V3i/MXT Pro

I hunted saltwater beaches for years with that setup. It was great because I could cover the entire strip of wet sand with one sweep and not lose too much depth…

Garrett Direct was offering 20% off during their Black Friday sale. That put the Axiom at less than $3,200 with free shipping. However, that’s still double the price of a top tier VLF. Does a PI machine really cost that much more to manufacture?

Congratulations, a true blast from the past! Those old White’s big box detectors were built like tanks and seemed to last forever. White’s vintage analog VDI meters were more stable than some of the jumpy digital displays of today.

Surf hunters would love to see a neutral buoyancy 12” spider coil for the Axiom.

I would like to see Garrett borrow the script from Nokta and XP by lowering MAP for the Axiom to $2,099. At that price point I believe they would open a whole new market for salt water beach and relic hunters. It would also provide Garrett a clear advantage over other gold prospecting PI detectors currently on the market.

When the White’s TDI Pro/SL were no longer available it left a gap in that segment of the market that still exists today. IMHO, Garrett needs to grow market share and a lot of consumers will simply not pull the trigger at the $3,995 price point.

Also, the very last SL model was painted a tan color (supposedly to help with solar load) and used a straight shaft instead of the too short s-shaft. I believe that model was also shipped with a third party elliptical coil.

1 hour ago, Johnnysalami1957 said:

Why would you need to upgrade the detector software if you do not pair or connect with it?

It is my understanding that the software update for the Legend enables a faster connect/disconnect with the Bluetooth headphones, facilitating a closer to seamless experience when using the Accupoint.

On 10/13/2023 at 2:45 PM, Digalicious said:

The replaceable tip with the little digging tool on the end are nice touches.

I hunt in some ground that is quite muddy, so the screen would become unreadable real quick. When need be, I could give it a wipe, but wonder if repeatedly doing that would scratch up the screen. Hopefully Nokta used a very scratch resistant screen. Although, the first thing I would do is put a screen protector on it, and replace it as necessary. I'm also glad the speaker isn't on the side, because in my sloppy sites, a side speaker gets totally clogged up and useless. Well anyway, it's great to be able to see the sensitivity, charge level, etc, and not have to deal with button sequences and the like.

MFF,

What's the word on that "Audio Booster"?

 

If you look carefully at the close-up photo of the LCD color screen above, you will see the outline of a screen protector that’s already attached from the factory… I didn’t have any issues with my screen scratching during the Beta testing.

Congrats on the purchase! The V3i is one of the most underrated machines out there. The target analysis capabilities were way ahead of their time… Kind of makes the advanced 2D Target ID on my Manticore look primitive.

All I want to know is where I can get that GPZ for 200 bucks 🤑

Not allowed to say due to the NDA 😉

I wonder if the Accupoint will be able connect to the headphones at the same time the Legend is connected? Most Bluetooth headphones can only pair to one device at a time.

The Garrett Carrot and now the Nokta Banana 😄. I can’t wait for it’s release and to try this pinpointer out… If it’s anything like the Legend it will be great!

I did a major equipment upgrade this summer. As part of that, I sold my Pro Find 35 and bought a 40. The PF 40 is more stable, has stronger audio and slightly more depth than the 35 that I had. The rapid retune feature works great and was a glaring omission on the 35. Also, you can now turn the sensitivity up to max and wave it around indoors without it going crazy. Long term durability remains to be seen, but then again, I didn’t have any issues with my 35.

The PF 40 is not a significant update over the 35. It’s very evolutionary NOT revolutionary. Much like the Equinox 800 evolving to the 900, Minelab addressed some shortcomings and refined things a bit.

Great combo with the MXT Pro running the Detech Arrow, very smooth and stable… You can cover an entire open field in a fraction of the time compared to the standard coil.

RIP Steve

I’ve always viewed my Excalibur as complimenting the Manticore/Equinox. I use my Excalibur when I submerge it under the surf, as a visual display is basically useless at that point anyway. I know the Excal won’t leak and the additional weight disappears underwater.

