Watch this video of the V3i

at around the 10 minute mark..

pretty impressive the iron in the hole then that small button under it a few more inches..

no trickery.

Again those 10x12 SEF's are amazing at doing this feat [www.youtube.com]


that 22 Khz is deadly in iron..Im thinking of adding another V3i to the arsenal..I miss the first one I had..I loved that 22khz with the 4x6 dd installed in iron.. when you got the settings right thats is..

Keith



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2014 03:18AM by Keith Southern.

That's the problem I had w my V3i Keith, there were sooo many variables involved in the settings and so many opinions it was too difficult to figure out just what was right.

I really liked my V3i however I could never get it to work that great in iron. I had made many posts on here years ago however most of the response I recieved were not positive.

Aaron

Yes, that was impressive. If I was 40 years younger, I would consider getting a V3i........that way I might have enough time ahead of me to learn it.

Its easy to overdrive the V3i in iron and make a complete mess of things for sure..

but also you cna make the V3i target resposne the fastest of anymachine made..way faster....it can actually sound like a needle on glass it shuts down so fast...

its just real tricky to get set right...

You may also Know hte V3i runs in a true combined mode with all metla in one ear and disc in the other like a nautilus...

its a very tweekable machine but takes time to master...

I like the simpler machine like the two tone GMP DTVG T2 G2 and such but the V3i dialed in is a very very good machine...

I think with the 4x6 dd and the 22Khz and plenty of time it could be a beast in iron...but it would take some real tweeking...

you got to get the noise out of the machine to make it intelligent but not all the noise to risk masking if that makes sense..

theres filter to allow BLEED...but need to be set right..

I will be the first to admit I walked away not wanting to fool with it at the time...But im now in a different frame of mind.....

yet when I see that clean hit like that at that depth It does remind me of just how a solid of a platform it is if UNDERSTOOD>>

I saw stuff surface like that too first hand while exploring it..

its not the type machine you set the gain wide open and hunt with it.that will get you into trouble..way more complicated than that..

Amazing freq response graph it has also..
Keith

Ive owned two vx3s and have really enjoyed them, but never quite got the depth i wanted. I've always told myself that i need to step up to the v3i and give it a shot... I really like the spectra's screens, and their ID system is spot on. Thanks for sharing Keith, good video. Although i was surprised that he was running the recovery delay also low, i kept mine around 60 with good results in the trash. Albeit, i was using the d2 coil most of the time.

I want to set up my detector for a particular site and enjoy the hunt. Wondering about tweaking a detector to get the most out of it is nerve racking. I went through it with the XLT. And the Whites forum with their strict rules was enough to make me puke. When all of the adjustments were made on the available on the Spectrum it was a unique idea. Now Whites seems to be stuck with their own curse. If adjusted correctly the V3i is a killer macine. I want a killer machine 30 seconds outside the car. I will say the TRX is a wonderful tool. A new king of the mountain. And it isn't even a close race. I never had the MXT. I have seen one used at a club test garden. The man using it was impressive with it. Knobs and toggles. What a wonderful idea. We seem to be at a stand still on detector performance technology wise. Adding complicated menus is not the answer in my book. You can only screw yourself. Just like our complicated tax system.

triplehooked Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Although I was surprised that he was running the recovery delay also low

On the V3i, isn't the lower the number of the recovery delay setting, the quicker the response (ie, faster recovery speed) ? Probably running it lower in order to unmask targets, even if there isn't a lot of trash.

Interesting he also had his sensitivity set in the 50's. One of the mistakes of new V3i owners is running the sensitivity too high.

The V rated white SEF coil seems like a great coil for the V3i. I may have to purchase one. I do agree the unit has lots n lots of settings and the ability to adjust/tweak just about anything. It is a great all around unit however, and the ID capabilities ( albeit not at depth), are super. One of the things I like about it is when I can hunt the wet, salt sand in multi frequency ( does a great job) and I can then switch to single frequency and hunt the dry sand and use 22.5Khz for gold jewelry hunting, or 2.5Khz for silver coin hunting. Very versatile machine.

Des running the V3i as a simple beep n dig, 2 tone unit, in that field, says a lot. Keep it simple and dig any non-ferrous tone.

I had the Eurotek Pro do the same thank yesterday. A nice size nail in hole then an inch or so below that was a wheat penny.

Keith......... stick with the 3-tone XP GMP. ((( or ferrous/non-ferrous 2-tone DTVG )))

K.I.S.S.

I gotta agree w Tom on this Keith, you only have so much time to detect bro, then there's the family, work, chores, ect, ect.

Besides Keith, hardly anyone uses the v3i here, we anticipate/ benefit/appreciate your reports about the stuff we use. : )


Aaron

I had one and in Calif dirt it acted up a lot when I took my G2 out it was as easy a pie. Hard machine to program from one area to another

LowBoy

TAKE A LITTLE TIME KICKBACK AND WATCH SOME OF MY DETECTING VIDEO'S BELOW ON YouTube

[www.youtube.com]

If you don’t dig it, then how are you going to know what you’re missing!
How can you have your pudding if you don’t eat your meat!

Keith, In the right hands the V3I is a remarkable machine when ground allows.

Had the same problem as Lawrenzo when picking one up when they first came out, The only serious issue I had was the V3I couldn't handle bad dirt or a least from my area up in the hills. Up near the fresh waters edge we have extreme mineralization the V3I just couldn't handle the harsh black sand, The MXT & GMT were the better of the three for these type of conditions when Gold Jewelry hunting and such.

Remember thinking to myself if the V3I can't handle this kind of wet sand then surely it won't do well as a prospecting machine, So shortly after this disappointment sold it.

I would think if one has good dirt then take advantage of what the V3I has to offer, If mineralization is an issue go with another machine.

