Metal Detector vs. Magnetometer
If you are searching primarily for nonferrous metal (gold, silver, lead, brass, bronze, aluminum, etc.), the best piece of equipment is a metal detector (Pulse 10 or Pulse 12).
If you are searching primarily for ferrous metal objects (iron and steel), the best piece of equipment is a magnetometer (Proton 5). The advantage of using a magnetometer is that it has a much greater detection area than a metal detector.
Proton 5
The definitive detector for iron and steel targets

The PROTON 5 is a fifth-generation proton magnetometer from JW Fishers. It is a top performing microprocessor driven marine magnetometer detection system. The Proton 5 definitive detector for iron and steel targets. It's maximum range capability of 1,500 feet (450m) on each side (3,000-foot total swath) lets you search a wide area quickly and completely. The mag is also a good choice to locate a variety of smaller targets such as pipelines, anchors, chains, cannons, dredge heads, etc. It is especially useful when objects are buried in the bottom and can't be found with sonar or video search systems. The detection range is unaffected by the medium between the magnetometer and the metal target. Performance does not change whether detecting through air, water, silt, sand, or solid coral. It's extremely large detection area make this magnetometer the ideal choice for both commercial operations and professional wreck hunters.
With a one Nano -Tesla (nT) sensitivity, it has the maximum usable sensitivity for a towed proton precession magnetometer. A two second cycle time gives a strong return signal and is fast enough to detect even small iron/steel targets. The PROTON 5 features a triaxial noise-cancelling sensor that allows omnidirectional towing without heading error or dead zone. The system is fully digitized and displays the current 5-digit measurement on an easy to read 6-inch LCD screen that is backlit for night operations. Up to 80 of the previous measurements are also displayed graphically in a history plot on the LCD. With the optional altimeter, distance off bottom of the towfish is displayed. User friendly menus allow easy configuration of all operation settings and system tuning directly from the top-side control box. An adjustable audio alarm lets the operator decide how much of a change in the baseline reading will cause the alarm to fire
.The towfish has excellent hydrodynamic characteristics, moving smoothly through the water at tow speeds up to 10 knots. The Fish can be towed at almost any speed, but should be towed slow to locate small targets or when towing the Fish deep. A 2-3 knot tow speed is recommended for small targets. With the optional UA-3 Altimeter, precise distance off the bottom can be maintained. For deep water towing, the Fish is towed behind the optional DDW-1 Deep Dive Wing depressor. The collapsible PROTON 5 towfish it easily fits into a watertight Pelican® case. Modular construction allows easy field repair, should it ever be necessary
.$14,995
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The most powerful boat towed metal detector for ferrous and non-ferrous metals

With its 24 foot wide and 16 foot deep detection envelope this detector will locate a variety of targets including aluminum boats, brass propellers, outboard motors, steel anchors, bronze cannons, and gold bars. One of the key features of this detector is the control unit which can accept inputs from 3 search coils. Using three coils instead of one lets the search team cover three times the area with the same amount of time, fuel, and manpower.
The claim-to-fame of this pulse induction metal detector is its ability to ignore minerals in the environment while maintaining high sensitivity to all metal targets. The Pulse 12 is not affected by highly mineralized salt water, coral, high iron content rocks, or magnetic (black) sand, all of which cause erratic readings in conventional detectors. Also, the detection range is unaffected by the medium between the metal detector and the metal target. Performance does not change whether detecting through air, water, silt, sand, or solid coral. See technical data sheet for actual detection distances.
The Pulse 12 system includes a 24 by 36 inch search coil with 150 feet of cable, tow fish, and a top-side control unit. The control unit features three sets of operator controls which allow up to three coils to be towed simultaneously. Both meter and audio readouts indicate target detection from each individual coil. Options include cable lengths up to 500 feet, UA-2 altimeter, USB data output output interface, 0 - 5 volt analog output, Tracker software, and DDW-1 deep dive wing. The USB data output allows the Pulse 12 readout data along with GPS position coordinates to be displayed and stored on a computer. The system is powered by two 12 volt batteries with a total power consumption of only 12 watts.
Optional Tracker 3 software shows the path of the boat as it moves over the search area along with a cascading waterfall of the Pulse 12 readouts and the GPS position associated with each readout. When a target is detected, the readouts and coordinates change color so the operator can quickly see when and where a target is detected. At the bottom left of the screen is a graphical representation of the last 1 minute to 1 hour of Pulse 12 readouts. When a target is detected the line swings up on the graph. In addition to the Pulse 12 and GPS data, other information displayed are the boat's speed, compass heading, and alarm setting. Up to three fish can be displayed on the screen.
The Tracker map can be exported as a image with a KML file to allow it to be easily overlaid on other mapping programs (as shown at the right). All data can be stored on the PC hard-drive or disk.
$9,995
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