Frustrated w 1266x

[MTdutchpop]

I bought a used 1266X some time back after years with a Whites 4900D. I read and still read so many great things about the detector but wonder if Montana is just not the best spot for it. It makes so many pops snaps crackles and beeps, even on a single pass. If I find a solid beep, so often the target seems to 'charge up' and be gone after four or five passes. I do find coins with it, but have little confidence before I dig. Usually I just dig the loud solid square wave type sound it gives out over a surface target, but I suppose it also has a softer tone I'm not even trying with it. I'm trying different sensitivity settings, sweep speeds, and discrimination.

It is so different from the White's 'bell' sound over a good target. Maybe I'm not the right user or the right spot for this machine. I see some users out there still swear by it. Maybe they can tell me how to get past the learning curve. I keep giving it second chances and head back to the Whites.

Thanks

 

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[thompy]

for one i think you will have to slow your sweep speed a little from what the 4900 requires, and probably turn down you sens. a little. hope this helps never used the fisher but here they are sensitive

 

[Monk]

The 1266x is a fine detector! Why are you complaining about the Snap, Pops and cracles? Don't dig them, thats the discrimination working! Only dig the solid sounds. I think that locator has 2 dis. on it. The 2nd one is very helpful, use it.
Place a nickle on the ground and turn discrimination to just where it doesn't cut out. if you cut out the nickle you will cut out gold rings also. Then go for it and swing for your hearts content.

 

[l.cutler]

You have top get used to the snap, crackle, pop. The 1266X is a great detector, I have made many deep finds with mine.

 

[Tim Williams]

Monk is correct. I wish I still had my 1266x! Man I would dig coins down to my elbows. You need to set a few different coins out and sweep them from 6" up. I think you will find the faster you sweep the better response. I did a mod on mine. I added a 3rd discrim on the unit. That way I could check just under nickle, a little above and a high setting. I could tell if it was a nickle or gold and if it stayed in either copper or silver. Man thats is one hot detector. I had a friend that used a garrett and I hunted behind him. After he saw what he was missing he quit going till he could get a better detector! any cracked or pop may be junk "depends on the discrim setting" A solid sound is always good. Thats one detector I could count on!

Tim

 

[MTdutchpop]

So consensus is I get back at it and ignore all but the sharp strong signals. Forget the softer ones for now that I notice when near the edge of the air tests. It is comments like all of yours that made me buy this detector in the first place. It does pinpoint well.

I really like the idea of 3 discrimination levels, and many of us probably manually do that with our dials. I'm fairly handy with a soldering iron. Did you add an extra 'pot' and a microswitch into the disc line? Would give a real 'notch' discrimination'. I'll wait till I get the hang of it before I mess with it.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[BioProfessor]

I don't think they are telling you to ignore the soft sounds. Ignore the snap, crackle, pop sounds. If it is a solid signal just soft. I think they are saying dig it. I don't use this detector. I use the DFX Series E. It has a snap, crackle, pop sound when it passes over a rusted item that has started to break apart. Save your digging strength for the clean sounds - really strong or not. With my detector, the really strong sounds tend to be crushed aluminum beer cans just under the surface.

Would somebody please invent an aluminum discriminator!!!

Daryl

 

[Tom_in_CA]

There are areas in CA where the 1266 would be a bad choice. It does not handle minerals well. This may be true of your area perhaps? You could still use it, but it would not be operating up to its potential. In an air test, you can pick up a dime to a foot deep or more! But I've seen ground here where it will not get a dime beyond 6", unless you chase snap-crackle-pops around. That is, the discrimination hits a brick wall beyond about 6", and after that, everything sounds the same.

 

[Tim Williams]

Remember the pop and snaps are according to the discrim setting! If I remember right nickle and pul tab were around 5. So I set it where nickle would just pop. If I heard that I knew it was a nickle. A pull tab would be a little stronger and give a cleaner sound. So I would switch to discrim 2 and check it. If it was gone I knew it was a pull tab. You just have to play with it till you get the setting you want.

Yes I added a switch and a pot. The switch switched out discrim2 pot and switched in the added pot. Worked very well. I placed it on the left side so I could use my thumb.

Take care,

Tim

 

[stoney56]

I used to run a 1266X and set the 1st disc. where nickles came in strong (about 3-4) and the 2nd where pulltabs were scratchy and nickles disappeared(between 5 and 6).
With the machine being factory preset ground balance, it's pretty much impossible to eliminate all the snap, crackle, and pop. Take a magnet and drag it through your soil. If the magnet disappears and all you see is a great quantity of iron coating it, you'll see why.