PI..Water detector ????

[Keppy]

Does any one use a PI Water detector for gold prospecting?? And if not WHY a PI detector is a PI detector.....Gold or water......

 

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[Terry Soloman]

I found the Tesoro Sand Shark to be on par with the Whites Dual Field, TDI, and the Garrett Infinium when it comes to nuggetshooting - second rate. Heavier and not as sensitive to sub-gram nuggets as a Goldbug II, GMT, or Lobo Super Traq. They also do not have the power that Minelab GPX machines deliver, or the advanced gold nugget-specific programs. Sure they work, but they are not the best tools for the job. If a gold nugget is big enough, even an Ace 150 will find it in hot ground. The problem is they are rarely big enough..

 

[Keppy]

Thanks Terry............. I was just wondering about that ............ Not that i will take a water PI to prospect...........

 

[Hoser John]

There are indeed many to chose from-both PI or VLF. Many +- to them all. I prefer VLF for non beach use but PI for salt usage as that sodium chloride does give VLF a run for it's money for sure. Gareet Infinium or Tesoro Sand Shark work pretty good. John

 

[Lanny in AB]

Keppy--I've found some nice nuggets with the Sand Shark--and it will handle some pretty hot mineralization on land as well. It's just not a refined gold machine, and you don't have any options for coils as the coil is hard-wired to the box. It's not a good machine for small gold, but it will find nuggets underwater, but, once again, nothing small.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Keppy]

Keppy--I've found some nice nuggets with the Sand Shark--and it will handle some pretty hot mineralization on land as well. It's just not a refined gold machine, and you don't have any options for coils as the coil is hard-wired to the box. It's not a good machine for small gold, but it will find nuggets underwater, but, once again, nothing small.

All the best,

Lanny

I got the AT Pro and am looking at the new Gold Bug pro..

 

[Hoser John]

Gold Bug Pro found this 1 1/3 ozr. this weekend-sorry will no

t provide any other info as thieves abound--John ...but not a underwater unit,which is a bummer..

 

[Keppy]

Gold Bug Pro found this 1 1/3 ozr. this weekend-sorry will no

t provide any other info as thieves abound--John ...but not a underwater unit,which is a bummer..

.. I under stand about not giving info out .... I never give out info on my finds also.....

 

[Treasure finder]

Keppy
I have used the Infinium for nugget shooting as have many people in Australia. It is sure nice to not worry about
hot rocks and black sand slowing you down as it does most VLFs. Not as sensitive as the Minelab 5000, but way
more affordable, lighter, and easier to swing. It's is no slouch on nuggets, take a look.
Rich

 

[Keppy]

Keppy
I have used the Infinium for nugget shooting as have many people in Australia. It is sure nice to not worry about
hot rocks and black sand slowing you down as it does most VLFs. Not as sensitive as the Minelab 5000, but way
more affordable, lighter, and easier to swing. It's is no slouch on nuggets, take a look.
Rich

...... Yes i have heard that the Infinium was a good gold detector........

 

[scott565]

Hi, Keppy,

Your info says you are in N.E. Ohio.
So am I, and I have both the Infinium and GB Pro detectors.
If you would like a chance to try them out, send me a PM sometime and we'll get together.
-Scott

 

[Terry Soloman]

...... Yes i have heard that the Infinium was a good gold detector........

Not really. It sucks on sub-gram gold.

 

[Steve Herschbach]

Saying the Infinium is no good as a gold machine because it sucks at sub-gram gold misses the uses and intent of PI gold detecting. A ground balancing PI is intended for use in areas with hot rocks and ground mineralization so intense that VLF detectors or standard PI units fail. If you ground allows a VLF or standard non-ground balancing PI to run well then that is what you should use.

If you have larger gold hiding in hot rocks and your VLF is giving you fits, time to look into the Garrett Infinium, White's TDI or Minelab SD/GP/GPX detectors. Units like the Sand Shark are totally useless in bad hot rocks due to the lack of ground balancing capability. They hit hot rocks as bad or even worse than a good VLF.

I run a GPX 5000 myself these days but at my pay-to-mine operation at Moore Creek, Alaska we needed a unit we could give visitors that was less expensive and easier to grab and use. We had five Infiniums on site and they did well for the task though when the TDI came out I did replace them with TDIs as the Infiniums wore out (clients are rough on detectors). Tens of thousands of dollars worth of gold were found with the Infiniums at Moore Creek, including our second largest find, a 25 ounce gold specimen. I personally found single nuggets that paid for my Infinium.

If all you have is small gold by all means get a decent VLF. And in no way should this be taken as saying the Infinium runs with the Minelab big guns. But if not a Minelab the Infinium and TDI are the next best thing. They should not be discarded out of hand as worthless for gold prospecting.

Steve Herschbach
DetectorProspector.com

 

[Terry Soloman]

I agree with you Steve on big gold they are fine. But most folks are not going to find the same size gold you are finding up there, which could also be found with a LST, Goldbug II or G2 - no? The Infinium and TDI just do not get the small stuff that makes up 80-percent of lower-48 finds. They are not worth the extra money - In My Opinion, over a good VLF prospecting machine.

