Whites MX Sport Prospecting Mode For All Uses

[Guest Paul (Ca)]

I received the MX Sport a few days ago, already put it through the ringer mostly experimenting with settings. Then, When I found what worked for my type of Hunting bit an extremely mineralized dry sand river.  Later, tested buried coins at an old park.

To be honest, My opinion White's only got two modes right (Prospecting & All Metal). These two modes are great especially Prospecting mode and can be tweaked to operate like a hot MXT. With turning off VCO, the prospecting mode turns into MXT mode and using SAT the operater increase recovery.

Any of you having an MX Sport try these settings, go to Prospecting mode. Then, turn off VCO, then bump up SAT between 4 to 5. Iron grunt always stays locked on, even when selecting off in case you see this. What you have with these settings is MXT performance yet faster recovery speed and more depth. The depth isn't from the mode itself, it's from the improvements from White's.

To shift it back to Prospecting mode, turn on VCO for zip zip detection. That's all, as simple as that.

Also, for some reason all metal and prospecting mode the coil has a normal footprint, and tones don't drag on. The other modes, well that's were you'll see what others don't like. Tones dragging on and the coil footprint is too big.

I'm glad White's the prospecting mode is working like it should, turns out the prospecting mode when turning off VCO turns the unit into an MXT only a tad hotter.

I'll share finds soon, already scored some silver using prospecting mode at a dry river bed. Love the zip zip Prospecting feature for mineralized sand, closest one can get without using a pi.

Don't get me wrong, dislike the other modes but love the prospecting mode for its duel mode feature.

HH, Paul

[Steve Herschbach]

Thanks Paul, I appreciate that. This will be fun to watch. I bet almost anything some people are going to not like the overall audio responses (obviously) and then there will be some who say they like it. Audio is funny like that - there seems to be an ear for every sound.

I have no idea what I will think about it once I get my hands on one. I have to admit to having liked the fuller richer sound on older detectors compared to the very abbreviated "blips" produced by some of the newer fast recovery machines. It is not a problem in open areas with sparse targets. Get into thick trash however and the audio must shut down rapidly in order to report close targets and "big audio" can be a major problem then.

The good news at least is that the one mode that most people on this forum would be interested in is the Prospecting Mode and you are liking it. The bad news is it needs to be more than just that for over $700. The one machine the MX Sport needs to clearly equal at least or beat is the AT Pro so we will have to wait and see how that ends up shaking out.

[Guest Paul (Ca)]

Hello Steve,

I feel you'll like the prospecting mode, try both settings with VCO off and on, then increase SAT to 4 or 5.  You'll see what I'm experiencing, this mode is terrific!

My reasoning for purchasing the Sport was for Relic and using prospecting mode in mineralization both fresh water sand and up in gold country. Turns out the prospecting mode covers both my detecting needs, Some may feel cheated or let down but luckily I came out like a bandit. Was sweating bullets at first, but determination helped me find the settings that work for my type of Hunting. 

Hands down its a great mode for those that try out the prospecting mode, two modes in one :)

Take care Steve!

Paul

 

[Steve Herschbach]

It is sounding like for many uses an optional coil like the 10" X 5.5" DD or 950 concentric is going to be mandatory. That should help tighten up the coil footprint issue plus help with bottlecap id issues that some are reporting with the stock coil.

[Guest Paul (Ca)]

Hello Steve,

That crossed my mind too, smaller coil help with shortening up the audio with the assigned Relic or Coin/Jewelry mode.

Boy do these modes need it, some people prefer all the bells and whistles and even like the long dragged out audio. Maybe the smaller coils will help with shortening up the tones, I'll be ordering a set for sure.

Others like myself, who prefer quicker snappier audio with faster recovery, With MXT 2-tone performance luckily the prospecting mode with VCO off does this.

The other day, while using the MX Sport with prospecting mode VCO on at a mineralized dry river bed searching for old coins and Jewelry. This mode is great, sort of using a Whites nugget detector with zip zip performance. Love it, enjoy the SAT feature. From memory, was trying to compare the AT Gold all metal mode, that too is a good model the AT Gold all metal. The AT Gold was no White's audio wise, but it did a great job getting the goods nonetheless.

Want to share, although the MX Sport Prospecting mode worked well in a mineralized dry river bed, The MX Sport is not exempt from mineralization effecting target ID. Although the MX Sport can detect in extreme mineralization, conductive targets will ID in the iron range. So does the AT Gold, and standard MXT and GMT both with prospecting mode.

Felt I should share this, to get the goods in conditions with extremely high mineralization one must dig all signals, Even high conductivity will ID as iron. Here's an example, dug a 1972 Kennedy half the other day at this mineralized river bed, as big as it is the MX Sport ID'd the coin as iron, loud grunt audio too.

See allot of water jewelry hunters making this mistake, passing up iron signals when that signal may be a piece of gold jewelry.

Anyway, just wanted to share this.

Thanks Steve!

Paul

[Ridge Runner]

My interest is more on the side of coin hunting with this MX Sport. When you coin hunt in a high trash area the last thing you need is a big hoop.( coil ) The ID you got on that detector is working overtime wanting to be right on what it says. You can have as many as three targets under that large coil  at one time if not more. To me I want that small coil at the same time when I receive the detector. But as sure as the Sun will come up most detectors come with that big coil. I'm willing to pay the extra money if they will just add it right away if one wants. Two things I'd like with my detector is a stand plus a small coil..

 Oh please if anyone is out there hunting coins will you come on here and let us hear from you.

I will forever thank you.

Chuck 

[iqwozpoom]

I noticed an interesting anomaly when air testing last night. I was using coin and jewelry and waving a coin and nail "down rhe barrel" in front of the coil. When close to the coil it would not see the coin thru the nail but when further from the coil the signal would start to come through. This was in four tone so the signal corresponded with the coin. I also found that when hot rock and ground were disced and disc volume set to 10+ it would give a different signal then just nail. Threshold set to audible helped.

[bowwinkles]

I have tried to follow this new offering and what is happening is like if you bought a new bath tub and after you received it you find out that it is not a very good tub but would make an excellent Boat   They just might as well just re program and re name the options (mode) to match its real functions. I guess we can always just go prospecting for coins and jewelry while also finding an occasional relic provided the SAT and VCO are also set. There might also be a need to work on the manual with those changes. 

[Steve Herschbach]

Well, naming things on metal detectors always gets problematic. The original MXT has three modes, Coin, Relic, and Prospecting. But they are just names put there with the intent of giving beginners a place to start. What they really are is just three different ways to detect for things with different base settings and sounds. The so-called Relic mode on the original MXT ended up being more popular with a lot of prospectors than the Prospecting mode.

They would be better off just calling it mode 1, 2, and 3 and then explaining in the manual what the parameters and possible best uses are. People can decide for themselves what they want to use each mode for. Which is what people do anyway. In the end it confuses beginners less than when they hear people saying Relic mode for prospecting and Prospecting mode for coin detecting etc.

[bowwinkles]

The new users depend on the owners manual and even though we may wish that they are also forum members and can get this great data, they might just give up based on what is happening once they try to use that corrupt supplied information to direct there new purchase and have less than positive results.