On the Rail with the V3i....

[magic]

Ok,
I have had a few people ask me about me being on the rail with the V3i. I have had my V3 for a long time and I am very much in tune with it. Then I bought a V3i but still kept my V3.
Any time I hunt where depth is very important I reach for my V3. Maybe I am just use to it. It really does great and I don't have ANY issues with it at all.

The V3i on the other hand, I was hoping to be able to use tracking but it still doesn't seem to do right so I went back to manual loctrac. I can ground balance and stand there for 15 seconds and ground balance again in the same spot and its out of balance. Also, We have had people talk about pinpointing issues and most are just not familiar with how to pinpoint. I am very familiar with pinpointing and I am having a issue with it. Not all the time but at times I just get the bars and no sound. Never had this with the V3. When I went to my last good hunt, (the civil war sight) I had to use my V3 because the V3i just wouldn't pinpoint sometimes. On one occasion. I hit a dime signal and went to pinpoint and got the bars with no sound again. I got my V3, pinpointed and it was dead on and it was a clad dime. It also had a nail in with it. Some people say the nail thew it off but it didnt throw off the V3. As far as depth. There is a certain field I hunt that when I use my V3, I watch the depth #s even if its junk and I see depth readings go into the 11 and 12 inch range. With the V3i, same field, same settings, I see the #s only go into the 9 to 10 inch range. I haven't been able to give them a good side by side test because I have been too busy just hunting before winter gets here. Maybe I should just send it in but I feel bad about it because this is the third one I have had. Maybe its just something I am not seeing on it??? I have everything exactly the same though just like on my V3. Maybe the V3i is ok and acting like its suppose to and I just have a really good V3? Thats why I am on the rail with it. I can still use it and hunt with it, I just havent had that WOW effect that everyone else seems to be having with it over the V3.

 

[Larry (IL)]

Something is not right with the (i) Doug, I would suggest calling Sweet Home and see what they say.

 

[Rob (IL)]

OK here is my humble option Doug. On the depth reading the V3i matches your coil, the V3 did not. I would suspect the V3i is just more accurate.

Now on the other problems that is different. I see no lose of pinpoint accuracy with the i. The same with the G/B. I've tested it and after detecting for a while I check and it is still quiet so I know it's working. I know the tracking was changed so the detectors will have to be set different to get the same results. I don't remember the exact difference. I need to do a little research and get back to you.

 

[burlbark]

I have hunted alongside a v3 here and it sounded off better on my 13+ inch buried silver dollar than my v3i did. But I have found that my detector is more stable than his and allows me to identify deep aluminum better. I also pulled a silver quarter out right behind him at 8" down between 2 nails. Talk about an iffy signal. But it pinpointed perfectly in the middle of the iron.

I notice the zero tone sometimes pinpointing and it is often caused by surface clutter. I just rotate around the target and hit it from a different angle. The machine is very sensitive and this is a quirk that comes with that.

 

[Larry (IL)]

It was the loss of audio in pinpoint mode that is not right.

 

[coilswinger]

if magic gives up on v3i it dont look good for all us new users only had mine about 4 mos made some good finds but there are times its a handful to get her running right

 

[Larry (IL)]

Why would you give up because someone else did or might? Of course the V is a handful, it is the most advanced detector made and takes time to understand and get comfortable with. The unlimited adjust-ability is what makes the V what it is.

 

[Rob (IL)]

Magic is a great detector, make sure what he is saying. He thinks his V may be working better than his V3i. He is not giving up on the V3 - V3i detectors. He has given up on another certain brand.

 

[andreak77]

Based on the trouble that you are having with the V3i - GB and PP I would take a look at this post from White's forum - This customer was ready to wrap his V3i around a tree. I hope this helps solve the issues that you are seeing.

"12.5 Band Filter Solved My Problem With PP
Weedeater alerted me to a post mentioning Texas soil being hard to GB(and my GBing never was as impressive as Robert's Video),

I went back to the manual and determined that 12.5hkz Band was where I'd start my daily experiments with the V3i. Ground balancing went like a hot knife through butter after the 12.5 addition, and the noise faded to "clean" in only 4-7 pumps, never done that before.

Something told me I HAD SOMETHING here already before searching and going to pin point. Well, the whole day was a wonderful satisfaction,,,found coins(4 more dimes) where I wouldn't think I would, but the best part was that my pinpoint wasn't "lost in the ozone" without tone. I did have to coerce it a little once or twice, but that's nothing like I've had for some time now.

