White's Surfmaster PI Mods

If your use to a clean threshold.. don't get one.. to much chatter for me.. Sorry that is the DF.. the surfmaster is the before I think..

Yes, Surfmaster then PI PRO finally Dual Field... there is a TDI Beachhunter but they are hard to find... that was a smooth threshold I enjoyed using it.
 
Yes , I've had them all. They are all noisy. Some can't get used to a constant buzz in your ears. And if you're hard of hearing , forget it. You will have to crank that thing up so loud you will end up missing targets , especially the deep faints. And working on one ? GL with that. As I tried my own battery configuration on the TDI BH. Fried the whole damn thing. $1200 down the drain. And yeah , the Nox is a great machine !
 
Yes , I've had them all. They are all noisy. Some can't get used to a constant buzz in your ears. And if you're hard of hearing , forget it. You will have to crank that thing up so loud you will end up missing targets , especially the deep faints. And working on one ? GL with that. As I tried my own battery configuration on the TDI BH. Fried the whole damn thing. $1200 down the drain. And yeah , the Nox is a great machine !

Hmmm. I've never used a NOX, so I can't say. But I'm very open to other's reviews/recommendations, I like opinions. I only know what I have been exposed to. I would love to have a NOX 800 and a XP Deus 2 for a week or two. I could give a review that would be actually believable.
 
I have access to a WWII training base that very few (basically no-one) can hunt. Also, I have access to many beaches. I could give the best...most honest reviews. But I don't think any companies would want me...too honest...non biased. I can find silver coins that most in Florida cant. But that's the way it goes...lol
 
You knew when you moved it back and forth what was a real signal and falsing.


Yes I could tell... I mainly listened for drop outs of the threshold when the threshold would vanish but was repeatable I found many a gold ring that way... some called it a negative break... my first 3 detectors were pulse.. my hunting style changed started going after only old gold... I used to hunt the slopes and dry with a pulse... I didn't care I was getting deeper than any VLF I had the advantage... sure I dug more trash again I did not care... I don't hunt fresh drop beaches if I find a fresh drop like those two plat rings that is a outlier...

This brings back memories of foot deep tiny staples and sneaker eyelets after 3 weeks I wanted to throw my PI PRO as far as I could out in the water and go back to dirt hunting :lol:
 
I have access to a WWII training base that very few (basically no-one) can hunt. Also, I have access to many beaches. I could give the best...most honest reviews. But I don't think any companies would want me...too honest...non biased. I can find silver coins that most in Florida cant. But that's the way it goes...lol

Just watch Carter and Gary give their reviews.. they are professional they do it without all the bluster and putting down of other detector brands.. all that is nothing more than a distraction...
 
Just watch Carter and Gary give their reviews.. they are professional they do it without all the bluster and putting down of other detector brands.. all that is nothing more than a distraction...

Here is the interview with Carter on youtube. He speaks of the Deus ll, said he may have one this week. I see he bought Gary out looks like, full owner of Gray Ghost Detector Pro..Craig this is the link I sent you last night, its now a youtube video




Called a friend of mine who is a dealer, said they are hard to get but he could hook me up in a month for sure. But I'm waiting for Carters test for the final go or no.
 
Here is the interview with Carter on youtube. He speaks of the Deus ll, said he may have one this week. I see he bought Gary out looks like, full owner of Gray Ghost Detector Pro..Craig this is the link I sent you last night, its now a youtube video




Called a friend of mine who is a dealer, said they are hard to get but he could hook me up in a month for sure. But I'm waiting for Carters test for the final go or no.

Then you can part with the AQ :lol:
 
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Just found this post from Mr Bill on the Wayback Machine, Findmall Modifications:

Increase performance considerably on your Surfmaster PI toward small gold jewelry. With a simple modification you can end up with a 15µS pulse delay. from a factory 22/24 µS.. This a very noticable modification that can be returned to factory specs with the adjustment of the external pulse delay control. Replace #Q2 (TIP 32 C) with an IRC 9640 MOSFET. It is a direct replacement. Replace resistor R6 220 ohm with a 390 ohm one.Re assemble leave board loose so you may get at trimmer R25. Turn on, set threshold to just hear audio hum, set pulse delay to minimum setting. Using a 1/2" square piece of aluminum foil run it by the coil, adjust R25 to give best response on foil. Your all done, re assemble.
I'd like you guys to try the 1/2" square piece of aluminum foil on your pi's. My surf PI Pro and Dual Field both do not sense it at all.
 
I'd like you guys to try the 1/2" square piece of aluminum foil on your pi's. My surf PI Pro and Dual Field both do not sense it at all
I actually got the pi pro to sense the foil. Adjustments were off. Now to see if I can get the Dual Field up to par.
 
I got the dual field working well by changing the damping resistor to 380 ohms. This leaves it with weaker damping - an oscillation peak popping up to the baseline level instead of being trimmed out. Using a damping resistor jig, adjust it while testing air depth on a nickel and you’ll hear the difference. The controls work differently now. Gain usually is set to full and threshold backed way down. Big difference in performance. So next the surf pi pro. Same deal - I ended up with 740 ohm damping resistor. It is way more sensitive to EMI. Had to take it to a quieter area in my backyard - but wow, much more sensitive.

I’m now left with a surfmaster pi to mod. Might have to replace the board as the circuit is older and pretty different. Obviously poorer in performance compared to the other two.
 
:oldguy:..Love my AQ still .. :kingdances: 20 months.....later

No regrets in not buying a D2 either, nice machine but to many quirky fetchers for me.
You are one of the few that has a decent version Joe... most people are trying to dump that detector... Fisher trying to sell a detector that has bugs for more money than their initial intro price shows desperation trying to dump a lemon...
It doesn't do what it was said to do... it was all smoke and mirrors...

Why else haven't they sold many? People aren't stupid, they know all about its glitches...


I was going to buy one when I first heard Rick talk about it... but when I saw the inventors and their video's I knew it wasn't what they said it was nor could do what they all said... it turned me off... remember I started this hobby hunting with only pulse machines... after those video's I was turned off... no wonder they deleted them...
 
DF was deep but noisy as hell especially the deeper you went but pin pointing was amazing.. a lot hated how noisy it was but I didn't mind it..
Had a chance to get another DF , I passed , even though I liked the machine , hoping I like the TDI's as well .
 
Had a chance to get another DF , I passed , even though I liked the machine , hoping I like the TDI's as well .
TDI beach hunter is a better detector stop trying to compare it to a noisier DF the TDI is a smooth running PI...
 
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TDI beach hunter is a better detector stop trying to compare it to a noisier DF the TDI is a smooth running PI...
I could pick up another one for 300 bucks 2016 model , but i have passed ! Joe said he showers with his twin AQs :yikes: Cfm-ct --- ( You are one of the few that has a decent version Joe... most people are trying to dump that detector... ) I thought just different coils & upgraded battery ??? Whats up Joe ? AND since your buddies with Carter , tell him to make a waterproof PI , like the beachhunter TDI , Ill put in my order !
 
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Can anyone tell me if the link I posted is the mods bill does for the whites surfmaster? I really want to use my PI when we get some good cuts with black sand but with air test it does terrible with gold :( , electronics is my forte I can fix anything so I would like to get this machine tuned for gold I just need the info and yes I did the 1/2” foil test and nada . Any help or if bill is still around please help me find him . Thank you :)
 
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