Massbaycolonist
Full Member
I have had my M6 for almost a month now. I got the M6 for an excellent deal.
I paid less for the new detector than you might suspect. I got a free set of new Whites earphones included in the deal. I bought the M6 in the middle of February during a Winter Sale. With respect to White’s Electronics, and the dealer, it is best that I share with you my dealers’ store and location, rather than the price I paid for the M6.
My dealer is George Streeter at Streeter’s Electronics, Marlborough, N.H.
http://www.streeter.org/community/
[email protected]
George is not only a great guy, but he’s also a terrific international treasure hunter. He is totally immersed in treasure hunting. In addition to his great shop, he writes and publishes a treasure newspaper (Which I got a free subscription to when I bought my M6), sponsors treasure hunting trips and trade shows, and he’s an officer of a New England treasure hunting organization. George is especially helpful after the sale, as he emails his customers with helpful treasure hunter information. I only mention my experience with my dealer because I think for many people, knowing dealer and customer service reputation is important when considering which brand of detector to purchase.
I detect at fresh and salt-water beaches only. I search for jewelry, although if I got a “lock-on” signal for a quarter or half-dollar I would probably dig it up. I have approximately 30 hours of experience searching with the M6. I have gone to two salt-water beaches (one two times), and one fresh water beach, for a total of four outings.
My new M6 was already assembled by the time I arrived at the store, so I can’t tell how hard or easy assembling the detector is. The owners’ manual has lots of clear directions with diagrams and pictures on assembling the detector, so I think assembly should be easy.
When I took my detector in hand for the first time, I was immediately struck by how light the machine is. The build quality is very solid, with no loose parts (except one, described later) or squeaks. The paint finish is semi-gloss black. The detector’s rod extensions and also the arm cuff are easily adjusted with silver colored push buttons.
I was very pleased with the amount of supporting documentation that is included with the M6. The large, colorful Owner’s Guide is very well illustrated. There are lots of helpful user hints and technical information in the Owner’s Guide. When reading the complete Guide, I got the feeling that White’s really cares that the customer does well in the field. Some other detector brands have very rudimentary user guides in comparison to White’s User Guide.
An excellent DVD is included in the package. The DVD allows the viewer to select various programs to view, including: Meet Ken White, Learn the M6, and Hunting Techniques. Jimmy Sierra and other experts helpfully demonstrate how to use the M6 in the field. The scenery on the DVD is very beautiful, with breaking waves at gorgeous Santa Monica Beach and also more user demonstrations at Golden Gate Park.
In addition to the Owner’s Guide and the DVD, two pages of “Further Tips and Hints for you new White’s Matrix M6” is included. Within these pages, ten great “TIPS” are presented. The Further Tips are even more helpful than the User Guide, as they get into the nitty-gritty of the detectors operation, and present options for the user.
The first time in the field with my new M6, I unplugged the dust cover to the earphone jack, and the dust cover fell to the sand. I almost lost the dust cover, as I was near the surf. I just barely saw where the jack dust cover fell, and I was able to recover it. For the “Manufacturer’s of the World’s Finest Metal Detectors”, I feel that they should have a small retainer chain or cord attached from the detector to the dust cover. And this is just what my artsy girl friend and I did. She produced some flexible material, and we affixed this to the dust cover and to the detector, so that when the jack dust cover is not in use, it hangs on its retainer cord. Some readers may think, “Small point, no jack dust cover retainer.” However, this is just one of the many corner-cuttings that White’s has done with the M6.
I find that on salt-water beaches, the M6 with the 9.5” round stock coil has poor depth on wet sand, and average depth on dry sand. The M6 has terrific depth on fresh water beaches, however, finding targets at 12 inches or more.
Speaking of coils, the 9.5” stock coil is a ‘general’ use coil, designed to accommodate the needs of many different kinds of detecting. However, by being so general, the 9.5 stock coil is not suitable for any specific type of metal detecting.
