White’s Electronics, Inc. Sweet Home, Oregon USA Building the World’s Finest metal detectors for over 60 years.
Congratulations! You have purchased a quality instrument that was designed and manufactured in the USA. The Spectra series is the result of years of research and development, time-proven manufacturing and testing techniques, and, most of all... listening to our customers. The Spectra VX 3 represents the state-of-the-art in metal detecting technology. Three frequencies, color display, advanced features, and the ability to use wireless headphones produce a powerful and capable detector.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide VX 3 Specifications Operating mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VLF/induction balance Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.5kHz, 7.5kHz, 22.5kHz Ground balance range. . . . . . . . . .Ferrite to salt (approx. 95°) Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, all modifiable Discrimination segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Audio modes . . . . . . . 4: Std, all-metal, mixed mode, pinpoint Audio tones . . . . .
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Table of Contents 1 Introduction Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Basics of VLF Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2 1-3 1-5 1-6 1-7 2 QuickStart Turn On & Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide 4 Operating Modes Frequency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1 Three Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2 Salt Compensate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2 Single Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3 Frequency Offset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4 Ground Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5 AutoTrac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide 7 Programs VX 3 Memory Structure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saving Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Restoring Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rearranging Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CHAPTER 1 Introduction White’s VX 3 represents the latest technology in metal detecting. The heart of VX 3 is a high-performance ARM-9 RISC microprocessor which simultaneously analyzes signals from 3 transmitted frequencies. Those frequencies — 2.5kHz, 7.5kHz, and 22.5kHz — were chosen for their diverse responses to a variety of metal targets, resulting in a superior system of target analysis and identification.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide pace. There is no need to master all the features to get excellent performance. If you need help, White's Electronics is a phone call or mouse click away. Your dealer is an excellent resource, and the White’s web site has a VX 3 help forum for questions & answers, tips, and sharing programs. Go to www.whiteselectronics.com and click on the Forum link. There are also many other on-line forums for metal detecting where you can chat with other White’s users and ask questions.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Two keypad buttons have dual names. MENU/TAB is used both as an entry button into the menu system, and to “tab” from one screen area to the next. This tab method is identical to how a PC interface uses it. So in some cases we will tell you to press MENU, in other cases press TAB. It’s the same button. ZOOM/ VIEW works the same way. VX 3 also has four arrow keys, and these may be either called UP DOWN LEFT RIGHT (or UP DN LT RT) or represented with the symbols .
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Icons Target VDI Target Depth Spectra Graph Disc. Mask Live Control Bar Status Bar Navigation Keypad Toggle Switch (front of handle) signal strength versus VDI and gives a detailed look at the VDI response. The status bar shows a few operational pieces of information, and the Live Control Bar provides quick on-the-fly access to operating modes and adjustment parameters. All of these will be covered in detail in subsequent chapters.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Assembly 1. Remove all parts from the shipping carton. Check the assembly page to ensure all parts are present. 2. Insert the 2 rubber washers (b) into the recesses of the lower rod clevis and use the fiber bolt and thumb nut to secure the search loop to the lower rod. 3. Insert the lower rod into the “S” rod (unlock the cam lock if necessary); the spring clip buttons will click into the adjustment holes.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. to secure. The second or third adjustment holes are suitable for average height adults. Exceptionally tall users may wish to consider purchase of the “tall-man” lower rod (500-02423) and/or the “tall-man” S-rod (500-0240-1). Wind the search loop cable around the rod assembly, first revolution starting over the top of the rod. Work your way to the top of the S-rod. Use the Velcro retainers, one near the loop and one near the top, to hold the cable in place.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide To replace the batteries, slide open the battery holder lid by gently lifting the tab. A fresh set of alkalines will operate VX 3 for about 7-8 hours with no backlight. Use of the backlight will reduce battery life. When you first power-up VX 3 a start-up screen will display briefly with the battery voltage at the bottom.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide TX RX reaction. A so-called “induction-balanced” coil arrangement prevents the receive coil from being overwhelmed by the transmit signal, allowing it to see very small target signals. Phase & VDI Practically all VLF-IB detectors operate as phase discriminators. The received signal is converted to phase, and the phase is a strong indication of what the target might be.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Ferrous Non-Ferrous icke l Salt l US N S w VD I le ai -95 w se N 0o VD I ha c e al Ra a Sc Ra h 0 e as P P 90o arter US Qu Normal soil +95 180o ness. This means you need to apply your own discriminator — your brain — in deciding what the VDI responses are telling you. Ground Response Unfortunately, buried metal is not the only thing the detector sees. Most soil contains ferric oxide minerals, and this mineralization looks like a target2.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide response, so that a strong ground and weak quarter response would look like: 0 Strong -95 Groun d Weak r Quarte +95 The detector will see both signals at the same time, and the combination of the two can be represented with a third vector as follows: 0 Q Weak uarter Res ultin g Strong Groun d -95 Sign al +95 The resulting signal appears to be a fairly strong ferrous target instead of a quarter. This is the downfall of the old TR-discriminator designs.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide 0 0 -95 New Origin -95 r Quarte Weak Strong +95 Groun d +95 Any error in the ground balance point can result in an error in the target VDI response so it’s important to maintain a decent ground balance point. Ground Tracking In order to better handle variations in ground mineralization, many detectors now incorporate automatic ground tracking (White’s uses the term AutoTrac®).
