Home› Metal Detecting

Just ordered my first metal detector! A White's DFX

jessewvujessewvu Posts: 5,065 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Metal Detecting
I have wanted a metal detector for a LOOOOOOOoooooong time. Hopefully I can post my first find in a few weeks. A local lake is being drained about 10' lower than usual to fix the dam, the beaches should be exposed about 50' out now.

Here is what I bought. The DFX comes with a FREE Bullseye II, Understanding the DFX book and DVD, Royal GT Headphones, Dreams Come True Book, and the Padded Gun Style Detector Bag.
1 x DFX, XLT, MXT, M6, QXT, CL SL NiCad (802-5211-1) = USD $49.95
1 x DFX (800-0284-XSP) = USD $1,099.95
1 x Cover for Standard Search Coil (501-4121) = USD $6.95
1 x Eclipse 5.3 (6x6) Search Coil for DFX, MXT, and M6 (801-3215) = USD $149.95
1 x Cover for 6x6 5.3 Search Coil (501-4067) = USD $5.95

Comments

  • CROCKofCOINSCROCKofCOINS Posts: 1,545 ✭
    Hello,
    That is a fine way to start! You can download the White's manual and study it till you get your detector.
    http://hobby.us.whiteselectronics.com/images/manuals/2001_Models/DFX%20Spectrum%20Instruction%20Manual.pdf

    Get your tools together. Do some research of older spots.

    Good Luck

    Jerry
    CROCK of COINS
    imageimage
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,530 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You'll be entering the fray very well-armed, with one of the top, state-of-the-art machines. Congratulations.

    Don't be surprised if there is a learning curve you'll have to work your way up- just stick with it and learn your machine well.

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
  • jessewvujessewvu Posts: 5,065 ✭✭✭✭✭
    CROCK, thank you for the link.

    I figured I could get an "easier" detector and work my way up or just get what I really wanted, and read a lot of books. I will definetly look over the manual, I didn't even think of it!!!
  • jessewvujessewvu Posts: 5,065 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Get your tools together. Do some research of older spots.

    >>



    My grandfather owns the largest apple/peach orchard in maryland and there was an old civil war road that zig zags through his property (about 25-30 miles due south of Gettysburg). He told me that a confederate money wagon was burned on the trail and nobody ever found it. I will probably wait until I have figured out the machine before going over there because it is about 2 hours away and his orchard is HUGE.
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You certainly selected a great machine to start with. It is a great detector... you can use it 'out of the box' and as you get better, there are many, many custom programs available - or, you can develop your own. The machine is very versatile. Congratulations, Cheers, RickO
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Almost forgot... a good site for you to join would be www.dfxonly.com Great people, very helpful, expert information. Cheers, RickO
  • lathmachlathmach Posts: 4,720 ✭
    You know, don't you jesse, that the Rebs didn't have coinage?
    If a money wagon burned up, with all their money being made of paper, you don't much chance of finding anything other than a few metal parts of the wagon.
    Have fun anyway.

    Ray
  • jessewvujessewvu Posts: 5,065 ✭✭✭✭✭
    yeah, they said it was full of paper money (and why they couldn't find it afterwards; 100% of the wagon was burnt along with the paper money). But I thought that if there was anything left laying around on that road, it might be worth a look.

    I would assume if there was a pile of silver laying on the road, someone would have probably picked it up by now image
  • phutphut Posts: 1,087 ✭
    Sounds like some kool sites to break in a new machine. I'd try out the orchard right away and return in a year or so to see how much you missed in your rookie run.
  • jessewvujessewvu Posts: 5,065 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Jiminy Cricket, it has shipped already! That was way fast.
  • demodiggerdemodigger Posts: 1,012 ✭
    i've own the DFX for a few years now. i usually just set it up for coin/jewelry and don't mess with anything else. when a good site becomes quiet, i switch the frequency. sometimes keeping it simple is best. if this is going to be your first time ever using a detector, get ready to dig through alot of junk. probably the one thing never mentioned in forums and magazines, is the unbelievable amount of trash buried in the ground. sure we talk about it, but you just can't believe how much there is till your wading through it.

    with this in mind, i suggest that you actually train yourself to dig all and remove all. the more successfull treasure hunters dig all targets and remove them. the more junk removed equals the more valuable items that can be recovered.

    good luck!
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Demodigger is correct.... as the saying goes.. "you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find the prince"... and that concept applies to MD'ing big time. Cheers, RickO
  • millenniummillennium Posts: 3,305
    Well said, Demodigger......When I find a site that has been real good as far as targets...I mark off 10' square areas and dig every target....Some days suck, as you can imagine.....but how many trash holes are you willing to dig to find one of these?:


    image

    Or these:



    image

    or this?:


    imageimage



    All of these were found in heavily hunted areas...littered with nails, foil, lead and trash of all sorts....Discrimination on a unit is great....but beware......you will miss some good targets that other have passed over too.
    My Coin Find Videos
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,530 ✭✭✭✭✭
    There ya go, Steve.

    It's about time you showed off a little.

    It's nice to see a hometown buddy put that ol' Phut and ChicagoRon in their proper places. image

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
  • millenniummillennium Posts: 3,305
    That's one reason I have my coin sig.....all those are MD finds by me here in BWK.....with the exception of the 1794 half cent..image (Rubbing salt into the wound)
    My Coin Find Videos
  • DesertRatDesertRat Posts: 1,791 ✭
    Congrats. Nice choice!

    As a first detector you'll find the learning curve on the DFX to be long. I bought a DFX as my first and only detector several years ago and it continues to amaze and annoy me (depending on the circumstances).

    It's a lot of high tech machine for a novice to absorb and the countless variations on adjustments and programming is enough to keep you busy for years to come.

    Good Luck!
    The Musical Road
  • jessewvujessewvu Posts: 5,065 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I got my package today. The only thing is my wife is now going to "give" it to me for Christmas. Hopefully I will be able to start my searching Christmas afternoon, if only in the back yard for my property corners.
  • CROCKofCOINSCROCKofCOINS Posts: 1,545 ✭
    OK..Then go out in the yard and set up your test garden!!!
    Take some coins and bury them . You might also put some pull tabs bottle caps in an area so you can compare signals and sounds.
    You can tape coins to cards and place them on the ground coin down. Mix them up and try to identify the cards. If you place the coin off center...Then you can try pinpointing to see if you can put the coil dead center over the coin.

    Have Fun
    Jerry
    CROCK of COINS
    imageimage
  • speer34speer34 Posts: 375 ✭
    Good luck to you Jess when you get out with it the first time. I know what I was like the first time I used my new machines. I was very discouraged with both of them the first time or two out. Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it quick. Read the owner's manual front to back and after you use it a time or two, read it again. Learn as much about your machine as you can--the more you use it, the more you will learn what it's trying to tell youimage
    Speer34

    imageimageimage
Sign In or Register to comment.