edit - need favor from nugget hunters - please help

[JT Shooter]

I'm hoping someone may be able to help me determine if my mxt is working correctly: I purchased a nearly new mxt (3 months old 4 hrs use) and I fitted a 6x10 dd coil for gold prospecting. I've found plenty of bullets and brass, some square nails and other misc junk. All only to about 3"-4" deep. I don't notice an appreciable difference with the stock coil on it and I've been considering having the unit checked out in the shop.
I just did an air test with with a small gold nugget 1/4" x 3/16" x 1/8" at factory preset with the ground locked at 83, and followed at 50. I then elevated the gain and sat clockwise incrementally through the range to full +3 and hypersat.
Results are thus while in prospecting mode I pick up a variance in headphone signal at about 4", yet nothing on the vdi or iron % until the nugget is about 2.5". In relic distances are about the same as prospecting for signal and id, and in coin/jewlery the distances are reduces a little 3.5 for signal and 2 for screen id.
Batteries are fresh.
Could one of you gold seekers do me a favor and air test a similar sized nugget to compare the results I've posted above?

 

[JT Shooter]

n/t

 

[Jim McCulloch]

JT: Does JT stand for "Joshua Tree" (California)? If so, I can personally take a look at your MXT to see if it is working properly. However, the distances you quoted are rather poor, IF you are using adequate gain. A nugget the size you mention should weigh 4 to 5 grains, and SHOULD be detectable IN GROUND from 4 to 6 inches, depending on soil conditions (and gain settings). It would be a good idea to have a dealer or experienced MXT user take a look at it. Hope this helps; HH Jim

 

[JT Shooter]

Hello Jim,
Unfortunately I am at the other end of the state, JT is Jefferson Territory; nor cal. I believe I have learned the ground situation well, and our ground runs hi 60's to high 70's, occasionally a little above or below. I've tried locking the ground, I've tried nearly every combination of gain and sat, yet never have I had to dig deeper than 3" or so even to find the faintest target. I think I will have to send this in to the shop. Unfortunately my trip to the desert next week will not be accompanied by the mxt.
After spending several hours patiently reading manuals and web pages then field testing, then finally hunting, I noticed that I was not hitting anything over that 3 or 4" deep. For kicks, before I send it off, I will re-install the 950 coil to see if greater depth results.
Maybe a coil problem?

 

[Jim McCulloch]

JT, in your original post, you mentioned "fitting on a 10x6 DD." For a 10x6 DD to work on your MXT requires that it be the ECLIPSE 10x6. If the 10x6 is NOT marked with "Eclipse," then it is the wrong one. If it came from a GMT, certainly it is the wrong one. In which case the depths of 2-3 inches would be about right. If it IS the Eclipse, then it is likely faulty. Put the 950 back on and recheck depths. Also, check the battery strength readout; if below 10 volts then open the pack and see that ALL the batteries are correctly installed. No offense intended here, twice in the past on this Forum someone got poor depth, then found out a battery was backwards in the battery case(so they claimed; I'm not gonna try it with MY MXT!) Hope this helps; but it sounds like your coil is bad. HH jim

 

[JT Shooter]

It is indeed the eclipse, I didn't realize there was a difference. I'm going swap coils this weekend an check the depth with the 950.
THe batts are in correct and 11 v.