Troy Galloway, the designer of the Shadow X5, and other experienced Shadow users answer some frequently asked questions about this superb detector.
THRESHOLD
GROUND BALANCE
ELECTRICAL INTERFERENCE & CHATTER
VCO PINPOINTING
TARGET CHECK
BEACH HUNTING
WEATHERPROOF
COMPETITION HUNTING
THRESHOLD
1 - THRESHOLD - IMPORTANCE IN THE DISC MODE
Now that the ShadowX5 has been in the field for six months, the feedback reports have been extremely positive. The vast majority of users, including the seasoned veterans, are totally convinced the X5 is the very best detector they have ever used. They are reporting the X5 is finding good targets deeper than they have ever have with their previous detectors. They are amazed at the good targets they are finding in old sites they have previously pounded to the point that they had given up on these sites. From these reports I was able to determine that some of the users who were experiencing problems, did not completely understand the "extreme importance" of having the THRESHOLD control set properly when searching in the "DISC" mode. And, others who do understand the importance, simply forget to set it when they first began to search and to occasionally check it while searching.
Troy
2 - SETTING THE THRESHOLD
I'm not sure if it was mentioned when discussing Gb, but its essential to have your Threshold set correctly BEFORE you GB any machine. This WILL adversely affect depth, and/or target response!! Holding the coil well off the ground, and AWAY from any metallic objects. (this includes your car, metal buildings, etc etc....), flick the machine in all metal, and adjust the knob under the 5 till you can hear a SLIGHT threshold noise. Take care to point the coil away from any possible interference (power lines etc..)Then, and only then should you GB the machine. The placement of the Threshold knob makes it easy to bump it taking it in and out of your car, and you should get in the habit of checking it every time you Gb the machine. Set it too low, and you WONT get the depth you might expect. Set it too high, and the response to ALL targets will be louder, including JUNK!!! Setting the threshold a tad high is a little trick to "enhance" the response of smaller targets, but it will enhance everything else as well, and should be utilized only in areas where trash is at a minimum. If you are hunting areas where the trash % is very high, and you want to cut down on the noise, and aren't concerned about a little loss of depth, then setting the Threshold LOWER than norm often makes the 5 quieter, and easier to pick through the targets. In competition hunting, I usually set the threshold on the low side, and run in fixed GB, and in Beach disc. Depth isnt a consideration at most hunts, and this will effectively 'detune ' the detector, for some high speed hunting! I also set the sens no more than halfway up the scale. You'll also be more "interference proof" if you set it up this way. (but frankly, I seldom get interference with the 5, even from other shadows!).
Troy
3 - MORE ON SETTING THE THRESHOLD
The Threshold, is exactly what the name implies, and that is the "breakpoint" where the detectors audio response will lie. That's kind of a simplistic explanation, but it will have to suffice for demonstration purposes. Set your threshold too high, and you will mask small and very low conductive targets. They wont be able to produce a response strong enough to overcome the already too high audio, and you wont hear them.(this is mostly in all metal, where you can hear the constant threshold hum in the background) You'll also enhance the audio response of every piece of junk in the ground, and make the machine very noisy. Set the threshold too low, and you will lose depth and sensitivity. Do this test.....Set your threshold correctly (IE: just audible), and then air test a nickel. Note the depth it gets. Now turn your threshold down a quarter of a turn below your hearing range. Do your air test again. Lost a few inches didn't you? The detector is probably still picking up the target, but YOU CANT HEAR IT at the same depths!!! The threshold isnt only critical in All metal, its critical in Disc as well. The "proper" way to set your threshold is to a level that YOU can barely hear. Too loud and its annoying and counter productive. Too low and its counter productive as well. Think of it as the way to adjust YOUR detector to YOUR hearing. Hope this helps you a bit....
Troy
GROUND BALANCE
1 - MANUAL GROUND BALANCE INSTRUCTIONS
Here are some tips you should follow:
On the beach and in highly trashy sites always use Fixed Ground Balance and Beach DISC. After you become more familiar with the X5, then you may find that normal DISC can be used in these conditions.
Manual Ground Balance Instructions:
1) Set the SENS control to 8.
2) Set the Mode switch to All-Metal.
3) Set the Select switch to Manual GB.
