I need to know

[detectorandy]

I just got back from the beach this past weekend, I use a White's spectrum xlt. Set on the beach settings and all other settings every time I got close to the water or detected on wet sand and hit the head of the unit on the sand it beeps, in dry sand it works fine. I wsould like to ask, why does it do this ( is it broken) and what is a good beach detector (price dosn't matter)?
Thanks All

 

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[JakePhelps]

My tracker 4 does this too, dont know if its a bad coil, loose connection or if its just a pos around the water Im guessin your whites is a really good detector as most whites are, so i would think it would be a faulty connection or coil, did you try making sure that the cord that attaches the coil to teh detector isnt loose? cause that does it on the bh i have

 

[Monty]

That's not an uncommon occurance with any detector. Nearly any manual will tell you to keep the coil one to three inches above the ground while detecting. You can even accidentally bump the coil on a weed stob and it will often let out a beep in protest. Nothing wrong with your machine. JIM

 

[Born2Dtect]

Going from wet to dry sand or the opposite will set off the dectctor. Try to stay in wet or dry sand when detecting at the beach.

Ed

 

[Sandman]

I don't think anything is wrong with your machine, but what was discribed as a loose wire or connection will do this. If you were set for salt, maybe the sen. is to high for the black sand and salt water. They will cause what you discribe and most detectors will do this but PI michines.

I have been at this for over twenty years and like Fisher's CZ-20 for salt water beaches along with the Minelab Excalibur which is a great machine too. However the Fisher has a better warranty if you ever need it. Tesoro too makes two good beach machines. I like the Tiger Shark with the 18 inch Clean Sweep coil as it covers the ground an makes fast work of covering the most sand is as short a time as possible and that's the name of the game.
Have you ever visited this great beach web site? www.thegoldenolde.com

Good Luck,

Sandman

 

[lonewolfe]

Most detectors (especially single frequency detectors like the xlt, mxt, Garrett 250, 1000, 1350, 1500, 2500, etc., and a lot of other makes, models, etc.) will go nuts on wet sand/salt water beaches, and in salt water.

That's why beach/water hunters use dual frequency, and or the 17 freq. or new Infinium, or PI machines.

Single freq. machines are just about useless on salt water beaches unless hunting dry sand.

 

[Chester Copper Pot]

Sometimes when you hit the coil on something it will beep in protest dry or wet location. Lonewolfe...then would you say my Whites IDX pro would be useless on the Gulf of mexico if I tried wet sand

 

[Born2Dtect]

I have a Whites IDX pro and have used it at the beach (Ocean City, MD) in both wet and dry sand. It did work a little better in dry sand but performed well in wet sand if I switched to black sand mode. Good Luck.

Ed Donovan

 

[CC_IN_CA]

Most detectors (especially single frequency detectors like the xlt, mxt, Garrett 250, 1000, 1350, 1500, 2500, etc., and a lot of other makes, models, etc.) will go nuts on wet sand/salt water beaches, and in salt water.

That's why beach/water hunters use dual frequency, and or the 17 freq. or new Infinium, or PI machines.

Single freq. machines are just about useless on salt water beaches unless hunting dry sand.

ditto. wet salty sand requires a dual or multiple frequency machine.

 

[Born2Dtect]

Chester,
Correct the IDX Pro is not a beach, wet sand top performer. However If you use the instructions in the manual Page 8, involving the black sand switch, you may get satisfactory results. Beats buying another detector. It worked for me. The only way you are going to know is to try.

Ed Donovan

 

[TOWcritter]

I used my MXT in the wet sand in OC also. It got a little chattery, but a couple of pumps of the coil quieted it down. But, yeah, you should stay in wet or dry and try not to go back and forth continually. If you know your machine inside and out, it shouldn't pose a problem.

