Eric Foster Beachscan PI

[Turtleman]

Eric or anyone who has used this detector, can you tell me how it compares to the newer PI's. Main use would be salt water beaches.
Is it still possible to get manual for it?

Thanks for your help.

Tom

 

[Reg]

Hi Tom,

the Beachscan is the design model before the Goldquest (GQ). So, basically, you can use the GQ operating manual as a base. Just ignore the reference to adjustments that are not on the Beachscan. So, basically the Beachscan does not have a couple of features found on the GQ and the minimum delay is a little different, but outside of that, the two models are quite similar. They are similar enough that my Beachscan is modified and closer to a GQ in design.

Reg

 

[UK Brian]

I've still got one and though it doesn't compare with my Goldquest SS or Deepstar it will more than hold its own with say the Whites Surf PI though is not as suitable for wading ( rain resistant, not waterproof ).

Drawbacks are the need for a screwdriver to change the batteries which can be a bit of a pain and the cogged angle adjust on the coil which stops all movement but doesn't quite achieve the correct angle for me. I've inserted a rubber washer which allows any angle to be set.

Battery life is very good and you can hardly make a lighter machine.

I do feel that there have been some improvements over the years, perhaps three versions with the original green shafted one having a little less depth/sensitivity but this could just be down to the fact the green shaft model is now many years old. Most you will see will be the all black versions.

I'm afraid I'm lacking the instruction leaflet but its just a case of setting a low threshold with the on/off switch and leaving the reject knob on minimum. You can use this control for the dropped gold method of discrimination which does work with a couple of drawbacks.

 

[Turtleman]

Thanks all for your replies.

Tom

 

[supershaw]

Hi Brian...Reading your comments on the Beachscan.what is the ''dropped gold''method of discrimination
Thanks
Ken

 

[UK Brian]

Hi Ken,

Its a use with care discrimination method that can be used with some P.I.'s

It relies on the fact that if the reject knob is advanced, gold will be rejected before ferrous.

Before going to the beach mark the surround of the reject knob with the position where an average ring is rejected. If a blob of paint is used on both the knob and control box you can feel when they are in line without having to peer at the controls. Use reject at minimum to obtain the best depth as normal then when you want to check a signal turn the control till the blobs are in line. As this is the point that gold has been rejected (or dropped) and you still have a signal then its most likely iron.

So no noise is good, any target response, bad.

Its use with care because its not foolproof. You might have a very large gold item or a standard ring thats just under the surface of the sand giving such a large target response that you still hear the audio and decide its bad with this reverse system. This is not normally a problem out on the wet sand where most rings will have sunk away from the surface.

Reject knob is then reversed fully to its stop position and you can carry on detecting. One pain with doing this is that increasing the reject control creates a loud noise (it settles in no time, but it is loud). Some have modified their detectors with an audio buffer to get round this.