White's EAGLE Spectrum?

The Eagle Spectrum was ahead of it's time when it comes to the technology. Look at todays DFX and you'll see the Eagle Spectrum was just a single frequency version in a bigger box.

By far the 12" hothead will get you the best depth. Now if it's a real trashy site then either of the 8" coils will work best.

I used to use the stock Coin & Jewelry program and just Block Edit the discrimination to accept everything from +93 down to -20 and reject the rest. The PAG(preamp gain) and AC Sensitivity are your big depth increaser's. Turn up the PAG as high as you can and still remain stable/no erratic noise. Turn you AC Sensitivity up until it gets noisy/unstable, and then back it off 3 numbers. Now you are set for maximum depth.

Thank you for the help! What kind of depth should I expect from a Spectrum? Would I get more depth if I took off the original coil cover? I will try the adjustments you mentioned and see how it works... Will I have to make these same adjustments every time I turn off the unit? Again thank you very much..

Taking off the coil cover will not get you any more depth. Let me tell you the story of how the White's Eagle Spectrum changed my detecting forever.

It all started in the same city park I have been doing my head-to-head testing with the V3i and E-Trac. Me and my buddies had hunted Wright Park for many many years with every detector we ever owned. In fact, this park was the first place we took every new detector for it's virgin voyage. A 125 year old park and we had never found anything more than a stray wheat and clad. We assumed it was cleaned out by our local Garrett dealer or there was just nothing there.

I had been using my faithful Tesoro Inca for a long time but since my hunting buddies had bought new fangled detectors I felt I might as well join them. I looked at the Tesoro Toltec 100 one of my buddies had just bought and the Grand Master Hunter my other buddy had bought, but decided on giving the new White's Eagle Spectrum a try because a digital display sounded so cool.

On the Eagle Spectrum's maiden voyage we took it to Wright Park like so many times before, but little did we know I was about to entirely change the way we looked at metal detecting. Until now we just knew getting good depth was a matter of experience and not the detector.

I turned on the Spectrum and ground balanced and begin swinging right near the band shell we had hunted so many times before. Not 2 steps and I get a loud solid signal that read a VDI of 82 and it said it was 6 1/2". I had my buddies check it out with their detectors and while the Toltec 100 gave a broken noise both said it was nothing they would dig. I just about moved on but I swung over it again and it was so solid I told them I just had to see what it was. To all our amazement I pulled 3 silver dimes, 2 mercs and 1 barber, 3 wheats and 1 1942 silver war nickle from the hole. I could walk 2 steps without the same thing repeating over and over for the rest of the day.

My buddies were crapping their pants as I pulled hands full of old coins from that area. In all over the next few years I pulled over 2000 old coins some back to the 1880's. More than 50% of the holes I dug had more than one coin. Not pocket spills, but layers and layers of coins from years of being dropped at the same locations. It was virgin territory as I was the first ever to get below 6" in that park. I pulled coins as deep as 8" with the Eagle Spectrum and after 15 years it finally quit giving it up.

From that moment on I never doubted what new technology can do. I upgraded to the DFX and was able to repeat my 1991 experience, and then again with my V3i and E-Trac.

Thank you for your tips! I went out this afternoon and found a old earring, clad change and a few odds and ends. It seemed like I gained some depth with your help! I went ahead and used the beach/jewelry program, but edited the discrimination... I was able to raise the PAG to (14) with no chatter, it was previously set at (1)... I couldnt seem to raise the AC Sensitiviy much more than it was set at though (60 if I remember correctly), every time I tried I got erratic noise. Would lowering the PAG allow me to raise the AC and balance them out, or is it fine like it is? Again thank you for your help

The PAG(preamp gain) amplifies the signal while the AC sensitivity adjust the volume of the amplified signal. It is better to turn down the PAG to gain stability than to turn down the AC Sensitivity. Your goal is to get the highest setting of both while still maintaining stability. Turning up the PAG will also increase any EMI(electromagnetic interference) noise which in turn will be louder if you increase the AC sensitivity. Turn up the PAG until it becomes unstable and then fine tune it with the AC sensitivity.

