V3i/MXT Pro

I like the oval shape of the F-Pulse... I wasn't sure about this when I initially looked at the F-Pulse photos, as my other pinpointers have a more rounded body. However, for me, the oval shape offers a much more ergonomic grip.

I've owned both the TDI SL and Pro... As I mentioned above, in my area, I couldn't see any measurable difference in depth when my SL was equipped with the 14.8v battery (you may have different results in your ground). I can run the gain at full on my SL with a smooth threshold. The threshold would wobble on the Pro when I approached 3/4 gain. Unfortunately, Dan Geyer, White's PI engineer and "Father" of the TDI project passed away unexpectedly... With Dan's passing TDI development went on hold. The Pro model was retired and most of the accessory coils went out of production. There was even development work on a waterproof version of the SL but there has been no update on that in years. I have said it before several times on this forum... IMHO White's is missing a big market opportunity by not waterproofing the TDI SL and V3i. They did something similar with the MX Sport by re-engineering the MXT platform. It would provide a real option for water hunters and put White's right back in the simultaneous multi-frequency battle.

Here's a very informative thread if anyone is interested in more details on the differences between the TDI, TDI Pro and TDI SL... Link deleted since Findmall Forum update broke all old links

Yes, the RnB Li-ion battery puts out 12.6v when fully charged... That is the maximum voltage the White's VLF detectors can handle. A forum member (Reidman) sells the TDI SL specific Li-ion battery on eBay. That battery is rated at 14.8v but is actually 16.8v when fully charged... This brings the SL voltage up to the same level as the Pro. White's designed the TDI SL to run on NiMH 9.6v batteries, which are less expensive and don't have shipping restrictions. That also enabled the TDI Pro circuit boards to be placed in the smaller and lighter SL control box.

My new F-Pulse was delivered today and I got and chance to do a brief field test... I'm very impressed! It feels solid and fits perfectly in hand. No falsing when you shake or bend it. It's quite stable at full sensitivity and DEEP... So deep I'm able to use it like a 1" coil and perform an ultra-precise pinpoint on coins. That enables a surgical extraction on manicured lawns. Carl you did a great job on this project, thanks! Now get back to work on some new detectors ?

Rick, That's a TDI Big Foot coil... It's no longer in production. It was designed and handbuilt by the late Dan Geyer, lead engineer on the White's TDI and Surfmaster projects. It pinpoints off the tip of the coil with laser-like precision. Tom

Here's a pic of my preferred surfline setup... 3 lbs 9 oz (including battery), perfectly balanced, 14.8v Li-ion, covers the wet sand in one swing. It's very stable, and deep, running the gain wide open in saltwater. Of course, I use my Excal or Surfmaster DF when going under water.

I have a TDI SL with the same straight shaft and that set-up works great on the beach. It's ultra-light and balanced in this configuration. I use a 14.8v Li-ion battery (similar to the one shown above). I also own 6 coils, both DF and Mono. I bought my SL during one of the promotions. The entire package cost less than $1,500, brand new, including the battery and coils. Maybe I missed something but who else offers a ground balancing PI in that price range? In my ground, I was getting the same depth as my TDI Pro, so I sold the Pro. I've dug coins at 19" on a saltwater beach. I can't comment on prospecting capability as I live on the East coast. Further, I've been told the SL and Pro have the same circuit board... The only differences being the stock battery voltage and the filtering that smooths out the threshold on the SL.

Mine is going to eBay for triple the cost!

I view this discussion as very similar to the epic Honda Accord vs Toyota Camry (or F-150 vs Silverado) battle. It goes something like this... Honda will introduce an all-new Accord with features and technology unheard of for the price. Everyone says to themselves, that's it for the competition, no way they can ever top this, game over. Then a year or so later, Toyota releases an upgraded Camry that resets the bar to an even higher-level, and the cycle continues. It's the consumer that actually benefits because we end up with more features, technology and value for the dollar. I would be very surprised if we don't see an entire line-up of affordable multi-frequency machines, within the next year or two, from the competition. There will likely be some short-term turmoil among the major manufacturers but we will all benefit in the long run.

