area with a lower density of iron debris, you select a mode with a slower Recovery Speed to avoid missing the desired targets. However, I must reiterate that the "bP" mode with V.C.O. audio for non-ferrous targets is most likely your best choice.

The third way to improve target separation is to change the search coil, following a simple rule: if there are two or more targets under the coil any way you move it, replace the current coil with a smaller one. For example, replacing the stock 7 x 11" coil with an aftermarket Mars-MD 6 x 10" search coil will improve target separation without significantly losing detection depth. The following smaller sized "sniper" search coils are also available for the Teknetics T2 Ltd metal detector: 5 x 10", 7", and 5".

USER SUGGESTION to Teknetics:
1) Specify the "Recovery Speed" level for each Discriminate search mode of the T2 Ltd in the user manual.
2) Add an adjustable "Recovery Speed" feature to the detector settings if possible.

CON #19: The user manual is not well organized, with bits of important information regarding specific key features scattered throughout the booklet. The T2 Ltd is certainly not primitive and can perform a number of challenging tasks that other mid-range detectors cannot, but the instruction manual does not fully reveal the amazing capabilities of the detector, which should be described clearly and in detail.

USER SUGGESTIONS to Teknetics:
The user manual needs to be completely revised! The manual should list the capabilities of the T2 Ltd so that users are aware of them and can use the detector to its full potential! The manual should also include the following information: 1) the factory preset value of "Recovery Speed" for each Audio/Discrimination mode (# OF TONES) and each All-Metal mode variant activated from a particular Audio/Discriminate mode, relative to known "Recovery Speed" values used in high-end detectors, 2) a highlighted statement that user settings are not saved in the detector memory when it is turned off, and 3) a highlighted statement that the Teknetics T2 Ltd metal detector is NOT waterproof (only the search coil can be immersed in water, but not the detector control box).

CON #20: The On/Off/Volume control is installed in the wrong place on the battery-compartment module. 90% of the time after placing the upper shaft of the T2 Ltd in a carry/transport bag with other metal detectors, search coils and gear, some users later find that the detector is on! The On/Off/Volume control - the rotary knob (potentiometer), is prone to be accidentally turned by other objects in the bag when carrying/transporting the detector in it.

USER SOLUTION:
The solution is the same as the one used in CON #16. Use a suitable plastic cap that is slightly larger in height and diameter than the rotary knob. Before putting the T2 Ltd in a bag with metal detecting gear, place this cap over the On/Off/Volume rotary knob and under the "Elbow" rain/dust cover which will press down on the cap, thus keeping it in one place. The cap, in turn, will prevent the knob from coming into contact with objects.

USER SUGGESTIONS to Teknetics:
1) Move the rotary knob to a different location on the battery compartment module, or 2) recess the rotary knob below the surface so it is less exposed to contact, or 3) position the rotary knob on the back of the main control unit.

CON #21: The "Settings" rotary knob is a potential failure point in the user interface design as rotary knobs usually do not last long - this has already happened with the "Settings" knob on my Fisher F75+ which has the same user interface as the T2 Ltd. The "Settings" rotary knob on my F75+ failed after only 2 seasons of use! This certainly happened because the rotary knob is an archaic mechanical potentiometer that is prone to rapid wear, especially in adverse outdoor conditions (dust, dirt, sand and moisture), and therefore should be excluded from the user interface. The rain/dust cover has a special hole for this potentiometer but apparently it did not protect the knob from dust and water ingress, if this was the cause. Now it takes me forever to change any setting or search mode while endlessly turning the knob on the F75+ control panel, but to no avail.

The Teknetics T2 Ltd metal detector has the same two control potentiometers as the Fisher F75+: the rotary "Settings" knob on the control panel, and the rotary On/Off/Volume knob on the elbow module under the arm-rest, where the battery compartment, loudspeaker and headphones jack are located. Both potentiometers could be potential faults in the T2 Ltd user interface design. The "Settings" knob will most likely start acting up first as it is used to adjust the detector settings and is turned frequently by the operator during metal detecting in the "Search and Investigation" style.

The On/Off/Volume knob is not used as much as the "Settings" knob, but it is located very close to the ground surface and therefore is more exposed to dust, dirt, sand and moisture. An "Elbow" dust/rain cover is used to protect the battery-compartment module from weather, but, just like the "Face" rain/dust cover, it has a special hole for the rotary On/Off/Volume knob. Unfortunately, sand and abrasive particles of dirt can easily work their way into the potentiometer through this hole, and eventually can impair or end its ability to regulate electronically.

USER SUGGESTION to Teknetics:
Replace the archaic rotary knobs in the T2 Ltd user interface with modern touchpad controls ("UP" and "DOWN" buttons) to ensure a long service life of the controls!

CON #22: The design of the "Face" rain/dust cover makes it difficult to connect the coil cable to the control box because the unfastened sheath that envelopes the cable connector nevertheless gets in the way. To gain easy access to the socket, you must not only unfasten the protective sheath of the cable connector, but also unfasten the rain/dust cover and slide it slightly upward on the control box.

This manipulation is not a big deal since it is usually not often done during metal detecting. However, this becomes an annoying inconvenience when trash conditions require changing search coils back and forth several times during a hunt. Also, neoprene rain/dust covers of this type are prone to rapid wear and tear. If you frequently fasten/unfasten the rain/dust cover, its Velcro fasteners will not last long. To ensure that the rain cover is intact and performs its function when you need it, and to extend its life, as well as to avoid irritation when installing/removing the rain cover, it is best not to use it if you primarily detect in dry conditions and swap search coils frequently.

