MX5 questions

[Hightone]

Thinking about trading off the F5 and coils for a MX5.

1. Anyone have any idea why NEL doesn't make their line of coils for it?
2. I heard it hits iron hard, and comes through even if notched out. True?
3. Some have complained about the threshold hum breaking, rising and lowering when metal isn't present. Anyone have that problem?

I have developed essential tremors since I bought the F5 years ago, and the one press PP would suit me better than attepting to hold down the PP like I do on the F5. I love my F5 but feel I need to move towards something with digital settings memory as well. I love the control of the F5 as well, but it seems the PP button on the MX5 is easier to hit than the smaller F5, especially when your slightly shaking.

Thanks for input on this.

Dan

 

[RLOH]

Dan, I have a SEF 10x12, but the Whites 10dd coil is a near equal to the SEF. The only significant difference between these two coils is size and coverage. Also, the SEF is cheaper. I have noticed the threshold on my MX5 to gain in volume as I am hunting, but this is not an intermittent problem. It seems to happen gradually and in no way does mine sound like a null. I notch out the first four segments which is iron and I dig less iron with the MX5 than any detector I have used. As a coin hunter and the need for a detector to reach 8 inch depths for these coins, not digging this deep, rusty iron is a plus. I also like the on-off feature of the pinpoint. If you have a hard time feeling your finger or lack dexterity, you will appreciate this feature. I also had a F5 and loved the control features, but in my opinion, the MX5 is deeper and more accurate on deep coins. The ground tracking on the MX5 works well and with your setting saved, just turn it on and start detecting. I will look for clean ground when I start up and pump the coil four or five times before I start swinging, but I don't know if this is necessary. I figure it can't hurt. All in all one of the best performing detectors in this price range.

 

[hammer0419]

I too use an MX5 WITH A 10x12 SEF coil. I have had excellent results and is very deep. I did notice tonight though that it would sound off on notched out iron. I never had this issue with other detectors?

 

[basstrackerman]

the mx5 is a really good detector... I also had issues with disced out iron came thru clean like it wasn't disced at all.. it was disappointing

 

[Hombre]

It depends on the size of the iron, big iron will always come through as a higher conductor. The MX5 is good in small iron with the first three iron segments notched out and using single tone. I relic hunt around old house site's, torn down one room school houses, old churches, etc. and bigger iron will come through on every detector I have ever used. If I'm in a rural area, then I use a relic shovel as my discriminator, nobody cares what I use as there is nobody around. I have found old axe heads, pistols, cast iron toys this way, still looking for that coin cache.

I have used the 6½" White's concentric coils on my 6.59 Khz detectors for the trashy places and they work great, no different with the 5.3 Eclipse coil. It works great on my MX5. It works in and around small iron with ease and can pick out the non ferrous targets with good VDI numbers. I think White's has a winner with this detector, it will even keep up with some better Tesoro models in handling the iron nails by using 2 tone and especially in one tone with the first three iron segments notched out. I'ts a keeper for me, the more I use it, the more impressed I am with it's discrimination abilities.

 

[Hightone]

That's some of what I have heard as well, my Buckeye friend. I have no problems with ID with the F5 up to, say. 7-8" No iron ever comes in if I disc up to about 30. I am not as interested in deep targets 9"+ as I am stability and good ID which the F5 gives me. If I run my detector at 99 gain, or AM, I can excede those depths, but really never do. The length of my Lesche 85 blade or maybe an inch further is all I dig. If the XPointer doesn't get a signal it that depth, I move on. Thats just me as I can't stay on my knees to long without trouble getting back up (sucks to get old).

My thumb shakes somewhat as I try to push the PP button. If I could just hit a button, I'm fine. If I have to maintain pressure on it, my thumb shakes side to side and sometimes the PP retunes and I have to start again over a clear spot. So the MX5 seems to be a blessing over the F5, not as much in depth, but just the way it works, for me anyways.

I don't need a DD coil or a deeper one. I never used my 5"DD and used my 11"DD maybe twice because of what I explained above. The 10" C has been just fine. So a MX5 with it's stock coil seems to be just what I need.

