Garrett AT Max
Garrett AT Max Target ID Chart: Reading the 0 to 99 Scale at 13.6 kHz
Quick answer
The Garrett AT Max uses the same 0 to 99 scale as the rest of the AT line and runs at 13.6 kHz. Iron sits below about 40, small gold and foil 40 to 60, nickels near 55 to 62, pull tabs 55 to 70, zinc cents 70 to 78 and copper, dimes and silver 80 to 95.
Garrett publishes 13.6 kHz as the Garrett AT Max operating frequency and credits its enhanced electronics with greater depth and sensitivity than earlier AT machines. A different frequency does not reorder the conductivity scale, so iron still reads low and silver still reads high, but it does shift individual numbers by a few points and it changes how loudly small low conductors announce themselves.
The bands below are where to expect targets. They are not a lookup table, and the same caveats apply as everywhere else on this site: soil chemistry, moisture, depth, orientation, corrosion and firmware all move a reading. Bury known targets in your own ground and record what your machine says.
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Garrett AT Max
The machine this chart describes: 13.6 kHz, Z-Lynk wireless with MS-3 headphones included, and waterproof to 10 feet.
Price was accurate when this page was compiled and changes often.
What does each target read on a Garrett AT Max?
Bands for the AT Max with its stock coil on land, at moderate depth, in mild soil. The AT Max sits close to the AT Pro on most targets and tends to be a touch more responsive on small low conductive objects.
On a Garrett AT Max at 13.6 kHz, nickels typically read 55 to 62, zinc cents 70 to 78, dimes 80 to 88 and quarters 85 to 92, with iron below about 40 and every band shifting with depth, soil and target orientation.
| Target | Typical AT Max ID | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Iron nail, small | 0 to 40 | Erratic and direction dependent, as on every AT machine |
| Steel bottle cap | 0 to 40, or 70 to 90 | Flattened caps mimic coins. Iron Audio is the check |
| Foil, small aluminium | 35 to 52 | The higher frequency makes small foil a little louder than on an AT Pro |
| Small gold ring, under 2 grams | 42 to 62 | Overlaps foil and small tabs. No machine separates these by number |
| Larger gold ring, 5 grams or more | 58 to 75 | Mass and band width drive this upward |
| US nickel | 55 to 62 | Stable, repeatable, and the target to calibrate on |
| Square pull tab | 58 to 68 | Sits directly on the small gold band |
| Ring pull, beaver tail | 62 to 72 | Corrosion widens the spread |
| Zinc cent | 70 to 78 | Corroded examples drop and can slip into tab territory |
| Copper cent | 80 to 87 | Stable in clean ground |
| US dime | 80 to 88 | Silver examples read at the top of the band |
| US quarter, clad | 85 to 92 | The most repeatable high conductor on the machine |
| Silver quarter or half | 88 to 95 | Large silver climbs near the top of the scale |
| Can slaw | 55 to 90, broken | Numbers that will not settle are usually shredded aluminium |
Garrett publishes the 13.6 kHz operating frequency and the 0 to 99 digital target ID scale. The per target bands reflect what AT Max owners consistently report rather than a manufacturer specification, and they move with ground conditions.
How does the AT Max differ from the AT Pro on target ID?
The ordering is identical and most numbers land within a few points of each other, so an AT Pro owner moving to an AT Max is not learning a new language. Where the two diverge is at the low conductive end. A higher operating frequency gives more signal from small gold, thin foil and fine jewellery, which means those targets read a little higher and are audible a little deeper, and it also means more of that small aluminium trash announces itself.
If you own both machines, run them over the same buried test plot on the same day before you trust any transfer of numbers. The side by side scale question across the whole Garrett range is handled on the Garrett target ID comparison, and the AT Pro chart gives the direct counterpart to this table.
What does Z-Lynk change about reading targets?
Nothing about the numbers, and a great deal about hearing them. Garrett builds Z-Lynk wireless into the AT Max and includes the Garrett MS-3 Z-Lynk Wireless Headphones wireless headphones, describing the link as near zero delay. That matters because ordinary Bluetooth latency destroys pinpointing by ear: if the tone arrives after the coil has passed the target, you cannot centre on it.
Two practical notes. Wireless audio does not work under water, so if you intend to submerge the machine you need the wired Garrett Submersible Headphones set. And a wireless link is another thing to charge, which is worth remembering alongside the machine's own batteries. Runtime for the whole line is set out on the AT series battery life and specs page.
When should you distrust an AT Max number?
When it will not repeat, when it changes by more than a few points between sweep directions, and when the target is near the edge of your depth range. Identification requires a stronger signal than detection does, so the number degrades before the tone does. In mineralised ground that gap widens, and readings drift downward.
The other common case is masking. A good coin lying beside a nail produces a number that is a blend of both, usually pulled low. The remedy is a smaller coil rather than a settings change, which is covered on the coil compatibility chart since the AT line shares its coil fitting.
Sources
- Garrett AT Max owner's manual
- Garrett AT Max listing feature bullets, including the 13.6 kHz operating frequency and Z-Lynk with MS-3 headphones
- Garrett AT series published specification sheets
Frequently asked questions
What frequency does the Garrett AT Max run at?
Garrett publishes 13.6 kHz for the AT Max, and credits the combination of that frequency and revised electronics with greater depth and sensitivity than earlier AT machines. It is a single frequency VLF detector, not a multi-frequency one, which is why its behaviour on salt water is limited in the same way as the rest of the AT line despite the waterproof rating.
Do AT Pro target ID numbers transfer to the AT Max?
Approximately, not exactly. Both machines use a 0 to 99 scale with the same conductivity ordering, so a dime still reads high and a nail still reads low. Individual numbers can differ by several points because the machines run at different frequencies, and the AT Max tends to read small low conductive targets slightly higher. Verify on buried targets rather than assuming a transfer.
What number does gold read on an AT Max?
There is no gold number. Gold jewellery spans roughly 42 to 75 on the AT Max depending on mass, karat and shape, overlapping foil, pull tabs and ring pulls throughout. At 13.6 kHz small gold is somewhat more audible than on lower frequency machines, but it is not more distinguishable. Hunting jewellery means digging that entire band and accepting the trash that comes with it.
Why does my AT Max read higher than my friend AT Pro on the same coin?
Different operating frequencies produce different eddy current responses from the same object, so the machines map it to slightly different points on their scales. Add different ground balance settings, different coils and a different sweep and a gap of several points is entirely normal. Neither machine is wrong. This is why a personal buried test plot is worth more than comparing notes.
Does the AT Max have more depth than the AT Pro?
Garrett markets it that way, citing enhanced electronics and the 13.6 kHz frequency for greater depth and sensitivity. In practice the difference on coin sized targets in average soil is modest and easily swamped by coil choice, ground balance and soil mineralisation. Expect a small edge, particularly on small low conductive targets, rather than a different class of machine.
Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published specifications, manuals and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Target ID numbers, depth figures and settings vary with soil chemistry, moisture, target size, depth, orientation and firmware version, so treat every figure here as a starting point and verify it against your own machine's manual and your own ground. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.