Which meter is the better meter?? The DTI's or the Digisearch meter's.. I use a DTI 3. I never used a Digisearch. :D: :D:

[Tinfoil]

n/t

 

[adam in cal]

The problem with the digisearch is you cant see the damn thing if using a straight rod ......the DTI 3 sits higher (better viewing angle) and has a backlight .......If I had to choose I would give the nod to the DTI 3, but only because of the backlight ...........

 

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

There is no difference in the operation of the 3 meters that you mention...when set to 180 on a US dime or quarter, they all function exactly the same. It's a simple volt meter that measures the output of the signal coming from the detector electronics, based on the conductivity of the target, and converts it to a numeric reading. In my opinion though, the DTI meters are superior for one simple reason...viewing angle. The way the Sunray meters stand up on the rod and stare you n the face makes it very easy to read. The way the Minelab meters lay down flat on the rod sucks, because you can't easily read the display without twisting the detector sideways or looking at it from an awkward angle. It sure would be nice if Minelab redesigned the bracket and mount to address that irritating flaw. Other than that it works exactly the same as the DTI.

 

[Tinfoil]

Even when I am using the 12.5" and the 16.5 Excellerator coils on very deep deep targets and I mean 12+ inches. I never done a air test with mine. I think he put the targets on a 2X4 just to check things out. It just don't seem like the numbers should jump around at just over 6"s. Again . Thanks Jerry aka Tinfoil

 

[Rick(ND)]

Now this is where there can be a difference as the GT seems to ID deeper that the older Sovereigns with the meter. I have used both the Sun Rays and the Digisearch meter and find that on the GT at 6 inches they both will ID good and the Digisearch will actually be a little more stable than the Sun Ray . The Sun Ray is more sensitive so it may jump around a little more, but not a lot. You can check this with the calibration control as the Sun Ray don't take much to make a difference while the Digisearch seem easier to adjust as a little bit don't make as much difference.
Either one is good plus the 550 meters that were recalibrate to 180 seem to also work good, but the Sun Rays I feel is a bit more sensitive to changes, but that is me.

Rick

 

[Tinfoil]

n/t

 

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

I don't see much jumping around with my Digisearch...works great, even at depth. Could be the operator. If he's swinging too slowly or too widely over the target it will jump all over the place. If he tightens up the swing to just a couple of inches on either side of the target and a little more rapid back and forth motion, it should lock right in.

 

[ejudasf]

Some meters have a plastic housing for the potentiometer. Not that that is always a bad thing, but it could be defective in that it is too touchy to adjust. Even the metal ones could be defective.

ON doing the Sovereign 'wiggle', if the wiggle is too wide, then adjacent targets could be throwing off the meter on the real target. But I think it was an air test we are talking about. I think you friend's machine is soooo hot that it is detecting through walls and stuff. That will throw off the meter reading. LOL just kidding.

Too many variables to be sure. Check his meter with your machine and see if it is actually the machine or the meter.

Laterz

ed.

 

[brobox]

Apparently there is some electrical interference in my backyard that drives the digimeter nuts when it is raised off the target more than 6 inches. I did field test the meter in a couple of parks today and it did lock onto targets much deeper than the 6 inches in my backyard air test. The digimeter does jump around more than most meters I am use to, but it does give an acceptable target ID that I can live with. I will be looking forward to see what it does at the beach on really deep targets.

Thanks for all the in put on Jerry's post. It was greatly appreciated.

Chuck in Cape Coral

 

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

I have a buried cable in my backyard that gives all my detectors fits to some extent. I didn't know it when I made my coin garden/test range over 5 years ago, so it throws some extra challenge into the equation when testing machines. But it DOES simulate real world conditions to some extent, because more often than not, we do not hunt under ideal conditions. Whether the variables be trash, electrical interference, iron in the soil, other detectors, etc. it's always SOMETHING. Bottom line is getting the "stick time" on the machine and getting to know it and the meter and how they act under different circumstances.

 

[brobox]

Mike,

I talk with Tinfoil last night, he and some of the other posts here are saying that the Digimeter should not bounce around like mine does.
Even after doing the "wiggle" I still have a fluctuating reading on the meter. I will give Sandy at Minelab a call Wed. and see if it needs to be sent back. I am going to take the GT to the beach in the morning and see how it preforms under actual conditions. If the meter continues to not lock on, I guess it will get an all expense paid trip to Las Vegas.

Thanks for your feedback and help.

Chuck in Cape Coral

 

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

Chuck, my suspicion is that there's nothing wrong with your meter. I have used the DTI-II and I have used the Elite 500 meter (modified by me, to 180 scale) and now I'm using the Digisearch with my new GT. I think a lot depends on WHERE you're hunting, what types of targets you're hunting, and probably to some extent, HOW you swing your coil. They will ALL fluctuate somewhat on various targets at various depth and for various reasons. The "wiggle" is certainly an ABSOLUTELY necessary tool when you are working with these meters. The bottom line is this: Don't obsess about the fact that it won't "lock on". Concentrate on "wiggling" you BEST signal out of the target and, based on THAT, dig it or not dig it. I really think there is VERY little chance that Minelab will find that there is any problem with your meter. I guess if you're convinced otherwise, send it in. But the fact is that it's a very simple device. If it ID's correctly at NO depth, it will ID as best as can be expected at DEPTH.

Merry Christmas and happy hunting!

 

[brobox]

and thank you! If it does not lock on 100%, from what you are saying, that is normal and I can live with that. It will be interesting to see how it preforms under beach conditions tomorrow and at what depth. I will have a better feeling for the digimeter by mid morning tomorrow.

Thank you.