For example, you probably know that the best targets are found in trashy areas, such as parks, schoolyards and fresh water beaches. The 9.5” stock coil does not provide enough target separation needed for these trashy areas. A small elliptical coil is best for trashy areas. And at salt-water beaches, a DD coil is needed to eliminate much of the mineralization found there. I think the M6 should come stock with either the Eclipse DD (6x10) or the Super 12 coil.
I am 5’10”, so I need to extend the detectors’ rods to their max length. However, with the rods extended out to the max, this makes the detector ‘nose-heavy’. And this is with one of White’s lightest coils-the unbalance will be even more noticeable with one of the optional coils. To counteract this problem, I think White’s should design an optional counter weight that can be affixed to the upper end of the detector. The holes and cross bolt are already there-they wouldn’t have to change the design of the M6 one iota to accommodate a counterweight.
The sensitivity knob has several areas that need improvement. First, the sensitivity knob is very easy to turn- too easy to turn. Several times while hunting, I found the sensitivity knob had been turned down, for some reason. (No wonder I wasn’t getting any signals-I was only searching in an inch or two of soil!) The sensitivity knob can be accidentally turned down by unknowingly brushing against it, or simply through the movement of the detector. I think the sensitivity knob should have a notch washer, so that the knob “clicks” into the numbers. This would eliminate any unintentional turning of the sens knob. As a work-around, I wrapped several rubber bands tightly around the lower knob post. This keeps the knob in place.
Secondly, the position of the sensitivity knob is on the far right side of the control box. Most people are right handed. When the sensitivity knob is turned up to the right, past 4 or 5, a right hand user can’t see the number setting without lifting up and moving the detector over in an awkward position. The sens knob would be best located to the left, where the setting can be readily seen by right handers.
The M6 comes with two audible signal settings. The unit can be set to give off a monotone on each target signal, or the user can set the detector to give a range of seven different tones to indicate the target type. For the musicians, these tones are approximately: Note 1, (lowest tone) A1: Note 2: C3, Note 3: D3, Note 4: F3, Note 5: C4, Note 6: G4, and Note 7 (highest tone): A5. But how many of us can tell the difference between a G4 note and a C3 note? With the seven-tone signal setting on, the user will hear a cacophony of grunts, beeps, chirps, and pings as s/he swings his/her detector. The lowest tone, (hot rocks) is easily recognizable as a grunt, but how many hunters look for hot rocks? One would think that the most easily identifiable tones would be for nickels, gold, and coins. The highest tone (coins) is fairly identifiable as a ping. But the middle 5 tones all seem to be so close in tone that it is hard to know exactly which tone is which. If possible, the tones should be more differentiated from each other.
The M6 does not come with notch discrimination. Notch discrimination would be nice, but I can understand why White’s decided not to go with notch discrimination. Discriminate out nickels, and you won’t find much gold. Discriminate out pop-tops, and you won’t find any rings, etc. A nice compromise would have been to provide tone notch discrimination. Not looking for hot rocks? (Tone 1) Mute out tone 1. Not looking for iron junk? (Tone 2), have tone 2 muted out as well. I think having a tone notch discrimination feature would be the best improvement that could be made to the M6.
This is not to say that the 7 tone ID system is poor or unusable. This is an excellent feature. The only problem is, without tone notch discrimination, you have to learn what each tone means in terms of target type. This is more challenging than you might think. I always hunt in monotone. When I find a “lock-on” signal of a target type I am interested in I switch to the 7 tone signal setting, and listen to the tone over and over as I pass the coil back and forth over the target. This way I am training my ears to learn what the tone sounds like for that kind of target. Eventually I’ll be able to always run in the 7-tone mode, and when “my” tones go off, I will recognize them.
A “lock-on” signal has a nice, usually loud, round, repeatable signal on each coil pass over the target. Bury a couple of coins about 3 inches and pass the coil over them. You will hear what a “lock-on” looks and sounds like. The VID number stays the same, or about the same.
