Anyone Still Using The 70 or 705?

[Old Longhair]

Off topic, but besides weight, what turns you off about the Explorer series, my 2010 model se pro is still my lone detector. I'm obviously not well versed in a variety of detectors, but I "think" it still can hold its own with the best?

Weight and the cost of replacement battery packs are the two big ones. Beyond that I really don't have an issue with my SE, which is why I still have it.

I don't know exactly what it is about the 705 that entices me to stick with it, but it seems to speak to me, and it has a much more extensive language than a lot of other machines and I've grown accustomed to it.

 

[morelic1955]

Same here brother, the X-Terra whispers to me, dig it!

 

[Rick62]

Still own the 705, but it rarely hunts in our gold fields. Have become to old and wish I could turn back the clock about 40 years.

Really I am 68 and still detect

 

[EOS]

I have 2 70's and a 705. Have just bought the Nox 800 and have hard time weening off of the X-Terra. They have been real good to me since the beginning. Some have touted the Nox 800 is a replacement for the X-Terra, I see no compare to the X-Terras at this point. Keep in mind that I'm a strict old home place, CW Relic hunter and could care less about stepping foot in a city park. The 10.5 DD 18khz coil rules as far as I'm concerned.

Still use my 705. Great detector still today, and I won’t sell it, it’s a keeper for sure.
I use the X-Terra at archeological digs here in Sweden, it’s my work machine next to XP Deus. I like the signals on the Minelab, and the little 6” coil is fantastic.

 

[bulletman]

Really I am 68 and still detect

I won the lottery. A year ago I got to to take a $75,000 dollar flight up to Tucson, as I developed an aneurysm on my aorta. They told me I would most likely not survive the night. Survived surgery and 10 days in intensive care. But, still highly at risk and take enough heart medication to kill most people. Life’s short, enjoy it.

 

[Smigo]

I still own and use a Terra 705. Magic little machine. Still a capable gold finder in the right ground conditions. A real pleasure to use.

 

[MuddyMo]

I..... A real pleasure to use.

That ^ and it produces.

 

[Old Longhair]

That ^ and it produces.

There are so many things that are user configurable, that I've generally found that if what I'm doing isn't working...CHANGE SOMETHING!!

It is rare that I run into a situation where the machine can't produce. Only in areas where the TVI makes it impossible have I had an issue, and in cases like that I can't blame the unit, because no other machine is going to be any better.

 

[Smigo]

There are so many things that are user configurable, that I've generally found that if what I'm doing isn't working...CHANGE SOMETHING!!

It is rare that I run into a situation where the machine can't produce. Only in areas where the TVI makes it impossible have I had an issue, and in cases like that I can't blame the unit, because no other machine is going to be any better.

Yeah I tried a Nox 800 for a while, owned it, so many places Id hit with the 705 it didn't really make look new again if you get what I mean. It was a good machine, battery, cordless etc but its gold mode left a lot to be desired. It was like they tried, gold mode, didn't get it quite right and thought "ah just release it anyway". Would get very unstable and noisy. The open web was a total pain too in the bush.
Love how in prospecting I can easily flip in and out of gold mode to a disc pattern to cross check in real thick junk on the 705. Tap of a button.
I would like to have a go on the Whites/Garrett 24k though but have not seen one here used by anyone. You can't even get a skid plate for them yet. That's weird.

 

[Old Longhair]

Yeah I tried a Nox 800 for a while, owned it, so many places Id hit with the 705 it didn't really make look new again if you get what I mean. It was a good machine, battery, cordless etc but its gold mode left a lot to be desired. It was like they tried, gold mode, didn't get it quite right and thought "ah just release it anyway". Would get very unstable and noisy. The open web was a total pain too in the bush.
Love how in prospecting I can easily flip in and out of gold mode to a disc pattern to cross check in real thick junk on the 705. Tap of a button.
I would like to have a go on the Whites/Garrett 24k though but have not seen one here used by anyone. You can't even get a skid plate for them yet. That's weird.

I'm not a prospector, so I can't begin to say that one of the 24K machines would be significantly better than the 18.75K Xterra in Prospector Mode or not, but I do use PM w/IM when hunting deep targets, and the versatility an Xterra offers is something no other unit on the market that I'm aware of can boast. They just work!

