White's Prizm III Question

[Roxie-SalisburyMA]

I purchased a White's Prizm III used (6 months) last year in which it worked great at the local beach the first 3 times. Have replaced the batteries numerous time (inserted and secured properly) ......... to constantly scanning the dry beach sand of it finding an item. Then when I go back to the general area to relocate / pinpoint the area in hopes of digging ....... I don't receive a "beep" indicator of any sort. The plastic head is totally cleaned, batteries are brand new, etc..... Just very frustrating that both my boyfriend and I constantly witness this happening to it not locating / signalling a find. As if the sensor goes off in the wind somewhere! Any suggestions will be appreciated. This girl wants to treasure hunt!

 

[BarberBill]

Have you tried it on a coin or piece of jewelry on top of the ground?
BB

 

[Roxie-SalisburyMA]

It works fine when a coin is on top of the sand. It's just very frustrating when I'm searching the dry beach sand, of constant signals to then going back to the spot ........... circling the area numerous times and absolutely no signal re-appears. Big mystery!

 

[khouse]

Explain the part where you say you go back to the target area and there's no beep? Are you walking away from the target then going back? Are you simply pushing the PP button while not moving? Are you resweeping in a different way? Do you try to remove the top 2 inches of sand and resweep?

 

[Tom-MXT]

#1 when passing the coil over the target, it must beep BOTH directions of your sweep (right to left-left to right) My Prizm IV will give alot of beeps on one pass,but not the other (it is more or less discriminating the target). Hits both directions DIG !!!

#2 when searching the beach walk from the shore towards the water,then turn around and walk from the water to the shore. Try not to detect along the shore.

#3 sometimes reducing the gain "Sensitivity" will help stop ghost targets from appearing.

Hope this helps....Tom

 

[BobH]

...if your Prizm III is working properly, you'll figure it out in no time.

 

[Roxie-SalisburyMA]

Thanks! Basically, when walking the beach from the top dry sand area heading down towards the high tide line ...... scanning/sweeping my arm from left-to-right while walking slow steps ..... keep in mind my arm is moving..... " signal !!! " Then I move the coil over to within inches of the signal area and moving it left-to-right and right-to-left and trying to circle-in roughly close to the spot of signal - I don't receive any signal again.
1st signal may have said 25 cents - 6" down. PinPoint is off while scanning/sweeping the sand doing this. Have tried with then activating the PinPoint on searching the original signal area ............ no signal at all from the original one I first saw/heard, etc..... Best find the other day was a $10 folded up bill and a penny on top of the sand! Lucky # 11

 

[khouse]

Ok, now I understand your problem with your explanation. You are experiencing what is called "falsing". You especially get falsing on the end of your sweeps. This is why you cannot repeat the signal. You need to reduce your sensitivity first. Then if that doesn't do the trick you need to increase your discrimination. Finding the combination of the two for stability is what your looking for. This will drastically change when you hit the wet sand. It's best to set your machine to the dry sand and hunt that area. Then move to the wet and make your adjustments and search that area.

 

[robert roy]

Turn you sensitivity down.
Like already said, if the machine beeps on one pass but not on the return it's
probably not a good target, and or falseing. Thats the way it is with my ACe 250 as well. Most detectors
are like that. If your machine sensitivity is set too high you will get falseing.
You might have some very bad black sand. I believe the Prizm III is factory preset, so there is no way
to ground balance your machine. If thats the case, I have been told its best to stay on the dry sand area.
Again, thats also true for my Ace 250. It too is factory preset (usually good for most conditions) but does
poorely in wet sand. Too bad you coldn't have spent a little more money than what you paid for the
Prizm III and got the M6. Still, you have a nice little machine if you hunt parks and around old houses etc.
It's probably not what you would use for the beach however, but you can certainly find stuff with it, I'm told
My MXT works well in the beach area but I haven't had the chance to use it there yet.

Have fun with the Prizm. Don't get frustrated with it. You'll just get all worked up and won't have fun.
You'll have better luck hunting, like I said, parks and around old houses.

Robert R

 

[Dan-Pa.]

