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Should I Trade My Detectors For A TDI Beachhunter?


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I have been using my SH more and yes you do dig a lot of iron but if you use the discrim on it and set between 3-3 1/2 you will drop much of the small iron. I have not had any issues with it sounding off in the surf, black sand or hot rocks at all.

If your not dunking your knoggin then the M2 headphones are really nice and will really help on hearing smaller targets and deeper targets. Small iron may give you an inconsistent signal (sound off in one direction) had have a bit of a sour sound to it vs a coin which sounds good in different directions. I found it very hard if not impossible with the waterproof headphones to tell any difference on anything as the tones are simply loud or non existent and flat.

I find it important to sweep the coil consistently and slow around 1-2 ft per sec. The small stock 8" coil is good in the surf as there is less drag but depth on the 8" coil would run about the same as any of the vlf's that have a beach mode for the most part. I find the stock 8" coil just too small to cover any ground.

Larger iron like deck screws, entire lobster traps burried 2-3ft down and other bits you will end up digging. I use my SH in the mouth of a river that is loaded with iron and in spots it is just impossible to dig all. I don't really see how the Beach Hunter would do any better in those conditions.

I also can't say about the TDI and how it is on small jewerly and chains. I know the SH is not nearly as good on small jewelry and chains as a vlf would be and certainly isn't going to pick up a tiny chain at 6" unless it's balled up or has a descent pendant attached.

On damp and dry sand a vlf is the better choice unless you can't gb the machine. In the wet going super deep is a daunting task to dig anything as the sand just fills in.

I think Chase is right, take that Nox you already have and give it a run. Might be pointless to spend the money as the conditions might not be that bad. Here on the east cost other than a few spots of hot rocks and black sand the majority of the beaches here a vlf will do the trick. I don't think the TDI is going be that much better than what you already have. I'm not knocking the TDI's capability but it could be just overkill with little or no gain.

 

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I'd just like to jump in at this point, firstly i'm in the UK living on the North Devon coast and detect the huge sandy surf beaches we have locally.

I have an Equinox 800 with the 15" coil and a Whites TDi beachhunter and have had them 18 months each detecting 4-5 days a week.

Yes the Nox is deep but I find the TDI much deeper. I also find that on my benign sand the TdiBh is deeper with ground just clicked on and running full gain and delay set at 15.

Just before Christmas I had 2 platinum rings of 11g and 12g, both giving high tone.

I am in fact yet to get gold or platinum giving a low tone. I find the TDiBH just if not more sensitive than the Nox on small stuff and regularly dig earring backs and very small gold.

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On 2/13/2020 at 12:13 AM, kac said:

I have the SeaHunter too and with the larger 10x14 coil it hits close to what a TDI Beach Hunter does. Big turn off for me when I was looking at pi machines for the beach was the TDI Beach Hunter has a hard wired coil so you can't change it out and if it breaks the machine has to be sent in for repairs.

I use the hip strap on my SH and can swing it all day with the larger coil.

I would sell the Nox 600 and get the Nox 800 and snag the larger SH coil.

Lastly when beach combing or wading I use the M2 headphones on the SH, audio is so much better. Much easier to hear the tiny targets.

With the extra voltage pack, the TDIBH is a good 3” to 4” deeper than the SH MK2. 
The hardwired TDIBH coil helps get some extra punch over a removable coil cable. 

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How many volts is the TDI with the extra voltage pack? SH uses 8 AA batteries so it's 12v?

Also 3-4" deeper that is the TDI 12" coil vs the 12"x14" or the stock 8". The 12x14 does go a bit deeper than the 8 but I never did any depth test in the field with both and hard to tell exactly how deep something is in sand.

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Checked my records from my previously owned SHMK2 with the big coil..... my wedding band was detected at 14”. The TDIBH running at the higher voltage (14.8v) detects the same ring at 18”......I also found that the bigger coil was only slightly deeper than the 8” coil with about 1.5” depth gained on coin/ring sized targets.

The SHMK2 is one of the few detectors that I regret selling. The toughness of it and the confidence in the (leak proof) battery area and that little powerhouse 8” coil in the surf and waves is the best in the business. I remember that the male pins on the headphone connector are quite delicate and I broke one off. I had a spare set of headphones which I swapped out.....another SH strength in its overall design.

In rough ocean conditions, the TDIBH with the big coil is a bear to use and has to be powered down via Gain or Pulse delay.

I can see myself acquiring another one of these great Garrett units.👍

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22 hours ago, Tony said:

With the extra voltage pack, the TDIBH is a good 3” to 4” deeper than the SH MK2. 
The hardwired TDIBH coil helps get some extra punch over a removable coil cable. 

Only deeper if conditions allow for the TDIBH to be maxed out.....in surf and waves then it has to be detuned and then you have the 12” coil to deal with. The SHMK2 is a better choice in these conditions. On the lower beach and hard pan then the TDIBH is probably the best there is.....for now.

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I haven't tried the larger coil yet in the surf. It may go deeper than I can dig and may drag too much in the current. Underwater the 8" coil handles nice. I can't see digging more than a foot in the surf especially with my scoop that is only 5x7 round.

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Me, I would hold till June, the "AQ" should be out by then (I would hope). I to was thinking TDI BH but at this point I really need something that is a step above what's out there now. Too me I see short comings in both the TDI BH and the "AQ" but also see several things that stand out on the "AQ" that I think will make it the better choice....Good Luck on your decision...☠️ 

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On 2/14/2020 at 9:44 AM, kac said:

hard to tell exactly how deep something is in sand.

Amen to that, Many times I could have swore my excalibur was hitting 18 "plus" inch's on a target .....but I was humbled once I took the time to measure with my scoop, and this is out in the water where every thing seems deeper. My rule of thumb now is take 4 inch's off what I thinking it was at that moment.

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