Garrett Master Hunter CX Plus User manual

Owner’s
Manual
Master Hunter
CX Plus
®
™
$3

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Master Hunter® CX Plus Owner’s Manual 3
THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING
GARRETT METAL DETECTORS!
Congratulations! As the proud owner of the Garrett
Master Hunter CX (Computer Express) Plus you
have joined an international family of treasure hunt-
ers. Men, women and children alike have used their
Garrett detectors to nd coins, relics and gold nug-
gets that are valued in the millions of dollars. So, to
get the most out your CX Plus and treasure hunting
experiences be sure to carefully read through this
owner’s manual!
Your Master Hunter CX Plus, whose microprocessor-
controlled circuitry has been acclaimed and proven
through countless hours of eld use, is a ne detec-
tor for hunting coins or any other metallic objects.
It offers the serious metal detector hobbyist added
depth and completely accurate ground balance and
the precise adjustment available only with micropro-
cessor controls. Computer designed circuitry that
responds to signals from revolutionary PROfor-
mance searchcoils results in greater penetration to
discover and locate treasures of all kinds.
Your Master Hunter CX Plus is engineered with mi-
croprocessor based technology and is backed by
more than 40 years of metal detection research and
development by Garrett’s leading team of engineers.
It is remarkable in its ability to locate coins, jewelry
and other metallic objects at exciting depths. And
with Garrett’s revolutionary Graphic Target Ana-
lyzer™ (GTA) display that offers target acceptance /
rejection, precise discrimination and other key infor-
mation, you can spend more time digging treasure
and less time digging trash!
The CX Plus is pre-programmed at the factory to
adapt itself automatically for optimum performance,
yet to always follow your targeting directions. Sim-
ply press the ON touchpad and begin hunting im-
mediately without interference from ground minerals.
Garrett’s unique LCD display shows the identity of
your target. Electronic pinpointing and coin depth
measuring offer added assistance.
To prospect for precious metals or hunt for deeply
buried caches, switch to the All Metal Mode and Fast
Track™ will precisely ground balance the circuitry

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Master Hunter® CX Plus Owner’s Manual 5
of your detector. The Master Hunter CX Plus is
equipped with a 7”x10” PROformance searchcoil.
Again, welcome to the Garrett treasure hunting fam-
ily. In becoming a part of this great tradition and
hobby, you have made the right start to successful
treasure hunting.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Master Hunter®6
Parts 7
Assembly 8
Features 11
Touchpad Controls 13
Sidepanel Controls 16
Operating Instructions 18
LCD Meter Discrimination 20
Headphone Jack 20
Batteries 21
Bench Testing 24
Test Plot Construction 27
Target Acceptance 28
Searching 32
Searchcoils 36
Gold Prospecting 37
Maintenance 40
Service and Repair 41
Recommended Accessories 43
Recommended Reading 45
RAM Books Order Form 47
Mind Your Manners! 49
Warning 50

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Master Hunter® CX Plus Owner’s Manual 7
MASTER HUNTER®CX PLUS PARTS
Before assembling your CX Plus metal detector
ensure you have the complete set of parts, which
include:
• Control Housing
• Upper Stem
• Lower Stem
• Two (2) Mounting Washers
• One (1) Wing Nut
• One (1) Threaded Bolt
• Spring clip
• Searchcoil with Cable
• Instruction Video
• Warranty Registration Card
If any part is missing contact your local dealer.
Searchcoil
Knob
Threaded
Bolt
Spring
Clip
Lower
Stem
Upper
Stem
Control
Housing
LCD
Screen
Touchpad
Controls
Handle
Grip
Battery
Cover
Headphone
Jack
Side Panel
Controls

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Master Hunter® CX Plus Owner’s Manual 9
ASSEMBLY
No tools are required to assemble the Master Hunter
CX Plus. Hand tighten all necessary parts.
1. Compress the button end of the spring clip and
insert, button end rst into the lower stem of your
detector so that the buttons pop out of the holes as
they do in the upper stem. These two sets of buttons
will enable you to secure the top stem to the control
housing and to adjust the length of the overall stem
to your height so that you can scan with the detector
comfortably.
2. Attach the lower stem to the searchcoil. Make
certain that two rubber washers are inserted into this
stem before slipping the searchcoil onto it. Place the
threaded bolt through the holes in the connector and
hand tighten the knobs. No tools are needed.
3. Depress buttons in the upper stem and slide into
the control housing until they pop into the holes.
4. Depress the buttons in the lower stem and insert it
into the upper stem. Buttons will pop into the holes
and you can achieve the desired stem length. The
third set of holes from the end is most commonly
used.