I’ll use my Manticore and Equinox at the surfline where the light weight and screen analysis capabilities really shine… I view the IP68 rating as insurance against wet sand, salt spray and rogue waves.

I like the competition and how it’s driving innovation & price!

I’ve been using those 9v USB Li-ion’s for almost a year now and I’m very happy with them. They measure 9v on my multimeter, when freshly charged, and hold that voltage until fully discharged. Alkaline’s typically start out below 9v and continue to drop until they die… That voltage drop was contributing to instability with some of my pinpointers.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the mAh rating is inflated but I do not have the equipment to test it. Also, they don’t hold a charge as long as alkaline’s when sitting idle, so plan on charging them every six months to keep them fresh. The set does come with a USB cable that charges 2 batteries simultaneously which is convenient.

At less than $20 shipped for 4 batteries (in the US) the price was comparable to name brand alkalines. When taking into consideration the cost and performance advantages it was an easy decision for me.

Yes, the Energizer Lithium 9v batteries work quite well in the Carrot and significantly extend the run time. They also have a higher nominal voltage (9.2v) compared to a Duracell which is slightly below 9v even when brand new. However, they are very expensive and the case is slightly larger than standard. Therefore, they will not fit in all of my pinpointers such as the Minelab Pro-Find 35.

I’ve since switched over to USB rechargeable Li-ion batteries that have a true 9v nominal voltage and triple the run time of the Duracell. They pay for themselves quickly and provide more stable performance in my Pro-Find 35…

 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09Y33LRYX/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_8?smid=A199RS8QUBC7IQ&psc=1

I wish Minelab would move away from the barrel shaped grip… It’s not very ergonomic and doesn’t fit well into many of the generic holsters. I personally prefer the ergonomics, depth and abrasion-resistant material of the F-Pulse.

I always turn my Pro-Find on at full sensitivity with the tip touching the ground and wait for the final beep. If it’s chattering I’ll back it off a click. Those steps coupled with a true 9v battery have solved 99% of stability issues. However, I have no doubt that some of these units were manufactured out of spec and will need to be replaced under warranty.

I was initially having stability issues with my Pro-Find 35. I switched to a USB rechargeable 9v Li-ion battery that runs at a true 9 volts… My Pro-Find now operates with much better stability. So if your battery is getting weak it can definitely cause stability issues.

51 minutes ago, phrunt said:

Upgrading the processor would require a complete code rewrite so suit the new CPU and hardware, it's not as simple as snapping some fancy new multi core processor on the board and they're good to go.    The person/people who wrote it may not even be around anymore or employed by Garrett and if so they may not be well versed in the new languages required for modern hardware.  In cases like this sometimes its easier to start again. 

 

If I’m not mistaken the source code on the V3i is already written in C++ so it’s not like it has to be converted from assembly language. Yes, it would still take a highly-skilled software engineer to do this successfully. Remember, the MX-7 was a rewrite of the MXT code and the main improvement was a significant increase in recovery speed (the V3i’s main weakness)… Carl would know what the technical feasibility of this would be and whether or not it would be worth it. 

1 hour ago, Mike_Hillis said:

If I was to win a big lottery I would consider creating a metal detector company and license with Garrett to take the V3i forward into the future.   Find a savvy marketing human that can navigate the world as it is today and can keep up with the changing market place venues.

Alas....odds are not in my favor.

HH
Mike

   

I just don’t understand why Garrett doesn’t put the V3i in a lightweight, waterproof package? They could also upgrade the microprocessor (recovery speed) while they’re at it. I doubt this would require a significant re-engineering effort and it would easily be the best VLF in their lineup… In fact, it would be on par, or better, than the Equinox and Legend right out of the gate.

Also, reintroduce the TRX pinpointer as a deeper alternative to their Carrot.