USER SUGGESTION to Teknetics:
Redesign the "Face" rain/dust cover to allow easy and quick connection of the coil cable to the control box.

CON #23: The "Elbow" dust/rain cover must be completely removed off the battery-compartment module to replace batteries. When changing batteries in the rain, you are likely to expose the battery compartment and the On/Off/Volume knob to direct water ingress when you remove the "Elbow" dust/rain cover. To prevent water from entering the battery compartment, which is not even weather-resistant, the cover must be removed in a dry place (inside the car or under tree canopies). Such a dry place is not always available, as is the case when you are in the middle of a large field. In this case, a way to protect the battery-compartment module from water ingress when changing batteries in the rain is to cover the module with a plastic bag or hold it under your rain jacket.

USER SUGGESTION to Teknetics:
The "Elbow" water/dust cover needs to be redesigned to allow for easy battery replacement without completely removing the cover from the battery-compartment module. Perhaps a Velcro cover for the battery compartment lid similar to the headphone jack cover could be added to the dust/rain cover.

Technical Specifications:

• Technology: VLF (Very Low Frequency) Single Frequency
• Operating Frequency: 13 kHz
• Stock Searchcoil: 7 x 11-in (18 x 28 cm) open-frame elliptical BiAxial (Double-D), waterproof
• Interchangeable Search Coil: Yes
• Available Searchcoils for T2 Ltd: 5-in (12.7cm) DD, 10-in (25.4cm) DD, 11-in (28cm) DD, 15-in (38cm) DD, Mars-MD Goliath 15-in (38cm) DD, Mars-MD Discovery 13-in (33cm) DD
• Body: S-rod with electronics housing mounted on handgrip, 3-piece breakdown, batteries under elbow
• Armrest: 2-way armrest adjustment (forward, backward and around forearm)
• Adjustable Shaft: Yes
• Display Type: LCD Screen with 0-99 Numeric Target Identification Display
• Backlit Display: No
• Audio Tones: in 13 Audio-Discriminate Modes (1, 1+, 2+, 2A, 2b, 2c, 3, 3b, 4, and dP (Delta Pitch) - Multi-Tones (99), FA - Fast (fast process for improved target separation - targets respond with a shorter audio duration), bP - Boost (increases depth up to approx. 4 inches), CL - Cache Locating (for detecting large coin hoards up to 3 feet (1 m) deep), plus Audio Pitch (this setting carries over into Discrimination V.C.O. Audio tone)
• FeTone feature: activated using the 2+, 2A, 2b or 2c mode
• Low Operating Cost - Typically 40+ Hours with 4-AA Alkaline batteries or NiMH rechargeables
• Target Id: 99 Numeric VDI Values, Target-ID zones at the top of the LCD display and Icons
• Visual indicators: Target Identification (VDIs), Target Depth (both running-depth and pinpoint-depth), Soil Fe3O4 Content, Ground Phase, Operating Mode is always visible
• Operating Modes: Discrimination (10 regular audio-discriminate modes + BOOST, FA and CL search modes), and All Metal
• Discrimination: adjustable from 0 to 80
• Double-Filter Discrimination Modes for Searching in Trashy Areas
• Extended "Iron Range" on Discrimination scale: 1 - 40 (allows for detecting desirable iron relics while ignoring nails and other ferrous debris!)
• Audio Threshold (in All-Metal mode): adjustable from -9 to +9
• Sensitivity: 99 Levels of Sensitivity Adjustment
• Frequency Shift: yes, 7 positions
• Signal Processing: Continuous (V.C.O. - Voltage Controlled Oscillator (an audio response with variable pitch and volume)), Sampled
• Dual-Function Trigger Switch: Pull for accurate target pinpointing, Push to cancel ground mineral interference
• Pinpoint Mode: Trigger-Activated Target Pinpointing with Variable Audio Pitch
• Ground Balance: Trigger-actuated FASTGRAB (semi-computerized ground balancing) and Manual (manual Ground Cancellation can only be performed while in the All Metal Mode, but the resultant setting will carry over if you change into Discrimination Mode)
• Ground Balancing Range: From ferrite to salt, inclusive (from 0 to 99)
• Magnetic Mineralization Bar Graph and Readout: Yes
• Volume Control: Yes
• Headphone Jack: 1/4-Inch (6.3 mm)
• Interchangeable Headphones: Yes
• Batteries: 4 x AA Alkaline or NiMH rechargeables (not included)
• Battery Life: Typically 40 hours with high quality Alkaline, 25 hours with rechargeable NiMH batteries, 80 hours with nickel oxyhydroxide batteries, and 65 hours with lithium iron disulfide batteries
• Battery Condition Indicator: Yes
• Operating Temp Range: -4 to +122 degrees F (-20 to +50 degrees C)
• Operating Humidity Range: 0-90% non-condensing
• Waterproof/Water-Resistant: only search coils
• Weight: 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg) with batteries installed
• Warranty: 2 years Limited
• Made in USA
• The Teknetics T2 Ltd metal detector is recommended for:
  • Detecting coins in both iron-littered areas (this includes unmasking coins lying right under small nails (the "See-Thru-Iron" method)) and areas with low to moderate iron junk (this includes detection of not only deep, but also "fringe" coins)
  • Relic hunting (both non-ferrous and ferrous relics)
  • Cache hunting (with a large 13-in or 15-in search coil)
  • Beach Hunting (jewelry and coins on dry sand only)
  • Gold prospecting (large gold nuggets only)

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