so what is the deepest pi machine?

[nycwalter]

?

 

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[BVI Hunter]

My Garrett Sea Hunter "senses" the smaller, lower karat gold rings very well, however, my Aquapulse AQ1B "senses" the bigger rings (average wedding band as an example), gold coins, silver coins better than my other detectors. The longer pulse delay (approx 25µs) of the AQ1B has its purpose for sure.

HH
Tony.

Does the effect your choice of which detector to use?
At what depth would you consider changing from one to another (which ones) assuming you are hunting jewelry, rings and coins?

I am unsure whether to go for an Aquascan for more marine stuff or the ATX and go inland, assuming my SH2 is good to all depths?

thanks!

 

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[Octopulse]

Hello BVI, I carry out quite a lot of searches for people's lost items so this will result in me choosing a specific detector. I'd nearly always choose the SH2 if I was after a smaller profile ring or one that might be 9 or 10K. The SH2 also sees the platinum rings better due to the lower conductivity of the metal. The AQ1B sees action for the bigger rings, 18K rings, anything made from silver, watches, gold coins, etc. If anything has been lost (or I choose to search in) saltwater that is deeper than about 5 feet then it is the AQ1B due to a steady threshold from it's minimum pulse delay of about 25µs. When I finally get my Hookah setup then it will be the AQ1B. I want to hunt in the 3 to 5 metre range which will require the SH2 to have the pulse delay turned up anyway....more then likely to where the AQ1B has its minimum setting. The extra power of the AQ1B (current to the coil) is a great thing. Detectors are such a compromise until technology takes us to a new level. HH Tony.

 

[Octopulse]

Here are some results from my Aquapulse AQ1B (small can model). To get these depths the detector needs to be regularly tuned (SET AUDIO control). I now always have the unit hip/chest mounted so I can easily tweak the SET AUDIO control which only needs very minor adjustment to either slow or speed up the "tick".
As I expected, the US nickel is nothing to get excited about but the US dime and 18K ring was very impressive. The 25µs minimum delay is somewhat weak on low conductors, which by my testing is 9k/10k rings and the smaller platinum rings but 18K or more is sensed very well. My own 5g 18K wedding ring is detected at 15"-16"....

Gold Ring: 15"-16" with the 15" coil
14" with the 10" coil
13" with the 8" coil

US Dime: 13"
US Nickel: 9"-10" (this depth is typical of average size lower K gold rings but not the higher K gold rings which is great news).

A regular tick over speed is hard to maintain but so long as I am hearing several ticks within a 5 second period then the machine is optimally tuned. I believe that the extra current generated to the coil makes up for the higher pulse delay. "Taming the beast" hinges on the SET AUDIO control and of course running at the first click which is the 25µs setting. I don't envisage running at a slower delay unless venturing into the SCUBA/HOOKAH territory.

I'm really liking this detector but would be the first to admit that it isn't for everybody. Don't even bother with testing outside the house in the backyard as EMI will be really bad.

HH
Tony.

 

[Boatlode]

I don't think I want a detector that goes deeper than the Sand Shark. I dig everything, and a few times I could swear I heard people speaking Chinese.

 

[SoCalBeachScanner]

I don't think I want a detector that goes deeper than the Sand Shark. I dig everything, and a few times I could swear I heard people speaking Chinese.

I hear ya Boatload ... I give up scooping a target at the China country line or I will come out the other side scooping asteroids.

The ATX will scan deeper on every one of those items he listed and you just turn it on and go. No knobs to fiddle with and the ATX has a lot of visual and audio features along with a non-motion mode. And no problem with EMI, you just run the frequency scan to eliminate all that chatter.
The big plus with the AQ1B. The Weight!

 

[gamiller]

:

I don't think I want a detector that goes deeper than the Sand Shark. I dig everything, and a few times I could swear I heard people speaking Chinese.