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide composite VDI that can land anywhere between pure ferrite (VDI = -95) and pure salt. Other areas, like fertilized fields with residual salt ions, can also have a composite ground response. Many deserts have a layer of surface salts that have been leached from the soil; this is generally not a problem as long as it is dry.
CHAPTER 2 QuickStart Turn On & Go VX 3 is highly programmable and includes several factory preset programs which provide good overall performance and allow a new user to quickly start hunting. 1. Press ON/OFF: VX 3 briefly displays a start-up screen, and after 2 or 3 seconds goes straight to the search screen: 2. At the bottom of the screen is the Live Control Bar, which gives you direct access to most of VX 3 ’s settings.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Select a desired program, pull the Trigger, and VX 3 is ready to start hunting. Programs and Memory VX 3 has 8 preset factory programs: - Accepts most common US coins, including nickels. Most other VDI regions, including where most jewelry is found, are rejected. • Coin • Coin & Jewelry - Accepts most common coins, along with rings and jewelry. • Salt Beach - Coin & Jewelry using salt subtraction mode. • Relic - Mixed mode, no Tone ID, no VCO.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide saved to memory and recalled each time VX 3 is powered on. Restoring factory settings is covered in Chapter 7. Ground Balance VX 3 ’s automatic ground balance system has a fast-track mode that attempts to balance the system to soil conditions within 20 seconds of turn-on.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Tip: If VX 3 seems to have an erratic audio only when sweeping the search coil on the ground, check the ground balance. Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) EMI can be a problem with any wide-band metal detector, whether a multi-frequency VLF or a pulse induction design. VX 3 includes a frequency offset to help deal with this.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Tip: Press ZOOM to change the font size of the menus. Live Control Bar You may want to quickly change settings while searching. The Live Control Bar is displayed at the bottom of the Search screen and its items are accessible via the left/right arrow buttons.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Tip: Press MENU+ to quickly collapse levels of the menu tree. Controls VX 3 uses a variety of different interface controls such as sliders and radio buttons. Most of them are very similar to those found in computer graphical interfaces so they will be familiar to many users.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Along the top of the screen are the VDI number, icons, and depth. The majority of the screen consists of the SpectraGraph display, which provides real-time information on the target’s VDI. See Chapter 5 for more information on how to read this display. Below the SpectraGraph is the Status Line, which contains icons for the status of wireless headphones and backlight.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide response. See Chapter 5 for more information on how to read this display. Tip: To lock VX 3 in Pinpoint mode simply flip the trigger switch forward. VX 3 Audio VX 3 supports a built-in speaker, plug-in headphones, and White’s proprietary wireless headphones. Headphones are highly recommended as they help block out ambient noise, making it much easier to discern the deeper target responses.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Permission This is CRITICALLY IMPORTANT! Over the years, a small minority of inconsiderate detectorists have, in some places, created a negative image for the hobby (see the Treasure Hunter’s Code of Ethics on the back cover of this manual). Do your part to maintain a positive image: ask permission. Private property always requires permission. Approach the owner in a professional manner; some detectorists even make up business cards.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Sweep the coil from side-to-side, with a ~3-4 foot swath, at a rate of 1-2 seconds per sweep. Keep the coil parallel with and close to the ground during the entire sweep; if you sweep with a “pendulum arc” (lifting the coil at the ends of the sweep) you will not only miss targets but also cause the AutoTrac to err. Some detectorists rub the coil directly on the ground, though bare dirt and gravel can eventually wear through the plastic (most coils have available snap-on covers).