 

[Monty]

I took my Garrett 2500 to a freshwater beach and it acted up with the black sand on the beach. I wrote it off to a loose power cord or operator error because next time it did fine. Yes this lake although freshwater has almost as high a salt content as the ocean. The river that forms it runs through the salt plains in western OKlahoma. It is so brakish that it is not used for drinking water because it would cost too much to remove the salt. Beaches that oppose the prevailing wind have accumulations of black sand. Beaches that run the other direction don't have much of a problem. Go figure. JIM

 

[tb]

I have a BH tracker VI like Jake, I hunt at the beach (saltwater) with mine, wet and dry sand, when it starts acting up I just crank the sensitivity back a little and it will usually stop, I may be losing depth, but I usually find some clad, nails, and other stuff down past 6 inches at times. No good jewelry yet, just a junk ring, but so far I'm satisfied with the detector for the price I paid for it.

tb

 

[Chester Copper Pot]

Thanks ecdonovan. Nice to know about the IDX. I will have to find all the clad I can just to pay for gas to FL.

 

[weldermark]

would this be a ground balance thing going from dry to wet sand .


Mark

 

[mvSWAT]

If you use the stock coil there is a custom program you can use to help eliminate this. I've also heard that a larger coil will help.
Happy Hunting. Dan

 

[Monty]

Oh, I definately think it's a ground balance problem. Although my detector has an auto-ground balance feature, it can't keep up when swinging from one area to another. The black sand runs in strips the entire length of the beach and it's hard to keep from crossing over. This causes my machine to "chatter" and tends to cover up a legitimate target. I think the amount of moisture in the different areas have a lot to do with it also. First time I had problems the beach was wet from the water receeding. Next time it was dry and hardly any problems. JIM

 

[lonewolfe]

Sometimes when you hit the coil on something it will beep in protest dry or wet location. Lonewolfe...then would you say my Whites IDX pro would be useless on the Gulf of mexico if I tried wet sand

Some single frequency detectors have a "Salt elimination feature" as does the IDX-Pro that ED uses (so does the Garrett 2500) and a few others,

this will allow the user to hunt with avg. results having only moderate problems in salty wet sand, black sand, etc. with some adjustments to the ground balance, and sensitivity settings,

but,

for true performance with no loss in depth (major problem with single freq.), no chattering, no interference, falsing, etc. in/on salt water beaches,

dual,?multi frequency and PI machines are the best chioce/top performers because the salt/black sand, etc. is ignored by these machines which allows them to go deep, function at top level, and have no problems like that of single freq. machines.

HH

Lonewolfe

 

[Monty]

I'm not sure why I'm even jumping in here but....From some articles I have read on the net, I was led to believe that all detectors are in fact single frequency machines. I'm sure I read that although they may possess the capability of transmitting on multi-frequencies, they can only transmit on one frequency at a time? That being my understanding, don't " multi-frequency" machines have the capability of automjatically switching to another frequency in perhaps miliseconds rather than broadcasting on several frequencies at once? My Garrett GTI 2500 has multi-frequency capabilities but you must change frequencies manually. Where am I going wrong on this? Heck, electricity is invisible, odorless and tasteless, but I know it's there! But to me it's still Magic! JIM

 

[jeff of pa]

I'v read them articles Also JIM.

Personally,I think some of it is Sour Grapes over the Minelabs Popularity.

The sovereigns & the Explorer Transmit Multi Frequencies.

& I believe the Whites DFX does also. (there may be others I'm unaware of)

Weather it is transmitting? Multi Freq's at the same time or One right after the other I don't know.
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
THIS FROM THE EXPLORER MANUAL :
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?"Simultaneous 28 Frequency Transmission ranging from 1.5kHz to 100kHz.
This Range of Frequencies means the Signal Received from the Detector Coil is Analized
? From a Wide Range Of Responses."

Notice the? Term "SIMULTANEOUS" Not Switching.
It does not Say or Necessarily Mean it is Receiving 28 Freq's Simultaniously.
But it IS Analizing the Signals.
-------------------------------
-------------------------------
This from SABISCH's Book on the SOVEREIGN :

the BBS Circut Transmits 17 Frequencies SIMULTANEOUSLY,
Ranging from 1.5 kHz to 25.5kHz Incriments. The SIGNAL RECEIVED from the Coil is then FED INTO A COMPUTER-CHIP MICROPROCESSOR. the Signal is analized and Information relayed to the operator.