Whites Coils

[Ridge Runner]

G'day Folks.

This past month I have Bought 4 Whites coils and I have been testing them Doing Air Tests and IN Ground tests and I think a lot of folks look at coils the wrong way, In the past people have come to rely on DD's swearing that in ground that reads from the mid 50 to the mid 60s that they have to have a DD when this is not the case,

There are a few things that I have found out, As I have said before some of Whites concentric coils will lower the ground balance setting by a fair margin and because of their small foot print you can get away with using them in hot ground,

This past month I bought the 6x10 (5x9) Eclipse DD and the 4x6 DD Shooter and the 5.3 (6 inch) Eclipse round Concentric and today (10/8/16) I got the X pattern 950 Eclipse Concentric, When I compared the 6x10 to the standard 10"DD in and air test on coins it looses about 2 to 2.5 inches to the 10" DD, and on bits of lead weighing 0.02 grams they were both equal, The 4x6 shooter looses about 4 to 5 inches in the Air to the 10" DD on Coins but see's the 0.02gram bit at the same distance, Now I have never understood what all the fuss was about with that 4x6 because a heck of a lot of people use them, but I have always thought of it as a Dog of a thing,

Anyways, had to order another set of Scales because I need some that had a 5 1/2 digit read out because although I already have 3 sets and one set being worth about $1400.00 they still did not go down low enough, Having read GSA's story about the MXT and the 5.3 coil I thought I would give it a another try because I have always had a 5.3 up until about 4 years ago. And I have to admit is what GSA say about that setup is 100% correct and then some.

So now it was time to start testing the 5.3 (6") concentric, This is where things really made a difference, Once fitted to the MXT A/P I cranked up the gain (As Before) and now the MXT is seeing bits well into GMT, GB II and GR Territory on Very Tiny bits and on a US Quarter it see's then at the same distance as the 10" DD depending what mode I use, So after some head scratching I thought I would take the whole setup out side and see what faint targets I could find,

The builders replaced the Lead on the roof and from around the windows here about 2 years ago, So you can imagine what I found, Anyways I got this soft target come through the head phones after about 30 minutes and when I worked out exactly where it was it then took me another 20 minutes on my hands and knees to find It with a 10x power magnifying glass, So once I had it safe it was back indoors to clean it and weight it, It turns out to be the Tiniest piece of metal/Lead I have ever found with a VLF as in the VLF range Not LF machine,

As some of you know I made my GMT as hot as the GB II if not more so just by adding the GM II coil to it and That also lowered the GB setting too, So that was another bonus, and it is a lot hotter than the 4x6 shooter when fitted on the GMT and it see's Extremely tiny targets at 3 X the distance that the Factory Twin "D" coil does. As in bits that can't be weighed the size of a piece of Glitter,

Anyway back to the MXT A/P and the 5.3 Coil, That bit I found was about 3/4" Deep in the ground, so I got out the new scales and calibrated them to make sure they were spot On

AND.... It weighed 0.00019 ozt, or 0.0925 grains, or 0.006 grams.

Now in my books that is pretty good going for a VLF regardless of the brand, And it the Air that coil can see a bit weighing 0.10 grams at about 2 to 3 inches depending on the EMI.

If you happen to own an MXT then the 5.3 coil has many other uses and it can hit coins in to the 7 to 10" inch range In the Ground and it is a real Gem in junk filled ground, truly I think that the 4x6 is a dog of a thing in comparison,

And another thing about the 10" DD and the 950 coils,,, we always see people testing two such coils comparing them together, and folks complain that the 950 is not a fair comparison because it is a concentric, well these two coils break the rules, because the 950 will see 0.03 bits at about 3 to 4" inches where as the 10" DD will see them at about 2 to 3" max depending on the EMI,, Yet once the Items get up around 1.00gm they start to become equal and when they get up to 1.89 gram they are equal and then after that the 10" DD starts to pull away ever so slightly and as things get larger the 10" DD begins to Rule the roost, So what ever Whites did to that 10" DD it is really not normal and it breaks all the rules. Which is a bonus for Prospecting because of the hot ground etc,

I Air tested these 1.00 gram and 1.89 gram pieces and they were really out there a person would be happy to get half that distance in hot ground.

