Frequently Asked Questions About the DFX

- Are the Factory Presets the best programs to use?

The factory presets are the best place to start. The DFX is a complicated
machine which can overwhelm a beginner and even be a bit confusing for an
experienced user who is unfamiliar with it. It is highly recommended that when
you first get your DFX that you start out with a factory preset that matches the
kind of detecting you are going to try. COIN is fine if you are coinshooting
inland, for instance, and BEACH is fine for beach combing. Be aware,
however, that these programs are designed to be stable and easy to use. The
depth you achieve with these programs will not be the same that experienced
users talk about getting from the DFX when it is all hopped up.

Many people want to immediately crank their detector as "hot" as it will go so
that they can start finding the deep stuff. Although this is understandable,
doing so with the DFX is not advisable for the beginner. The DFX has more
controls than the average detector, and you need to be aware that many of the
controls affect each other. Often heard is the complaint from a beginner who
tried to crank up his DFX only to find it unstable, and then be unable to
remember which of the controls he changed to make it unstable! Start with a
factory preset and learn the machine first. Spend a few hours getting to know
what targets sound like, learn how to pinpoint, and see what the detector is
telling you. Once you have done that, THEN you can make a few adjustments.

Once you have gotten comfortable with the DFX, you can then start tweaking
the controls. It is highly recommended that you do so one control at a time. If
you tweak more than one at a time you will not know which control caused any
changes that you may want to remember or avoid. The first control that you
should play with is probably the PREAMP. This controls how strong the signal
is that the DFX uses. An increase in the PREAMP usually results in an
increase in depth. Some of the factory programs have a PREAMP setting of
2. You can easily increase this to 3 or even to the maximum of 4. Again, you
should probably try that in steps, just to make sure.

TONE ID is also something that is a very useful feature, but intimidating to
some beginners. TONE ID causes the DFX to use different frequency
responses for different targets - hence, a penny will sound different than a
nickel and a trained operator will be able to tell the difference between targets
such as these merely by how they sound. The down side is that at the
beginning the DFX may sound to you like a video game gone haywire. The
experts are near unanimous though, learn to put up with it and you'll learn to
love it. Further, the TONE ID is more accurate than following the VDI numbers
or

the Icons. Although those two items are useful, they are not as accurate as
TONE ID. You should try to learn the TONE ID as the first indicator of whether
a target is worth digging - only use the icons or VDIs for reference. A good
solid tone - for instance that of a solid silver dime - will be something that you
will recognize, regardless of whether or not it VDIs "correctly."

If you've mastered TONE ID and have the PREAMP as high as you like, you
will want to experiment with a few other controls - again, one a time. One the
DFX, you can control the filters that the machine uses and either limit them or
increase them from zero filters to six. Some of the filters are mechanical (i.e.,
they are part of the circuitry) and others are software (they are part of the
programming). The main effect of increasing filters is that it changes the
shape of the area being "scanned" by the DFX. For a more detailed
explanation, see the Mark Rowan video at the White's site. The filters DO
NOT, however, decrease depth, as people often think. They can even
increase depth, with the only trade off being that they narrow the area you are
sweeping. Turn the filters up and overlap your sweeps more. You will be able
to pick things out of trashy areas and at better depth. If you are searching a
relatively clean area and you want to cover more ground, turn a few filters off.

BOTTLE CAP REJECT is a discrimination control designed to eliminate the
iron bottlecaps that were the bane of early detectorists. Today, the bottle cap
is not so much a problem as it used to be, and the DFX sometimes mistakes
deep Indian Heads (especially corroded ones) for bottle caps. If you are in an
area that is likely to have both (Indian Head Pennies and bottle caps) turn the
BOTTLE CAP REJECT TO zero. You

may dig a few deep bottle caps, but that is the price to pay so you don't miss
those deep Indians. Meanwhile, if you are in an area rife with iron, nails and
such, you may have to run the BOTTLE CAP REJECT higher to allow the
machine to run with stability.

- What coils do you recommend?

White's Electronics makes several coils for the DFX, in addition to the stock
9.5 inch. The stock coil is fine for many applications, but you may want to
acquire a few others if you wish to do a variety of detecting.

