MXT Pro driving me nuts

[jhettel]

I have been detecting since the early seventies and have had dozens of machines through the years. I am primarilly a relic hunter, but sometimes hunt coins during the warmer months when the weeds are up. I have been using a MXT Pro with the Double D coil and it is just driving me crazy. I will admit that we are hunting old yards in vacant houses and there is a lot of junk, but I just can't find anything with this machine, it sounds like a calliope and the numbers just bounce all around. The ground is hard and dry and that is always a problem with metal detecting, however, my hunting partner dug a token, a number of wheaties, a silver dime, and a bunch of clad, when all I dug was about one dollar in change, all quarters. I have noticed a number of times that when I dig a plug and turn it over to check the hole and the target is not in the hole, that if I run the detector over the clod of dirt I get no response, then if I squash down the clod of dirt I can hear the target. Now, these clods of dirt are rarely over four inches thick and it makes me wonder what is going on, it should easily pick up that coin, this has happened numerous times. I am about to give up on this machine.

 

[plidn1]

In order to help you we will need to know which coil you are using and what settings you are using.
What mode are you in and what settings do you have it set at.

 

[Nancy-IL]

Yes, the settings would help a lot to know what's going on. Are your batteries low? I can't hunt with 10 volts for it goes all over the place. Also you might want to turn your machine on and take the battery pack out, wait a few seconds and put it back in. Restart your MXT and see what happens. HH, Nancy

 

[Aarong81]

Hey Nancy, is there a typo or does it actually do something in the software to remove the battery pack while the machine is ON? Interesting technique to hard reset the detector, I havn't heard that suggestion before.

 

[Tom Slick]

Without more info on how you're running your MXT, it sounds like you're running with the Gain or Sensitivity too high. You mention you're using a DD so I'll assume it's the 6" x 10" coil and not the 4"x6" coil. If you're hunting vacant lots or old home yards then a better choice would be the 5.3 eclipse coil. It will give you good depth and eliminate a lot of masking that you'll get using a larger coil. Lots of time all that popping and sputtering is being caused by having good and bad targets under the coil at the same time.

 

[dixiedigger57]

THANKS NANCY!!!!!!!! mine went to ten volts. i just hunt about an hour now on the way home- -- and my machine was all over the place as you say. i changed coils no better.. i know it says 8 or 9 to changebatteries and supposed to indicate low but a battery change was all that was needed. i use a battery tester and the drained batts go into the grandkids pile for the confounded toys that need them-- they work in a pinch in those things and you know kids leave stuff on....

i have found that the store brand alkalines like radio shacks work extremely good. i have not tried the higher priced plus stuff-- dont really see a need to.

 

[nevadamxt]

i think a lot has to do with where you live geographically depenending on settings .ive never hunted c.w. battle feilds with mine but for the great basin the settings are way differant than yours and i never let the batteries go under 11.ive posted a bunch of times on this. change them out or you will not find anything.i just trade the aa battterires out to my remotes and run new energizers

 

[Ken/CO]

FYI,
I've posted this info a few times on the forums:
A battery has 2 values that can affect the metal detector, Voltage and Current.
Sometimes your battery testor or metal detector may indicate that the voltage is OK, but it doesn't usually test the current.
If the Current is low and the Voltage is OK, your metal detector will not operate properly.
I won't bore you with the technical reasons, but the easiest way to check this is to change the batteries with fresh ones.
Also, it is important to always use batteries from the same package; don't mix old batteries with the new batteries.
Hope this helps anyone.
HH

Ken

 

[Aarong81]

I usually notice erratic noise/behavior at and below 9 volts. With very close observation I can begin to notice effects of this at 10 volts. But since voltage is not the only factor that causes this, it is possible for some scenarios to allow the MXT to run smoothly below 9 volts. Especially is this true when some people use Alkaline and others use rechargeable batteries of various compositions. There are several variables that can cause erratic behavior, installing new batteries can help in many cases even if they still have half their life remaining. Just save the the old batteries for other devices that are not as demanding such as TV remotes or wireless computer mice. <<<those can use every last bit of a battery before kicking the bucket.

 

[bowser]

i had the sme feeling as you when i first started with mxt, I usually picked up my silent search idx pro that i felt more comfortable with, However, after spending all that money for the mxt and knowing people that were using them with great success ,I decided to pick it up and use it exclusively, Depending on the type of ground in you area , set the threshold to a very slight hum set the disc at 2 or 3 and your gain anywhere from7-10 walk very slow and listen, this may help you hear the good signals from the sputter.For some reason a good signal diminishes after it comes out of the ground and the dector won't find it unless you kick and spread the dirt out and the detector will sound off on it again.HH Jim If you get that mad at it i will gladly take it off your hands for a small fee.I it will be cheaper than a physiciartrist. HH Jim

 

[vito]

There is not such a thing like a HARD RESET on the MXT-range. This was for the XLT/DFX ones. Some nerds thought is was for the MXT's, too, but they're wrong.

Every time, if you switch off the MXT, power is completely removed from the circuits! Reset at it's best.

 

[Dr. Zarkov]

Buy Jeff Foster's book The MXT Edge. It thoroughly describes the machine. As well as telling you how to fully maximize and realize the full potential of the machine.

 

[nevadamxt]

i have never seen the schematics for a m.d. in general much less the mxt but i work with power up to 4160 kv any sort of shutting down the power before shutting off breakers can be very detrimental to low voltage power supplies and high voltage will grenade given the right circumstance so to me hard resets (short of resetting a computer even then may do more damage than good)are a bad thing .the mxt is awsome machine and well thought out and i may be wrong on batterie level the original time that led me to doubting the batteries was i swept over a old flattened out can and it would not read anything.bat level 11 i have come to believe the 300mm coil has blind spots in it YMMV.i run 0 disc. trac lock ,relic mode switch to c&j for second oppinian. i have 2 dd's and 300mm .