Re: Want a deal on an E-TRAC, PistolPROBE or Ratphones Max?
I kind of don't want this to turn into a probe debate thread, but since you posted it... I'll drop my two cents in the hole
twistidd said:
Here's my "thing" with the Pistol Probe.
There's a lot of hype over this probe because it can detect further than any other probe. However, I see more problems associated with that aspect than benefits.
First, WHO NEEDS TO PROBE 5-6 INCHES? If you've dug a nice plug, the target shouldn't be that much further away, if it's not in the plug. 2-3 inches is more than enough.
Personally I have the Sunray X-1 on my Explorer SE Pro, and I love it to a point. When I go for a deeep target, 8"+ and I dig a 5-6" plug, my X-1 is just not powerful enough to go that extra depth in the hole to tell me where to cut around and not scratch anything. It's not that easy to cut away only 1" of hard dirt and probe again. I run my explorer usually on sensitivity of 22 to 27, but sometimes have to go down to 17 in hard mineralized soil. If the sensitivity is not all the way up to 32, I'm not getting 3" on my X-1 in the ground. I wouldn't want to have to manually adjust the sensitivity up every time I use my probe either, and then back down afterwards.
twistidd said:
Secondly, with a depth range as great as that of the Pistol Probe, and with no discrimination (unlike the Sun-Ray), chances are you'll try to pinpoint your desired target but get caught up with all the pulltabs, foil, nails, and other trashy odds and ends nearby. Think about how trashy some of these parks around here are. Can you imagine trying to pinpoint a coin while the Pistol Probe is telling you about all the nearby crap you don't want to find?
Typically, a very trashy site doesn't have that many objects littering the hole that you just dug. Usually they are at least 5" apart on the surface. And if they were as bad as you describe, chances are you never would see a deep target anyway. Let's say there is a nail and a coin at the bottom of the hole. The PistolPROBE is supposed to be very accurate even though it's powerful, and localized right at the tip, so you should be able to hone in on two separate targets at the bottom of the hole. I would say this is a rare case too, and even if I had to remove the nail first I wouldn't mind wasting a little time.
One nice thing is that it's always in VCO mode, so you don't have to "wiggle" it around and then move the probe around to determine the exact center of the object... you just move the probe until the signal is loudest. Time saver IMHO. Again, when I open up most holes, even in high trash, there is usually only one target in the bottom of the hole.
If you dig a plug too big (it happens) and the target is in the plug, sometimes you have to break some dirt away before the X-1 can even see the target. And then you are wondering is the target still in the hole or in the plug? Sometimes I dig a plug extra big just to preserve the grass roots and keep a lot of moisture in the plug. If I set my X-1 to pinpoint mode (VCO) then I can 'X' a spot from the bottom of the plug and also on the side of the plug, and figure out the 3D "coordinates" so to speak of where the object is. Knowing that I'll just break the plug open from the bottom and make a fault line up towards the turf (but not all the way), and the coin is right in the fault line. Then I'll fold it back together and shove the hinged-plug back in the hole. This is like origami with the plug... it's a pretty neat process and doesn't waste much time. With a little more depth from the probe, it would work better. With a probe that reliably works in pinpoint (VCO) mode, I will be saving time. The X-1 does seem to have a problem most of the time when trying to use pinpoint mode on the Explorer. I described this in the Minelab forum. I'm digressing though...
twistidd said:
A lot of people claim they hate the idea of "lugging extra cable around", and thus shun the idea of using a Sun-Ray. I can tell you right now that it's NOT a lot of cable. There is the extra weight associated with an in-line probe, but it's nothing you can't adjust to within a few hours. And sure, sometimes you might forget to switch back to coil from probe and detect nothing for five minutes, but that only happens occasionally (well, it all depends on how observant you are!).
Well I started with the probe attached under the battery pack. Then I moved it to the top of the switch box, the tip of the probe just about touches the back of the speaker grill on the control box. Moving it here put a considerable amount more weight extended out from my elbow. Weight farther out on the end of a lever puts more stress at the fulcrum, and after hunting for 8 hours you WILL get tired. I just know when I get tired like that, it helps tremendously to remove the probe and carry it in my left hand or stick it in my pouch.
twistidd said:
I would urge you guys to at least try a Sun-Ray probe. They don't get lost, they don't use extra batteries (nor do they use any more power than the detector itself), they discriminate as well as your detector, and are very accurate in identifying the target that's in question. If some of you want to get the Pistol Probe, I sincerely hope they work well for you, and that you like them. Just keep in mind what I brought up in the first paragraph.
I would definitely recommend the Sunray X-1 Probe as well. It's a great probe, but I'd like to try something new and see how it works out, for better or worse. I'm hoping to improve my recovery rate and target to target rate by switching to the PistolPROBE. As for battery power, I'm hoping that it is kind on the 9V's... if not that is going to be a killer for me. 9V's are not cheap, and rechargeable 9V's suck. I WILL let you know how that part of it goes when I get one and try it. I'll actually measure the current draw... and figure out the runtime.
twistidd said:
By the way, I've never used a Pistol Probe so maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about. But judging by what they are capable of (more depth than you ever need, and no disc), I have a feeling they might cause just a bit of frustration in many cases.
Joe
BTW: You can adjust the sensitivity of the PistolPROBE to only be sensitive to an inch or two from what I've seen in a video review of it.
Blah blah blah... it's all a bunch of hearsay anyway. I'm not trying to say the PistolPROBE is better in general than the X-1, it just could be better for me and my style. The real test will be to actually buy one and try it out. I've been trying out the Sunray for quite some time now so I'll let you know how the PistolPROBE compares.
I have a Sunray X1 probe for my Explorer SE and Etrac. If weight and money is a concern than go with the pistol probe. Good luck!!
TMAN...
