Whites Spectra VX3 User manual

White’s Electronics, Inc.
Sweet Home, Oregon USA
Building the World’s Finest
metal detectors for over 60 years.

Congratulations! You have pur-
chased a quality instrument that
was designed and manufactured in
the USA.
The Spectra series is the result of years of research and develop-
ment, time-proven manufacturing and testing techniques, and,
most of all... listening to our customers.
The Spectra VX3represents the state-of-the-art in metal detect-
ing technology. Three frequencies, color display, advanced fea-
tures, and the ability to use wireless headphones produce a
powerful and capable detector. VX3has preset programs devel-
oped and refined by experts, leaving you ready to find what oth-
ers have left behind.
This instruction manual covers the features of VX3 and intro-
duces the detecting basics you need to get started. There are no
substitutes for field experience; study this manual, and practice
using your Spectra VX3. Before long, you may well be teaching
the experts a thing or two.
I am proud of the Spectra VX3, and the people here at White’s
who designed and built it for you. We’ve been designing, build-
ing, and distributing world-wide for over 60 years from our fac-
tory in Sweet Home, Oregon, USA. We put our “Made in
America” label on every metal detector we build!
Happy Hunting!
President
White’s Electronics, Inc.

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Spectra VX
3
User’s Guide
VX3Specifications
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 or 191
Audio output . . .Speaker, headphones, wireless headphones
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .320x240 QVGA Color, backlit
Weight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.3 lbs
Length. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 - 52.5 inches, adjustable
Search coil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eclipse 950 9.5” concentric
Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (8) AA, alkaline
Battery life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-10 hours typical1
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 years, transferrable
Customer Support
Questions concerning your VX3? There are three ways to con-
tact us:
Internet: http://whiteselectronics.com/support.html
Phone:
1-800-547-6911 (US) (0044) 1463 223456 (UK)
Or mail us:
White's Electronics White's Electronics
1011 Pleasant Valley Road 35 Harbour Road
Sweet Home, OR 97386 Inverness, Scotland
IV1 1UA
1. Alkaline batteries, backlight off, no wireless headphones

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Spectra VX
3
User’s Guide
Table of Contents
1Introduction
Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
The Basics of VLF Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
2QuickStart
Turn On & Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Programs and Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Ground Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Menus & Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Live Control Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
VX3Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Search mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Pinpoint mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
VX3Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Metal Detecting Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
3 Basic Settings
Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Backlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Rx Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
All-Metal Sensitivity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Discrimination Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Discrimination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Frequency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Ground Tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9

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Spectra VX
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4Operating 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
LockTrac. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
All-Metal Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
Discrimination Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Mixed-Mode Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Pinpoint Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
Discrimination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Speaker and Headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
Preset Icon Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
5Display Screens
Search screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
VDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Depth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
SpectraGraph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Status Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Pinpoint Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Salt Mode Anomaly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
6Advanced Features
Main Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Filters & Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Ground Filter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Recovery Delay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
SAT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Sensitivity Probe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Ground Probe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6

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Spectra VX
3
User’s Guide
7 Programs
VX3Memory Structure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Saving Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Restoring Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Rearranging Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
8Wireless Headphones
9Troubleshooting
10 Shortcuts
Back Cover: Warranty; Code of Ethics

Page 1-1
CHAPTER
White’s VX3represents the latest technology in metal
detecting. The heart of VX3is 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.
The face of VX3is a stunning 320x240 color display with an
easy-to-use menu-driven interface. Along with three frequen-
cies, there are three search modes and a three-level Spectra-
Graph®display which provides detailed target information for
each frequency. With a level of simplicity for the novice user
and advanced features to satisfy the experienced user, VX3is a
metal detector for everyone.
This manual is organized to provide progressive informa-
tion, a format that attempts to minimize information overload.
If you are a new detectorist, the QuickStart chapter will allow
you to get a quick jump on using VX3. Then, as you run across
new features and want to find out more, continue reading the
manual to get progressively detailed information.
If you are already familiar with high-end detectors (espe-
cially those with a menu interface), you might want to read over
the QuickStart chapter to get a feel for VX3’s features. VX3’s
graphical interface makes the rest easy.
While VX3is easy to use, it does have more features than
many other detectors, and can appear overwhelming. Don't be
intimidated! Start with the preset programs and go at your own
Introduction
1

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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 VX3help 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. Finally, look for a detecting
club in your area. Members are often eager to help people get
started, and there is nothing like having that help close by in the
field.
Conventions
In discussing the features of VX3, we will use Arial-Bold-
Caps to distinguish keypad buttons and menu selections. For
example, “press ENTER” means to press the “Enter” key on the
keypad, and “select Enable” might mean to select the “Enable”
menu option, probably by using the arrow keys to highlight it
and then pressing ENTER. VX3keys and menus work just like a
modern computer graphical interface, so things are fairly intui-
tive.
In some cases, you need to use multiple key combinations,
or combinations with the trigger switch. “Press MENU, ENTER”
means to press and release the MENU button, then press and
release the ENTER button. But “press MENU+ENTER” means to
press and hold the MENU button, and while holding it down
press the ENTER button. Order often matters, so MENU+ENTER
is not the same as ENTER+MENU. If you find that you have acci-
dentally pressed the wrong key or key combo, pulling the trig-
ger switch will usually back you out.
Tip: Keypad buttons usually take you into menus, trig-
ger gets you out.

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Spectra VX
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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. VX3also has four arrow keys, and
these may be either called UP DOWN LEFT RIGHT (or UP DN LT
RT) or represented with the symbols  . Any of these
representations might be used.
Most menus are nested, so instead of telling you to press
MENU, then select the Audio menu, then select Search Audio,
then select Discrimination, then select Modulation, we may
instead say, select MENUAudioSearch AudioDiscrimina-
tionModulation. This means to drill down through the stated
menu path.
Finally, there is a trigger switch under the pod. It has a nor-
mal (center) position, a forward position, and a momentary
pulled position. When we say “pull the trigger,” we mean to
pull it to the momentary position and release it. If we say “Pull/
hold the trigger,” then pull it back and hold it there. This might
be in conjunction with a key press, such as, “Pull/hold the trig-
ger and press ENTER,” which is the same as “Trigger+ENTER.”
Layout
The VX3interface consists of a keypad and a color screen.
The next page has a picture of the pod face with the default lay-
out for the search screen. The search screen has four major
regions:
1. Target information
2. SpectraGraph
3. Status Bar
4. Live Control Bar
The target information includes the “VDI” number, the depth,
and icons representing the likely target. SpectraGraph displays

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Spectra VX
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User’s Guide
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.
Target VDI
Icons
Target
Depth
Spectra
Graph
Live
Control
Bar
Disc.
Mask
Status
Bar
Toggle Switch
(front of handle)
Navigation
Keypad