Help Please!!!!!!

[dgerber]

I'd like to purchase a detector for gold prospecting and still browsing around. I have been recommended the excalibur, but I have decided to purchase an x-terra 705 since it is more affordable for me.

I am new to gold prospecting and metal detector. I and my partner have just decided to do gold prospecting full time. We are working in a moderately to highly mineralized ground that is low-trash (virgin) area (in the middle of PNG forest) and practically are the only people in the area. We're also doing manual dredging in the river. I'd like to use the detector to help pin-pointing the paystreak area. There're some parts of the river that are shallow.

A few questions that I have:
1. On the original 9" concentric 7.5kHz coil:
a. Can this coil be used for gold prospecting?
b. What is the maximum depth that this coil can detect (on land and immersed) - approximately?
2. Do we really need the 6" DD coil in addition to the standard coil?
3. On the 6" DD coil:
a. How deep can the coil and the shaft be immersed in the river?
b. What is the maximum depth that this coil can detect (on land and immersed) - approximately?
4. I want to jump start and need the help on information on the APPROXIMATE (we know that it is relative on the ground condition) settings for gold prospecting:
a. in a moderately mineralized ground
b. in highly mineralized ground
c. when immersed in the river
5. Is the headphone really required?
6. I have been reading the forum and found information on x-terra 70, are the recommendations that users wrote about x70 applicable to x705?
7. How are the differences between x70 and x705?

If Randy (aka digger) is reading this message, I would really like to get a copy of the book that you are working on. How do I get it?

Thank you.
Doug
douglasgerber@gmail.com

 

[Digger]

Welcome to the X-Terra forum. I don't prospect for gold here in the part of the Country I live. But I'll take a shot at some of the questions I am familiar with.

Although the stock 9-inch concentric is a capable coil, I believe you would have better results using a higher frequency coil in the DD design. A higher frequency due to it being more sensitive to lower conductive targets, such as gold. And because the higher frequencies are more sensitive to smaller targets. I would use a DD coil due to the inherit design criteria that allow it to better neutralize the effects of heavily mineralized soils. To answer the question of depth, as with any detector and coil combination, depth is proportional to the size of the target. Naturally, larger targets can be detected at greater depths than smaller targets. Although the 9-inch concentric coil at 7.5 kHz will "hit" 'a quarter dollar at 10 - 12 inches in moderate soil, it will not perform that well in highly mineralized soil. As to whether or not you need the 6-inch DD coil at 18.75 kHz, since you said you were going to concentrate on gold prospecting, I'd highly recommend it.

Both the 9-inch concentric coils and the 6-inch coils are considered waterproof by Minelab. Water proof: Submersible to 1 meter. Ideal for shallow water wading and gold prospecting in shallow streams. Some of our members have made some terrific posts on prospecting. To name a few, here is a link to one of B.T'.S posts that we filed in our FAQFAQ section. http://www.findmall.com/read.php?55,496336,496336#msg-496336 Here is the link to another post in the FAQFAQ that provides a separate link to a great video by NeroDesign. http://www.findmall.com/read.php?55,795126,795126#msg-795126 In addition to some beautiful countryside, the video has footage of some nugget finds with his X-Terra 70. And here is a link to yet another post by NeroDesign where he makes a comparsion between the 6-inch DD and the elliptical DD, in reference to small gold nuggets. http://www.findmall.com/read.php?55,677361,677361#msg-677361 Here is yet another post, showing the size of some nuggets the X-Terra is capable of finding. http://www.findmall.com/read.php?55,955089,955089#msg-955089

Headphones? I never hunt without them. By blocking out the ambient noise, they provide you with a more reliable audio report from your detector. The only time I would be hesitant to hunt with headphones would be in an area with rattle snakes or unfriendly carnivores! In that regard, I'd keep them on, leaving one ear "outside the cup" to better hear what may be laying in the grass or hiding in the bush.

There are few differences between the X-70 and 705. Other than specific instructions on how to use the new functionality, you can substitute 705 for X-70 in the posts I've made. The new functionality includes an updated software that seems to enhance the depth and sensitivity a little bit. They added a backlight to the display that is activated with a touch pad. They added Tracking Ground Balance Offset to allow those of us who hunt with an offset ground balance to be able to accomplish that in a tracking mode. They added a second mode of Pinpointing called Sizing Pinpoint. That allows the user to better determine the size and shape of a target by maintaining the sensitivity setting while in the Pinpoint mode. And they increased the warranty period to three years, to the original owner.

As to the book......... hang on just a few more days................X-Terra users will be the first to hear the details. HH Randy

 

[Beale]

Welcome to the site! Very glad to have you on, Beale.

 

[TURNMASTER]

I would recomend you go out and use your machine in some local playgounds and vacant lots to become familiar with the machine and controls.
Then RE-READ The links Randy listed above.

An excalibur while a great detector, is not a first or second choice for prospecting. It is however a great water machine and will find bigger nuggets. Though I don't recall how big bigger is.

Go run your machine for 10 or 20 hours and things will make more sense. You will then have more specific questions. Threshhold should be just barely audible in the all metal and the pattern mode. You will probably be using the prospecting mode as it is deeper and more sensitive.

You should read in the Yank--Aussie prospecting Forum.

Jeff