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General Question about TDI VS infinium
- Thread starter B sperty
- Start date
bearkat4160
New member
I have an Infinium and it seems from some relic hunts in Virginia that everything the TDI found the Infinium finds also, both where out of range of a VLF. The TDI can be swept faster seems due to 3000 PPS as the Infinium is 730 PPS. TDI might get smaller gold nugs than the Infinium but I havent seen that as the case yet. Infinium will get .3 gram easy and .1 gram with some slow moving and good ear. Im sure TDI will also. TDI can use more coils than Infinium. Minelab coils, Coiltec etc. Infinium is less cost and can dive with it to 200 feet depth. I would like a TDI but my budget wont allow so I am pleased with the Infinium, very deep machine on east coast relics and here in Oregon in the goldfields. Either is great top of the line machine. Performance of same coil size are probally the same. Good luck!
Alan
Alan
rgalan2003
New member
The infiunium is very,very erratic.My goldscan 5b did a very good job.
Rafael
Rafael
rgalan2003
New member
The infiunium is very,very erratic.My goldscan 5b(like tdi) did a very good job.
Rafael
Rafael
bearkat4160
New member
My Infinium runs smooth as silk...........
A distinct advantage of the TDI is the ability to use Coiltek and Nugget Hunter search coils
Probably Commander too, they just do not put that in print.
The same coils used for the ML GPX-4000/4500.
Alaska Mining and Diving Supply has an entire page of coils and although I have not verified it, all of the coils
I can buy for my GPX-4000 also say they are designed to be used with the TDI. Rather the TDI was designed
to use the same coil as ML GPX Series.
http://www.akmining.com/cart/minelab_detector_accessories.htm
I do not have either machine; I'm told the TDI is very light in comparison to others - check that statement for fact.
I have a friend who is researching the purchase of a TDI... If he buys, he'll have a ready supply of coils to try
Bill
Probably Commander too, they just do not put that in print.
The same coils used for the ML GPX-4000/4500.
Alaska Mining and Diving Supply has an entire page of coils and although I have not verified it, all of the coils
I can buy for my GPX-4000 also say they are designed to be used with the TDI. Rather the TDI was designed
to use the same coil as ML GPX Series.
http://www.akmining.com/cart/minelab_detector_accessories.htm
I do not have either machine; I'm told the TDI is very light in comparison to others - check that statement for fact.
I have a friend who is researching the purchase of a TDI... If he buys, he'll have a ready supply of coils to try
Bill
Eric Foster
New member
I tried a Commander 8in coil on the TDI and it worked very well at 10uS delay.
Eric.
Eric.
Hi Bill,
Your statement "...all of the coils
I can buy for my GPX-4000 also say they are designed to be used with the TDI. Rather the TDI was designed
to use the same coil as ML GPX Series." is really not correct.
The TDI is based upon the design of the GS 5 and that design can use a wide range of coils and coil inductances. When the GS 5 came out, it could use the ML compatible coils, but did so with an adapter. The detector wasn't designed specifically for using those coils, but rather those ML coils just happen to have the same inductance as the coils that Eric has been using for many years even before the existence of the ML PI's.
Now, during the evolution of the GS 5, it was decided to make a simple change on the GS 5 to make using ML compatible coils much easier to use and that change was to change the coil connector. The fact the connector was much easier for others to find may have had an influence. I suspect the ML compatible connectors to be cheaper also, so that may have been part of it. So, there was really no dramatic or dedicated "design change" per se to make the GS 5 compatible with ML coils. At least, I wouldn't call changing the connector style much of a design change.
The simple adapter could have been used all along to allow the use of the ML compatible coils, but, Eric was able to obtain quality connectors compatible with the ML connector, so the logical thing to do for the convenience of the owners was to make this simple change.
Since the GS 5 was already using this connector, the logical connector for Whites to use was the same one. This way, a new owner would have access to a wide range of coils already available. Keep in mind, this also meant the TDI could use the GS 5 coils also.
I hope this explains how the ability to use the ML coils came about.
Reg
Your statement "...all of the coils
I can buy for my GPX-4000 also say they are designed to be used with the TDI. Rather the TDI was designed
to use the same coil as ML GPX Series." is really not correct.
The TDI is based upon the design of the GS 5 and that design can use a wide range of coils and coil inductances. When the GS 5 came out, it could use the ML compatible coils, but did so with an adapter. The detector wasn't designed specifically for using those coils, but rather those ML coils just happen to have the same inductance as the coils that Eric has been using for many years even before the existence of the ML PI's.
