Now, let me touch on this frequency business so far as being good for gold or good for silver.
It can be shown, in 'textbook theory', that an operating frequency in the 2 kHz to maybe 8 kHz will do a better job of handling ground minerlas and detect deeper in 'bad ground' and possibly be more responsive on higher-conductive targets suich as silver or copper coins. And that detectors operating at higher frequencies, such as 15 kHz to 30 kHz might not handle bad ground as well, but are more responsive on smaller and/or lower-conductive targets such as gold nuggets, gold gewelry and US nickels.
But note that most dedicaded gold nugget detectors operate at a much higher frequency ... for the smaller-sized nuggetes, especially. What we have to take into consideration is not only the operating frequency, but the coil size and type. The rest of the electronics other than simply those associated with opertaing frequency. The mode used. And all the other dynamics that enter into it.
This year, so far, 10.9% of all the coins I have found have been US nickels. Which detector operating frequency did I use to find most (95%) of theose? It was a White's 6.59 kHz model!
How about the almost dozen gold rings, and the gold pendants, and the gold chains I have found this year? Gold jewlery that, so far, has sold to bring me about $500 this year and there's more to sell. It was one of the 6.59 kHx models. Most of the nickels and gold jewlery were found using an IDX Pro, and some an XL Pro and one an XLT.
Oh, and while my IDX Pro has popped me a LOT of silver coins this past couple of years, it was due to the location, not the frequency. Matter of fact, I have detected my deepest silver coins this year with my 19kHz Shadow X5!!
Sort of shoots ahole in 'theory' so far as I am concerned.
We have to combine theory with field function results. Add a little nasty ground, maybe a mix of targets, throw in some trash and then try several different types and sizes of coils and .... the result comes down to the answer of a simple question: Does a particular detector work, or not work, for what you are hunting for and where you are hunting? If it doesn, then operating frequency isn't really all that important.
Now, the new X-Terra 50 is only operating at 7.5 kHz and I am hitting well on silver coins. Next week I'll be using the same size and type of coil, but operating at 18.75 kHz. Then, with other variables out of the picture so far as circuitry, I will get a better idea if there is much difference.
As for you, you might check out a new M6 and see how it does, and compare it side-by-side, if possible, with an XL Pro and an MXT and see how it does.
Monte
Who knows. Maybe they figured that the higher frequency would be more sensitive to small gold items
(which I rarely find anyway) and if I were beach hunting I would probably just use a beach machine. Go figure.
Monte should jump in here and give us a hand on this.