The reason why the 7-tone feature is such a great feature is because during normal operation, the VID numbers will jump all around on each target. With each pass of the coil over a target, you will get readouts such as: –6, +24, +56, and +95. On the DVD Jimmy Sierra says that when you find a target that makes the VID numbers jump around like that, the target is usually trash. But White’s has a different view of jumpy VID numbers. “…even though the numbers may not lock on as in the case of a surface or shallow target, dig it rather than assume its trash.” With the 7-tone feature on, each tone takes in a wide swath of VID numbers. When a desired tone sounds, dig it, even if the VID numbers are jumping around.
I don’t dig targets that don’t lock on, that is, those that give jumpy VID readouts. I have the feeling, however, that almost half of all the targets that give jumpy VID’s and don’t lock on, are desirable targets. I’m just not interested in the trash to penny/dime trade off.
The M6 does not have the option for an illuminated display for nighttime hunting. This can be fixed with a small piece of Velcro and a keyhole light available at your local convenience store or dollar store. I’m not sure why White’s left out the display light. There seems to be plenty of battery power for a small LED light.
The battery life of the M6 is terrific. Even with the cheap Chinese batteries that come with the unit, you can get up to 40 hours of battery life before you need to change or recharge batteries. With premium coppertops, you could expect to get 50 hours or more of battery life! A rechargeable battery pack is available for the M6. This option goes for about $50.00. I can get two premium coppertops at Walmart for 94 cents. This translates into $7.52 per each 8-battery set. Dividing $50 by 7.52, the break-even point for the battery pack is after 6.65 sets of batteries, or about 300 hours of detecting. It would take about 400 hours of operation to save $15.00 by using a rechargeable battery pack. So there does not seem to be much financial impetus to buy the optional rechargeable battery pack. However, the simplicity and convenience of a rechargeable battery pack is appealing. And you need a back up battery pack anyways, so a rechargeable pack would be a good investment. Just make sure you get your optional coil first.
In summary, the M6, being a converted gold machine, has a great nose for gold.
With the right coil, the M6 is great for finding gold jewelry and coins. But for those searching gold nuggets, the MTX would be a better choice because it comes with adjustable SAT speed, and has notch discrimination. The M6 is a great coin shooter. Just be prepared to purchase an optional coil ASAP. Once I get an optional coil or two, and make a few more modifications to my M6, I am sure I will like it even more.
I paid less for the new detector than you might suspect. I got a free set of new Whites earphones included in the deal. I bought the M6 in the middle of February during a Winter Sale. With respect to White’s Electronics, and the dealer, it is best that I share with you my dealers’ store and location, rather than the price I paid for the M6.
My dealer is George Streeter at Streeter’s Electronics, Marlborough, N.H.
http://www.streeter.org/community/
[email protected]
George is not only a great guy, but he’s also a terrific international treasure hunter. He is totally immersed in treasure hunting. In addition to his great shop, he writes and publishes a treasure newspaper (Which I got a free subscription to when I bought my M6), sponsors treasure hunting trips and trade shows, and he’s an officer of a New England treasure hunting organization. George is especially helpful after the sale, as he emails his customers with helpful treasure hunter information. I only mention my experience with my dealer because I think for many people, knowing dealer and customer service reputation is important when considering which brand of detector to purchase.
I detect at fresh and salt-water beaches only. I search for jewelry, although if I got a “lock-on” signal for a quarter or half-dollar I would probably dig it up. I have approximately 30 hours of experience searching with the M6. I have gone to two salt-water beaches (one two times), and one fresh water beach, for a total of four outings.
My new M6 was already assembled by the time I arrived at the store, so I can’t tell how hard or easy assembling the detector is. The owners’ manual has lots of clear directions with diagrams and pictures on assembling the detector, so I think assembly should be easy.
When I took my detector in hand for the first time, I was immediately struck by how light the machine is. The build quality is very solid, with no loose parts (except one, described later) or squeaks. The paint finish is semi-gloss black. The detector’s rod extensions and also the arm cuff are easily adjusted with silver colored push buttons.
I was very pleased with the amount of supporting documentation that is included with the M6. The large, colorful Owner’s Guide is very well illustrated. There are lots of helpful user hints and technical information in the Owner’s Guide. When reading the complete Guide, I got the feeling that White’s really cares that the customer does well in the field. Some other detector brands have very rudimentary user guides in comparison to White’s User Guide.
