Any Tips on using the x-terra 705

[jhen999]

I live in Northern California in the gold country, I am not nugget hunting yet, hitting parks and schools , a lot of mineralized soil and hot rocks here, I am sitting the 705 up like the manual says, but I am digging up what sounds like good sounds that are not, and then not so good sounds that are good finds...kind of confusing...does the highly mineralized soil affect the machine that much or is it just because parks and schools are so trashy and if so any tips on what to do different... or is this something I just have to put up with tell I learn the machine....

 

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[detectingpro]

My 705 is on the way to me. 😎 but have you tried to ground balance the machine? And how many tones are you using?

Sent from my expensive phone I really don't need

 

[Longhair]

Which coil do you have? Frequency and configuration make a difference.
How high is your sensitivity set? Your description sounds like it's too high....akin to driving in fog with hi-beams on.
How many tones?
Are you running in Disc mode or AM?
If in DISC mode, how much time is it nulling? If in AM and 99 (actually 28) tones, does it sound like a Kaliope on crack?

 

[jhen999]

I am using the stock 9 1/2" 7.5 kHz....4 tones..in the number 3 disc.mode ...I think the sensitivity was about 28...I get what sounds like a solid coin sound but with a faint chatter on top of it..i dig and its a coin...I was finding coins...but almost all of them sounded the same way....just kind of confused about that faint chatter I hear...with the headphones on....the target ID...kind of jumps all over the place between 12 and 30...never the same number as I sweep over the target..know when I push the pinpoint I get a loud clear sound...

 

[Metal Detecting Stuff]

I think you are running too high on the sensitivity. I'd recommend running 20-25 until you get used to it. Make sure to ground balance over quiet ground. Be sure and download Randy Horton's X-terra book from the Minelab website, it's a great resource.

Wayne

www.metaldetectingstuff.com

 

[Longhair]

As hot as your ground is there, you would definitely benefit from a DD coil.
And you are certainly running the sensitivity too high for that coil on your soil. The machine should not chatter on a good target or any other time, and ID on a good target shouldn't jump more than a point or two in either direction. More isn't always better, just like "hi-beams in the fog".

Another question: Tracking on or off?

 

[jhen999]

Tacking is off....I,ll run the sensitivity down some and see what happens....with the soil out here...what do you think on the double d coil...a 6" or a 10" x 5" in the 3- 7 or 18 kHz...I haven't done any nugget hunting but at some point I am going to give it a try....soon.....is that 10"x 5" coil any good on coin shooting...

 

[Longhair]

Tacking is off.

Turn it ON. Auto GB and Tracking are 10 times more accurate than you are, and 100 times faster.

I haven't done any nugget hunting but at some point I am going to give it a try....soon.....is that 10"x 5" coil any good on coin shooting...

Some in your area like it for a coin shooter, and some use it for nugget hunting too (it's the stock coil in the Gold Pack), but it's not the optimal for either. The 6" HF DD is the most sensitive to tiny gold (like as small as .02g), separates very well, and is waterproof. By nature of being only a 6 inch coil it is depth limited, but it will get virtually the same depth of the "water resistant" 5x10".

For a coin shooter, I like the Coiltek 6" 3kHz DD "Digger", and the Coiltek 15" 3kHz DD All Terrain, but they may not be suitable in your ground. You will want to stick with DD coils regardless of which frequency you choose because they handle high mineral levels better. The 10.5" DD 7.5kHz is a great coil for general use. MF coils have the most uniform target segment bin widths, so they are the most honest across the detection range. The HF 10.5" could be a good coil for you, because that frequency has better resolution on low conductors in the range where you find iron, nickels, and gold. It will hit on all metals, but it won't be as accurate on high conductors like aluminum, copper, & silver.

How much do you wish to hunt in water? That makes a difference too. Of the 12 coils authorized for use on Xterras by Minelab, only three are NOT waterproof. Perhaps unfortunately, they are the two 10.5" DD coils and the 5x10". The 9" coils are all waterproof, as are the 6" coils, but the 9" coils and 6" MF coil are all Concentric. All three frequency Coiltek 15" DD coils are waterproof.

Along with the free e-book that Randy Horton wrote, he also has written a few blog articles for Minelab, and among others he wrote one about Xterra coil selection. You should probably check it out.

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