mh9162013

I tried that this morning and did not notice any positive difference. The ratcheting or closing range remained poor despite puling back to detune.

Yeah, I saw that in one video. I've noticed that pinpointers have "barbell" or "hourglass" shaped detection areas. The TRX seems to do a good job of putting as much space as possible b/w the two detection ranges such that it provides the "flashlight" effect. So the TRX's detection range outline looks more like a barbell while most others look more like an hourglass.

I've noticed that extra voltage (about 1 volt extra) seems to "supercharge" the Carrot, with louder beeps and possibly greater sensitivity.

Right now, if I do get another pinpointer, it will be the White's TRX or XP Mi-4 (it has some pretty good closing range, based on the brief clips I've seen on youtube). I really hate the Mi-4's built-in battery, but from my research, it appears that the whole unit is supposed to be easily repaired by the end-user with readily available spare parts. Also, the battery seems to be relatively easy to acquire from 3rd parties.

I was wondering when you'd chime in, Geotech. Thanks for your insightful advice!

Good to know, thanks.

The closing range of the TRX seems to be superior to the Carrot (starts at 3:30): Now, the question is if the F-Pulse has better closing range or "ratcheting" than the TRX.

I refuse to support White's as a company, but since they're out of business, I've considered buying a TRX. If it has good closing closing ranges (at least compared to the Carrot), I'd probably get it over the F-Pulse. Or maybe I'll get both, then compare, then sell one. But I'd rather just buy one and save the money.

I have, but it doesn't help much. If I try detuning it when I'm getting a solid tone (or close to it), the "closing range" is extremely limited...far less than it would be in a non-detuned mode. And the closer and closer I get, the less effective detuning become as the "closing range" becomes even more limited.

I've been debating whether to get a Fisher F-Pulse due to its greater sensitivity compared to my Garrett Carrot. But I wonder about its "closing range." What's that? Let me try to explain. Today, I tried using my Garrett Carrot for a full hunt, but had it on maximum sensitivity. I appreciated its extended range as it made it easier to determine if my target was in my plug or hole. However, I realized that the greater sensitivity isn't as useful as I had hoped given the amount of trash where I hunt. So while my Fisher F2 could discriminate out trash, during my dig, my Garrett Carrot might detect a piece of trash before it could get the actual target I was digging for. But I confirmed that the greater sensitivity of my Garrett Carrot isn't as useful as I had hoped because of the short "closing range" it had. What I'm referring to is its ability to change its beeping as the poinpointer gets closer to the target. For instance, the pinpointer might detect a target 3 inches out. But when it's still 1 inch away, the steadily increasing beeps have stopped and now it's a solid tone. And it stays this solid tone no matter how much closer you get to the target. Ideally, the steadily increasing beeps (what I'm referring to as its "closing range") will continue until the pinpointer is touching the target. I see tons of videos on a pinpointer's sensitivity. But none on its "closing range." I'm realizing that having a pinpointer with the ability to detect a coin at 4 inches, but only has a "closing range" of 2 inches may not be as useful as a pinpointer with the ability to detect a coin at 3 inches, but has a closing range of 2.75 inches (assuming this kind of pinpointer even exists). I also understand that the size of the target makes a big difference. With my ring, I may never get a solid beep from my pinpointer even when it touches my ring. Yet when next to a metal trash can, I get the solid beep when the pinpointer is 4+ inches way. So my question is: what pinpointer(s) have the best closing ranges? For example, the Fisher F-Pulse has the best (or among the best) range/sensitivity of most major pinpointers on the market. But does it have a correspondingly long closing range, too?

Commercial freeze dried pouches are nice due to taste and convenience, but they can be expensive. One cheaper option I've come across are Knorr Pasta Sides and Knorr Rice Sides. These cost about $1 USD and require you to add the contents to boiling water, then cook for 10 minutes. Or, you can put the contents in a heavy duty (freezer) resealable bag, add boiling water, then finish the cooking in 10-20 minutes in an insulated coozie (cozy?). Adding additional ingredients, such as fresh/dehydrated veggies, dehydrated/freezedried meats, instant mashed potatoes, ramen, etc. are also options. The only hesitation I have with this option is the use of boiling water in a plastic bag. I dunno if chemicals are being leached into your food, but a lot of people do this and seem to be ok with it... Some through hikers swear by the "ramen bomb" which has varying ingeredients, but basically consist of a cheap ramen brick, ramen seasoning packet, cut up hot dog and instant mashed potatoes. Quick, easy, high calorie...and cheap. Some even swear by the taste, too.

Thanks Monte. What you say largely parallels what Jeff told via PM.

Can you explain why you'd take an AT Max over the Apex, but not the AT Pro (sans waterproofing) over the Apex?

That makes me wonder, what if a detector had a simple boolean algorithm that, after every hole you dug, it asks you if it was a "good" find or "trash." After a few hundred digs, I bet it could do a darn good job of being able to figure out if its user is likely to dig the next time the machine gets a signal.

Just to add on what Steve said, today, you can buy a birthday or holiday card that plays music when you open it up. This card has more computing power than was available to the entire Allied armies of WW2. But today, when we're done with the card, we throw it away.

Thanks for doing that test. Is magnetite the the primary "ingredient" of black sand?

Low self-discharge (LSD) NiMH have very low battery drain. We're talking 30% over 10 years and roughly 5-15% over the first year or two. Assuming this is still faster than Lithium self-discharge, there is the practical limitation of not storing a lithium battery at or near full capacity (as your post already mentioned). Then there's the variable of parasitic draw, which many machines will have, regardless of the battery type it uses. So when it comes to long-term storage of batteries at full capacity, LSD NiMHs are the way to go, not (traditional) lithium.

All else being equal, with current battery tech, a lithium (poly or ion) cell will not be as durable or forgiving to abuse as a high quality NiMH cell. That doesn't mean lithium packs or cells will never be able to outlast or outperform nickel-based cells, though, as there are so many variables that determine how long a cell lasts and different levels of lithium and nickel cell quality.

In that case, avoid lithiums. They are more delicate, less forgiving to abuse and have a lower lifespan than a high quality NiMH cell.

IGNORE

Absolutely not true.

For Garrett!

Thanks for the explanation.

Was there no NDA or other legal agreement preventing you from doing that?

Ahhh, that makes sense. But if someone had an old Ace and wanted to upgrade, I still think the Apex could be a reasonable recommendation (depending on their specific needs, of course).