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Chapter 6 MXT Searching
PROSPECTING MODE
The Prospecting MODE will require greater pa-
tience to use compared to the Coin & Jewelry and
Relic MODEs. It is designed to locate all varieties
of metal alloys and then give some indications as to
if the metal being detected is made of ferrous (iron)
or nonferrous (not iron).
As the name and target labels imply, the Prospect-
ing MODE is designed to find gold nuggets, how-
ever, these settings and features will also respond to
all metal alloys including common coins.
In the primary Trigger (on the hand grip) center
position, any target likely to be iron (ferrous)
produces an audio grunt and any metal target not
readily identified as iron (nonferrous) produces a
traditional VCO pitched beep (zip sound). With the
Trigger (on the hand grip) in the forward position,
or squeezed and held position, all metals produce
the same traditional VCO pitched beep (zip sound)
and ground tracking doesn't occur.
The 1st choice a user should consider is the selec-
tion of an appropriate TRAC toggle setting for the
area. The Ground setting and Salt settings should be
almost self explanatory. If you are searching in
typical ground, use the TRAC Ground setting. If
you are in a salt water or desert alkali ground
condition, use the TRAC Salt setting. When to use
the Lock setting can be less obvious. If it seems
like something is wrong with the detector, wildly
fluctuating Threshold hum (only during search coil
passes), try the Lock setting. Before switching to
the Lock setting, be sure to pump the search coil up
and down over the ground a few times in the Trac
Ground or Salt setting to insure that you have
achieved proper ground balance for that area. If the
detector smooths out and starts operating more
predictably in Lock, you made the correct choice.
If there isn't any change, you may need to return to
the Ground or Salt setting and either reduce the
Gain control counterclockwise and/or increase the
Dual control (SAT) clockwise and try again. An
area littered with man made iron would dictate the
Lock setting. On the other hand an area with very
inconsistent ground would not, such an area would
dictate Reduced Gain and/or higher SAT settings.
The 2nd choice is Gain. Some areas require, and
some operators just prefer, the more predictable
operation normal "P" or reduced Gain settings
provide. Where as others prefer to push Gain to the
limits of their patience to find the deepest targets.
There is a point of diminishing returns either indi-
cated by the display telling you to lift the loop due
to a Gain setting to high for the ground, or a user
missing targets because they can not sort them from
sporadic noise experienced at high Gain.
The 3rd choices goes hand in hand with the Gain
setting and is the SAT speed or level controlled by
the DUAL CONTROL. Higher (faster) SAT speeds
are more user friendly, however, may compromise
some sensitivity particularly to small nuggets as
well as adding additional search coil sweep require-
ments. On the other hand faster SAT will allow for
higher Gain settings and more inconsistent ground
conditions. A balancing act must be achieved
between the Gain control and SAT speed that
provides both good performance and enough stabil-
ity to recognize nuggets from ground or external
noise. A new SAT feature "Hyper SAT", provides
for the most extreme conditions with very unique
characteristics.
The 4th choice is Threshold level. It is best to
search with a continuous hum or threshold (edge of
sound). You can hear smaller and/or deeper nuggets
and be made aware when the SAT speed is doing its
job maintaining the Threshold hum. It, however,
also requires more patience and concentration.
Finding the Threshold, and then setting the Thresh-
old just counterclockwise of it, provides good
performance for those who can not tolerate the
continuous Threshold hum.
The 5th choice is if you prefer the normal Primary
search MODE, Trigger (on hand grip) in center
position, that provides a distinctive grunt on iron, or
the Trigger forward position that produces the same
VCO audio tone for all targets.
Chapter 6 MXT Searching