Oh and I got sent a new Badge today with my order which was nice of them,

John.

 

[Ridge Runner]

One thing I need to add is on a thin flat piece weighing 0.05 it see's it at 15 to 16 cm's an on 0.17 grams it see's them up to 20 cm's, So the flatter ones it see's a lot further in the Air, even sitting on the ground/Dirt which is yellow clay with blue clay/ black sand mixed in.

John

 

[mxt sniper]

I have a detecting buddy that has tested several Whites coils and some other brands of coils extensively using the MXT/M6 and his findings agree with yours on the 5.3 Eclipse, its pretty much king of coils on the MXT, one other thing we ran across from actual in ground experience was that the MXT can unmask a lot of previously missed targets in ghost town sites using the 8x6 SEF in that particular type mineralized soil with lots of junk targets, the SEF seems to pull out the good targets better than a standard coil will by quite a margin. Presently I only own a 4.5" DD Detech and a SEF 8x6 for my MXT Pro, I need to purchase another 5.3 eclipse soon. I use the 4.5"dd Detech for tot lots and nugget detecting certain areas. I am not a fan of large coils on the MXT.

 

[Ridge Runner]

I have a detecting buddy that has tested several Whites coils and some other brands of coils extensively using the MXT/M6 and his findings agree with yours on the 5.3 Eclipse, its pretty much king of coils on the MXT, one other thing we ran across from actual in ground experience was that the MXT can unmask a lot of previously missed targets in ghost town sites using the 8x6 SEF in that particular type mineralized soil with lots of junk targets, the SEF seems to pull out the good targets better than a standard coil will by quite a margin. Presently I only own a 4.5" DD Detech and a SEF 8x6 for my MXT Pro, I need to purchase another 5.3 eclipse soon. I use the 4.5"dd Detech for tot lots and nugget detecting certain areas. I am not a fan of large coils on the MXT.

It is a well know fact that Concentric Coils of equal size have more depth than DD's and Air Test around 2 to 4 inches deeper and knowing this was the reason behind buying the 950 Coil, The 950 is a lot more sensitive to tiny items but on coin sized items and nuggets over a certain size the 10" DD pulls ahead and although this is not the result I was looking for, It has an up side to it in that I have the Depth of the Concentric but in a DD format which is good where the ground starts to heat up.

When I tested the 12" Concentric, I found that it had a 2 to 3 inches depth increase compared to the 950 Coil and the 950 will pull Coins from between 11 to 13 inches where 10 to 12" in a common occurrence, And I have actually seen the 12" Coil pull coins from a measured 13 and a half inches with the Gain set on 6.5 to 6.7. The 12" Should add another 1 to 3 inches over the 10" DD although some of that will be lost in the ground.

The 10"DD can see your bare hand between 4 to 6 inches and Air Tests on larger targets at huge distances, So even if it losses 50% of that depth in the ground then it is still going to be very deep, And using this Coil In the Prospecting Mode will give even the best PI's a run for there money and in normal Ground the 12" Concentric will without a doubt.

The 6x10 Eclipse Coil is a nice Coil but it looses about 1.5 to 2 inches In Air when compared to the 10" DD using a US Quarter and on UK coins that can be a bit more. It is a good Coil for poking around it the wood and rocky places, But because of the depth difference between it and other Coils I tend not to use the 6x10 and when I do it is only when detecting in tight places, But it is still a great Coil and it was seeing what the 6x10 and the MXT can do that made me want an MXT in the first place and they are an impressive pair.

In all the years that I have been using and testing the MXT's I have never owned the 4x6 Shooter Coil, to me it always seemed stupidly small and is equal to a 5" round DD, Anyway I caved in and about one this past month and every thing I thought about it has come true, It lacks depth and covers very little ground and it has the same sensitivity of all the other DD's, So for Prospecting it offers Nothing apart from being able to fit in tight places and for a Coils so small it is quite solid weighing 398.99 grams which does not sound like much but for it's size out of all the Coils it really feels like a Brick in your hand, and when it come to nuggets, what the 4x6 see's at 1 inch the 5.3 will see at 3 inches and on a US Quarter it looses a good few inches,