For instance, White's also makes a 10 X 5 inch DOUBLE D coil. The DD coil
is so named because it contains two loops - like two "d"s back to back -
which give it a differently shaped search pattern. The pattern is narrower but
longer (imagine the outline that a destroyer makes in the water) which means
that you get good coverage on your side to side sweeps, but if you encounter
tow targets near each other, you can re-sweep at a 90 degree angle and
separate out one of the targets. The DD coil is often the first accessory than a
pro will suggest you buy.

There is also a Bigfoot coil available from Hotshot that is 18 inches long and 4
inches wide. This coil allows you to sweep huge swaths of ground. It isn't all
that great on target separation, and it loses a little depth, but it is without
compare when it comes to construction sites. There, the targets are often
shallower, but spread out over large areas. You may also have less time to
search the area - what if they're pouring the cement tomorrow?! White's also
makes and Eclipse 5.3 inch coil which is good for searching in trashy areas. It
loses a bit in depth, but allows you to sneak between signals and ferret out the
good stuff. Finally, there is a smaller DD coil which is even better at target
separation, but it loses depth - as most small coils do. It is also good for
nugget hunting, or going to those horribly trashy parks where the pulltabs and
the bottle caps appear to be wall-to-wall.

- What are the laws re: metal detecting?

Some cities and states have passed laws banning detectors from parks or
public places. Obviously, you need to make sure you are in compliance with
the law any time you detect. Sadly, these laws were often passed because
detectorists were damaging parks by leaving large holes or other reminders
that they had been digging. Our best efforts should be made to

1) never leave any sign that we were detecting (no harm, no foul) and

2) try to maintain a positive image for detectorists. This means: be nice
to people you encounter. Show them what you've found if they ask. Let them
watch you and answer their questions. It is the lack of knowledge and fear of
the unknown that are our worst enemy.

Generally speaking, however, if there is NOT a law specifically banning
detecting, you are allowed to do so on public property. Although many people
believe it is safest to ask, you will hear stories of people who were told they
couldn't - only to find out that there was no such law. Just because someone
has a job at City Hall doesn't mean they know the law. If someone tells you that
there is such a law POLITELY ask them to show it to you. City ordinances are
written, and they have copies of them at City Hall. Further, a law like that would
probably be posted - if it's not posted at the park, it probably doesn't exist. On
private property, you can do anything that the landowner allows you to do. If
you seek permission to search someone else's property and get it, be sure to
remember that you are a guest and ACT LIKE ONE. If your experience with
them is pleasant, the PR they give the hobby is valuable. Likewise, if you trash
their yard thinking you will never be back, know that they may tell their friends
about the experience - foreclosing other sites to be searched. Meanwhile, if
you are unsure of the ownership of property, err on the side of caution. Find
out who owns it first; you cannot assume it is public. If within the city limits, a
call to city hall may quickly reveal the ownership. The department in charge of
city taxes KNOWS who is paying the taxes on any given lot, and a polite
phone call will more often than not get you all the information you need to
know. If it city property, likewise, either they can tell you or the parks
department can tell you.

If you come across construction projects, you should also be aware of whose
property you are going to be detecting on. If it is a civic project (like sidewalk
construction) the property is public, but you have to remember that the
workers have a priority to the site. Approach the site either after everyone has
left for the day or ask a worker toward the end of the day if it is alright for you
to detect once they have left. Again, asking might get you a "No" - which you
should honor, but a "Yes" can be used in your defense if anyone questions
your right to be detecting. Also keep in mind that you may not be able to
detect a site if it is roped off to keep people out. Study this carefully. Some
construction

sites are left open so pedestrians can walk by or through them (often with
plywood placed for walking on). Obviously, if pedestrians are allowed to walk
over it, you are allowed to detect there. BUT, if the site is taped off in such a
way that it is designed to keep people out or there are huge KEEP OUT signs
you best respect them. These are

obviously to keep someone from getting injured near a work site (falling in an
open trench, tripping over half finished brick work etc) and if you go beyond
these warnings you may incur the wrath of the local police.