Steve Herschbach

The GPZ although not a PI does share some similarities and the tones are an artifact of the ground balance system similar to that seen on a ground balancing PI. A hi-lo tone basically means small target or low conductive target. A lo-hi tone means large target / high conductive target.

The size, shape, and density of the nugget specimen all play into it as does the machine settings. Pure silver is extremely conductive. Pure gold is very conductive. However, when you add silver to gold the conductivity does not increase, it decreases dramatically.

The GPZ so far acts pretty much like I would expect a GBPI to react as far as tones go. See Coin Detecting with the Garrett Infinium and Beach Detecting with a Minelab GP 3500 for reference.

I use this all the time. If you are in an area with large junk and sub gram nuggets, just dig hi-lo tones. Always a risk you could miss a huge nugget but that is where knowing your ground and the odds come in.

Conversely, chasing big gold in the midst of lots of tiny ferrous trash? Dig only lo-hi tones.

Again however, due to the huge variation in the nature of gold and where it is found, this is all at your own risk using your own knowledge and experience as a guide. Be aware tones do change depending on the "timings" or "ground settings" or anything that might affect the ground balance of the detector.

This is not VLF type discrimination but can work. Unfortunately no manufacturer has explored formalizing the responses with the exception of White's and the TDI. The real trick to making it work is to understand why it does what it does and then do apply it with care where it might help your odds, but never get complacent in relying on it.

Great informative spreadsheet for TDI settings and how responses on bullets and buttons change with ground balance and pulse delay setting

The GPZ should be able to collect information from targets allowing it to perform classic phase based discrimination as used in most VLF detectors. Or something more akin to that used in the BBS/FBS detectors.

Hi Tom,

Welcome aboard! Glad to have you here.

Being able to adjust the tone breakpoint is good not just for relic detecting but especially for nugget detecting, and more people seem to use relic mode for nugget detecting than the prospecting mode on the MXT. Not a deal killer either way. Lots of people are going to be very excited by this machine as long as it does not sacrifice performance compared to the MXT.

No idea on price or release date as this all got out before White's planned on it. They would be wise to get with the program and put it up on their website. I can do it in an hour so why can't they? White's MX Sport Information Page I do not understand those guys at all. Why is their forum or website the last place to go for information on White's products?

Looking good, but it does raise another question. So far the MX Sport looks to have all the features of the MXT Pro plus extra features. However, one thing I can't find anywhere is if the ferrous/non-ferrous breakpoint in Relic mode is adjustable like on the MXT, or preset at the factory. The White's MX Sport User's Manual is ambiguous so it could go either way.

White's MX Sport Product Details Page

Hi Matt,

A real big question for me is if White's or a third party will make a coil plug adapter so existing coil collections can be used with the MX Sport. I have a V3i and so I already have a 6" x 4" Shooter coil, 10" x 6" DD coil, plus a couple others. Being able to use them with the MX Sport above water would make a big difference to a lot of people with money invested in coil collections. In my case I would be tempted to sell my F75 and replace it with the MX Sport so it and the V3i could share coils.

The tones can be changed from single tone to dual tones, four tones, eight tones, or 20 tone mode Paul, but I think the tones are set at the factory. Not to say they may not have made changes there but until we hear one or see a frequency spec posted we will not know.

I think the possibility of success here will be all about the price. You know it will cost more than the MXT Pro which goes for an Internet price of $823. Unless a person really NEEDS a waterproof MXT I can't see people being willing to pay a huge premium for what at the end of the day is an MXT. Somebody started kicking $1349 around and that just seems too high to me. Out the door for $999, I would be ok with that. Out the door for $1199? Not so much.

No idea on release date as this all got out before White's planned on it. Nice thing about FCC certification for us is early peeks at stuff under development. You would think manufacturers would plan around that, or maybe they do and early speculation / buzz is part of the plan - free advertising! I am not sure these guys are that web savvy however.

From the User's Manual:

MX Sport Tone Identification or Tone ID
The pitch or audio frequency produced by each target’s display identification range can be highlighted with differently pitched sounds, called Tone Identification or Tone ID. A specific audio pitch reference for each range provides quick audio ID based on the pitch of the beep it produces during searching- without looking at the display. When Tone Identification is in single tone, all accepted metal types produce the same audio pitch during searching. If the Discrimination is set to reject a specific target range, that range may not produce a beep of any pitch. Rejected targets often do not produce any tone (silence).

To Adjust Tone Identification:
1.Press Options and use up & down arrows to select Tone ID.
2.Press + & - to select the type of Tone Identification desired.
3.Press Options to exit or wait 10–15 seconds for the options mode to automatically time out.

Tone ID Settings:
1-Tone:
All targets produce the same pitch beep (no tone ID).

2-Tone ID:
Iron targets produce a low-pitched beep; all other targets produce a higher pitched beep.