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Master Hunter® CX Plus Owner’s Manual 11
5. Wrap the searchcoil cable securely around the
stem and connect to the detector. The rst cable turn
goes over the top of the stem. The cable should be
snug, but still loose so that the angle of the search-
coil can be easily changed, if required. To connect
the cable to the detector, insert the cable connector
and rotate the collar clockwise until secure.
FEATURES
1. LCD - The LCD on the Master Hunter CX Plus
provides extensive visual information for the detec-
tor operator. Battery condition is reported continu-
ously while the detector is turned on and information
is provided on detected targets that will aid in their
recovery.
2. UPPER SCALE - The Upper Scale provides in-
formation about detected targets while the operating
mode and battery condition are displayed below.

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Master Hunter® CX Plus Owner’s Manual 13
Coin depth reads in inches the depth of coin sized
targets. The detector automatically adjusts to re-
port this information correctly whenever the Pinpoint
touchpad is pushed and released, regardless of
which size searchcoil is being used. Large or very
deep objects may not be accurately measured.
The LCD indicates the probable identication of all
targets, whether announced by an audio response
or not.
The 0 to 12 Scale is an aid when setting the Detec-
tion Depth (Sensitivity) control. (Do not confuse with
the Coin Depth reading). This scale also provides
target information based on conductivity of the metal
detected, information that will become more valuable
as you gain experience. Conduct tests on metals of
interest to learn approximate readings for the various
denominations.
TOUCHPADS
1. POWER - Press the POWER touchpad once to
turn the CX Plus on. It automatically begins operat-
ing in the Discrimination Mode. Press the pad again
and the detector will shut off. The detector will shut
off automatically when no touchpad is pushed and
no target is detected for about 10 minutes.
2. ALL-METAL - This touchpad serves a dual func-
tion. When pressed and released, it places the de-
tector in its ALL METAL mode of operation. When

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Master Hunter® CX Plus Owner’s Manual 15
pressed and held rmly, its Fast Track function is
activated. As you begin scanning with the search-
coil in a normal manner, ground balance adjustment
is quickly and automatically achieved. Repeat this
procedure at any time to achieve precise ground bal-
ance.
3. PINPOINT / DEPTH - Press and hold to activate
the pinpointing function of your Master Hunter CX
Plus after you have discovered a target. A com-
plete discussion of pinpointing can be found in this
owner’s manual. After you have pinpointed a target
and released this touchpad, the display will indicate
how far coin-sized targets lie beneath the bottom of
the searchcoil and the reading will be highly accurate
regardless of the size coil being used. This reading
holds for approximately three (3) seconds.
4. DISC - Press DISC (Discriminate) to return to the
Discriminate Mode when you have been operating in
the All Metal Mode. The CX Plus begins operating in
the Discriminate mode whenever it is turned on.
5. + and - - These two similar pads with arrowheads
(at extreme right of the console) are used to regulate
the Audio Threshold and Detection Depth (sensitiv-
ity). If either + or - is pressed, the sensitivity in the
current operating mode will be changed. To change
the audio threshold, press and hold the All Metal
touchpad while regulating the threshold by pressing
the + or - pad.
Special Note: Don’t ever worry about “damaging”
the circuitry of your CX Plus by adjustments that you
make. Just hold down the All Metal touchpad and
press the DISC touchpad to restore factory settings.

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Master Hunter® CX Plus Owner’s Manual 17
CONTROL FUNCTIONS - SIDE PANEL
It is recommended that you begin hunting with both
controls set at the Initial Setting (>) indicators.
1. FERROUS RANGE - Allows adjustment for the
elimination of targets in the iron range up to but not
including aluminum pulltabs. Targets located and
accepted in this range will cause your audio signal
to grow louder.
2. NON-FERROUS RANGE - Allows adjustment for
elimination of targets in the range of pulltabs through
aluminum screw caps.
Garrett’s Target Elimination controls permit you
to select the targets you desire. Furthermore, the
Multi-Range Discrimination System permits selec-
tion of these targets in both Ferrous and Non-Ferrous
ranges. The Ferrous control is adjustable from zero
through bottlecap rejection while the Non-Ferrous
control takes over at pulltab rejection and is adjust-
able through aluminum screw tops. Proper use of
the two controls will dramatically improve accuracy
by eliminating worthless targets in both the ferrous
and non-ferrous ranges and in accepting many kinds
of gold and silver rings, jewelry and coins.

