Sunray GTI-1` and GTI2500

[jimmileo]

I got a Sunray GTI-1 for my 2500 recently and did some preliminary testing that was not too favorable. Since then I have been in contact with Sunray and found out I apparently wasn't using it correctly. So here we go again. Had it out about two hours using my standard 9 1/2" coil working a center median on a boulevard. I was able to precisely pinpoint targets routinely at 4" and worked a couple down at 7". Depth of penetratiion is phenominal to say the least for anyone use to using a stand alone electronic probe. What you have to bear in mind is that the Sunray unit is not a probe or a pinpointer, but actually a minicoil. It will do anything a standard coil will do except it is not an imaging coil so your depth read out will not always be correct. But you can read the depth from your standard coil before using the Sunray GTI-1. After you locate a target and pinpoint with your coil, sweep the Sunray probe over the area while holding in your pinpoint button on your detector and it will locate the target precisely. You can therefore dig a much smaller plug and save time. The minicoil emits the same tone as your detector does and is right over the target when the tone is loudest. If you accidentally dig a coin or target out of the hole and lose the signal, you know it is somewhere in the tailings outside the hole. When this happened a couple of times,what I did was operate the GTI-1 in the discriminate mode and found the target on the surface by noting the belltone signal. It will sound off a couple of inches above the target and you don't have to scrub your probe through the dirt to find it. That's my results so far and I will come back on this after I try it a few more times. Jimmileo

 

[Uncle Willy]

Also if you whip the probe over the target area you will gain another inch or two in depth as after all it is just a mini motion detector.

Bill

 

[grumpy]

Ok guys I got one of these birds pirched on my stem also but I have had both good and bad results. At times it goes in when the stand alone wont get anything and finds the dime but so far nothing real deep just about 3 inches is max. Sometimes I find it does not go in to operation so to speak until i swing over the stem or a digging tool and get it going like the object is to deep for it, sometimes it wont pick up the digging tool over about an inch or inch and a half away, seems the depth is real limited like three inches, also if I go directly to pinpoint without first using the regular mode sometimes it does not get anything and I have to back up and check the probe on something handy then go to pinpoint. I think my problems are in my operations or the machine (2500) and not the probe but I'm not sure as it is in the hospital now with some very strange behavior problems. Hope to have it back soon, if it weren't for the 20 degree days I would be in withdrawl shakes by now. Would like to know if anyone else has had any strange behavior and or correct operation tips on these sunrays.
Thanks
Grumpy

 

[Ralph Sun Ray]

Grumpy,

It could be that you are de-tuning the pinpoint signal. Always make sure that you hold the probe a little way away from the suspected target before hitting the pinpoint button to avoid de-tuning and thus depth reduction. On the other hand, de-tuning can be an asset when attempting to pinpoint large or nearby targets in the sides of the hole or in multiple target situations where to much signal strength can cause blending target signals and cunfusion. Also, the pinpoint mode has more depth than the disc mode as you probably already know with both the coil and probe. Hope this helps.

Ralph (Sun Ray)

 

[grumpy]

Thanks Ralph
Will play with it more and pay more attention to its workings when I get the 2500 back from the hospital. I think maybe some of the irregularity in the operation of the probe was like with the coil in the machine not the probe or coil.
Must compliment you on a nice product tho. It mounts and operates very nicely the way it is designed.
Thanks
Grumpy

 

[Uncle Willy]

Grumpy,
Since the probe is a mini motion detector if you whip it over a target it gains an inch or two in depth. You can do a simple air test and confirm this.

Bill