Anyone familiar with the Spectrum XLT?

[mr helton]

I use a Fisher F2 but my aunt said she wants to try metal detecting, so she went out and bought herself a Spectrum XLT. When we go out next month it will be her first time so I need to be ready to show her how to use her machine. I've never used it before, so I came here to find out if it's something with a big learning curve or something that I can pick up on quickly and get her going right away.

Thanks!

 

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[christo000]

I haven't used one I went into whites with a prism 4 to v3i from what I'm hearing for a starting detector let's say I hope she reads the manual its got options many that a newer person to the hobby could get in trouble with & mayb mess up some programs I'd stick with the factory ones it has. The other thing mayb since u have more experience mayb u should b the one with the xlt & her with the f2 it would b less of a curve to u then her being u have an idea on what's what as controls. The xlt mayb older then the f2 but its more advanced

 

[beerguy]

I use an XLT. Great machine.

If she is MDing for the first time, have her start out with the coins program. It is a good starting point.

If I were you, I would load coins and make the following changes:

Tone ID on
VCO on
Accept everything from +12 and up in the Discrimination using block edit.
Also, you could raise the AC sensitivity as high as you can while maintaining stability.
Coins program starts it out at 64, sometimes I run it as high as 72.

Save this as a custom program and customize it as you learn.

Lots of great info on the web as far as programs go.

Great machine for a gadget freak, like me.

 

[christo000]

I use an XLT. Great machine.

If she is MDing for the first time, have her start out with the coins program. It is a good starting point.

If I were you, I would load coins and make the following changes:

Tone ID on
VCO on
Accept everything from +12 and up in the Discrimination using block edit.
Also, you could raise the AC sensitivity as high as you can while maintaining stability.
Coins program starts it out at 64, sometimes I run it as high as 72.

Save this as a custom program and customize it as you learn.

Lots of great info on the web as far as programs go.

Great machine for a gadget freak, like me.

I'm surprised u said for a gadget freak u aren't using the v3i with its crazy ness I'm a as u said to a gadget freak & love to make my own programs & what ever else I want

 

[mr helton]

Thanks a lot for the info guys! I'm sure she will have a blast!

 

[beerguy]

I'm surprised u said for a gadget freak u aren't using the v3i with its crazy ness I'm a as u said to a gadget freak & love to make my own programs & what ever else I want

Christo, If there was a significant performance edge, I might go that route.

I see people with cutting edge equipment bragging about finding dimes at 8", and my XLT does that just fine.

My next conquests are Xterra 705 for my son, Deus for the wife and an underwater machine of yet to be determined model. Excalibur?

Please send money...

 

[XLTer]

I use a Fisher F2 but my aunt said she wants to try metal detecting, so she went out and bought herself a Spectrum XLT. When we go out next month it will be her first time so I need to be ready to show her how to use her machine. I've never used it before, so I came here to find out if it's something with a big learning curve or something that I can pick up on quickly and get her going right away.

Thanks!

For a first timer I would stick with the COIN program so she's not over whelmed with signals . Teach her to watch the ICONS on the screen for solid repeatable signals . When she has a good target , move the coil off to the side , pull the trigger toggle and teach her how to X the target to pinpoint it . When she pases over and stops above the target , the screen will tell her how deep the target is . Then teach her how to properly cut a plug and replace it to leave no trace of the hole .

I hope this helps . Best of luck to you and your aunt .........

 

[christo000]

Christo, If there was a significant performance edge, I might go that route.

I see people with cutting edge equipment bragging about finding dimes at 8", and my XLT does that just fine.

My next conquests are Xterra 705 for my son, Deus for the wife and an underwater machine of yet to be determined model. Excalibur?

Please send money...

There is quite an upgrade between the xlt & the v3i tuned right the v will go very deep, its just another tool really & if what ur using works for u & ur happy ur pulling finds then that's all that matters is having fun, don't know on the 705 here good but never tried,however the dues real real nice detector lots of pro's on that one good luck & hh all

 

[beerguy]

I was actually pegging the Deus for my wife at Xmas time. Heard nothing but good things. Of course, someone would have to break it in for her.....

 

[christo000]

I was actually pegging the Deus for my wife at Xmas time. Heard nothing but good things. Of course, someone would have to break it in for her.....

I'm sure u could break the deus in for her, ya but anyways I been using it for a little bit now & pro's lots of em good luck buddy

 

[YUKONBUCK]

I had a spectrum xlt and have owned fisher and Garrett multiple models and been detecting for 20 years. I have a vx3 now and i love it but man I wish I still had that spectrum. One of Whites best if you ask me.

 

[beerguy]

Yukon, I agree, one of the best.

I was going to sell it to justify getting a few more new machines, but I couldn't part with it based on the going rate on the used market.

I just ordered an Xterra 705 for my son, I am interested on how they compare.

Couldn't pass up the free pinpointer deal!

 

[YUKONBUCK]

My buddy has an Xterra he likes it but that xlt will hold its own for sure.

 

[a4wdguy]

I use a Fisher F2 but my aunt said she wants to try metal detecting, so she went out and bought herself a Spectrum XLT. When we go out next month it will be her first time so I need to be ready to show her how to use her machine. I've never used it before, so I came here to find out if it's something with a big learning curve or something that I can pick up on quickly and get her going right away.