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Master Hunter® CX Plus Owner’s Manual 19
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Discriminate Mode
Whenever you turn on your Master Hunter CX Plus
by pressing the POWER touchpad, you have activat-
ed the Discriminate (trash elimination) mode. When
operating in this mode, the CX detects only selected
metal objects.
Garrett’s two Multi-Range Discrimination controls
permit you to select targets you desire. The follow-
ing settings are marked on the ferrous controls:
• Nails setting will eliminate rusty iron and iron nails.
• Foil setting will eliminate iron, nails and foil. Salt
water will be eliminated near this setting.
• Bottlecaps setting will eliminate steel bottlecaps,
plus iron, nails and foil.
• Nickel setting will eliminate that metal and coins
made of it, plus bottlecaps, iron, nails and foil.
On the Non-Ferrous control knob the settings for
pulltab, screw top, zinc penny and at screwtop indi-
cate the items which will be excluded from detection.
Remember that the elimination is cumulative, i.e. all
items to the left of the pointer will be excluded. Test
typical trash items before taking your Master Hunter
CX Plus into the eld.
Setting the Multi-Range Discrimination controls at
higher settings will cause some rings and coins to
escape detection. Therefore, it is recommended that
you never rotate these knobs any farther clockwise
than necessary. Fill rotation counterclockwise (to the
left) will cause most metallic targets to be accepted.
As the knob is turned farther clockwise (to the right)
more targets will be rejected. As you become famil-
iar with your targets through bench testing, you can
remember the rejection settings of your detector by
the numbers on the controls.

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Master Hunter® CX Plus Owner’s Manual 21
LCD METER DISCRIMINATION
Because many professional treasure hunters rmly
believe that you should dig all targets, they always
search in the All Metal mode. Others search in this
mode and reject unwanted targets by using informa-
tion reported on the LCD.
When searching in the All Metal mode, always check
the display on every target. You will learn through
experience whether to dig or not.
HEADPHONE JACK
Headphones are a valuable accessory for any metal
detector to mask interference from outside noise.
They permit you to hear small and deep targets that
might be missed when using audio from the detec-
tor speaker. Headphones are particularly essential
when you are hunting where noise of people and /
or trafc is excessive. When headphones are not in
use, always leave the rubber plug in place.
BATTERIES
The Master Hunter CX Plus utilizes a battery pack
that requires six (6) “C” cell standard or NiMH re-
chargeable batteries. It is recommended that top
quality, heavy duty or alkaline batteries be used. It
is advisable that you remove the battery pack when
the detector is not in use, particularly for a period of
weeks. The Master Hunter CX Plus should operate
15 to 20 hours with carbon or NiMH batteries and a
longer time with alkaline batteries.
Checking Condition - Battery condition is reported on
the LCD continuously while the detector is operating.
Batteries should be considered weak when only two
elements appear on the display. They should be re-
placed when less than two elements appear or when
the detector begins making target-like sounds when
no target is encountered.

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Master Hunter® CX Plus Owner’s Manual 23
Replacement
1. Slide cover to the rear and slip off completely.
2. Take out battery pack which is not connected by
wire. It may help to turn the detector upside down.
Place your hand over the cavity to catch the pack as
it slides out.
3. Unscrew two thumbscrews to release the top and
remove batteries.
4. Install batteries. Carefully observe polarity of the
batteries.
5. Replace top on pack by tightening the two screws
and insert pack into the detector. Use nger pres-
sure only and do not screw too tightly.
6. Press down on the pack and begin sliding the bat-
tery cover until it snaps. Remove hand and continue
sliding cover until it snaps. Please note that your
Master Hunter CX Plus will lose its Audio Threshold
and Sensitivity settings when the battery pack is re-
moved for approximately four minutes.

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Master Hunter® CX Plus Owner’s Manual 25
BENCH TESTING
This will enable a treasure hunter to learn about the
discriminating capabilities of the CX Plus before tak-
ing it into the eld. The following tests should be per-
formed with the search coil perpendicular to a bench,
oor or other non-metallic surface:
1. Rotate both Multi-Range Discrimination controls
fully counter clockwise. Bring various metallic targets
across the bottom of the searchcoil at a distance of
about two inches. Each target will cause the sound
to increase, a characteristic of true non-discriminat-
ing operation.
2. Rotate the Ferrous control to the 3 or 4 position
and the sound will decrease or cease when small
nails are scanned across the bottom of the search-
coil.
3. Rotate the control farther and the sound will di-
minish as steel bottlecaps are tested. You will note
that nails, foils and other small junk items will also be
rejected (i.e. cause no increase in sound).
4. Rotate the Non-Ferrous control farther clockwise
and pulltabs will be rejected. At this setting you will
note that nickels and some rings will also be reject-
ed. The conductivity of this type of target is not great
enough to cause the detector to respond when the
Discrimination controls are set at a high number.
5. You may nd that slight adjustments to the Dis-
crimination controls may be necessary. For exam-
ple, you may wish to eliminate almost all trash from
the audio response, yet get an audio signal from all
coins. Adjust the Ferrous control on the left to reject
small iron trash yet still accept nickels. Adjust the
Non-ferrous control to accept all other coins.
6. Experiment with the two control knobs and vari-