Thank you for the update, I know it will be worth the wait.

Thanks Steve for all of your insight and honest opinions regarding the Equinox... Hopefully we will all receive ours soon so the dialog can continue.

It's currently 4:50 AM on Jan 31st in Malaysia... I can almost see the pallets being loaded on the trucks now!

It's now the end of January, any updates on a new shipping date?

These machines can seem a bit overwhelming at first, with all the menus and sub-menus. However, very few adjustments are actually needed after you find the right settings for stable operation in your ground. There is a learning curve so try to give it some time.

Buzzard, I have many hours on both the V3i and VX3. Here are some basic suggestions to help smooth out the machine: Put the 950 concentric coil on and start out with the standard Coin and Jewelry mode. I've found most false signals to be closely related to the Discrimination Sensitivity... Yours is likely preset at 75, try lowering it to 45. Also, your Recovery Delay is preset at 80, try lowering it to 28. Finally, do a thorough ground balance: Squeeze trigger, press and hold Enter and pump coil over clean ground (15-20 pumps). Your V should run much quieter and smoother with those settings.

The V's have incredible visual discrimination capabilities. They can do just about everything short of taking an actual picture of the target in the ground... Even that's close when fully utilizing the SignaGraph, Sweep Analysis, Vector Analysis and simultaneous multi-frequency pinpointing display information.

Looks like a Chinese knockoff. There was a "real" Bigfoot for the TDI... It was the Dan Geyer designed T-Foot.

I think White's still has an opportunity to evolve and leverage the technology they already possess. V3 series were first to market with true simultaneous multi-frequency and a full color display. Also, the TDI series, having the ability to toggle conductivity and ground balance, are excellent beach machines... They are also competent coin hunters when set up correctly. Cut some weight and drop the circuit boards into a waterproof package... Redesign/modernize the old coil housings... Maybe even add a new Bigfoot coil. That strategy would breathe new life into both the V3 and TDI platforms at a fraction of the cost of developing all-new technology.

Buzzard, congrats on the VX3! I check out the RnB battery... They are pricey, at $150, but well worth it in the long run. Between my V3i and TDI SL I quickly blew through several bricks of name brand alkaline batteries... That got expensive fast. I also tried rechargeable NiMH batteries, but they were under 12 volts fresh off the charger... So both machines were constantly running at reduced capacity. The RnB will run day after day, at a full 12 volts, without recharging. Keep an eye out for a used RnB, they sell quickly on the forums in the $80-$100 range.

I own a V3i, an MXT Pro and an F75. Although I've never used any of them in AZ, I can give you an honest opinion (and this is only my opinion)... I really like the F75, it's light, balanced and has great sensitivity. Unfortunately, it does not have a ground tracking system (only ground grab) and is not my choice in mineralized soil. The V3i does have decent ground tracking and does better with mineralization... The color screen is great and provides excellent visual discrimination capabilities. However, the MXT has one of the finest ground tracking systems ever devised. It was developed by Dave Johnson and is the same as the tracking system used in the GMT... It's lightening fast in adapting to ground mineralization changes. Therefore, if the ground you hunt in AZ is highly mineralized, I would suggest taking a look at a new MXT Pro.

Forum members, if you've used the Deus then you already speak French ?

Thank you for the kind words Whitbey. I wish I could have lived in France... Great people, country, culture and food! However, I have only been able to visit. I'm also a huge Tour de France fan. Are you of French heritage?

Apologies in advance, my French may be a bit rusty... Bienvenue sur le forum! Steve est parti assister aux affaires. Cependant, nous sommes tous très excités par la sortie de Minelab Equinox. Oui, XP est génial, je possède un Deus, mais la multi-fréquence simultanée devrait amener les choses à un tout autre niveau. En outre, vous devriez être en mesure de télécharger des photos sur le forum en utilisant le lien "Cliquez pour choisir les fichiers" en bas à gauche de votre écran. Meilleurs voeux!

Apologies if I missed it in another post. When can we expect the Equinox to be available for purchase in the US... Dec, Jan, Feb or later?