PI Detectors

Do anyone notice a marked advantage in using a PI detector in wet salt sand over a dual.multi-frequency VLF detector?

That depends on the beach and amount of trash. Otherwise with limited targets....... VLF cant compete depth wise. Some people use them all the time in wet sand and water and feel there is an advantage in digging everything...... especially those deep signals that a VLF cant see. NOW..... on a somewhat iron, bobbie pin, pull tab, bottle cap ridden beach you wont cover much beach if you are digging, there is the advantage of the VLF.

Dew

At the beach and in about 2 to 3 feet deep water I prefer to use a PI. In the past I have not found a lot of rubbish.

I prefer the PI due to the added depth the machines can detect and the stability in salt water.

If you are buying a PI the only thing to watch out for is either make sure the unit has a volume control or find a way to null the sound a little just in case for those close to the ground large targets.

which may blast your ears. Back in the day this was a curse using the old Whites PI 1000.

To me the sea hunter at the moment represents value for money.

The other thing to look out for is with what you buy its best to have the unit in 1 water proof case with 1 large plastic screw cap to get to the batteries rather than have a unit that has over a
dozen seals just to keep the water out.

Hope this helps.

Joe

Joe, can you say more about the Garrett Sea Hunter? or anyone else. Who has experience with it? It looks like a well built unit.

Hi ozzie, i have not used one yet but might be buying 1 in the next month
Or so. Its all in one waterproof case which is what i like with a large
Plastic nut at the back with a rubber seal. Its best to get silicone gel
From a dive shop to keep the seal in good condition when locking it.

The only downfall it has no volume control. I guess you can use
Or buy waterproof head phones with volume control.

I guess in saying its a 1 tone beep and dig machine but in beach
Salt water i have not encountered much rubbish in the past.

If someone has real life experience pls reply.

Joe

I personally have never used a P.I. on the beach...but I am sure it is very stable on a beach because of the transmission method...

they work great in bad soil and hot rock area's...Especially one that ground balances..

For simplicity the Infinium is a really nice machine....And seems really hot on low conductor's when comparing it to a TDI from white's...The TDI seems a little hotter on high conductor's...

I had an older garret P.I. I picked up awhile back for basically free ...it was the garret sea hunter xl 200 pulse....It ran well but was not in the same leauge as the Infinium as far as pure power....the new sea hunter might be more powerful?

But a ground balancing P.I. does have a neat advantage over a non ground bal. P.I. and that is the abiltiy to tonal I.D.And in my dirt I cant run a regular P.I. that does not ground balance it will ground fasle too much....but on a beach I believe a non ground balance work's quite well unless maybe black sand beach's?

Again I do not have the information to share on a beach aspect...


Now it's not perfect but it does allow a little more selective hunting with the tone abiltiy...basically it is low tones are high conductor's and high tones are low conductor's...But it's also not a simple as that as P.I.'s work off of decay rate's.. so certain object's that are trash especially iron will fool it..But it's still pretty good... Better than nothing in the I.D. department...

If I was after gold rings and such a Infinium would be very useful on a beach...And it's wateproof...And not a whole lot of money for what you get...The infinium is weak on item aright around zinc penny to copper penny...Thats where the tone flop's and it is desensitized in that area a bit...

The TDI tone flop is where ever you set the ground bal..but the Infinium even though it ground balances still flop's in the same spot..Also some items will never tone flop no matter where the ground blance is set...


As far as using them against a multi freq...I think you would see improvement in wet sand when using a P.I. but you will dig alot more trash...but will get better depth and smoother operation...

Keith