4) Hold the coil up in the air (steady) and adjust the Threshold control for a very low (slight) audio volume (this is very important).
5) Adjust the GB control fully clockwise.
6) Lower the search coil slowly to toward the ground (from 12 inches to 1 inch). You should hear an increase in audio volume as the coil is lowered to the ground.
7) Raise the search coil back up to 12 inches above the ground and adjust the GB control 1/2 turn counter-clockwise.
8) Repeat steps 6 & 7 until the audio tone disappears as you lower the search
coil to the ground. (Note !!! this step is extremely IMPORTANT because if the soil at the location you are trying to Ground Balance does not contain iron mineralization then it is impossible to manually ground balance the detector properly and Fixed GB should always be used in this situation). It is the same thing as trying to ground balance to air.
9) After the point is found where the audio tone disappears, then readjust the GB control clockwise slightly, until the audio tone is equal in volume when slowly lowering and raising the search coil 1 to 4 inches off the ground. You are now properly ground balanced to operate (search) in the All-Metal Mode, but this is NOT the ground balance setting to be used for Discrimination Mode.
10) If you desire to search in the Discrimination Mode, then adjust the GB control 1/4 to 1/2 turn clockwise after steps 1 through 9 above have been successfully completed. This is necessary to eliminate or greatly reduce ground pick-up (noise).
11) Now, set the Mode switch to DISC and set the DISC control to 3.5 to 3.8. You are now ready to search in the Discrimination Mode. If ground pick-up (noise) appears (not iron trash signals) then adjust the GB slightly more clockwise.
For maximum depth, the SENS control can usually be increased from 8 to 8.5 or even 9 depending on the conditions at each location.
Troy
2 - CHIRPING DUE TO INCORRECT GROUND BALANCE
The chirping you describe when swinging the coil over the ground is very typical of any detector having the Ground Balance adjusted negative. Ground balance is a critical adjustment in that, if it is adjusted negative then the results will be excessive ground noise. If adjusted too positive then it will lose depth. The key issue you may be missing based upon your above post is that it is critical, is to be sure you have "first" found the ground balance point. In your post you indicated that you lowered your coil to the ground while in MGB and All Metal mode and the Threshold tone did not change or was perfect. Well, that may or may not be the ground balance point. It is very important to "first" find the point where the threshold tone makes a "change" (disappears or becomes louder) when lowing the coil within an inch or two from the ground. At this point you are very close to the ground balance point. A slight adjustment clockwise or counterclockwise will then find the balance point. Another, important step you didn't mention, is that it is also very critical to adjust the GB control slightly positive (about 1/8 to 1&Mac218;4 turn clockwise) after finding the ground balance point, then switch to the DISC mode. This is standard practice with most manual ground balance detectors to reduce ground noise. There are two other things that you may find helpful. Be absolutely sure the there is no metal in the ground near the place you are ground balancing and you will get better results if the Threshold volume is set very low, just to barely audible when ground balancing. Once you get the hang of manual ground balance it becomes as easy and natural as walking.
Now, there are occasions where the ground balance point can not be found due to specific ground conditions. When this happens, it is best to switch to FIXED GB to search.
Troy
3 - HUNTING IN SEVERELY MINERALIZED SOIL
You are right about that ground! The site that you are referring to is about the most extreme conditions you can put a metal detector in. This red dirt not only has a very high iron oxide content, but it is also full of negative hot rocks plus an abundance of rusty iron items of all kinds found in typical CW winter camps. This combination makes detecting with any detector extremely difficult for either All-Metal or Discrimination modes. In the All-Metal mode, detectors can cut through the iron mineralization and negative hot rocks fairly well, but then all the rusty iron trash presents a problem. In the Discrimination mode, detectors see the severe iron mineralization as one big target and then the problem is compounded with negative hot rocks. The good news is, even after all the hunting pressure this site has seen through the years, it still has relics to be found, but only because of the ultra bad hunting conditions. This site is even worse than the GNRS hunt site that was held at Brandy Station a couple of years ago.
Now, there are a couple of things you can do with the X5 to help overcome these bad conditions but please don't expect the relics to just start jumping out of the ground or to see great depth. You still have to hunt hard and pay more attention to marginal signals in these adverse conditions.