So, if it does any good for anyone with PP sound dropping away, you may be like me and have mineralization you don't realize, and you should possibly begin a test cycle by going to the highest filter to see if it has the same effect as it apparently had with mine today, and back down to a lower filter for test#2. My soil conditions and the fact I never tried 12.5 probably had me entirely perplexed, frustrated, and unusually angry. That was my fault.

Hope this helps someone else. Martin"

Let us know if this helps! Andrea

 

[5900_XL-1]

Sorry to have to report,,,the filter change didn't hold up, so I apparently was a bit "jumping the gun" on that glorification of the 12.5 filter. It might have easily been the rain we had the night before. Fact is, I have gad good days off and on with the V3i during the time I have owned it, but it simply isn't consistent.

If you do get a resolution Magic, anything at all, I'd appreciate a heads up. Mine was failing sound just yesterday, and I dug 3 pennies within a 3x3' area, so the targets were there. It just seems to not like anything close to 83 VDI.

I can use about any filter I want, with little difference in the sound issue during PP. Sorry. martin

 

[Jim D]

Magic;
With talk about some 10" dd coils are better than others ,have you tried changing the coils around
to see if that would make a difference?

Jim

 

[Rob (IL)]

Martin, you have had numerous posts on multiple forums with this problem as well as with your charger and battery. WHY NOT SEND THEM IN AND GET AN ANSWER. Unless you send it in or take it to your local dealer, I don't know what anyone can say that hasn't been offered on both forums. If your unit has a problem, Whites will let us know. If there is a problem people would appreciate knowing it. If the unit has no problem we would like to know that also.

I don't want to sound harsh, but without someone that is knowledgeable with the unit testing it your problem has run its course. It is not going to go away by its self.

 

[5900_XL-1]

I'm choosing to learn from at least one owner of the V3i who resolves the no sound in PP before I send mine in. Thank you for sharing. martin

 

[Rob (IL)]

OK, I think the depth reading difference is because the V3i has the coil selection option. I don't think it is an actual depth difference. Magic can test this for us. I was a good suggestion to use the same coil on both detector to eliminate a good and excellent coil issue.

Now the G/B issue.

G/B was changed on the V3i to try to get the offsets that Jeff Foster saw with salt water removed. So, it is what it is. Some people in the know like it better this way. So, for those that it works for, auto track on is good. For those it doesn't, lock track is the way. Kind of sounds like it works better in some areas and not as good in others. In my ground it works fine. For this one there is not a problem that needs a fix. Adjust for your ground.

On the pin point audio I don't know? I'm sure with Magic's experience it probably is not user related. I also know he will follow through on the problem.

 

[yazoo]

I have the same PP audio problem of it not showing a target with audio but may register by tone and VDI.Several times I have found the target to be Iron ,and have yet to find a good target on the ones I did chase down. Have been lurking watching the info on this . Yazoo

 

[Rob (IL)]

I hear you Yazoo I have had your same experience. They were not good targets. BUT, Doug said the V3i had the problem and the V3 didn't and it was a dime. I don't have the problem Sooooooooo.

 

[5900_XL-1]

I have the same PP audio problem of it not showing a target with audio but may register by tone and VDI.Several times I have found the target to be Iron ,and have yet to find a good target on the ones I did chase down. Have been lurking watching the info on this . Yazoo

I've found many targets after PP using only the search coil, many, many times, at even relatively shallow depths under 6". martin

 

[5900_XL-1]

I have the same PP audio problem of it not showing a target with audio but may register by tone and VDI.Several times I have found the target to be Iron ,and have yet to find a good target on the ones I did chase down. Have been lurking watching the info on this . Yazoo

I've found many targets after PP using only the search coil, many, many times, at even relatively shallow depths under 6". martin

That means, (I've found many targets after PP using only the search coil), WITHOUT any sound in PP. We are discussing no sound, you and me, yazoo. That is a only discussion about a common problem. ;-) Hope you find your problem and fix. martin

 

[CyberSage]

The V3i upgrade has been on my mind a lot. I am really doing well with my Vision/V3 and really have no complaints as of the last D2 coil replacement. I have had opportunity to compare a target with both my detector and a V3i. I agree with you Rob, The v3 hits harder on the same target. It runs quieter as stated, but it worries me that it is not hitting as clear. My plan was to upgrade this Winter when the ground freezes, but with the pinpoint issues I am not sure now. I rely on the 3 frequency pinpoint for individual frequency response information that helps me decide to dig. Magic, what is your perception on the newer features provided by the V3i. Am I missing anything that is really that useful as far as coin shooting goes.

Jack

 

[Rob (IL)]

OK, things are getting all mixed up

First Jack, I didn