What to do? Please help!

[mudd punk]

I want a new detector have been thinking of etrac, or 30/30, have a V3i now. Money isn't an issue. I mostly coin shoot parks, schools, old home sites with tons of iron but don't want to rule out gold jewelry I guess I just want something new. I have even been kicking around buying both! Or is there something else I should be looking at? Or is the 30/30 just a better etrac? I read the post on here there is no perfect detector but for coin shooting and gold jewelry in trashy areas what do you think? Any insight would be appreciated?

 

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[Fletch88]

I would look at the Fisher F75 Ltd2 or the Teknetics T2. I've never used the V3i but have owned the Etrac and Ctx. The F75 and the T2 excel in heavy iron and are deeper machines in boost mode. They are much lighter and have the best ergonomics in the industry. 5 year warranty also. You may want to look at the F-19 and G2+ if you want to weed through iron and trash in search of gold and coins.

 

[Rawhide]

I agree with fletch

 

[Keppy]

The V3i will do just as good for you as the Etrac or 3030 so don't waste your money and just keep the V3i..

 

[airscapes]

How many hours you got logged on the V3i? 100, 300 600?

 

[mudd punk]

Probably 300+ but never tried to mess with settings. Tried to tweek it the other day with some professional help and messed something up back to whites it went the next day now detector less hope to get it back soon so I need a spare just for this reason. I like the v3i it is just a little chatty when hunting noticed the minelabs are much quieter a definite +
bought the whites as a vision then they had the upgrade for 100.00 or so bucks did that made it a v3i, found a ton of stuff with it I like the whites just would like another machine something different.

 

[airscapes]

Sounds to me like you need to learn how the machine works so you can get the most out of it and not send it to the factory every time you change something. Did you physically break something or just mess up a setting.. aren't the factory programs permanent and unbreakable like in the XLT and DFX? What did you change that you could not reset by reloading the default program you messed up?

 

[mudd punk]

We were changing coils and air testing the machine with a local dealer and it quit realizing any targets unless they were physically touching the coil. So he sent it back to whites to have the whole thing gone over coils and all. He told me it was a good idea to have it done every couple of years anyway and I have never had it done since the upgrade was installed. We tried to do a master reset but it would not work there was something wrong internally.

 

[airscapes]

We were changing coils and air testing the machine with a local dealer and it quit realizing any targets unless they were physically touching the coil. So he sent it back to whites to have the whole thing gone over coils and all. He told me it was a good idea to have it done every couple of years anyway and I have never had it done since the upgrade was installed. We tried to do a master reset but it would not work there was something wrong internally.

Sounds like some other posts I have read at whites forum, sorry for your pain. I can see why you would want to try something else. Let us know what whites has to say.. My new to me dfx is about 1/3 the way across the country on the way to Sweet home as well.
On the V3i, isn't there a book or 2 just for the V series like the Digging Deeper book for the DFX that may be helpful in really learning wow the machine works? Noting like understanding what is going on and how to deal with the issues that come up. This goes for anything that runs on technology. Actually the Digging Deeper book is a good read for anyone even if they don't own whites.. There are parts that relate to any metal detector that are very helpful in understanding HOW a Metal detector works in more technical terms. I am not quite to the half way point in the book and really getting a lot out of it. I am fairly sure I saw someone post a book on the V3, may have been at whites forum..
Think is, if you buy a new machine from another manufacture, you are probably going to have to spend a lot of hours learning the new one. Maybe the way to deeper or better finds is to start to lean how to tweak the machine you know to work better in the sites you are hunting.
Did a quick google and found this http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/white-s/266393-v3i-advanced-posts-book-new-version-2-65-pages.html
Which is not a book per-say but a collection of post info..
Can anyone who has owned both the DFX and the V3i along with digging deeper comment on how applicable it is for the new machine?

 

[mudd punk]

Thanks for the input airscapes
Yes I have looked on the web I also found that book went to staples and had them print it out I find it easier to read and mark up in paper form but it is a little hard to follow but a lot of good points covered. I also got online and contacted local detecting clubs to see if there was anybody with in the field experience that would be interested in going out and hunting at some of my sites but nothing yet(I don't know if that would worry someone going out with someone they don't know)

 

[cudamark]

I want a new detector have been thinking of etrac, or 30/30, have a V3i now. Money isn't an issue. I mostly coin shoot parks, schools, old home sites with tons of iron but don't want to rule out gold jewelry I guess I just want something new. I have even been kicking around buying both! Or is there something else I should be looking at? Or is the 30/30 just a better etrac? I read the post on here there is no perfect detector but for coin shooting and gold jewelry in trashy areas what do you think? Any insight would be appreciated?

If you want a second machine and money is not a determining factor, I'd get the CTX3030. If you are going water hunting, I'd get the Excalibur.....Relic hunting, the Fisher F75.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

For coins and jewelry in a dry area (that is - not a saltwater beach) I can highly recommend the Fisher F-75. Might be good there as well but I've never had the pleasure so I can't say. I'm pretty much a coin shooter. Old iron "relics" from farm equipment and building construction are what I try to get around to find coins. The F-75 is known for the ability to "peek" around trash and hit coins. You can set tones to give a low mumble for iron and a high tone for coins. When you hear a "ding!" among the "dung" - dig. It's very fast and will signal multiple targets close together. It's also killer in the jewelry mode and hits lesser conductive targets deep. I find nickels and rings in well hunted town parks.

I can do a full reset to default settings, punch in what I want and ground balance in 12 seconds. VERY easy to use. Yet it has the flexibility to be programmed for special conditions and lots of options to keep you finding new ways to hunt.

The full menu - discrimination and all metal - is right there on the faceplate, so you don't have to memorize the manual. Just press the menu button to scroll until the "page" you want is highlighted and then turn the selector knob to see what choices that function has. It only has four controls - on/off/volume on the battery box, menu button, settings knob and pinpoint trigger. Reset is turn it on with the menu button held and the trigger forward and it resets to default. You can hunt successfully in 80% of conditions right then.

Ground balance is just to push the pinpoint trigger forward and pump the coil until it displays a number. Takes longer to write it than do it.

I have no trouble finding coins at 8" and 9" with the 6.5" concentric (elliptical) coil and it is a honey for working trashy parks and for pinpointing. Keeps the holes small and the parks people happy.

 

[Carolina Tom]

You might want to check out XP Deus. Good luck on your quest!

 

[relicmeister]

I heard a podcast with Randy from randysmetaldetectingblog who found I think over 430 silver coins in one year (he's from PA)
When asked what should someone do to make the most silver finds he said"buy an Etrak" you can hear that podcast at "Lets Talk Metal Detecting and Treasure Hunting"
I recommend you give it a listen

 

[mudd punk]

I heard a podcast with Randy from randysmetaldetectingblog who found I think over 430 silver coins in one year (he's from PA)
When asked what should someone do to make the most silver finds he said"buy an Etrak" you can hear that podcast at "Lets Talk Metal Detecting and Treasure Hunting"
I recommend you give it a listen

I will thanks

 

[G.I.B.]

Well heck, since money is not an issue-

Send me the machines you would like evaluated. I'll do some comprehensive test's on all of them, video, still shots, graph charts and everything.

I'll then be able to send you a comprehensive report as to which machine may better suit your needs.

Just PM me for my address, and I'll get right on it.

Your welcome, think nothing of it. I'm happy to be of service.

 

[mudd punk]

I will get right on that!

 

[Professor of Engineering]

IMO, keep the V3i and really learn its operation. The V3i is a good machine that will solve any hunting desires except water. I do not use mine for water hunting for obvious reasons.