When it come to the 5.3 (6") Concentric Coil, it has the depth in most cases that rivals the 6x10 DD Eclipse and again on tiny bits, what the 6x10 see's at 1 inch the 5.3 will see at 3 inches and it can see bits a lot smaller down to the size of a grain of Sugar and then some and I have No Doubts that it will see bits half the size I have listed in my first post and no doubt before long I will attempt to find out how small it will go,

One Coil I have owned and never took to is the 8x14, people claim it is heavy and prefer to use after market coils when it comes to coils of this size, Last year I bought one of the Whites 8x14 Sierra Max Concentric Coils second hand from the US Which was made for the GMT/ Goldmaster series, They don't make them anymore and I think that they have just stopped making the DD versions for the GMT and the MXT series.

Knowing what a huge difference the GM II Longscan Coil made to my GMT, I decided to buy the 8x14 Sierra Max and to my shock it was not as hot as the standard GMT Twin "D" Coil and I was expecting huge depth increases, But to be honest even in Air tests I could not see any difference on normal sized Items, The Concentric Sierra Max Coil is White in colour where as the DD versions for the GMT and the MXTs are Black,

It is common knowledge that larger Coils loose sensitivity to small Items but that is not always the case as I found out when I bought the 15" Concentric MXT Max Coil, It will easily find things 3 or 4 feet deep and no doubt it will go a lot deeper, But at the other end of the scale it can see bits smaller than 0.02grams. The only down side to it is it weighs 1047.78 grams including the lead and the plug, To say it has depth is an understatement, heaven forbid if it ever locks on to a big/large target at depth.

All the coils have some really good merits except the 4x6 and the 8x14 and the only time I would use the 4x6 is in tight spaces and the 8x14 seems to draw a blank with me.

John.

 

[mxt sniper]

Of that entire bunch of coils you tested the 6x10 eclipse was a huge disappointment to us, depth was considerable less by quite a bit, neither of us could click with that coil at all. Pretty hot soil where we tested the coil. I am still a huge fan of the MXT for coin/jewelry hunting, have owned a total of three of them since they were mfg. Current machine is a MXT Pro. It works extremely well on gold jewelry in my area with the small coils, 5.3, 4.5dd detech, 5"dd excellerator, can hit near 10" with the 5.3 which generally is more than adequate. I have run the 3x6 off and on, its not a coil I care for too much either.

I been running my MXT several hrs per trip when in Nevada hunting nuggets last couple yrs, nothing yet with the MXT, it does run smooth compared to my GB2 there, I generally run Relic 2 tone w/disc of 1. , but the GB2 has consistently run circles around the MXT on actual take of small gold 1-5 grains in size for the last three yrs. I generally split my hunt time each day nugget hunting between my GB2 and the GPX4500. The MXT seems to rule in the ghost towns on coins, it really unmasks them using the SEF 8x6. One of my buddies got a couple real nice coins ghost town hunting last yr with MXT/SEF 8x6, a seated dime vg and a Barber Dime vg cond. Overall the MXT is a great tool. Many have tried to copy it but I don't think any have come near this machines capabilities.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Of that entire bunch of coils you tested the 6x10 eclipse was a huge disappointment to us, depth was considerable less by quite a bit, neither of us could click with that coil at all. Pretty hot soil where we tested the coil. I am still a huge fan of the MXT for coin/jewelry hunting, have owned a total of three of them since they were mfg. Current machine is a MXT Pro. It works extremely well on gold jewelry in my area with the small coils, 5.3, 4.5dd detech, 5"dd excellerator, can hit near 10" with the 5.3 which generally is more than adequate. I have run the 3x6 off and on, its not a coil I care for too much either.

I been running my MXT several hrs per trip when in Nevada hunting nuggets last couple yrs, nothing yet with the MXT, it does run smooth compared to my GB2 there, I generally run Relic 2 tone w/disc of 1. , but the GB2 has consistently run circles around the MXT on actual take of small gold 1-5 grains in size for the last three yrs. I generally split my hunt time each day nugget hunting between my GB2 and the GPX4500. The MXT seems to rule in the ghost towns on coins, it really unmasks them using the SEF 8x6. One of my buddies got a couple real nice coins ghost town hunting last yr with MXT/SEF 8x6, a seated dime vg and a Barber Dime vg cond. Overall the MXT is a great tool. Many have tried to copy it but I don't think any have come near this machines capabilities.