An excellent DVD is included in the package. The DVD allows the viewer to select various programs to view, including: Meet Ken White, Learn the M6, and Hunting Techniques. Jimmy Sierra and other experts helpfully demonstrate how to use the M6 in the field. The scenery on the DVD is very beautiful, with breaking waves at gorgeous Santa Monica Beach and also more user demonstrations at Golden Gate Park.
In addition to the Owner’s Guide and the DVD, two pages of “Further Tips and Hints for you new White’s Matrix M6” is included. Within these pages, ten great “TIPS” are presented. The Further Tips are even more helpful than the User Guide, as they get into the nitty-gritty of the detectors operation, and present options for the user.
The first time in the field with my new M6, I unplugged the dust cover to the earphone jack, and the dust cover fell to the sand. I almost lost the dust cover, as I was near the surf. I just barely saw where the jack dust cover fell, and I was able to recover it. For the “Manufacturer’s of the World’s Finest Metal Detectors”, I feel that they should have a small retainer chain or cord attached from the detector to the dust cover. And this is just what my artsy girl friend and I did. She produced some flexible material, and we affixed this to the dust cover and to the detector, so that when the jack dust cover is not in use, it hangs on its retainer cord. Some readers may think, “Small point, no jack dust cover retainer.” However, this is just one of the many corner-cuttings that White’s has done with the M6.
I find that on salt-water beaches, the M6 with the 9.5” round stock coil has poor depth on wet sand, and average depth on dry sand. The M6 has terrific depth on fresh water beaches, however, finding targets at 12 inches or more.
Speaking of coils, the 9.5” stock coil is a ‘general’ use coil, designed to accommodate the needs of many different kinds of detecting. However, by being so general, the 9.5 stock coil is not suitable for any specific type of metal detecting.
For example, you probably know that the best targets are found in trashy areas, such as parks, schoolyards and fresh water beaches. The 9.5” stock coil does not provide enough target separation needed for these trashy areas. A small elliptical coil is best for trashy areas. And at salt-water beaches, a DD coil is needed to eliminate much of the mineralization found there. I think the M6 should come stock with either the Eclipse DD (6x10) or the Super 12 coil.
I am 5’10”, so I need to extend the detectors’ rods to their max length. However, with the rods extended out to the max, this makes the detector ‘nose-heavy’. And this is with one of White’s lightest coils-the unbalance will be even more noticeable with one of the optional coils. To counteract this problem, I think White’s should design an optional counter weight that can be affixed to the upper end of the detector. The holes and cross bolt are already there-they wouldn’t have to change the design of the M6 one iota to accommodate a counterweight.
The sensitivity knob has several areas that need improvement. First, the sensitivity knob is very easy to turn- too easy to turn. Several times while hunting, I found the sensitivity knob had been turned down, for some reason. (No wonder I wasn’t getting any signals-I was only searching in an inch or two of soil!) The sensitivity knob can be accidentally turned down by unknowingly brushing against it, or simply through the movement of the detector. I think the sensitivity knob should have a notch washer, so that the knob “clicks” into the numbers. This would eliminate any unintentional turning of the sens knob. As a work-around, I wrapped several rubber bands tightly around the lower knob post. This keeps the knob in place.
Secondly, the position of the sensitivity knob is on the far right side of the control box. Most people are right handed. When the sensitivity knob is turned up to the right, past 4 or 5, a right hand user can’t see the number setting without lifting up and moving the detector over in an awkward position. The sens knob would be best located to the left, where the setting can be readily seen by right handers.
The M6 comes with two audible signal settings. The unit can be set to give off a monotone on each target signal, or the user can set the detector to give a range of seven different tones to indicate the target type. For the musicians, these tones are approximately: Note 1, (lowest tone) A1: Note 2: C3, Note 3: D3, Note 4: F3, Note 5: C4, Note 6: G4, and Note 7 (highest tone): A5. But how many of us can tell the difference between a G4 note and a C3 note? With the seven-tone signal setting on, the user will hear a cacophony of grunts, beeps, chirps, and pings as s/he swings his/her detector. The lowest tone, (hot rocks) is easily recognizable as a grunt, but how many hunters look for hot rocks? One would think that the most easily identifiable tones would be for nickels, gold, and coins. The highest tone (coins) is fairly identifiable as a ping. But the middle 5 tones all seem to be so close in tone that it is hard to know exactly which tone is which. If possible, the tones should be more differentiated from each other.
