Whites DFX detector

OK guys am I going backwards? I got a good deal on a DFX and going to try and use it for a while. Has any done any good with one? I don't think I will get hurt bad on it if I don't like it. I got it with two coils and headphones and new Whites carry bag.for less than 300.00 shipped to me.Dose anyone have any good programs they can share? Any help would be nice. thanks flintstone

Flintstone Wrote:
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> OK guys am I going backwards? I got a good deal on
> a DFX and going to try and use it for a while. Has
> any done any good with one? I don't think I will g
> et hurt bad on it if I don't like it. I got it wit
> h two coils and headphones and new Whites carry ba
> g.for less than 300.00 shipped to me.Dose anyone h
> ave any good programs they can share? Any help wo
> uld be nice. thanks flintstone


The DFX is a dated machine. IMHO: It was never anything more than Whites Co's attempt to answer to the then-ground-breaking Explorer sales/successes. Tried to copy it. But .... was never as good or the same. They did add scores of user-adjustments (which the Explorers lacked), but .... that was just putting lip-stick on a pig. For whatever reason: The Explorers were better. JMHO.

I've heard it's very good jewelry hunting.

I Googled it and you can set it to find Foil and Nickles and that is where the most rings fall. The 5.3 coil is still in plastic and the bag has never been used. The detector looks like new. I think someone just didn't give it much time to under stand it. I have a MXT and I love the way I find rings with it. We will just see, if not I will sell it.

Flintstone Wrote:
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> I Googled it and you can set it to find Foil and N
> ickles and that is where the most rings fall. The
> 5.3 coil is still in plastic and the bag has never
> been used. The detector looks like new. I think s
> omeone just didn't give it much time to under stan
> d it. I have a MXT and I love the way I find rings
> with it. We will just see, if not I will sell it.

I posted my settings for the DFX for Calabash in a thread not long ago, He didn't use them right but they are the settings I used in my video about the DFX on youtube. Coin spader channel. Search my old posts and you will find them. Make sure you use a normal sweep speed no matter what the sweep speed setting is.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/2019 04:53AM by coinspader.

Thanks coinspader , I will look it up.

Rick, N. MI Wrote:
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> I've heard it's very good jewelry hunting.



Flintstone Wrote:
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> I Googled it and you can set it to find Foil and N
> ickles and that is where the most rings fall.


Uh, sure. And you can take ANY machine (even the ones who-have-fabled strengths for high-conductors) and : Simply lower the disc. knob. And thus : Have no-lack of low conductors to choose from.

One of my all-time fave Whites detectors.
I bought one new in 2000 I believe?
I traded in my XLT. It works good in trashy old parks with that 5.3 coil. I pulled a lot of Barber silver out of a old park with that set up.

Not the deepest machine going,but have had mine since 2002 when they 1st came out and still in great shape after all these years,for 12 years it was my main everyday detector and deadly on my UK sites especially with the 10x6 and 12'' Hotshot coil,loves gold and the time i used it over 1000s and 1000s of hours of use the DFX has found me the widest selection of coins/artifacts etc than any of my other detectors.

The DFX and Original T2 consistently put finds in my pouch week after week,the Deus never did that and the Equinox which is my current main machine has started producing finds on a consistent basis as well.

Many many folks cannot get on with the DFX and also knock it for its lack of depth etc,that does not worry me in the least,it worked for me and still use it today after all these years.

DFX is the sorriest machines I have ever tested. Explorer is light years better.....I just set here and shake my head in utter amazement when people talk how good the DFX is. Now we got the DFX outperforming the Deus.... Flintstone its your time but I am telling you …..your wasting it!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/2019 02:23PM by calabash digger.

I liked the upgrade from the XLT. But it allowed to many adjustments for the average hunter.... it was easy to get um wrong. The Explorers were just more forgiving. Seemed to loose depth when the battery got to half strength. Dual freq with a preset GB when it wouldn’t on the beach. To really understand it better I highly recommend Fosters book “digging deeper with the DFX”. During its timeframe it was a dang good machine for me.

Hello Dean,

Congratulations with the good DFX deal, yeah that’s a great deal especially with the extra coil. It may be tough to learn especially since you’re more familiar with the MXT. Give it time, use the tips and good information left here from forum friends. They’ve done well with theirs, practice and patience it’ll fall into place.

I think some of us including myself, never give the DFX a fair chance. We need to stop bashing the DFX, Enough with the Explorer is better or the DFX is the sorriest machine I ever tested. Flintstone was was asking for help with settings, he may not be wasting his time his type of hunting may be completely different than yours.

Some detectorists are gunhole relic hunters, that’s great all the best for them. Use the best equipment available, I do as a relic hunter im grabbing my best equipment but I’m not going to bash a detector not designed for relic hunting purposes especially a machine made 5 plus years ago. Technology is much better today, but older technology still has its place for most of today’s hunting needs. Those that still use old technology, my hats off to you.

