The National Geographic Pro Series Metal Detector Review

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Please note that this National Geographic Pro Series Review is all of my own opinion and extensive research. I am in no way affiliated with National Geographic or Minelab.

The National Geographic Pro Series metal detector is, in my opinion, a beginners metal detector.

That being said it’s designed and manufactured by Minelab one of the biggest and most trusted names in the metal detecting hobby. So you can be sure of the quality!

I personally feel that when the metal detector was designed they have had families, children and travellers in mind.

It’s compact, portable and very light.

National Geographic Pro Series Metal Detector Review

Unboxing and contents

Upon opening the box you will see that the metal detector does not need any kind of assembly.

It all comes in one piece and folds down to a nice compact unit, the collapsed size is just 22″

In the box, you will receive 1 x National Geographic Pro Series Metal Detector and a glossy easy to read users manual.

Appearance

The Pro Series is fully telescopic and folds away nicely making this a highly portable metal detector.

There is a nice comfortable and rugged arm strap to secure the metal detector to your arm.

The height adjustment of the detector goes from 22 at it’s shortest to 51″ fully extended.

The search coil measures 25 cm and is square in design.

In total, the National Geographic Pro Series metal detector weighs in at a very lightweight 1kg adding to the portability.

In comparison to other beginner and children’s metal detectors, the Pro Series is actually rather attractive,  I do believe because it is manufactured by Minelab for the National Geographic and they took the design idea straight from the Go Find detectors.

The headphone jack is featured on the side of the control box.

It sports a very clear and easy to read LCD screen, with easy to reach touch buttons.

4 x AA batteries are required (not supplied) these are placed in a compartment beneath the LCD screen.

Buttons, Controls & LCD Display of the National Geographic Pro-Series

The metal detector has but just a few buttons making the control panel very easy to navigate. All are within simple thumb reach allowing the user to navigate and operate with ease.  The buttons are as follows:

  • Volume up and down – Increases or decreases the sounds of the metal detector.
  • Pinpoint – Activates the pinpoint feature.
  • Find mode magnifying glass – Changes the find mode of the metal detector and discrimination patterns.
  • Sensitivity control – Increases or decreases the sensitivity.

The LCD screen is backlit for dim lighting or dark conditions and displays a wealth of information.

On the screen there is a display to show battery levels, depth indication which shows an estimate of how deep the target is, 4 x Find icons which give an estimate of what the metal detector thinks the target could be.

National Geographic Pro Series Features

Pinpoint, always a welcomed feature on any metal detector.

This allows the user, once they have located a target beneath the ground, to pinpoint with more accuracy where the target is located in the hole.

Having the pinpoint feature literally saves you a whole heap of time searching for the target. The tones and sound get more high pitched and louder as the item passes beneath the coil, it goes quieter as you move away.

It does take some getting used to but once you find the “sweet spot” of the coil, usually around the center, you will really appreciate it.

Modes

There are 3 predefined search modes that are built into the metal detector with 4 levels of sensitivity.

The search modes change the discrimination settings. Allowing us to fine-tune our treasure hunting. They are as follows.

All Metal – All metal mode will not discriminate against any metallic items and will pick up everything from iron to gold. Both ferrous and non-ferrous.

All Metals other than Iron – This mode discriminates all iron.

All Metals other than Iron or Aluminium – This mode discriminates against iron and aluminum.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Lightweight at only 1kg.
  • Portable and folds down very compact. Can probably fit in a backpack.
  • Made by Minelab so expect quality.
  • Simple to use.

Cons

  • Not fully waterproof – Only the search coil is.
  • Coils are not changeable.

Summary

The National Geographic pro series detector is a fantastic beginners machine and even more perfect for a child that has shown an interest in the metal detecting hobby.

Highly portable and fits nicely into a backpack. I believe that this metal detector would be perfect for taking away on holiday with you to a beach, or family treasure hunting fun.

It’s very simple to use, very easy to navigate through the modes and features and won’t break the bank!

A budget beginners metal detector that is highly portable, lightweight and durable.

I managed to have a brief chat with somebody who owns the National Geographic Pro Series metal detector and ask for their review. Ben (The owner) assured me he and his son have been using this now for a few months and have made many finds.

They frequent their local beach detecting and are very happy with it. He did, however, say that although it’s fantastic in dry sand, it’s not brilliant in wet sand often given false signals.

Would I recommend? Yes, it’s made by Minelab so you can be sure that the brains of the detector are high quality. You can be sure it will find targets and it will last you a long time.

Once again though I reiterate, I do believe the detector would only be good for beginners, families and children. If you are looking for something more serious that looks and feels the same you should look at the Minelab Go Find machines.

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