How Does The Pi-iKing Compare To Other Scuba Detectors?

[Erik Oostra]

4 minutes ago, phrunt said:

You're a gambling man aren't you Erik

Phrunt, gotta admit that i do like a flutter every now and then.. but what caught the imagination on this detector was the videos by independent users and not the 'PI' label.. my son had seen the first video on a spear-fishing site and he asked me about it as a handy tool in his overboard recovery arsenal.. one thing let to the next, including an interest in 'magnet fishing'..  

[Steve Herschbach]

Long story short saltwater is conductive and to a detector looks just like small gold. Any detector designed to work in salt water MUST tune out the saltwater signal. When this is done, thin gold chains, small ear rings... any tiny gold items cannot be detected. It is not really that complicated but there seem to be people that still think that the next new detector will somehow overcome this problem. No, can't happen unless we change technology entirely.

This chart below shows it best. The "Small Nugget" range includes post ear rings, thin gold chains, and other misc "micro-jewelry". It overlaps with the salt range. Many detectors have a "Salt Setting" that rejects this range, but it automatically knocks out the small gold also. One reason I am a Minelab Equinox fan is it has a good multifrequency Beach setting that tunes out the saltwater, and also a good Gold Mode for tiny gold. But it is one or the other, you can't have both at once.

Nugget hunters have the same issue hunting alkali salt flats, especially after a rain.

[Erik Oostra]

51 minutes ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Many detectors have a "Salt Setting" that rejects this range, but it automatically knocks out the small gold also

Steve, i understand what you're saying regarding saltwater and really appreciate your long experience with all sorts of detectors, but looking for small gold (including gold rings, chains or ear rings) was not why this detector sparked an interest.. rather, it caught my son's attention as a cheap and handy overboard recovery tool.. one that could assist his searches on scuba in extremely low visibility (the fact that it vibrates when it has spotted a metal object was a huge bonus for him).. taking into account that all that he's looking for is metal objects which he and his mates keep dropping overboard (or objects containing metals like spearguns or tools), i suppose his trusty Neodymium recovery magnet would keep doing the job just as well in the meantime..        

[Chase Goldman]

Get the original vs. the knock off if you want to guarantee sustained reliability in a saltwater environment.  

[Chase Goldman]

22 hours ago, Erik Oostra said:

Wow.. I'm going to buy a PI-iKing for my son's xmas present.. if only so i can borrow a real PI detector.. do you think it could be good on gold considering the 20.28 kHz? am thinking gold prospecting in deep pools in freshwater creeks as well as the ocean..

 

BTW Erik, your statement above is the reason Steve went down the path of trying to explain to you what pulse induction technology is and why it doesn't necessarily work well for finding small gold in salt water environs.  So be careful as you are tending to contradict yourself in your own thread with statements like...

1 hour ago, Erik Oostra said:

Steve, i understand what you're saying regarding saltwater and really appreciate your long experience with all sorts of detectors, but looking for small gold (including gold rings, chains or ear rings) was not why this detector sparked an interest..

This is fairly common technology that is also used in terrestrial pinpointers.  There are several different PI dive detectors using similar technology and vibration modes on the market from Quest (the Scuba-Tector), from Nokta (The Pulse Dive), and of course the Vibratector Steve linked previously.  The old addage, you get what you pay for usually applies.  Their detection range is rather limited.  Good luck.

[Erik Oostra]

3 minutes ago, Chase Goldman said:

So be careful as you are tending to contradict yourself in your own thread with statements like...

Sorry Chase and Steve, I didn't mean to insult anyone's intelligence or experience by my constant contradictions in this post.. this is 'mission creep' on my behalf where my imagination of what else this detector could be used for ran away from me.. i apologise to you both for deviating so sharply from my original post, i guess i fell in lust with another cloned detector.. i haven't bought the thing yet (or let my son know that i was thinking about buying it as a xmas present).. i take the advice of everyone who contributes to this forum (where detectors are compared) very seriously, especially Steve's technical advice.. 

Although i also know that you get what you've payed for, the independent users who posted their videos on youtube certainly seem very happy with their bargains.. i'd never heard of KKmoon as a scuba detector manufacturer until i saw videos demonstrating their product.. now bullshit or not, it does seem to do its job and the videos of its competitors mainly show their 'scuba' detectors being used on beaches or in very shallow water.. maybe it's all a clever Chinese marketing ploy to cash in on better known Western brands, after all i was one of the suckers that got enticed by the 'PI' label.. 

From now on i'll keep a lid on getting too carried away with my random contradictions, please know that i meant no harm and didn't mean to insult anyone.. 

   

[Steve Herschbach]

No apology needed to me. I’m not remotely insulted - I’m a bundle of contradictions myself!  I like helping people and sharing information. Anything I post is for anyone that may ever read the thread someday, not just you. I therefore tend to “over share” as I am aiming at that larger group of potential viewers. What you or others do with the information is up to you, but for my part I’m a happy camper. Best wishes no matter what you decide to do. I would appreciate a report back on  this item if you get one... always looking to learn if you’ve got something to share. I admit to being skeptical of these no-name copycat products but that does not mean it’s impossible they might work at some level.

[Erik Oostra]

3 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

I would appreciate a report back on  this item if you get one

Steve, i'm very tempted now to buy one of these amazing "PI' - iKings just for a comparison to better known brands.. only because i can't help falling in lust with a detector that calls itself an 'iKing'.. if it turns out to be a King then my son won't be getting it for xmas.. and if i do buy it,  i'll share my high expectations (and disappointments) on this post..   

[Chase Goldman]

If you are willing to take the plunge so to speak on the PI King. It would be great to know how durable and effective it is for your needs which appear to set up well for the primary task at hand.  Good luck.

[Erik Oostra]

2 hours ago, phrunt said:

Something is better than nothing

Phrunt, as i mentioned cost is the deciding influence here, for me even this cheapy is expensive.. i totally get what you're saying about real manufacturers who put in the research versus those who steal that knowledge.. it's just plain wrong.. but all that happens in another world, in my parallel universe there's a constant need to balance what i can afford and still getting the job done.. which in this case means another tool as a backup to 'magnet fishing' when things go overboard in very low visibility water (you won't be able to see this detector's clever little flashing light)..