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Alternatives To MXT For Coin Detecting?


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I've got the Mxt All Pro but originally bought it so I could do both park, beach and gold prospecting but Now that I've got the GM1000 and sdc for gold I'm not so sure that the Mxt is the best machine out there for coin hunting that's also an easy to use machine? What are your thoughts or suggestions for a great coin detector?.

Thanks again mate

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The MXT is a powerful and easy to operate coin detector. There are no "best" detectors although some do have small edges over others in certain performance areas. Everybody has favorites and the more people you ask, the more different answers you will get to your question.

Is there some specific way in which the MXT is failing you? If not, simply getting out and using it more will produce more results than trading it for another detector.

The two basic types of coin detectors:

Single Frequency - processes one optimized frequency. This allows the machine to have a slight edge on specific target ranges by focusing all aspects of the machine at a single frequency. In general low frequencies favor highly conductive and/or large items. High frequencies favor low conductive and/or small items. A few machines allow you to change frequencies but still operate at just one frequency at once.  Strengths: light weight, lower cost, fast recovery time between targets. Weaknesses: target id not as good as multi frequency machines, limited salt water capability.

Current production examples - Fisher F75, Garrett AT Max, Makro Racer 2, Minelab X-Terra 705, Nokta Impact, White's MXT, XP DEUS

Multi Frequency - process two or more frequencies at once. Targets and ground respond differently to changes in frequency. By comparing results at different frequencies, multi frequency detectors achieve the highest levels of target ID accuracy. They also can more effectively deal with the combined effects of both salt water and mineralized beach sand than single frequency detectors. Strengths: target id accuracy, salt water handling. Weaknesses: heavier, more expensive, slow recovery time between targets.

Current production examples - Fisher CZ-3D, Fisher CZ-21, Minelab Safari, Minelab E-TRAC, Minelab CTX 3030, White's VX3, White's V3i

Extra features to consider - waterproof, wireless headphones, availability of accessory coils (cost per coil and number of coils), screen backlight (for dim and dark conditions), firmware bug fixes via internet.

One extra feature needs a little explanation. Discrimination Options. Most detectors identify targets by either a tone or a target id number, or both. A few machines can display multiple target id information simultaneously. The two best examples are the White's Spectrum series (XLT, DFX, VX3, V3i) and the Minelab Explorer series (Various Explorer models, E-TRAC, CTX 3030). People who prefer to hunt by ear should look at the type of tone scheme offered and how it can or cannot be customized. People who are more visually oriented may want to take a look at machines with more sophisticated display options.

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Thanks Steve 

Always great to hear information from such an experienced and informed detectorist as yourself!. Perhaps I should wait and see what the new minelab is going to offer?

But as you said it makes a huge difference if your out swinging what you have multiple times a week and I'm sure the new VLF will take a bit of getting use to anyway so then your back to square one again, and if I'm not getting out much I'm going to struggle regardless of how good it is I guess.

Thanks again Mate appreciate your time and help!

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You are welcome!

It would be wise to wait anytime a new machine is just days away.

Seriously, the key to detecting success is know whatever machine you have, good locations, and hours. Detectors are all so good these days that trading one machine for another, unless what you have is totally inappropriate, will make little difference. Most detectors can find the same targets and only in extreme instances do differences show up. I often take two to four detectors at a time to parks and cross check "found targets", and it is quite rare to find a target where one machine really stands out from the others.

You have three options. 1. Get a different detector 2. Find better locations and 3. Put in more hours.

Of the three, getting a different detector is usually the least productive. Ten hours with this machine or ten hours with that machine - I am not making any bets as to which gets the best results. But all other things being equal, ten hours with this machine and twenty hours with that machine - I am betting on the hours. New locations can be the real game changer, but finding new locations that are good is a challenge in and of itself. Sometimes people only have an hour or two in their busy lives to detect, and so locations are limited to what is near at hand.

I have found if I want to find more coins (or jewelry, relics, or gold) I have to make a point of actually making it a habit (three days a week, or whatever) or at least committing to and scheduling more time to detect for coins. It really is that simple.

