V3i 4th time out

[NormS]

I bought my V3i back in Jan and only had a chance to use it 3 times until yesterday. I had a very good hunt for only 1-1/2 hours. I found $5.05 in clad but the best part is I never dug a single bottle cap or tab. I dug 37 coins including pennies. All together in 4 times out I have found $19.84. I might add the st time out was a disaster I just could not figure out what i was doing. I am at the beginning of my learning curve and won't feel confident until i have at least 200+ hours on it. Everytime I dug a nickle i kept expecting a tab or bottle cap but It was always a nickle. So far the V3i is very impressive. Due to good weather again I plan on hunting almost everyday i can unless i have urgent honey do's.

I read everything everyone posts on this forum and always learn something from it.

 

[mas0n83]

That is a boat load of clad!! good luck with the new V3i

 

[Jedi]

Great job Norm! Are you using just the stock programs? Have you began altering your settings?

 

[NormS]

Pretty much stock programs right now. I have discriminated out some of the numbers but for the most part the stock program. What impresses me is no tabs or bottle caps. I found another $3.02 in clad again today. I did hit one tab but i knew it was a tab when i dug it. I just wanted to confirm is was a tab. I dug another 32 targets with one tab. I want to pretty much really want to master the stock programs before i begin to modify them. I will start toying with the expert menu after I get 100 - 200 hours or so on the stock programs. I would really love to figure out a good jewelry program because i know of any area that I have pulled over $60 in clad but no rings or earrings so i know there had to be some but I hit so much clad i didn't even bother to look for jewelry.

 

[Rob (IL)]

Keep up the good work and have fun.

 

[NormS]

I picked up another $4.60 in clad this morning and i did dig my 1st tab which I was certain was a nickle but one tab in over 100 targets is super good in my book.

I just want to add this is the best forum on the internet. Everyone on here is willing to share and are very encouraging. I am so happy not to see the rude and crude remarks one gets on other forums.

Right now I can't say enough good about the V3i. I was somewhat skeptical the 1st cpl times out but as my confidence builds I like it more and more.

 

[Jedi]

As long as you are having fun you have mastered the hobby.

 

[John (Ma)]

Sounds great, I am sure it'll be a great detector and get better each time out as you learn more. Just don't forget that there are gold items that swim amungst those pull tabs. Have fun!

 

[Coast]

I am careful on taking out the lower numbers I have found rings in the 10 to 20 range, the other day I dug 15 or 20 pull tabs then a gold earring, I will be darned but the gold hangs out in the foil range. The v3 I is a great machine as with any detector you need to spend the time to become one with it. Man I love the analyze mode it reminds me of running your hand thru the dirt and feeling what is in there. If the v3i has one small drawback is that under certain conditions it can be to sensitive, my key has been to recognize those conditions and make the minor adjustments to achieve optimal performance. I tweak as I go as needed its really quite interesting. The other day I had a pull tab, bottle cap and a dime within a couple of inches of each other it id'd the dime out of the mess very impressive.

Having cut my teeth on the Dfx , the v3i is the next best step.

 

[NormS]

I went to a really trashy area the other day to detect and only found about $2.10 in a cpl hours but I did dig some trash on what I thought was a promising signal. I think it was mostly due to me starting to experiment with settings. I had originally tweaked the stock coin setting a little bit and I was so successful the 1st few hunts I was reluctant to try anything else. I know in order to get the most out of my V3i I have to experiment with settings so I will keep experimenting in some trashy areas until i find what i think is the optimum settings for trashy areas. Then try other settings for other areas. At the moment I like the stock programs but I think I should be getting better depth. I find a lot in the 4" - 6" depth but hardly anything at 8".

I do have plenty of the lower numbers in the 6 -20 range. I will say this the V3i is a nickel hog. I have found 3 times the nickels with the V3i than I ever did with my ATP.

I am also wondering what bandwidth is the best for me. My swing is approximately 6' - 7' from right to left and it takes me about 2 seconds from right to left and back to the right.