Not likely Chinese ,Google the term... where do I end up if I dig straight down ... just trying to be helpful

 

[Octopulse]

.....The ATX is not deeper on the gold ring in saltwater. I have checked when I hired an ATX for the day.
The ATX is too cumbersome in water....feels like you are swinging through wet concrete. The sensitivity needs to be reduced in salt. The shafts freeze up and any visual aids won't help in the surf or if underwater viz is bad. The 10 foot water rating is a problem for a regular water hunter.....the CTX3030 and ATPro gave plenty of problems with their 10 foot rating. The 10 foot rating is purely there to draw in as many buyers as possible. EMI has only rarely been a problem with the AQ1B....seems worse on windy days when EMI can be blown in on the wind. One of the real joys of the AQ1B is the bonephone...no more headphones washing off your head by waves or dislodging when underwater.
The ATX on land.... then it's a great unit but the weight is really something.

What's that quote...."I don't want more depth but I do want less sand"....so true.

 

[SoCalBeachScanner]

.....The ATX is not deeper on the gold ring in saltwater. I have checked when I hired an ATX for the day.
The ATX is too cumbersome in water....feels like you are swinging through wet concrete. The sensitivity needs to be reduced in salt. The shafts freeze up and any visual aids won't help in the surf or if underwater viz is bad. The 10 foot water rating is a problem for a regular water hunter.....the CTX3030 and ATPro gave plenty of problems with their 10 foot rating. The 10 foot rating is purely there to draw in as many buyers as possible. EMI has only rarely been a problem with the AQ1B....seems worse on windy days when EMI can be blown in on the wind. One of the real joys of the AQ1B is the bonephone...no more headphones washing off your head by waves or dislodging when underwater.
The ATX on land.... then it's a great unit but the weight is really something.

What's that quote...."I don't want more depth but I do want less sand"....so true.

Hi Tonyswaterhunts,

I agree swinging the ATX in water is like swinging it in wet concrete, the shaft sucks, and it weighs like a tank, agreed.

And no, the ATX Sensitivity does not need to be reduced in wet sand or shallow saltwater, at least on the beaches in Southern California. I don't even need to ground balance it at most beaches.

My comment a few posts back referred to your tests with the Gold Ring, Nickel, and dime. Not that the ATX was a great machine in 10-feet of water. I would not be using it in more than a few feet of water, so all the features the ATX has are being used to speed quality and quantity of the targets.

The ATX WILL sound deeper than the numbers you posted for the items that you listed in your tests in the wet sand, saltwater, dry sand, or turf. Like with any tests with any machine, it's all about the ground mineralization, and the experience of the operator using the machine.

 

[Octopulse]

Thanks SoCalBeachScanner,

Try as I could, the ATX had a couple of inches less depth than the AQ1B on the gold ring only. Both machines were at their most sensitive. The ATX was way ahead on the nickel which was what I expected. The gold ring doesn't need a quicker delay (ATX) to be picked up deeper as it is not a low conductor (18K). The AQ1B was also 2 inches deeper than my old GP3500. The ATX was ahead on my platinum rings and all 9k/10K rings but the gap closes at the 14K mark and once the gold hits 18K then the AQ1B pulls ahead.
All silver is sensed deeper with the AQ1B as are gold coins (typically .9999 fine).
But like all things, many environmental factors come into play that can alter things.
I used to hunt what I thought was a pure white sandy beach with my old Excalibur and I couldn't work out why the constant nulls.
One day I dug some test holes past the 10" mark and all of a sudden hit the black sand layer that was hidden by the dazzling white sand......good lesson learnt that day.
Anyway, enjoy your summer. I think your climate is much like here in Perth, Western Australia. Mild winters and hot summers.
HH
Tony.

 

[SoCalBeachScanner]

-
Great Feedback Tony,

Either way in whatever ground conditions, we both have a deep kick ass machine.

What I can't understand is why a manufacture can't or won't put all the latest features and technology in a lightweight, hip mounted, streamline waterproof machine. The design aspect seems so simple to me.
People have been selling their ATX mostly because the weight and design is killing them physically.

