Trying to figure out what I learned today?????

[Anonymous]

Snow is melting and the ground is thawing. Great to be alive. Took the new MXT out today and tried the 5 inch EXcelerator in the local park. By the way, I nicknamed this park "pulltab park" about 5 years ago, the last time I hunted it. Today I remembered why I named it that and why I hadn't been there for 5 years. Anyway, I learned several things today. The first thing I learned is that the 5 inch Exclerator is DEEP for a small coil. I dug several small targets that truly measured over 6 inches deep. I started out digging everything that read above the 3.5 discrimination. Ran in Coin/Jewelry and switched back and forth to relic, (both gain of +3) just to compare readings. I learned the VDI numbers are the same in either mode. I learned the numbers don't really mean anything. Let me explain. At the beginning, I dug several pulltabs at 32, which makes sense to me. I also dug several pulltabs between 18 and 22 when I was hoping it would be a nickel, like in my airtests. I dug over a dozen screwcaps that read as zinc cents. (62 range). I dug a couple pieces of aluminum electical wire that read in the mid to upper 70's. I dug 3 pieces of old pot metal that read as $1 coin. I ended up with more trash in my pouch than I have dug in 15 years. What am I missing here? <img src="/metal/html/confused.gif" border=0 width=15 height=22 alt=":?"> Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, I'm no expert but I can tell you that nickles in my neck of the woods come in exactly at 18 to 20 . Not 22 or any other #'s. they bounce between 18 and 20. slow down! and when you think that your going slow enought....slow down some more.
Also around here quarters hit on 83, dimes on80 to81,and pennys come in around 65 to 77. JMHO. HH <img src="/metal/html/please.gif" border=0 width=29 height=15 alt="lease"> <img src="/metal/html/lol.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":lol">

 

[Anonymous]

Randy,
Rockhunter gave you some good advice on the numbers. Nickles will read 18-20 and be a solid signal for me, not jumping all over. Pulltabs can read anywhere, but coins seem to be a more solid lock on too and the deeper ones may not be so solid, but if it is deep and in the coin range i will dig. Forget the gain at +3 untill you have a little more experince with learning the MXT as you may get more signals to sort out and makeing learning tougher.
Numbers and the coffiedence bars with a good repeatable signals is what I go by and never the icon as I run relic mode 90% of the time.
I also run the ground trac unless I am in a area that is loaded with rusty iron or a lot of signals, but you have to be careful not to go over a weak signal trying to get a better reading as it will trac out the signal. In this case I will ground balance a lock it if you are going to go over the signal many time.
In most cases a good coin that is not real deep will be a certain number and a 3/4 full coffedence bar and as it gets deeper the bar may also show less, but the numbers will stay fairly close.
If i was hunting this park and it was loaded with pulltabs I would probably run relic mode, disc at second peset for coin and listen for the high tones of a good target. Any low tone that soundes deeper i would look at the ID numbers and confedence bar and if it was 18-20 I would dig them. If the low tones are too much for me I would forget the nickles and push the trigger forward and get very few low tones and check the high tones. I may still get a few that will fool me, but that is only nomal if you want some of the deeper good finds.
Good luck
Rick

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Digger,
Now that you have seen what a properly adjusted threshold does for depth, try these settings out at that park. C/J mode, sensitivity set at just over 10 (= max gain with NO audio boost) keep that threshold you mentioned. <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=""> Sweep just slow enough that the machine has time to recover from target to target and dig only the softer sounds.
In high trash using any audio boost defeats the ability to pick out the deeper sounding, hopefully good stuff. Also in real heavy trash when using the smaller coils dropping the sensitivity down to the 7-8 range opens up a new world of detecting with the MXT.
HH, Tom

 

[Anonymous]

I will definitely try out your suggestions. They all make sense and I will let you know the results. Another warm day here today and who knows? I may get out again for an hour or so. Thanks again.

 

[Anonymous]

As I think you will learn more about the MXT as you use it. My first day was OK, but nothing like I expected but after the next couple of days I knew I had the best Whites detector I had ever used and finds that were very impressive.
Good Luck Randy
Rick

 

[Anonymous]

My health issues don't let me plan much in advance, but hopefully I will be able to spend some time leaning the MXT this spring. Always nice to have the support of fellow detectorists. Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[Anonymous]

Digger,
When running the machine with an audible threshold, listen close to the beep, it is a little more distinct in relic mode but alot of trash will have a slight fuzzy sound, coins will have a very sharp and clear beep. And yes sometimes junk will come in as a good target, Also I have found that when pin pointing if you go slow you will notice the tone is longer one way than the other, Give it a while it will get better but as you know you will always dig some trash so thats why I say you just goota take the good with the bad and sometime the bad wins out. Tried that other big coil yet ??? Ray