Was my MXT a good choice?

GRUMP said:

Rudy. Yet again you have been more help than I could hope for!!! Thank you very much!!! I think I will pick up the 6-10 and the 4-6 DD coils. It sounds like exactly what I am looking for. Rudy have you ever thaught about putting together a "How To Use The MXT"  booklet? I think it would make great reading, and should come with every MXT off the shelf. When pinpointing with a DD coil, because of the longer narrower field would you sweep the target  and then sweep it again at a 90 degree angle from you first sweep? And would this be as critical with the 4-6 as it would be with the 6-10 with the longer field?

Click to expand...

Hi Grump [blush],

Thanks. I wish I had the time to write a booklet , but I'd rather spend what
little time I have hunting.  The DD coils are not as easy to pin point accurately with as the 950, or other concentrics.  Yes, you can X the target, but since there is no hole to look through, it is not as easy to visualy mark the spot. Also, it is harder to gauge exactly where the center of the coil is. In other words, where are the legs of the "X" actually crossing

Before I explain how I prefer to pin point with the DD, let me explain how the DD field differs from the concentric coil.  The detection field from the concentric coil resembles a cone, with the tip of the cone roughly centered on the coil's hole. That is the maximum detection depth point. Of course, you will still pick up fringe targets a little bit outside of that cone, but they won't hit as hard or give you an accurate VDI reading. For that, you have to sweep with the coil centered over the target.

Now, the DD coil has a field that can be visualized as resembling more of a canoe shape, with the keel being the deepest detection part. Others visualize it as a windhield wiper blade. Anyway, there is less ground matrix volume contained inside the "canoe", as there is in the cone of the concentric. This is what makes, size for size, the DD quieter. It simply "sees" less mineralization.

Ok, now we know what the detection field looks like, lets go into pin pointing with a DD.  Once you find a target, move the coil a little bit away and pull the trigger to go
into pin pointing mode, then slowly sweep back towards the target and listen to the volume of the VCO and or look at the depth bars on the LCD. When you stop sweeping at the point of maximum sound (or smallest depth displayed on LCD), the target is under the imaginary line connecting the front and rear tips of the coil. Now, keeping the coil on that imaginary line, start sliding it back towards you, until you hear a sudden drop in the audio volume. At that point, the target is right under the front tip of the coil. Whoila!

:!: I get it!!! Thank you for the info. Your patients and time are much appreciated. You explain things in a way that makes them easy to understand. I have the feeling if you didn't spend all your time helping others, you could have wrote that book by now. I allso find that there are two valuable things you can find with this metal detector that aren't mentioned in the owners manual, "Good people" and "Friends". I have found more of them in this forum, than coins and jewelry in the ground.

Thanks Again for all your help!!! HH

Thanks for the kind words.