XP Metal Detectors Featured Me On Their Blog

XP Metal Detectors was kind enough to publish one of my articles on their blog. Click here to read it. It should be featured at the top for a little while at least. :-)

If you are wondering why I haven't posted much on this site lately, don't worry more blogs are coming real soon. It was a very busy summer but I have a lot to talk about so keep checking back or become a follower and you'll get notified when I do post another entry. 

Thank you for your support

-MM314

MentalMetal314 is OPEN For Buisness!

If you haven't noticed, you can now buy MentalMetal314 shirts and other stuff right here. I've been thinking about opening up one of these shops for awhile and the opportunity presented itself and I couldn't pass it up. The logo makes for a great shirt and I wanted one for myself so now I can buy them and so can you too! Check out my MentalMetal314 Shop.

Why open up a shop?

Several folks who follow my channel on YouTube have been asking if/when I was going get my own shirts made. I had no idea how to make that happen and when I checked into how much it was going to cost me on some other sites it got pretty expensive pretty fast. Then this opportunity with SpreadShirt presented itself and my out of pocket cost expense was only the time I spent setting it up.

How is the quality of the shirts?

I purchased one and have more on the way. I've been wearing the one in the picture for a few weeks detecting in the water, land, rain, sweating in it, etc. I've run it through the washer/dryer numerous times and so far so good. I have no complaints. The quality is very good.

Mental Supporting his new shirt from SpreadShirt.

Keep watching for a chance to get something free!

In the next couple of weeks I plan on hitting 5000 subscribers on YouTube. If that happens I am going to celebrate that amazing accomplishment by offering 1 or 2 people (I haven't decided yet) to pick 1 item from the shop and I will send it to them for free. You will need to be a subscriber to my channel though so if you haven't been to my channel please check it out. I'll post a video of how to participate in the contest.

 

If you don't see it in the shop let me know.

I have the ability to add all kinds of shirts (all sizes) and other items to include:

• tanks
• sweatshirts
• long sleeve
• phone cases
• and more!

So if you want something I don't have, let me know and I'll see if I can get it. If there is a different color you want let me know.

My 3 Month Review of The XP Deus

Its been awhile since my last post and that's because I've been out digging up every nail in Maryland. Well that's how I feel anyway. Time really got away from me. Its been 3 months since my big purchase of the XP Deus so I thought I would give you my thoughts on the machine and how I've been doing with it so far. But first, why did I chose the XP over something else?

1854 Large Cent Found this year with the Deus

My 5 Big Reasons For Purchasing the XP Deus  

I did a lot of research on this machine and one personal experience pushed me over the fence. If Ted from Ohio is reading this. He knows why. He smoked me one day last fall in an iron infested field. He pulled out 3 awesome coins right next to the holes I was digging. I just couldn't hear them like he was and I was sold on the XP.

 Scale 1-10 (10 being the best)

1. Lightweight: I gave it a 10. I wanted something a little more compact and lightweight to swing and hike around with and this doesn't disappoint. I can go all day and never get fatigued. Plus it fits nicely in a backpack to take anywhere. 
2. Discrimination (disc): I gave it a 10. This machine has a lot of really nice configuration options that lets you fine-tune what you are hearing. You have your normal disc that most machines have but you also have "notch" which blocks signals to your ears (not the machine) which is important because it doesn't degrade the performance of the machine. Overall, the disc features are perfect for my type of detecting (home-sites and farm fields)
3. Saving Your Own Programs: I gave this a 10 as well. This machine lets you save several programs on top of the basic programs the XP comes with. This was exactly what I was looking for. I like to tweak settings based on my conditions and I like to save those settings in different programs to use later at other sites and do minor adjustments. This feature saves me a lot of time. 
4. Wireless: I was a little skeptical in this area because I never used a wireless machine. I gave this feature a 10. Once you go wireless you'll never want to go back. TRUST ME! That's all I need to say.
5. Easy to use out of the Box: I gave this a 9 but with a caveat. To get the full power of the machine you will need to tweak the settings and I'll go into more detail below but I found the programs by default are very stable and great for beginners. But if you really want more out of the machine you'll need to leave the nest. The XP has some great features that MUST be explored.  