Well if your MXT runs better than your GB II there but you are having more luck with the GB II, then I think you need to switch modes on your MXT, A simple test is to use a quarter and Air test it in the default relic mode and measure it at the same time and then press the music notes button once and then do the Air Test it again and run it as hot as to can and you will see that the depth increase signal will be huge, It will bleep at a certain distance and then you will get an all metal sound, That mode is Called Mixed Mode and the words will appear on the screen, that is why you are missing nuggets and the hotter you can run it the better, So Items that are within the Disc range will Bleep and Iron will give a low tone, those Targets that are deeper will give an All Metal Tone and depending where you set the Gain it will do that all the way out to 19 to 21 inches depending on the EMI.

In that mode the Disc control has no effect but Iron will still give a low tone, So what you end up with is like the prospecting mode with the ability to Disc out Junk, And when you use it set up like that you should use it and listen for the same signal as you do with your GPX because it turns your MXT in to a VLF version of the GPX and you will blow the doors off any other detector using it like that, If you want to find Gold with it in the Relic mode that is the way to do it, So what you are getting is a high Bleep for wanted targets and a low tone for Iron for targets that are within Disc range and what is known as the 3rd Tone which tells you there is a target down deep beyond the range of the Disc, and remember forget the Disc knob because it has no effect but most of the junk will be gone,

If you want to find the Tiny Gold below 1 grain you want to turn the Gain way up high and set your threshold so you can only just hear it so it is almost like a whisper So the soft signals still come through, Ok.

Hope that helps, Good luck,

John.

 

[mxt sniper]

Ridge Runner, thanks for the "mixed mode" tip, I will give that a try.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Ridge Runner, thanks for the "mixed mode" tip, I will give that a try.

Here have a look at this,

John.

https://www.whiteselectronics.com/find/mxt-finds-gold-in-australia/

This one is Awesome

https://www.whiteselectronics.com/find/mxt-finds-12-2-ounce-nugget/

 

[Spyhunter]

Hi everyone just new to PA and was wondering if anyone could give me their views on the Whites v3i for gold prospecting?

cheers

 

[Ridge Runner]

Hi everyone just new to PA and was wondering if anyone could give me their views on the Whites v3i for gold prospecting?

cheers

G'day and welcome to PA, As far as VLF machines go the V3i can do the deed having 22khz setting but I am not sure how the tracking will work in Hot Aussie Dirt, where as machines like the MXT's have very High Gain and one of if not the best Tracking systems of any machine out there,

But have no Doubts the V3i Can and Will find Gold,

Have you bought the V3i or is this something you are thinking of doing ?

John.

 

[Spyhunter]

Hi John and thanks for the welcome I'm thinking of buying a V3i there is one for sale locally secondhand...and looking at going over old ground in the far north of Qld that hasn't seen much action in the last 60 +years and its the yellow stuff I'm more interested in.

Gavin

 

[Ridge Runner]

Hi John and thanks for the welcome I'm thinking of buying a V3i there is one for sale locally secondhand...and looking at going over old ground in the far north of Qld that hasn't seen much action in the last 60 +years and its the yellow stuff I'm more interested in.

Gavin

Well if you can get it for a fair price you can use it for coin hunting too, I have read many stories about the V3i and when set up right It won't leave much behind, In OZ If I was chasing Gold I would go and search the old mullock heaps, The standard 10" DD coil will see bits down to 0.02 grams maybe a bit smaller but with the 5.3 coil it will see smaller bits for sure. The 5x9 (6x10) DD coil is another good one to have bit it is no more sensitive than the 10" DD and the only difference is it see's less of the Ground in hot mineralized Ground so it has less to deal with. Although Air tests don't really tell you much when it comes to real world detecting but in air tests the 10"DD see's coins at around 2" further than the 6x10 does, So I would try and use the 10"DD if you can get away with it and run the Gain as hot as you can, keeping the threshold so you can only just hear it,

Depending on the cost of the V3i you might be able to pick up a new MXT All pro or the MXT Pro which will work well and is more designed for prospecting because it shares a few bit from the GMT Goldmaster like the Tracking system and the prospecting mode is almost identical to the one in the GMT, and it has a reliable Disc system so you won't dig as much junk and being a lower frequency they handle the hot Dirt a bit better than the GMT.

