Sun Ray DX-1 Invader probe for V3i

[shafer44]

I just got an inline DX-1 Invader probe from Sun Ray. Does anyone with a V3i on the forum here use one? I would appreciate a little more insight into getting the maximum benefits from this probe. My understanding is that when you are detecting and you pinpoint a target and dig the hole, then you remove the probe from its holder, flip the switch from coil to probe and then use the probe to locate the target either in the dirt pile or maybe still in the hole. My intentions was to be able to use the probe in discriminate mode, which would take my discriminations settings into account and unlike the all metal pinpointers, it would just give me a signal on the "good" target. My main thoughts on this is that when I have settings like 6/55/75 for gain/all metal/disc, will this be a limitation on the depth or how close I have to have the probe to the target? Do you have to kick up your gain when in the probe mode to maximize your distance from the target or what??? I know that on my V3i, I have the trigger forward set to pinpoint, so I can just grab the probe, flip the switch from coil to probe and push the trigger forward and then I have an all metal pinpoint with the 3 frequency bars on my display, but I would really like to use the discriminate mode.

Any suggestions would be appreciated and I am curious if anyone else uses discriminate and if so, how close to the target do you have to be with your detector with what settings.

I have a TRX that I have been using and it is great.....but, I use it on vibrate mode and since it is all metal, if there is any trash, such as nails, rust, etc in the hole or dirt, it just goes crazy vibrating and makes it more difficult to find or locate the small targets.

 

[Larry (IL)]

Most of your questions you can answer yourself the first time you use it but it is a one inch coil and used just like the larger coils, discrimination, pinpoint and the more gain and sensitivity, the more depth. I used mine for 5 or 6 years and ended up selling it in favor of the TRX and Garrett. I like the lighter weight without the DX-1 and a handheld goes good with multiple detectors too.

 

[shafer44]

Thanks, Larry and I do agree that experience is the best teacher. I have only had it 2 days, but I have taken it out and I have already picked up a couple of suggestions in reading the posts on the forum here and on White's. Since we have to run our gain and disc so low here, what I have seen from most others that have replied or pm'd me, is that when I set the detector down and grab the probe, I have to crank up my gain and disc, and per Fox, place the probe tip on the ground and then squeeze the trigger a couple of times. That has made the depth a lot better. At first with my settings, I was only getting less than an inch with discriminate and a couple of inches with PP or all metal mode. I was using it along with my TRX yesterday and sometimes, with my TRX, if I get it close to the target, it starts vibrating and won't quit. I have to push the button to desensitize it or turn it off and then back on. I had a penny or dime in my dirt that I dug out and this vibrating started happening, so I took the probe and with it in the discriminate mode, I easily located the memorial in the dirt that basically was the same color as the penny.
I am just curious as to the depth that others are getting with the probe. I do know that if I push my trigger forward on my V3i (have it set for forward to PP) then the probe sees a lot farther, as much as 6 inches yesterday, but mostly less than that, but I had my gain up to 12 and my disc at 90 for that to happen.

 

[Larry (IL)]

All I can say is I got 3 to 4 inches in my ground and settings, your depth will depend on YOUR ground and settings. Keep in mind, Fox hunts mostly in Florida sand, his conditions are very different than most of us. I never had to ground balance the DX-1 but try it and see if it helps and remember to GB the main coil again before hunting. Doing a GB, changing the Gain and sensitivity twice every time you use the DX-1 seems like a waste of time in MHO. My hunt plan is very simple, I find a target, pinpoint, recover, fill the hole and move on to the next target. If the entire process takes more than 60 seconds, I did not pinpoint very well.

 

[shafer44]

Oh, yeah, I agree on location. I got the XLT 20 yrs ago, did not know anything and found the forums. I printed out the programs and put them on my XLT. They were not even close, even with them I did not find anything worthwhile. I put the XLT in the closet and 2 yrs ago I got talked into getting the V3i. It is more complicated, but hunting with 2 other people here that have them have made my learning curve a WHOLE lot better. When I did start to learn, I realized that the XLT programs and the V3i ones depend on where you are from and what the ground conditions are. There is no way we can run 14 gain and some of the hot settings some of these people are able to run in their areas. Fox has a great place to hunt evidently, because his programs all have 13 or 14 Rxgains.
And, you are right again on the time to retrieve the target. Most of the time around here, it is search, pinpoint, dig a shovel of dirt out, check the dirt with the detector, kick the dirt with your foot, bend down and retrieve the target. However, a lot of times the target eludes us and we spend several minutes trying to locate some little target that is hiding in the dirt. What I have found in 2 outings with the inline, is that when it is in the dirt pile, the inline in discriminate mode is great!!! The all metal pp mode is also pretty awesome with the 3 freq. bars to help go to the right target in the dirt. Our ground is often so hard that you cannot even dig the shovel tip of dirt in 60 seconds.
I may end up going back to the TRX, but since I spent the money, I am going to have it on my detector for a while. Besides, I have the deluxe swingy thing and the extra weight is not even noticed,