Still not sold on the V3i

[flyingeagle]

I am still not sold on buying a v3i. Not sure if it is that much better than my eagle spectrum? Seems like it just has a bunch more bells and whistles. Does White's have any kinda try before you buy program? Or would someone be willing to rent me there v3i or meet up so I could try one in the field? I'm near lancaster pa. thanks

 

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[scotty544]

I found a mercury dime at 8 inches, that made a believer outta me. It takes a while to learn but it so fine tune able that once you do learn it, it's a game changer.

 

[Mortamus]

When the V3i Speaks!!!...I listen

 

[VWandSTUDEBAKER]

Never had an Eagle Spectrum myself, but I wouldn't trade you my V3i, for it, that much I know. There are folks on the Whites factory forum that can tell you more about the difference and Im sure some have gone from yours to the V3i and could tell you the difference. I do know the V3i is not for the person who doesn't like to tinker and tweek their machine. Its a computer that can run with its factory preset programs, but it will run a lot better once you master how to change the settings. Im also pretty sure that there are people in PA that have the V3i and could help you with settings for your type of soil.

 

[Viddy]

I used and hammered an Etrac 1000's of hours last 2 years. I just a new V3i about a month ago. I am very 'tech savy' and am having fun with the programming. I will admit I am not 100% sold on it yet. #1 because I don't have that much time on it to make me admit that it's a great machine, #2 my quantity and quality of finds compared to past machines are not there yet, and #3 I am sure I don't know verything about it yet.

flyingeagle.... I am from PA also.... where are you from in PA? Pittsburgh area here. I'd be more than happy to meet up with you with the V3i for you to check out, mess with, and hunt for a bit with it. I have an Etrac or AT Pro I can use while we hunt.

let me know....

 

[CBAILEY]

i guess i am not very tech saavy, i really didnt like the v3i or the xlt. too many options to adjust. i'd rather use a fisher 1265 or a whites classic. I just bought a whites classic 2 and have an Explorer se. For me the Se is simple but i have been using Minelabs the most. Gonna try to do the ground/threshold mod on the classic and hopefully it will be a really nice addition to the Explorer

 

[Viddy]

Scotty544... I agree with you on the depth of the V3i. I only have about 20 hours on my new V3i, but have dug a few really deep targets! I was running the stock coins & jewelery program. A few were junk, as I am still just trying to dig a lot and learn the machine, but I am impressed with the depth! I have not even messed with the 'BOOST' option on it. I am thinking that it is like the F75/T2 'BOOST/CACHE' mode that they have(?)

Being a new machine, I am still in that 'I hope I am not missing anything', by trying new programs, settings, and getting to know the sounds + VDI numbers and what not to dig, but I am confident in the depth of the V3i. DEEP! That is there for sure.

 

[a4wdguy]

I've had both. Plus everything in between, including XLT and DFX. I used the V3i for a year, then sold it and went back to the DFX. The V3i and I did not click like the DFX does. The whole time I was hunting with the V3i, I was missing the DFX. So, I am not singing the praises of the V3i or VX3 because I think it is the greatest thing since sliced bread; however, it is in a whole other class than your Spectrum. The 6.59kHz your detector operates at is a good compromise frequency and has been popular for decades. However, the spread of the 3 frequencies the V3 uses will respond to high value targets much stronger and accurately. Further, you are looking at an improvement in production techniques that span more than 30 years. The fields generated by the newer coils are larger and stronger than their much older sibs. Indeed, it does have a lot more "bells and whistles", but, as you know from your Spectrum, there is no law that says you can't stick entirely with the factory presets. White's engineers are very good at setting up detectors that provide excellent results out of the box. So, even if you don't change so much as the color of your screen display, you can still reap some amazing benefits from the increased power, processing speed, decreased weight, larger color display, and various plots available on the V3i.

I am still not sold on buying a v3i. Not sure if it is that much better than my eagle spectrum? Seems like it just has a bunch more bells and whistles. Does White's have any kinda try before you buy program? Or would someone be willing to rent me there v3i or meet up so I could try one in the field? I'm near lancaster pa. thanks

 

[flyingeagle]

I think i am going to take my spectrum up to my local whites dealer and compare them. Not that I don't believe in the V3i. I just gotta see some things for myself.

