Surfmaster PI on dirt

[Hurricane Jane]

Does anyone else here use PI type detectors on dirt away from the salt water? I have an older Surfmaster PI that in my hands seems to be every bit as effective as my Classic III VLF machine. I hunt by sound and have found I get very good depth with the PI and have come to like its singular tone. It's not better than my Classic or MXT, but it is very usable inland.

Am I just one of those people who can't tell caviar from a rotten oyster, or is there really that much practical difference when using PI over VLF in fairly neutral dirt like I have in my area?

I feel a little stupid asking this question because I've been doing this for almost 20 years. But to read about metal detecting you'd think a PI machine is only at home on the beach instead of home on the range.

Jane

 

[Frank in NH]

n/t

 

[Hurricane Jane]

n/t

I fully agree, Frank. All I meant was a person can learn a machine's sounds and make do. True, an MXT is a better choice. I was just wondering if anyone else but me has done this or does it regularly.


Jane

 

[Joel-Winnipeg]

Each spring I take out the BHID to the soccer fields to sharpen my pinpointing skills for use in water.
This detector is like the PI in regards to motion pinpointing.
The beauty is the led lights that will tell you what you can expect in the ground.and avoid digging if you want to.
A PI is a dig it all so you'll pretty well dig ever signals unless you can tell them apart.
I still dig most of them with the BHID and have found some pretty interesting finds.
Last season dug up lots of coins modern and silver also a man,s gold wedding band.
I don' t have a PI but would try that one also in the soccer fields if I had one.
For most of the summer hunts I resort to the MXT or the XLT.

 

[srf2112]

Hi Jane,
I haven't hunted with a PI machine yet but I did start detecting with a good ( if old technology ) beep & dig machine. No VDI, single tone. I had a good amount of success and feel it taught me to learn to listen to the sounds the machine makes FIRST in trying to determine if it was a good target. I'm certain it helped me train my ear to listen for the little nuances in the sound harmonics. The VDI and other info that my MXT has definitely greatly enhances the information at hand but those are subject to fluctuations and we all know that if you just go by the numbers, irregardless of anything else, you'll be missing some great finds. The secret clues often lie in the sounds. JMHO. Good luck
HH
Scott

 

[Frank in NH]

n/t

 

[Panther]

No reason you can't use your PI anywhere... It will work fine, but, as you say, no discrimination. This just makes it a little more frustrating as you have to dig everything.

The Panther

 

[NC Gold]

Jane, any complaint about your Surfmaster PI in the water? How is it in the moving surf? I'm looking at a used one and was trying to get info on that?? I have a couple land machines, but since I'm less than an hour from Outer Banks, thought I would hit the beaches and water. Any thoughts, suggestions or complaints?

 

[Taterhead]

I use my TDI much of the time, you can disc out iron junk most of the time, as well as small foil. It pinpoints pretty well, though perhaps not quite as well as a VLF that you can detune. I like it a lot, it doesn't "false" like VLFs that are running hot and its much easier to tune it simply to see deep, but not so obscenely deep that the soccer moms hate you, as using the discrimination ability does decrease depth a mite.

Its nice to hunt without a screen.

The village idiot,

Taterhead.