1) Coil size becomes very important in these conditions. The-smaller-the-better is the rule. Larger coils see too much of the iron mineralization in respect to the small targets you are looking for.
2) Unless you want to dig a lot of the iron trash, then it is best to search in the Discrimination mode and to tune-out the hot rocks with the Ground balance control. Find one or two of the pesky hot rocks and place them in a trash free spot on the ground. While in the Discrimination mode and the Disc set to approximately 4, adjust the Ground Balance control by swinging the coil back and forth within an inch or two above the hot rocks and adjust the GB until the hot rock signal disappears. In most cases the hot rock signal will disappear about 1 to 1.5 turns clockwise from the normal ground balance point, depending on the hot rock. Now you are ready to hunt in these conditions.
3) Remember that the ground conditions are really bad with mineralized ground, hot rocks and iron trash so your sweep speed must be reduced for best results.
Troy
4 - GROUND BALANCING IN LOW TO ZERO MINERALIZED SOIL
You have asked a very good question and the situation you describe is not uncommon in certain areas in the U.S. Also, it is not unique only to the X5. Through the years, I have experienced what you described with many detectors, both manual and auto tracking ground balance detectors. In fact, the soil in my yard creates the same situation. It has almost zero mineralization but this type soil (black gumbo as we call it) does have what is called a high loss angle to metal detectors. Which means it has properties with high electrical conductivity. Anyway, from a practical standpoint I have often found almost the same results you describe.
Now, when a person starts adjusting the ground balance under these conditions, he can get into trouble as it is almost the same as trying to ground balance in the air. Since, detectors will not ground balance to air or in the conditions you described, just where should the ground balance control be set? Well, if your detector will not ground balance at these locations and there is no reference point to set the ground balance control, then the GB will most likely be set "in the blind". This is a bad situation and can actually impair the performance of your detector without you even knowing it. If it is blindly set too positive then what happens? Loss of depth, especially on high conductive targets. You can actually tune out silver dollars with the ground balance control with some detectors. What if it is set too negative? Overall loss of depth and excessive ground noise.
Since I experience these situations often in my immediate area, I have studied this for many years and have come to the following conclusions. 1) Under these situations there is very little or no iron mineralization. 2) Under these conditions the detector does not radically lose depth because the detector sees very little iron mineralization. 3) Can you hurt yourself by blindly adjusting the Manual Ground Balance control? You bet you can and you will!!!
Now, you probably already know where I am going with this. hahaha! My solution to this problem appears on the X5. It's called Fixed Ground Balance! You see, fixed or preset ground balance is set for the maximum performance from your detector. I look it like this, when manual ground balance is used in iron mineralized soil, to some degree, you are actually trying to over compensate what the detector normally sees as a target. This can actually be viewed as mis-tuning the detector from its optimum state to try to improve bad conditions. The analogy you have heard many times is true. Ground Balancing in heavy iron mineralized soil is very similar to driving an auto at night in heavy fog. To improve a bad situation it is best to use your low beam headlights instead of the high beams. High beams are preset for maximum performance just as fixed or preset ground balance is set for maximum or optimum performance for your detector.
There are two very good reasons to have both Fixed and Manual Ground Balance on the X5. First, some people just prefer to use Fixed GB as their hunting conditions do not require the benefits MGB can provide, but the main reason is for my own use! I don't like to guess where I should set the MGB control when I can not adjust it correctly. The Ground Balance adjustment is simply too critical. So my advise is, to always use Fixed Ground Balance when you find yourself in a situation that does not allow Manual Ground Balance to be adjusted correctly.
Now here is a tip that is unique to ground balancing the X5. It operates at 19khz and is much more sensitive to small and low conductive items as opposed to most other detectors when hunting in the Discrimination Mode. With the power of the X5 (depth and footprint) it is seeing much more ground area than normal. When this type of power is combined with 19khz type of sensitivity, it is best to adjust your Ground Balance control slightly more positive than normal to tune-out or reduce low conductive ground noise. This is very important and you find with a little experimenting, your X5 will operate much smoother and still maintain superior depth.
