My first real hunt with the MX5 - observations

[Phillip_in_NM]

I had my first real opportunity to spend some real time in the field (parks) since getting the MX5. All I had really done up to this point has been air testing and some planted targets in my backyard. I spent the better part of 6 hours today checking out some local parks. Found about five bucks in pocket change, a key fob and a costume jewelry charm.

Bear in mind that I do know mine has issues with the tones. Sometimes while pinpointing, the tone changes - becomes 'squeakier' for lack of a better term. After turning the pinpoint off, the tones (I was using 8 tones) sound different. I thought I had resolved this after discovering it while air testing, but apparently not.

First off, it is NOT an M6! I read somewhere that the MX5 is the M6's brains in the coinmaster's body. While it may be the coinmaster's body, it certainly doesn't have the brains of the M6.

LIKES:

1) Love the audible threshold. I tried it with various discrimination patterns and liked to hear the nulling from discriminated targets (with VDI!)

2) Like the backlight. I hunted until just after dusk. Sure came in handy.

3) Love the standby feature - nice to not have to listen to my ProPointer talk to my detector while pinpointing a target!

4) Love the notch discrimination capabilities! Can't wait to get it to the beach, where I can set it for quarters and above and the gold range and avoid the dimes and pennies while still finding the good stuff (gold and most heavier silver jewelry)!

5) Love the tone options. While I have really only tried the 8 tone, I'm hoping the two tone will let me get the good stuff amongst the iron! I love TTF on the Etrac. If the MX5 can give similar or better results, the Etrac may be on its way out!

6) Love the weight. Could easily swing it all day.

DISLIKES:

1) Not a fan of the stock coil. Took the 4x6 off the M6 and liked that much better. Liked the stock coil on the M6 better than I liked the stock coil on the MX5. (Currently looking for another 4x6 so I can have one for each machine. Anybody want to sell theirs?)

2) HATE the location/placement of the coil connection on the control box - where you can only get your fingers maybe a third of the way around it. Awfully hard to tighten - especially for those of us with arthritis. (Walked about 100 yards, swinging away, before realizing that the reason I wasn't getting any signals was because my coil cable had come unplugged!)

3) Dislike not having a more stable base when setting the detector down. Seems to always fall to one side or the other - most often to the side where my wireless headphone transmitter is plugged in.

4) Dislike the instability of VDIs/tones. Can't help but to compare it to the M6. M6 is MUCH more stable.

All in all, I think I will really enjoy the MX5, but I don't ever foresee it replacing the M6. When winter really sets in, I will send it in to White's to get the tone issues fixed. Then, and only then, I might change my mind.

 

[godigit1]

Bad thing about notchijg pennys is larger gold rings will can hit in the correded zinc range. I found a 17 gram pendant 8 inches down and it hit solid penny from all directions. The only reason I dug it is it was so clean at 8 inches I seemed weird.
Surprise !!
HH

 

[Phillip_in_NM]

Bad thing about notchijg pennys is larger gold rings will can hit in the correded zinc range. I found a 17 gram pendant 8 inches down and it hit solid penny from all directions. The only reason I dug it is it was so clean at 8 inches I seemed weird.
Surprise !!
HH

That does make sense! OK, in the DRY sand, I would notch in the zincs. In the WET sand, I would notch them out. From my limited experience beach hunting, the effort of digging hundreds of zincs in wet sand wouldn't be worth the trouble for the occasional heavy gold ring. I read on one of the forums about a guy who had dug hundreds of gold items on beaches and kept track of where they came up on his scale. What I remember most was that, by numbers, less than 2% of his gold items came from the zinc or above range; by gold weight, less than 1%.

At my age, I consider the effort and time per target ratio more pertinent than finding EVERY gold item! I will go with the odds in wet sand and turf, but scoop everything in the dry sand.

 

[Phillip_in_NM]

I need to add one to the "Likes" category. Kind of forgot it when I posted the original.

7) Like the depth! One of the parks I went to seems to be hunted pretty regularly. Very little surface and shallow targets. Good depth and accurate VDIs down to 7 inches! Nice!

 

[berryman]

I've had my MX5 for about two weeks now. So far I've hunted the dry sand at the beach exclusively. I second all your "likes". I can't comment on the stock coil issue, because I haven't tried any of my other coils on it so far. On the other hand, I don't have anything bad to say about the stock coil so far.

The coil connection on the control box is a little awkward, but it's nothing I haven't been able to deal with. Not having a stable base hasn't been a problem for me, because I never set the detector down at the each. Most importantly, my detector didn't come with the tones issue, so I have no complaints on that front.

All in all, the MX5 has been a great performer for me. I have an M-6, but so far I haven't been motivated to pick it up.

 

[basstrackerman]

berryman I agree with you...I haven't used my other detectors since I got the mx5... the coil connection don't bother me that much. great display,great vdi at depth, light and well balanced.. seems deeper than my mxt..all I can say is I really like it and if this is the direction whites is going then looks good to me.

 

[larryk56]

Glad to hear the comments on the MX5
It is one of the detectors that I am giving consideration,

 

[x99]

Hello,
I have a question about the volume control. I know that it is possible to turn the volume down. But how quiet can it get?

Thank you

 

[Phillip_in_NM]

You can make the threshold so low that it's basically a "silent search" machine. I'm guess you could do the same with the target volume, although I can't imagine why you would want to.

 

[x99]

Thank you. I was a little bit concern, bacause I hunt with an XP Deus. It has no volume control (without headphones). If you are in a quiet environment, everyone can hear you from a great distance. It's an absolute nightmare. I had to put layers of rubber on the backside of the control unit, to reduce the loud noise. I thought that you can turn the volume down at MX5, but I didn't know if it is enough, if you are (for example) in the woods or in front of a building with open windows at night.