IDX Pro with Mods - OMG!

[lytle78]

I've read Monte's various posts for years and finally got the urge to try an IDX Pro with Mr. Bill's mods. As luck would have it one came up for sale here and I got it.

I'm pretty impressed based on my experience so far. I have played with it on my property and found that I could ground balance it without any problem on my Arizona red clay. In all metal I could run with full sensitivity with no problem and get readouts on the meter with the same depth and accuracy as in discriminate.

When I came inside to do some air tests (with the standard coil) I was even more impressed. In fact pretty shocked. On the same setup I have used for other detectors I get the following depths in inches with max sensitivity, min discrimination (switch in normal not black sand posiiton). depths are shown as - Disc (with correct ID)/All METAL:

clad quarter - 11"/13"
various mens gold rings 10-18 KT - 11"/14"
Small 18KT. bead - 0.3 grams (4.6 grains ) - 2.5"/6"
Same type bead - 0.1 grams (1.5 grains) - no signal/3"

This compares to some other detectors tested the same way

V3i with the 2D coil which got
clad quarter - 11" with the Deep Silver and Mixed Mode Pro programs - 9" with Coin and Jewelry program
gold rings - 13" with the Mixed Mode Pro and Prospecting programs - 10" with Coin and Jewelry program
0.3 gram bead - 5.5" with the Prospecting program. - 1" with Coin and Jewelry program
0.1 gram bead - 1" with the Prospecting program - no signal with Coin and Jewelry program

As far as sensitivity of the two above detectors to small gold - my Goldmaster GM4b (50 khz gold detector) got
Mens gold rings - 12 "
0.3 gram (4.6 grains) bead - 6"
0.1 gram (1.5 grains) bead at - 4.5"

(edited ro remove erroneuus information on another detector.)

An interesting point. In all metal, it seems to have a steady and even threshold at max sensitivity. That's a good thing since reducing the sensitivity in the all metal mode seems to have no effect. Detection depth remains the same (not true in discriminate with sensitivity reducttion) and the threshold doesn't change.

 

[lytle78]

Well, being well aware of the perils of drawing conclusions from air testing, i went out and buried my quarter down 7" in our hard desert soil.

IDX Pro got it with about an inch to spare, but the ID on mine is normally "parked" in the farthest block to the right - $1- and it stayed there, so no positive ID.

My V3i with the 2D coil couldn't get it in the coin or coin and jewelry programs. The Deep Silver program ID'd it with maybe 2" to spare. Here too, however, it read at the top of the silver range. +95. Something in my soil makes these 2 detectors do that.

My little Pirate Pro also got it ok but my Fisher 1235 could barely hear it.

The two Whites detectors were carefully ground balanced.

I should also add, that I took out the quarter and buried one of the rings inatead. The GM 4a got it at a good 4" of air space. the IDX Pro and V3i did about what they did on the quarter. The surprising thing was that they both read the ring as high silver!! In air they both read it above pull tabs. Somrthing funny going on!?

 

[Hombre]

Nope, nothing funny, just a scientific occurrance.

It is just a common mistake made by most hobiests with coin depth tests on freshly planted and disturbed soil, in other words a freshly dug hole with a coin placed in the hole. Then the coin covered up with the dug up dirt......... it is NOT going to respond like a naturally buried coin. I have an old coin garden about twelve years old and it gives a good indication of natural buried coins when found in the undisturbed long time buried state as you would find them when in a real hunting situation. JMTC's

 

[BarberBill]

Detection depth remains the same (not true in discriminate with sensitivity reducttion) and the threshold doesn't change.

I've never had an IDX Pro so I can't say for sure, but I do know that most of the detectors I have used are on their maximum sensitivity when in all metal, regardless of the sensitivity setting. This means on machines with all metal pinpoint they are as sensitive as their design allows when the pinpoint button is depressed regardless of how it's set in discrimination mode. I think this is a pretty common design feature, but certainly haven't had a chance to check it out on all brands or models. It's also why hunting in all metal and digging it all generally gives the most goodies if you can stand digging that much trash as well.
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