Detectorpro Headhunter PI

[James57]

I bought a used Headhunter PI and I took it out for a test today on a nearby beach. I had about 2 hours after work to test it. It has the 11" coil. Does anyone else have one of these, and do you have any tips?

My first impressions:
- pinpointing is tricky, it will take some getting used to. My other detectors are a Whites DFX and Garrett and I can pinpoint with those bang on. The Garrett is an older model with no pinpoint mode. When I tried pinpointing with the Headhunter PI, I was scooping a lot of sand. I think that I'm OK with it now as long as there are no other nearby targets.

- IDing iron by the sound. I hear that this PI detector is better that other PIs for identifying iron by the beep. So far, I think that a sharper beep or a quick double beep is usually a nail or piece of iron. A smoother beep is a pulltab. A penny beep was slightly less smooth than a pulltab. Does that match other Detectorpro PI user experiences?

- I adjusted the frequency while scanning a nickel on the surface of the sand. A nickel on the surface gave a pretty sharp beep, I guess that I will dig everything for a while.

- The higher frequency seemed to detect the nickel farther away than lower frequencies. I didn't like the sound of the highest frequency so I turned it down a notch. It was a more pleasing tone and just as sensitive to the nickel.

- The sand is very mineralized. My Whites had some trouble here even with the 1400 DD coil. The Headhunter PI had no problem and it was deep. The deepest non-iron item was a pulltab and it was 8"-10" down. There were a couple of targets that were more than a foot down but the sand was too hard at that depth. All I had was a sand scoop and I just wanted to give the PI a test for a couple of hours, so I filled in the hole and moved on.

- There is not much to find on this beach normally and it was closed last year due to an oil spill. It was good for a first test though. I'll go to a busy beach on the weekend that sees a lot of people and a lot of metal detectors.

 

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[therover]

James,

I have the Detector Pro PI with both the 11 inch and 8 inch coil. I agree, the 11 inch is a bear to pin point with. What I do is slowly sweep the target and move the coil backward until the beep is gone. Then I slowly move it forward until the target hits again and the target is then right at the tip of the coil. I ended up getting a nice big and WIDE beach scoop to help out.

The 8 inch coil is much easier to pin point with and it's a little more stable in that you can run the PI at almost it's highest frequency. I have to tune it down a little on my beach since at it's highest it sometimes reacts to the waves and wet salt...but nothing like a target hit, just that the threshold can be a little un-steady.

I love the PI except when I hit a beach with lots of iron targets or nails. But...I figured out that the louder, double blips are surface iron/nails or shallow iron/nails or trash. Coins and jewelry give off a more narrow, mellow sound. I tend to think the trash and iron targets give off a wider more echoey sound.

You are correct in digging all targets. Get to know the sounds.

I have tried an experiment where when I hit a target that I can't really determine, I turn the frequency knob from high to low. I seem to think that deeper iron still sounds strong at the lower frequency, where better targets like gold tend to get faint or fade out.

If I am pressed for time, I use that technique or just dig the deeper, fainter targets and mellower sounds.

BUT...the PI does like deeper iron, and to me, it is still hard to tell...that's why I dig em all.

If you have any questions let me know. I also suggest, if you do like the machine and learn it, to save up and purchase the 8 inch coil ( that is, if you have the model where you can swap out coils). I think the earlier models had the coils hard wired in.

John

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I have the DetectorPro Pulse with 11 inch coil. I do not have any problem pinpointing. I make an "X" and visualize the center. I have been doing allright but I need a larger scoop. I only search the shallow water because of too much trash in the dry sand. My headphones flooded, BOTH SIDES, when I put my head underwater, for the first time, looking for the target. It sizzled my electronics. I had to send it back to the factory 2 times before they fixed it right, but they replaced everything electronic including the pots.

