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I got my Whites Tdi, anybody else have one, my 2 cents

tvanwho

Member
I caved in and got a Whites TDi as my PulseStar 2 was having interference issues around my yard.I finally had to resort to the alternative tuning method which got rid of the interference but somehow also eliminated my ability to detect non ferrous metals? Found my car keys just fine but not even a whisper on my galena/lead nuggets?
So, since I am going to do some serious gold hunting next few weeks, I had to whip out the ol credit card and get the TDi to try out. Well,I got it for $1395 shipped, it arrived, I went out in the yard, and PRESTO, No serious interference issues without even fooling around with the frequency control !! I am told the interference issues are because Fermi Natl Accelerator Lab is just 3 miles north of where I live. My Whites MXT was previously the only useable machine I had for in my yard.
I discovered by accident that I could eliminate copper targets and still accept my gold/quartz specimen from Ganes Creek gold mine in Alaska !! Dunno how this could be but it worked.Might be handy for searching beaches and not having to dig up zinc cents.Of course, you might lose dimes and quarters too? Nickels were still accepted. Still accepted ferrous targets tho.I used the Hi/Lo/All switch to do this with GB off and set to Lo.
Incidentally, I almost sent the machine back cause I could not get the Power On/Off and GB toggle switches to work. I then discovered the Power On/Off Toggle and the GB On/Off Toggle switches are VERY UNIQUE. The toggle stems are split and spring loaded to boot. You literally have to pull the toggle up and then switch positions.I guess this keeps the toggle switches locked in place during field use?
This next thing I discovered accidentally too. Just for the heck of it I was moving the Frequency control around and it seems my air depth on my test targets would increase or decrease by as much as 2 inches? It was better at the extreme CCW position,GB off.
The control box is outfitted with 4 large D rings for a chest mount and a clip on the backside for a hipmount. Where can I get a chestmount harness then? The detector also comes with 2, 14 volt Lithium ion batteries for 20 hours run time. It is rather annoying that the 3 Battery check LEDS are on all the time? These lights are EXTREMELY bright and rather distracting.. I might put a piece of tape over them.The detector is sposed to have audible warning of batteries goin dead soon anyway.
I never set the GB yet.The book says the Pulse circuit itself can reject a lot of bad ground but it also emphasizes checking GB every spot you go to and doing some testing to see if GB needs to be used or not.Supposedly the depth is better with GB off.
Can somebody tell me what detector settings to use for Gold nuggets, small or large in hot red ground? Size of the nugget makes a real difference on settings on this machine per the book.I will be looking for around 1/2 ounce and larger if not lunkers I am hoping, as in pocket gold deposits in sulfides.
I was always a Tesoro man for many years but have 2 Whites machines now, MXT and TDi, but still have my trusty Tesoro LST as a permanent part of my detector collection. It is still the best all around machine for me and easiest to use. I do like the variable audio on my MXT and the 6 x 9 coil, very easy to pinpoint with. Hopefully, I am in pretty darn good shape detector wise now for some years to come if I can just learn the MXT and TDi real good. The Sunray pinpointer on the MXT comes in real handy.Will there be one for the TDi? Somebody told me a Coiltek pinpointer will work with TDi? What Minelab coils can be used, any big ones, like 20 inch mono?
Thanks--Tom,ps, the TDI is VERY well balanced.They did a great job on this, should eliminate a lot of detector elbow fatigue.
 
No official release but people here in Australia using them bought from the US??? Go figure!
 
Hi Tom, Jim McCulloch here, I'll try to answer your questions. I REALLY like the TDI, it is absolutely the most stable mult--purpose PI on the market today. With the standard 12" Dual Field coil I've found flat nuggets as small as 2.5 grains. With the optional 7.5: Dual Field I've got them even smaller, but I haven't weighed them yet. Your soil description suggests that you will really need to ground balance to get optimum performance. To find really small nuggets, set the GAIN as high as soil conditions allow, although I suggest starting at "6," TARGET CONDUCTIVITY to "Low," PULSE DELAY to "10," FREQUENCY to straight up ("12 noon"), THRESHOLD to a slight STEADY hum, (CW slightly past the crackling point) GROUND BALANCE toggle to ON, and GROUND BALANCE to the proper point, which, in bad ground is around "8". Try those as "initial" settings, and custom-adjust, as permissable. Up the GAIN if you can. Some further thoughts: Jimmy Sierra Products has released a really nice chest mount harness for the TDI, it retails for $39.95. Well worth it. Also, yes, the TDI will use all the coils that fit the Minelabs PI's, including the after-market ones. Another hint: since your are accustomed to prospecting with the LST or MXT, to get best results with the TDI you'll have to slow your sweep speed down somewhat. Slower speeds really help those smaller nuggets to sing out. Another thing: we are still in the "monsoon" season here in the Mojave Desert, and while lightening storms render "traditional" PI prospecting machines virtually unusable, you STILL can operate the TDI. But, lightening strikes create a little "weee-oooppp" signal. Don't worry about it. Hope this helps; HH Jim
 
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