My new M6.........Help Please!

[Guitarman]

This is my first post here so please bare with me. I got a new M6 last week after using a $99 Bounty Hunter for the past year. I like to hunt coins and I live close to the beach so I figured this would be a good machine for me.

I took it out this morning for 2 hours in a local park. Only found 4 pennies, all at about 1 inch deep. Apparently I have a lot to learn. I hunted in both 7 tone and search mode. What a letdown I thought.

I returned home and made a test garden. I buried a Quarter (7 inches), a dime (6 inches) and a nickle (6 inches). All were buried flat. The nickle gave the strongest tone, but the VDI bounced around so much (negative to positive, foil, iron, etc.) that if I had encountered it in the field, I would have thought it was trash and ignored it.

The quarter's VDI bounced around with each backward and forward sweep, but it at least mostly stayed in the postive 80's & 90's. However the signal was faint. The dime I buried both flat, then on its side. The M6 hit it both times but the signal was faint and the VDI bounced around a bit, again with each sweep.

Is this normal? If the VDI bounces around this much with a known target (my test coins), how do you know what to dig in the field? I guess I was expecting a more steady VDI #. I have read the manual, watched the video, read the tips sheet, etc. I also ground balanced according to the instructions. The gain and disc. were both set at the factory presets. I don't have a set of headphones yet.

Also, with the pinpointing feature, the deeper the target, the less the bar at the bottom would advance across the screen. For example, if the target was near the surface, the bar would go all the way across the make a loud sqeal. If it was deep, it would only go about halfway across and not be as loud or high pitched. Is this normal?

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[robocoin]

Headphones a must. It will take some time to get use to. The VDI # is probably the least acurate. tone 1st, the bar below. Try ground balancing your unit with the lock in the off position by pumping the coil and place the switch in auto trac. I personally prefer not to use the presets, zero disc full power, if unstable back off a little. I would try and airtest by dropping some change. Play with sweeping the coil @ different speeds. I would use the 7 tones, it's a 14.6khz machine vs 6.59 for bounty hunter. I have the ss2. If you have the dvd I'd watch it. Accessory coils a must many to choose from. I hope this helps. HH

 

[DFX-Gregg]

Well hate to tell you this....But most of my coins are found in the 1 to 5 inch range and that is using a DFX! So I would first just try to work with coins consistently in the detectors range! Good luck, Gregg.

 

[Guitarman]

I was thinking I must be doing something wrong. I was expecting the VDI # to be stable and not bounce around. Is this normal? Also, is the PP scenario I described normal? I just hope I don't have a defective machine or something. I will be getting a quality set of headphones. Thanks.

 

[DFX-Gregg]

How could you expect anything in just one time??? The vdi jumps around because detector is trying to identify target. The test garden did not work because the corrosion on coins in the ground strengthens signal!!! Just dropping a few coins deep into ground and not getting a signal means nothing! Headphones yes! Defective machine if you bought new if turns out defective which I doubt you have a warranty! Not sure what you expected....First time I went out with my DFX was just ok....Now I average 20 coins per hour minimum, any think less disappoints me. But I use my detector all the time since I got it. I would just be ready to go out again read manual over and if you got a dvd watch again. Search these forums and ask questions....You will get them answered....I always do, Good luck and stick with it! Gregg

 

[Bajanick]

My mxt jumps around like crazy in high trash areas. Its seeing alot of peices of metal in a short amount of time and space.

 

[steve m]

I also just bought an M6. Tried it yesterday for the first time. Found a few coins. Ended up using my xl pro with the small sniper coil on it. I'm going to get the eclipse 5.3 coil for mine. I think it will make it easier to use. Easier to pinpoint with.
Good luck!
Steve///

 

[bill(de)]

Your pinpoint seems to be working fine.

As Rob stated the VDI is the least reliable ID because there is a -95 to +94 target ID resolution factor so you can a have a rolling group of numbers based on what's under the coil and how big the coil is or how deep the target is will have it's affects.

The 16 bar graph may provide better visual stability, but honestly feel the most effective use of the M6 IMHO is using "0" disc ,7 tone audio which has only 7 ways to screw up and the use of smaller coils that will turn the M6 into a killer hunter at trashy sites.

At cleaner sites the 950 or 6x10" coils should provide enough depth to hit about the same as the MXT. HH Bill

 

[robocoin]

Remember everytime you pass the coil over a target it gives a true vdi # on every swing. Multiple targets it will average the vdi. This is for coin size targets. with this said i rely on the tone first, Vdi and bar graph. You just need to practice. Have fun. hh

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Just judging by your pinpointing of course a deep coin will sound much softer in pinpoint if its deep I can tell you need more field time with the unit...I think an experienced clubmember would be a great help and actually this hobby or for that matter a unit is not learned overnight...As far as the recent buried coins not a good test as older coins buried for many years will give much more depth..No reason you should not get a solid hit and good ID at 6 inch coins at least..my advice read the manual several times and spend a couple weeks in the field and do a lot of digging and in a while you will start to improve...

 

[Guitarman]

n/t