Coin And Relic Machine For California?

[Paulito]

What kind of machines do you guys use in California?!? I am running an MXT Pro. I am up in Tuolumne County gold country, and i'm pretty sure the mineralization is heinous! RED dirt, HOT rocks, and Lots of rusting metal mixed in in many areas. In the trashy areas, i SWEAR i get about 2" depth on coins, about 3-4" on padlocks. I mostly use the 4x6 shooter DD to try and see between the trash. Is my gain (between 8-10) maybe TOO high? I'm "scared" to run much lower gain in fear of missing stuff. BUT, i just need to try a different gain setting, then re-scan an area that I personally have "worked out" with my current settings. Then see if my "new" settings can find more/deeper stuff!?!? (BTW it took me 2 years to save up to go from an ACE250, to this $900 MXT setup) so I know... a $2500 CTX3030 or $1500 eTrac would probably work better than tweaking my MXT (haha BUT, i can't afford that right now!

Thanks, Paul

Yes, i'm kinda a "noob"! I got the MXT in March for nuggets and relics/coins. Got a nugget, then got busy for the summer. So I've really only done about 20 +/- hours of real relic/coin hunting.
I am sure a CTX3030 or eTrac would be a significantly better detector. BUT, I don't want to be one of those "I ALWAYS need a better detector" kinda folks. I believe what i've heard "You NEED to learn your detector, don't just keep buying new/better detectors because YOU can't figure out your previous detector!" BUT, if MXT gets 5-6" and CTX3030 gets 10-12" based on the machine and technology, well, that's just life!

[Steve Herschbach]

Despite what you might have heard the CTX and in fact all the Minelab BBS or FBS detectors like the Explorers and E-TRAC are not depth demons in really hot ground. MXT 5" - 6" vs CTX 10" - 12"..... That is just not going to happen. The CTX runs just fine in bad ground but mostly by being well behaved and getting good target id. Your MXT is actually a top contender. I am not going to say best as that can literally change from site to site, but I would not be in a hurry to ditch the MXT until you get more experience with it. You actually answered your own question in that last paragraph.

First off, if you want more depth, you need a larger DD. The 4" x 6" DD is a great little coil, but you should not be surprised you are not getting great depth with a tiny coil. You want to stick with DD because concentric coils suffer more in bad ground. The 5" x 10" elliptical would be good or the 10" round DD even better if depth is the goal. In really bad ground I would not go larger than that because VLF detectors get little or no benefit running extra large coils in really bad ground. In fact, it can be counterproductive.

Also remember there is an inherent conflict in trying to see between trashy items and trying to get good depth. Seeing between close targets calls for smaller coils but you will get less depth also. Seeing between close targets also calls for fast recovery speed. With most detectors like the MXT this is preset and can't be adjusted but the MXT is no slouch in this regard. In machines where it can be adjusted, the DEUS for example, you learn that there is a direct trade off in that faster recovery time equals less depth.

The take away is in dense trash you do things differently than in more open ground. Dense trash calls for small coils and fast recovery time. Open ground called for larger coils and slower recovery times which equals more depth.

As far as Gain the MXT is easy as can be. You can run it up until the machine gives the overload signal, then back off a smidgen. As long as it is not overloading, it will run fine. Some machines overload and shutdown without warning - the MXT is not one of these.

I could go on about possible machine alternatives but there are too many and I have to pick somebody up at the airport soon. Hopefully Ron will chime in or some of the other California crowd with their thoughts. I will check back in this afternoon.

There is often a focus on the latest and greatest. I am guilty of inadvertently promoting that because I am a detector nerd and I like playing with new detectors. But VLF technology is pretty well tapped out for max depth and has been for years. The tricks now are getting better target capability in thick trash, improved target id, etc. Most any top tier VLF detector gets good depth, and the only serious way to improve on it is go PI, but then you are going to dig a ton of trash. For example a good old Tesoro Tejon is still on of the best detectors you can get for depth in bad ground and for working ferrous trash. But it is an old model so it gets little attention these days. Put it in expert hands though, and it will run with the best of them. So yeah, learn what you have. I am taking my own advice and getting off the VLF merry go round this year. Just going to use what I have and get better with it.

