3 kHz coil users - Can you give some feedback?

[Ohio Coinhunter]

Hello all,

I recently got an XTerra 70 - I must say that I am very impressed with the performance and depth with the 9" 7.5 kHz coil digging coins at the 7-8" range and deeper including a deep silver Washington quarter and a 1946 rosie dime. Plenty of deep wheats too. I have and have tried the 10.5" DD 7.5 kHz coil and the 6" 18.75 DD coil as well - Both are good and I plan on using them when the situation warrants. I am interested in the 3 kHz coil for deeper silver and copper coins. My 1st choice for now is the 7.5 kHz stock coil as I like the light weight and ease of pinpointing not to mention the depth I have been getting. I did the mineralization test per an earlier post and my soil is in the low - under 10,000 range per the readings on the meter. I'm thinking that the low frequency coil will perform even better in my area. So how do you 3 kHz coil users like your coil verses the same coil in the mid frequency range or any of the other coils for that matter?


By the way... I was using an EX II prior to the X Terra - However problems with my elbow and shoulder would not let me hunt for any length without giving me trouble. Since I switched to this detector, absolutely NO REGRETS in giving up the Explorer - The coins I've recovered so far and at the depths have amazed and convinced me that the X Terra 70 is an incredible detector and definitely under rated compared to the other brands in this range ( I've also had other brands and models thru the years - 6000 Pro's, Quantum XT, DFX, Quattro, Compass etc) and I can say that for me - It is the best machine I have used to date so far!

Thanks for your replies - Good hunting!

 

[Elton]

Simply put..It likes Silver better.

 

[JohnA]

it doesn't lock on nickles as well. Still like the coil a lot for some areas. Digger has several good posts regarding the 3 khz coil.

 

[KurtB]

It's my primary coil when hunting fields here in Nebraska. Deepest coin to date was a seated dime at 10 inches. Works well around old iron. It's a must have coil in my book.

KurtB

 

[David]

Ohio Coinhunter, I realize your arm problems for using the very good XT-70 which is one of the very best detectors made. But isn't the Explorer SE a much better surgical detector to tell the difference between old and new pennies, etc. to weed out trash much better than the XT-70 ??

The 3 kHz coil detects silver and copper better and not as good on gold and iron. Yes it is best for iron infested homesteads and also for silver(some copper) only hunting is where is shines the best as well.

 

[Idaho PRB]

Hello, I am interested in this mineralization test that you are refering to, can you help me locate information on it? Thank You very much. By the way, I just registered today and look forward to learning from all of your experience. I have been detecting for almost 4 years with an Ace 250 and just ordered my first Minelab, an Xterra 70. I am excited to get started when it arrives next week and have been absorbing as much information as I can on its use. Thanks,
Idaho PRB

 

[Ohio Coinhunter]

I cut and paste this post by Barnacle Bill from 06/18/08 post on this forum:

Measuring your ground mineralization level using a hidden feature of the X70.
Posted by: BarnacleBill
Date: August 19, 2007 09:29PM Registered: 2 years ago
Posts: 1,570

One of the ongoing common mis-conceptions is that the Ground Phase Number(Ground Balance)represents how much mineralization a particular soil matrix contains. The mineralization of course referring to minerals that cause poorer performance of a metal detector, and not a particular quantity of an inert material.

The Minelab X-Terra X-70 has a hidden feature which allows you to make a reasonably accurate assessment of your ground conditions including the iron(Fe3O4, black sand) and/or the conductivity(salinity) of your soil. To clarify, you can quickly measure in relative terms how magnetic or conductive your ground is. You can then jot those numbers down and compare them to any other X70 users in the world.

As a matter of fact a database or registry could be set up to compare your conditions to that of others. Therefore when an X70 user states that they have "high mineralization" which is hampering operation, it can easily be verified whether such is the case.

The procedure is really just an extension of Auto-GBing the X70. So don't become overly concerned that it is terribly complicated, it isn't.

Procedure in Normal GB mode with GB Tracking "OFF" and Sens=20:

A. Auto-noise cancel in the area you will hunting with the coil held 3 feet above the ground and parallel to it.

B. Locate a target free area of soil.

C. Engage Normal GB & remain in the GB screen.

D. Place coil on the soil. Do not press the coil against the ground! This will distort the coil shape and give an inaccurate result. Simply allow the weight of the machine to lightly keep it against the ground.

E. Press the Auto GB button and raise coil about two feet above the ground before Auto GB has completed. If by the time you reach the apex of pulling the coil up to two feet it doesn't complete, then pump up and down from just above the ground to two feet high as accurately as possible. Recall that Auto GB signals with a tone when completed.

F. While still in GB mode press and hold Patterns button to get the numbers. The numbers are six digits in length but read out in three groups of two that will repeat if the Patterns button is held down. Therefore 99 99 99(almost a million) is the largest number possible and 0(00 00 00) is the smallest. Forty-six thousand would appear as the following sequence, 04--60--00. Make a note of the numbers which we will call the "IRON NUMBER"(Magnetite...Black-Sand).

