Can you beach hunt with a PRIZM?

sixguns · Jul 17, 2008

I plan on spending some time at the beach when I get back and I was wondering if I can use my PRIZM V to beach hunt with? I am planning on getting an XLT or a DFX (my present to me, hahahaha) but wondered if I could use the PRIZM without probelms?

Sandman, I know you have the straight "poop" on this.....

chipveres · Jul 17, 2008

Absolutely! The worst thing that can happen when using a coinshooting detector on the beach is that some are "alergic" to wet sand. You just back off to the dry. Particularly hunt the blanket line and beach entrances. And bring a scoop to make your recoveried easier. You can pay less attention to the tide and more to when the beach is vacant & easy to search.

Chip V.

sixguns · Jul 17, 2008

Thanks for the heads up chipveres.... I figured I would have a plastic bag to cover the "box" but didnt know if it would hurt the machine, or if I would have luck? But thanks again...

Sandman · Jul 17, 2008

Sure you can use the Whites to hunt the beach. It may get a little unstable going from dry sand to wet, but if you stay in one or the other you should be OK. In the wet you may need to turn down the sensitivity some. It could really act up if you get the coil wet as there will be more salt and black sand nearer the water.

If there is salt spray the plastic over on the box will protect it, but leave it open some so it can "breathe." Moisture in the bag condensing on the box will make it unstable.

Good Luck.

Narthoniel · Jul 18, 2008

Howdy,

I have used a Prism III on the beach, and found it to be great on dry sand. I recomend turning off all discrepency, as I have found many earrings it said were iron. As for wet sand, dont go near it, or near any sand that has recently been washed over with water. The detector goes bonkers. But dry sand is great, and very effective.

Anthony

ivan salis · Jul 18, 2008

the reason most "preset" type machines get unstable at the beach (go nuts beeping all the time) is the detectors are picking up the dissolved "metals and minerals" in the sea water --- wet sand has sea water -- so it "sees" a wall of metal and flips out --- the cure is to make the machine less "touchy" so that it doesn't see the "minerals" --by backing off the power or sen level --- and even upping the disc level if you have to until it clams down --yes you wil llose some depth --however the machine will now be usible * ( in some cases --certain machines / certain areas this will not work --for those "tough" areas a "manually adjustible ground balance" is a must have to be able to work them) --- if you have a machine that can "manually" ground balance set the setting to account for the "higher" mineral background and your good to go -- Ivan

because of the differant "mineral background" levels between dry and wet sand --drifting back and forth dry/wet /dry is not a good ideal since you will be constantly "readjusting" ---better to first hunt the dry then the wet -- staying in the zone you got it set for ---- you will be able to run more power / sen in the dry sand thus getting more depth if you hunt the wet first you risk setting it to cope with the "wet sand" (thus giving up some depth)---but then on returning to hunt dry sand if you fail to readjust it you will not get the peak of depth possible.