Chuck in Cape Coral

 

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

Glad to help. I will add some more that may be even more helpful.

I would never use a meter at the beach. For the simple reason that at the beach, you pretty much want to dig everything. Particularly those signals that are in the range of aluminum trash, which is where your gold is too. Numbers mean NOTHING at the beach. It's all about tones. The lower the tone, the better. You can easily tell a high tone that is a quarter from the tone of a penny. But if you need to see 180 for quarter and 176 for penny, so you can pass up pennies, that's fine I guess. But if you think that the meter will help other than cherry-picking coins, you are mistaken. For instance, if you pass up a 130 signal because it's lower than a nickel or any other coin, so it must be trash...you probably just passed up a nice diamond ring. Or a round pull tab. Hard to tell. But the point is, you HAVE to dig it or you lose for sure.

Now on LAND, it's a little different. When you're in an environment where you are likely to find coins, bullets, buttons, etc. you would probably want that numeric ID. Yes, you MAY pass up a gold ring or a gold coin (unlikely to find, but you never know) but with experience, you will also be able to tell by TONE if something is likely to be aluminum junk or if it has a more "round" sound to it and thus may be a ring or a coin in the gold range. Best policy it to use no disc at any time, dig it all at the beach, and dig what sounds good and READS good on the meter on land.

 

[Rick(ND)]

I agree with Mike if you are new to the Sovereigns and their meters as they don't lock on like some detectors do and yours may be just fine. These meters are changing all the time like the tones are, so if the tones are steady the meter will also be reasonable too. If the tones are jumpy the meter will be too and why it is said that try to get the best tone you can by just wiggling over just that target only which may be a inch or less for some of the deeper ones. If it is real deep the tones and the ID will be trying to make it, but may not or just for a second. Now these I will try to get the best signal I can and may take a very small wiggle, but if it is repeatable I want them as it is deeper than most modern trash is. Also if I go to pinpoint and if it is a weak signal I will be digging as it is trying to get a good tone and ID, but being so deep it also makes it so small too and harder to get a good ID on it.
For now just try to get repeatable signals and try to get the meter to settle on one or 2 numbers, if it is a false off of iron it may jump around a lot and go to negative numbers too. Also try and put a coin on top of the ground and go over it and see how the meter seems to lock on to a number or 2 when just swinging over just the coin. Now raise the coil up and notice how high you can get it and how the number will bounce more, but if you just wiggle it just right the numbers will only change a little bit the same with the tones.
Soon it will all come natural to you and then when you are swinging the coil certain tones will stop you in your tracks and by going over it a few time you will know if it is good or not.

Rick

 

[Tinfoil]

On the real deepies using the wiggle with the Excellerator coils and the stock coil. Like Mike said, if the tones are not jumping around the numbers don't jump around. The way Chuck explained his numbers jumping around it does not sound like what my ID numbers are doing on deep targets.

Let me put it this way. Using the 12.5 " Excellerator coil on a 12" dime and getting a 3 number bounce 178,179, 180, I consider that a good number lock with the same high tone with no iron or trash around the target to cause the numbers to jump around. I would not want everyone to think that it is a 1 number lock. I consider 179 or 180 numbers a good lock or any 2 or 3 number lock. No mater what the numbers are on a good target. Then some times in the iron and trash you have to listen to the tones. After all, Tones first, numbers second. I found that keeping the target within the width of the coil on your swing is a very important factor on your ID along with the wiggle when required. In the trash you have got to shorten your swing up even more on a good target. Hope old Santa was good to you all. : : Later Jerry aka Tinfoil

 

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

Yes, and it should also be noted that there are OTHER factors as well...like for instance, how close to the ground one has the coil, where they are running their sensitivity, their swing/wiggle technique, etc. as well as environmental factors. So there are no "absolutes" with these types of thing.

 

[brobox]

Jerry,
After spending 4 hours at the beach this morning with the GT the meter worked perfect. I think the biggest problem was the electrical interference in my back yard. The digimeter was much more stable, only fluctuating a couple of numbers as you pointed out. I have learned one thing, the GT is to sensitive to air test in my yard, it picks up everything.

Thanks for all of you help learning the new machine.

Chuck in Cape Coral

 

[brobox]

Mike, thanks for the great post again. I have been water hunting for a little of 8 years the last 3 with the Excalibur. The GT is a new machine for me and the reason for the meter was hopefully a short cut to learning to tones quicker with the GT. So far after this mornings first run at the beach with it, it is doing EVERYTHING I had hoped for and the meter did work great after I got away from the interference in my yard.

One of the beaches I hunt is FULL of chopped up pieces of beer cans from a dredging operation a few years ago. The tones on the GT along with the meter really help to ID these numerous pieces of junk on our beach. It is amazing how scratchy the pieces of aluminum cans sound with the GT, even more so than the Excalibur. I dug about 20 pieces of cans to make sure I was reading the tones correctly and the machine was a 100% right on with the scratchy tone for the can pieces. I carried your chart with me and that was a BIG help in leaning the numbers on the Digimeter. There area areas of our beach that you can only dig round sounding targets or you will spend the day digging can pieces and only cover about 20 sq ft of beach area. That beach is very productive for me as most hunters cannot hunt the can infested areas.

Again, thank you

Chuck in Cape Coral

 

[brobox]

Rick, your post was right on and I am glad I read it before I left for the beach this morning. The Digimeter did as you said and after a few minutes I had it figured out and was working perfectly for me. The meter is a big help on junk targets as it does continue to jump around without a good reading. I dug them all and all of the them where chopped up pieces of aluminum cans that were all different sizes and thicknesses. The meter read them perfect and the round signals did lock on 100%.

Thanks,

Chuck in Cape Coral