MXT Question : Using at the beach

[viking777]

Hi, I'm fairly new to the MXT and I've been working the beach in FL. I think I've got working the MXT down pretty well but I have some questions for other MXT users regarding beach detecting.

To me, basically all the tones sound pretty much the same. Some are stronger than others but I really don't notice much of a difference between quarter, penny or cap. Should there be a difference?

The display does show a difference in the vdi numbers and I'm getting use to that but I am affraid to rely on that too much. If the tone is loud (close to surface) and the display shows something, it seems to be correct. But depth affects the readout in my experience. So, I've been digging just about everything.

I've noticed that the "foil" readout is pretty accurate. It typically show a vdi # of 0 and says "foil". I dig and sure enough, it's foil. Is there any metal item that would display as foil? Also, apparently, I can't discreminate out the foil???

Again, I'm new to all this MDing stuff so I have a general beach question: What is generally the best digging tool for soft sand? I'm using a normal spade and I'm finding that the holes I'm digging fill in 1/2 as fast as I dig them. I have lost 2 finds because I think they just kept going deeper.

Thanks for any help/suggestions.
V

PS. I love the Relic mode on the MXT. I found 1 penny yesterday at about 10-12 inches by switching to relic mode and turning up the gain to +2. Seems to go a little deeper and the high tone is great.

PSS. Using the 9.5 coil.

 

[Sandpiper]

To me, basically all the tones sound pretty much the same. Some are stronger than others but I really don't notice much of a difference between quarter, penny or cap. Should there be a difference?

All tones will be the same in c/j, I find most coins to have a lighter whisper, Bottle caps will jump around from foil to quarters, deeper coins will have a faint sound most times will not read VDI. Sometimes I will kick the sen up to +3 or go to relic or propecting mode to determine the metal. But most times I just dig all.

The display does show a difference in the vdi numbers and I'm getting use to that but I am affraid to rely on that too much. If the tone is loud (close to surface) and the display shows something, it seems to be correct. But depth affects the readout in my experience. So, I've been digging just about everything.

Best to dig everything if possible untill you get use to the machine, then back off maybe digging everything later.

I've noticed that the "foil" readout is pretty accurate. It typically show a vdi # of 0 and says "foil". I dig and sure enough, it's foil. Is there any metal item that would display as foil? Also, apparently, I can't discreminate out the foil???

Yes, small gold items sometime comes in at foil. Small rings, earrings, clasp and the like.

Again, I'm new to all this MDing stuff so I have a general beach question: What is generally the best digging tool for soft sand? I'm using a normal spade and I'm finding that the holes I'm digging fill in 1/2 as fast as I dig them. I have lost 2 finds because I think they just kept going deeper.

Get a good sand scoop with a short handle or knee high handle, check out some of the dealers here. Sometimes finds will tend to disapear after digging, move the sand around step on it to flatten in case a coin is setting on edge. After digging you distrub the halo effect also.
Hope this is a little help, there are others here with more knowledge than I, this is just some of my finding. HH

 

[JW]

The MXT is a good beach detector I've gotten close to a foot in depth on the east coast, NSB. Discriminate iron and dig everything else, there are small rings that can read in the foil range. I had a customer do an experiment and he dug over 260 ulltab before he got a piece of gold. Plus by checking the target with the prospecting mode you can determine the the iron % of a questionable target. :yikes