CHAPTER 3 Basic Settings This chapter covers some of the basic settings of VX 3 including sensitivity, discrimination, audio, and ground balance. It does not cover any settings which alter the fundamental operating mode of the detector. See Chapter 4 for operating modes.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide [press VIEW] Tip: The Live Control Bar is the collection of buttons across the bottom of the screen. Each button is called a Live Control Item. Each item consists of one or more settings. Press VIEW for any Live Control Item to access a Menu for that item. Keep in mind that the detector is “live” while accessing the Live Control Bar, but is suspended when you enter a Menu. Programs This was briefly covered in Chapter 2.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide - Accepts most common US coins, including nickels. Most other VDI regions, including where most jewelry is found, are rejected. • Coin • Coin & Jewelry - Accepts most common coins, along with rings and jewelry. • Salt Beach - Coin & Jewelry using salt subtraction mode. • Relic - Mixed mode, no Tone ID, no VCO. • Prospecting - All-metal mode optimized for nugget hunting. • Deep Silver - Optimized for deep silver. • Hi-pro - Advanced Coin & Jewelry.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide more power, so for maximum battery life try to keep the backlight to a minimum. Tip: Press/hold the ON/OFF button for ~3 seconds to quickly set the backlight level to 20. VX 3 will not turn off. Sensitivity Once you select a basic program you may need to adjust the sensitivity settings. Most of the VX 3 programs are set up with nominal sensitivities, but the Hi-Pro program is set up a little hotter. Most users believe sensitivity should be run as high as possible.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Tip: VX 3 uses induction-balanced loops which rely on a “null” between the transmit coil and the receive coil. The quality of the null may determine the point at which the detector overloads, especially when running high Rx Gain settings. Null quality varies loop-to-loop, so some loops may overload at lower gain than others. erratic operation and noisy audio.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Discrimination Sensitivity Discrimination Sensitivity (sometimes called AC sensitivity) determines the responsiveness of the discrimination channel. This is a threshold level, so only target signals above the threshold cause a discrimination response. Setting this too high will cause noise and falsing in the discrimination audio. See Chapter 4 for a more detailed discussion of audio responses.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide +95, each with a selection box. A box that has an ‘×’ enables that VDI response, an empty box disables that VDI. Tip: Setting the disc mask for 191 VDI’s can be tedious. If you want to set a range of VDI’s to the same state select the first VDI in the range, press ENTER+ to set the same value to subsequent VDI’s. Bonus Tip: This works in either direction. Frequency The only control we will cover in this chapter is Frequency Offset.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide While continuing to hold the trigger, select Transmit Frequency and highlight the Offset box. Adjust the Offset to find the quietest setting. The pinpoint bars should be minimal and steady: Release the trigger and you’re set. Tip: Be mindful of personal electronics you are carrying. There have been reports of cell phones causing EMI problems with detectors. Ground Tracking AutoTrac and LockTrac select between automatic and manual ground balance.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Filters As presented in Chapter 1, modern VLF detectors use filters to separate the target responses from the ground response. Filters are also used to minimize EMI noise. The best filter to use depends on the strength of ground mineralization plus other factors. VX 3 offers two filters to choose from: a 5Hz filter for lowto-modest mineralization and 12.5Hz for more severe ground conditions. Filters and response speeds are explained in detail in Chapter 6.
