Pulse 12 Or Mag??

theGOLD

Full Member
Dec 6, 2006
110
4
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JW Fisher 8x
Hey everyone, looooong time no talk eh? So whats better a Mag or a towable metal detector like a pulse 12? We have a shark marine magnetometer but we've had a hard time trying to get a consistent reading out of it. We keep getting crazy gamma differences of anywhere from a couple to hundreds. Also, everytime this thing bumps the bottom or tips on its side we get crazy readings as well. Any ideas on why that is ? Anybody have a pulse 12 in Fl that they want to demo and possibly sell??

Thanks for the help
 

old man

Bronze Member
Aug 12, 2003
1,773
1,709
East Coast
the Gold, First of all you are talking about electronics that do 2 different things. A Mag will not read non-ferrous metal. ie... gold & silver. A mag also will pick up metal from a far greater distance then a pulse 12. A pulse 12 will pick up any kind of metal, but only at a limited distance.
If your mag is bumping the bottom. That is not what you want the unit to do. Keep it up off the bottom and it will perform the way it was meant to perform.
 

OP
OP
theGOLD

theGOLD

Full Member
Dec 6, 2006
110
4
Detector(s) used
JW Fisher 8x
Oh I know they are two different technologies. Really what I am looking to do is aid my initial discovery of sites as any thunter wants. Its very rare that it bumps the bottom, but the occasional reeftop will brush it. The shark marine unit uses a 3 axis Digital magmetoresistive sensor. Maybe thats why(3 axis and not omnidirectional) we get crazy readings when it wobbles in the water (when it is riding normally in the water and tilts slightly to one side or the other, we get large spikes in our gamma readings). Does anyone understand the pros/cons between proton mags and a mag with this type of sensor? From what I understand a fairly sudden change of somewhere in the 12+ in gamma reading would indicate a target is present. Is that right or way off the mark, because we get reading swings or a LOT more than that almost constantly... I wonder if there could be any kind of interference from the boat or engines...

To me, a pulse 12 dragged close to the bottom would be the most beneficial as long as the thing actually works. Ive had a pulse 8x which works decently (although the excalibur is far better) and Ive also had the 48 inch draggable JW fisher coil. The larger coil isnt very good though, and doesnt detect targets at anywhere near what JW fisher says it does. Anybody have a used one in FL that I could demo with them??

The most frusterating thing is having equipment you are relying on to find you targets, and they dont work the way they should... Sooo frusterating...
 

rgecy

Bronze Member
Jun 14, 2004
1,910
59
Beaufort, SC
Detector(s) used
Garrett Sea Hunter Mk II
theGold,

I replied to your PM on this subject, but you didn't mention the bumping and wobbling! That is going to be your problem. The mag is going to be directionally sensitive and you will get weird readings if it is not pulled in a straight line.

As for the Pros and Cons, I think you have found the major problem with an axial sensor like this....it is very sensitive to slight changes in the magnetic field! The pros for it are, it is very sensitive to slight changes in the magnetic field! The wobbling will cause the spike, because the magnetic field changes based on direction.

It is possible you could have interference from the engine, but I doubt it.

It sounds like you may need to add some stabilizers to the fish so it will fly better and try to quit bottoming out and bumping into the reef!

Good Luck and let us know the results,

Robert
 

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theGOLD

theGOLD

Full Member
Dec 6, 2006
110
4
Detector(s) used
JW Fisher 8x
Thanks RGecy, yeah the fish that the company provided with the unit is unfortuneately not very stable. I think I will design a different simpler, and hopefully better running fish for it.
hey do you think that there could be any interference from the powersource? I mean, this thing runs off of a cigarette lighter adapter on the boat, and I wonder if it is sensitive, whether other power consuming or power producing(alternator) elements connected in line with the batteries could affect the mags readings.... For example, when I am trolling the mag with one engine, and I turn on the other engine, even if I am trolling the thing 150 feet behind the boat, I get a huge spike in the readings the moment the other engine is turned on.
 

rgecy

Bronze Member
Jun 14, 2004
1,910
59
Beaufort, SC
Detector(s) used
Garrett Sea Hunter Mk II
theGOLD said:
hey do you think that there could be any interference from the powersource? I mean, this thing runs off of a cigarette lighter adapter on the boat, and I wonder if it is sensitive, whether other power consuming or power producing(alternator) elements connected in line with the batteries could affect the mags readings.... For example, when I am trolling the mag with one engine, and I turn on the other engine, even if I am trolling the thing 150 feet behind the boat, I get a huge spike in the readings the moment the other engine is turned on.

Now there is a definite No, No! It definitely needs to be running from an isolated power source.

Robert
 

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theGOLD

theGOLD

Full Member
Dec 6, 2006
110
4
Detector(s) used
JW Fisher 8x
AHHHH HA!!! Thanks RGecy! Ill give er a whirl!
 

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