Whites for Relics??

[Daniel Tn]

I've read a few posts on the new machine and what not. I agree with RichardTN about a relic hunter running little to no discrimination and digging all that isn't iron.

I'm looking for a ID machine to relic hunt with and that can handle a little freshwater beach hunting as well. I've toyied a few times with the idea of getting a new DFX but keep backing out of it. I don't want a programable machine...just switches and knobs is fine. I'm guessing the MXT is probably on the tips of many of your tongues...but let me say I had an MXT when they first came out and I rank it as probably my least favorite machine of all time. In our soil here it would ID everything as iron in the ground and didn't get good depth (about 4-5 inches max unless it was a crushed coke can). Down in North Georgia it worked pretty good though...was really hot on brass down there. Actually a year or so later I was able to hunt with another fella's after I kept reading so many good reviews on the MXT and I wound up with the same results and impression of it. So definatly exclude that one.

Is the new M6 too much like the MXT for me to enjoy? And how about the analog Whites machines? I know the 6000XL Pro was probably the most popular but since they have been discontinued I would be stuck with getting a used one some place...which would be fine if that would be the ticket for me. I've had the opportunity to hunt with the new Minelab X-Terra 50 and I really liked it. Right now it's probably #1 on my list. Not really interested in any of the Fishers right now. Just sold a CoinStrike in favor of getting a Shadow X5 for most of my relic hunting. The C$ was probably my favorite ID machine of all time but was a bit bulky and such.

 

[OldeTymer]

Hi Daniel,

I've watched your situation over the last couple of years, and your continuing saga of trying to find a machine to work in your soil. I understand your plight.

Personally, I think the M6 may be too close to the MXT for you, but I say that without experience with it. Just from what I've read. If I were you, I would try to find someone with an XL Pro to try out before buying to see if it will perform in your soil. The nice thing about that machine is there are four modes of operation to choose from that might give you what you need. Another option might be a 5900 Di Pro SL. The reason I mention it is that it has a manual ground balance instead of the automatic ground balance of the XL Pro. That might make it easier for you to achieve a good balance in your difficult dirt. Both of these have the best meter I've ever used, and the meter is independent of the mode.

The new Id-Edge might also be something to take a closer look at. Its performance in iron trash is hard to beat, and it has better depth than the Id-Excel. Of course that's to be expected based on price. It is also suppose to have depth that is comparable to the CoinStrike and CZ's. I haven't had a chance to get out with mine yet due to a deep freeze that came upon us right after I received it. That figures. Again, you might want to try before you buy just to make sure.

Hope this helps,
OldeTymer

 

[Va Dave]

If you can wait till spring, I here from a good source, Whites is working on a detector specifically for bad ground, may be part of the M-6 Series, and thats all I know about it. If you can't, the DFX is most versatile machine I've ever used for Civil War relics. It will hunt land and beach with good performance. Love my XLT, but not quite as versatile for beach conditions.

Dave

 

[MG]

I agree with Olde Tymer. The 6000 and 5900 series of detectors have proven themselves to be top performers in the relic fields for many years. Even though I grew up in Cleveland just a few miles south of you and my mother and father live just a few miles north of you I spent my younger years fishing the Price Creek area and have never detected in the area. I've lived in Western Wa. for 30 years and hunt old lumber mill ghost towns and logging camps. Our soil is plagued with high mineralization and hotrocks and add rusted iron that infests these areas and it can be pretty tough hunting. I've hunted these areas the past twenty years using the 6000 and 5900 series and have found nothing so far that works better. You can easily tweak these units and get good depth in hot ground. Good luck Daniel!

 

[Daniel Tn]

You said you grew up in Cleveland. Man that is Civil War country there. That's where I spend about 80% of my relic hunting. Small world huh?!

 

[Chris1]

I have hunted coins and relics both and have never found an area I couldn't adjust my machine to. My finds have been great (reale, large cent, lots of seated, trade ax, dragon from northwest trade rifle and tons of bullets and buttons.

 

[willy]

I wonder if it might be a PI ...Willy.

