Took out my new to me V3i

[Tony (Michigan)]

I took my V3i out to my test garden and tested it on my 9+ inch deep copper Lincoln and silver dime.
In 2.5kHz the detector bangs really good with a good VDI and that with the stock 10" DD coil. Boost was off.
I tried the Multi-freq. and it didn't hit on the coins. If anyone knows how to adjust for greater depth with the 3freq. I would appreciate it.

 

[Delta Digger]

That's really good depth. All my coins are 3-6 deep. I've been thinking about getting a v3i to go along with the Etrac.

 

[Tony N (Michigan)]

That's really good depth. All my coins are 3-6 deep. I've been thinking about getting a v3i to go along with the Etrac.

Yea, I've been disappointed on some detectors I have. I was holding my breath hoping the V3i would hit on the coins. I was running at 2.5kHz with the stock 10" coil.
I was really impressed. I didn't even have to put boost on.

 

[5900_XL-1]

IMO, the V3i just won't effectively hit 8-9-10"dime signals in 3-freq. It will in beach sand, but sand is friendly to all detectors. The 2.5k frequency will hit deep though. My world changed after 6 years of using the V3i, when I went to Minelabs last year.

I love the V3i for 6" or less targets. Fast and great ID. It just never proved it was any kinda depth monster in 3F mode. One suggestion though is to try the 10x12 SEF coil. I have the U13 and the 10x12 coils for the V3i. The 12x10 separated at depth far better than any of my coils. The stock D2 remains somewhere in a dust pile in my house. Jm2c

 

[Tony N (Michigan)]

IMO, the V3i just won't effectively hit 8-9-10"dime signals in 3-freq. It will in beach sand, but sand is friendly to all detectors. The 2.5k frequency will hit deep though. My world changed after 6 years of using the V3i, when I went to Minelabs last year.

I love the V3i for 6" or less targets. Fast and great ID. It just never proved it was any kinda depth monster in 3F mode. One suggestion though is to try the 10x12 SEF coil. I have the U13 and the 10x12 coils for the V3i. The 12x10 separated at depth far better than any of my coils. The stock D2 remains somewhere in a dust pile in my house. Jm2c

Is the 10x12 SEF coil just as deep as the 13" Ultimate?

 

[Wayfarer]

IMO, the V3i just won't effectively hit 8-9-10"dime signals in 3-freq. It will in beach sand, but sand is friendly to all detectors. The 2.5k frequency will hit deep though. My world changed after 6 years of using the V3i, when I went to Minelabs last year.

I love the V3i for 6" or less targets. Fast and great ID. It just never proved it was any kinda depth monster in 3F mode. One suggestion though is to try the 10x12 SEF coil. I have the U13 and the 10x12 coils for the V3i. The 12x10 separated at depth far better than any of my coils. The stock D2 remains somewhere in a dust pile in my house. Jm2c

Is the 10x12 SEF coil just as deep as the 13" Ultimate?

Tony, congrats on the V3i. I have both the 10x12 SEF and the 13" Ultimate and have used both in the field as well as tested them extensively in my test garden. What I've found is that the 10x12 separates a little better and the 13" Ultimate gets a little better depth. Not huge differences, but just barely noticeable and repeatable. I'm not sure I'd even bother getting one if I had the other. But to answer your question, I think the 13" is a tad deeper than the 10x12 SEF. And either coil is better than the D2.

I've also noticed a big depth difference in 3F vs single freq. I usually hunt in 3F because I LOVE the 3F display and the information it gives about a target. And because I mainly hunt in Boise parks which have very strict digging restrictions (screwdriver or probe only), so I can't retrieve any real deep targets anyway. The 2.5 will definitely hit cois very deep and give decent ID too. However, I've found the 7.5 is the best all around single freq, because it seems more stable and resistant to EMI than the 2.5 is and is almost as deep on coins. 7.5 just seems to run better and more stable than 2.5, for whatever reason. I still run in 3F because I feel the target ID advantages of 3F outweigh the loss of depth.

 

[Tony N (Michigan)]

You might try one of these instead of a screwdriver. You can get them 12" long on Amazon.
Search for Hemostat Locking Pliers

 

[bradwheat777]

What ground filter were you running? This can also affect depth....

 

[john67]

Your soil in mich. Shouldnt be too bad so try running 5 band filter, run your rx gain 10 to 13 and bump your disc up to 83 to 87 and your AM sens up to about 70 and see how that works. Go much hotter and you might get a lot of ground noise or interference with that big a coil. Go to the whites forum and read up on how to do a ground probe. This will help you determine your settings.

