I have a MX5 with an Ultimate 13" DD coil. I live in Iowa, so the soil isn't Virginia bad. Keep in mind, I'm a rookie with about 15 hours of detecting time. I know I'm green, but it's killing me that I'm leaving deep coins behind. The guy that introduced me to detecting has a Teknetics T2 SE and he's hitting coins at 10 inches that I pass right over. In the opinion of the board, am I not in tune to my detector or am I not getting the depth? I found an old bottle cap yesterday and if I raise my detector above 6 inches over the object, the numbers bounce around and nothing is locked in. No way I can detect the bottle cap at 12 inches, standing on a non metal stool in my backyard I've heard nothing but positives about my detector and KellyCo thinks my detector should rival the T2 and AT pro with the large coil. I'm interested in relics and old coins. Clad doesn't interest me. Should I see if my MX5 is working properly? Should I get more swing time, or do I need a different model to get depth? No way I'm getting hits past 6 inches so far. Frustrated but I'm not giving up. I never do, but I don't want to keep bringing a knife to a gun fight. I'm sure you guys are all chuckling about another complaining detecting rookie. Thanks guys in advance for the feedback.
Find's Treasure Forums
Welcome to Find's Treasure Forums, Guests!
You are viewing this forums as a guest which limits you to read only status.
Only registered members may post stories, questions, classifieds, reply to other posts, contact other members using built in messaging and use many other features found on these forums.
Why not register and join us today? It's free! (We don't share your email addresses with anyone.) We keep email addresses of our users to protect them and others from bad people posting things they shouldn't.
Click here to register!
Need Support Help?
Cannot log in?, click here to have new password emailed to you
Changed email? Forgot to update your account with new email address? Need assistance with something else?, click here to go to Find's Support Form and fill out the form.
Talk me off the ledge
- Thread starter L.A.R.T
- Start date
Welcome to the White's Forum......
...First off I would take off the big DD coil and sell it, then put on the stock 9" spider coil and just get in tune with the MX5 using that coil. Bigger is not better in the trash and my favorite small coil is the 5.3 Eclipse, a very good concentric coil that is 6½" in diameter.
... A good ground balance to start off with is the "key"to the operation of the MX5. When I first get to a hunt site, I turn it on in my favorite hunt mode, Coin mode, 2 tone audio, 8 bars of sensitivity, threshold at a just audible level, the pinpoint mode is set to VCO. I will put the MX5 in pinpoint mode and find a clean patch of ground, a depth reading of 12 inches indicates that no metal is present, now in that exact spot, I will tap the pinpoint button back to Coin mode and pump the coil from about 6 inches to about touching the ground. The threshold will get ratty sounding with that famous MXT sputtering threshold audio, now it is set to do some deep hunting. Good luck and Happy hunting!
...First off I would take off the big DD coil and sell it, then put on the stock 9" spider coil and just get in tune with the MX5 using that coil. Bigger is not better in the trash and my favorite small coil is the 5.3 Eclipse, a very good concentric coil that is 6½" in diameter.
... A good ground balance to start off with is the "key"to the operation of the MX5. When I first get to a hunt site, I turn it on in my favorite hunt mode, Coin mode, 2 tone audio, 8 bars of sensitivity, threshold at a just audible level, the pinpoint mode is set to VCO. I will put the MX5 in pinpoint mode and find a clean patch of ground, a depth reading of 12 inches indicates that no metal is present, now in that exact spot, I will tap the pinpoint button back to Coin mode and pump the coil from about 6 inches to about touching the ground. The threshold will get ratty sounding with that famous MXT sputtering threshold audio, now it is set to do some deep hunting. Good luck and Happy hunting!
OregonGregg
Well-known member
You state that you are new and have only 15 hours total detecting time. The MX5 is a great machine....you just have to learn it. The T2 isn't going to do anything more then ya have, only more frustration....they run a bit more erratic then your MX5. The bottlecap is a man made ferrous object and yes you will get numbers jumping. It wants to reject, yet is round and coin size so machines struggle with that one. Did you try a coin instead when you were doing your "air test" I would suggest if you have the stock 9" Spider coil ( concentric) that came with the MX5's, that you start with that and use that coil for awhile until you become familiar with the machine. The Spider coil will get you good depth.
DD coils by nature are a bit more jumpy ( numbers) and less consistent by the way they are built, then a concentric coil, especially if your new and starting out with a 13" DD Coil. Anyhow the 9" spider coil will make learning your machine a little easier especially if you encounter trashier sites or better yet a Eclipse 5.3 coil. Also you state that you want to relic and old coin hunt, usually items found in old iron infested sites or just trashy sites.....if that is the case, the 13"DD really isn't going to do you any favors. I have found a lot of old coins with my M6 and MXT Pro 80% of those with the eclipse 5.3 ( 6 1/2" coil) and a detech 5" round DD coil. The rest with the 9" Spider coil. You need to get outta the "bigger coil is better thinking" Yes in wide open areas with sparse trash, that's a good coil to use. For all the rest of the areas, the ones that contain trash rather it be parks with modern day litter, foil, pulltabs etc or old sites with a lot of rusted tin and iron, then that coil becomes a disadvantage.
