Non Minelab Pi Detectors

[Jeff McClendon]

2 minutes ago, AUgetter said:

I am not dissing Minelab.  In fact, I am applauding them for making the best detectors around.  I'm only wishing that there was some stiff competition to pull the price down a bit.

JM...I'm not new to detecting.  I have been scuba detecting for about 5 years using a Garrett Sea Hunter Mark II.  Fairly successfully, I might add.  Granted, what I do is a niche in this world.  Once retired, I plan on getting into gold detecting more underwater and on land.  My choice for land will be the GPX 6000.  Underwater, I'll probably just get another detector for shallow use that will enable me to find smaller targets, especially gold.  Right now, I'm seriously considering the Gold Kruzer.  The only thing that worries me about it is potential leakage from long term underwater use.  Most of the small stuff in scuba is found at under 10 feet, but in poor vis it's easy for a diver to get distracted and end up at 20 feet, which would probably mean bye bye Gold Kruzer.  I'm also seriously looking at the Minelab Excalibur II, but It's way more $ than the GK and at it's lower frequency selections, I'm not sure how great it would be on the small stuff. Either way, I'll not ditch my Mark II.  It has been great for me and I KNOW it...it's limitations and advantages.  What I really wish is that Garrett would upgrade the PI on the Mark II while charging $1K/unit or less.  THAT would be a stupendous thing for me.

Since this is the Advice an Comparison Forum, you can say just about whatever you want about Minelab or any other detector manufacturer.

When you mention gold in your posts, are you referring to gold jewelry or gold nugget hunting and mostly fresh or saltwater? 

Personally, if I was diving I would look very closely at Nokta/Makro’s Pulse Dive for a backup to your Mark ll. It comes with two different sized coils, has vibration on targets and by all accounts is a great, inexpensive, miniature pulse induction handheld detector.

[AUgetter]

Up until now, my hunting has been mostly in freshwater lakes in beach areas for jewelry.  This fall, I want to start nugget hunting on land and in rivers while traveling out west.  Mid summer to fall, I'll be back in my old freshwater lake haunts hoovering up the jewelry that the vacationers lose.

I'll check out the Pulse Dive, but I'm not really looking for a back up to my Mark II as much as a detector that does a better job on very small chains, earrings, etc. than the Mark II.  Sometimes I'll find small stuff in holes that I dug because of a hit from a larger target, so I'm sure I'm missing some gold targets I might find with another detector made for small stuff. 

I know some other scuba detectors.  I'll hit some of them up to see if any of them has a Pulse Dive and get their opinion on it or better yet get one on loan for a try out.

[AUgetter]

I just realized I said "detector" when I should have said "detectorists" in that last sentence.

[Smithobx]

On 5/3/2021 at 4:23 PM, Steve Herschbach said:

 

Australian QED

Due to various bad reports on QED build reliability, I do not recommend the machine, leaving only the Garrett ATX as a current 

Steve, I have to respectfully disagree with your comment on the QED. I now have about two years experience with the QED on the Outer Banks beaches, woods and field relic hunting, and gold hunting mostly in the mountains of Virginia. My personal experience has been very positive, with no failures of any kind with either of the two QEDs I now have. The performance has been nothing short of excellent and has, in some respects, surpassed that of my friends with Minelab detectors. The warranty is much better than Minelab and the cost is around $1500.00 US dollars, including shipping, (depending on the exchange rate). The availability of a variety of coils is another positive. I have tried the Garrett ATX and I much prefer the QED. Easier to gb and much quieter around power lines. They are computer printed but are way lighter than any of the other contenders you mentioned. Now if only they were waterproof. Just my experience and completely anecdotal.