[Ron (CA)]

I have been in hot ground with the CTX and was only getting 4-5 inches depth on large shell casings.  I can usually get them 8+ inches in normal ground.  So hot ground is hot for all detectors.

I ran a MXT for a short will and found it to be a good all around detector.  Good at Coins (parks and turf), Better at Relics and good with gold.     So I think you have a good machine for what you want to do.

Your MXT will find piles of relics and will find coins all day long in relic sites.  It may not ID as well as some other machines on deep coins in a park or in heavy iron, but it will definitely give you a nice positive signal to dig.  Heck my $2k Deus does not give a very good ID either.  So it does not matter how much it cost as long as it accomplished what you want it to accomplish.  You have a solid machine and if you can only afford one machine right now I think you are fine.

I have heard decent things about the Garrett AT Pro and AT Gold but personally have not used them.  For one, I think the build quality is crap, but there is positive feedback about performance.  We have a AT gold on the way that we will be testing in some of our iron sites.

Good Luck

[deathray]

Hi Paulito,and welcome to the forum. Im just north of you in Calaveras county. Nothing wrong with the MXT...and Steve and Ron summed it up pretty well. One of the better hunters in your area has ran a mxt for years. You may want to pick up a used tdi to compliment the mxt, if funds allow...that will handle the hot ground,is good for gold and can be used for relics if you like. Good luck,Ray

[Steve Herschbach]

Darn it Ron, the AT Pro and AT Gold are real bang for buck detectors, though I agree build quality a little to be desired. But sweet little units. Anyway I say darn it because you got me thinking and here I am swearing off tinkering with different models. I have had both the Pro and Gold and liked them both, but did eventually let them go. For my particular purposes they overlapped the CTX too much. I do think they will be very interesting for you in iron versus the CTX however if what I hear is true. Never used them for that myself.

The MXT has to be one of the most successful do it all detectors ever made. I can point to huge piles of gold found with them. Mountains of relics. Rooms full of coins. Amazing amounts of jewelry. It handles a salt water beach about as well as a single frequency machine can. The real shame is that White's never produced a waterproof version; their version of the AT Gold. Just another machine we can add to the list of "asked for by many, never to happen" detectors.

Thanks for chiming in guys. Nice to hear I was not too far off base. I hate to second guess the locals.

[strick]

I have heard decent things about the Garrett AT Pro and AT Gold but personally have not used them.  For one, I think the build quality is crap, but there is positive feedback about performance.  We have a AT gold on the way that we will be testing in some of our iron sites.

 

 

 

My wife has an AT Gold. The iron discrimination is good and the machine handles hot ground very well. However I'll second build quality as being crap...already the external speaker has broke and the machine is only 6-7 months old. with maybe 20 hours on it. That little pin connector for the headphones is a joke and I am constantly having to re tighten the coil cable where it plugs into the unit. Trying to  get your fingers in that tight area also sucks.

 

strick

[Paulito]

This site is the BEST! Thanks guys! I'm pretty sure I understand everything I've read, and I'll read it again tomorrow. I have and use the 6x10 DD but my hunting area/s of late are just TRASHY! Even with the 4x6, just chatter fest on my headphones! I'm finding decent stuff at those relatively shallow depths, so with the advice here, I'll just keep at it and figure out how to tune my machine and myself to hear deeper! I am not in the market for a new machine, but had to make sure the consensus wasn't "MXT? You're screwed!" LoL. I figured that wasn't the case and you guys confirmed that. Basically trash, small coil, and heavy mineralization are physical factors limiting my depth, and my settings and inexperience are a major factor also!? Your guys excellent info coupled with Rons recent finds are keeping me stoked!

[deathray]

Its difficult to get depth in iron trash, the proverbial carpet of nails. In those situations,unmasking and seperation is what is needed,and the mxt with the shooter coil is above average in that department. My son uses the AT Pro, and in the iron mode with the smaller coil,it is deadly. But that is one noisy machine set like that, you even hear the iron in the soil,like a constant grumble.