I am a traitor

[digitrich]

I just bought a used DFX, oh boy can a guy tweak this thing and then some. I can see where a person with that much adjustment power could benefit from all that freedom or adjust the whole thing out of whack and think it were worthless. My plan is to become as proficient with the DFX as I am with my SE's,........ this might take a second or two. One thing I noticed right off is A. The learning curve on the DFX is way longer than the SE. B: The DFX isn't all that much lighter than the SE. But if a guy could learn all the different tweaks on this thing, I could see where it might give an advantage in dense trash compared to the SE. I doubt very much that it will ID to the same depth though. But I have some very hunted out sites, and yes nothing is ever truly hunted out, but if after hitting these areas in grids with every coil made for the SE from a SR5 to Excal 18 and every coil in between, if this DFX pulls out a couple dozen keepers, I will be impressed, for sure. I can go for four hours at a time now between keepers with my SE at these sites. I have used audio long, pitch hold, fast, deep, manual and auto sensitivity, I have even boosted the gain to ten and dug the two way flat nail signals. So, it's pretty sparse. I didn't realize how many options you had to play with this DFX, this is going to be a challenge.

 

[SNOWY]

That's very interesting Digitrich...
The DFX was one of my options before I bought my Explorers...

 

[John - Maryland]

When you finally get it figured out, let us know what you think. It will be nice to get an honest opinion.

 

[DFXer]

Digitrich,
I own both the DFX and SE and enjoy them both. The SE wins the raw depth (and noise) contest but remember that the DFX has a 9.5 inch coil. The DFX with a small coil like a 4X6 elliptical is amazing in trash. The high resolution notch discrimination is second to none. I had six years experience with the XLT which helped to shorten the learning curve considerably.

One word of advice - the dynamic range of the adjustments on the DFX is very wide and you can make it a poor detector with too much button pushing. Proceed slowly from the factory presets.

Jeff Foster has written a complete manual on the DFX which is also a tremendous study on metal detecting technology in general. It's the first manual I've ever seen with real test results for different settings.

I'm going detecting this morning and when I walk out the door it will be a tough decision on which machine to pick up. What a great problem to have.

Have fun with the DFX - I am interested in your opinion of it and any comparisons to the SE.

Thanks,
Paul

 

[BlackX]

Be interesting to see your thoughts as you grow with it. White's has a free book for the DFX on their web site. Got it and read it this week. I wish we had a lot of those tweaks or options on the SE! I'd kill--well, at least maim--for some of those options The increase in options was one thing that moved me from the Sov to the SE, it just doesn't go far enough.. See http://www.whiteselectronics.com/dfxbook.php for the link to the free book. (Some obivious biases in there but I learned some things in general and it does seem, from what I can tell, to cover the options available fairly well.)

 

[Hard Nosed Dave]

having or using another brand of detector. We are after all only talking about buying and using a metal detector to do just that. Metal detect...

Where would it stop if we started comparing the differences of all our other possessions in each of our lives?

I am still unsure why the DFX is compared to the Explorer....they are so different to each other.

None the less I believe many would welcome a fair, creative comparison of either brand to each other or to other brands. I own the Eric Foster Deepstar (chest mounted aluminium box version( awesome depth)), Minelab Excalibur 1000, Explorer XS, EX2, SE, and Tessoro Tiger Shark. Why?......... No reason to have all of these detectors but I ask ......Why NOT? Wish I had more

I own a Whites DFX as well.

I obtained it about 2/3 years ago, after my curiosity got the better of me. I still have it and hope it will "click" for me one day.
Won't knock the DFX. It does have, for me, some things I like about it. Thought I was done with it , but I still persist and live in hope. I think you're correct in what you say about the DFX having so many possibilities in the way it could be tweaked.

To me it's has a most daunting amount of possibilities. The challenge for me has been to get it to work for my detecting needs. Not quite to work like the Explorer but to get something from it that the Explorer couldn't give. I keep trying different settings on the DFX once every while. This is just in case I happen to come across something that will suit. I do like how it works BUT the Explorer be it the XS E2 or the SE has just been so much easier and productive for ME.
I'm pretty sure I use the Explorer as proficiently as it can be

BUT there is sometimes THE question.

Has it been used as proficiently as it can be at a site and has that site yielded all......hmmmmm?

or

Will the DFX or any other detector DO better and find what might have been missed with the Explorer?

The DFX may be better in dense trash and is different to swinging any of the Explorers.

I'll be as interested as anyone else on what you think and your comparisons are especially of you get it out in the field and get a practical difference that can better using the Explorer.

Now put the Whites MXT in the hands of someone who knows how to use it and find the right place to detect, then I would say that there is some stiff competition.
The MXT has a whole lot less twiddling an tweaking yet. It can be a formidable detector by comparison ....to a point.



David Di

 

[dewcon4414]

Every detector is limited by the FCC as to the power, so with that said it comes down to processor and coils. Id love to have the noise cancel and coil the SE uses on my DFX. But id also like to have pinpointing, VCO rachetting, Recovery adjustment, and manual ability to turn off or adjust my GB from my DFX on the SE. Using the SE has made me relook how i use the DFX. I dont get into which is best just because if i find a better detector with improved features ill take a serious look at it.

