Whites New Detector... Vision

Born2Dtect · Apr 20, 2009

Re: White's New Detector... Vision

Brett,
The technology from Cypress Semiconductor appears cutting edge. I checked out their website. One if the wireless chips appears to be a work in progress. The other, a wireless USB device with a 2.4 MHz transceiver would not only explain the V3's wireless headphones but the wireless data transfer capabilities. This is not a simple electronics, but I am surprised that no one has tried to apply it to a larger market. I would think a wireless headphone after market add on would catch someones eye by now. We will wait and see how well Whites has done. Thanks for the info.

Ed D.

Gen. Breckinridge · Apr 20, 2009

Re: White's New Detector... Vision... er Spectra V3

I was lucky enough to attend a White's dealer seminar this weekend in Burlington NC and learned a bit about the machine. My dealer considers me an employee since I hang around there so often and have sold several detectors for him that he invited me along. The crew from White's of Mid-Atlantic were great hosts for the event and answered every question I posed! Nicer people you won't find anywhere. The first thing is it is no longer called the Vision. Due to some copyright violation they have changed the name to the Spectra V3 although the machines that were at the seminar were still marked Vision. A few of the dealers there had had one of the machines long enough to give it a try and gave good reports on their hunting results. There will be a learning curve for the Spectra but appears fairly easy to grasp. All programs (there are ten) are modifiable to your own liking which is good because they can be changed to suit your ground, etc. We were planning to get in the field today and give it a try but it is raining.... Murphy's Law I guess. We brought home the version with the wireless headphones along with four other assorted detectors. There is no delay in the headphones that anyone would notice. They do operate at 2.4 gig and if I remember correctly the max delay is 17.5 ms., which is instant in the real world. More later when we have a chance to try it out.

davidtn · Apr 20, 2009

Re: White's New Detector... Vision

General - I'll be anxious to hear of your experiences with the V3. Thanks.

Gen. Breckinridge · Apr 23, 2009

Re: White's New Detector... Vision

Between the rain and other stuff going on the Spectra is still awaiting its first field trial. Oh, by the way it comes with a 10" DD coil standard, also rechargable batteries as well as a pack for AA batteries and ours has the wireless headphones. Personally I'm not a big fan of double D coils but we will see. Pinpointing is a pain. We are hoping that tomorrow (Friday) will be the day. We have an old yard picked out that we have hunted previously. The house no longer stands there but was built about 1870 and from previous hunts there we are the first to hunt it. The ground is very porous and soft so we were finding clad coins as deep as 6 inches. The silver may be out of reach even to the best detectors.

Born2Dtect · Apr 24, 2009

Re: White's New Detector... Vision

Learning to pin point with a DD coil is simple. Place a coin on the ground. Wiggle the coil over it so you get a sound with a little movement each way R,L. Now wiggle it and pull the coil toward you or push it away from you while wiggling. Not the point that the sound drops out this is where the coin is (about 1" or less from the edge). This is the wiggle method, good for shallower targets. The second method involves a switch to pinpointing mode. I am assuming Whites has this as My experience is with Minelab. Just follow the instruction, normally tells you to X the target. Move the coil R to L over the target and center the response the turn 90 degrees (X) pattern and repeat. The center of the X marks the spot. Of coarse targets on angle and side may be off a little, but with experience you will get the hang of it. Note: lifting the coil as you may have concentric coils in the past does not help. I find it helps to visualise the coils pattern. A 10 " long, about 1 " wide rectangle the goes down to the depth and only rounds the signal slightly and max depth. Practice makes perfect. A sandy area is a good place to practice.

Ed D.

Steve Herschbach · Apr 24, 2009

Re: White's New Detector... Vision

Hi,

"I am hoping that Whites will send Steve Herschbach a Spectra V3 (new name) and a 6X9 DD coil so Steve can give us a Nugget Shooting Report"

Did that a month ago. Here is a copy of the post I made March 21st:

OK, this is a bench test. An air test if you will.

I have a 0.7 grain gold nugget I use to air test detectors. Not gram mind you, grain. 480 grains per Troy ounce. Very few metal detectors will pick it up at all, even if you roll it around on the coil. So an air test with it serves to indicate what detectors have at least the basic capability to be a prospecting detector. An MXT with a Shooter coil at Max Gain will barely signal on this nugget within 1/4" of the coil.

Same Shooter coil on the Vision. Prospecting Mode (22.5 kHz only), no tweaks except Max RX Gain. Threshold a bit ratty but no worse than MXT at Max Gain. I'm getting a good hit at 2" and whisper at 3".