Troy
5 - MORE ON GB'ING IN LOW OR ZERO MINERALIZED SOIL
Actually your method works well when the ground does have mineralization. However, with ground that has very little or no mineralization it is better to start off with the GB control fully clock-wise and then start the coarse adjustment by turning it counterclockwise while pumping the coil slowly from approximately 12 inches to 2 inches above the ground. By starting fully clock-wise you will always have a tone when lowering the coil to the ground. The most important point in this process is to adjust the GB Control counterclockwise until the threshold tone disappears. If the threshold tone does not disappear then it is not possible to manually ground balance properly and Fixed GB should be used.
When the tone does disappear during the coarse adjustment then you know that manual GB is possible and you are very close to the ground balance point. Now, the fine tuning process is to continue pumping the coil and adjust the GB control clockwise slightly until the tone volume is the same when lowering and raising the coil. At this point your detector is perfectly ground balanced, BUT searching at this ground balance setting will cause a great deal of ground noise when in the discrimination mode. So to overcome this problem you should adjust the GB control clockwise about another 1&Mac218;4 to 1&Mac218;2 turn. Now you are ready to switch to the DISC Mode, adjust the SENS & DISC controls and start searching.
To put all this into words, the process seems to be very complicated but in reality it is simple, quick and easy. The two main things to remember are 1) You must first find the point where the threshold tone changes from positive to negative (tone disappears). 2) You must operate with a slightly more positive GB setting than normal otherwise ground noise will be bothersome.
I hope this helps.
Troy
ELECTRICAL INTERFERENCE & CHATTER
1 - GROUND BALANCING & CHECKING FOR ELECTRICAL INTERFERENCE
Yes, there are several controls that if not adjusted correctly can and will cause excessive noise when searching in the DISC mode. Let me run through a quick check with you on how to best set up the X5.
1) Place the mode switch to All-Metal. With the coil up in the air adjust the Sens control to approximately 8 and adjust the Threshold control to a very slight audio tone. Note: The higher you set the Threshold tone volume, the more dominant the noise will be in the DISC mode.
2) Find a spot of ground that has no metal targets and go through the manual ground balance procedure. After the ground balance point has been found, then adjust the GB control 1&Mac218;4 to 1&Mac218;2 turn clockwise (positive). This last GB step is very important to reduce ground noise pick-up. Note: During the GB procedure, if you do not find the point where the threshold tone goes silent when lowering the coil to the ground, then you do not have the X5 ground balanced correctly. This is the NUMBER ONE cause for ground chatter and Fixed GB should be used.
3) With the DISC control set to 3.5 to 4, place the mode switch to DISC and with the coil up in the air adjust the SENS control clockwise until slight chirping starts, then back-off counterclockwise until the chirping becomes quiet. This setting should be between 8 to 9 depending on the electrical activity in the area. If chirping is still present at 8 or less (7, 6 or 5) then you are in a very high electrical activity area. This can be verified by holding the coil up in the air while in the All-Metal mode and listen to the Threshold Tone. If the Threshold Tone is not stable and is fluctuating or motorboating then you are in an area with high electrical interference. To help this situation you should then go to BEACH DISC mode which is the fall back mode any time excessive noise is experienced.
Troy
2 - CHATTER, INTERFERENCE, GROUND EFFECT & NAILS
It's important at the outset to remember that the X-5 is one VERY HOT machine, and as such, the settings of the X-5 can be somewhat more critical than those of a detector that exhibits less gain, sensitivity, and depth. In most hunting environments, the FACTORY SUGGESTED SETTINGS are the ones that will provide you with the best performance overall. I don't mean the "PRESET" marks on the individual controls, but those suggested in the manual as proper adjustments for the soil and target conditions you are hunting in.
With that said, let me go back to the threshold issue, and my suggestion that you can hunt with the threshold at it's maximum level in the discrimination mode. While that is true, there are some prerequisites that need to be considered in doing so.
When you increase the target volume via the threshold control above its suggested setting of a barely audible hum, you can in fact increase the audio on smaller and deeper targets. BUT....and this is important to understand....by doing so, you are also increasing ALL audio response on the X-5, including that of any ground effect present or external electrical interference, as well as the normal "click-out" you might normally hear on certain metallic items that are just below the discrimination level setting. While increasing the threshold control in QUIET ENVIRONMENTS can be of some benefit as explained, in other areas it can compound some types of instability. For this reason, it is best to use this method judiciously according to the conditions at hand. FOR MOST HUNTING, THE SUGGESTED BARELY AUDIBLE HUM IS THE BEST SETTING FOR THE THRESHOLD, and it should be checked periodically in the ALL-METAL mode, and after ground balancing prior to switching to the discrimination mode.
