MXT not the greatest for wet sand...PooP

[KiwiHunter]

To everyone that left me with some great ideas to try out, I thankyou. I opted this morning to go try some of what you all had suggested, and the results were a mixed bag.
I went to the beach with my DD coil that comes with the MXT if you buy it from Keenes engineering, and with visions of untold wealth about to be exhumed, I gleefully ambled down to the...........WET.
First I tried grounding the MXT on the dry, then locking it up, with GAIN all the way around.
The Worlds my oyster I thought!!!!......uh huh. More like a sick shrimp. *GRRRRR...wzZZZzzz.....FZZZZzzzzZZZ*

Bugger....*scratch*..ok, well...lets leave the ground locked and turn the GAIN d-o-w-n-n-n-n......to about 6 on the turnie dial thingie ma-jig. Back to the Wet.

*wizzzzzzz.......( silence).......biPppP.....( silence )...fZz*

Ah HAAAA......I reckoned I had cracked it at last, and toddled off along the wet with visions of granduer.
One particular *fzzZZz...* turned out to be a bit of lead at about an inch. So I was hooting. Then I got a little further down into the Wet ( now about 2 feet from the dry sand line ) and put an old bottle cap and a ring down at different depths. At this point, my granduer turned rapidly to custard. Even at two inches my ring and the cap settled right in there with the false readings.
At 4 inches, my ring was not even "visible" ( and its a big heavy Platinum thing...) and I ended up panicking because I was wondering how I was going to explain to the wife how I lost my ring during a "test" in the sand.

So...BUGGER..........actually, as I got further towards the water, I got so much crapola readings, it just wasn't worth it.
I tried after that, pretty much every setting you could think off, and nada. FlapZ.............Gutted.
Sooooooooo......I have taken Dan's advice, and am now looking at trying to persuade the wife to allow another child into the family....uh huh, and i already have it named...... Detector Pro Wader......nice name for a kid eh? darn Skippy it is!!!!

So many thanks to you all once again for the input. I did go forth and try. Nice to know there is help at hand.
Cheers... Johnny

[Rudy]

Hey Johnny,

Did I understand correctly? You ground balanced in the dry sand, locked it and then moved to the wet sand?

I'd be interested to know what kind (size, maker,...) DD coil you used.

PS: I hope you did get your ring back out of the sand.

[KiwiHunter]

Morning Rudy. Yes mate, got the ring back after some rather flurried scooping. Funny how you can break into a cold sweat just like that *snaps fingers* eh? *grin*

The DD is a ....umm....6'9inch? Think thats it. Came as a secondary as part of the package deal.
Yes, I tried not only grounding in the dry then locking it up, but also in the wet etc. Still the same result.
I have just noticed that there is a coil from Whites called a "Deep Scan" 8'14, meant to enhance in bad ground, but as its $250, I may as well just get something I know will work. Dan ( Gerber ) has the Detector Pro, so this is what I am looking at now. It's only $599, and from what I have read is very adept at its job. My Wifes keen, and as she has her own MXT, I know she will want one as well, once I get the Detector Pro.
I at least tried as many variations as I could, and all the advice people passed on. Unfortunately as soon as the sand became more mineralized, or I hit pockets of it, it was bloody impossible to discern jack.
Back home in NZ, not far from me is the West Coast, and its all black iron sand. If the Detector Pro works like it seems it should, then this is the puppy I want to take back home when i go for a visit. I know people dont detect there, because of the rich iron sand. Who knows, maybe its too rich for the Detector Pro, but I think I may have a better chance?

HH :0) Johnny

[gerber]

Johnny,

You won't have any regrets with the Wader--it can handle just about anything. Be prepared to buy two, though--your wife will want one once she tries it. I have to share mine with Tristan every time we go to the beach--he's caught on to how much more versatile it is than the MXT there, and now I'm obliged to give him his turn with the Wader. Another advantage, it's nice to be able to wade into the water and not worry about damaging anything. I even have a few places on land where the high minerals just drive my MXT bonkers; I often use my Wader in those spots with great results (not to knock my MXT--I love this machine too)

Give the Wader just a brief learning curve, and you'll be hitting great stuff in no time. Check out the beach detecting website--there's a couple Wader users there such as 'Ol Pirate Robert, who has scored some amazing things. He's a good one to go to for advice if questions arise.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!!