CHAPTER 4 Operating Modes Chapter 3 covered some of the basic settings of VX 3 , such as sensitivity and audio volume. These were adjustment controls which are used to alter the performance or user preferences. There are other settings which fundamentally alter the operation of VX 3 . We will refer to these as mode settings.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide One reason for using multiple frequencies is that some targets respond better to certain frequencies than others. Targets that are thin and made of low-conductive metal — typical of most jewelry — respond better to higher frequencies, which is why many gold nugget detectors are designed to run at much higher frequencies than most other detectors. High conductive targets, especially those that are thick, respond better at lower frequencies.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide mode, except that salt responses are subtracted out. This eliminates salt signals while still allowing VX 3 to track ferrous mineralization. This technique is only possible in multi-frequency detectors, which is a second reason to use multiple frequencies. The Salt Beach program uses this mode. Trivia: White’s DFX is always in salt compensate mode. A small downside to salt compensate is that a narrow range of VDI’s are notched out and targets in that range won’t respond.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide However, VX 3 normalizes all VDI’s to a common frequency. That common frequency is, for historical reasons, 6.592kHz, meaning the US silver quarter will have a normalized VDI response of 83 regardless of which frequency you choose. The Deep Silver program uses the 2.5kHz single frequency mode, which responds best to silver coins and tends to penetrate mineralized soil better. Tip: In single frequency modes, battery consumption is higher for 2.5kHz, and lowest for 22.5kHz.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Along with the audio, the pinpoint bars will help you find the quietest offset. In some situations, you may not be able to find a quiet offset for all three frequencies at the same time. Pay attention to the pinpoint bars and see if one of the frequencies tends to run quieter than the others. If so, run in single frequency mode with the proper offset. A stable single frequency mode is usually better than an unstable 3-frequency mode.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide LockTrac There are some uncommon situations where AutoTrac does not work well. In extreme ground that has a lot of variability, or when a lot of trash targets are present, automatic tracking may result in excessive noise and tracking errors. High levels of EMI can also cause problems with automatic tracking. In these situations locking the ground balance at one value may provide better performance.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide All-Metal Channel AM Tone & VCO AM Sens. AM Volume AM Speaker Threshold Tone Rx Coil Mixed Modulation Headphones Wireless Headphones Rx Gain Disc Discrimination Channel Tone ID Disc. Target/Threshold Sens. Volume Audio Mode the raw input signal from the coil. The signal is then split into two processing channels, one for all-metal and one for discrimination, and these channels have their own audio responses.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Tip: In the normal all-metal mode, SAT (self-adjusting threshold) is applied so if you hold the search coil steady over a target, the audio response will fade away on its own. In pinpoint mode, SAT is not applied so you can hold the search coil steady over a target and the response will remain steady. In this channel, the All-Metal Sensitivity setting is basically an additional gain setting applied to the all-metal signal above and beyond the Rx Gain setting.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Increasing Volume If VCO audio is disabled then the all-metal audio response will be a fixed tone, and an increasing signal level creates an increase in its loudness: Fixed Threshold Tone Increasing Pitch In other words, as the search coil is passed over a target, the allmetal audio will begin at a low volume and progressively rise in loudness as the target signal gets stronger, peaking when the search coil is directly over the target.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Discrimination Audio Unlike the all-metal channel, the discrimination channel does not treat all targets alike. Discrimination uses the VDI (phase) response of the target to determine how to respond. It is possible to assign different tones to different VDI responses, or to completely ignore targets with certain VDI responses. Discrimination Sensitivity In this channel, the Discrimination Sensitivity setting determines a threshold level above which you will hear target responses.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Target Volume setting cannot be less than or equal to the Audio Threshold setting or targets will not be heard. VX 3 attempts to maintain a minimum 8dB loudness separation between them. That is, if you try to increase the Audio Threshold setting too close to a corresponding Target Volume setting, the Target Volume will automatically increase in order to maintain an 8dB loudness difference.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Tone ID Any modern discriminating detector has at least a rudimentary audio method of distinguishing accepted targets from rejected ones. This may be as simple as an audio response for accepted targets and no audio response for rejected targets. More advanced detectors have a tonal identification system where different tones represent different target ranges (phase responses). VX 3 has the ability to produce a different tone for each VDI number.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide that are below the discrimination threshold. This can help in target separation, especially in trashy areas, and can also help in pinpointing targets. On the other hand, the increased target responses can be overwhelming and create audio fatigue, especially for new users. Mixed mode equally applies both the all-metal audio and the discrimination audio to the speaker or headphones.