DD coils by nature are a bit more jumpy ( numbers) and less consistent by the way they are built, then a concentric coil, especially if your new and starting out with a 13" DD Coil. Anyhow the 9" spider coil will make learning your machine a little easier especially if you encounter trashier sites or better yet a Eclipse 5.3 coil. Also you state that you want to relic and old coin hunt, usually items found in old iron infested sites or just trashy sites.....if that is the case, the 13"DD really isn't going to do you any favors. I have found a lot of old coins with my M6 and MXT Pro 80% of those with the eclipse 5.3 ( 6 1/2" coil) and a detech 5" round DD coil. The rest with the 9" Spider coil. You need to get outta the "bigger coil is better thinking" Yes in wide open areas with sparse trash, that's a good coil to use. For all the rest of the areas, the ones that contain trash rather it be parks with modern day litter, foil, pulltabs etc or old sites with a lot of rusted tin and iron, then that coil becomes a disadvantage.
Larry (IL)
Well-known member
15 hours is not much training time for ANY sport or skilled activity for those who think metal detecting is not a sport. In hearing deep targets, the machine has far less to do about it than one might think, it is more of a learned skill in both knowing your detector and knowing the art of metal detecting. True, some detectors will get more depth than others but you often have to pay more for them and then you still have to learn that detector.
Some people are faster learners than others but in general I would say you have another 85 hours to log before you might say that you are "in tune" with your detector and then maybe you start adding the years to become as proficient as your hunting buddy
A couple of suggestions I might make: If you are using UR 29 headphones, I would get headphones made for detecting like the SunRay golds, Whites Pro Stars or others made for the job. The next time your buddy finds a deep one ask if you can listen to what he is hearing and see if he will work with you. Deep targets often sounds nothing like a target in the upper 6 inches.
Above all........ practice, practice, practice......... it will come to you with time and experience.
Some people are faster learners than others but in general I would say you have another 85 hours to log before you might say that you are "in tune" with your detector and then maybe you start adding the years to become as proficient as your hunting buddy
A couple of suggestions I might make: If you are using UR 29 headphones, I would get headphones made for detecting like the SunRay golds, Whites Pro Stars or others made for the job. The next time your buddy finds a deep one ask if you can listen to what he is hearing and see if he will work with you. Deep targets often sounds nothing like a target in the upper 6 inches.
Above all........ practice, practice, practice......... it will come to you with time and experience.
Larry (IL)
Well-known member
Page 17 in the manual.
coinjumper
New member
I was out with my mx5 and 13", seems like its a bit much in my spots even though its alot of open area but with lots of iron and no trac lock
OregonGregg
Well-known member
Hombre I read the manual on the MX5, and unlike the MXT's according to the manual...It will not let it off track beyond a certain point. I can take an MXT and show you in a few seconds how it will off track to iron in the tracking mode. That's why I always lock the GB. But I was glancing thru the MX5 manual and it says that it is only allowed to ( off) track to a certain point.......I guess i need to look at the manual again so I can clarify what I am trying to say.................to be cont.
Larry (IL)
Well-known member
I use the SunRay Golds because I use different makes of detectors and the Golds has a compatibility switch as well as a limiter. Whites Pro Stars works great with all White's detectors but not too sure about other makes where the wiring might be different. Can't go wrong with either for your MX5. I will be selling a new set of Pro Stars in the classifieds soon, maybe tomorrow if interested.
OregonGregg said:
Well Gregg, I read the manual 18 months ago and used up 2 battery packs since then and have never experienced off tracking into iron. I use the 5.3 Eclipse about 100% of the time and regularly pick out old coins in the nails. The manual states that the MX5 tracks ground mineraliztion from -93 (pure ferite) to an upper limit of -88, most of the small iron debris I have noticed are around -35 to -50 on the VDI. I'm real happy with my MX5, the only detectors that out perform the MX5 in the iron trash are the manual ground balanced ED-120 Tesoros. Also have hunted with guys that have the top end detectors and never felt out gunned, when the detectors are this good, it comes down to the experience of the operator.
OregonGregg
Well-known member
Yes I agree about knowing your machine well. And yep never have felt out gunned by supposed higer end machines. In fact on the Sept. NV outing there was only one machine in the group that could not get the penny on the NBPT. It got 0 of 8 possible hits. That was the ctx 3030 w/ 6" coil.
Well off to meet Monte . Hope the spot is dry enough to get on
Well off to meet Monte . Hope the spot is dry enough to get on
So I've taken a lot of the great advice and put it into practice. I pit my spider coil back on. I purchased a pair of White's ProStar headphones, and I'm goona just go out and swing and swing. When I'm not swinging, I'll be rereading the manual and watching YouTube videos. I'm confident I bought a capable unit in the MX5 and I'm gonna stick with it. Thanks for your encouragement and advice!