Found with the XP Deus in June 2016

Others Features That Set The XP Deus Apart From Other Machines

1. Sensitivity: This machine runs hot and I mean really sensitive. The higher you crank the sensitivity settings, the more noise/chatter you'll get. But if you can stand the chatter, try staying above 90 but it will really depend on your conditions. I staying around 93-95 most days.
2. Frequency Control: I absolutely love this feature. You can change between 4, 8, 12, 18kHz. This really helps when you run into electromagnetic interference (EMI) or want some more depth. The lower freqs tend to give you some more depth. I've been using 8 and 12kHz mostly at the sites I have permission to detect and I haven't run into any issues other than an electric fence that will drive anyone crazy no matter what machine you have. 
3. Reactivity and Silencer Settings: These 2 features are by far the 2 most important settings besides the on/off button. You can screw yourself totally by messing with these or you can really find the magic of the machine. Expect the screw yourself at first until you start figuring out the machine. I did and I got really frustrated in the first month. Then I went back to the basic programs, did some more research, watched some more videos, and started making small adjustments based off the default programs and things have been a lot better. Right now my settings have kept me at a Silencer of -1 and Reactivity at 2 or 3. I'm pulling up coins with nails and brash shell casings in the same holes (no lie). This is the true power of the Deus. The ability to pluck good targets that are masked by junk targets that everyone else misses. The speed and separation of the Deus is simply amazing to put it lightly. 
4. Depth: This is a tricky subject because some folks with tell you the the deeper the better. I've been really thinking about this and used to think this way. I wanted a machine that could find me targets 2 to 3 feet under ground. However, I would challenge any of you to dig a few of those holes and come back and tell me you still feel the same. The XP is comparable to most of the heavy hitters out there in depth. When you tweak the settings you can gain more out of the depth. But if you think you'll be digging to China for targets, think again. It will find deep iron for sure down to 10-12 inches for me so far but I think it will go down a little deeper depending on the target. 
5. Discrimination (disc): I don't like to use a lot of disc if I don't have to. If  you start messing with disc it will degrade the performance of the machine and you'll lose some depth. The Deus also has a feature that lets you block the signals to your ears and not the machine and this feature is called "notch" discrimination. I love this feature and you will too! At first, I tried not to use any disc but now I'm using "notch" a little more and its really starting to help me weed out the junk signals. 
6. Tone Control: This is another feature of the Deus that really comes in handy. By default, I don't like the different tones that come straight out of the box. They are too flat and boring but that's my opinion. You can take control of the tones and set them anyway you like (up to 5). For awhile I was using "full tones" because I wanted to hear everything. I have since gone back to using 3 or 5 tones as my preference. Full tones was just way to chatty for me. Maybe I'll go back to it at some point.     

XP Deus finds from a Maryland Farm in June 2016

So Far So Good...I Like The XP Deus!

Like I said, its only been 3 months but so far so good. I was getting frustrated for awhile because I was digging every nail in the ground I came across. But I've figured out how to listen for them and I've cut the number of nails way down. In addition, I'm pulling out coins from the same holes that have nails in them so I'm definitely progressing. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a silver coin and its a little frustrating (you'll see this in my videos) but I think that's only because I've been going over previously hunted ground that I've hammered for over 2 years with my AT Pro. I have managed to pull up a large cent and a few buttons the AT Pro missed. I've recently been hunting a new site that is very trashy and the Deus is pulling out coins but just not silver yet. I'm going to give the X and Y feature a try which I haven't talked about yet. But this is a feature that is supposed to provide more information on the targets you are hearing so I'm looking forward to seeing what it will tell me at this new site.

and...just for the record, no one from XP is paying me for this review. This is strictly my own opinion based on my own observations and trials. I just wanted to throw that out there before someone jumps on me for being bias or something. I still own and use my Garrett too! 

I hope this post was helpful. Feel free to drop me comment here or PM if you like. My email is mentalmetal314@gmail.com.

Wow! The XP Deus Found Something My AT Pro Missed Over The Last 2 Years!

Liberty Large Cent 1854

It was really nice this past Sunday 2/28/16 and I wanted to take out the XP Deus for its 2nd test drive. I spent the night before skimming through Andy Sabisch's book "The Deus Handbook" and jotted down some programs I wanted to try for a local farm field just a couple miles from my house. On this particular farm, I have found colonial buttons, Liberty Cents, King George coins, musket balls etc. The place has seen a lot of activity over the years so it was a great place to give the XP Deus another drive around the block.

Join Our New Group on Facebook!