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide pull and hold the pinpoint trigger switch or flip it to the forward position. Pinpoint audio is identical to all-metal audio with one exception: normal all-metal mode has SAT applied to it, and pinpoint does not. That means the all-metal channel requires loop motion or the target will get “tuned out,” but pinpoint does not require loop motion. Pinpoint audio has only one option, VCO, which is the same as with the all-metal search mode.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide easier to see what kinds of targets you are accepting and rejecting. Keep in mind that these are only potential target types, and that many targets (especially jewelry) can have broad ranges. Tip: There are 191 VDI numbers, and setting each one individually can take a long time. There is a short-cut: when you press the ENTER button to check or un-check a VDI, continue holding down the ENTER button, then press the or button to rapidly set a range of VDI’s to the same setting.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Preset Icon Tables Park Relic Prospecting -97 to -57 -97 to -57 -97 to -57 -56 to -27 -56 to -27 -56 to -27 -26 to -1 -26 to -1 -26 to -21 +0 to +12 0 to +17 -20 to -1 +13 to +16 +18 to +23 0 to +16 +17 to +24 +24 to +37 +17 to +24 +25 to +50 +38 to +40 +25 to +50 +51 to +54 +41 to +44 +51 to +57 +55 to +57 +45 to +55 +58 to +75 +58 to +68 +56 to +60 +76 to +80 +69 to +75 +61 to +70 +81 to +86 +76 to +80 +71 to +75 +87 to +90 +81 to +86 +76 t
CHAPTER 5 Display Screens VX 3 has two display screens which depend on the position of the trigger switch: Search screen: Trigger neutral Pinpoint screen: Trigger pulled or forward Search screen SpectraGraph VDI Disc. Mask Icons Depth Status Bar Live Control Bar The Search screen has several regions as labeled above. The central part of the screen is the SpectraGraph which plots the target response in terms of signal strength versus VDI.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide VDI As the loop sweeps over a target the received target signal rises, peaks, and then falls. Ideally the VDI1 of a “wellbehaved2” target is independent of signal strength, but in reality weak signals will show errors in the VDI. For that reason, the most accurate VDI will occur at the peak of the target signal response.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Icons Icons are simply a pictorial representative possibility of the VDI number. Because many different targets can overlap in their VDI numbers, sometimes two icons are presented as possibilities. For example, pull tabs and gold rings often share VDI ranges. As you learn VX 3 , you should find yourself paying less attention to the icons and more to the VDI number and the SpectraGraph bars. Depth The depth readout in normal search mode is only an estimate.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide 22.5kHz 7.5kHz VDI Scale 2.5kHz because we are mostly interested in what goes on in the positive half, where the majority of good targets respond. The negative half is mostly where iron falls. Also note that each response bar is 7 VDI points wide. This means that the bars don’t represent a precise VDI number, but rather a small range of numbers.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Ideally all targets would have tight responses that are repeatable. The closest you can get to that is to air test targets 34” from the coil, and that is not a bad start to learn how different targets respond. However, just like we discussed with VDI numbers, as a given target moves farther from the coil, its response gets weaker and exhibits shifts and spreading in the graph response, and is not as repeatable. This gets even worse in mineralized ground.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide 0 Quarter -95 +83 +95 Now the signal response starts at zero and still reaches approximately the same peak point (perhaps resulting in the same final VDI), but shows some curvature on the way up and on the way back. Because the SpectraGraph response is taken from the whole of the signal response and not just the peak, this can result in a “smearing” effect in the bars, as shown here: Pay attention to the amount of smearing compared to the depth and the composite VDI number.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide As the loop is swept over the bottle cap, the phase response varies wildly. This will not only result in smearing of the SpectraGraph plot, but will also cause it to jump around significantly before it locks on to a final reading. Such a final reading might look like: Notice the peak point from which the composite VDI is calculated; it is clearly in the non-ferrous (good) region, even though bottle caps are typically steel.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Mixed response Sometimes you will see response bars that include both green and red: This simply means that the target is on the edge of the rejection/acceptance point. Because each bar is 7 VDI points wide a target that is accepted can still show some red in the response bar. In the above graph, notice that the 22.5k and 7.5k frequencies are nicely aligned, and the 2.5k response is both slightly skewed and broader. This generally indicates that the 2.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide The status bar also displays the currently loaded program. If Autotrac is enabled, the program name may occasionally get overwritten by a “tracking” message, indicating that VX 3 is adjusting its tracking point. Pinpoint Screen 22.5kHz 7.5kHz 2.5kHz The Pinpoint screen has regions similar to the Search screen, and is accessed by pulling the trigger switch.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Salt Mode Anomaly Normally in Pinpoint mode all targets will produce an audio response as well as the screen response. However, targets that are below the ground balance point will produce nulled audio response. In normal ground, this is not a problem as targets are never below the ground balance point5. But in saltwater hunting, the ground balance point can be close to a VDI of 0, meaning that the entire iron range could be below the balance point.