Dan

 

[hammer0419]

I guess it is just going to take time and learn what the machine is saying to me. Last night while out I had a few hit really hard and read 80. Was sure it was something good. Ended up being big pins? I'm gonna assume because of size and shape??

 

[Hombre]

I guess it is just going to take time and learn what the machine is saying to me. Last night while out I had a few hit really hard and read 80. Was sure it was something good. Ended up being big pins? I'm gonna assume because of size and shape??

Hammer,

What coil was you using? If you were using the big SEF 10X12" DD coil, I can see where you would have a problem working in iron, check out my post above. I'm too lazy to type any more about iron, my previous post pretty much sums up my beliefs of 20 years experience with a lot of different metal detectors. The stock coil does pretty good in the small iron but the 6½" concentric Eclipse 5.3 coil really wakes up the MX5 in the small ferrous (nails) trash.

The Eclipse 5.3 can be slow walked almost down to a barely moving crawl in the iron junk, these types of places can hold some keepers. I found a man's 10kt gold ring at a place that I had been over with two different detectors. The trick to that is to use 2 tone audio with everything accepted or the first 3 iron slots notched out. I use single tone if the iron gets too thick.

 

[hammer0419]

Thank you Hombre. I have an SEF 10X12 and the stock concentric coil. I am getting the same rests with both. I did have them set to 8 tone. I will change that to 2 tone and see what happens. I will be getting a small coil soon so that should held. Thanks again.

Jim

 

[BarberBill]

My experience is similar to Hombre's. Large iron comes through even with the disc set above iron in every detector I've used.. Just another aggravation in the hobby like pull tabs and bottle caps.
BB

 

[cosmic]

Only played with it once with the 5.3 for a little .. Some of the iron coming through seems to be from a fast sweep speed... Haven't tried the stock coil yet...

 

[hammer0419]

I just had to send my MX5 back to white's for an upgrade in the software. Was one of the first ones off the line and has some tone issues.

 

[duraflap]

Hello there
I have an MX5 bone stock from the factory and it is awesome! The one thing about discrimination I have learned is no matter what I have notched out on the discriminate bar, on the led read out the iron will always show a negative number reading (-16 for example) where a coin or ring will always show a positive number (22 etc.) This saves me a lot of time when I able to get out and play. As a side note: I have found more coins and rings with my MX5 than any of my other 4 metal detectors. (-:

 

[slingshot]

The MX5 is the best detector I have ever owned. Sorry I don't use any but the 9" coil-but the thresh hold and so many other features are user adjustable. It is one of the best thought out designs I've seen. I have only come across a few large iron pieces-but as poster said, I get a negative ID number. And all you have to do is just tap the pinpoint button.

 

[daveinoregon]

Thinking about trading off the F5 and coils for a MX5.

1. Anyone have any idea why NEL doesn't make their line of coils for it?
2. I heard it hits iron hard, and comes through even if notched out. True?
3. Some have complained about the threshold hum breaking, rising and lowering when metal isn't present. Anyone have that problem?

I have developed essential tremors since I bought the F5 years ago, and the one press PP would suit me better than attepting to hold down the PP like I do on the F5. I love my F5 but feel I need to move towards something with digital settings memory as well. I love the control of the F5 as well, but it seems the PP button on the MX5 is easier to hit than the smaller F5, especially when your slightly shaking.

Thanks for input on this.

Dan

I too used to own a F5... a very fast and versatile machine that is fun to use. Nel coils are great, I have used many of them and luckily I have never had a warranty issue. The variety of whites coils to use with this unit are many as well as the detech line sef coils which are very good..a little heavier than the nel coils but still good coils.

Large iron will come through as on most detectors. Your experience and settings will help you decide what to dig. My personal favorite is to run no discrim and 2 tone.

I have not noticed any problems with the threshold on my particular unit.

The PP button is easy to use on the mx5 and yes I used to love the well thought out placement of controls on the f5 and the ease of use. While I do miss my f5 at times I feel more confident in more situations approaching them with the mx5. Most notably in my soil the mx5 is able to find targets consistently deeper and is less affected by EMI.

If you have a chance watch some vids on the mx5 first...some don't like the tones of the detector and youre going to be listening to them a lot

GL with your choice!!