 

[CBAILEY]

good idea, your detector is probably just as good, just lest bells and whistles. there is a reason people are still buying these 20 to 25 year old machines for 300-500

 

[63bkpkr]

Flyingeagle,
Viddy has just posted his latest comments about the V3i in the brands section and he is Now happy with it as he has a program that really works, with a few things to understand about it

Programs are also available for the XLT on the White's forum put out by De Ole Sly Fox. Seems the 3 frequencies of the V3i can be of considerable help in figuring out just what is under the coil. Best of Luck with your comparisons............63bkpkr

 

[scotty544]

Flyingeagle,
Viddy has just posted his latest comments about the V3i in the brands section and he is Now happy with it as he has a program that really works, with a few things to understand about it

Programs are also available for the XLT on the White's forum put out by De Ole Sly Fox. Seems the 3 frequencies of the V3i can be of considerable help in figuring out just what is under the coil. Best of Luck with your comparisons............63bkpkr

For sure the 3 frequency helps in the final analysis of what is in the ground, much more than just the vdi.

 

[Lbcwanabe]

This quarter was literally 12" down amongst a lot of trash. I was very close to getting an etrac, but this find only reaffirmed my decision.

 

[flyingeagle]

WOW! was that with a preset program or a custom program?

 

[gsxraddict]

the v3i is an excellent machine, absolutely excellent.

It's much better than a spectrum.

 

[Lbcwanabe]

Yeah with the stock coin and jewlery mode my 3rd time out. I upgraded from a mxt.

 

[GreenMeanie]

One thing I didn't like is having to send it in when they make a software upgrade.
They should of did what minelab did with the CTX but they wanted to charge you to upgrade your software on the V3I.
Otherwise I thought it was a decent machine.

 

[McKinney_5900]

Yeah with the stock coin and jewlery mode my 3rd time out. I upgraded from a mxt.

I wish I could find just one quarter at 10 inches with my V3i, even with an optimized program. I have never dug one anywhere near as deep as yours and only found maybe 3 over nearly 3 years at 8-9 inches, running with the 5-Band filter. Mine would absolutely never approach your depth with the stock program which uses the 10-Band filter. Your soil appears to be sandy loam which might be a key to your depth. I have quarters buried at 10 inches for over 2 years here in my yard and only sporadically detect those. I hit an 8" quarter signal once, bouncy signal, and then lost it before getting final PP location. I dug where I estimated the target should be anyway but never could revive the quarter signal or get either valid pinpoint on it, and gave up on the hole. I brought over a friend with his XP Deus before we left the area, and he worked his Deus and dug a silver Washington at 8 inches. The V3i should have made that 8" quarter find a piece of cake, even Oregon CS expressed that statement themselves when they heard the story on the phone. I got a new replacement V3i last December and still haven't found really deep quarters so far, plus that 10" buried quarter is iffy at best.

It's just my personal opinion but I think you must have a special V3i. Hang onto that machine. BTW your second picture with the Leschie stuck in the ground hardly exhibits a 12" hole to me. martin

 

[wingmaster]

I wish I could find just one quarter at 10 inches with my V3i, even with an optimized program. I have never dug one anywhere near as deep as yours and only found maybe 3 over nearly 3 years at 8-9 inches, running with the 5-Band filter. Mine would absolutely never approach your depth with the stock program which uses the 10-Band filter. Your soil appears to be sandy loam which might be a key to your depth. I have quarters buried at 10 inches for over 2 years here in my yard and only sporadically detect those. I hit an 8" quarter signal once, bouncy signal, and then lost it before getting final PP location. I dug where I estimated the target should be anyway but never could revive the quarter signal or get either valid pinpoint on it, and gave up on the hole. I brought over a friend with his XP Deus before we left the area, and he worked his Deus and dug a silver Washington at 8 inches. The V3i should have made that 8" quarter find a piece of cake, even Oregon CS expressed that statement themselves when they heard the story on the phone. I got a new replacement V3i last December and still haven't found really deep quarters so far, plus that 10" buried quarter is iffy at best.

It's just my personal opinion but I think you must have a special V3i. Hang onto that machine. BTW your second picture with the Leschie stuck in the ground hardly exhibits a 12" hole to me. martin

I detect with a friend that gets dimes at 10"+ all the time with his V3i and I get dimes at 10"+ with my MXT, the last time out I dug a silver washington quarter at 12" and have dug silver dimes at 12" before. I can only get that depth with the D2 coil or the detech 13" DD coil, I bought the detech 13" coil looking for a little more depth over the D2 and it gets the same depth but does hit harder on the deep coins sitting on edge, it gives just enough of a better signal of the coins on edge to make you dig them. The D2 gets a signal but sounds more like deep trash so the ones on edge are easily passed up. HH

 

[dustytrails123]

This quarter was literally 12" down amongst a lot of trash. I was very close to getting an etrac, but this find only reaffirmed my decision.

That lesche is 12 inches in length and as you can see in the picture about half of it is sticking out of the hole so im not sure how you came up with the target was 12 inches deep lol