PI Vs VLF On East Coast Florida Beaches

[MontAmmie]

Still trying to pick a water detector.  

Question for anyone who has used both VLF and PI.  Would a PI machine really find deeper stuff in our fluffy, sanded-in beaches?  I'm sure it would in New England, but in pure silica Florida sand?  The more I read about the PI machines, the more I think I might be just as well off with an Excal 2. But if it means an extra 2-3 inches in depth on wet sand and in the water, I want a good PI.  I don't mind digging at all.  I usually run the DFX in modified relic mode and dig everything anyway.  Some days targets are so scarce here that I would almost be happy to find a pull-tab to dig.  Almost.

 Anybody?  Thanks, Ya'll!

[strick]

PI gonna go deeper for sure. I have a whites TDI pro that I use regularly.  There are times when I say the heck with this (digging everything) and go back to the truck and get my CTX.  When targets are scarce go to a different beach.. or look for low spots on the beach you are at.

strick 

[MontAmmie]

 

9 minutes ago, strick said:

PI gonna go deeper for sure. I have a whites TDI pro that I use regularly.  There are times when I say the heck with this (digging everything) and go back to the truck and get my CTX.  When targets are scarce go to a different beach.. or look for low spots on the beach you are at.

strick 

Hi Strick.

I wish I could find a TDI Pro for sale!

I'm thinking that PI's are made to cut through mineralized ground and that's kind of what wet salt sand is, in a way? 

We live within bicycle distance of 7 different beach parks, but the conditions are pretty much the same at all of them. Not many cuts or low places.  Of course, I have been confined to knee-deep water so far by the DFX.  I just keep thinking ok, there's not much in the top 4 inches that my DFX will cut through.  But if I just had a good PI machine, there would be lots more goodies deeper down!   Always the eternal optimist.  LOL. 

Thanks so much!

Ammie

[Swampstomper Al]

19 hours ago, MontAmmie said:

Still trying...

Aren't we all.. 

Ok then.. Welll, this would require the better part of a book chapter to answer properly, so I'll leave that for Steve..  Actually, he probably has already written about it somewhere in here; and if not he, others have in their writings..

Here's where I'm really trying to go with this though: Before you go throwing $$s at any sort of other detector is you do have a DFX, which is a durn fine beach machine.. IMHO you should be getting an easy 10" and better from it, especially in the damp-to-wet sand.. If it isn't getting that depth I suggest breaking out the manual (only because of all the variables; if you have them memorized I want the name of the memory course you took, lol) and do some tweaking around its suggested settings for location type..

Another way to check for depth performance on the stretch of beach you're on is take a beer can and bury it 16" - 18" in trodden sand.. It should come screaming back to your wand-over.. If it doesn't that'll tell you some tweaking is in order too..

Believe me, I understand the frustration.. The beaches have their own sort of EMI.. Detecting depth can change a goodly amount between tide swings.. A coin line that's shouting at ya one day ya can't even find the next..

Swamp

EDIT: That can depth is for DFX & similar..

[MontAmmie]

2 hours ago, Swampstomper Al said:

Aren't we all.. 

Ok then.. Welll, this would require the better part of a book chapter to answer properly, so I'll leave that for Steve..  Actually, he probably has already written about it somewhere in here; and if not he, others have in their writings..

Here's where I'm really trying to go with this though: Before you go throwing $$s at any sort of other detector is you do have a DFX, which is a durn fine beach machine.. IMHO you should be getting an easy 10" and better from it, especially in the damp-to-wet sand.. If it isn't getting that depth I suggest breaking out the manual (only because of all the variables; if you have them memorized I want the name of the memory course you took, lol) and do some tweaking around its suggested settings for location type..

Another way to check for depth performance on the stretch of beach you're on is take a beer can and bury it 16" - 18" in trodden sand.. It should come screaming back to your wand-over.. If it doesn't that'll tell you some tweaking is in order too..

Believe me, I understand the frustration.. The beaches have their own sort of EMI.. Detecting depth can change a goodly amount between tide swings.. A coin line that's shouting at ya one day ya can't even find the next..

Swamp

EDIT: That can depth is for DFX & similar..

Actually, it does pretty well in damp and dry sand, I dug a bit of canslaw at about 8 inches yesterday.  My biggest problem is that beautiful blue water where all the best goodies hide. It just keeps calling my name every time I go to the beach.  I've almost drowned the DFX a couple of times in knee deep water that suddenly turns waist deep with a big wave. ~~~~~~  

But help is on the way!  There's a dealer in Arizona who has an demo Infinium at a big discount and the best part is that it still has the warranty.  Now comes the hard part.  He's on vacation so I'll have to wait about 2 weeks for it.  I'm so excited!  Thanks Swamp and everyone else who's been patiently helping me pick out a sibling for the DFX!