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Master Hunter® CX Plus Owner’s Manual 27
ous metallic objects. Keep a written record of your
results and use this when searching in the eld.
Again never rotate either control knobs any farther
clockwise than is absolutely necessary to eliminate
targets you do not wish to detect.
TEST PLOT CONSTRUCTION
As you operate and use your CX Plus, you will quick-
ly grow more procient in its use. Building and using
your own test plot will sharply increase this pro-
ciency. Bury several items, including a nail, a piece
of foil, a pulltab, a bottlecap and several coins at
varying depths of one to four inches about 18 inches
apart. Clearly mark where each item is buried. Scan
over them while carefully listening to and studying
the different detection signals.
Remember that newly buried objects, especially
coins, will be somewhat more difcult to detect than
items that have been buried for some time. This is
primarily a metallurgical phenomenon. Experiment
with various detection modes, and pay attention to
both audio and CX Plus display as you scan. Note
your detector’s response at the various settings.
Practice pinpointing and locating targets precisely.
Use both the manual and the electronic methods of
pinpointing.

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Master Hunter® CX Plus Owner’s Manual 29
TARGET ACCEPTANCE
The drawing illustrates what types of targets can be
accepted and rejected in the two ranges. Synchro-
nized audio signals indicate the section in which tar-
gets have been detected:
Ferrous Reject: Audio threshold is maintained. No
change in sound.
Ferrous Accept: Normal increase of sound indicates
acceptable target.
Non-ferrous Reject: Audio threshold is maintained,
or there might be a slight decrease in the sound level
which indicated an unacceptable target.
Non-Ferrous Accept: Clear and distinct acceptance
tone.
More on Target Audio
When a metallic object is accepted, the detector’s
speaker or headphone sound will increase from your
audio threshold level. Some rejected targets, how-
ever, may cause the audio to “break up” or sound
erratic.
This is generally a response to shallow trash targets
and can be remedied by raising the height of your
searchcoil when scanning. Another indication of a
reject target is an audio signal as you scan one way
and no response when scanning from the other di-
rection.
Test typical trash items before hunting with the CX
to determine what signal your detector will give on
encountering them.

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Master Hunter® CX Plus Owner’s Manual 31
All Metal Mode
Press the All Metal touchpad to activate the All Metal
mode. In this mode the Master Hunter CX Plus will
respond with an increase in sound to the presence
of any metal or conductive mineral target beneath its
searchcoil. For maximum depth and best operation
over highly mineralized ground, always operate in
the All-Metal mode.
Mineralization is automatically balanced (canceled
out) in the All Metal mode by your CX Plus’ Fast
Track ground balancing which is accomplished by
pressing and holding the All Metal touchpad while
scanning the searchcoil for only a few seconds in a
normal manner. When you turn on the CX Plus, wait
until you hear the audible tone that indicates your
detector is operating. Release the touchpad and
continue scanning. Repeat this procedure at any
time to ground balance the CX Plus precisely, no
matter what type of mineralized soil is underneath.
As you search in the All Metal mode, you should oc-
casionally raise the searchcoil, then lower it. If your
audio level changes, readjust the ground balance
with the Fast Track control, according to the above
instructions. Such readjustment will sometimes be
necessary because of the changing concentrations
of ground minerals, especially when you are pros-
pecting in gold country.

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Master Hunter® CX Plus Owner’s Manual 33
SEARCHING
Scan the searchcoil at a rate of about one to two
feet per second with the searchcoil about one to two
inches above the ground. When you are searching
in the discriminate mode, detection of a metal target
within the range you have selected with your Dis-
crimination controls will be indicated by an increase
in sound.
Searchcoil Height
Because of the sensitivity of the Master Hunter CX
Plus and its searchcoil, it is not necessary to oper-
ate with the searchcoil held to the ground. The rec-
ommended operating height is two inches from the
surface. In areas of heavy concentrations of mineral
and rocks, it may be necessary to operate with the
coil held even farther above the surface. Even with
the coil held at this height (or even higher) above the
ground, your Master Hunter and its searchcoil will
continue to penetrate deeply, even into highly miner-
alized rock or soil.
Recovery
Whenever your detector locates a target, you’ll want
to recover it with the greatest possible ease. This
is accomplished rst by pinpointing. You can then
utilize another function of the CX Plus for measuring
coin depth.
Pinpoint targets by rst drawing an imaginary “X” on
the ground with the searchcoil at the place where
maximum sound occurs. You’ll notice when operat-
ing in the Discriminate Mode that you cannot main-
tain the detection sound with the searchcoil held
completely still above your target. The searchcoil
must be moving slightly for you to detect the exact
location of your target.
Electronic Pinpointing
Precise pinpointing in either mode is available with
this feature of your Master Hunter CX Plus. When
you press the Pinpoint touchpad and hold it, you can
place the searchcoil directly over your target. Move
it around slightly, and maximum sound will be heard
when the target is directly beneath your searchcoil.

