Tony

That is some seriously good results with the extra voltage and consistent with my results on the beach 👍

I’ve recently had a few emails regarding my TDIBH so I thought I’d hammer out a response. I’m going to try and summarise with some dot points; I have close to 500 hours on this machine and run the 14.8v (nominal voltage) Lithium battery pack. Details in my earlier posts. The detector has found me quite a lot of big and deep gold. I don’t use it much in the water as conditions down here are generally quite rough. The 12” coil is physically too big in waves and white water. Also, digging 18” targets when you are being swept around by waves and swell is almost impossible even with 30 pounds of lead. The detector is now mainly used on the lower beach and low tide areas. I have had no issues running the 14.8v pack. I charge overnight and let the voltage settle down before using the next day as this avoids the off the charger voltage of 16.8v. My run time is about 6 hours before I swap out for a fresh pack. I have had no condensation issues within the detector. I do have a large silica gel pack in the battery compartment. The detector is quieter than other PI’s with the low delays when used in the shallow water and saturated hard pan. The SAT is very good in keeping things quiet even at low delay settings. Maybe it is the new Flux Capacitor that White’s now use 😉 I have several layers of yellow Plasti Dip on my coil to keep it well protected on the coarse shells and exposed reef areas. My ultimate power setting is minimum Delay and maximum Gain, threshold a fraction below audible with volume up high. Frequency is usually at the 12 o’clock position. I have only ever needed to change this once. My deepest ever finds have come from this machine. GB is always OFF unless I hit a rare patch of black sands. You need a BIG and STURDY scoop..............Tony

And I have you to thank for getting me into this great hobby......especially the water and PI machines..........😀 I hope you are keeping fit and well ! Regards Tony

Thanks Jim.........probably my most satisfying find ever. Nearly walked away from it too.......😳

Thanks for the update Steve.......big mistake if they go cheap on headphones. I don’t think the addition of “expensive” headphones is much in the overall price of the detector. It might add another $100 to $150. Glad I got the TDIBH when I did........14 months ago 😃 Tony

I recently unearthed a large 18K gold ring with a substantial / quality diamond embedded into it. My TDIBH with the 14.8v battery pack just managed a tiny break in the super smooth threshold to let me know something’s there..........the ring was lodged in the limestone layer of an old beach at an exact depth of 19”. The stock 12v battery pack will get this ring at about 16”. The ring is appraised at $7500 and would probably fetch about $4000 if sold.........enough to buy 3 TDIBH’s should my unit blow up on me. I estimate that I have over 500 hours run time on my detector with the 14.8v pack 👌

I don’t need to drop the detector in the water.....I hold onto it. i never said it doesn’t float....I said the buoyancy has never bothered me.

I use mine underwater and to be honest, I don’t notice the positive buoyancy.

I don’t normally revive old threads but I thought I’d chime in with my recently purchased MX7. Pros: Consistent Target ID, especially with the 6” concentric coil. Lovely crisp audio that White’s does so well. For me, really well balanced. Great menu layout and sharp display. Solid build with no creaks or wobbles. Strong performance in different ground types. Cons: Nothing so far. The MX7 is a killer unit on our Australian $1 and $2 coins with a TID of 69 and 65 respectively. Most screw caps were 70/71 (which are our nemesis down here). Yes I could have purchased the Equinox (which I have tried) but the MX7 just felt like it suited me better. I will report back if I discover anything I don’t like. How does White’s make detectors sound so good! For me, this is one of the most important aspects to any detector purchase. Tony

I like it.....well thought out.

..........And GB off

Plus Whites state that the hardwired coil gets more sensitivity.........They may well be right on this one.

Hello Mark Gain at max and delay at 10us......plus the extra voltage of course. This is where the extra 1 to 2 inches comes from over the standard pack. I leave the frequency at the 12 position. Stock coil. Turn the threshold down low.....a fraction below where it is heard AND increase the volume. Tony

Yep....the included bag is a complete waste of time.....☹️ The only useful bits are the plastic buckles !! They really should abandon the included bag and discount the detector by the same value.........5c But the included detector is what counts.....?.....and it is totally awesome. Tony

TDI Beach Hunter is next level performance.....I would estimate the TDI has a 20% depth increase (using the 14.8v battery pack) over the Garrett (which I did own some years ago). There is still much to like about the Garrett, especially the battery compartment and swap-able coils and headphones. If you are after outright depth performance then the TDI is a clear winner. Incidentally, I found the depth advantage using the larger coil on the Garrett was only slightly ahead of the 8" Garrett coil (which I much preferred in the shallow water and surf). Tony

Looks like the detector and "Rods" are both "no longer available".......... My BS/scam detector was screaming like a GPX on a manhole cover. Tony

Surely you can by Lithium 18650 cells in Canada ?......correct, they can't be shipped by air from overseas.

Good job Dale.....this is the way to go if you wish to use the standard battery trays and your DIY extra voltage packs. I like to run max power all the time (in the water and on the beach).....I got a second 16.8v pack and will swap out after 6 hours but by then I am pretty much done !

All of the part details and assembly is at the beginning of this thread. The brass terminals are from the electrical section of most hardware stores and the wire and 2.1mm DC "Barrel" connector from electronic stores. I am in Australia but the parts needed should be readily available just about anywhere. Very simple build and soldering. Tony

Here is the battery......https://www.batteriesdirect.com.au/shop/product/27361/licb-18650-4s1p-hc-f.html Here is the charger.....https://www.batteriesdirect.com.au/shop/product/27405/fy1701000-2.1mm.html I hope this helps, Tony

Hmmmmm.............no Surfmaster PI at all ?

This is good for a 3 cell setup but not 4 cells......need the extra 3.7v cell.

Hello Mark, I have done "in ground" tests with the TDIBH and my results show a 15% performance jump when comparing the stock battery pack to the 14.4V (Nominal but comes off the charger at about 16.8V) pack. The pack I use is a 3.35Ah and I get a comfortable 7-8 hours before needing to recharge (the inbuilt BMS will automatically shutdown the detector if the voltage gets too low). When water hunting in 5 to 6 feet of water, I really struggle to dig the deep targets over 15" even with 30 pounds of lead ! Tony

Hopefully I can post related links....if not then sorry Steve ! https://www.batteriesdirect.com.au/shop/product/27361/licb-18650-4s1p-hc-f.html Chargers to suit are there as well. Just pick a 1A charger....much cheaper than the 3A-5A chargers and the 1A chargers are easier on the battery as well. All you need is a 4S1P pack (laid out side by side). Tony

I am loving this unit........it has found me some very deep gold ! Tony