W
ithout doubt the biggest
problem facing everyone
involved in metal detecting is
the choice of the best detector for their
needs. It is the one topic that seems to
lead to more discussion and disagree-
ment in the hobby than any other.
Let’s take just one point in isolation
from the many that arise in those
discussions and, ignoring the cost
factor, ask the question “What is better,
a simple ‘turn on and go’ detector or an
‘all dancing and singing’ state of the art
computerised machine?” Put another
way, does the operator benefit from the
so-called gadgets on a programmable
machine?
There is, of course, no definitive
answer to this except to say that, in the
case of the latter, the majority of user
programmable detectors do have the
facility to simply switch on and go. This
is achieved by using the factory pre-set
programmes, which avoid the need to
progress further into the finer details of
the detector’s operating capability. In
my experience very few individuals,
once bitten by the detecting bug, drop
out and most are soon looking to
upgrade their machine to help their
efforts in the field. The more that is
learnt about the other factors that come
into play after gaining some search
experience, such as different soil condi-
tions and the varying conductivity of
metals, the need for greater flexibility
soon becomes apparent. The ability to
adjust your machine to these changes
can make the programmable detector
appear the more desirable option.
Whether the individual chooses to
progress to these options could depend
on his or her available finances.
Some years back White’s intro-
duced a new detector onto the market
called the XLT. It was a well-balanced,
lightweight machine, with easy to use
pre-set programmes. It also had seem-
ingly limitless operator adjustments for
the experienced detec-
torist, coupled with a
rugged design and super
performance. It is not sur-
prising, therefore, that the XLT
came to be one of the most popular
and best selling detectors available.
During its existence a couple of modifi-
cations were introduced, but it
remained basically the same machine
until last year when the new dual fre-
quency XLT was introduced onto the
market, known as the DFX XLT.
Having used the XLT for hundreds
of hours with great success, I found
that a lot of the criticism expressed by
the “turn on and go” fraternity was
brought about by their failure to read
and understand the operator’s
handbook, which - to be honest - can
appear a bit daunting at first glance.
This, when coupled with the retailer
who either through lack of knowledge
of the machine and/or time, fails to go
through the different functions shown
on the display screen with the
prospective buyer, leads to a lot of the
misconception about the XLT and
programmable detectors in general.
With this in mind I have split my
report into two halves. The first part
concentrates on the controls and
settings while attempting to clarify
some of the terminology used. The
second part will be the actual field test
in which I conducted a number of
searches using my own and other
recommended settings in a number of
different field conditions. My report
pre-supposes that the beginner has
carried out some research into the
basics of detecting and is aware of such
terms as “motion” and “non-motion”,
“ground minerals”, “discrimination”
and “sensitivity”.
I have not included a beach test of
the DFX but hope to be able to report
back on this aspect of the DFX later in
the year.
Physical Description
Immediately on opening the sturdy
carrying box the DFX XLT is pleasing
to the eye being well constructed and
finished. Assembly is straightforward
and takes just minutes to complete. As
already stated, the owner’s guide can
appear complicated especially if you do
not take the time and trouble to study
it properly. I cannot stress the impor-
tance of reading this booklet thor-
oughly so that you are fully aware of
what is available to you and how to go
about achieving the best from your
detector.
The detector’s looks have not
changed much from the earlier XLT, but
the 9.5in coil is now of the Wide Band
Multiple Harmonic type. The LCD
meter panel is mounted at the end of a
padded handle and under the meter is a
toggle switch, operated by the index
finger. This can be used for pinpointing
and depth screen display. The metal
control box, which is fitted below the
armrest, has a hinged compartment in
which the drop-in battery pack is
housed. The detector’s power is sup-
plied from either the re-chargeable type
nicad battery (green decal) pack or
eight AA dry-cell batteries fitted into
the (blue decal) standard battery box.
The quarter inch headphone jackplug
socket is also fitted in the rear of the
control box.
March 2002 TREASURE HUNTING 29
Chris Rogers
White’s DFX XLT
Detector
Field Test
Part One
Controls and Settings
Clarification of
Terminology
(32 Seiten)
(58 Seiten)
(7 Seiten)
(13 Seiten)
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