I've learn to quit scooping at 15"-16" inches. Not only is it a lot of work trying to keep up with the sand caving in past 16", the target is larger / denser than a ring or coin, which is my target size that I'm going for.

Our weather in SoCal sounds just like yours. I just wish SoCal had Clear warm water so I could snorkel with the ATX and see what I'm doing down there.

Enjoy your Winter Tony ... No matter what time of the year, a deep seeking machine will always find what other's have left behind.

 

[H-2 CHARLIE]

So. Cal guy .. try Catalana one day the beachs are nice and the water is clear for 40 yards .

 

[SoCalBeachScanner]

So. Cal guy .. try Catalana one day the beachs are nice and the water is clear for 40 yards .

Hi Charlie,

Yeah, the water is clear in Avalon and parts of Newport, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, and father south, can be pretty clear, at times also. Maybe in time I will explore those possibilities.

The scuba crowd monitors and post the water clarity on any given day on most beaches, so that could work.

I remember when I was little going to Catalina with my family on the now long gone SS Catalina Steamship. The ship would pull into the Avalon Bay and there was a lot of guys in the water with face masks and snorkels calling up to the folks on the ship to throw coins down. If this went on day after day for years, I could not imagine how many silver coins are still in the bay.


From Wikipedia

The S.S. Catalina, also known as The Great White Steamer, was a 301-foot steamship built in 1924 that provided passenger service on the 26-mile passage between Los Angeles and Santa Catalina Island from 1924 to 1975. According to the Steamship Historical Society of America, the Catalina has carried more passengers than any other vessel anywhere. The S.S. Catalina also served as a troop ship during World War II, transporting more than 800,000 soldiers and sailors. After a period of service as a floating discotheque, the ship ran aground on a sandbar in Ensenada Harbor in 1997 and remained there half-submerged and decaying for more than a decade.

In January 2009 it was announced that the ship would be cut up for scrap, which has been completed

 

[SoCalBeachScanner]

-
To comment on my post above.....

I just checked a nautical chart where I believe the SS Catalina would have been when it came into Avalon Harbor where the people snorkeling would yell up to the passengers to throw coins down. Avalon is a relatively small harbor in area. It appears inner Avalon Harbor is 2-3.5 fathoms at mean lower low water which would be approximately 12-22 feet deep at low tide.

So to get the silver, it would require a full on deep water detector. Has anyone on TNet ever detected Avalon Harbor?? Not just the wet sand and shallow water, but out in the harbor??

Your most likely to find anything from marine hardware to outboard motors but if there is as many coins as I believe there is down there, you most likely don't even need a metal detector. With a little research to find the exact area where the SS Catalina would have sat before docking or mooring, you should be able to just scoop down 6-12 inches and come up with coins.

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

Thank you for your research effort(s).
I always wondered what happened to the SS Catalina.
What a sad ending for such a beloved ship (sigh).
"Twenty- six miles across the sea
Santa Catalina is a-waitin' for me
Santa Catalina, the island of romance, romance, romance, romance"

I never visited Catalina Island by ship, choosing to fly instead.
As a youngster, it was a most interesting trip as I remember the take off, climb to altitude
and the landing - there was little descent if any as the airport strip was high in the mountains.
Then the wild, wild ride Mr Toad like ride on the bus to the harbor.

I vividly remember watching the kids, dive for coins thrown by the passangers.
Those kids, were very good at enticing and retrieving the thrown coins on their way down.
I doubt many of the coins made it to the bottom.

The location of where the coins were/are thrown is well known and easy to find.
I snorkeled neat it once, and had to dive for cover to keep from being run over by a landing sea plane.
This harbor is very busy - not for the faint at heart.

From what I have been able to determine Scuba diving in Avalon Harbor is restricted.
I am posting the little information, I have found on the internet.