As I learned the Spectrum adjusting the PAG and AC Sensitivity was unnecessary. I found my happy setting that worked best and left it there.

Im sure HeavyMetalnut will chime in on this one.

One of the best settings on that detector was mixed mode. Some people hated it , but if you can handle it in the ears you will find deep stuff. Try it out. Sweep speed is important also. The Spectrum liked to be swung fast. And that 800 coil is awesome on the Spectrum. A great balance of depth and counter masking.

Eagle Spectrum

Hello everyone, Long time dreamer and reader of this site. I recently moved from the beach and sold my Excalibur. I've been detectorless until yesterday when I finally bought a used White's Eagle Spectrum. It is the older one without all the Rainbow graphics.

This detector is awesome! I haven't tried out the new DFX but I can't see how it can perform better than this machine. It's a bit of a transition going from a beach hunter to a relic/coin shooter, but I decided it's more enjoyable. I found a Wheat right off the bat, but after that mostly clad and some army insignas.

Just a word about the Minelab Excalibur. I did try to use it for relic hunting a few times and had a very poor experience. Keep the water detectors in the water and you'll keep your sanity.

As for the Eagle... I am stoked and fall asleep thinking about all the treasure (and pull tabs) out there waiting for me. She may be old, but she's fantastic in the sack (did I say that out loud?) ; )

I'll dissent. I didn't like the Eagle all that much. I don't think it was all that sensitive no matter what I had it set too. The XLT was a huge improvement IMHO.

Eagle

Well, I haven't tried any other detector except for the Minelab Excal and The Eagle Spectrum. Maybe I need to break the paradigm of how good I think this machine is and venture off to get an upgrade.

Hey buddy, I have 2 Eagles and love them! if you are interested in selling any of the after market coils let me know, I've been looking for a different coil to try on mine! good luck and HH. btw I'm in Jefferson county if you would like to get together one weekend when the weather is a little better

All the good days.
In general, such a question. Bought this unit and try to master. First time tried to go to the standard programs. Then he decided to try out the user program of the previous owner. He said that the year of experimenting and this program squeezes out of the machine maximum. Poproboval..nichego like and findings were. BUT! In addition to the noise threshold unit still emits a whole cacophony of sounds, resembling the roar of the herd of baboons in the mating season. Wild boar in the woods shy .... How to clean and is it worth? And what does it do? Chuikov? In standard applications all the beam and without unnecessary noise, but do not want to go standard. (What was then the sense to take White?)

My first silver with this vehicle.

I got mine new in 1994 and it continues to serve me well.

Nice detector, as detector said the 12in coil will go deepest, also the main settings for depth are Pre-Amp gain, and AC sens, bump them up as high as possible while still remaining stable. Running the 12in coil, and bumping them both up should add several inches.

I own an Eagle Spectrum and have had great luck with it over the years. A lot of programs from the xlt can translate over to it with the exception of about two or three settings that are missing from the Eagle. I have found Silver Mercs in my local park at 6" with the Black Max 600 coil, deeper with the stock 950. The key to getting good depth is to have minimal disc, and to run AC sensitivity and preamp gain as high as you can, while keeping the detector stable. If I can find some of my old pages with programs, I'll try and PM them to you.(Just saw how old this post was.... It seems that I'm a little late. )

Eagle Spectrum programming

Well...finally got around to it! But new nickels are WAY out of their old range!
My Eagle has a tendency to eat up C cell batteries. Good thing I found Duracell Quantums! The voltage increases before it decreases.

Newby said:

Hey buddy, I have 2 Eagles and love them! if you are interested in selling any of the after market coils let me know, I've been looking for a different coil to try on mine! good luck and HH. btw I'm in Jefferson county if you would like to get together one weekend when the weather is a little better

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I've got the Snooper BLUE MAX 350 I could part with!
Sure wish I had a better pinpointer!

James W. said:

I've got the Snooper BLUE MAX 350 I could part with!
Sure wish I had a better pinpointer!

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What would you want for the coil ?