With the V3i the rechargeable batteries last for about 12 to 15 hours and in the MXT they will last for about 45 hours and Duracells will last over 60 hours, They both share the same coils and there are well over 30 different coils out there to fit them so the boundaries are limitless,

hope this helps.

John.

 

[Spyhunter]

Thanks John I like and have read some of your posts ..yes this unit is for sale for $1k (its advertised on PA) and i do like the MXT its just finding one for sale

 

[Ridge Runner]

Thanks John I like and have read some of your posts ..yes this unit is for sale for $1k (its advertised on PA) and i do like the MXT its just finding one for sale

Well if it is advertised here on PA it will be a Good machine from someone you can Trust so I would go for it, The V3i is a real good machine and for 1K you should grab it with both hands.

John.

 

[Spyhunter]

Thanks John ... what would say is the best coil for this unit ...I'm waiting to find out if it has the standard 10" DD as there is a pic showing an elliptical coil

 

[Ridge Runner]

Thanks John ... what would say is the best coil for this unit ...I'm waiting to find out if it has the standard 10" DD as there is a pic showing an elliptical coil

Well the 6x10 Elliptical is a great all rounder but the depth of the 10" DD Coil has the edge, and the 6x4 is only good in tight spaces, For small Gold I would be using the 5.3 (6") Concentric Coil, and Although many say you can't use a Concentric in OZ that is true with some of the larger Coils but because the 5.3 is so small the ground has a lesser effect on it, The 5.3 is very hot on tiny and Specie Gold So that is One I would be getting first knowing your Goals and get the skid plate / Coil Cover for it and run insulation tape around the edge where the cover edge and the coil meets just to keep the dust out to stop you getting false signals,

So you need the 10" DD standard Coil and the 6x10 and the 5.3 (6") Coil and they will find Gold if it is there.

After market Coils I would be looking at the 8x6 Detech S.E.F and the 12x10 SEF and maybe the 15x12,

My favourite Coil is the Detech 14x10 Excelerator EQ 2 Pro Coil because it can handle hotter Ground and has better depth on Coins and has MASSIVE depth on larger Items, So much So I Bought 2 of them Just for Luck, lol

hope this helps,

John.

 

[Spyhunter]

Thanks again John it looks like the unit is still available (only comes with the 10" DD) so I'll look at getting it and can you point me in the direction to get the 5.3 coil or any of the others that you have mentioned...keeping mind its primary use will be a the yellow stuff?

Gavin

 

[Ridge Runner]

Thanks again John it looks like the unit is still available (only comes with the 10" DD) so I'll look at getting it and can you point me in the direction to get the 5.3 coil or any of the others that you have mentioned...keeping mind its primary use will be a the yellow stuff?

Gavin

Check out this link but hold off buying any because I can get you a lot better deal, Ok

Because there is a good second hand 6x10 DD for a $100.00 AUD where this company want $325.00 AUD and I am sure I can find the 5.3 a lot cheaper too, Ok

John.

http://www.goldsearchaustralia.com/...ils.html?SID=21f1129015432a42ef15a15a94b6ab87

 

[Spyhunter]

Thanks John yes I'd be very interested in those coils for a cheaper cost ...not a big budget these days plus I'm trying to get my 12 year old son into it so we can both enjoy the outdoors

 

[Ridge Runner]

Thanks John yes I'd be very interested in those coils for a cheaper cost ...not a big budget these days plus I'm trying to get my 12 year old son into it so we can both enjoy the outdoors

Well it looks like I just missed that 6x10,

But that dealer in OZ wants $628.00 for both of those Coils and the skid plate,

I am sure that I can buy 2 new ones for half of that including the skid plates, But let me check the prices tomorrow and I will get back to you ASAP, Ok,

And I will have another look around and see if I can buy any Good second hand ones, Alright,

John.