 

[Smigo]

@Old Longhair
Out today, damn it was cold here. Was supposed to be 13c, i reckon was just 8.
Got two tiny bits. Reckon was another tiny tiny "ping ping" but I accidentally kicked it away into some surrounding junk.
Still was a great day. Was a very very junk area and reckon only something like the 705 could work it.

 

[Old Longhair]

@Old Longhair
Out today, damn it was cold here. Was supposed to be 13c, i reckon was just 8.
Got two tiny bits. Reckon was another tiny tiny "ping ping" but I accidentally kicked it away into some surrounding junk.
Still was a great day. Was a very very junk area and reckon only something like the 705 could work it.
View attachment 27537

Outstanding!
I maintain that no other machine out there is as versatile and capable at any price. I've never been sorry that I bought a 705. They work where a lot of others fall flat, and the only thing that could make them any better is if they did well in wet salt sand.

 

[Smigo]

Outstanding!
I maintain that no other machine out there is as versatile and capable at any price. I've never been sorry that I bought a 705. They work where a lot of others fall flat, and the only thing that could make them any better is if they did well in wet salt sand.

Thanks. If I had the option to add just 1 thing it would be a SAT control similar to that of the old whites detectors. That was a very useful thing in bad ground mineralised areas.
I often wondered why others never adopted a similar function/control on their vlf gold detectors!?
Cheers mate and good luck hunting.

 

[TNTENN]

I USE THE 705 FOR CIVIL WAR RELICS AND IT DOES VERY WELL FINDING BULLETS AND BUTTONS USING THE 5X10 18.75 COIL

 

[Old Longhair]

I USE THE 705 FOR CIVIL WAR RELICS AND IT DOES VERY WELL FINDING BULLETS AND BUTTONS USING THE 5X10 18.75 COIL

Have you tried running in Prospector Mode w/Iron Mask? You should get a bit deeper with it.
You can also flip back and forth between PM and All Metal to check TID on potential targets, which can be helpful.

 

[TNTENN]

NO HAVEN'T TRIED PROSPECTOR MODE W/IRON MASK BUT I WILL GIVE IT A TRY .STILL GETING USE TO XTERRA 705 BEEN USING EXPLORER SE AND EQUINOX LAST FEW YEARS.... THANKS FOR THE SUGGESTION

 

[Old Longhair]

NO HAVEN'T TRIED PROSPECTOR MODE W/IRON MASK BUT I WILL GIVE IT A TRY .STILL GETING USE TO XTERRA 705 BEEN USING EXPLORER SE AND EQUINOX LAST FEW YEARS.... THANKS FOR THE SUGGESTION

It is a very different search mode than anything that you've been using, and it will take some getting used to. Be sure to set your threshold to an audible level, but not too high, and listen for the null as well as tonal variations.
Some of the deepest low conductors that I've recovered have been found in Prospector Mode and weren't even visible in C/T Mode.

 

[TNTENN]

NEXT TIME OUT I'LL TRY PROSPECTING MODE .....THANKS

 

[oldkoot]

Just found this thread and I will say I agree with everyone's assessment of the Xterra 705 I have one of the early ones purchased in 2009 I will never part with it, currently using a Legend which does remind me of the Xterra 705 in a lot of ways, but I am one that is not totally convinced or sold on the true multi freq's just yet I do like the Legend so far but I love the Xterra 705 on the true Multi frequency detectors as of yet, I know I could still pick up the 705 and still detect with the best of them today,there is way more to the Xterra 705 then meets the eye once you learn all of its capabilities

 

[Smigo]

Just found this thread and I will say I agree with everyone's assessment of the Xterra 705 I have one of the early ones purchased in 2009 I will never part with it, currently using a Legend which does remind me of the Xterra 705 in a lot of ways, but I am one that is not totally convinced or sold on the true multi freq's just yet I do like the Legend so far but I love the Xterra 705 on the true Multi frequency detectors as of yet, I know I could still pick up the 705 and still detect with the best of them today,there is way more to the Xterra 705 then meets the eye once you learn all of its capabilities

Wouldn't part with mine either. I have recently got a Garrett 24k for gold and its very good. But for coins and relics I love the 705. The 705 is still very capable on gold though and to be honest id trust its id for gold amongst junk over the 24k.