MXT double signal and hole questions

wwace

wwace

Sr. Member
Jan 4, 2006
391
7
Anchorage AK
Detector(s) used
Exterra 70, Etrac, AT Pro
OK so I go to a park with my new MXT and start digging signals. I am finding clad and junk, screwcaps, pulltabs etc with no problem, obviously no one has been here with a detector, there are so many signals its ridiculous. I don't think the park is very old because all the coins I've found so far are modern after 1970. Well I get a signal with a reading of 94 $1 on the meter and a depth of 12 so we start digging, we get a hole about 12 x 12 and still haven't found anything with the pinpointer I keep running the detector over and in the hole but cannot pinpoint where the object is, we are digging with a hand trowel and there are roots and its pretty tough to get deeper anyway I start to get an Iron reading on one side of the hole and on the other I get the +94 dollar signal, we keep digging and finally on the iron side find the top of something or other that appears to be maybe sheet metal of some sort at 18 inches deep. I couldn't get it out without making a gigantic hole and never could find the other signal. My question is: do I go back with a shovel and excavate whatever it is and try to locate the other object? or am I just getting a false reading because of something or other. This is my first detector and I am not experienced at all so any MXT info would be helpfull. Just how big of a hole would you dig? I don't think I want to make a hole the size of a Buick but I would like to find the other object if in fact there is one.

Thanks
 

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I unfortunatley :'( do not have that brand of detector but I have had the same problem with my Ace 250. Sometimes large items false the detector out. I had a spot that showed me a dime at 4+ inches and each time I swung the detector over the spot I always got the dime signal. Wel needless to say after digging down a good 8-12 inches (could be exagerrating on depth...definately more than 4 thought) I came up with 2 big peices of sheet metal. Unfortunately these digs happen but like my fellow TNet'ers told me when I was questioning this target, you will never know unless you dig it out. My guess is that it is the sheet metal that your detector found but I'm sure someone else with an MXT or compatable machine will be able to tell you better.

HH

Funkman

p.s. Had the same prob again recently with the target telling me it was a quarter. Same thing, just some crazy sheet metal
 

First if you what to keep hunting in that park never dig a 12x12 hole. You will ruin it for yourself. It's not worth digging. If it is a well kept park plugs aren't a good idea. Even well cut plugs turn brown. The mxt has it's depth calibrated for coin sized targets. Larger targets will be deeper and smaller targets will be more shallow than the reading.

Remember VID numbers vary with soil conditions, where I am a nickel is 18 it my be 20 for you soil. If I get a reading of 75 it most likely is a full sized can. Here is an example, reading VID 75- depth 2". I dig 3-4" no target. I check with the pinpointer, no reading. I check with the detector and there is still a good target in the hole. Now start raising you coil. A coin sized target will disappear a large deep target won't.

Oh in pinpoint mode( trigger pulled) you can trace how big the target is. Rob
 

I had the same issue with my MXT when I first got it. I got that nice signal near a light pole in a park. Dug a hole to China and found out it was the conduit for the lighting for the pole.

I would not redig that hole. You have to be careful with the MXT and the +92 -+94 VDI's. If they are a full bar and more than 5+ deep, it's most likely a soda can or some piping. unfortunately you have to dig almost everything until you really learn the MXT. I've had mine one year and am finally understanding what it's telling me. Also, I've found that the MXT will give you different signals for the same thing depending on the soil that you're detecting. Here in AZ, you've got the clay of the desert areas in Phoenix, but the soil changes the farther north you go.

Be patient. It's a great machine you just need to learn the signals. Dig everything at first. Lower your discrimination and keep the sensitvity up. As you are more comfortable with the signals you can feel more confident about turning up the disc. don't be shy about digging 1/2 bar signals that aren't consistent. It's usually some type of relic.
 

Thanks for the tips, the park is natural ground cover for here, Alaska, and the size of hole does not matter really, after refilling it was ok for where it was. I surely wouldn't dig up someones manicured lawn. I was mainly concerned that I was getting two different signals and didn't want to miss anything. I am back at the town where the park is now and I plan on rechecking it. I will update if I find anything else there.
 

