Whites MXT Users Forum

I have found indians with an older bounty hunter with no vdi. But not yet with my mxt pro. Just wondering what you all have been seeing for a number. Seen some charts, but wanted actual firsthand info.

Many Indians that I've recovered are a bouncy signal from 50's up to 72 VDI. Very erratic. Take your Indian cent and wave your new machine over it. Granted that the signal will be without the "hallo" effect, but will give you an idea. Hope that helps and HH, Nancy

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Nancy - Central Illinois
Am I getting rich? No, just having fun!

*Peoria Area Treasure Hunters: Member since 2000.
President 2013
Secretary 2010, 2011, 2012.
Vice President 9 years.

*Crime Scene Investigation Technology Instructor (International Assoc. for Identification)

*11 plus yrs. White's MXT w/DX-1 Pinpointer-SunRay Pro Gold Headphones-Arsenal of coils

Yeah they are a little bouncy. I think the soil you are hunting in may have something to do with it. Mostly high 60's but I have had 72 and some 50's. In one area with really tough soil I had one that was a solid 40. It was only 3 inches deep.

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John in N. Central North Carolina
WHITES MXT with Signal, Audio, Tone, and Backlight Mods
Coils - 10"DD, 5.3", 9.5" stock, and 3" x 20" Big Dawg coil.

The "fatties" will read even lower, 30's - low 40's depending on your ground and depth too.

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Bells and whistles are nice, but nothing will substitute for the basic understanding of the hobby.

CTX 3030, V3i, M6 W/Bigfoot coil, Cibola/modified

I didn't have any of my old ones to test as I sold them awhile back. So thanks for the info.

detector used, detector control settings, operating frequency, search coil size, search coil shape, search coil internal design (Concentric Vs Double-D), sweep speed, and I am sure other variables are involved that can have an affect on the target acceptance, audio response provided, and any visual reference to what a buried target might respond as.

Certainly a simple "air test" can reflect a different audio and visual response than what we might get if that same object is buried and the detector has to factor in the ground mineral signal as well. However, having found thousands of of Indian Head 1¢, even more 'wheat-back' 1¢ and both the 'fatty' Flying Eagle and early Indian Head 1¢, I can give you my very simple answer based on in-the-field experience.

The bulk of my coin finds came during my more active detesting time when coin quantities were unmatched by anything, anywhere, today so they were made when I used a wide assortment of non-Target ID models. Then, since the introduction of visual Target ID, I have found them using models from Teknetics, Garrett, Bounty Hunter, Fisher, Compass, Minelab, Tesoro, other brands .... and White's models. In the past three months I have used an assortment of about 20 Indian Head, 25 early 'wheat-back', and both a Flying Eagle and 2 'fat' Indian Head 1¢ to work up some out-of-sight test specimens in order to help hobbyists learn what to be prepared for when hunting old ghost towns, homesteads, military encampments, and all sorts of old-use sites.

Due to all of the variables mentioned above and my experiences at many sites in many US states, I found long ago that the 'average' Indian head 1¢ will produce a TID and numeric VDI read-out that is very similar to the modern US Zinc 1¢. Most of the early 'wheat-back' 1¢ from 1909 through ± 1920 will also fall in a very similar visual response range as the modern US Zinc 1¢. There have been some, but percentages are small, that might register a little higher so as to be closer to, or the same as, a more modern copper 1¢ or clad 10¢ coin.

All of the 'fat' type small 1¢ coins, Flying Eagle and Indian Head varieties, will respond with a lower-than-Zinc 1¢ reading. As most of us have found, even the modern Zinc 1¢ coins can sometimes produce a terrible signal due to many variables, including wear and damage from deterioration caused my the crappy metal used to make them. Keep that in mind because all the variables mentioned above can alter or shift the audio and/or visual TID and VDI readings.

There is no such thing as a 'perfect' detector. More-so, there is absolutely no 'perfect' visual display reading to always guarantee a proper time to dig, or non-dig, a located target. You have a very good detector in the MXT Pro. Matter of fact, it is one of my favorites being produced today and in 'average' hunting environments it produces reasonably reliable visual information. That said, I will also tell you that the sites I select to search tend to me rather challenging in the way of surface interference from brush or building rubble or renovation work, and the iron trash levels are usually not what I might consider to be 'average.' Really, I don't think there is a proper definition of 'average' that would apply to us all other than a simple "air test" without any mentioned variables.

Sorry to be so lengthy. My computer died the night before Thanksgiving and I am trying to learn my new laptop. I need practice.

Monte

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"Your Eyes, the ONLY 100% accurate form of Discrimination!"

Stinkwater Wells
Monte V. Berry Sr.
monte@stinkwaterwells.com
(503)481-8147
My main use favorites in order by brand:
White's
MXT Pro w/6½",
VX3 w/950
Tesoro
.. Replacement coming ..
Teknetics
Omega w/5½x9¾
G2 w/5" DD

Great answer Monte.
Although I haven't found a lot of those early coins, I have to agree the conditions, settings and equipment make all the differance in the world.
You just have to be willing to Dig Dig Dig...
After a bunch of holes you kind of get that 6th sense about the VID and TDI and the sound of the target...
Good luck

HH

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No. Cal. Gold Country
XP DEUS / Garrett Pro Pointer
6000 Di Pro SL
MXT Pro / 300, 10D2, 950, 6X9 Eclipse, 4X6 Shooter
DX-1 and Sun Ray Pro Golds


Keep your head down, your swing smooth and Coil to the soil

Dug a 1902 IH today...boy that signal was bouncy. But usually the IH's i've been finding read out in the 50's through low 70's range. Good luck finding the tribe!

Dang, yet another reason to dig into the 40's...... I have to concur with Monte. My MXT and XLT will hit wheaties generally in the 60's where the IH are in the 50's-60's on the vdi, respectfully. I want to find a large cent in a big way so I guess I'll be looking into the 40's now. You can "hear" a coin better than seeing it on the VDI when using the MXT, if that makes any sense.....keep digging, it will....



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/2011 12:17AM by triplehooked.

A Large cent should read almost like a quarter, it's hard to miss those if you get one under the coil. The "fatties" are the Flying Eagle and early Indian Head cents through 1864, those are the cents that will read/bounce into the 30's - 40's. They are thicker than the IH's that we are more familiar with and they had more nickle in the composition than the 1865 and on cents, that is why they read lower on the TID.

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Bells and whistles are nice, but nothing will substitute for the basic understanding of the hobby.

CTX 3030, V3i, M6 W/Bigfoot coil, Cibola/modified

The wheats I've dug seem to be in the high 70's. Seems like the the deeper the more bouncey. The merc dime was bouncey but it was deep. Seen some lower numbers and have ignored them, near pulltab range. Just learning this machine, so I guess on return trips I need to dig these as they sounded good. If it was a newer place maybe not, but the old church could have some really old stuff. By the way, I am using the 9.5 concentric coil.

Quote
Larry (IL)
A Large cent should read almost like a quarter, it's hard to miss those if you get one under the coil. The "fatties" are the Flying Eagle and early Indian Head cents through 1864, those are the cents that will read/bounce into the 30's - 40's. They are thicker than the IH's that we are more familiar with and they had more nickle in the composition than the 1865 and on cents, that is why they read lower on the TID.

Thanks for the clarification, Larry. I thought the large cents should hit more like a quarter due to their size... I didn't realize there was a difference in thickness on those earlier coins...