The biggest complaint now is that I have is the constant false signalling. I can understand if I bump the coil, BUT IT FALSE SIGNALS WITH THE SLIGHTEST TWITCH. I cannot sweep left and right like i normally would. I have to carefully "float" the coil in a straight line while hunting. It is very annoying and hard to hear the deep signals. Does anyone else experience this problem? I have bolted the shaft together, and it is a little better, but its hard to remove all the wobble because there is not much to begin with.

Like I said, DetectorPro replaced my electronics, but Im afraid to go underwater again. When I get home I carefully rinse off the salt and so far has been alright. The headphone seals are a design flaw in my opinion. The newer models are upgraded and should be better.

Otherwise I am learning my unit's sounds. It will go DEEP on larger metal items. I have to carry my scoop on my left shoulder with detector on the right or it will pick up the metal scoop 0ver 3 feet away. Most sensitive on the high frequency. You have to work slower than with VLF units. It will annoy you as it picks up the tiniest wire, paper clip or fish hook piece. I use a magnet in the scoop for tiny metal.
Poptops seem to sound different depending upon depth. The quick solid beep is usually a shallow coin, bottle cap, or pulltab. Nails may chirp twice. My gold ring sounded like a weak false signal at first until i dug it out and pushed it up to the surface where it signaled stronger.
If I turn the frequency down and the signal is still there, I think it means DEEP and LARGE.

I dont go under but I like the idea that I can wash off the headphones and it will survive an unexpected wave. I search the surf only now and have recently found gold. Here are my finds from yesterday, minus about 10 steel bottlecaps.

Does anyone know if I can buy a cover for my PI coil? I bought mine brand NEW for $400, a good price for a Pulse Induction, and is all I got for the surf so I will use it. Saltwater doesnt affect it much. I wish I could sweep with the coil though. I will try to tighten my shaft.

If you have any input or advice, I would be glad to hear it. Thanks.

 

[findit]

hey bigcypresshunter i sent you a pm. i would also like to know more input on this detector. didn't realize it has so many problems.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Maybe I just got a rare lemon. There are plenty of satisfied owners on the DetectorPro forum.
I thought talking about it would be the only way to get some real answers. I have decided to delete or modify some of my negative posts about my experience with my Detectorpro.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Ive had some time lately and I wanted to do some MDing at the beach in the surf with my PI but I am still having problems. This has been an ongoing problem since I bought the unit. I was told by the dealer the reason for my constant falsing may be the batteries. Coppertops will not work properly in these units I was told. My dealer says I can send it back but I already did that 2x and now my warranty is over. My dealer said both times in factory that they could find nothing wrong but replaced all the electronics the second time. I have tried about 5 different battery brands at several different beaches. The falsing every couple seconds is driving me up a wall. I have one brand left to try. I will update.

Is anyone having similar problems? Am I doing something wrong?


Oh BTW the DetectorPro PI is no longer a diving unit. Its for surf and beach only.

Even though I cant go underwater again, I love that I can hunt in the rain and hose off the salt and it can survive an unexpected wave. I just wish I could stop the falsing.

 

[therover]

Big...I may have asked you this before. Did they check the cable connections on both the coil and headset ? My HH Wader had a problem falsing after a few years use, and when I sent it back into Detector Pro, Gary had informed me that the cable connection at the headphones was bad. He replaced the cable, and everything now works fine. I know the cable connection on the older HH PI's ( the ones where you can switch coils and are rated to 100 feet ) were heavy duty and had a metal knob that turned and locked on the headphone connection side. If you have that type, is there any way you can try to get an 8 inch coil to put on the unit and see if it still falses ?

I don't think the falsing is caused by the batteries, although you are correct in stating that the copper tops do not work well on the HH PI.

JC

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Thanks for responding. Now that the warranty is over, I may try fooling with it.

Mine is hardwired. I may try buying the smaller coil but I dont want to waste my money. They changed all my electronics and the crossover wire and the battery connections but not the headphone cable.

