Lowjiber
Forum Supporter
There are quite a few new MXT users on the forum, so I thought I'd ramble a minute about the Gain Control.
Most new users start with the Gain Control at the recommended setting (about 9.5) and soon discover that the ability to quickly reduce the gain in trashy and/or high EMI areas is a very handy feature of the machine. For example: In a tot lot depth is rarely an issue, so a gain of 6-7 will work well; and turning it down to about 3 allows you to get very close to, and even under, the metalic equipment.
I hunt most parks with a small DD coil that is great, but doesn't have the depth of the 9.5" standard coil, or the 12" hubcap, that are usually in my Jeep about a mile away when I need added depth.
I was hunting an old, small park today and got into an open area that was relatively free of trash and EMI, but I wasn't finding much of anything. Then I got one of those famous "whispers" that we all love. My first move was to crank the gain to the max (+3), and the "whisper" became a VDI in the 80's. (I'm thinking "Silver Ring".) Pinpoint depth was accurate at 9" (with a DD coil, now mind you)...target turned out to be a clad quarter circa 1979.
However, this alerted me to the fact that the coins in this area were perhaps too deep for my DD coil with Gain turned to "normal" (9.5). So, I left the Gain on max and found 33 coins (14 quarters) and a token...all of which were deeper than 7". I likely would have found none if it were not for increasing the Gain to increase the depth of my small DD coil.
I know I could have gone back and installed the 12" hubcap, but understanding the benefits of kicking the Gain up kept me hunting!
There are chapters of books dedicated to MXT Gain...pre-amp and second stage gain, etc. The tip and story here is to encourage new users to be creative with the Gain control beyond the "little arrow" between 9 & 10.
When you hear whispers, or suspect that there's much more deeper (regardless of coil selected), don't be timid...crank up the gain control (that's why it's there). The worse that can happen is your ears will hurt because the audio is also increased...that's why our headphones have volume controls. The best, and most common, thing that can happen is that you'll discover treasures that either remain hidden, or merely "whisper".
Happy Hunting with your new MXT...it can be your "best friend".:tumble:
Respectfully,
John (Lowjiber)
Most new users start with the Gain Control at the recommended setting (about 9.5) and soon discover that the ability to quickly reduce the gain in trashy and/or high EMI areas is a very handy feature of the machine. For example: In a tot lot depth is rarely an issue, so a gain of 6-7 will work well; and turning it down to about 3 allows you to get very close to, and even under, the metalic equipment.
I hunt most parks with a small DD coil that is great, but doesn't have the depth of the 9.5" standard coil, or the 12" hubcap, that are usually in my Jeep about a mile away when I need added depth.
I was hunting an old, small park today and got into an open area that was relatively free of trash and EMI, but I wasn't finding much of anything. Then I got one of those famous "whispers" that we all love. My first move was to crank the gain to the max (+3), and the "whisper" became a VDI in the 80's. (I'm thinking "Silver Ring".) Pinpoint depth was accurate at 9" (with a DD coil, now mind you)...target turned out to be a clad quarter circa 1979.
However, this alerted me to the fact that the coins in this area were perhaps too deep for my DD coil with Gain turned to "normal" (9.5). So, I left the Gain on max and found 33 coins (14 quarters) and a token...all of which were deeper than 7". I likely would have found none if it were not for increasing the Gain to increase the depth of my small DD coil.
I know I could have gone back and installed the 12" hubcap, but understanding the benefits of kicking the Gain up kept me hunting!
There are chapters of books dedicated to MXT Gain...pre-amp and second stage gain, etc. The tip and story here is to encourage new users to be creative with the Gain control beyond the "little arrow" between 9 & 10.
When you hear whispers, or suspect that there's much more deeper (regardless of coil selected), don't be timid...crank up the gain control (that's why it's there). The worse that can happen is your ears will hurt because the audio is also increased...that's why our headphones have volume controls. The best, and most common, thing that can happen is that you'll discover treasures that either remain hidden, or merely "whisper".
Happy Hunting with your new MXT...it can be your "best friend".:tumble:
Respectfully,
John (Lowjiber)
