Problems with my MXT ?

[neil diggit]

One thing that I've noticed is that I can only go past the preset setting on the gain control part of the time. Sometimes when I go past the ^ symbol it works fine and other times it gives the overload noise/warning and I have to turn it back down to the ^ preset or a little below that. ??



I took a piece of PVC pipe and put some marks on it at 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 and held it on the floor (concrete slab) over a quarter, nickle and dime. The results were that it wouldn't read the coins over 6 inches and when I held the trigger in it said that they were 8 or 9 inches away. ??



I just took off the 6x10 coil and put the 950 coil on a got pretty much the same results. Above 6 inches it really doesn't read much of anything and the meter doesn't show that it's certain that it's a quarter, dime, nickel until I get it to about 5 -6 inches from it.



I took the MXT and the coins and PVC pipe outside and got the same results. By swinging the coil over the dime, nickel, quarter, it didn't show a solid bar indicating that it knew what it was until it got to about 4 inches away. Before getting that close it displayed, screwcap, etc. until I got a little closer and then it showed a solid bar at about 4 inches.

Am I doing something wrong with it or ?

[M-Taliesin]

Howdy Amigo!
Okay, you mentioned the gain setting. What about your discrimination setting?
What mode did you have it in? Coin/Jewelry, Relic or Prospecting?
Where was your toggle switch? Ground, Lock or Salt?

Just curious as I don't have any problems with my two MXT machines.

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

[neil diggit]

Howdy, Sorry, I forgot to mention the details. Disc set to between 3 and 4. Ground pos after setting the ground. Coin and jewelry mode, toggle in middle although I was pulling the trigger to pinpoint.

[wingmaster]

I had that problem when my coil was going bad it would overload at +1 then it got worse from there to where it couldn't go a past 6 without overload. Do you have another coil to try and if your not over ground you should be testing with track locked as its looking for ground at which point its trying to track out the coins so you will get less depth from the detector. Try doing an air test if indoors with the tracking in the locked position with the coil hanging over a table with no other metal near the coil and it sounds like a coil going bad with the overload, what coil are you using when you get the overload and is it doing that in the air, a bad coil will overload in the air. Mine started only overloading a few times then got progressively worse till it done it everytime to the point I had to run it 6 or below so at that point I considered it done. When it first started going bad I could turn it off then back on and it would let me turn it up again but after detecting for a few minutes it would overload again so I had to back the gain off again.

[wingmaster]

If its only overloading when in pinpoint your probably just over a surface coin, it will do that with a high gain setting or a big object in the ground. It shouldn't do that if your only over a coin thats not on the surface or very close to it though.

[v3ikid]

I never had a problem like that. I am lucky to be able to run mine in my ground at +3. Depending on the spot sometimes it runs smooth there and other times it gets a little chatty But that's the MXT. The only thing other then the coil being bad is some kind of other interference. That's one I haven't heard.

[exsquid]

Based on what you are saying I would suggest a call to White's....

What you describe sounds like a bad coil until you mention it does it to both of your coils.... If your connections are good with the cables i.e. no bent pins and tight at the connector, good battery strength, than it would make me think something has choked on the electronics box... White's will be able to help you do some additional testing and get you fixed up....

[neil diggit]

Yeah, I'm thinking that the electronics in the box are bad because although I don't use the 950 coil to search with when I air tested it I got the same results with it as with the 6x10 DD coil. I have been trying to use it in the mixed audio mode and found that when I crank up the gain to past the preset, sometimes it goes into an overload warning tone and I have to turn it back down to the preset area.
All in all my MXT is still finding coins and stuff but I don't find anything coin sized past about 4 inches deep.

[exsquid]

I don't think you should ever get an overload when air testing a coil...unless you are in some massive EMI area...

Let us know what you find out...

[neil diggit]

Well, it's been resolved. The White's distributor is only about 25 miles from me and I took me MXT there and they tested it and said that they would sent it back to White's and give me a new one and while I was at it I could upgrade for the MXT Pro so I did. They also sent back the coils so I have a new tector and new coils as well. I took it out for a hunt on the way home and found my first silver ring. <: :happydance01:

[v3ikid]

Good job. Glad you got it resolved.

[coinnut]

Well that worked out nice. :clapping: I take it the detector can be set higher than the presets now? Great customer service. Congrats on the ring...you wasted no time lol

[wingmaster]

Great to hear, glad it worked out for you and congrats on the ring.

[neil diggit]

Well that worked out nice. :clapping: I take it the detector can be set higher than the presets now? Great customer service. Congrats on the ring...you wasted no time lol

Since school was out yesterday I quickly drove to an elementary school that I hadn't been to before to check it out. I cranked it up to +2, +3 and it didn't overload or sound funny at all.
I was searching a part of the field that looked like it was used for soccer and worked the side lines and found the ring. It showed as a penny on the VDI meter. It sure pays to dig those pennies. <:

[M-Taliesin]

Howdy Amigo!
Looks like White's took terrific care of your issue and got you squared away real nice.
And upgraded in the bargain! Who can argue with that one, eh?

Nice going on your very first silver ring too!
Looks like you're set to make some terrific finds now that nice weather is coming along!

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

[exsquid]

Sounds like that worked out really well. Congrats on the ring....

And you ended up with the Pro.....sounds like a complete win-win in my book...

[fastfwd]

Yeah, I'm thinking that the electronics in the box are bad because although I don't use the 950 coil to search with when I air tested it I got the same results with it as with the 6x10 DD coil. I have been trying to use it in the mixed audio mode and found that when I crank up the gain to past the preset, sometimes it goes into an overload warning tone and I have to turn it back down to the preset area.
All in all my MXT is still finding coins and stuff but I don't find anything coin sized past about 4 inches deep.


Send it to whites, i got a used dfx once and didnt like the way it was running, sent it in and for $68 got a complete new motherboard in it . sound like a bad connection inside to me.