Paul (Ca)

Ye Ive sen first hand what the V3i can do in iron...but it is a tuffy to keep running right from site to site..

But to see whatt he video shows is what I saw..

a nail and a coin is one thign they are way different condcutors...but to look at that piece fo iron and then that small brass piece they are closer in conductance and yet the iron is above the brass....I saw this in iron too with the small 4x6..


Dont worry I wont get one anytime soon...but it is a great machien when its dialed in...when its dialed in LOL!!

I may add this though.. the SEF coils do wonders at separating ferrous non ferrous at depth...Ive tried them on a few platfroms usually the 10x12 and its never been a let down and see comparable results on each machine..good separation at depth..

Keith

The SEF 12 x 10 I had on my Sovereign GT was a great coil. I liked it much better than the ultimate coil. It required less adjusting between wet and dry sand. What a fun combination on the beach. And I hit some targets that were gosh darn deep.

Hey Keith,Have you ever tried a 10x12 SEF on a Explorer/Etrac? I have herad others rave about it on the Explorer,But not much talk about it on the E-trac for some reason? I've been wanting to try one on my E-trac,But the stock pro coil is so light it kind of spoils you. And it is a great coil in it's own rite.

Yes Harold...

Outstanding coil on the Explorer...cant say enough about it..deep as the stock 10.5...but the separation it gets at depth is really on another level....Ive pulled stuff deep colocated on many instances that the stock coil does not do as often,,
thats the unique thing on the SEF and the 10x12 particularly ...it separates well at depth and not just on the Explorer...but also on the the MXT...

Keith

therover61 Wrote:
> On the V3i, isn't the lower the number of the
> recovery delay setting, the quicker the response
> (ie, faster recovery speed) ? Probably running it
> lower in order to unmask targets, even if there
> isn't a lot of trash.

You are right rover, lower is faster. I always tried to keep mine a bit higher as to not lose depth. I had a real issue with depth loss with the Vx3's. I've ran the RD as high as 100, but you have to go slow, other wise you can miss targets from overlapping the signal.. I always figured running that low would give up depth so I never did. Guess I was wrong!



> Interesting he also had his sensitivity set in the
> 50's. One of the mistakes of new V3i owners is
> running the sensitivity too high.

Yep, I agree. I always ran my sens. higher. I will say tho, even maxed out my Whites was never a chatty as my F75!! ( Never ran as deep either tho! )


> Des running the V3i as a simple beep n dig, 2 tone
> unit, in that field, says a lot. Keep it simple
> and dig any non-ferrous tone.


I run the F75 in 4H but dig all non-ferrous tones when field hunting. Guess I could switch to two tone, but I like to listen for that mid-tone IH/flying eagle hit..

That is one thing I miss with the Spectra series, it can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. I never really had to do a bunch of adjusting with the V's, just minor stuff like RD, Gain, and Sens. and that's done on the fly. People complain about the complexity of these units, but some settings never have to be adjusted, many others are just convenience options, and what's left over are the same (or similar) adjustments as many of the other units people rave about as being simple.

My compadre will do the same

As I remember the 10x12 is like swinging lead on the E Trac. Tried one 2 yrs ago that a friend had and it will wear you out quickly. Gave it back after one hunt. I can speak for the 13" Ultimate that got me a 1893 Barber Half at 10" with a sq. nail off to the side of the hole at 7". Could see the coin in all but one direction and it feels to me about the same as the 11' Pro coil weight wise. It was some of the better soil that I hunt in this area. Lots of minerals in the ground around here.

Keith, you young rascal.

Here I had this original Whites Vision (upgraded to V3i) gathering dust in my garage while I was busy playing with the GBP and new F-75 I have - happy as a clam - then here you go and I have to dust it off!! Well, guess what - although it isn't as deep in the air as my F-75, I have found remarkably few targets in the air - at least since I got out of the Air Force.

Compared to the F-75, it's a a technicolor dream coat - all kinds of displays - some of them remarkably useful. When you start talking about your ideas for dialing it in for your favorite conditions, My ears perk up. Sadly, it sounds like you won't actually be getting one.

It's interesting to read the comments over on an Aussie forum about the V3i. These threads are new, from 2013 and 2014. They are fired up about the V3i, even though the obvious alternative for them is the CTX 3030. Take a look at -

[golddetecting.4umer.net]

This detector is challenging. The most serious questions I have heard about it concern it's performance in high mineralization and perhaps that it's ground tracking doesn't measure up to the MXT and GMT.

Anyway, I want to hear more from Keith about the needle like sharpness settings and how the filters can "bleed".

If Whites doesn't send you one Pronto, they. are missing the boat! I ain't sending you mine, because you made me interested in it again - LOL,



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/23/2014 04:00AM by lytle78.

I have been interested in the V3i for a couple of years now. So this Feb I went out and bought a nice clean DFX . I wanted to see if I would like to tinker with all the setttings and to see how hard it can be pushed.. So far I like it. So I may be inline for a v3i in the future.. The DFX is a sweet relic machine for the small amount of hrs. I have on it, so I would imagine the V3i is even better.
Corey

I like my v3i for parks and home sites with its 3 frequency pinpoint. Once you get the right filter the machine is pretty much turn on and go with the other settings being mostly preferences. I mostly hunt open field though, and prefer my f75 with the larger sef coil.

Never owned one but understand they are heavy from reading reviews...Whites makes super units and backs them up with excellent service after the sale but having gone thru the Eagle, Spectrum, Xlt , DFX I feel K.I.S.S. indeed and prefer the user friendly models....Guess why they make so many models from various companies....

I used that very V3i and gaz set it up well, performed well and was great around trash, he's also produced a real good user guide for the V3i