surfmaster dual field

[outdoors]

does the surfmaster DF discrimination really work ...and not loose good targets (gold, etc.)

[U.K. Brian]

As it hasn't got discrimination the answer would have to be no.

The Whites TDI/TDI Pro/TDI SL have a degree of discrimination (degree!) but its based on target conductivity plus a degree of offset of the ground balance so is not perfect by any means and costs depth as compared to using in the "all metal" mode.

[outdoors]

sorry I meant to say the gain not discrimination.... in hiding or making good targets harder to hear?

[U.K. Brian]

I did wonder if you had been reading the couple of posts by a guy from the U.K. who claimed it did discriminate !

The D.F. is improved over previous models by having gain, timing and threshold controls all on the same machine.
Before they messed about and then even went backwards with the Surfmaster Pro by removing the pulse delay control and fitting a gain all rather than bite the bullett and use a bigger waterproof case.
The gain does help with high mineralisation and EMI but its pulse timing that is really the most important control and will most effectively deal with black or volcanic sand.

Anyway the DF now has pulse delay and gain which does make all the difference but you still lack a SAT control which is what gave the advantage to Eric Fosters pulse machines for years.

[cloviscliff]

The DF is a great machine once you learn how to use the gain, pulse timing and threshold together to get the best of it's ability. There's a lot to understand about the DF and the sites you search with it. Clive James Clynick has a few good books for PI's and the DF. It's a must read material for those who want to learn there PI's and a little on site reading.

[U.K. Brian]

Dual Field is a fairly good waterproof detector at its price point. If your not going to go into the water there's far better, better depth, more stable, better identification of rubbish.

They brought in Eric Foster in the end so you have his DF coil on the Dual Field and the TDI is a re work of his GS5 series. Before that the first thing you needed to do with any Whites Surfmaster was send it off to be modified.