CHAPTER 6 Advanced Features Main Menu So far, we’ve mostly used the Live Control Bar and its associated menus (by pressing VIEW) for making changes to VX 3 . All controls and settings (except for Backlight) are available in one place called the Main Menu. It is accessed from the search screen by pressing MENU: The top-level contents of the Main Menu mirror the contents of the Live Control Bar, though the order is different.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Most selections available in the menus consist of slider controls, radio buttons, or check boxes. Sliders are changed with the and buttons. Note that a control has a “” in front of its name when the control is set to the default value. The name is preceded with a “” when the value is different than the default value1. Tip: Use MENU+ and MENU+ to quickly jump a slider setting between minimum, default, and maximum values.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Ground Filter Modern VLF metal detectors use electronic filters both to remove unwanted noise — such as electromagnetic interference (EMI) from radio signals and power lines — and to remove the portion of the received signal due to ground mineralization (see Chapter 1). Different filters offer trade-offs in performance. Severe mineralization usually requires more filtering which can affect depth. High EMI likewise requires more filtering.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Recovery Delay A detected target creates an audio response in the all-metal channel which exactly follows the target’s received signal. In the discrimination channel, an accepted target creates an audio response which is generated near the peak of the received signal where the VDI is likely to be most accurate, especially necessary for generating a proper tone ID. A rejected target produces a null in the audio threshold.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide S.A.T. SAT stands for self-adjusting threshold and is a property of the all-metal channel. In normal all-metal mode, the SAT continuously works to return the all-metal signal to a threshold point, even in the presence of ground or target signals. Therefore, when the loop is held steady over a target, the target response will eventually fade away. This helps produce a more stable all-metal audio as ground conditions vary.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide “residual” signal is being seen. Ideally, if you hold the loop in the air away from metal targets, this number should be zero. However, it is impossible to make a perfect loop null so this number is usually at least a few percent. Ground mineralization also creates a residual signal, so as you lower the loop to the ground you may see an increase in the Signal percentage. In most cases you should adjust the Rx Gain to maintain a residual Signal of no more than 30-40%.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide The right side of the screen reports the phase and strength of the residual signal2, and does so for each individual frequency3. This is useful for analyzing the characteristics of the ground, but only if the residual signal consists purely of ground signal. This will be true if (1) we can get rid of other residual signals like an imperfect loop null, and (2) if we put the loop over target-free ground.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide You can also use the Ground Probe to analyze target signals, and can see exactly how signal phase and strength vary with frequency. This may be of limited use in the field, however, because a buried target also has ground above it so the Ground Probe will give you the total response of the two.
CHAPTER 7 Programs As covered in Chapters 2 and 3, VX 3 comes with 8 preset factory programs. Any of these programs can be modified, and they can easily be restored to original factory settings at any time. To better understand programs, let’s take a look at how VX 3 stores programs.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Tip: If you make changes and decide you don’t want them automatically saved, instead of using the ON/OFF button to power down, simply remove the battery pack. When modifications are made to any program so that it no longer matches the Library copy, the program name will be preceded by a “” symbol.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Tip: You can also restore a program to factory defaults from the Live Control Bar. Highlight Program Select, highlight the program you want to restore, and press ENTER+MENU. A small pop-up box will appear; select the option to Restore Defaults and press ENTER. Rearranging Programs Programs can be selected from the Live Control Bar without suspending detector operation.
CHAPTER 8 Wireless Headphones Wireless Headphones VX 3 supports optional wireless headphones (WHPs) which are designed to use a world-wide available 2.4GHz ISM band. To enable and connect WHPs, access the WHP menu at MENUAudioWireless Headphones.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide When you follow this procedure, the WHPs will produce a “taDA” jingle1 which signifies proper connection. Upon connection, VX 3 will pop up another balloon signifying that: Once WHPs are properly connected, you should see the header bar report “Working.” Also, the WHP’s report back their battery voltage so you can easily check their status: 1.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide Why is there a “connect” ritual? It’s because the WHPs may need to search for and find the right channel to operate on. With the Channel control, VX 3 lets you select one of 76 channels (479), allowing multiple V-users to operate in close proximity. By default, channel 4 is preselected in the factory, both in VX 3 and in the WHPs. So right out of the box, you can probably turn the WHPs on and they will work fine.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide to be picking up audio from another VX 3 , try a different channel. Pay attention to the reception bar when selecting a channel; choose a channel that has a maximum green and minimal red response. Tip: If you run the connect sequence at the same time as another nearby V-user, you may inadvertently connect your WHPs to the wrong detector. Finally, the WHPs send back a battery voltage status to VX 3 and the voltage is reported in the WHP menu.