I am thinking that this falsing is normal for these PI units. I cant imagine that the factory would not notice something so obvious. It falses every couple seconds. How much did it cost to change the cable on your Wader?

 

[therover]

Big,

My HH PI did not false with the 11 inch coil, unless the coil hit the ground pretty hard when sweeping. When sweeping slow and under the water, it ran smooth. Same with the 8 inch coil, but the smaller coil, to me, was a bit more stable and I could run it at the highest frequency setting without much chatter. I had to back down the frequency a bit with the bigger coil when in the suds and water. On the wet sand they both ran well.

I think it cost about 60 dollars for Gary to replace the cable. Turnaround time was about 4 days, but I am in NJ and it only had to go to NY.

I don't think you need the smaller coil....I think the problem could be the cable. Quick question. When you have the coil laying on the ground, without moving...does it still false or do you have a stable threshold. If the threshold is stable, with the coil still on the ground, not moving, try moving the cable wire in different directions. See if it starts to false then ( make sure the coil is not moving). When I did this with my Wader, and when I shook/moved the cable wire, especially near the headphone ( again with the coil on the ground, not moving) the thing falsed all over the place. I then knew it was the cable wire.

When I first noticed the falsing, I was swinging as normal when it first happened. I was getting false signals every sweep, and I thought it was the batteries. Then, by chance, I had the coil on the ground not moving, and was doing something and moved my head and the thing started to sound off. I then started to shake the cable and figured out that something had to be wrong with a connection or something. I called Gary and told him what I did and he knew it was a bad cable.

The thing with the HH's is that you have to give the cable some slack/looseness from the top of the shaft to the headphones due to the design. And I think that because if that, the cable stress, especially at the headphone connection, is more than normal.

Try that and keep me posted....I am interested to hear what happens.

JC

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Thanks therover. Yes it falses without moving; every couple seconds but maybe Im breathing hard or something. I cannot sweep at all. I try to float it steady in a forward motion ONLY, but it will false by itself. I dont recall anything different by moving the cable.

You know it would be a pretty good machine if it didnt false all over the place.

The first set of electronics I had, falsed so continuous it sounded like an emergency siren lol. But it wasnt funny. When it was a brand new diving unit, I went under in the surf for the first time to retrieve a target and both headphone cups flooded in seconds ruining the motherboard. I send it back under warranty. First time they cleaned the board replaced the crossover wire and battery terminals and sent it back. (There was nothing wrong with the brand new battery terminals) Send it right back a second time and they reluctantly replaced ALL my electronics and pots, all the while saying they could find nothing wrong. Even though they did nothing to repair the cups and I can never dive with it, I was so happy that they replaced my electronics for beach and surf hunting. But I still have the falsing, but it does not false like a siren every half second. Now it is every couple seconds intermittant in no particular pattern. I assumed all the PI's falsed.

Thanks a bunch for the help. I will try some tests next time at the beach and let you know. I cant test it in my yard there is too much interference for a good test. Im reluctant to send it back to the factory. I dont think they like me because I have been outspoken. Maybe I can find someone else to repair it or do it myself. Thanks again.

If it didnt false, it would actually be a great wader. I love the depth and the water resistance not to mention the weight.

 

[therover]

Big,

I remember you posting about going under the first time and the headphones flooding. After all the stuff you tried and them trying to fix the machine, maybe that flooding really screwed things up.

I hope at some point you get it fixed because that would stink if that maiden voyage underwater is causing you headaches.

JC

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Big,

I remember you posting about going under the first time and the headphones flooding. After all the stuff you tried and them trying to fix the machine, maybe that flooding really screwed things up.

I hope at some point you get it fixed because that would stink if that maiden voyage underwater is causing you headaches.

JC

I wasnt even diving. I just put my head under to retrieve a target and it stopped working. I can see one side flooding but both sides? Bill told me the saltwater sizzles the motherboard and helped me get warranty repair but in factory said nothing was wrong. They replaced all of the electronics anyway, including the pots. Everything is new. But its like they didnt want to admit the cups are defective. This turned me off.