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I agree with Steve...its really about putting in the time and choosing your locations. A lot of the parks I hunted two years ago seem to be hunted out (by me) now. I find fewer good targets and less gold rings. Of course there is always the fact that you cannot cover every inch of ground  at every location  which keeps me going back and checking for missed targets...I will say that most of my good finds are either on my first or second visit to a new location. Good luck and show us some pictures of your finds!

strick

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Steve has just about summed it all up. There isn't much difference between this, that ot the other.

But if you can be picky, why not indulge yourself. I've tried all the big names myself and in coin detecting I just keep coming back to the detectors I enjoy using.

Minelab X-terra 705, Whites MXT All pro. These 2 machines have got all the tool sets I need and have delivered the goods more than once. And every time I go out they teach me a little more about their language.

When both companies come out with something "better" when you see it evolving, when you just feel their new machine is just that little more on the "money". They will get retired, not sold, not given away, just retired.

You don't part with a hammer thats strikes true, swings effortlesly and sounds just wright when you hit the sweet spot.

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I'll agree also with what has been said, I've used both the Deus ($$$) and whites SST and they both performed surprisingly similar taking into consideration the limited settings options on the SST. One super easy and one small light and complicated, I wish many times I still had the whites it was fun to use and performed great at my local parks and beach.

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Bhogg,  You have 3 of the most practical machines on the market, I might of failed to point out a couple of things when you first asked my why I use the MXT, 

Since then you have acquired the GM-1000 and the SDC,  Some of your sites you might find that they might be too hot for your GM where you have to reduce the Gain a little too much and because of Iron junk your SDC is going to make you want to pack up and go home,  A wise prospector as Steve has pointed will have a few machines on board, This is where your MXT comes in to play because it slots right between you GM and your SDC in terms of dealing with tough Ground conditions, but not as well as your SDC but a little better than the GM due to it's frequency, Add to that site a load of junk that is driving the SDC Nutz then that is the time to break out the MXT, So what you now have is a machine that not only handles the ground better than the GM but it also goes a bit deeper and it is saving you a lot of donkey work digging junk and with the right coils and the right conditions the MXT will have you digging holes well past 18" deep, Not mention that there are enough coils made to fit your MXT that you can fine tune it to go from the beach to the Gold fields and beyond.

I really rate the SDC but If I owned your machines depending on how you get on with the GM I would either sell the SDC and add a GPX4500/5000 because the GM can find the small shallow bits and the MXT can find some of the bits in between and the GPX can see bits almost as small as the SDC but it goes a lot deeper on the larger targets, In my world I would keep the lot, Remembering that the MXT and the SDC and the GPX have all found hundreds if not thousands of ounces of Gold each, not between them but each over the years, everyone of them can hold their heads up with pride.

Personally I would keep them all and add the GPX so you had a Full House then you are ready for any thing that comes your way. I hope this helps and if you get a GPX as well just in case the good lady goes nutz feel free to blame me.

hope that helps,

John. 

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Bhogg, adding to what Steve H said in his first post on the single freq machines...I only have experience with the F75 on his list.  I can tell you that if you are an ID hunter and your soil is not pretty mild, like less than 3 bars, looking at the screen for IDs to determine whether you are digging on mid depth and deep coins...will be worthless.  I started out with it using disc mode, zero disc.  A couple years later now, and 99.99 percent of the time I am in AM mode, and not even looking at the screen until I hear the nice sounds I am looking for, or the faintest sounds to connote something deep.

Good case in point was Saturday.  2-3 bars soil, 5" coil.  I heard the nice zip, zip very faint in AM.  circled it, and mostly got zips, except one direction.  circled again looking at IDs...ranged from 4 to 80.  at about 8 inches, got my 6th V nickel.  Nice green 1901.

I think some of the newer singl freqs machines might ID better at depth, is all.  In hot ground, I am pretty certain of it, based on other threads.

Thanks.

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