G. As a reference, numbers in the thousands are mild ground, medium grounds tens of thousands , and hot hundreds of thousands. For clarity:

1. 0(zero) >> 10K mild ground.
2. 10K >> 100K medium ground.
3. 100K >> 1M hot to scorching.

Procedure in Beach GB mode with GB Tracking "OFF":

The same as above in normal GB except that your are measuring conductivity. Great for Ocean beaches, salt flats, & dried up lake beds etc. I would also take three samples in the exact same spot and average them to get an average number, using either of the above procedures.

If their is enough interest, then a registry could be started to compare the various ground reports with how stable the detector runs, and effect on depth, correct ID etc. The nine inch default concentric MF should be the only coil used to take the measurements to create a standard. Keep in mind that the X70 may be able to show you why other detectors you own behave in a certain manner based on soil mineralization. It may also provide pertinent information about what equipment you should consider for future purchases.



HH
BarnacleBill

 

[Idaho PRB]

Thanks you Guys.
Idaho PRB

 

[frank barnett]

hi people i have had my x 70 for 3 weeks. i hit a michigan state park beach today. my nephew is the park manager. he said it is hit hard with detectors. i worked a small area maybe 75 feet by 150 feet. found 7 quarters, 3 nickles, 1 dime and 21 pennies. and a big game collectors series coin from north america hunting club it is big like a silver dollar. a lot of the coins that i find are from the 60 and 70ths. they tend to be a little deeper than the new coins. i think this is telling me the x terra 70 is finding coins that other detectors have missed. just think i have only coverd 150 feet of a half mile beach. ps i have been using my 6in by 10 in dd 1875 head. to me it targets better than the 9in head. cover those holes and have fun. frank barnett.

 

[Ohio Coinhunter]

Hi David,

Yes in a lot of ways the EX II is a better "surgical" detector with the dual discrimination over the X-Terra. However I usually dig everything anyway and use very little discrimination. Usually the Target ID's read higher on the numbers on actual targets than what the ID's are on the charts. Example: The silver quarters I dug should have read "42" on the X-terra meter - They came in at "44" and "46" - Silver dimes should read 38, but mine read 40 - 42 and 44. I have dug memorial pennies that registered as a quarter reading. Even with the EX II and other brand ID machines. I've been tricked by foil and small aluminum shards from beer and pop cans reading as dimes and quarters that were shredded by those big tractor mowers. I've been tricked by just about every ID machine I've used over the years from time to time. Target ID's have been dead on with coins numerous times too. It all may because of the area that I live in with the lower mineralization. This machine might give me different results elsewhere in the country. I don't know. I've learned not to rely so much on the ID meter and go by the sound and learning what the detector is telling me.

I really loved that EX II with the Sunray Probe and 7.5" coil. But it was a slow go process hunting areas, not to mention the weight that just added problems to my elbow and shoulder. I am extremely happy with the X-Terra 70 for the light weight, quicker target response, ability to change coils and adapt to the area I'm hunting, ease of pinpointing and the depth I have been getting. I am amazed on how many more coins I've dug in the short period I have been using this detector due to being able to cover an area quicker even finding some deeper silver coins that seem to be in the same depth range that I relied on the EX II to find. I do know that this X-Terra 70 gives a better audio and ID on deeper targets than any of the "Sweet Home Oregon" machines I've owned over the years. I proved that this last weekend when out with my buddy Thomas Hill who uses the QXT Pro - I was getting better audio/visual ID on some deeper iffy targets that he was getting as we compared machines.

I was worried I was making a big mistake by switching to the X-terra 70 as my primary detector as I have seen first hand what the EX II is capable of in my hunting experience. By like I said in my earlier post - NO REGRETS! This machine is dynamite as far as my experience with it has shown me. Not to mention my shoulder and elbow like it too!

Bottom line is this - It really does not matter what machine you use as they all have their pros and cons - It's about finding what detector you like and what works for you. All detectors find coins and goodies - Some better than others and others better than some in the hands of an experienced user. It's all about the thrill of the hunt, getting out there and enjoying yourself, learning your detector and of course finding great stuff!

 

[brissietex]

I have both the ExpII and XT-70 and definitely love using the XT-70 much more than the ExpII. Only exception is that the ExpII with a 15" WOT coil (or possibly with the new 11" SE Pro coil) wins hands down with much better stability on a salty beach. I just wish that Minelab would put the Explorer technology into an X-Terra body.

I love the Explorer's Smartfind screen since I can better narrow down quickly what I am about to dig and better notch out targets such as crown caps. These are things I definitely miss when I am using the X-Terra. I would also love to see the new SE Pro coil on the X-Terra line, Personally, tho I love the 10.5" HF coil on the X-Terra (granted it has only been on my detector for a month), I believe this SE Pro coil design would add better separation and stability to the larger coils for the X-Terra.

Oh well, we can only hope Minelab is listening and thinking along the same lines.

cheers...Keith