Here's my previous post>> "I found the Tesoro Sand Shark to be on par with the Whites Dual Field, TDI, and the Garrett Infinium when it comes to nuggetshooting - second rate. Heavier and not as sensitive to sub-gram nuggets as a Goldbug II, GMT, or Lobo Super Traq. They also do not have the power that Minelab GPX machines deliver, or the advanced gold nugget-specific programs. Sure they work, but they are not the best tools for the job. If a gold nugget is big enough, even an Ace 150 will find it in hot ground. The problem is they are rarely big enough.."

 

[Treasure finder]

Good post Steve. There are detectors for every use and I personally find the Infinium a great detector for nugget
shooting in bad soil as proven in Australia and elsewhere. Also great at the beach and under water and this column
is about using an underwater PI detector for nugget hunting. I don't know of any other underwater ground balancing
PI detector that is tuned for nugget hunting.
Terry, you make a different point than what was asked. Incidentally I have a Compass Gold Scanner Pro for a VLF
nugget machine where that applies. The smallest nugget found with a detector was found with a Compass AU2000
and is in a museum in Reno I believe. I won't knock Tesoro, but you continuously knock every other brand out there.
Not fair to other companies or people who use them.
Rich

 

[Steve Herschbach]

"But most folks are not going to find the same size gold you are finding up there, which could also be found with a LST, Goldbug II or G2 - no?"

The answer is in fact no. Of course a VLF might have found some of them. But due to the magnetite loaded cobbles gold is hidden from the best VLF detectors at Moore Creek that a ground balancing PI will easily detect. By the way the Lobo was one of the better VLF detectors at Moore Creek, but in no way could it keep up with a TDI or an Infinium in that ground. Let alone a GPX.

I have no doubt for where you hunt what you say is true. The thing is people read these forums from all over the world. There are places where a ground balancing PI is a must. And hard to believe but not everyone can afford a Minelab. The fact is that people can and do find gold with the Infinium and the TDI. Not everyone is in your ground hunting your gold and what applies to you does not apply to everyone. I concur that a good VLF is the bang for the buck solution for most folks but I also think a serious prospector who travels needs both a good prospecting PI and a good prospecting VLF.

The idea on forums is to seek out ideas and opinions and find out what works for different people in different places in order to get ideas and gain perspective. I respect your opinion Terry and am just offering mine. People have many and varied reasons for owning the detectors they have and one size does not fit all. In my opinion.

Steve Herschbach

 

[Lanny in AB]

Steve,

Nice to hear from you again.

I've hunted some pretty warm bedrock with the Sand Shark, and I found some nice nuggets with it in those conditions--none were sub-gram though. As well, you must have different hot rocks than the area I worked with the Shark, as hot rocks just weren't a factor. However, a friend of mine has a claim that's loaded with hot rocks that are plenty of trouble! Different areas, different challenges.

The 5000 is great at ignoring most troublesome rocks, and it runs very, very quiet. I can't believe the difference vs. my old 2100 platform--light years of difference, but the 2100 flushed up a lot of nuggets in ground that ate VLF's alive.

I've never used an Infinium, but it has more flexibility than the Sand Shark, that's for sure, and you can change coils, something you can't do with the Shark.

This whole thread has turned out to be very informative.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Terry Soloman]

...Terry, you make a different point than what was asked. Incidentally I have a Compass Gold Scanner Pro for a VLF
nugget machine where that applies. The smallest nugget found with a detector was found with a Compass AU2000
and is in a museum in Reno I believe. I won't knock Tesoro, but you continuously knock every other brand out there.
Not fair to other companies or people who use them.
Rich

Rich, I own and use a Minelab GPX 5000, and I do not "knock every other brand out there." I have seen nuggets from Moore Creek that were dug with LST and GBII machines, and I know the folks that dug them. I also know that the Minelab GPX is the preferred machine up there, just like everywhere else people are serious about nuggetshooting. I personally think that the TDI and Infinium are overpriced and overrated - that is my honest opinion, not a "knock."

 

[Treasure finder]

Terry,
Infiniums and TDI's are great machines for people that can't afford a Minelab 5000. As I remember seeing lower priced
Minelabs (with lower performance) apparently Minelab also feels there is a place for lower priced detectors. Additionally
a Minelab 5000 can't hold a candle to an Infinium after being dropped in the water. Not knocking Minelab, just different
machines for different uses. I don't think the Infinium or the TDI is overpriced, and since I couldn't afford a 5000, it was
overpriced to me. I won't keep people from nugget shooting if they can't afford a 5000. This is a hobby and I am enjoying
myself and incidentally I kind of enjoy the Infinium a lot. Also at the time I bought the Infinium I had an injured back and
found it easier to swing for longer than the 5000.
Rich

 

[extractor]

I got the AT Pro and am looking at the new Gold Bug pro..

Keppy I have the Gold Bug pro. It is a great detector,