Thanks!

Your aunt has good taste.
One of the best things about White's detectors is their "turn on and go" philosophy. Apparently, they figured out early on that folks just don't like to spend hours poring over an operator's manual before they ever turn on the detector, so they incorporated markings on knobs that (when used) will produce good results, and preloaded settings that do the same for the digital models.
Considering that her detector is used, you may want to sit down with the owner's manual beforehand and compare the factory settings in the book to the settings on her detector. If they have been modified, you can easily change them back to factory. This will give her the proper context for learning how her machine responds to targets in various environments. If you don't have a manual, White's has them in PDF for free: http://media.whiteselectronics.com/manuals/XLT%20Manuals/Spectrum%20XLT%20Instruction%20Manual.pdf
The settings are all menu driven (of course) and straightforward. I would personally recommend the Jewelry and Coin program to start, since it has less discrimination than just coins.
White's detectors have a reputation of "banging in" on good targets. There are a couple things for the operator to keep in mind.
1. The key to identifying good targets is repeatability. If the VDI bounces around, or the audio is broken, it's probably junk.
2. The signagraph is often ignored, but a very important tool in good versus bad target ID. As the bars build up, they tell a story. A single, tall bar in the positive range is going to be a good target. "Smeared", short bars in the negative range are junk.
Pinpointing is easy and accurate. Once a target is found, simply stop the coil over to the side a bit, pull and hold the trigger on the pod (this puts the detector in the all metal mode), and slowly move the coil over the target. Look for the lowest depth number and the loudest (or highest pitched) audio. The target will be under the center of the coil.
Changes you'll want to make:
Target volume may be too loud for most, since it is set for use without headphones
Threshold is too loud for most - turn it down to 17 or so if using headphones
Turn ratchet pinpointing OFF
Turn tone ID to ON
VCO to ON
Modulation to OFF
All other settings left at default

Ratchet pinpointing can cause a new user to lose the target and cause confusion
VCO causes the target signal audio to increase as target strength increases
Modulation OFF causes all targets to respond the same regardless of depth. A new hunter really doesn't need to be worrying about "whisper signals" at this point.

A good set of headphones will increase battery life and just generally make hunting easier all around.
My final piece of advice is: don't get all cranky when she spanks you out there!

Good luck!

 

[U.K. Brian]

Its a four filter "type" detector (most detectors are two type). A faster than average sweep speed will improve results on all fronts.

 

[mr helton]

I just wanted to reply back to this topic. We went out today and she had fun.

BUT

She let me take it home for a while. I spent the entire day with it and LOVE it. I'm finding things at 8-9 inches that I NEVER could have found with my F2. Pulled a few deep wheaties from yards in my neighborhood that I already hunted.

 

[christo000]

Lol u may have to look into getting one urself, im not surprized that it brought back to life some of ur sites uve already hunted it is a good upgrade from the f2. Dont get me wrong that f2 is very under estimated theres just really not a comparison both machines are in different leagues both are very good. U may be able to find a decent xlt on online auctions ebay or mayb even craigslist if u end up wanting to pick one up for urself u never know. U can get plenty of coils & extras for actually both machines to keep ya busy for a while. Well good luck & happy hunting out there

 

[mr helton]

I may get shot for asking this, but how does it compare to the AT Pro? That was my planned upgrade from the F2, but if it's not much better than this, or if this is better, then I may have to just keep this for a while.

 

[beerguy]

I just wanted to reply back to this topic. We went out today and she had fun.

BUT

She let me take it home for a while. I spent the entire day with it and LOVE it. I'm finding things at 8-9 inches that I NEVER could have found with my F2. Pulled a few deep wheaties from yards in my neighborhood that I already hunted.

I am not surprised that it performed better than an F2. Nothing against the F2, but the XLT was top of the line way back when.

I will stand back and watch the ATP comments roll in, this should be fun!

 

[a4wdguy]

I may get shot for asking this, but how does it compare to the AT Pro? That was my planned upgrade from the F2, but if it's not much better than this, or if this is better, then I may have to just keep this for a while.

I am not an AT Pro user. In fact, all my detectors are White's, so here is my assessment:
I really like the display of the XLT. I do feel it is more precise than that of the AT Pro.
The XLT operates at 6.59 kHz, and the AT Pro operates at 15 kHz. While 6.59 has been a workhorse frequency for a long time, it is evident just by the fact that virtually all manufacturers are using 15 kHz now, that it is the new de facto frequency of choice for new detectors.
The AT Pro is water proof to 10 feet. The XLT is not.
The AT Pro comes with a much larger coil than the XLT. It is also a DD type coil, which helps in highly mineralized ground. There are only 3 practical size coils for the XLT, the AT Pro has 4 coils.
The XLT is no longer in production, and many parts are becoming scarce. Any XLT you buy will be used and have no warranty. You can, of course, buy an AT Pro brand new with a very respectable warranty.
Given what little I know about your position, I'd have to say the apparent best choice is the AT Pro. However, I wouldn't give up the XLT to get one, unless you want to do some water detecting right away.
Hope this helps.