You may be running your sens. too high or not swinging your coil level and getting falsing on each end and of course can't pinpoint whats not there..You may be pinpointing right over the target and detuning the target which makes it disappear, would move your coin to the side pinpoint and move over target which should give you an accurate pinpoint. If its a saltwater beach wet salt sand can cause many detectors to false unless they have a salt mode..All in all I would think nothing is wrong with the unit just user inefficiency which plagues many newbies to hobby...What I would do is take a half dollar and lay a large piece of carboard over it and practice sticking a ice pick or screwdriver thru the carboard to judge your accuracy..Naturally work your way down to a quarter and dime as you become more proficient. Remember Rome wasn't built in a day and don't expect to become proficient with any unit until you spend some time in the field..Perhaps a local dealer can offer some advice as he would know if unit is working correctly..Good luck in you ventures..

 

[Roxie-SalisburyMA]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!
I'll keep trying it (dry sand areas only) and turn down the sensitivity level a little bit and try again. This girl is determined to enjoy treasure hunting with it. I'll keep you informed. ........... Roxie

 

[back2thehunt]

This is a lousy machine, in my opinion. I bought one, I have the same issues. Manual GB tuning and threshold hunting would solve these problems. I am HIGHLY disappointed in the Prizm series. Sometimes the old stuff IS the good stuff. I see they've still not solved the pull tab/gold coin discrimination quandary. My old Coinmaster 5000/D I could HEAR the difference (very trained ear, mind you) where these new 'silent operation' detectors don't allow for that at all. Take it back. It's not a good machine.

 

[Roxie-SalisburyMA]

Warranty expired last August / 2007 .......... so, it remains to be a member of our household. It'll be a my beginner's detector for now.

Tried it out the other evening at Hampton Beach NH - with the sensitivity down - vs - having it up all the way and it worked so much better now! Was able to go back to spots without it " falsing " ! Found coins again buried in the dry beach sand for about an hour while my boyfriend walked the dog. For now - this girl is back in business. Thanks! ...... to your suggestions for a simple fix to enjoy treasure hunting with it!

 

[louis]

I also bought a Prizm III last week. I got exactly the same problems as Roxie wrote. And for me it was also very frustrating. I heard very good and clear beep-sounds (excuse for my poor English, I am Dutch) and when I swept again and again the machine remains silent.
I had to swept over and over again to hear the beep (a clear coinbeep!!) again. When I turned down the sensitivity level it become better.
I was not used this because I had a detector once before, some ten years ago. Pinpointing with this Prizm III was very useless, because it gave a loud noise everywhere i move and swept the detector. When I thougt on me first detector i became very frustrated, because that machine worked much better and gaves exactly the place where i had to dig and it was always bingo! But i will not give up. I think that you must have patience (as written in the manual guide) to learn and getting experience white your detector. Everyone who change to another detector will have troubles and getting used to work properly with it.
On my very first searching with the prizm I just found one old 17th century coin and a musqet bullet and a lot of 17th century clay pipe heads but therefore I don't need a detector. I am convinced that in that ground lay coins but I can find them just because i have to learn how to work with the Prizm III.
But still I think that it is not the best buy. But who knows, maybe, over one month I can tell more about my experience with my Prizm III.

 

[robert roy]

Well, there you have it!
Usually turning the sensitivity down will always do the trick.
Remember, your probably dealing with black sand.
Whenever you have this problem, wether at the beach or at
a park somewhere, just turn down the sensitivity.Your going
to find mineralized ground where ever you go. The Whites
Prizms are not really bad machines;they buyer just has to learn to get used
to the dang thing!

RR

 

[Roxie-SalisburyMA]

4/26/08 - I scanned Hampton Beach NH again today ......... and with your helpful hints of turning down the sensitivity level made my time enjoying to finding tons of various coins today! Oldest coin found was a 1960 nickel.....all found in the dry sand areas. An old house was torn down recently with the land cleared near an old gas station - in which I will attempt that location next to see what I find over there near me. ....... I'm happy now to finding coins ......... and hoping to find some jewelry as well. Time spent was worthwhile today!
Thanks everyone! ............. Roxie

 

[louis]

Thanks!! It was indeed black sand. I will turn down the sensitivity because it stands on a high level. That is also the reason why I get sometimes very clear beeps (coinbeeps) and then when I try to get back that beepsound I hear nothing anymore. How many times I swept with the machine, I heard nothing anymore. This happens more than once. Probably has this also to do with black sand as you suggest. Anyway, that was my experience this evening when i tried the detector for the second time.