Best XP ICON and ICON X Settings for Common Detecting Conditions
A practical guide to choosing the right factory program and adjusting sensitivity, reactivity, discrimination, ground balance, and audio for the site in front of you.
XP ICON Factory Programs at a Glance
The ICON includes three factory programs covering general inland hunting, parks, and saltwater beaches. The ICON X includes all six programs, adding specialized choices for iron-contaminated ground, clean woods, and wet sand. The descriptions below follow the intended uses in the XP manual.
Field
A versatile choice for relatively clean inland ground, including pastures and plowed fields. It is an excellent general starting program.
Trashy Field
A sensitive program for polluted or mineralized soil. It is especially useful when you want better separation and sensitivity to lower-conductive targets.
Forest
Designed for clean, lightly mineralized soil where added depth on larger targets is useful, while still responding to targets of more modest size.
Park
A practical coin-hunting setup for parks and recreation areas where foil, bottle caps, and other modern trash are common.
Wet Beach
A sensitive beach program that works on dry and wet sand. It retains sensitivity to small targets without giving up performance on larger or deeper targets.
Beach & Surf
XP's stable all-terrain marine program. Use it when working in saltwater, the surf line, or other changing coastal conditions.
Factory Starting Settings
These are the factory values listed in the shared ICON and ICON X manual. They help explain why two programs react differently at the same site. Reactivity is adjustable from 1–5 on the ICON and 0–6 on the ICON X.
| Program | Available On | Sensitivity | Discrimination | Notch | Iron Volume | Audio Type | Reactivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field | Both | 24 | 8 | Off | 8 | 3 | 2 |
| Trashy Field | ICON X only | 24 | 7 | 25 | 8 | 1 | 3 |
| Forest | ICON X only | 24 | 7 | Off | 8 | 3 | 2 |
| Park | Both | 24 | 8 | 10–35 | 8 | 1 | 3 |
| Wet Beach | ICON X only | 24 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 1 |
| Beach & Surf | Both | 24 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
Every available factory program uses FMF, Standard ground mode, and Ground Tracking off. The ICON has three factory programs; the ICON X has six.
A Reliable Setup Routine for Almost Any Site
- Select the closest available factory program. On either model, use Field for general inland hunting, Park for modern trash, or Beach & Surf for saltwater. ICON X users can also select Trashy Field for iron, Forest for clean mild ground, or Wet Beach for dry and wet sand.
- Run a frequency scan. The ICON scans automatically when it starts, but scan again if the detector becomes unstable or nearby electrical interference changes.
- Perform a Ground Grab. Pump the coil over a clear patch of ground until the ground response fades and the displayed value stabilizes.
- Adjust sensitivity only as high as the site allows. A quiet sensitivity of 22 or 23 can produce better real-world results than an unstable setting of 24 or 25.
- Match Reactivity to target density. On either model, use a lower setting for clean ground and greater depth or raise it around iron and closely spaced targets. The ICON adjusts from 1–5; the ICON X extends the range to 0–6.
Reactivity: The Most Important Site Adjustment
ICON: 1–5 | ICON X: 0–6Reactivity controls how quickly the detector recovers between nearby targets. Lower settings can provide more depth in clean ground, while higher settings improve separation and stability in iron or difficult mineralized soil. Reactivity is user-adjustable on both detectors; the ICON X adds the two extended endpoints, 0 and 6.
Maximum Depth in Clean Ground
Best for coins and larger targets where ferrous trash is sparse. XP also recommends low reactivity on relatively clean beaches.
General Detecting
The most useful range for everyday hunting in ground with light iron contamination. It balances depth with target separation.
Dense Iron or Mineralization
Use when good targets are mixed with nails, hot rocks, or mineralized debris. Separation improves, but clean-ground depth may decrease.
Sensitivity and EMI
The factory sensitivity is 24, but that does not mean 24 is always the best setting. Reduce sensitivity near power lines, electric fences, buildings, radio equipment, or other detectors. If the ICON is chattering while the coil is held still over clean ground, run another frequency scan first; then lower sensitivity one point at a time until operation becomes stable.
Discrimination, Notch, and Bottle Caps
Discrimination rejects targets below the selected value. Notch removes a selected conductivity window while leaving targets above and below that window available. This makes notch useful for recurring trash, but aggressive rejection can also silence desirable targets with similar IDs.
