Some questions about MXT VDI's....

[Silver Surfer]

I have been doing pretty well with my MXT, but as most of us, I am trying to maximize my finds of good vs junk..
I have pondered a few questions that more experienced MXT users my have answers for.

I find that a large majority of pull tabs are from 22-26 VDI... Almost to the point of knowing it is a pulltab before digging. How many of you MXT users have found valuable finds in that range? Nickels on my machine are always a VDI of 20. I have never found one that was above 20. If it is 22, 24, or occasionally a 26, they are pulltabs.

Is a VDI showing a "zinc penny" every anything but a zinc penny? I have never found anything but a zinc penny when the machine thinks thats what it is, and had quit digging that display a while back, but then read that someone found something good that stated it was a zinc penny, so I started digging them again.. BUT.. I have yet to find a deep zinc penny that is not corroded so badly that it is worthless. Of course, if it says 1 cent, or 1/10 cent, I always dig it since the majority of the time they are at least a true copper penny and in good shape.

Have any of you found a good gold item with a VDI of less than 3 or 4?

I have found many gold items, such as small rings, pieces of gold chain, and gold earrings that showed up as "foil", but all were at least 5 VDI or higher... I still dig any foil signal that is at least 3 or above, and most of the time it is exactly that, foil.. But, I would rather dig a hundred pieces of small foil than to miss a small gold item, such as the delicate gold ring I found yesterday.

I am really enjoying the MXT and expecially the 6X10 DD coil.. I am also getting pretty good at discerning signals.. But I figure that if there is any advice from seasoned MXT users that will increase my productivity and decrease cleaning up after the Anal-retentive people that just seem to have to break off those tabs and toss them, or wad up the gum foil and toss it, that would be a good thing...

Thanks in advance, and HH to all!

[ColoradoGoldman]

Hey Silver Surfer
The only thing I have found with VDI's in 18-20 range was a Platinum wedding band it was not real deep and was about 6.5 gm. I have found a few 1-3 gram nuggets that came in in the 20-25 VDI. I did find a quartz gold peace that cam in at 10 VDI but it was very small and if you blink you can miss the gold. I set up to dig every thing +10 VDI in relic mode normal search, Disc at 2 1/2 to 3, but that is just me I don't mind digging some junk, to not miss the gold stuff.
HH
C

[wingmaster]

I have found some IH's that came up in the pull tab range to screw cap range, also 2 centers come up as screw cap range. If its an old area with not much trash I always dig these signals, if in an old area with alot of trash I would pinpoint it to see how deep it is, alot of pull tabs will be 3" or less so anything 4" or more I would dig.

[Silver Surfer]

Good advice... Thanks guys..
Just curious, why Relic mode? I am assuming that you are searching for everything in this mode?
Also, I find a lot of old beavertail tabs at 5-6 all the time.. I hate digging that deep for a tab..
How about the Zinc readout? Do any of you with MXT's get that reading on anything BUT a Zinc Penny?

[wingmaster]

I have heard some of the gold coins will be in that range, but cant say for sure since I havent found any yet.

[MDRON]

I have found IH pennies and wheat pennies that VDI'd as a Zinc penny. If it shows depth of over 3 inches
I dig. Don't want to miss an IH or wheatie.



Ron

[Silver Surfer]

Well, at least for now, I will probably keep digging them until I get a little more input... Of course, if it says zinc penny, and it is greater that 3" deep, it should be dug...
Thanks folks!

[John (Ma)]

Very good topic, I just picked a used MXT and am waiting for the ground to thaw. This will give me a little head start in learning.

[Silver Surfer]

You will LOVE it... Just make sure and go nice and slow... I see so many MD'ers out there walking at a brisk pace.. I go really slow, and so many times I think I heard a signal when I was sweeping.. I stop, slowly sweep, and beeeep, there it is..
Also, FWIW, adjust your Disc between 2 and 3, and dig any foil reading above 2... I found more gold today doing that.. I LOVE foil signals!

Good luck, and be sure to post your finds!

[George (MN)]

Back about 30 years ago, I got a signal in all metal that was not there when I went to disc (set to reject pulltabs). I dug anyway and found a 1919-S cent.

Also, a beep can be two or more things in the same hole and target averaging could be taking place. So a zinc reading could be a nickel and a dime or maybe even a nickel and a quarter, or 3 coins. HH, George (MN)

[mgtmadness]

Back about 30 years ago, I got a signal in all metal that was not there when I went to disc (set to reject pulltabs). I dug anyway and found a 1919-S cent.

Also, a beep can be two or more things in the same hole and target averaging could be taking place. So a zinc reading could be a nickel and a dime or maybe even a nickel and a quarter, or 3 coins. HH, George (MN)

Hey I found a 1919- S cent last night, with a coinmaster though.

[hammong]

I find that a large majority of pull tabs are from 22-26 VDI... Almost to the point of knowing it is a pulltab before digging. How many of you MXT users have found valuable finds in that range?
...
Is a VDI showing a "zinc penny" every anything but a zinc penny?

I have a few gold rings that VDI in the 25-28 range. When it comes to gold, it can come in from -5 VDI to +60 VDI, just depends on the size, alloy, and mass of the ring. White gold, especially, is a alloy of nickel and gold, and will come in pretty low on the VDI even if the mass is higher. My advice is DIG IT ALL, or leave it for me. Your choice.

I ran into a fellow detectorist in the field a few weeks ago, and he showed me a MASSIVE 18K mens ring he found with this DFX on a beach. I asked him if I could scan it with my Spectra V3 so we put it on the ground and looked at the result. Came in +53 VDI with the strongest line on spectragraph showing 7.5 KHz. That's dead-on for a zing penny. Had we been at a park, I might have skipped that signal. I won't now!
Greg