Avalon Harbor Underwater Cleanup set for Feb. 22

Catalina’s crystal clear waters are a constant source of amazement. Bright orange garibaldi, amber fronds of kelp and playful sea lions can all be seen from the surface, thanks to the exceptional water clarity found around Santa Catalina.

Each year, hundreds of scuba divers do their part to make sure the Catalina waters stay crystal clear by taking part in the Avalon Harbor Underwater Cleanup. Plunging beneath the surface, those dedicated divers bring up hundreds of pounds of trash, including cans, bottles and a truly remarkable number of sunglasses and cellphones.

Each year the divers also surface with a number of treasures and oddities, including diamond rings, old coins, bullets, outboard motors, wallets and unopened wine bottles. Shortly after the clean-up concludes an awards ceremony spotlights the most interesting finds for the year.

The only time scuba diving is allowed in Avalon Harbor, the cleanup serves as a fundraiser for the Catalina Conservancy’s Robert R. Given Fund for Ocean Conservation and Educational Outreach and the USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber. Whether you plan to take the plunge yourself or just peruse the findings, the Avalon Harbor Underwater Cleanup is always an interesting way to spend the day. This year’s cleanup is set for Feb. 22, 2014. The cost to participate is $40 per diver.

Filed Under: Blog, Island Activities

-
To comment on my post above.....

I just checked a nautical chart where I believe the SS Catalina would have been when it came into Avalon Harbor where the people snorkeling would yell up to the passengers to throw coins down. Avalon is a relatively small harbor in area. It appears inner Avalon Harbor is 2-3.5 fathoms at mean lower low water which would be approximately 12-22 feet deep at low tide.

So to get the silver, it would require a full on deep water detector. Has anyone on TNet ever detected Avalon Harbor?? Not just the wet sand and shallow water, but out in the harbor??

Your most likely to find anything from marine hardware to outboard motors but if there is as many coins as I believe there is down there, you most likely don't even need a metal detector. With a little research to find the exact area where the SS Catalina would have sat before docking or mooring, you should be able to just scoop down 6-12 inches and come up with coins.

 

[Octopulse]

-
Great Feedback Tony,

Either way in whatever ground conditions, we both have a deep kick ass machine.

What I can't understand is why a manufacture can't or won't put all the latest features and technology in a lightweight, hip mounted, streamline waterproof machine. The design aspect seems so simple to me.
People have been selling their ATX mostly because the weight and design is killing them physically.

I've learn to quit scooping at 15"-16" inches. Not only is it a lot of work trying to keep up with the sand caving in past 16", the target is larger / denser than a ring or coin, which is my target size that I'm going for.

Our weather in SoCal sounds just like yours. I just wish SoCal had Clear warm water so I could snorkel with the ATX and see what I'm doing down there.

Enjoy your Winter Tony ... No matter what time of the year, a deep seeking machine will always find what other's have left behind.

Well the cynic inside me says if a detector company brings out that "almost perfect" detector then where do they go from there?
I remember someone telling me that Minelab has extensive R&D on several detector prototypes with technology that they could bring to market now but they choose to "drip feed" features based on demand and competition. I guess it is a clever and sustainable business model that more than likely extends to many other electronic commodities/companies.
That point you make about target profile/size is so important to decide whether to continue digging deeper. The beauty of non-motion detectors such as the ATX and AQ1B is their ability to hover on the surface and "map out" the target size. The coin/ring size targets are very uniform and narrow so are worth pursuing. I'm sure I have passed on bigger targets such as watches but so be it. At least this excludes those broken off ends of coke cans.....

Anyhow, I'm off to the beach. Yeah winter is bad today...about 23C (low seventies)....

HH,
Tony

PS.......I have really enjoyed reading this thread.

 

[Rick K]

I know Easter is over, so resurrection might not be in order...... but this old thread made me think of this clip. Those clever Frenchmen (Alexandre Tartar and his associates) who got hired by Fisher a while ago - made this video with one of their Manta prototypes.

have a look at this....

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p-cyuaniLBg