Wayfarer

This would be a great opportunity for an aftermarket company to step in here and make a custom USB powered external battery pack.  One that snaps on and fits perfectly right under the armrest with a well thought out wiring connection.  Some weight under the armrest would help balance too.  To any aspiring engineers out there:  hint hint! 

I can make out a bit of the text.  Under park, I can make out "high-trash." Under Field, "mode for low-trash locations."  Beach "ground balances ... salt." and Gold "nugget hunting."  But I can't make out any of the other words.  Maybe Park has a higher recovery speed than Field?  

One thing the Gold Bug Pro (and the G2+, now also $499) still has over the 705, is the ability to run in all metal mode and simultaneously still give disc readings and ground phase.  So more information at a glance while in all-metal mode.  That alone would make me pick the G2+ over the 705.  

Even with the 705 at $499, I have no regrets putting an Equinox 800 on pre-order.  ... but now wonder if it will have the ability to run in all-metal while simultaneously displaying target ID and ground phase like the GBP/G2.

Best video yet.  He goes through all the frequency modes and reactivity settings on actual buried targets so you can see both the separation and depth capabilities.  Stunning would not be an overstatement as to how I reacted.  Very encouraging to see how stable the ID's were on those deep targets.  Also how depth wasn't significantly reduced when reactivity was set at 8 (high).  

It may not turn out to be any deeper on isolated high-conductor targets than the CTX, but it looks to separate better on closely spaced deep targets.   

6 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

And wouldn’t a 40 kHz option make that all moot?

Hopefully!  Since I have an Equinox on preorder, I'm going to find out and would love it if that were the case.

I was specifically thinking of the 19 kHz GBP to 20 kHz EQ comparison when I made that post.  The GBP was better for me than the GB2 hunting small gold jewelry anyway.  The mid frequency was more stable, handled mineralization better, and got better depth than the GB2.  Likewise, I'm assuming the 20 will be better than the 40 on the EQ for all except hunting the tiniest pieces.  If the EQ can use 40 and still have the stability and depth of a mid frequency machine, that would be awesome. 

7 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

If it was any other situation I would just jump on this, but with the Minelab Equinox waiting in the wings it seems I have finally found a general purpose detector that hits more items on my desired feature list than any other before it. I just keep thinking, if I have the Equinox, would I ever use the F19? If the answer is no, which is probably the case, then even at this price I am just not sure. Must resist...........

Sure is a smoking deal though..... 

This is my dilemma too.  I have a GB Pro already but would really love to jump on this deal.  My GB Pro is awesome, and the extra features of the F19 would be nice.  Problem is I also have an Equinox 800 on preorder.  I keep wondering though if the GB Pro (and the new F19) might not still be better for nuggets or tiny gold jewelry because it's a single frequency detector right in the sweet spot at 19 kHz.  Wouldn't a single frequency detector be optimized for that frequency, especially the coil, where the multi freq detector would be a compromise and probably not inherently run as well when set in single freq mode?  

To bootstrap on several previous comments, I'm pretty fired up about the MX Sport, and agree White's is launching it in a good way.  My only worry, and I've got my fingers crossed, is that it is a "real" MXT circuit with certain tweaks and improvements, rather that a Treasure Pro set up to mimic an MXT.  I would be very happy with an MX Sport if it turns out White's took the MXT and squeezed every last ounce of capability out of that platform.  I'm sure that with a year of careful design and testing of the "old" MXT circuitry, White's would be able to get every last bit of capability out of that excellent original design.  Maybe a little quieter, a smidge deeper, and a bit more stable and accurate VDI.  Going through the circuit, there had to have been a few components that weren't sized quite optimally, or maybe there's better transistors available now, less noise, or whatever, where White's could improve a bit.  That's really what I am hoping for.  Give me a real MXT and improve its real-world performance by just 10% or even 5% and I will be a happy MX Sport owner.

Ok, sounds like the MX Sport will have an adjustable tone break in relic mode, but that it will probably be adjustable in steps rather than continuously variable.  I can live with that.  The rest of the machine looks fantastic.  At $749-ish street price, I will be right down to my dealer (Gerry McMullen, shameless plug...) with all intention to bring one home.  Whether it's based on the MXT or the MX5 won't much matter at that price - I'm willing to take a chance.  Looks like White's is taking square aim at the AT Pro and the Makro Racer - comments have already been floated that it is better in the trash than the Racer.  If so, than that would be a feat indeed and should quickly put the White's machine on top sales-wise.

The only remaining thing to check before purchase will be to verify the ergonomics are OK, specifically the grip angle, balance, and keypad usability/button effort.