 

[Monte]

The White's XL Pro is, without hesitation, one of the best 4-filter type detectors every and is great for coin hunting and relic hunting.

The stock 950 is 'OK;' for covering wide-open areas, but I prefer to keep a 6

 

[Daniel Tn]

Monte,

I have an X5 coming that should be here Tuesday the 20th. I had one once before and sold it due to alot of the reports on the Tejon vs X5 thing and how it affected the resale value of the units. Everyone was buying the Tejon and nobody wanted to pay for the X5 what it was worth. I jumped out because at the time I liked selling and trading quite a bit. I picked up a Tejon and it has put some stuff in my display cases. But I never saw the depth out of it that some people get...and in talking to several notable people I am starting to see now that I made the mistake by letting go of the X5. So that's why I tracked down a used one and got it. In what I saw when I had it, the X5 handled the ground better here...by atleast 2-3 inches on bullets and buttons. Mine is coming with the 9" and 5" coils. So I'm really anxious to get back to the camp site where I've been having to dig pops and clicks to get bullets and buttons at 6-7 inches deep with the Tejon. The X5 should open up a whole new world there. It will definatly be my goto non metered relic machine.

But that is the niche I was looking to fill next...a metered machine that I could relic hunt with and freshwater beach hunt with too. Depth is important but not as important as being able to handle diverse hunting situations in dealing with trash. My go to machine will be the X5 but not really in a freshwater beach situation or a trashy yard.

 

[Mike Bearden]

The X5 should do well in the ground you hunt, I HIGHLY recommend the 7" coil too. The 10 turn GB should be a key ingredient for you and once set a tad positive in that field we hunted ... it should rock and roll
I got the new 18.75 mhx coil for the 50 and would like to do another test there myself after the holidays so let me know when you're available will you.
If that X5 makes it to you today I know where you'll be, good luck bud.
Mike

 

[Monte]

Tej

 

[Monte]

the Shadow X5. That's the one I keep mounted full-time, but also have the 5" and 5x10 DD. The Shadow X5 is great!

It's too bad that White's didn't make the new Matrix M6 with selectable full-scale segment notching like the X-Terra 50. If you get together with Daniel after Christmas, let him use it a while. Should be coil-test time as soon as the rains met all the ice and then ease up a bit around here.

Merry Christmas to you, Daniel, and everyone else.

Monte

 

[Mike Bearden]

I met up with Daniel a few weeks ago and let him have at it with the 50 and he liked it although the screen was showing iron on some deep bullets but this ground is pretty darn HOT so I guess it was to be expected with most screen detectors to some degree.
Bottom line though, the 50 made a good showing and was EASY to use. Daniel is a joy to hunt with and he is like you and myself when it comes to trying them all.
I'm very interested in seeing how the new coil will do in that particular area. I ran it yesterday at a site that was once a Mill settlement, ground is every bit as HOT as where I hunted with Daniel and the results were outstanding.
I got 2 fairly small gold bands and a gold cuff link in 2 hours with nails mixed in everywhere. Can only imagine what a 18.75 in a 4X6 shooter style would be capable of. The coil selection on the M6 is a BIG advantage.
I had the opportunity to try the M6 last week, I really liked the feel of it and it MAY even be a better jewelry hunter than the 50 but overall I'm satisfied with the results I got yesterday
Irregardless, I can't see anything topping a X-5 for his area, I guess we'll just have to wait and see how he does with it.
H.H. & Merry Christams
Mike

 

[Daniel Tn]

I'm not really hunting the bullet hill site any more. Actually if we would have went to my "beat up campsite" I was hesitant about going to for fear of not finding anything, we would have done some good there. I didn't have anywhere to go a few weeks ago and went back there and just started walking ground I hadn't been on before and ran into a new camp. 600 acres is alot of land for a camp to hide on and this one wasn't but 200 yds from the first one I found on the property. Same general area and dirt as bullet hill...but digging camp items now. Drop bullets, melted lead, and buttons.

