Ok Guys and Gals,
...I can usually tell if I'm going to click with a new detector in the first few hours of operation. I have over 15 hours on my MX5 and with only one bar of battery used, I'm really liking it. It is a battery miser.... I have never owned any of the MXT series, so I was not prepared for the raspy threshold and sparky behavior. I have owned and operated White's models with threshold in the Disc. mode, like the XLT... 6000 Pro XL....and the great 5900CB and they are the smooth threshold kings. The MX5 is just a different animal, it tugs at it's leash to be cut loose. It is really neat to open up the Disc. mode to to accept all metal with all notches in. The trick to make the no reject discrimination in coin mode work well is to use the 2 tone option like the MXT does in the Relic Mode or so I've heard, never used one. Regardless.... the 2 tone with all metal accept works for me in my soil, your mileage may vary with this detector in your soil though. As a footnote, I will use Single Tone with the first three iron segments notched out when the iron gets too heavy and it actually out performs the 2 tone setting.
...I've been hunting some iron infested areas and to tackle that problem, I have been using the excellent 5.3 Eclipse coil, you can really slow waltz with this coil in the iron. The 2 tone all metal accept lets you hear every bit of iron in the ground and every wrinkle in the soil matrix with soft and some not so soft Low tones. It is the High Tone signals mixed with iron low tones that really wake you up. Do a little coil wiggle over the target to stabilize the VDI numbers to check it out. I dug 2 silver dimes in that same scenario, about 4 to 5 inches deep in some real nasty dirt, silver Rosie came in nice and clear high tone and read upper 70's on the VDI numbers with the high tone Merc coming in at a reading of 80 to 81. These high tone signals were surrounded in low tones, I am impressed. I have also found a lot of clad and wheat backs too, some relics also that are mostly junk, aluminum screw caps, tabs and the usual junk. No Nails!!!! But she will High Tone on the big iron and call it good, a little coil technique will sort them out. I will dig them in the right spot, with other detectors I have found antique pistols this way. You can tell it's big iron after opening up the hole and sticking your coil in the hole and she is still squealing big time. Big iron or coin cache, you be the judge.
Favorite Setting for medium iron:> Disc. all metal accept...Tones: Two tone....Target Volume: 80....Threshold: 17.... VCO Pinpoint: ON....
Favorite Setting for heavy iron:> Disc. First thee iron segments notched out (-95 thru and up to -10). Tones: One Tone.. the rest is same as above.
Short report on the MX5 with no pics
PS:::: The MX5 is really light weight when using the 6½" 5.3 Eclipse coil so watch that you do not sweep it too fast.
...I can usually tell if I'm going to click with a new detector in the first few hours of operation. I have over 15 hours on my MX5 and with only one bar of battery used, I'm really liking it. It is a battery miser.... I have never owned any of the MXT series, so I was not prepared for the raspy threshold and sparky behavior. I have owned and operated White's models with threshold in the Disc. mode, like the XLT... 6000 Pro XL....and the great 5900CB and they are the smooth threshold kings. The MX5 is just a different animal, it tugs at it's leash to be cut loose. It is really neat to open up the Disc. mode to to accept all metal with all notches in. The trick to make the no reject discrimination in coin mode work well is to use the 2 tone option like the MXT does in the Relic Mode or so I've heard, never used one. Regardless.... the 2 tone with all metal accept works for me in my soil, your mileage may vary with this detector in your soil though. As a footnote, I will use Single Tone with the first three iron segments notched out when the iron gets too heavy and it actually out performs the 2 tone setting.
...I've been hunting some iron infested areas and to tackle that problem, I have been using the excellent 5.3 Eclipse coil, you can really slow waltz with this coil in the iron. The 2 tone all metal accept lets you hear every bit of iron in the ground and every wrinkle in the soil matrix with soft and some not so soft Low tones. It is the High Tone signals mixed with iron low tones that really wake you up. Do a little coil wiggle over the target to stabilize the VDI numbers to check it out. I dug 2 silver dimes in that same scenario, about 4 to 5 inches deep in some real nasty dirt, silver Rosie came in nice and clear high tone and read upper 70's on the VDI numbers with the high tone Merc coming in at a reading of 80 to 81. These high tone signals were surrounded in low tones, I am impressed. I have also found a lot of clad and wheat backs too, some relics also that are mostly junk, aluminum screw caps, tabs and the usual junk. No Nails!!!! But she will High Tone on the big iron and call it good, a little coil technique will sort them out. I will dig them in the right spot, with other detectors I have found antique pistols this way. You can tell it's big iron after opening up the hole and sticking your coil in the hole and she is still squealing big time. Big iron or coin cache, you be the judge.
Favorite Setting for medium iron:> Disc. all metal accept...Tones: Two tone....Target Volume: 80....Threshold: 17.... VCO Pinpoint: ON....
Favorite Setting for heavy iron:> Disc. First thee iron segments notched out (-95 thru and up to -10). Tones: One Tone.. the rest is same as above.
Short report on the MX5 with no pics
PS:::: The MX5 is really light weight when using the 6½" 5.3 Eclipse coil so watch that you do not sweep it too fast.
