Any Tips For MXT?

[PoplarHill]

I bought an MXT last Spring along with the regular coil and a DD Eclipse coil. I've tried both coils a lot with about the same results. I have mostly been detecting local swimming holes and other "hangouts". I make finds, coins, bottle caps, shell casings etc, but nothing like I should be. I usually take my buddy along and he uses a cheap $89 or so Bounty Hunter and literally makes 3 to 4 times the finds I do going over the same ground. I can't help but think I am not using the MXT to it's full potential....... or maybe I'm just unlucky. One of my biggest complaints is that hits are never consistent. What I mean by that is when you go over a target, the display gives different readings with every sweep so I end up digging a lot of trash. For example, if it is a US quarter, it may be in the Quarter range on one sweep, Alum/nickel on the next, $1 reading on the next and so forth.

I'm planning on taking it out this weekend if the weather isn't too bad. Any help or tips between now and then would be greatly appreciated!

 

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[Johnnoh]

Sounds like a ground balance issue to me. Do you have Jeff Foster's book?

 

[PoplarHill]

No I do not. Where would I find a copy and what is the books name?

 

[Hemisteve]

"The MXT Edge" by Jeff Foster.

 

[wingmaster]

I run with ground tracking as the MXT is one of the best and fast at it and just turn it on with the coil waist high then lower it with the trigger pulled to make sure its clean ground to get proper ground balance then pump the coil off the ground 4 or 5 times and make sure your not getting ground noise when raising and lowering the coil then go. You should be getting constant VDI unless its next to trash or sitting on edge on coins and I can tell silver from clad by VDI pretty easy most of the time, of course those deep whisper targets that the detector is barely picking up I've seen a silver dime VDI in the 40's but I dig all those deep whisper signals as they are usually some old coins. You need to have good headphones as it will make a big difference on those real deep whisper signals as well, I like to use the D2 coil and try to run at +2 gain as long as the threshold hum isn't to unstable with EMI in the area and can get dimes at 10"+ with a few that have been at a full 12". Make sure to turn on waist high coil as high of gain as your going to run before ground balance and if you change the gain setting you need to rebalance and in very high iron trash area's I'll balance then lock tracking then rebalance every now then then as the ground changes, you want to barely be able to hear the threshold hum and as you run higher gain you'll have to adjust the threshold down some and good headphones make a difference on the MXT and I go by sound a lot as the trash isn't as clean as sounding as the coins. HH

 

[GpSnoopy]

The MXT gives a separate VDI# for each sweep, unlike many other machines that average several sweeps to give you a number, so it is fairly important to try consistently swing the same section of coil over the target . If you swing over the target with the middle of the coil, and then next swing only the edge of the coil is over the target, you will get varied readings. I usually narrow my sweep when I find a target, more like a side to side wiggle and get pretty accurate readings. Another issue may be there is another target fairly close and you are getting mixed readings from both.

 

[PoplarHill]

Thanks for the pointers guys. I'm going to take it out today to one of the popular swimming holes on the river. I'll let you know how it goes!

 

[williamsingr]

Depending on the size of the coil your using this could also add to your problems, the large coils will read everything making it harder to pinpoint and find your good targets, on beaches go with the 9.5 or smaller and you will have better success.

 

[PoplarHill]

I feel like I was able to get more out of the machine today by following some of the pointers you gave. I turned it on waist level and held the trigger to ground balance ( I had not been holding the trigger before). I also tried "wiggling" it over targets instead of sweeping. I found 49 cents in change and the VDI locked as it should this time on all coins. Kind of sucks that aluminum can tops also have the same 87 VDI as a quarter because I dug up more than a dozen.

As for headphones, I have a good pair but seldom use them. For some reason the slight threshhold hum gives me a horrible headache after a few minutes.


Thanks for the help thus far guys!

 

[wingmaster]

Good headphones are a must for those real deep dimes though its easy to pass those whisper targets by, with my D2 coil my silver quarters come in at 88-90 VDI and the clad quarters are 85-87 VDI and go by the sound more than anything as the tone is much smoother on a coin verses trash and dig some one direction hits on silver dimes as that silver just sings real good not like if it was trash. HH

 

[mxthunter]

what do you mean with the trigger squezze, on front of the machine

 

[PoplarHill]

Yes, the trigger under the VDI screen where you hold it.