Where chatter and interference seem a problem, there are specific things that need to be considered with any machine. Chatter can be caused by a number of things, including the ground conditions. This is usually just a matter of making the proper adjustments to handle the specific piece of ground, including proper ground balancing and sensitivity settings. In extremely bad areas, increasing the discrimination level might also help. On the X-5, you can also try the beach discrimination mode if the ground conditions are extreme. Remember that this was designed for wet saltwater sand conditions, and no ground gets much worse than that in producing "falsing" and chatter.
External interference is another problem in some areas that can cause chatter, and the first and most obvious method of taking care of this with the X-5 is by using the frequency control, trying each of the 3 different frequencies to determine which operates most quietly. These problems can be caused by 60 cycle electrical lines, cellular phone towers, microwave transmitting towers, television and radio station transmitting towers, etc. and affect most all types of detectors to some degree or another. The more powerful or receptive a detector is, the more noticeable these effects may become. But ask yourself, would I rather have a machine capable of detecting coins beyond 5 or 6 inches, or have a totally "quiet" machine walking over targets that I may never know I missed ? I think the answer is obvious for most of us.
One quick way of determining whether you are experiencing external RF (radio frequency) noise or chatter is to simply hold the coil up above the ground and point it out and away from your body while moving it around you in a circle. At times, you may even be able to pinpoint the cause of the interference by using the detector as a "directional antenna". But don't dismiss the possibility of underground electrical or telephone lines in your area either.
One final thing I want to address is some of the concerns about nails. While most common nails are easy to discriminate out or identify via the audio of the X-5, let's not forget that not all nails are made solely of iron...... In years past, many types of nails, and especially some of the old square nails and horseshoe nails were made of alloys of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, including copper-cobalt and others. This is not to mention some of the more modern nails that are coated with a galvanizing wash made of non-ferrous materials. The reasoning behind these types of nails was (and is) the prevention of rust or deterioration. Other types, such as fencing staples (U-shaped "nails") are difficult for any machine to completely discriminate, simply because of the shape of the target and the field it produces. In some cases, the best that you can hope for is "identifying" the target as iron rather than completely discriminating out all audio response.
Hope this is of some help.
Ralph
3 - RF INTERFERENCE
......and that's with a capital IF because the X-5 normally does not have much problem along these lines.
But, if you experience outside RF interference, there are several things you can try.
First off, the ground balance will usually have little or no effect on RF interference. The problem with 60 cycle electric lines is that they interfer across a wide spectrum of multiples both above and below their own "frequency".
Next, just reduce the sensitivity to help eliminate the interference. In most cases, this will be sufficient. If not, try the beach mode. A higher discrimination level also may or may not help with external RF interference. That's something you will just have to experiment with in your own location.
Another thing that many forget is that the coil of the detector is nothing more than an "antenna", and the larger it is, the more it receives. Try a smaller coil, and that will also help in most situations to some extent.
Most of the larger transmission lines are the ones that really cause problems, more so than the little service lines. Sometimes the lines are not as much of a problem as nearby transformers. Try moving away from the transformer itself.
One season in southern Arizona, some of the guys were using Minelab PI machines that were extremely sensitive to external RF, so much so that if two of the Minelab guys got separated, they just raised the detector coil and spun it around in a circle until it detected the signal of the other machine..... kinda like a directional homing antenna.
Ralph
4 - OTHER POSSIBLE CAUSES OF CHATTER
You might want to check one or two things. First, the wind shouldnt affect your X5 at all. Period. If it IS, then you need to check these.. 1# Have a look at the connector where your coil wire goes into your control box. Make sure its good and tight. The connector WILL have a tendancy to loosen from time to time, from normal use, and its a good idea to check it on occasion. 2# Make sure your coil cable is wrapped tight, AND correctly. When you wind it around the shaft, be sure to wind it OVER the shaft when you start, and not under it. Make sure at least the bottom half of the windings are tight, and cant move. Secure the cable with those velcro wraps if necessary. 3# Have a look at your headphones, and your headphone jack. Try to simulate the windy conditions with the cord, and see if you can make it sound like it does when its windy out. If wiggling the cord produces noise, then you most likely have a defective headphone cord or jack. Most things like this can be attributed to loose connections, or something thats moving when its not supposed to. give your machine a good look over and see if it doesnt help.