Join Metal Detecting Maryland

We started a new group on Facebook called Metal Detecting Maryland. Come join us as we get ready to start digging this season. Share your finds, videos, tips, trick, and more. Maybe a few contests too. You don't have to be from Maryland to join! Its a fun and friendly group who love the hobby.

Handheld GPS for Metal Detecting? What Say You?

I'm debating with myself whether I need a handheld GPS for metal detecting. I think I do but there are SOOOOO many to choose from so I'm wondering what you folks have been using or prefer. I've been eyeballing the Garmin GPSMAP 62. I don't want to break the bank but I do want the ability to mark the spots where I find good targets on both land and water. If I'm kayaking down a river, I want to be able to find that spot again and I also want to mark areas in a field that might indicate where an old building or foot path could have been. Finally, I want to be able upload the data into something like Google Maps and compare the information with old maps to determine if something once existed in that spot. Its all pretty logical in my opinion. I know some of you folks use them so let me know what you think. Here is a pic of the Garmin GPSMAP 62.

Which One? Minelab E-TRAC, Garrett AT Gold, or The XP Deus?

If you know me and followed some of my adventures from my YouTube channel, you know I am a big fan of the Garrett AT Pro. I've been using it now for a couple of years with no complaints. Well maybe a few complaints in the wet sand but for the most part the AT Pro has been rock solid and I would still recommend it to anyone for both land and "fresh"water use. I even considered the AT Gold at one point as well but I couldn't see myself buying something very similar to the AT Pro again.

However, I've been looking for a new machine to try and the Minelab E-TRAC caught my attention earlier last year. I've read a lot good reviews about and talked to some folks who love the machine so my mind was almost made up. Almost!

Minelab's E-TRAC

Then during a hunt in upstate PA this past fall (2015), I got my butt kicked by a completely different machine that totally blew me away. The area we were hunting had a lot of iron in the ground and the AT Pro had no issues telling me there was iron in the ground! In fact, it was ridiculously hot with iron to the point it gave me a headache. On the other hand, my newly introduced friend from Ohio (Ted) brought his XP Deus with him and I watched him as he dug 3 coins that day from areas I had already hunted and hunted HARD! with the AT Pro. At the end of the day, he ended up digging a V nickel right next to a hole that I had dug earlier that day but all I got was iron scrap. There was just so much iron that I couldn't hear what he was hearing. The Deus was able to cut through the iron signals enough to hear that high pitch that we all love to hear but with amazing separation.

On the positive side, I did walk away with a bunch of really nice axe heads and so did Ted but he also found a large cent, V nickel, and an Indian head penny while his friend Lonnie (also using the AT Pro) and myself didn't find any coins. (If you want to see the video of our hunt here is the link). 

XP Deus

Santa, Garretts's Ace 150, and One Happy Treasure Hunter

I had to share this story because I was given the exclusive opportunity to help Santa Claus come up with a special gift for a little girl this past Christmas.

Santa informed that a little girl named Mags had to leave her friends behind because her Dad, a U.S. Marine, recently got orders to Virgina and her family had to relocate all the way across the country from California. The move was apparently hard on the kids for obvious reasons. As a 9 year Air Force veteran, I know. Moves like that are always hard on the kids. But they all got through it and they are now settled into their new home on the east coast. 

Since the move, Mags had been expressing to her parents about her desire to become a treasure hunter. Of course, her desire reached Santa somehow and with so many metal detectors to choose from these days, Santa decided to reach out for help and contacted me! (MentalMetal314) Apparently, Santa was a big fan my YouTube Channel and informed me that his elves would be contacting me via text message for some ideas of what kind of metal detector I could recommend for Mags.

A couple of days later, Santa was right. I received a strange text message from a number I did not recognize 66-784-7053 asking me for my recommendations for a good metal detector. This had to be the elves I thought! Of course, I told them that you can't go wrong with a Garrett! So I recommended the Ace 150. They thanked me and that was last I heard from them.  

A few weeks later, Christmas day arrived and apparently Mags woke up to a brand new Garrett Ace 150. Luckily, the recent warm weather provided Mags the opportunity to try out her new Ace and I can happily report that she recently found her first nickel!

Here she is with her first nickel in hand. Nice job Mags!

Mags with her first nickel!

 According to her Mom, "Mags is psyched!" and you can find Mags and her brother Finn wandering the miles and miles of trails close to their home looking for treasure in Virgina.

A big thanks to her dad Rob for serving our country! But most of all, thank you Santa for making one little girl a very happy treasure hunter in 2016!

-mm314