Now let's engage the TX Boost, raising voltage to the coil from 10V to 30V. Now I'm getting a good hit at 3" and whisper at 4". That is a 50% increase on a tiny nugget by engaging TX Boost.

This is easily better than MXT performance and actually closer to what I'd expect from a GMT. Now ground conditions will certainly have an impact, but my local area south of Anchorage is blessed with low mineral ground - and lots of tiny gold. Standard practice is a GMT and Shooter coil at Max Gain, and rub that coil around in the dirt.

Note that this Shooter coil is several years old. It is not optimized for the Vision and yet handles Max RX Gain and TX Boost. There is still even some performance left on the table by way of All Metal and Disc Gain. Remember that TX Boost will significantly cut battery life, but for what I'm seeing packing a spare battery pack or two will be no problem. Also note that TX Boost applied in the wrong locations can do more harm than good. It is not magic.

I've done this with enough detectors over the years that I know one thing right now - this detector will hit well on small gold on the Kenai Peninsula. Other places with extreme ground conditions I am in no way vouching for but this detector can do well here. As soon as the snow melts a little more I'll get out and do some real world nugget hunting with it.

Steve Herschbach

nowwhat · Jun 12, 2009

Re: White's New Detector... Vision

hell I can't even program a cell phone right, so no thanks. I think I'll pass and stick to my white SL/classic lll, simple is as simple does.

sacrifice · Jun 14, 2009

Re: White's New Detector... Vision

I have decided to pull the trigger on the Spectra (Vision) and one is in the mail to me now. It will replace my Spectrum Eagle II, which has not seen much use since the kids left home a few years ago. Plan to use it around some of the old mining sites in the Juneau area, and at our pitiful excuse for a beach(s). For gold - maybe, but I have my GMT, but if the Spectra can to 0.7 grain gold, as posted by Steve, the GMT might stay home when I detect the mining sites - only testing will tell though.

Interestingly, KellyCo, who I have bought several detectors from, will not sell the Spectra (or TDI) via online sales. They sell them showroom only, which they say is a White's policy instituted to give local detector stores a fair chance (my local store is 800 miles away >:(

). So, I called the White's distributor for this area, and she put together what I feel is an good, if not outstanding, package that includes headphones, additional coil, pin-pointer, and a few other things. The best part is that she charged me a FAIR postal rate, which is rare for people to do when shipping to this town. I would have preferred to stay with KellyCo, but...........................

Anyway, I should get the detector mid-week, and plan to test it the day after I get it on one of the beaches that I have not detected in 3 years, and also take it to a creek that I have always wanted to detect. I doubt that I will compare it to my Spectrum Eagle, as I am not that technologically proficient in its use. I will, however, compare it with my GMT in a controlled testing environment, which may or may not be relevant to real world situations.

As for programming - Should be fun doing, as I have never fully entered the programmed phase of metal detectors. I have played with settings, but never seriously. I really still prefer my Compass Yukon71B, that has one mode which is basically, If you hear a beep, dig it!. Discrimination? LOL! What's that!!! I have always found this funny, because I am a computer programmer, and a teacher that teaches kids technology and programming :tongue3:

.

Toys! Got to love em! (Though I may be applying for one of Big O's bailouts (or witness protection)) once Mrs Sacrifice finds out what I did.

Adrian SS · Jun 14, 2009

Re: White's New Detector... Vision

I hope the Vision Dosn't go the way of the E Track: Too many complications and gimmics and it still cannot positively ID most targets any better than a half decent analogue machine of 20 years ago.
As far as sensitivity is concerned, my old Lobo ST will give a positve hit on a .047gm (approx 0.7gn) gold nugg at 3 inches and a whisper at very near 4 inches when fitted with the 5 x 10 DD.
Still I'm all for trying out new machines, so I guess I wouldn't knock a Vision back if the price was right.
Over the past couple of years I have found myself going out with my Sov XS, Lobo ST and 6000DI Pro SL in preference to my all singing and dancing Talking and Squarking machines. I think it is the simplicity of operation and the fact that these machines go every bit as deep as my modern detectors, especially my slightly modified 6000DI Pro fitted with the 950 Blue Max Coil, which will air test an Aussie 20 cent coin at 3 feet. This machine when operating in ground that it can be perfecly ground balanced over, detects deeper than any other detector I have used and I have used a lot of different detectors, I think about 32 now.
Cheers,
Adrian SS