I agree with the above. I probably wouldn't dig that in a park... The MXT is a great machine! If you can learn to keep the discrimination turned down (I run mine around two or three) and keep the sensitivity up (around 9-10) you will find lots...dig all the signals for a little while and you will catch on REALLY quick as to what signals are what. Around here a nickel is 18, penny is 67-7?, dime 79-80, silver dime 81, quarter 83, etc. small gold ring 16, large heavy gold ring 30. I find that once in a while I get a crazy signal like what you did but when I cut the plug and run the coil over it again it will change... a good signal will stay the same or get stronger after you cut the plug. If I get a 94 and I cut the plug and now it's bouncing around I don't finish digging myself.. a silver dollar isn't going to bounce around. Junk will.
 

As much as I love my Ace 250, it'll lie to me, too. I dug a strong dime signal at the beach showing 8+ inches. It was a sixpack of beer at over 2 feet. I guess that's why we call it treasure hunting and not treasure finding, and the same reason it's called fishing and not catching. Ahhhh, the thrill of the hunt....

Ramapirate
 

Probably no one has detected the park as all the other MXT owners are out there detecting nuggets. They probably realized that you won't find anything older than the early 1900's at the oldest locations in Alaska so why bother?. You have an excellent gold nugget machine so go out and post us some nuggets. Hey a lot of us envy you living in gold nugget country.


HH
George
 

When I dig a hole and still get no object, it is probe time. Check the hole with the detector and pinpoint, use a good probe to check the hole. Mine is 12 inch brass. If I get no hit, fill in the hole. Often not only can I get a depth but can tell the object and type of material from probing, tin can , iron.

Ed D.
 

I plan on doing some prospecting of tailings soon, I went to the park just to try to learn the machine some. I went there today and went over the hole and I am still getting two or more distinct readings from whatever it is. I did not dig it yet but probably will at some point just to be sure. the signals are at least a foot apart from each other with a -10 iron reading directly over the relic we found but couldn't recover and a 94 1$ reading on the opposite rdge of the hole nowhere near over the iron.
 

thanks for the welcome and the wealth of information and entertainment this site has provided. I usually just lurk around and read everything. I will take a shovel and remove the iron relic later today and see if there is still another signal, will take some pics also but can't post any untill I get home(350 miles) and learn how.
 

went back and dug some more, whatever the mystery object was its way to big to dig up so I'm giving up on that hole. Thanks for the advice
 

I use the MXT and I personally think it is a great machine. I have had the same problem as you on occasion, it just takes some getting used to.

Cannonman, the VDIs are pretty similar around here, although I found a tiny 14K gold charm that registered at a +74....still trying to figure that one out. I checked the hole again for a penny and nada.
 

The MXT will give a false "good" signal when the edge of the coil is swept over a trashy iron object. With such a large object as you described it just may have given you the +94 reading even being a foot away. Not such a large distance considering the size of the other object.
What I do with my MXT is after receiving a good signal I immediatly pull the trigger and pinpoint the target. Then resweep with the center of the coil directly above the target. This will give you the most reliable info.
Also remember that the MXT does not "average" its readings with every sweep like many detectors do. That's why it seems to be on the jumpy side, not locking on target. But this gives you more accurate info than a detector that averages it's TID to make it "appear" to lock on better than the MXT.
 

more info: the object we found is just off the bank of the Chena river in Fairbanks AK in a small park. The area history only goes back 105 yrs or so. The relic was 16 to 18 inches deep in a sandy soil and we uncovered about an 8 x 16 inch piece of whatever it was. The soils appeared undisturbed so I would imagine the object was deposited and buried during one of the floods. The sheet metal was heavy guage and sounded hollow when tapped with a shovel. Being a newb to detecting this was very puzzling, I didn't realize that the ID was basically unreliable at depth, so I can definately chalk this up as a learning experience. We hunted some more areas and found various junk and some more clad coins but nothing better than a dime. Frankly there are so many signals it would take months to dig them all so I am going to look elsewhere. I have found lots of good info here and in the Alaska Gold Forum
Thanks again
 

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