Minelab X-terra 705 General Tips, Advice, Questions

[Nugget]

What sort of digging implement are you using? It sounds like you need a CC Pick or similar.

 

[Sa_bogan]

I was using a garden shovel on the back lawn! I think I need a pick but not sure where to pick one up from?

 

[Nugget]

Detecting Gold stocks a few different models http://www.detectinggold.com.au, they sponsored our CC Pick giveaway last month.

 

[76drew76]

Hey Guys,

I have just recently received my Xterra 705 (gold pack) and I was wondering what other coils should I get for it. I think it will be a while before I go searching for some gold as the weather is starting to get really hot and I am just starting to learn my machine. The good thing is that I have a lot of other places I could go while the weather is not so favorable.
From what I have read, the elliptical coil you get with the Gold pack is a DD coil and is good for Gold and some coin/relic hunting. Will a different coil be better for coin/relic hunting?
Could someone please explain the difference between the different frequency coils and what the purpose of the coils would be.
It would be good to here from anyone who has different coils and what application they use them for.

Cheers

Drew

 

[Sa_bogan]

i found this to be helpfull
http://www.bigboyshobbies.net/double-d-coil-vs-concentric-coils/

 

[trashmagnet]

Hi drew
I'd suggest getting to know your new machine with the coils you have as it's easy to waste money on extra stuff you might not need.
the dd is good for mineralised ground (gold or coins in hot/mixy ground)
the concentric coil is good for benign ground (coins/relics)
once you have mastered them you have other options for different applications.

The story behind the different frequencies is
high frequencies for smaller/shallow gold
low frequencies for deeper/bigger gold
regards trashmagnet

 

[Roscoe]

76DREW76, I own a 705 and have used it a hell of a lot for coin and relic hunting. My favourite coil is still the 10x5 dd for that use. I like the way it will work around trashy areas and its sensitivity to small jewellery. I can run the gain higher with that coil as well and i like to pin point with that coil. I pulled out a 13.5 gram 18k ring with that coil on an old 1870's site at over six inches and the signal was loud and clear. I also pulled out a 3.5 gram engagement ring at 6 inches and it was a good signal. Both of these rings was in an area with a lot of iron. Only wished it was water proof...roscoe

 

[76drew76]

Thanks for the input guys. Sa_bogan - that was a good read and helps you to understand it a bit more.
Looks like I might persist with the DD for a while.
Cheers Drew

 

[Roscoe]

I also have the 6" dd 18khz coil and that's a real gold coil for very trashy areas. If your in a site that is loaded with trash then drop your sens. down, go real slow with that 6" coil and you will be amazed at what you can pull out. But, as stated by myself the 10x5 dd is the best allrounder...roscoe

 

[pulltab magnet]

g'day all, I am new to this game & bought a xterra 305 & pro find 25 pin pointer as my entry kit. my ground balance button stopped working & i took it back, & was given a 705 head unit untill my 305 came back. now just coin shooting at my local footy field & a relic hunt at a ww2 base didn't seem show any difference in performence. i was just using a std 8" 305 coil, is it worth spending $700+ on a xterra 705 if i own a 305? to me if spend that sort of money would it be better to spend abit more on something else? If i'm spending $700-$1000ish i'd like it to be a bit better as a entry gold machine. or do i not know enough about the 705's capabilities ???

 

[Sa_bogan]

as a quick question, has anyone had the ID show in the negative numbers dug it up and found anything good? I guess what im getting at is the detector said no good and turned out to be a good target?

 

[Goldpick]

I know gold can read in the negative range, as for iron, if found at shallow depths on the 305, changes to a 20-25 when deeper. I prefer to dig most strong repeatable targets just to be sure.

 

[Sa_bogan]

cheers for that - what about -2 -4 -6 -8? do you get the same result in changing ID numbers?

 

[Goldpick]

A negative 4 mostly, but it can jump around a bit, also not sure whether it will differ at all between the 305, 505 & 705, probably not.

 

[GoldStreak]

Heya, I've had my 705 (gold pack) for a while now, and have found nothing other than a few coins and a ton of junk.
I'm searching in the right places ie; whipstick forest, any other place that has mass diggings in and around Bendigo, and nothing, zip, nada!!

I'm close to just relegating it to beach and park duties.

So please, if you've found ANY gold or anything else of value, post some pics for me, and help restore my faith in this machine.

Cheers, Paul..

 

[Outback]

Having seen a comparison test with a 22 year old Whites goldmaster 2 I can see why your frustrated .:8

 

[loamer]

Have you worked the quartz reefs on the Whipstick where they dumped the smashed quartz? I would not try any new ground at all and just try for the white quiet mullock and quartz dumps. How fast is your swing? The signals for smaller gold is generally just a slight break in the threashold (hence wear headphones). Screaming signals are usually trash. The Xterra 70 and 705 usually do very well with a DD, very slow swing speed, clear mullock and quartz and dig the faint signals. On the quiet ground they can usually be run pretty well flat out. I continue to do OK with the Xterra 70 if having a crack for small quartz species but I keep well away from any hot ground, or red mullock heaps - I have to turn the sensitivity way down - better off specking.

 

[Goldpick]

Having seen a comparison test with a 22 year old Whites goldmaster 2 I can see why your frustrated .:8

Anywhere where I can access that test? I would have thought that 18.75khz would be a good general all-rounder frequency for gold, but too low for small gold that VLF's are finding these days, I'm thinking of new and old high frequency detectors such as (GB2, Eureka, XT17-18000, GM2,3,V-sat, GMT etc). The Minelab 705 comes across as good all-rounder/dual usage machine vs being a gold specific detector, that's not to say that the 705 can't find gold, as they have in the past. You have to be a bit more specific in the areas you use a VLF detector in these days, finding smaller gold that the PI machine would either ignore, or not bother with in the first place. ie: in quiet spoil piles around shafts, reefs, areas with thick scrub (no room for larger detectors), areas of EMI interference that may upset PI machines and so on.

If you haven't already done so, buy a couple of small nuggets off ebay of various sizes (0.1,0.2, 0.3,2), they aren't too pricey in these sizes, and can prove invaluable as test targets when out in the field, plus you can be confident that you know exactly what the gold targets should sound like, in particular ground conditions, and at certain depths before you get started. I find it helps my confidence, if my detector can pick up the planted gold nugget targets, then it is properly setup for detecting in that area, and I know exactly what to listen for. If you keep picking up small lead shot, then you should be on the money.

 

[Outback]

Anywhere where I can access that test?

I ran into a bloke in the bush who had one , he was gold-less also .
I buried a small bit of gold ( about .4 of a gram ) shallow telling him not to look then asked him to find it pointing to the rough spot .
He tried but could not find it ' so I said now try this GM2 , about 15 seconds later he found it !

 

[Roscoe]

I have a X-terra 705 and a Whites GMT. I would pick the GMT for finding small gold. The x-terra 705 is a really good coin and relic machine. Having said that I would of thought a x-terra 705 would easy pick up that .4 gram bit at least a few inches under the ground.