I found $4.18 today with it. My biggest find so far! $3.75 of it were in quarters found within a 2 foot area, also a few nicekls in the same range. I have been ding all the targets I hit with it and being a swimming hole, dig A LOT of trash, mostly beer caps but surprisingly not many cans. I guess because people pick them up to carry to the scrap yard. I dig all the signals mostly because I haven't found any gold yet and have read it ranges in the 20's to 50's on the VDI. I also found the bracelet (VDI 18) and the toy ambulance (VDI 89) in the picture.

 

[Heyjak]

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1107178"/>

Yes, the trigger under the VDI screen where you hold it.

I found $4.18 today with it. My biggest find so far! $3.75 of it were in quarters found within a 2 foot area, also a few nicekls in the same range. I have been ding all the targets I hit with it and being a swimming hole, dig A LOT of trash, mostly beer caps but surprisingly not many cans. I guess because people pick them up to carry to the scrap yard. I dig all the signals mostly because I haven't found any gold yet and have read it ranges in the 20's to 50's on the VDI. I also found the bracelet (VDI 18) and the toy ambulance (VDI 89) in the picture.

Oh the cans are there brother. Lol

 

[wingmaster]

Yep those matchbox cars can sound and VDI like a good target, most cans have been mowed over and are mostly can slaw now I hit a whole smashed one every now and then when at parks. HH

 

[airscapes]

What bothers me about the match box cars, besides they sound like a good target.. I have found 3 in completely different places, all in fairly good shape and all the same freakin black indie car

 

[Moegano534]

Hello,

I just got an MXT and I am getting all kinds of readings from it. I read the previous posts and will do a better ground balance.

What could it mean when I am getting a lot of VDI that say "1$?" Please respond. Thanks, Brent

 

[lordbaltimore]

yeah,,just read the opps manual again,,use the smallest coil,,gb properly ,,and set disc to 3 max,,or less or even off,,use tone id if you want to set it a little higher ,,but you should get a similar reading on screen,,actually if it makes a burp in tone i.d. ,,its usually right ,,,its a great machine ,,so read again and use tone i.d. untill you know whats what ,,,other than that ,,,if its low ,,dont dig ,,if its high ,,,dig a hole ,,,best of luck ,,,but the machine is magic ,,,unless its bust of course ,,,but its usually the operator ,,L.B.

 

[pescadore]

yeah,,just read the opps manual again,,use the smallest coil,,gb properly ,,and set disc to 3 max,,or less or even off,,use tone id if you want to set it a little higher ,,but you should get a similar reading on screen,,actually if it makes a burp in tone i.d. ,,its usually right ,,,its a great machine ,,so read again and use tone i.d. untill you know whats what ,,,other than that ,,,if its low ,,dont dig ,,if its high ,,,dig a hole ,,,best of luck ,,,but the machine is magic ,,,unless its bust of course ,,,but its usually the operator ,,L.B.

Unless you are using a MXT Pro you don't have tone ID unless you are talking about the two tones that you can have in Relic Mode.

 

[Moegano534]

I have had some very good luck and bad luck with my MXT.

Good luck first. I found a 1856 seated dime and a 1783 1/2 Reale in about 15 minutes one evening recently.

Bad Luck next. I went back to the sight where I found the aforementioned coins the next day, same settings, ground balanced same way and all that I could dig was rusted iron. I would start out using relic mode to locate the targets, then switch to coin and jewelry, then switched to prospect to read for iron(which showed 20% iron). When I would dig, it was all rusted iron of some form or fashion. This was an old ghost town, near two rivers. Could the ground be too hot from all of the minerals in flood waters and from old nails, etc. when I ground balance? Advice....?

 

[RobRieman]

Sounds like my hunts if it ground balanced at that location the first time it should do the same after that. Sometimes it's all about getting the coil over the prize. Go back and try again and rub a rabbits foot first. no really, I have been skunked at the same location many times and then find a great coin on the next trip, keep a positive attitude and good luck!