Are PI machines relevant anymore?

CalReg

Hero Member
May 3, 2020
596
775
San Jose, CA
Detector(s) used
Tarsacci MDT 8000, Simplex, Equinox 600, Garrett Carrot
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Greetings All!

It's been a while since I posted anything. COVID and work have conspired against me getting out and hunting. I did, however, get out yesterday. I have been following the advice of Tom out here around the Monterey area (thanks Tom!) and found some free time to hunt the beaches during the King Tides. First off, no jewelry, just a bunch of clad and junk, but just getting out was good enough for me. Now here I am sitting at my desk, waiting for my last zoom meeting of the day and have been thinking about Pulse Induction MD'ers. Does anyone use them anymore? I've read several books on beach hunting and they all refer to them one way or the other. Since I started back in this wonderful hobby in April, I've run into a few fellow detectorists and none of them have PI detectors. What's your opinion?
 

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smokeythecat

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2012
20,682
40,650
Maryland
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Detector(s) used
XP Deus II
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All Treasure Hunting
I have owned a few. If you like digging junk, go for it.
 

Ccarson

Full Member
Dec 20, 2014
213
694
El Monte,Ca
Detector(s) used
Whites mxt pro,surf pi pro,trx pinpointer
Minelab eureka
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I use a Whites pulse dive every now and again when I plan on digging everything. It goes deep but I dig a lot of trash.
 

ARC

Gold Member
Aug 19, 2014
37,156
130,945
Tarpon Springs
Detector(s) used
JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
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No serious detectorists should be without one. IMO

There is an old adage... "There is a right tool for every job".

And this also applies to the art of metal detecting.

Take tools in general for example...

You can fix your car with a pair of vise grips... but is it ideal for each bolt ? ? ?
 

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CASPER-2

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Jan 3, 2012
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NEW ENGLAND
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If you dont mind digging trash- and are not trying to work the beach out in one day and you want
to get the most depth at your older spots and hopefully clean your spots out completely and get it all
then PI is for you
I used PI in mid 90s to about 2005-6
I did great hitting spots that others said were cleaned out = lots of deep gold and silver others passed over
or could not reach - around 2000 a handful of guys decided to follow my lead and went out and bought
PIs and went back and hit old areas they thought they had cleaned out and also pulled really deep gold& silver
I got many a thanks for showing them what was still out there and down there and inspiring them to try
a Pi - slowing down and going for whispers (very faint) signals helps too
 

CASPER-2

Gold Member
Jan 3, 2012
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you might be able to pick up a cheap PI Pro off ebay if you look around - not a bad addition to
your arsenal
I always thought newbies should start with one and learn to dig it all then move on up
I started detecting in 1975 with a non discriminating machine so dug it all
I dug it all with PI and mostly dig it all now hunting in all metal with my cz21
TRASH -PICKING IT UP | DON DEFORRE' | Flickr
click twice to enlarge each page
 

ARC

Gold Member
Aug 19, 2014
37,156
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you might be able to pick up a cheap PI Pro off ebay if you look around - not a bad addition to
your arsenal
I always thought newbies should start with one and learn to dig it all then move on up
I started detecting in 1975 with a non discriminating machine so dug it all
I dug it all with PI and mostly dig it all now hunting in all metal with my cz21
TRASH -PICKING IT UP | DON DEFORRE' | Flickr
click twice to enlarge each page

Or if you are real serious... you could shell out about 2.5k on a really good one.

:P

<-------

Then spend over another 1.5k upgrading it.

AS mine collects dust... heh
 

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Eagleman

Jr. Member
Jun 8, 2012
23
28
Oregon
Detector(s) used
Bounty Hunter QD-2, White's TDI-SL, My design of, PI detector, also BFO type detector, Garrett Ace Apex
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
We use the Whites PI here in the Oregon searching for gold an yes there are a lot of miners still using PI's. The new VLF machines are great but they don't go as deep an that is what we need. Stay healthy Jim
 

CASPER-2

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Jan 3, 2012
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Im almost positive that this pick of silver & gold
is 90% Pi and 10% XLT
1995 - 2005
silver&goldjewlry.JPG
 

CASPER-2

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Jan 3, 2012
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you-serious-clark.jpg
Or if you are real serious... you could shell out about 2.5k on a really good one.