 

[sillllvar]

I have both machines and I am still using my DFX in places where I find it hard to use my SE. With the small elliptical coil on my DFX I can get right up to a trash infected cellar hole and then I'll swap to SE when I come back a bit from the hole for the raw power depth of the SE. Traitor you say? I would say Smart operator not blinded by brand loyalty. When you go into battle in the field it is best to have a varied choice of weapons in ones armory!! Limit yourself at all and you will be at a disadvantage...I know this because I took so long to get an SE...if only I had an explorer 5 years ago there would be alot more silver in my collection

HH
Alan

 

[DFX-Gregg]

I own both also. I will not go into the pros and cons of each but... I will tell you if you hunt alot...it is sure nice to switch off and hear different sounds.... Also most people advised me across the forums to sell the dfx and just work with the Se. I am so glad I did not sell the dfx! I think picking up the fainter deeper signals on the Se has made me much more sharper on the dfx also. I will keep both...for now...

 

[Larry (IL)]

I am an XS and DFX user. Each has it's advantages/disadvantages. Knowing which to use and when is the key to finding more little treasures.

 

[digitrich]

I agree with all your posts. I just wish I had time to even take the DFX out of the house. I am a waterproofer and it has been raining none stop for the last week so I don't know how much time I am going to get to play, at least any time soon. I can't wait though. I will keep you guys posted.

 

[DFX-Gregg]

you something that I am 100% sure will help with dfx.

 

[Mick in Dubbo]

As an Aussie who has swung both machines, how do you go on separating our gold coins from screw caps? I have the XS and usually find that the tones tend to be what I listen for more than the smartfind shows me (Th Tone @4, Variabilty@8,Limits@, but seem to have trouble separating these items. yes I know that the screw caps mimic the gold coins, but I don't seem to fare any better at separating them than I do with my Ace. Have you noticed how well the Signagraph does at this task compared to the Ferrous/Conductive readings of the Explorer? Sorry that I'm trying to get a comparison again between these machines, it's just a burning curiosity. Is there a particular grouping that appears on the Signagraph that says 'Goldie', leaping out at you?
What do you look for in the Explorer with these targets?
Thanks.
Mick Evans.

 

[SNOWY]

Mick, ( I have the same problem; ) the problem we have sorting our goldies from screw caps is a tough one !!!

The trouble is @#%&# screw caps are not all the same, ~ some are squashed flat, bent, corroded ,
~ some are as they were screwed off the bottles, and only have bent "skirts."

All ~ most likely ~ reading differently, ~ different readouts from similar objects!

Then our coins can be varied too depending on corrosion, mower "dings" and their angles in the ground.
And these coins we're after "fingerprint" so closely to screw caps !

It doesn't take much physical variation in either caps or coins to cause our ID problems...

"The best discriminator ever invented is a shovel!"

 

[bazooka]

Gregg, I'm the exact same way. At first I had planned on selling the DFX when I got my SE but that would have been a terrible mistake. I've got about 55 hours on the SE now and the coins are not leaping out of the ground like I thought they would, compared to the DFX - although of course I don't have near the experience on it. I really wish someone would combine the light weight, high resolution ID & tone, and other features of the DFX with the raw power and separation that the SE has.

Digit, I have to respectfully disagree that the DFX isn't much lighter. At first when I tried the SE, I thought the same thing, but after swinging it for a few hours, my back and shoulders were killing me about what they would be if I were swinging the DFX for maybe 6 hours.

Yes, I've gone through areas that my DFX coil has been over and have found a few coins that I missed, but my friend with his DFX recently snagged a wheat that I had missed with the SE under ground that I had been over at least once, possibly twice with the SE....both stock & 8" coils.

I think it will be great to hear your opinions on the DFX as an SE user as most people go from the DFX to the SE. There are a lot of adjustments and the white's manual does a poor job of explaining how to use them. Foster's book is a must have!!

 

[Hard Nosed Dave]

Snowy's made a good point about the Alu. bottle caps.

 

[DFX-Gregg]

it is more the way the detectors are balanced differently. Weight difference is minimal...a few ounces.

 

[NH Bob]

You think the DFX is a snap to learn? Talk to me again in another year. You'l almost have it understood by then.

 

[SNOWY]

That's it Bazooka !!!

Balance is the key...

Ya just have to pick up a Whites or Tesoro..... They're an extension of your arm !!!

[size=x-large]*[/size]Minelab have discovered this balance factor with their X-Terra line.



[size=x-large]Now if they could just put an Explorer control box on an X-Terra frame...[/size]

 

[Mick in Dubbo]

Yeah Snowy, their similarity is unfortunate.
I forgot that the SE has a VCO pinpoint, so on shallow targets, you should be able to pick them.
The Ace has a pretty remarkable pinpoint mode that more than compensates for it's lack of notches. I can generally tell them apart on it, except when a target is just under the surface. I'll learn to raise to coil some more. Coins give a sharper drop off than a screw cap. It's a reasonably reliable method, but not 100%. I think that it has spoiled me a bit, because when I look at a high end unit, I'm probably expecting too much out of it. The Explorer sorts out pull tabs and 10c a lot more precisely, and the pre-decimals would be easier to pick up with the Explorer.