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Master Hunter® CX Plus Owner’s Manual 35
When pinpointing, the Master Hunter CX Plus is op-
erating in an All Metal mode, and you can hold the
searchcoil perfectly still with the detector producing
a constant sound.
For most effective electronic pinpointing, place the
searchcoil on the ground to the side of your target.
Press and hold the Pinpoint touchpad. Scan back
and forth across the target, maintaining searchcoil
contact with the ground. You will observe an in-
crease in sound and LCD reading when the target
is directly beneath the searchcoil’s center. You may
also release the touchpad while the coil is over the
target and you will get a coin depth reading.
Coin Depth Measuring
Pinpoint targets as directed above, but keep the
searchcoil in contact with the ground. Move the
searchcoil off to one side of the target and release
the touchpad. The LCD will indicate coin depth in
inches. This reading will hold for about three sec-
onds.
Since the nal step in recovery usually entails dig-
ging, it is recommended that you use a probe to help
locate exactly where to dig. Always make as small a
hole as possible. It is quicker, requires less work and
makes relling holes easier. And, you should always
ll your holes.

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Master Hunter® CX Plus Owner’s Manual 37
SEARCHCOILS
Your Garrett CX Plus is equipped with a 7”X10”
PROformance searchcoil suitable for almost any
kind of target in any terrain. Also available from your
Garrett dealer are a 10”x14” PROformance Power
DD searchcoil, which you will nd helpful in seeking
large and deep targets, and a 4.5” Crossre for use
in especially trashy locations or in tight places that
larger searchcoils do not reach.
When changing searchcoils, hand-tighten the knobs
only. Never use tools of any kind.
Garrett’s acclaimed TreasureHound™CX Plus Depth
Multiplier multiplies the depth to which the CX can
detect objects that are larger than a fruit jar. Because
the TreasureHound enables your Master Hunter CX
to search deeper than ever before, it is known as
the “cache hunter’s delight.” Because it detects only
large targets and is not bothered by small pieces of
metal junk, it minimizes the necessity of digging.
GOLD PROSPECTING
Gold and other precious metals can be found in vari-
ous forms with a Master Hunter CX Plus. You will
most likely be searching for nuggets, but gold can
also be found as lode or hard rock deposits in a vein,
usually mixed with other minerals. The CX Plus can
also be used to locates placer deposits in streams
or dry sand, with such gold then recovered by pan-
ning.
Hard work, patience and research are three of the
keys to success in electronic prospecting. Research
is important because it is vital that gold always be
sought in areas where it is known to exist.
The CX Plus is usually operated only in the All Metal
Mode if gold is to be found. This is particularly impor-
tant when searching for tiny gold nuggets. Further-
more, when prospecting, all targets must be located
and carefully inspected. It is only in this manner that
you can be successful in using a detector to discover
valuable metal nuggets and ore samples.
Although some electronic prospectors have expe-

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Master Hunter® CX Plus Owner’s Manual 39
rienced success in using the Discriminate mode to
locate large nuggets, the detector will respond more
effectively to tiny nuggets in the All Metal Mode.
Heavy ground mineralization could also limit depth
of detection in the Discriminate Mode.
Hot rocks, a problem for any electronic prospector,
can be described as a concentration of non-conduc-
tive iron mineral that causes a detector to recognize
it as metal.
When you suspect that you have a signal from a
hot rock, locate the target precisely by pinpointing.
Then move your searchcoil away and switch to the
Discriminate mode by pressing the DISC touchpad.
Both Multi-Range Discrimination controls should
both be set at zero. Now scan the target again, try-
ing to keep the exact same distance. If the sound
does not change, decreases or becomes silent, your
target is a hot rock. When this happens, ignore the
target, press ALL METAL touchpad and continue
searching.
If the signal increases at all in the Discriminate Mode,
you should investigate this target more closely and
identify the metal causing your audio to increase.