PI vs VLF in good soil?

Sandman

Gold Member
Aug 6, 2005
13,398
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In Michigan now.
Detector(s) used
Excal 1000, Excal II, Sovereign GT, CZ-20, Tiger Shark, Tejon, GTI 1500, Surfmaster Pulse, CZ6a, DFX, AT PRO, Fisher 1235, Surf PI Pro, 1280-X, many more because I enjoy learning them. New Garrett Ca
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Doesn't really matter if the ground is good or bad, the PI is deeper. But you have to decide if digging all them holes for junk is using up all your time that you have to detect. Sometimes digging everything sometimes gets you less.
 

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bg64vw

Jr. Member
Jan 25, 2009
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Well to clarify my situation it will be previously hit civil war sites, little trash, and my non relic hunter will be my DFX. I rather dig and know than to skip and miss, plus I understand the PI detector Im interested in, Whites tdi hits hard on brass and with a little work you can weed out square nails, all other iron such as implements I would want to dig as well.
 

Smudge

Bronze Member
Jul 9, 2010
1,532
44
Central Florida
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A Propointer tied to a stick
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I only know of one detector that would beat a PI for depth.

The White's Sierra Madre. You may want to look into this detector. I hear standard claims of up to 2 feet.

But like a PI, you can forget discrimination. You will dig everything.

It's also cheaper than most PI's.

Good luck on your choice. :icon_thumleft:
 

Keppy

Gold Member
Nov 19, 2006
8,318
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N.E. Ohio on lake Erie
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** WHAT ONE I FEEL LIKE ON HUNTING DAY *****
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sumdge ...........is right if you want depth the Sierra Madre is the detector you want........... They say it was made with one thing in mind DEPTH...............It is a VLF detector ... fully auto ground balancing... The madre does not use any type of filtered discrimination . This allows all power to go directly to the 9.5 inch search coil that is standard with it...For a depth of 2 feet or more...........Or You can upgrade to the 15 inch coil for up to a depth of 5 feet...............with this detector....................it has low & high output modes and a pin point trigger..........that is a lot of depth for a VLF detector..............I have read were some has used it for gold prospecting....... and only $599.00 new....
 

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dbsmokey

Sr. Member
Jan 12, 2004
363
53
Oregon
Detector(s) used
CZ-21, Nox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Smudge said:
I only know of one detector that would beat a PI for depth.

The White's Sierra Madre. You may want to look into this detector. I hear standard claims of up to 2 feet.

But like a PI, you can forget discrimination. You will dig everything.

It's also cheaper than most PI's.

Good luck on your choice. :icon_thumleft:

If you use a White's TDI (pulse machine), it IS possible to discriminate out iron! Read the posts on findmall or google the TDI forum. I have personally done it myself. I can coinshoot and eliminate all but large iron pieces.
 

Sandman

Gold Member
Aug 6, 2005
13,398
3,992
In Michigan now.
Detector(s) used
Excal 1000, Excal II, Sovereign GT, CZ-20, Tiger Shark, Tejon, GTI 1500, Surfmaster Pulse, CZ6a, DFX, AT PRO, Fisher 1235, Surf PI Pro, 1280-X, many more because I enjoy learning them. New Garrett Ca
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
True the White's Sierra Madre is deep, but I am under the impression that this depth is mainly for larger metal objects and not coins or buttons at depth. But I have never used one in the field but once. I would think a Sov GT with a WOT coil or a Nautilus DMC IIB would be worth learning about.
 

Keppy

Gold Member
Nov 19, 2006
8,318
2,870
N.E. Ohio on lake Erie
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** WHAT ONE I FEEL LIKE ON HUNTING DAY *****
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Sandman said:
True the White's Sierra Madre is deep, but I am under the impression that this depth is mainly for larger metal objects and not coins or buttons at depth. But I have never used one in the field but once. I would think a Sov GT with a WOT coil or a Nautilus DMC IIB would be worth learning about.
Sandman... I never used one either........... I just know what i read about it............and what i saw in the findmall forum about it.......... And i did see were they hunt coins with it and Gold nuggetts with it .........And also use it on the beach ........
 

OBN

Gold Member
Dec 30, 2008
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Maryland Waters
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"Excalibur"..
"AQ" Impulse
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The Madre is a basic All Metal detector used primarily for industrial use. You can hunt relics under certain conditions and even coins but the meter just shows intensity only. No target ID or Discrimination.
 

Adrian SS

Sr. Member
Dec 7, 2008
363
73
Canberra
Detector(s) used
LST, BDHI,Infinium,Sov XS,6000DI Pro SL,Scorpion,V-SAT,Spectrum XLT,Gold Spear,Scorpion,Sand Shark, Compadre,Sierra Madre,Safari, SDC2300, Sea Hunter,CS4PI,TDI OZ Pro, Vallon VMH3CS. Gardiner 202A
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
From my experience with PIs and vlf machines over many years of detecting I am certain that a high quality vlf will out perform an equal powered PI any day of the week in ground that the vlf can be ground balanced well on. The PI is best in salt and in iron mineralisation and when the machine is set up for goldfield ground balancing work where the vlf struggles.
My 6000 DI PRO SL slaughters my PI (and all of my other detectors) in quiet to light iron mineralisation and I mean it gets at least twice the depth of the PI. My PI is a goldfield machine. near the top of the line. Not naming it to avoid heated discussion. PIs are by nature insensitive to small items of non ferrous material compared to vlf detectors. a High frequency vlf will murder a PI on tiny gold in quiet ground but I guess you have to ask yourself, How many gold fields are in quiet ground?) But take the PI to the beach and it will kill your vlf with the exception of the SOV and Explorer series which are not true vlfs anyway.

Adrian SS
 

liftloop

Silver Member
May 7, 2008
3,140
390
lakelinden mi
Detector(s) used
MXTdeepscan 8by14dd, bulls eye 2, 5900diprosl Maxima1500, Master Hunter cx plus Treasure Hound, surf
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Keppy said:
sumdge ...........is right if you want depth the Sierra Madre is the detector you want........... They say it was made with one thing in mind DEPTH...............It is a VLF detector ... fully auto ground balancing... The madre does not use any type of filtered discrimination . This allows all power to go directly to the 9.5 inch search coil that is standard with it...For a depth of 2 feet or more...........Or You can upgrade to the 15 inch coil for up to a depth of 5 feet...............with this detector....................it has low & high output modes and a pin point trigger..........that is a lot of depth for a VLF detector..............I have read were some has used it for gold prospecting....... and only $599.00 new....
that there detector it a 5900 di pro...of to day..
 

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