Howdy! I still read things here a lot but don't post as often as I used to.
First, to Rudy: I haven't really crossed over to the dark side, I have enjoyed using a few newer models, and have found one that really does work rather well. No, not perfect, but well. I also enjoy using my Shadow X5 on occasion, and modified IDX Pro a good deal in ghost town type scenarios.
I needed a faster-sweep
'cruising unit' so I parted with the noisy MXT and went back to using an XLT or XL Pro for a while. I still like them both, and like the MXT, too, except for the noise.
I wonder what White's is bringing out next, however, as the XLT was released 12 years ago this spring, and the DFX doesn't seem to really be getting the sales that most of my dealer friends thought (hoped) it would. Still, even after owning seventeen XLT,s, I just might order one final unit and hang onto it as a 'cruiser' detector.
Also, thank you for acknowledging that I was the first to mention the ability to 'lock' the '50' and '83' on the MXT. You would have thought that it would have been promoted in the manual and such, but I found that many there as well as dealers didn't know about it.
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For Mikel and others: The MXT is a very good detector. Matter of fact, there are a LOT of very good detectors out there, but sadly most users never take the time to learn them. Glad to see this forum and a few others active with questions and answers as that's what helps us all become knowledgeable and better at detecting.
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To Jeff: Like everyone else should, I appreciate your input on this and other forums. Naturally, you are correct in your statements. I am the first to make note that I am not a book-taught, educated electronic engineer. But I have more field time in a wide range of detecting scenarios than most design engineers will ever have and I a pretty fair understanding of the basics of what makes these things work.
Through the years I have spent time with several design engineers in discussions during some product development and one thing that I do know and that is most folks just do not understand "technical talk." Heck, look at all the factory preset GB models available.
We both know it isn't difficult to GB a detector in most environments, but we also know that there are many people who just don't comprehend "positive" and "negative" reactions when lowering a coil, or how to 'increase' or 'decrease' a control and set a functional GB. So, I have always tried to explain things as best I can and put in "common speak" so most might understand it.
I have always been one to enjoy analogies, and your post below about muddy water and seeing/not seeing the bottom as it relates to perceived depth is choice! I think that should help some understand what you were trying to say.
As for the cut and paste Rudy used:
"If you turn the MXT 'On' when in the Locked setting, it is at an established '83' and that should compensate for just about any nasty ground you're going to hunt over!"
Let me just point out that is said
"... SHOULD..." compensate for most nasty ground, not that it always will. Due to the type of rapid tracking circuitry White's is using, ans since they didn't add an ability to manually tweak the MXT's GB, there are going to be times when a MXT user is going to try hunting a site and become very frustrated due to the site challenges and inability to get a tracked GB. So, if the conditions are really bad, then until they master their MXT, this quick set-up does come in handy.
It's just another tool, in the way of set-up technique, to attempt to get some operational performance when faced with a set of challenges. We all know there is no absolute and that 'theory' in design doesn't always hold true in the field.
Again, I enjoy your posts and love the analogies.
Monte