CHAPTER 9 Troubleshooting Murphy’s Law applies every bit as well to metal detecting as anything else, so there is always something to go wrong. This chapter will cover the more common problems that people run into. • VX 3 is excessively noisy or chattery even when the loop is held in the air. Most likely this is due to electromagnetic interference (EMI). Here are some strategies: 1. Adjust the frequency offset (see Ch 3) — always try this first. 2.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide 3. Unusually variable ground can cause problems for Autotrac; try Locktrac. 4. Slow down your sweep speed. 5. Make sure your loop is tight, and that the cable is wrapped tightly around the rod. 6. Reduce the RxGain. • VX 3 becomes very noisy when I lay it down to dig a target.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide • I get a target response in Disc mode but it is weak (or disappears) in Pinpoint mode. See Chapter 5, “Salt Mode Anomaly.” While this phenomenon is more prevalent in salt mode, it can occur in normal (nonsalt) mode as well. • VX 3 won’t turn on. 1. The batteries could be dead. 2. Ensure that the batteries are installed correctly in the tray. 3. If you know the batteries are good, then look down inside the battery compartment, there are 2 metal contact prongs.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide • My display cover has a dent in it. The cover over the display is replaceable, and new covers are available from White’s. Simply peel off the old one, and stick on the new one. • The display is very dim. 1. In shade or indoors you may need to turn on the backlight. 2. The VX 3 display is polarized, so polarized sunglasses can severely reduce the brightness. Tilt your head from side-to-side to see if this is the problem. • My pinpointer is causing interference.
CHAPTER 10 Shortcuts VX 3 has a number of keypad shortcuts that make certain tasks easier. They have all been mentioned throughout the manual (often in Tip boxes) and this chapter pulls them all together for quick-reference.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide How to organize your Program list VX 3 comes with 8 preset programs. You can change their order in the listing: • Go to MENUProgramSelect • Scroll down to highlight a desired program • Press ENTER+ (or ENTER+) to move the program through the list. How to quickly restore a program Suppose you make changes to a program and decide you want to return to the factory settings. From the Live Control Bar, go to Program Select, press ENTER, and highlight the desired program.
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide How to quickly jump through ranges Some settings have a large range of values, such as volume. You can press ENTER+ or ENTER+ (or ENTER+ or ENTER+ if you are in the Menus) to quickly jump to the extremes of the range, and to also get back to the default setting. Tip: A little check mark () displays when the setting is at its saved default value. A delta symbol () displays when the setting has been changed.
Coin Coin & Jewelry Salt Beach Relic Prospecting Deep Silver Hi Pro Sensitivity Rx Gain 5 6 7 7 7 10 9 AM Sensitivity 55 55 55 65 70 70 60 Disc Sensitivity 75 75 75 80 80 80 85 Audio Volume 48 48 48 48 48 48 48 Threshold 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 Search Mode Disc Disc Disc Mixed All‐metal Disc Disc Tone ID Off Off Off Off Off On On Modulation Off Off Off Off Off Off 1 All‐metal VCO Off Off Off On On On On Pinpoint VCO Off Off Off On On On On Discrim.
Warranty If within two years (24 months) from the original date of purchase, your White’s detector fails due to defects in either material or workmanship, White’s will repair or replace at its option, all necessary parts without charge for parts or labor. Simply return the complete detector to the Dealer where you purchased it, or to your nearest Authorized Service Center. The unit must be accompanied by a detailed explanation of the symptoms of the failure.
Treasure Hunter’s Code of Ethics 1. Always check federal, state, county, and local laws before searching. 2. Always obtain the owner’s permission before accessing private property. 3. Take care to refill all holes and leave no trace. 4. Remove and dispose of any and all trash and litter found. 5. Whenever possible, return identifiable property to its rightful owner. 6. Never destroy historical or archaeological treasures. 7.