Streak
VCO PINPOINTING
1 - VCO PINPOINTING
When you are using the VCO Pinpoint are you initially pushing the button when you are off to the side of the target and then gradually bringing the back over the target or are you pushing the button when you are almost directly over the target. If you are right over the target there is a possibility that you are tuning the X-5 to the target and if you are almost centered you could lose your Pinpoint signal as you move the coil and get away from being directly centered over the target. You might try this test. Lay a coin on top of the ground then move the coil about 8" to the side of the coin push your VCO Pinpoint Button and bring the coil over the coin the and hold it there. As you bring the coil closer to the coin the loudness and the pitch of the tone should increase. When you are directly over the coin hold the level without moving it in any direction. By this point the sound should be loud and very high pitched and it should stay that way as long as you do not move the coil or release the button. If at this point the sound doesn't stay loud and high pitched and the target gets tuned out by itself I would say that you may have something wrong with your X-5. But I am leaning more toward the possibility that you may be pushing the Pinpoint Button when you are already over the target causing the signal to disappear if you move the coil off the target. You might also try this to prove what I am saying. Place you coil within about an inch of dead center of the coin laying on the ground and push the pinpoint button. You should get a fairly loud high pitched sound but it won't be quite as loud as when you brought the coil in from the side. Now if you move the coil away from the coin the signal will disappear almost immediately. Hope this helps!!!!
HH - Beachcomber
TARGET CHECK
1 - TARGET CHECK EXPLAINED
The target switch is a 3 position momentary switch that returns to the center position after it's been pressed.
When hunting in disc mode, when the switch is pressed up to the zinc position, it will disc out targets that have the conductivity of a zinc penny & below. Meaning that the X5 will beep on targets that are a copper penny & higher in conductivity.
When pressed down to the nickel position: It discs out targets that have the conductivity of a nickel or below. Meaning that when it's pressed down, and the signal GOES AWAY - then it very well could be a nickel (or small gold ring... or yes - possibly parts of a shredded aluminum can)...
The biggest benefit of the target check (TC) switch - especially when coinshooting, is to let you know precisely what "range" your target is in... Those pesky pull-tabs will beep when the TC switch is in the nickel position, but will go away when it's in the zinc position.
Soooo... If your target goes away when in the zinc position, and still goes away when it's in the nickel position... Then "Dig it". It could be another small gold ring that has been overlooked by other detectors...
G'Luck!
Rex
2 - USING TARGET CHECK ON TRASHY SITES
As you probable already know, the accuracy of discrimination circuits are greatly dependant on depth. Were the wheat cents you mentioned fairly deep?? wheat cents are right on the border of being disc'd out in the coin check mode, and the deeper they are in relation to the coil, the closer they will come to "no mans" land.(out of the coin checks range) The deeper they are, the lower the machine will read them on the conductance scale. This is true of any detector. In ideal conditions, the disc circuit will nail a wheat back every time in zinc check, but that changes with depth. As far as the response on the V nickel, you may just have been in close proximity to another target(unseen), and were enhancing the response of the V nickel due to the proximity of the other target. V nickels are funny critters however, due to their composition, and rarely fall into any particular range. A lot of "iffy targets will give a "click", or "chirp" in coin check, despite their relative low conductivity, but you'll note, when checked in the range they actually fall in, they respond with a clear clean signal. You also have to keep in mind the type of field generated by the 9" coil. It isn't the classic "V" shape found on most detectors. Its more of a bloated "U" shape, and consequently gives you a far greater field of detection at depth. The 5 simply "sees' a lot more than most detectors do in any given swing of the coil. This is a very good argument for having a 7" coil in your detector bag, to hunt trash riddled sites with. Less target overlap, but still with lots of sensitivity and depth. One other thing of note is, that when switching to coin check, there will be a small delay while the circuits are being charged, and you wont get an accurate reading for one or two sweeps. (depending on your sweep time.) also, be sure to make very narrow sweeps when trying to ID a target, to try to avoid input from adjacent targets. hope this helps..
