2
and/or increase the Dual control (Disc) clockwise and try
again. An area littered with man-made iron would dictate
the Lock setting. On the other hand an area littered
with small aluminum foil would not, such an area would
dictate the Reduced Gain and/or higher discrimination
settings.
The 2nd option is Gain. Some areas require, and some
operators just prefer the more predictable operation
reduced Gain settings provide, where as others prefer to
push Gain to the limits of their patience to find the deep
-
est targets. There is a point of diminishing returns either
indicated by the display telling you OVERLOAD to lift
the loop due to a Gain setting too high for the ground, or
a user missing targets because they can not sort them
from sporadic noise experienced at high Gain.
The 3rd option is the level of audio Discrimination
(DUAL CONTROL). The “Triangle” provides a popular
setting rejecting most iron and small foil and accepting
USA nickels and most jewelry. Remember you have the
display to further sort out accepted metals. However, if
the common trash of the area consistently produces an
audio to the point of distracting from finding anything at
all, an operator can increase discrimination (clockwise)
and cherry pick the area for silver and copper. If a hot
spot of multiple coins is located an operator may then
want to search isolated spots within that area at lower
discrimination settings. Even with modern discriminat-
ing metal detectors, it takes a good deal of patience to
search high trash areas. Remember a metal target that
indicates in the Pull Tab range however, provides a deep
depth indication, is more likely to be jewelry than a Pull
Tab. There are six types of targets that typically indicate
in the Pull Tab range, USA Nickels, Aluminum, Lead,
Brass, Small Bronze, and Gold. Without consistency
in size/shape, all a metal detector can tell you is that it
indicates within that mid-range of targets. It is up to the
operator to identify the common trash items of each area
and then gamble with the odds weighing the likelihood
of good targets compared to the degree of time digging
trash.
The 4th option is Threshold level. It is best to search
with a continuous hum or threshold (edge of sound).
You can hear rejected targets (threshold fades) and be
made aware when and where concentrations of trash
items lay, indicating traffic areas more likely to produce
good targets. It, however, requires more patience and
concentration. Finding the Threshold, and then setting
the Threshold just counterclockwise of it (Silent Search),
provides good performance for those who cannot toler-
ate the continuous Threshold hum all the time.
The 5th option is to turn off the TONE ID. Coin & Jewelry
starts out with TONE ID ON. Accepted targets, based
on the Discrimination control setting, produce higher
pitch tones the higher they measure on the Display VDI
number scale. Seven tones represent the entire VDI
scale. However, if one pitch tone is desired for all accept
targets, Turn Tone ID OFF.
1. MODE to Relic.
2. Trigger
(on handgrip) center “primary Searching” posi-
tion.
3. TRAC
to Ground position.
4. GAIN
to “Triangle” position.
5. Threshold
, adjust for slight hum (edge of sound).
6. DUAL CONTROL
to DISC “Triangle”.
7. Pump the search coil
on the ground to be searched
until ground ceases to respond.
8. Move the coil
just over the ground and listen for the
distinct repeatable beep (high or low tone) produced by a
metal targets. High pitch tones are targets above the Dis-
crimination setting. Low pitch tones are targets below the
discrimination setting. It is wise to plant metals just under
the soil to practice on in order to learn to recognize what it
will sound like. Planting a metal target disturbs the ground
mineral, which usually reduces the depth it would have
been found in undisturbed ground. It will take practice to de-
termine the proper search speed and technique. Do not go
Relic MODE
Chapter MXT Pro Searching