As for waiting until they get the bugs worked out.  Usually that's good advice, however I have total faith in White's customer service to perform any necessary upgrades free of charge, certainly during the warranty period, for those early adopters if any problems surface.  Any problems should become evident well within the 2-years.

This is a very interesting discussion regarding the tone arrangement on the new MX Sport. 

I hunt almost exclusively in 2-tone relic with an original model MXT.  As Steve points out, everybody's different, so having lots of tone options is good.  Try a variety and see what works for you.  

For me, hearing everything with the adjustable tone break is what works.  I can hear everything and let the audio tell me if there are two targets right next to each other, which unmasks a lot better than simply silencing the rejected target.  Having the adjustable break with the knob allows the user to adjust for the conditions and predominant trash type at the particular site.  My technique is a little more visual than Steve's but similar.  I listen for ANY signal over the tone break point I've set, then see what the VDI numbers tell me.  I can frequently ID the two targets by watching to see what VDI numbers the signals "cluster" at, kind of like what the old White's Signagraph used to show.  Maybe it's an old habit carried over from 10+ years of XLT use, but I like the simple 2-tone audio (of the MXT) to tell me if a signal id worth investigating, then will use a combination of the audio and VDI to indicate whether there is a "good" target among an otherwise messy audio signal. 

I'm slightly worried that the new MX Sport won't allow the user to adjust the tone break point.  If so, then that would be a loss of capability, especially for someone who likes the MXT's Relic 2-tone.  The manual is clear that the MX Sport will have the relic mixed mode (yay), but it is unclear whether the tone break will be adjustable. Time and field reports will tell.

It's heartening to see that at least the MX Sport is going to preserve the Mixed Mode audio of the Relic mode.  One of the great things about the original MXT is that it has the capability to still report very weak targets in All-Metal.  A skilled user can listen carefully for these faint repeatable all-metal signals and get a LOT more depth than in disc mode, on the order of 20% more in my experience.  The audio of these really deep targets will tell you a fair amount of information about a deep target if you sweep it from different directions.  As long as there is not trash too close nearby you can usually pick out a deep coin pretty well, especially in the "hotter" audio trigger forward mode.  Personally, I'd be a lot more disappointed if the MX Sport dropped the true mixed mode audio than if they dropped the adjustable break point. 

These are a few examples of the little nuances of the MXT that IMHO made it an all-time great detector.  I really *hope* White's was able to carry that MXT "DNA" forward into the new MX Sport.  Anxiously awaiting the first field reports from experienced MXT users!

And I can attest to the fact that the tones on the MXT Pro are the same as on the M6.

Steve, thanks for your additional thoughts.  I am about like you, I really want to like the V3i, but the MXT just "clicks" better.  I don't mid the complexity of the V3i at all, I just wish it had the responsive audio and direct connection to the ground that the MXT has.  Maybe White's will update their V-series with a faster processor and better audio, then I'd buy another for sure.  Or they could update their MXT to have more V-series feature.  Wouldn't an MXT with signagraph, manual ground balance, and a second frequency (2.5 perhaps) at the flip of a toggle, be great!  For now, I'll stick with my old faithful MXT. 

Thanks again, and thanks for your warm welcome to your forum.  I'm happy to be here!

Darren

Hi Steve, Great reply with lots of good observations. I had a V3i for a couple years and sold it and went to the MXT and couldn't be happier. And that's coming from a "fiddler" kind of guy who loves to tweak and experiment. In the end, the MXT was just so much easier and performed just as well, the V3i was getting in the way of the "down and dirty" (as you said) fun factor.

My question is about mixed mode on the V3i. One of the things I really did not like on the V3i was the very digital delayed response in the audio and VDI circuits. The MXT was so much mpre responsive. I'm not talking about recovery speed, but the actual reporting of the target via the audio. It was almost as if the V3i was doing so much more processing internally that there was a noticeable delay before the detector would report what it was seeing. The MXT has no such delay. The report is instantaneous, as far as I can tell, much more connected to the ground, and feels like a Mustang sports car compared to a 1970's Buick land yacht.

One thing I didn't do much experimenting with when I had my V3i was mixed mode. Now I'm thinking that MM would have been much better and much more connected to the ground, like my MXT. I wonder if I set up the V3i like my MXT in relic mode, which I use exclusively, V3i tones set for two-tone ferrous/non-ferrous like the MXT's "honk" and "squeal" I can get the same responsiveness out of the V3i.

Your thoughts on whether setting up the V3i like this would replicate the responsiveness I so much enjoy with my MXT? Thanks, and welcome back to the Lower 48, Steve.

Darren

Boise, Idaho