Anybody used a Big Foot on the MX5?

[steve herschbach]

How did it work out?

 

[Nancy-IL]

Hi Steve, Can't say anything about the MX5 and the Big Foot coil but on the MXT it's a great coil. Wouldn't part with it. Guessing it would be the same with the MX5. HH, Nancy

 

[steve herschbach]

Yeah, I have the Big Foot. I have a V3i on it at the moment but may "downgrade" at some point. I am kind of holding out for an MX6 with fixed ground balance and ground grab though.

 

[OregonGregg]

Steve I agree, Whites needs to get the ball rolling. I have been hoping for a M6 improvement. Call it a M7. Same m6 with the functions of the mxt pro less the relic and prospecting modes. A back lite and ground grab button would really be nice. Is funny on there low end machine the coinmaster GT you can lock the ground balance and not for sure ( never used) but maybe have a back lite. On the MX5 you have a back lite but unable to lock the GB. Now on the M6 at MSRP $699 you can lock the GB but no back lite. I feel that Whites lately have been kinda stumbling around trying to find something that will work. Perhaps they could spend some time and read the Makro/Nokta forum and maybe get a hint. I for one will buy the Racer machine pro package now that the smaller coil is part of the package. It was not to have the smaller coil until several people stated they wanted that. Within a few days, they changed their pro package to include the smaller coil instead of two coils of similar size AND lowered the price. I think a lot of the mainstream medal detector mfg's could learn something about the way Nokta is doing business.

 

[Monte]

Within a few days, they changed their pro package to include the smaller coil ....

It only took the Nokta/Makro folks ONE day to make the correction.


Nokta Detectors -- 01/19/2015 08:04AM ... Announced the Makro Racer Pricing and Pro Package contents.

Nokta Detectors -- 01/20/2015 02:56AM ... Announced the Change in the Makro Racer pro Package and pricing.


That's 5 hours short of 1 full day, and a very heads-up move on their part.

As for White's, I can see where the MX5, which I own, like and use, should have been designed with a Lock-Track function. Kind of nutty that it wasn't, but I can also see where it can bump the M6 from its position in White's line-up. I think it is time for two new models or model designs as a practical step in the right direction, and those would me an MX7 and MX9. Actually, MX9 was a name they were going to use before but changed and decided on MXT Pro instead. I sure wish manufacturers would dump the use of the term 'Pro' on any models they make as it is so over-used.

I think a good move would be to an MX7, and they could retain the metal housing of the M6 but let the MX7 have a 3-button touchpad to turn Tone ID On or Off, like the M6 has, have a Ground Grab touchpad, and a Backlight touchpad. Also, let the MX7 have a lock in the All Metal Pinpoint function with the trigger-toggle like the MXT Pro/All-Pro. I would also have a Threshold control, since the even did that with the MX5.

Then an MX9 would basically be the already proven MXT Pro / MXT All-Pro, but add just one or two features like some competitors have, such as: Ability to Manually Ground Balance to fine-tune as desired, and an Iron Volume control so that ferrous Targets could be accepted [size=small](such as in Relic mode Iron ID)[/size], but adjust the Ferrous range targets for a lower Volume [size=small](loudness)[/size] setting and let the Non-Ferrous be at the full audio Volume level. Oh, one more new feature would be to offer a Tone ID selection to have a VCO audio for non-ferrous range targets in either the Coin & Jewelry or Relic modes so you could choose to have a Single Tone, and Multi-Tone, or use a VCO audio response.

Do that to add some advancement to the model line-up and not fall too far behind the competition, but do it without raising the prices.

Have the MX5 at it's current $599.95, put an MX9 at the $899.95 price point, and wiggle an MX7 in at mid-point at $749.95. Of course since this is just some thoughts, as we have discussed, I'm either make a new 6½" Concentric coil [size=small](thinner in style)[/size] or simply make a new label to call a coil what it measures at and change the 5.3 Eclipse to 6½ or 6.5 as it actually measures. Maybe even make a new thin coil at a true 6" diameter? Then, better yet, make the 6" or 6½" coil 'standard' on the MX5, and use the 9" spider coil on the MX7.

For the MX9, maybe offer an MX9c or MX9d and the consumer picks the MX9 w/Concentric 9" spider or MX9 with a Double-D coil. As for search coils, with the popular industry trend for many current manufacturers, I would either go with the 6X10 Eclipse as the DD coil, or make a newer larger size, close to a 7X11 open-frame DD coil rather than the round 10" D2 coil [size=small](which I don't like, but that's just me)[/size].

The MXT Pro and MXT All Pro are still excellent performers and I don't think White's needs to change things up all that much on this unit. Maybe a little enhancement as suggested, but not go radical. I don't think it would call for a change in the control housing for an MX7 or MX9 as the metal housings used now are very functional. Just introduce the MX5 w/6" or 6½" coil as a new change, and drop the M6 and MXT All Pro replacing them with an MX7 and MX9 with some coil option changes and I think White's would stay competitive in today's model offerings in those price ranges.

By the way, we see a definite trend to have multi-features and competitive designed models right in that $599 to $999 MSPR market with a lot of great stuff offered that work as well, or better, than a lot of the higher-priced detectors. The industry has definitely changed in recent years.

Just some cabin fever moments to share some thoughts.

Monte

 

[MattBullSummerville]

Wonder if any eletronic brains out there can come up with lock track, fixed ground balance modification for the MX5? Don't have a big foot coil but I'm looking hard at some of the larger Detech coil. Is the big foot still available?

 

[Nancy-IL]

No, they are not making the BigFoot coil anymore.