 

[Tony N (Michigan)]

What ground filter were you running? This can also affect depth....

Hi bradwheat,
I can't remember what I was using for the ground filter.

 

[Wayfarer]

A good way to set the filter for your particular soil conditions: First find a good isolated mid-depth target, 4-6" with a solid repeatable tone and ID. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it's non-ferrous, a pulltab works great for this, or a mid-depth penny. Then lower the RX gain waaay down to like 1-3, down the lowest you can go and still barely get a signal on the target. Then start trying the different filters and you will soon find a filter or two that works much better than the others. It doesn't so much matter between band pass and high pass, but the kHz matters a lot. I usually find that 5 works the best in my soil which is mild overall but high in iron.

In fact, using this method of finding a good solid mid-depth target, lowering your sensitivity way down, and then making adjustments is a good method for testing many adjustments on the V3i, like recovery speed, adn AC/DC sens, S.A.T. etc. You can learn a lot about your V3i by experimenting on "fringe" targets...that are only "fringe" because you've turned the gain way to down to make them fringe. The added benefit is, of course, that on normal gain settings you know exactly what the target is and how deep, and that the target is in undisturbed soil.

 

[Tony N (Michigan)]

A good way to set the filter for your particular soil conditions: First find a good isolated mid-depth target, 4-6" with a solid repeatable tone and ID. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it's non-ferrous, a pulltab works great for this, or a mid-depth penny. Then lower the RX gain waaay down to like 1-3, down the lowest you can go and still barely get a signal on the target. Then start trying the different filters and you will soon find a filter or two that works much better than the others. It doesn't so much matter between band pass and high pass, but the kHz matters a lot. I usually find that 5 works the best in my soil which is mild overall but high in iron.

In fact, using this method of finding a good solid mid-depth target, lowering your sensitivity way down, and then making adjustments is a good method for testing many adjustments on the V3i, like recovery speed, adn AC/DC sens, S.A.T. etc. You can learn a lot about your V3i by experimenting on "fringe" targets...that are only "fringe" because you've turned the gain way to down to make them fringe. The added benefit is, of course, that on normal gain settings you know exactly what the target is and how deep, and that the target is in undisturbed soil.

Thanks for the tips. I have printed them out.

 

[Tony N (Michigan)]

Your soil in mich. Shouldnt be too bad so try running 5 band filter, run your rx gain 10 to 13 and bump your disc up to 83 to 87 and your AM sens up to about 70 and see how that works. Go much hotter and you might get a lot of ground noise or interference with that big a coil. Go to the whites forum and read up on how to do a ground probe. This will help you determine your settings.

Thanks for the tips, john67.

 

[5900_XL-1]

A good way to set the filter for your particular soil conditions: First find a good isolated mid-depth target, 4-6" with a solid repeatable tone and ID. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it's non-ferrous, a pulltab works great for this, or a mid-depth penny. Then lower the RX gain waaay down to like 1-3, down the lowest you can go and still barely get a signal on the target. Then start trying the different filters and you will soon find a filter or two that works much better than the others. It doesn't so much matter between band pass and high pass, but the kHz matters a lot. I usually find that 5 works the best in my soil which is mild overall but high in iron.

In fact, using this method of finding a good solid mid-depth target, lowering your sensitivity way down, and then making adjustments is a good method for testing many adjustments on the V3i, like recovery speed, adn AC/DC sens, S.A.T. etc. You can learn a lot about your V3i by experimenting on "fringe" targets...that are only "fringe" because you've turned the gain way to down to make them fringe. The added benefit is, of course, that on normal gain settings you know exactly what the target is and how deep, and that the target is in undisturbed soil.

" Then lower the RX gain waaay down to like 1-3, down the lowest you can go and still barely get a signal on the target."

Question. What do you set the DS and AM values when you change RX drastically low? If it's different than a factory prog setting, then how is this values calculated for this test? Nobody has explained about this when they say drop the RX way low. Hopefully I will learn the answer here.

 

[Wayfarer]

A good way to set the filter for your particular soil conditions: First find a good isolated mid-depth target, 4-6" with a solid repeatable tone and ID. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it's non-ferrous, a pulltab works great for this, or a mid-depth penny. Then lower the RX gain waaay down to like 1-3, down the lowest you can go and still barely get a signal on the target. Then start trying the different filters and you will soon find a filter or two that works much better than the others. It doesn't so much matter between band pass and high pass, but the kHz matters a lot. I usually find that 5 works the best in my soil which is mild overall but high in iron.