:P

<-------

Then spend over another 1.5k upgrading it.

AS mine collects dust... heh
 

Rad1sh

Full Member
Sep 22, 2019
175
272
Olympia, Washington
Detector(s) used
Nokta Makro Simplex White Coinmaster ( Burghandy)
Garret Ace 250 Tracker IV
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I want a Cscope badly!
 

billb

Silver Member
Sep 23, 2010
4,569
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New York
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Casper-2 thanks for motivating me to keep on doing this
 

ARC

Gold Member
Aug 19, 2014
37,156
130,945
Tarpon Springs
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JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
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Bill... Picture was deleted... it was misleading... my detector... someone else's finds... Errrr.... don't get me wrong... I DO find other things from time to time. :)

Thanks for the msg though... and keep it up... treasures await you.

For me... bottle caps and pull tabs with no caviar dreams... Lifestyle of the tan and sandy for me... :P
 

CASPER-2

Gold Member
Jan 3, 2012
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WHITE'S XLT, PI PRO, GARRETT 2500, 3- FISHER CZ21s, JW FISHER 8X
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That’s an impressive 10 yr stash of booty! I would bet that pile today is worth over 10,000 just the gold alone.
Way over $10,000 back then (Id say there might be $50,000 in that pic by 2005 prices - Ive sold gold found almost every year - I have like 75 rings still (most having diamonds or other precious stones and many antique that i dont plan on selling...yet) starting selling a lot when gold hit like $800 - except for like 5 coins - everything before 1995 was gone
i sold a lot of relics and collectibles also in my first 20 yrs 1975-1995 too
i have probably 99% of non jewelry items since 1995
wish i couldve saved till now
 

cudamark

Gold Member
Top Banner Poster
Mar 16, 2011
13,173
14,458
San Diego
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XP Deus 2, Equinox 800/900, Fisher Impulse AQ, E-Trac, 3 Excal 1000's, White's TM808, VibraProbe, 15" NEL Attack, Mi6, Steath 920ix and 720i scoops, TRX, etc....
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
With the advances of multifrequency VLF detectors, PI machines have become less relevent , but, not worthless. They have their place in the tool box.....mainly for deep targets and relatively trash free sites.
 

billb

Silver Member
Sep 23, 2010
4,569
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New York
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AARC,,Hi,,Thanks for wishing me good luck my friend..and also wish you many successful hunts too..
 

Bully1970

Greenie
Jan 7, 2019
15
60
Jersey (the original one)
Detector(s) used
Whites TDI Beach hunter - beach
XP Deus - land
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I use a TDI Beachunter, I had the choice of a Nox but stuck with PI as I had a C scope before. As said, PIs are deeper...even than the Nox...VLFs don't work well where I am, highly mineralised sand and you have to back off the sens on most machines therefore losing depth. When my old PI was getting fixed I used my Deus and nearly snapped it in a temper it gave so many false signals &#55357;&#56883;
I dig everything BUT I don't hunt top or mid only low, we have a huge tidal range and I hunt for history therefore I actually want Iron etc (cannonballs, shells) so the PI suits. If I was hunting rings then perhaps I'd go Nox as they seem to work well from seeing friends use them.

So, the PI suits me and the conditions I hunt in, I think you need to figure out if it will suit you &#55357;&#56397;
 

Slimpickins

Full Member
Feb 16, 2014
192
198
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I have used a Whites Dual Field for several years. I've only found 5 or 6 gold rings rings so far. One chest deep in salt water the rest on wet salt sand. It's not much fun to use it waist to chest deep deep because the coil floats. I found a size 12 Tifanny Platinum 950 band that retails for $2000.00 at around 16" deep in the wet sand. That and the other rings gave a loud solid signal so I only dig those loud solid signals. Double beeps are small wire usually. It's unbelievable how much iron is under the sand. It is a lot heavier than the Equinox but will find stuff that vlf detectors can't especially if there is Black Sand. And if you have a Stealth scoop you will get a good workout
 

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