ANother question MXT?

[robert roy]

I tried the MXT in Prospecting mode but found that I can't pinpoint with it.
Pinpoint works just fine in the other modes. Is there something wrong with my
machine or am I going about the pinpoin incorrectly in Prospecting mode. I didn't
see anything about this in the manual.

Regards
Robert R

 

[cnshtrdave]

Hey Robert,
Mine is the same way. I was wondering the same thing Can't wait to read the new post about it.
HH, Dave

 

[JSinkAZ]

Pinpointing in prospecting mode is possible but it must be done while moving the coil over the target. Also if you are hunting in the alternate search mode, where the trigger is locked in the forward position and ou have tracking set to lock, there is no difference when pulling the trigger back to pinpoint. In other words, for pinpointing to be effective in the prospecting mode, set the trac switch to salt or ground, or keep the trigger switch in the middle position.

 

[Tin Nugget]

Now days they all have a pinpointing feature. In the prospecting mode it is like a step back in time. You have to do it the old fashioned way because it requires motion but with practice you can become proficient at it. There is a technical reason why it has to be like that but I am not the one to try and explain it.

 

[robert roy]

I found this after going to google and typing in "how to pinpoint the MXT in prospecting mode."
It was at www.49erMike.com a metal detecting forum.


www.49ermike.com

I am having trouble with pinpointing in the prospecting mode. In the other two modes, you pull the trigger and move the coil in an x pattern to zero in on the target. Supposed to be the same in the prospecting mode I thought but when I pull the trigger, the detector acts like it would without the trigger pulled. If you pass the coil over the target it buzzes, but if you stay over the target it quits buzzing. Almsot like it balances out the target even though the trigger is supposed to lock the ground balance. Maybe this is the way it is supposed to act, DOES ANYONE KNOW??

Thanks,
In response to Reply # 0
Just went back to my owners manual to refresh my memopry on this, as I thought the trigger in each mode does very different things. In coin and relic modes pulling the trigger activates the pinpoint mode, which is in part a depth reading and in part a "pinpoint" feature.
But in prospect mode you are after irregularly shaped and sized targets, gold nuggets not coins, ans that depth estimate can only be based on the machine's id of the item as a coin of certain type. In other words the depth feature only works on manmade objects such as coins, bullets, and buttons.
So in the prospecting mode, pulling the trigger shuts off the "ground tracking" feature, so that the machine will not try and balance out the tiny nuggets you tend to sweep back over several times, those questionable signals. THe machine would try and adjust the SAT to automatically balance them out otherwise.
I think you might find that the difference between trigger pulled and trigger not pulled only manifestw itself well with faint small targets, ones that might be able to be balanced out by the machine. Larger targets such as rings, coins, and substantial nuggets it wont make that much difference on.
Bottom line: In prospect mode, if you do get a faint signal, squeeze the trigger before you go back to it, and hold the trigger down as you investigate the target.
Obviously it makes it a little harder to get a super accurate pinpoint in prospect mode, but then again it is not like you are as worried about the size of the dig-hole in the wilds looking for nugs as you are in someone's lawn looking for coins... -Z
In response to Reply # 1
Yeah, I went back and read the manual again but I didn't really find that it explains pinpointing in the prospecting mode. I am still trying to learn the little things about the machine before I actually go out looking for nuggets. The pinpointing in the other modes is just so obvious I thought I was doing something wrong. Thanks for the info, if I find some good treasures I'll let everyone know
Explorer1
In response to Reply # 2
My general experience with pinpointing in prospecting modes is that the DD coils work a lot better becuse of the narrow "blade" they make of signal, but the concectric on my MXT is quite easy to pinpoint even coins with, without using the PP feature, simply by getting to know where in the hole in the middle of the coil your center is. Now that sounds really odd doesnt it, but I guess what I am trying to say is that the center of the hole in the concectric is pretty big but after a while of using it you get to where you know pretty accurately where the target is in that hole, without PP, and in any mode.
Looking forward to your pics!
In response to Reply # 3
If you dont have an excessive number of targets you need to pinpoint, you can switch modes and use the coin mode. The depth indication would be meaningless, but you can use the tone to center the coil right over the target. I did some testing and in coin & Jewelry mode, the MXT will still pick up some pretty small nuggets (in the 1 grain class) in coin and jewelry mode, so that pinpoint other mode can be used.
If you had loads of non ferrous junk, flipping back and forth between modes might be a pain, but if there are only a few you want to pinpoint, and dig this would be a good option.

Chris