4-Tone ID:
•Iron (lowest)
•Foil & Pull Tabs
•Nickels
•Coins (highest pitch)

8-Tone ID:
•Large Iron (lowest)
•Small Iron
•Foil/ Small Gold
•Nickels
•Pulltab
•Screwcap
•Zinc/Indian Head Penny
•Dime – Dollar (highest pitch)

20-Tone ID:
Each of the 20 Display ID segments (discrimination zones) produce their own uniquely-pitched beep, starting with iron (the lowest pitch) to Silver Dollars (highest pitched).

thats what I meant. it looks like this machine would do it all, am I reading it right?

It is a general purpose machine, just like the MXT but waterproof. Will it detect small gold as well as a GMT? No. So it won't do everything.

The MX Sport has automatic ground tracking, just like the MXT Pro. At any time you can lock or "fix" the last tracked setting in place, again, like the MXT Pro. And it has ground grab, like the MXT Pro and most other new prospecting VLF detectors these days. Compared to the MXT Pro you are giving nothing up.

If you mean by the lack of manual ground balance are you giving something up? I guess that depends on how much you use manual ground balancing. I used to swear that I had to have it on any machine I use, but the fact is in reality now I do not use it much if at all these days. It really just depends on the efficiency of the ground grab feature. Some machines grab neutral and I like a slight positive bias so having the ability to knock it up a few notches manually is nice.

The MXT is a fabulous detector for sure. I only sold mine and went to the F75 (same engineer involved in both) because of the weight. White's MXT Pro comes in at 4.3 lbs. This unit at 4.23 lbs while still heavier than the F75 it is a slight improvement over the MXT Pro and waterproof also. The real question will be performance. If it really has MXT like performance and with extra features, this machine would in effect replace the MXT Pro. Except for price, why go for a heavier detector with fewer features?

Looking at the specs and reading the manual I think White's has a winner here for sure. It appears to have all the features of the MXT along with a lot of extra ones. The construction has a real solid look about it also. I like it.

In real life the screen will look very similar to the White's Treasuremaster but with more target id segments...

Detail of headphone and coil connections. Note waterproof external speaker.

This would be the optional nugget hunting coil for the MX Sport

Has two optional interchangeable search coils which are just MXT coils with a special connector plus the new coil that comes stock on the unit. It uses waterproof headphones via a special connector plus has an adapter that allows for use of regular headphones. There is a waterproof speaker for above water use.

White's MX Sport User's Manual

White's MX Sport Product Details Page

White's MX Sport Waterproof Metal Detector Control Panel

White's MX Sport Waterproof Metal Detector Specifications

White's MX Sport Waterproof Metal Detector

White's MX Sport Product Details Page

Three separate sets - that would be a heavy coil! No, just one transmit coil and one receiver coil. Nothing that special really, the MXT uses the same coils.

Yeah well with all due respect to Carl Moreland, Dan Geyer (may he rest in peace), John Plautz and John Earle not a thing has changed since that article was written in 2009. To get more depth from a VLF requires it to not be a classic VLF as we currently understand it. I have never said anywhere above more depth is not possible, just that is has not happened since 1990 (or earlier). I actually do think we will see something soon, but in the form of hybrid technology that blurs the lines between VLF and PI. The GPZ is just such a beast and it does get the depth, but lacking accurate discrimination raw depth has obvious limitations.

"About 750 days after she first broke down, Bertha, the massive drill long stuck under Seattle’s waterfront, is back to work. Five stories tall and the biggest of her kind, Bertha overheated in December 2013, about a ninth of the way into digging a tunnel for an underground expressway. The contractor on the dig staged a painstaking rescue, and Bertha’s slowly drilling again."



Full story at http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-06/bertha-the-giant-drill-is-ready-to-rumble-in-seattle

Wikipedia page on Bertha boring drill https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha_(tunnel_boring_machine)

Remember at Alaska's size you are looking at an area one fifth the size of the United States, so this is more like regional geology - the big picture. You need other maps covering at a minimum quad scale to get more detail. Most mining districts in Alaska have maps at inch to the mile scale. Nearly all are available for free online. Interactive Alaska Geologic Map Index or in a simpler format Alaska Geologic Maps by Quadrangle

For information on individual mineral deposits see the Alaska Resource Data File Finally, find all this and more on this website at Gold Prospecting Research Materials for Alaska

Thanks for posting Neal. Here are both halves reduced in size and joined together as a preview. The original pdf files will let you zoom in for much greater detail.

I think if I was seriously into prospecting for bucks that looking for gems perhaps has more chances for an individual prospector to make a big score these days then gold prospecting. I probably need to change my thought processes a bit.

No worries, I left gold in the ground everywhere I went. The old timers left it for me, and I am leaving plenty for future generations.

"Gemologists in Sri Lanka claim that the largest blue star sapphire yet has been discovered in a mine in the country. The gemology institute in the capital Colombo has certified that the gem weighs 1404.49 carats and say they have not certified anything larger. The gem is valued at at least $100m and the current owner estimates that it could sell for up to $175m at auction."

Rest of the story at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35226276

Scott, they can't imprint GPS data without a GPS. Just take photos with a device that has no GPS if you are worried about it.

I sure wish it did not get so cold in Reno this winter - you are giving me jewelry fever!