IDX and MR. Bill Mods Question?

[Prospector]

What kind of depth increase can one expect from having the IDX modified as per Mr. Bill? Would it have depth somewhere similar to the MXT, and could it be used effectively for relics and old home sites. I understand that he adds threshold and ground balance knobs and tweaks the internals on the detector to achieve more depth. If you did not want the ground balance and threshold knobs could he just do the internal modifications alone and still increase the depth? Any ID/IDX user please tell me how you are doing with this machine. Thanks!

 

[Monte]

What kind of depth increase can one expect from having the IDX modified as per Mr. Bill? Would it have depth somewhere similar to the MXT, and could it be used effectively for relics and old home sites. I understand that he adds threshold and ground balance knobs and tweaks the internals on the detector to achieve more depth. If you did not want the ground balance and threshold knobs could he just do the internal modifications alone and still increase the depth? Any ID/IDX user please tell me how you are doing with this machine. Thanks!

[size=large]... I have to tell you that you've asked some difficult to answer questions.

What kind of depth increase from Bill's mods? A lot depends upon the coil in use, the site conditions, and other settings. If you're referring to the increased sensitivity only, then I'd say perhaps 10% give or take some.

Would it have depth similar to an MXT? In some environments, and using a similar-size and type coil, it might fall a little short of the MXT, it might match the MXT, or it might better the MXT. You see, while they are both a 2-filter type detector, thus slow-sweep designs, there are going to be other differences in the way of ground filtering, audio processing, ground balance, and more. I've owned four (4) MXT's and more modified IDX Pros than that. I presently rely on my modified IDX Pro a lot. I don't own an MXT anymore. Depending on what new and exciting things White's brings us between now and next spring, I might replace it with something new, or if I had to replace it today I'd opt for the M6. But I've had one of those, also, and the modified IDX Pro just does some things differently that I like ... in some applications such as very densely scattered iron nails and other small iron.

As for using a modified IDX Pro for relics and hunting old home sites, the answer is a definite YES from me! While I get to urban pack and school playgrounds, I mainly look for renovation sites and/or older building tear-downs. Away from the city my primary hunting is trashy ghost towns, homesteads, logging, mining and rail-road camps, and other, and other sites with brush, building rubble, and assorted junk.

let me just add that I seldom use a 950 coil on any of my White's now, or through the years, and favor a 6

 

[Prospector]

Thanks Monte. By the way, did you say 6 1/2" coil? I thought you could only get a 5.75 Bullseye or the 8 inch coil.