For most sites, begin with the factory discrimination and notch. The Park program already uses a 10–35 notch range for common low-conductive trash, while Field and Forest leave notch off. If bottle caps are a problem, the manual notes that opening Notch activates the ferrous bottle-cap filter; segments 10, 10–15, or 10–20 can then be rejected in multi-frequency operation.
Ground Balance: Keep It Simple First
On both models, XP recommends beginning with the default Standard ground behavior and using Ground Grab. Standard mode is designed to reject the ground response while using multi-frequency analysis to identify certain targets through mineralized soil.
Ground Tracking can help where mineralization changes gradually and remains fairly uniform. It is less suitable around old habitation sites where bricks, ceramics, iron, and other ground effects change from one sweep to the next. In those conditions, use Ground Grab as the preferred starting method.
Use Pro Ground mode carefully. Pro Ground is an ICON X expert option. It makes more of the ground zone audible and is intended for experienced users searching for difficult signals masked by mineralization or black sand. It will usually sound busier than Standard mode.
Audio and Iron Volume
On both detectors, the factory Iron Volume is 8, which provides plenty of information about ferrous targets and site conditions. If iron audio becomes tiring, lower Iron Volume rather than immediately increasing discrimination. Setting Iron Volume to 0 silences the low iron tone, but leaving some iron audio audible often helps identify falsing and understand what is under the coil.
The available tone choices depend on the model and program. Multi-tone modes divide targets into conductivity groups, Full Tones assigns pitch in proportion to target ID, and Pitch audio changes according to signal strength rather than conductivity. Some advanced audio types are ICON X-specific, so use the choices displayed by your detector and select the audio that makes repeatable targets easiest for you to recognize.
Quick Starting Recommendations
General Coin and Relic Hunting
Start in Field, perform a Ground Grab, and use sensitivity 24 if stable. On either model, move Reactivity from 2 to 3 if targets are crowded.
Iron-Infested Home Sites
ICON X Only
Start in Trashy Field and perform a Ground Grab. Its factory Reactivity is 3. Raise it toward 4–6 only when the iron density requires it. Standard ICON users should begin with Park and adjust Reactivity as needed.
Modern Parks
Start in Park with its factory notch and reactivity 3. Reduce sensitivity if EMI is present, and be cautious about adding more notch.
Clean Woods or Low-Trash Ground
ICON X Only
Start in Forest at its factory Reactivity of 2. Testing Reactivity 1 may improve depth in very clean ground; ICON X users can also test 0 in exceptionally clean conditions. Standard ICON users should start with Field.
Dry or Wet Sand
ICON X Only
Start in Wet Beach at its factory Reactivity of 1. Increase it to 3 or 4 if black sand, variable salinity, or trash makes targets difficult to interpret. Standard ICON users should use Beach & Surf.
Saltwater and Surf
Start in Beach & Surf, Ground Grab where appropriate, and use the highest stable sensitivity. On either model, increase Reactivity when changing salt conditions or black sand make targets difficult to interpret.
XP ICON Settings FAQ
Should I always run sensitivity at 24?
No. Sensitivity 24 is the factory setting, but a lower stable setting is better than a higher unstable one. Run a frequency scan, then lower sensitivity as needed.
Which program is best for beginners?
Field is the best general inland starting point on either model. Park is suited to modern trash, while Beach & Surf is the shared saltwater choice. ICON X users also have Trashy Field, Forest, and Wet Beach.
Do the ICON and ICON X have the same programs?
No. The ICON has three factory programs: Field, Park, and Beach & Surf. The ICON X has all six, adding Trashy Field, Forest, and Wet Beach. Each available factory program also has a corresponding user-program slot.
Can Reactivity be adjusted on both models?
Yes. The ICON has five adjustable Reactivity levels from 1–5. The ICON X has seven levels from 0–6, adding the lowest and highest endpoints for finer control.
Should Ground Tracking stay on?
Not necessarily. It is useful on uniform ground that changes slowly. Around old habitation sites with rapidly changing ground effects, the manual recommends using Ground Grab instead.
Is Pro Ground mode available on both models?
No. Standard ground behavior and Ground Grab are available on both models, while selectable Pro Ground mode is an ICON X expert feature.
Should I use FMF or a single frequency?
FMF is the factory choice for every program and covers a wide range of targets. Where available, single-frequency operation can help when harsh EMI compromises multi-frequency performance or when an experienced user wants to emphasize a particular target range.