MX5
®
White’s Electronics, Inc.
Sweet Home, Oregon USA
Building the World’s Finest
metal detectors for over 60 years.
MX5
Owner’s Manual
CONTENTS
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
QuickStart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Basic Controls
POWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
BEACH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
SEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Threshold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
ToneID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
DISC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Backlight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Pinpoint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Search Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Coin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Beach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
All Metal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Pinpoint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
In Depth
VDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Target ID & Tones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Discrimination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Discrimination Pitfalls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Ground Balance & Tracking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
All-metal VCO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Misc Tips
Sensitivity (again) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Bottle Caps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Coil Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Sweep Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Sizing, Pinpointing, & Digging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Quick Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Customer Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Code of Ethics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back Cover
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MX5
Owner’s Manual
Introduction
The MX5 is a high-performance metal detector based on the
renowned MXT platform but with a redesigned feature set and
interface. The MX5 has state-of-the-art automatic ground track-
ing (AutoTrac®) which maximizes performance across many
different ground conditions. It also features a 20-zone discriminator with both multi-tone audio and visual target identification.
Each zone may be accepted or rejected, providing the user with
a way to ignore certain types of targets like iron or foil.
In normal search mode the audio is threshold-based with
multiple Tone ID options for the different discrimination zones.
In addition to the audio response, the display provides visual
information with an icon cursor that points to a probable target
type and a Visual Display Indicator (VDI) number that provides
even more detailed target information (see More Info for an
explanation of VDI numbers). An estimated target depth is indicated by the depth bar. The Pinpoint and All Metal modes also
provide an audible threshold tone, in addition to a user-selectable VCO response or a loudness response (non-VCO).
The MX5 requires 8 “AA” batteries which typically provide
30 hours of operation. Using the optional display backlight will
increase battery consumption by approximately 20%.
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MX5
Owner’s Manual
Assembly
1. Remove all parts from the shipping carton and check assem-
bly diagram to ensure all parts are present.
2. Install black rubber washers on fiber clevis/lower rod, insert
clevis lower rod onto loop ears. Use only nonmetallic washers, fiber bolt, and fiber thumb nut to secure loop/search coil
to clevis/lower fiber rod.
3. Insert middle rod into curved “S” rod so that the spring clip
engages. Insert lower fiber rod and lock into one of the
adjustment holes in the middle rod. The second or third
adjustment holes are suitable for average sized adults. A
twist of the cam locks prevents wobble.
4. Wind the loop cable around the rod assembly, first revolu-
tion over the top of the rod, all the way to the top of the
curved “S” rod, about five revolutions. Use the black cable
retainers, one near the loop, and one near the top of the
curved “S” rod, to hold the loop cable in place. Plug the
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MX5
Owner’s Manual
cable into the jack on the front of the control box and
tighten the retainer ring.
5. Grip the instrument by the handle, with your arm in the
elbow cup with strap and sweep the loop/search coil over
the floor. If the instrument fit feels uncomfortable, readjust
clevis/lower rod length with spring clip button and cam-
lock so that search coil can be held near the floor without
stooping over.
6. Adjust the elbow cup strap so that it is loose enough for you
to slide your arm in and out without loosening each time
you want to set the detector down. The elbow cup strap pro-
vides extra leverage and control, but may be omitted. The
elbow cup is adjustable by removing the Phillips screw.
7. Install the battery pack.
Batteries
1. Remove the battery pack by pressing both buttons on sides
of battery compartment.
2. Slide open the tray cover. Install eight (8) “AA” alkaline
batteries taking note of correct (+) and (-) positions and
close cover.
3. Slide battery pack into compartment. A vigorous ‘slam’
may be needed to ensure a good seating.
4. Press POWER button. A battery level icon at the bottom of
the screen indicates the relative battery strength.
5. Most alkaline batteries will give about 30 hours of continu-
ous operation. Battery life will vary with intermittent use,
back-light use, temperature, control settings, target indica-
tions, battery quality, battery condition upon purchase, and
shelf life. It is a good idea to carry back-up batteries.