Streak!
BEACH HUNTING
1 - SETTING UP THE X5 FOR BEACH HUNTING
You'll encounter a number of different types of conditions detecting Jersey beaches, but the biggest factor (as Amy said) is the amount of iron debris you'll find. first off, I don't even attempt to GB at the beach. The 5 will work just find in fixed Gb, and you'll dig as deep as you'll want to in this mode. Some beaches, like Seaside Heights, are whisper quiet. Its literally one of the cleanest beaches out there, as far as iron debris is concerned. At the opposite end of the spectrum is Atlantic city. I remember thinking that I wished I had a camera with me the last time I was down, as the surface of the sand was literally COVERED with specks of iron. About 1 piece for ever square inch. (I'm NOT kidding!). Still, the 5 handled it admirably. Depending on weather you hunt the dry or wet sand, you'll have to pay attention to only a couple of things. First off, in the dry sand, you can run as low a disc as you like, but most will like to run it "just" high enough to cancel out most of the "little" iron. Assuming you have a modded machine (or a ser# after 300), this will be between 3 and four on the disc knob. This will vary a bit depending on how your knob is indexed, and the only way to know for sure is to experiment a bit yourself. Now, if your hunting the WET sand, you'll need to cancel out the salt. I do this by stepping into the wet stuff, and from a fairly low disc setting, start swinging the coil as if your hunting. Gradually raise the disc setting till the bulk of the noise is gone. This will usually occur at or around 4, but again, it will vary a bit depending on YOUR machine. You "may" be able to run it a tad lower than 4, but the only way to be sure is to test it on YOUR beach. Now, dont expect to hear ALL the noises disappear, as you will still hear the occasional bit of iron, but the constant noise of detecting the salt will be gone if your set up right. Beaches high in iron debris or black sand will probably want to make you run in the "beach disc" mode. All this does is cut the front end power a tad(still gets GREAT depth), and consequently makes your 5 a bit quieter and more stable.(You wont detect as much of that really deep huge iron) The addition of a 7" coil helps as well. You have to keep in mind that in certain conditions, too much power will actually have a detrimental effect on detecting. The 5 with the 9" coil has a huge footprint, and picks up a great deal more per sweep than your average detector. If your sand is riddled with iron, you'll hear a lot, but rest assured, the "good" signals will STILL shine through. You'll benefit from the 7" coil and the beach mode in extreme conditions.
As far a the "Black sand MGB" switch is concerned you'll only use this in extremely bad soil, and in all metal only. Its primarily for gold prospectors, and I've yet to find a use for it in general detecting. (but I may yet!). The absolute best thing you can do is spent as much time with the 5 as you can. Your expertise is directly proportional to the amount of time you spend with it. There isn't any one mode or setting that will work everywhere equally well, but as you gain experience you'll be able to make adjustments on the fly, based on your prior experience, and you wont even have to think about it. One of the beautiful things about the 5 is its ergonomic design, and the ease with which you can tailor it to your needs. No long complicated menus, or hard to read displays. At the risk of sounding like a commercial, its a light weight, well thought out, and very, very powerful detector. No hype. No broken promises. Just pure performance.
Hope this helps some.
Streak!
2 - MORE ABOUT HUNTING BEACHES
You are 1/3 right. True I don't dig coins on a beach when I am hunting for the gold. A waste of time for me. I can dig coins anytime.
Now here is how I run the X5 on wet salt sand beaches right up to the water. Capt. Jack has already posted the setting I use. The target sw is the key to my hunting. When you get the beep flip the target sw down if the beep goes away dig, means your target is the conductivity of nickel or below including tinfoil where those nice big solitaire diamond rings are. Some of the nicer larger width bands with those nice diamond rings fall in the nickel range also. .If you still have the beep push the target switch up, if the beep GOES Away, dig, that puts you in the above nickel to and including round pulltabs and square pulltabs and zinc pennies, but also includes the larger ladies, and men's wedding band and diamond rings. I will add this thought on the coins. If I am in a old area with Silver Spanish Cobs(coins), Spanish Reales (coins) I will dig the coins as they are worth the time to dig.