In fact, using this method of finding a good solid mid-depth target, lowering your sensitivity way down, and then making adjustments is a good method for testing many adjustments on the V3i, like recovery speed, adn AC/DC sens, S.A.T. etc. You can learn a lot about your V3i by experimenting on "fringe" targets...that are only "fringe" because you've turned the gain way to down to make them fringe. The added benefit is, of course, that on normal gain settings you know exactly what the target is and how deep, and that the target is in undisturbed soil.

" Then lower the RX gain waaay down to like 1-3, down the lowest you can go and still barely get a signal on the target."

Question. What do you set the DS and AM values when you change RX drastically low? If it's different than a factory prog setting, then how is this values calculated for this test? Nobody has explained about this when they say drop the RX way low. Hopefully I will learn the answer here.

It doesn't matter. Once you lower the RX gain, you can leave the DS and AM sens at the factory settings. Works for me. All you really need to do is simulate a weak target, and reducing RX gain accomplishes that.

 

[Tony N (Michigan)]

A good way to set the filter for your particular soil conditions: First find a good isolated mid-depth target, 4-6" with a solid repeatable tone and ID. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it's non-ferrous, a pulltab works great for this, or a mid-depth penny. Then lower the RX gain waaay down to like 1-3, down the lowest you can go and still barely get a signal on the target. Then start trying the different filters and you will soon find a filter or two that works much better than the others. It doesn't so much matter between band pass and high pass, but the kHz matters a lot. I usually find that 5 works the best in my soil which is mild overall but high in iron.

In fact, using this method of finding a good solid mid-depth target, lowering your sensitivity way down, and then making adjustments is a good method for testing many adjustments on the V3i, like recovery speed, adn AC/DC sens, S.A.T. etc. You can learn a lot about your V3i by experimenting on "fringe" targets...that are only "fringe" because you've turned the gain way to down to make them fringe. The added benefit is, of course, that on normal gain settings you know exactly what the target is and how deep, and that the target is in undisturbed soil.

" Then lower the RX gain waaay down to like 1-3, down the lowest you can go and still barely get a signal on the target."

Question. What do you set the DS and AM values when you change RX drastically low? If it's different than a factory prog setting, then how is this values calculated for this test? Nobody has explained about this when they say drop the RX way low. Hopefully I will learn the answer here.

It doesn't matter. Once you lower the RX gain, you can leave the DS and AM sens at the factory settings. Works for me. All you really need to do is simulate a weak target, and reducing RX gain accomplishes that.

I did what you said to do during lunch today. I used the Ground Filter of 5.0Hz after lowering the Gain. I tested this on a 5" deep quarter. After doing this, I went to the coin garden and hit my 9+ inch deep penny and dime EASILY! And in fact, I was able to lift the stock coil above the ground at least 3 inches and still hit them with a digable signal! Wow!

My only problem is getting silver-like hits off of bent square cut iron nails or getting silver-like hits near other square cut iron nails.

 

[badlandsbilly]

Tony
I have found more gold jewelry with my V3i than all the detectors I've owned,learned and used in the last 20 plus years.
Once you learn the sounds it produces you'll up your gold finds dramatically.
badlandsbilly

 

[Tony (Michigan)]

Tony
I have found more gold jewelry with my V3i than all the detectors I've owned,learned and used in the last 20 plus years.
Once you learn the sounds it produces you'll up your gold finds dramatically.
badlandsbilly

Hey badlandsbilly, do you mostly detect in 22kHz for the gold?

 

[Big Treble]

Your soil in mich. Shouldnt be too bad so try running 5 band filter, run your rx gain 10 to 13 and bump your disc up to 83 to 87 and your AM sens up to about 70 and see how that works. Go much hotter and you might get a lot of ground noise or interference with that big a coil. Go to the whites forum and read up on how to do a ground probe. This will help you determine your settings.

This is virtually exactly what I run with a U13, and in my test garden an 8 inch Merc, is without question an 7-8 dime, consistently!

 

[Tony (Michigan)]

Your soil in mich. Shouldnt be too bad so try running 5 band filter, run your rx gain 10 to 13 and bump your disc up to 83 to 87 and your AM sens up to about 70 and see how that works. Go much hotter and you might get a lot of ground noise or interference with that big a coil. Go to the whites forum and read up on how to do a ground probe. This will help you determine your settings.

I did as you said to do today but was using the 10" D2 coil today. I was able to run sense at 90 but ran rx gain around 10.
Two targets were about 8 inches deep, The token and silver cufflink. But the sounds and spectragraph looked horrible. I dug them out of curiosity
just to see what could be looking and hearing so bad. I guess I'll have to do this more often.