6. A rechargeable NiCAD battery pack may be purchased sep-
arately. Rechargeable batteries typically provide similar or
slightly less run time than alkaline batteries.
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MX5
Owner’s Manual
QuickStart
1. Turn on the power.
2. The MX5 has automatic ground tracking. To speed up the
initial tracking process, find a spot free of targets and bob
the coil up & down a few times (optional).
3. The normal default Sensitivity (SENS) level of 7 bars is rea-
sonable for most situations. If the audio is chattery or constantly overloads, reduce the sensitivity level (SEL to
highlight Sensitivity area, to change).
4. Sweep the search coil from
side-to-side, keeping the coil
level and close to the ground.
Overlap each sweep by 50%
to avoid missing targets.
5. Once a target is detected, use
the Pinpoint button to isolate
its exact location. Cross the
target from two directions (at
90°) and listen for the strongest response.
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MX5
Owner’s Manual
Basic Controls
The MX5 user interface is a combination of direct controls
(MODE, DISC) and a select button (SEL) which is used in conjunction with the arrow keys ( and ) to adjust several
parameters.
POWER
Besides the obvious function of turning the unit on, the
POWER button can also suspend operation. Quick-press POWER
to suspend the MX5 (during target retrieval, for example); during suspend the MX5 will occasionally beep, and will automatically power down after 5 minutes. Press and hold the POWER
button for 2 seconds to turn the unit off.
The POWER button is also used to restore factory settings.
Simultaneously press the MODE and POWER buttons to reset the
current mode. Simultaneously press the SEL and POWER but-
tons to reset all modes.
BEACH — Beach Mode
The BEACH button switches between normal Disc mode and
Beach mode. Each mode can be modified with custom settings
(such as Disc or Sens) and the modified settings will be retained
at power-off. Beach mode allows the MX5 to work in salt water
environments; see the “In Depth” section for more detailed
information on how these modes work.
In addition there is an All-Metal mode which is selected by
pressing and holding the PINPOINT button until you hear a short
beep; the Mode will indicate ALLMET. The All-Metal mode
turns off the discriminator and accepts all targets. See the “In
Depth” section for details.
SEL — Adjustment Selector
The SEL button rotates through 4 user adjustments:
• Sensitivity
The Sensitivity control increases or decreases the responsiveness of the MX5. When SENS is selected a rectangle
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MX5
Owner’s Manual
appears around the sensitivity level bars. The buttons
adjust the level from minimum (1 bar) to maximum (10 bars).
Normally, this determines how deep the detector will “see” a
target. In general, run the sensitivity as high as possible while
maintaining smooth operation. If the audio is chattery or the
ground is causing overload, reduce the sensitivity.
• Volume
This is loudness of the target response. Range is 1-99.
• Threshold
This is the loudness of the threshold audio, which is the
background hum. Range is 0-99. A modest setting (20 is typical
when using headphones) helps with faint target responses which
may be too deep to trigger a Tone ID but are audible as a threshold variation. This is especially true in All-Metal or MixedMode (Relic mode) audio. A setting of 0 results in silent search
(no threshold), in which a target response may not be heard
unless it is strong enough to trigger a Tone ID.
• Tone ID
The
MX5
has three selectable Tone ID responses: 1, 2, and 8
tones. Use the
buttons to move through the tone selections.
See the “In Depth” section for detailed descriptions.
DISC — Discrimination
The Discrimination control allows you to enable or disable
the audio response for select ranges of targets. The MX5 has a
20 segment discrimination control. The buttons move a
disc cursor ( ) across the segments, and pressing the DISC button will toggle the response for the selected segment. The
example Disc Mask below shows that the first 5 segments
(mostly the iron range) have been disabled, plus the segment
that corresponds to Zinc cents. The remaining segments are
enabled. The disc cursor is resting on the “70” segment.
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