Maybe somehow the cable was also damaged. I was starting to think it was just a junk detector. I hope its just the cable.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I popped open my cups on the electronic side. This is only the second time Ive opened the electronic cup side. (the battery side pops open on its own but thats another story) Everything is like brand new because I use it so infrequently.

It appears that what you say is possible, therover. There are 3 wires going in the headphones. The factory spliced the 2 wires from my new motherboard and soldered a ground to the frequency pot. But they were cut so very short that it is possible that the splice is bad. Boy I sure hope you are right. Im getting excited it would be nice to have a properly functioning Pulse Unit. It has had problems since day one. It would be a shame that after 2x to the factory and over 2 years that I have to repair it myself. Ill keep you informed therover and anybody else with any input would be greatly appreciated.


Ill post pics tomorrow.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Big,

My HH PI did not false with the 11 inch coil, unless the coil hit the ground pretty hard when sweeping. When sweeping slow and under the water, it ran smooth.

I just want to get this clear before tearing out my wires. Are you saying that you can sweep left and right carefully, without it beeping loudly at every turn in direction, with your DetectorPro HH Pulse MD?

 

[therover]

Big...sorry I haven't responded earlier. Been really busy.

Yes, I could sweep my 11 inch coil on the HH Pulse in both directions without getting false signals. Now, bear in mind that this is a very slow sweep speed detector and that is how I swept the coil. And I used it mostly in the suds and knee deep water, with the coil about an inch above the sand.

It would be nice if the issue was the splice. At least you can pin point the problem. You are a better man than me trying to fix that thing. I am not good with wires !

 

[Keppy]

If it was me i would buy a diffrent brand of water detector. They did not fix it under warranty and now you are stuck with it.. Myself i think they should replace it.........

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Big...sorry I haven't responded earlier. Been really busy.

Yes, I could sweep my 11 inch coil on the HH Pulse in both directions without getting false signals. Now, bear in mind that this is a very slow sweep speed detector and that is how I swept the coil. And I used it mostly in the suds and knee deep water, with the coil about an inch above the sand.

It would be nice if the issue was the splice. At least you can pin point the problem. You are a better man than me trying to fix that thing. I am not good with wires !

Ok thanks. I cannot sweep no matter how slow and careful I do it, in or out of water.

I havent had a chance to go to the beach. I hope the splice is the problem. Ill take some pics later.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

If it was me i would buy a diffrent brand of water detector. They did not fix it under warranty and now you are stuck with it.. Myself i think they should replace it.........

Its too late now. My warranty is over. DetectorPro both times said they could find nothing wrong.

Its a shame because I wouldnt even want to sell it to anyone the way it is. Im hoping I can repair it. Ill update when I get a chance. I dont have an extra $1000 right now to buy another Pulse.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I am posting pictures of the inside of my headphone cup. This is only the 3rd time I ever opened it. The black and red wires shows the short wire splice.

I hung my coil up in a tree where it would get no metal or human interference. I wiggled the headphone wires but could NOT get any definite response.

As soon as I reached for the coil assembly it beeped. It beeps with the slightest touch to the handle. I am starting to think now that the problem is in the coil. It may have flooded. Any suggestions? Should I try to dissassemble the coil? Please help. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

A few years back, my Whites Treasuremaster Amphibian's waterproof coil flooded inside and stopped working. I carefully cut the silicon seal off the bottom, opened it up and allowed the inside to dry out. I gooped it back together and sealed the wire and now it works. Not bad for a 30 plus year old unit.

This DetectorPro PI never worked properly from the start. It has had numerous problems, one after the other, and the factory could not even repair it. I am thinking of opening up my coil. I think herein lies the problem. Like I said before, the factory replaced ALL of my electronics. The problem has to be from the headphone connection down. Does anyone have any suggestions?