HH,

Dan

[gerber]

Johnny,

One more thing: I think by shopping around online you can beat that $599 price pretty handily. I believe I found mine for about $530 or so.

HH,

Dan

[Rudy]

Hi there Kiwihunter,

Sorry to hear that you couldn't get your mxt to perform in the wet sands where you are. I guess the mineralization is too high for it.

...but its nice to know that you recovered your ring!

Yesterday I got an email from a friend who had just put his Deep Scan up for sale. He said that, besides the weight, it was noisier than the 6X10 DD. Makes sense to me since it "sees" more of the ground than the 6X10 does. Maybe that is why so many of them are showing up for sale in other forums in the last couple of weeks.

Anyway, the mxt is a nearly all around detector, but salt water is not an optimum environment for it.

BTW, I used to know a fellow Kiwi back when I lived in the East Coast. When he had a bit much of the spirits, he would do a New Zealand aborigine rain dance. It was the funniest thing I ever saw. ;D

[KiwiHunter]

Dan, thanks for that mate. My wife was just reading the post you left and was "ooo-hing and ahhh-ing", and suggested we should have a look around and see what they go for locally. Also, did you read Rudys post re: the Deep Scan?
So yuppers, she's off to find a Wader.

HH :0) Johnny

[KiwiHunter]

Hey there Rudy. Cheers for that mate.
I find it hardcase, and so does Linda, that I looked up some info on the Deep Scan only to have you message re your mate who's giving his the flick.
And other people are finding that the Deep Scan isn't the flashest is not a good thing for sales figures eh? Hell no..

No, I love the MXT thus far, and wet sand has been the only hiccup. So, get a Wader just to cover that arena and I think I shall be more than happy for quite some time.
Haaaa....you knew of a Kiwi that got on the piss eh?
Hahahahahahaa.....Its a National preoccupation.
My wife Linda cracked up when she saw what you wrote and said..."What? A Kiwi that likes to drink? Noooooooooooo....really?" She was highly amused when she was down there, about how many kiwi's got on the turps in a big way and how the biggest building in rural towns was always the Pub. *grin*.....

HH :0) Johnny

[bluefoot]

Sounds like you needs to hook up on the beach with another MXT user. For some instruction and mentoriing.

I'm having flashbacks of those early detecting days reading your post.

I'm not familiar with the MXT at all. I'm sure somebody out there will help you.

Good luck!

[Boxtopp]

Ha blue what kinda tecter do you use

[Boxtopp]

Oh ya hello Kiwi "put a shrimp on the barby for me mate". Something like that mate.
Don't feel bad about mxt, it happened to me too. You need to tune it in the wet ground and lock. back the gain down and stable.

[KiwiHunter]

Hey there Blue foot, hows it goin?
I know, my posts I guess makes most people recall how naive they were when they first started. *griN*
Although today I picked up a white gold 14k ring, with about a half Karat diamond in it, plus a small gold chain at the same beach. Once again, it was way, way away from the water...cracks me up. *grin*
Here I am concerned about not being able to 'tect the wet, and I'm getting goodies in the dry. HAhahaahahahaaa.....

HH ) Johnny

[KiwiHunter]

G'day BoxToPP, unfortunately the Ol' put another shrimp on the barbie is more an Ozzie's ( Australian ) term, but I get the drift.. ;D
Just don't get us kiwi's and australians confused, as we usually dont like to be compared to them. A kind of friendly rivalry if you like.

"Whats the difference between Australians and Yoghurt?"

One has Culture....................

Ok, enuff mud slinging for now *grins*, and I did try locking it up in the wet, and it did work in small areas until I hit some nasty patches. Cranking the gain down cut back on penetration it appeared, so it became a very hit and miss operation. I'd rather have something I don't have to piss around with, so I'm getting that Detector Pro Wader just for the wet. Ooo....which reminds me, i better tell Gerber the handbrake ok'd it....Sweet!!!

Pleasure to hear from you mate.

HH :0) Johnny