Now, there is another side of hunting. To detect for fun, especially using older technology much older back in the BFO and TR days. A few of us, we don’t care about the bells and whistles, Once in a while we want challenge experiencing what the old timers did. My hats off to those old timers swinging these large lunch box type bricks with a wooden coil, now those were the true professionals. We are spoiled with today’s technology, once in a while I’ll park my top end gear and swing a BFO or TR for fun, I wish everyone could experience what these old timers experienced.

Congrats again Dean,
Paul

Apolonio (CA) Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hello Dean,
>
> Congratulations with the good DFX deal, yeah
> that’s a great deal especially with the extra coil
> . It may be tough to learn especially since you’re
> more familiar with the MXT. Give it time, use the
> tips and good information left here from forum fri
> ends. They’ve done well with theirs, practice and
> patience it’ll fall into place.
>
> I think some of us including myself, never gi
> ve the DFX a fair chance. We need to stop bashing
> the DFX, Enough with the Explorer is better or the
> DFX is the sorriest machine I ever tested. Flintst
> one was was asking for help with settings, he may
> not be wasting his time his type of hunting may be
> completely different than yours.
>
> Some detectorists are gunhole relic hunters,
> that’s great all the best for them. Use the best e
> quipment available, I do as a relic hunter im gra
> bbing my best equipment but I’m not going to bash
> a detector not designed for relic hunting purposes
> especially a machine made 5 plus years ago. Techn
> ology is much better today, but older technology s
> till has its place for most of today’s hunting nee
> ds. Those that still use old technology, my hats
> off to you.
>
> Now, there is another side of hunting. To de
> tect for fun, especially using older technology mu
> ch older back in the BFO and TR days. A few of us,
> we don’t care about the bells and whistles, Once i
> n a while we want challenge experiencing what the
> old timers did. My hats off to those old timers sw
> inging these large lunch box type bricks with a wo
> oden coil, now those were the true professionals.
> We are spoiled with today’s technology, once in a
> while I’ll park my top end gear and swing a BFO or
> TR for fun, I wish everyone could experience what
> these old timers experienced.
>
> Congrats again Dean,
> Paul
>
>
>

Nice post Paul Hope you had a great Turkey day!

-Brian

I think even Ole' Daniel liked the DFX detector if not mistaken?

I was not bashing. I was just telling my experience with the DFX. I dont care how many times you read digging deeper with the DFX it aint gonna happen. I understood the settings just fine on the DFX with its horrible menu system.

Cal_cobra Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ...
>
> Nice post Paul Hope you had a great Turkey d
> ay!
>
> -Brian

Ditto. And I love the pix of the vintage machines !

calabash digger Wrote:
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> .... I dont care how many times you re
> ad digging deeper with the DFX it aint gonna happe
> n....

You are not alone in your observations / opinion.

I remember when the DFX first hit the market, was right-on-the-heels (within a year or two ?) of the Explorers increasing popularity. And the notion, at the time, was that since the DFX had an admittedly MUCH broader control menu, that it would be : Like an explorer, only-better, d/t the ability of the much-more-expanded user menu options. But a lot of persons comparing the two, came away with your observations : The Explorer was simply deeper.

Tom_in_CA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> calabash digger Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > .... I dont care how many times you re
> > ad digging deeper with the DFX it aint gonna hap
> pe
> > n....
>
> You are not alone in your observations / opinion.
>
> I remember when the DFX first hit the market, was
> right-on-the-heels (within a year or two ?) of the
> Explorers increasing popularity. And the notion,
> at the time, was that since the DFX had an admitte
> dly MUCH broader control menu, that it would be :
> Like an explorer, only-better, d/t the ability of
> the much-more-expanded user menu options. But a
> lot of persons comparing the two, came away with y
> our observations : The Explorer was simply deeper
> .
Explorer is a lot better than the DFX but if you set up the DFX right it does very well in deed, at least that's been my experience with it.

calabash digger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> DFX is the sorriest machines I have ever tested. E
> xplorer is light years better.....I just set here
> and shake my head in utter amazement when people t
> alk how good the DFX is. Now we got the DFX outper
> forming the Deus.... Flintstone its your time
> but I am telling you …..your wasting it!


I can’t believe it. You mean worse than the AT Pro.

I had one for a short time it had no depth lucky to get 7" on a nickel.

I’ve found Thousands of $$$ of jewelry with my DFX back in the day.

Paul...….. love that photo! About what year are those units (1976'ish)?

Paul the old detectors make a nice decoration.

Rick

NASA-Tom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Paul...….. love that photo! About what year are th
> ose units (1976'ish)?

Hello Tom,

These Whites tube models are actually from the sixties, 1963 the other 64. And in working condition, have another from 1965 and it too works well. These are powered by a 67.5 volt battery, and couple of oversized 1.5 volt batteries. The 67.5 battery is a mod someone on the internet sells for radio tube devices, consist of seven 9 volt batteries in series. Last forever, these work well on vintage tube radios, in my case old BFO detectors. Have older working BFO from other companies, and several FisherScope models from the fifties and sixties. These too operate off the 67.5 battery mod, and a couple of 1.5 volt batteries. And FisherScope are actually TR technology, many people assumed they are BFO but are actually TR.