The X5 I had before, I did take it to bullet hill once. When I was doing comparison hunts between the X5 and Tejon, I went there and dug like 10 or more bullets that I checked with the Tejon that the best it would do was only pops in disc mode. The X5 was sounding off on those things pretty good. If I would have been more interested in hunting/finding instead of trading back then, I would have stuck with the X5 no matter what. Now I have my priorities in line Will probably be hated and slandered on the forums for my decision but as long as I'm pulling relics out of the ground I'll be happy. Since I figure alot of people wont believe the text of an X5 whipping a Tejon if it happens again...I figured since I have this cool digital video camera that I'd just film some real world hunts and comparisons. Should be fun to do. If the past is any indication of what might happen I know which one will be doing alot of the finding. BUT since my first tests I have came to know the Tejon better so who knows what'll happen til it happens.

Oh and come up any time to hunt with me man. Just gimme a holler. I'm off work from Thursday this week til after the new year. Detecting is all I plan on doing. Come on up and we'll give that X-Terra a run again with that new coil. I have my target ID machine down to two units...the X-Terra 50 and Whites M6. I had to flat out sell my CoinStrike...but the money from it is what I got the X5 with. I'm in favor of the X-Terra right now...just because I've seen it and hunted with it. This will be a dual purpose unit for me and my wife to use when she goes. She don't like relic hunting that much when I'm in cow pastures (she don't like cows and they don't like her)...but she does go when I head to the beach or the woods far from cows. Heheh. I wanted something for her to use while coin/jewelry hunting that was good for that...and could go good for relics too when she came, and plus for me to have a good backup when I am by myself or have somebody wanting to go with me. Thus you see why the X-Terra 50 is getting the nod right now. You had me up and going with it in a few minutes and I'd never laid eyes or hands on it.

 

[Mike Bearden]

Cool deal Daniel, how about us doing a hunt on say AFTER the weekend of Christmas. Anyday during the week will be good for me.
I'll bring some more detectors along for the hunt, maybe my Nautilus, Explorer II, MXT etc.
Looking forward to it
Mike

 

[BuckeyeBrad]

Not sure if you've tried one of these or not BUT, certainly if you haven't, you might want to consider looking into the latest version (2.2) Millenium Baron. It is the TID world's best kept secret IMO. 'Nuff said since I'm on the wrong forum for this. Sorry. I just used my last remaining "good for one tactless post" card for 2006.

 

[Daniel Tn]

Mike,

I reckon a few of us from the forum are trying to get together for a hunt the Monday after Christmas. I'm sure they wouldn't mind you going but since it's not at one of my sites and I was invited instead of doing the invitations, I can't be the one to say yah or nah. But anytime after Monday is good for me too.

The X5 came today and I just assembled it and tested it out. Ohhh man. I wish I could recall my serial number from the last one I had. I sold it with the 9" and 5" coils and a pair of Troy Pro headphones. This one came with the same...and I'm kinda wanting to say it is the same serial number too but I can't be sure on that. Wouldn't that be weird to run into the same machine after regretting selling it!?!

 

[rluka]

Would you be so kind as to tell me what kind of modifications you have done to your IDX Pro. Im looking for a good backup machine. I noticed that Whites doesnt have that detector listed anymore. What can they be purchasd for used?
Thanks..RonL

 

[Mike Bearden]

I understand completely Daniel and hope you guys get on some good ones.
Since you're off work all that week, any day will be good for me and it looks like the nice weather might hold out for us too.
I'll pop you an email or you can email me, either way is good.
H.H.
Mike

 

[Monte]

Actually, half my personal use battery IS a White's so I guess that's OK. We've had nasty cold and windy weather this past week and I only had a limited time with a dealer friend to check out an M6. Not enough to really judge it, but enough to make me wonder why in the world they broke down the 7 audio tones like they did? And why only 7 tones on the Matrix M6 and 8 tones on the Prizm V?

Actually, the Prizm V's makes sense because they are directly associated with the 8-zone Target ID. I prefer the 4-Tone and 18 segment discrimination of the Minelab X-Terra 50 to the M6.

I like the 'feel' of the Matrix M6, but that's partly due to the fact that they used the Classic rod/housing/trigger pod set-up and it's similar to my modified IDX Pro. With 26