I have to set my Shadow #006 to at least a 3.5 discriminate to get just above the salt mineralization. It will not run at a discriminate of 3. As the black sand starts to get in the act I have to go to the beach mode or ease the discriminate a little very little bit till it settles down. Some places like Fl. you can get away with running in the normal discriminate mode but when that black sand starts to accumulate and gets noisy and starts to false a little, just flip the switch up to the beach mode and keep on trucking. You are going to have to run the G/B in the preset mode . Also a few times where it is really bad like over on Galveston beach in some areas you have to turn up the Discriminate to 3.75 and even to 4 when it is super tough. Most places you will be able to run sensitivity at 8 or 8.5 at least I do. I can handle a little noise as I like the depth. You have to play around a bit till you get it set up but it really don't take long and you will have a blast. Well hope this helps you all out some.
May All Your Days Be Filled With GOLD.
Jerry aka Tinfoil and Shadow #006, still the finest machine I have ever owned.
3 - ABOUT BLACK SAND MGB & BEACH DISC.
It's good to see you are still around and doing well. You have asked a couple of very good questions about the X5. The "Black Sand MGB" mode is an "All Metal" mode that operates only in manual ground balance (not fixed ground balance). The primary purpose of the Black Sand MGB mode is for gold prospecting, but can be used anytime you are searching in the All Metal mode. This mode helps reduce ground noise in highly mineralized ground conditions and is also beneficial when dealing with hot rocks. Note, the Mode switch must be in the All Metal position for the Black Sand MGB mode to operate.
The "Beach DISC" mode is a multipurpose discrimination mode. This mode helps to reduce ground noise when searching wet salt beaches, mineralized ground and it also helps with hot rocks and electrical interference. The Beach Disc mode is a great fall-back mode to use anytime excessive noise is experienced in the normal Disc mode. It also operates in either the fixed or manual ground balance operation.
So you see, you were correct about both questions you asked. Thanks for the questions and I wish you well with your new X5.
Troy
WEATHERPROOF
1 - WEATHERPROOF VS. WATERPROOF
To help put your mind at ease, the X5 control housing is completely sealed when it leaves the factory. Where rain can cause a problem is when moisture gets into the screw on coil connector. If moisture does get into the coil connector it can cause erratic behavior. It is a simple matter of
disconnecting and drying it out. However, I am assuming that you purchased your X5 new and that the control housing has not been previously opened which breaks the main weatherproof seal and voids the warranty. Even though the control housing is sealed and moisture should not enter the electronics, it is a good idea to somehow protect the coil connector from moisture, if you use the X5 in steady rain or during a gully washer. Maybe I should look into offering some sort of a rain/dust cover. Through the years, I have found that keeping a couple of plastic shower caps handy while in the field is always a good idea.
Thanks,
Troy
COMPETITION HUNTING
1 - SETTING UP THE X5 FOR COMPETITION HUNTING
You have asked several good questions about how to best set up the X5 for competition hunts. Since you know in advance, for this hunt, there are low conductive targets you to want find (buffalo nickles) then the DISC setting should be no higher than 4. Unless the hunt field is large, it is wise to start the hunt in the BEACH DISC mode and low SENS setting. About 3 or 4 on the SENS setting will help with quicker pinpointing in the DISC mode without using the VCO pinpoint switch. Remember competition hunts are all about speed and the X5 has very quick recovery speed for pinpointing in the DISC mode. As the hunt progresses and the targets start to become less frequent, then switch to NORMAL DISC and raise the SENS up to 7 or 8 for maximum coil foot print and sweep coverage.
If you are a serious competition hunter you should consider the new 7-inch accessory coil as it is a real "sweetheart" for competition hunts. Even though the 9-inch coil is lightweight and pinpoints very accurately, the 7-inch coil is even lighter, swings faster and pinpoints quicker. Here is a good tip! Practice pinpointing "a lot" without using the pinpoint switch on shallow coins both flat and on edge. Also, be aware of how many physical movements you have in the target recovery process. Try to develop a technique that reduces the number of movements you normally make (bending over as opposed to going down on one or both knees, try not to lay the detector on the ground, etc). Many of the real Hot Shots spend a lot of time in their back yard practicing pinpointing and target recovery techniques. P.S. I am not one of them!!!
Troy