Swing these for an hour you’ll be huffing and puffing, but they are a blast to use and consistently needing tuning to maintain peak performance. Most of today’s top end pin-pointers can detect a coin as deep as these old BFO, you don’t need a pin-pointer for these Sherman tanks, a user can pin point dead center with the small wooden coil every time.

Take care Tom

Rick, N. MI Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Paul the old detectors make a nice decoration.
>
> Rick


Yeah they sure do Rick, problem with collecting vintage metal detectors parts of the house look like a museum.

Years ago, what started off as decorative pieces, has grown to a vintage hoard.

They are fun to use :-)

Thanks Brian and Tom,

Same with you two, hope you guys had a wonderful turkey day.

Paul

Cal_cobra Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Apolonio (CA) Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Hello Dean,
> >
> > Congratulations with the good DFX deal, yeah
> > that’s a great deal especially with the extra co
> il
> > . It may be tough to learn especially since you’
> re
> > more familiar with the MXT. Give it time, use t
> he
> > tips and good information left here from forum f
> ri
> > ends. They’ve done well with theirs, practice a
> nd
> > patience it’ll fall into place.
> >
> > I think some of us including myself, never gi
> > ve the DFX a fair chance. We need to stop bashi
> ng
> > the DFX, Enough with the Explorer is better or t
> he
> > DFX is the sorriest machine I ever tested. Flint
> st
> > one was was asking for help with settings, he ma
> y
> > not be wasting his time his type of hunting may
> be
> > completely different than yours.
> >
> > Some detectorists are gunhole relic hunters,
> > that’s great all the best for them. Use the best
> e
> > quipment available, I do as a relic hunter im g
> ra
> > bbing my best equipment but I’m not going to bas
> h
> > a detector not designed for relic hunting purpos
> es
> > especially a machine made 5 plus years ago. Tec
> hn
> > ology is much better today, but older technology
> s
> > till has its place for most of today’s hunting n
> ee
> > ds. Those that still use old technology, my ha
> ts
> > off to you.
> >
> > Now, there is another side of hunting. To de
> > tect for fun, especially using older technology
> mu
> > ch older back in the BFO and TR days. A few of u
> s,
> > we don’t care about the bells and whistles, Once
> i
> > n a while we want challenge experiencing what th
> e
> > old timers did. My hats off to those old timers
> sw
> > inging these large lunch box type bricks with a
> wo
> > oden coil, now those were the true professionals
> .
> > We are spoiled with today’s technology, once in
> a
> > while I’ll park my top end gear and swing a BFO
> or
> > TR for fun, I wish everyone could experience wha
> t
> > these old timers experienced.
> >
> > Congrats again Dean,
> > Paul
> >
> >
> >
>
> Nice post Paul Hope you had a great Turkey d
> ay!
>
> -Brian

To Paul's point that is why I like to have at least one non TID detector with tone I.D. or some type of modulation. Too me it is fun to hunt like that sometimes as long as trash is not too bad. I actually got pretty good at using the Nautilus in fairly trashy old parks just by the DMC tones and modulation and same with Golden uMax. It is like a challenge to me like guys who Bow hunt instead of using guns. I know some don't get it but it is all about having fun not just how much silver or gold you can find,
to me anyways.

Paul...... they are awesome! Thanks for the info. I didn't realize they were that old. Yes....... that was my next question..... was: depth on coins.



When calabash goes through the pearly gates..... God will be standing there...… handing him one of these.

Thanks all for the advice, it's not like I need to make the DFX my main detector. This is a new detector with the 9.5" coil, 5.3 coil, Whites headphones, New rechargeable battery and charger,New Whites padded bag, and a digger all new. For $285.00 I could not buy the coils and rechargeable battery. I have a XP Deus, the MXT, and 5 other detectors. I will play with it and if I can understand it it will be sold. Paul, do you need the coil you gave me back? I will mail it to you if you want it. Thanks Dean

Hello Dean,

That was a super deal with the DFX, hope she works out well for you. Keep the coil, it was a gift and I have too many parts.

All the best to you and your family, may the new year continue to bring you good finds and good health

Paul

Flintstone Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks all for the advice, it's not like I need to
> make the DFX my main detector. This is a new detec
> tor with the 9.5" coil, 5.3 coil, Whites headphone
> s, New rechargeable battery and charger,New Whites
> padded bag, and a digger all new. For $285.00 I co
> uld not buy the coils and rechargeable battery. I
> have a XP Deus, the MXT, and 5 other detectors. I
> will play with it and if I can understand it it wi
> ll be sold. Paul, do you need the coil you gave me
> back? I will mail it to you if you want it. Thanks
> Dean