Now, during the evolution of the GS 5, it was decided to make a simple change on the GS 5 to make using ML compatible coils much easier to use and that change was to change the coil connector. The fact the connector was much easier for others to find may have had an influence. I suspect the ML compatible connectors to be cheaper also, so that may have been part of it. So, there was really no dramatic or dedicated "design change" per se to make the GS 5 compatible with ML coils. At least, I wouldn't call changing the connector style much of a design change.
The simple adapter could have been used all along to allow the use of the ML compatible coils, but, Eric was able to obtain quality connectors compatible with the ML connector, so the logical thing to do for the convenience of the owners was to make this simple change.
Since the GS 5 was already using this connector, the logical connector for Whites to use was the same one. This way, a new owner would have access to a wide range of coils already available. Keep in mind, this also meant the TDI could use the GS 5 coils also.
I hope this explains how the ability to use the ML coils came about.
Reg
Eric Foster
New member
Just to expand a little on Reg's post, I was told by a reputable source that the Goldscan 2, which came out in the mid 1980's, was an influence on the development of later Minelab PI's. That being so, the use of 300uH coils for the GS2 may have been why Minelab subsequently used that figure.
As to the connectors, the original GS5 used Amphenol 3 pin connectors, which is what I have used on many other detectors. Being aware of what happened when the Infinium came out, where there was a big lack of choice in coil sizes, I did some tests on Minelab and Coiltek coils to see if they would run OK on the GS5 circuit. The inductance was obviously OK but the resistance was about a third that of my coils. This required the use of a current limiter so that the transmitter circuit was not overloaded and battery life shortened. Using this limiter, aftermarket coils worked fine, although some struggled to work at 10uS delay and required the pulse delay control to be turned back to 12 or 15uS. Being able to use Coiltek, Nuggetfinder and Minelab coils meant that a wide selection of coil sizes and shapes were instantly available without my having to increase my coil manufacturing facilities. The problem was that a different plug was used, and initially the simple answer was to make a short adapter lead with the appropriate connectors at each end. Having worked on military electronic equipment in the dim and distant past, I recalled that the most unreliable components of any electronic equipment are plugs, sockets and connectors and the fewer you had, the better. This was quickly proved true, and the decision was taken to use the same plug and socket on the GS5 that Minelab PI detectors use, and to use the same connections. This proved to be a good move, particularly because GS5's are sometimes purchased by SD/GP users who already have an armoury of coils. Why would they do this? Well, as Reg and Steve Hershbach point out yet again on another forum, different detectors have different characteristics and where a Minelab unit won't work, the GS5 or TDI often will, so it's another tool for a different situation. It was logical that Whites should also tap into this coil compatibility situation, although, having a large manufacturing facility, they may well bring out a variety of coil types and sizes themselves. Today, neither the TDI or the GS5C employ a current limiter as the transmitter design has been changed to accept a wide range of coil resistances without drawing excessive current on low resistance coils.
Eric.
As to the connectors, the original GS5 used Amphenol 3 pin connectors, which is what I have used on many other detectors. Being aware of what happened when the Infinium came out, where there was a big lack of choice in coil sizes, I did some tests on Minelab and Coiltek coils to see if they would run OK on the GS5 circuit. The inductance was obviously OK but the resistance was about a third that of my coils. This required the use of a current limiter so that the transmitter circuit was not overloaded and battery life shortened. Using this limiter, aftermarket coils worked fine, although some struggled to work at 10uS delay and required the pulse delay control to be turned back to 12 or 15uS. Being able to use Coiltek, Nuggetfinder and Minelab coils meant that a wide selection of coil sizes and shapes were instantly available without my having to increase my coil manufacturing facilities. The problem was that a different plug was used, and initially the simple answer was to make a short adapter lead with the appropriate connectors at each end. Having worked on military electronic equipment in the dim and distant past, I recalled that the most unreliable components of any electronic equipment are plugs, sockets and connectors and the fewer you had, the better. This was quickly proved true, and the decision was taken to use the same plug and socket on the GS5 that Minelab PI detectors use, and to use the same connections. This proved to be a good move, particularly because GS5's are sometimes purchased by SD/GP users who already have an armoury of coils. Why would they do this? Well, as Reg and Steve Hershbach point out yet again on another forum, different detectors have different characteristics and where a Minelab unit won't work, the GS5 or TDI often will, so it's another tool for a different situation. It was logical that Whites should also tap into this coil compatibility situation, although, having a large manufacturing facility, they may well bring out a variety of coil types and sizes themselves. Today, neither the TDI or the GS5C employ a current limiter as the transmitter design has been changed to accept a wide range of coil resistances without drawing excessive current on low resistance coils.
Eric.