The M6 does not come with notch discrimination. Notch discrimination would be nice, but I can understand why White’s decided not to go with notch discrimination. Discriminate out nickels, and you won’t find much gold. Discriminate out pop-tops, and you won’t find any rings, etc. A nice compromise would have been to provide tone notch discrimination. Not looking for hot rocks? (Tone 1) Mute out tone 1. Not looking for iron junk? (Tone 2), have tone 2 muted out as well. I think having a tone notch discrimination feature would be the best improvement that could be made to the M6.
This is not to say that the 7 tone ID system is poor or unusable. This is an excellent feature. The only problem is, without tone notch discrimination, you have to learn what each tone means in terms of target type. This is more challenging than you might think. I always hunt in monotone. When I find a “lock-on” signal of a target type I am interested in I switch to the 7 tone signal setting, and listen to the tone over and over as I pass the coil back and forth over the target. This way I am training my ears to learn what the tone sounds like for that kind of target. Eventually I’ll be able to always run in the 7-tone mode, and when “my” tones go off, I will recognize them.
A “lock-on” signal has a nice, usually loud, round, repeatable signal on each coil pass over the target. Bury a couple of coins about 3 inches and pass the coil over them. You will hear what a “lock-on” looks and sounds like. The VID number stays the same, or about the same.
The reason why the 7-tone feature is such a great feature is because during normal operation, the VID numbers will jump all around on each target. With each pass of the coil over a target, you will get readouts such as: –6, +24, +56, and +95. On the DVD Jimmy Sierra says that when you find a target that makes the VID numbers jump around like that, the target is usually trash. But White’s has a different view of jumpy VID numbers. “…even though the numbers may not lock on as in the case of a surface or shallow target, dig it rather than assume its trash.” With the 7-tone feature on, each tone takes in a wide swath of VID numbers. When a desired tone sounds, dig it, even if the VID numbers are jumping around.
I don’t dig targets that don’t lock on, that is, those that give jumpy VID readouts. I have the feeling, however, that almost half of all the targets that give jumpy VID’s and don’t lock on, are desirable targets. I’m just not interested in the trash to penny/dime trade off.
The M6 does not have the option for an illuminated display for nighttime hunting. This can be fixed with a small piece of Velcro and a keyhole light available at your local convenience store or dollar store. I’m not sure why White’s left out the display light. There seems to be plenty of battery power for a small LED light.
The battery life of the M6 is terrific. Even with the cheap Chinese batteries that come with the unit, you can get up to 40 hours of battery life before you need to change or recharge batteries. With premium coppertops, you could expect to get 50 hours or more of battery life! A rechargeable battery pack is available for the M6. This option goes for about $50.00. I can get two premium coppertops at Walmart for 94 cents. This translates into $7.52 per each 8-battery set. Dividing $50 by 7.52, the break-even point for the battery pack is after 6.65 sets of batteries, or about 300 hours of detecting. It would take about 400 hours of operation to save $15.00 by using a rechargeable battery pack. So there does not seem to be much financial impetus to buy the optional rechargeable battery pack. However, the simplicity and convenience of a rechargeable battery pack is appealing. And you need a back up battery pack anyways, so a rechargeable pack would be a good investment. Just make sure you get your optional coil first.
In summary, the M6, being a converted gold machine, has a great nose for gold.
With the right coil, the M6 is great for finding gold jewelry and coins. But for those searching gold nuggets, the MTX would be a better choice because it comes with adjustable SAT speed, and has notch discrimination. The M6 is a great coin shooter. Just be prepared to purchase an optional coil ASAP. Once I get an optional coil or two, and make a few more modifications to my M6, I am sure I will like it even more.
