Chuck@TreasureHut
New member
I just received an email from one of my recent X-Terra 70 customers, that I thought was both interesting and informative. With his permission, here it is:
"Here is a little bit of a run down on the detector so far. I spent some time air testing the X-Terra's Coin/Jewelry mode on a lot of known targets, including a few nuggets that I have found. I have also used the X-Terra in the field hunting several times. The audio response from Minelab detectors is significantly different than say Garrett, Tesoro and White. It takes a little time to learn the detectors language. So far I have found well over 100 coins (all modern) a nice sterling silver ring and bracelet and a old Colo. Retail Tax Token. I don't think any of the targets were much over 4 inched deep. As I learn the sounds and ID readings of the deeper targets I know my target recovery depth will get a lot deeper. It has plenty of sensitivity to get down deep. The mineralization here in the parks and schools in Colo. Springs is really not very high and I find that I can run the sensitivity in the 20 to 24 range and not get a lot of falsing most of the time. I really like the wide range of the sensitivity control. I have been hunting in pattern 1 almost all the time. The detector ground balances very well. The Auto ground balance works well but I normally ground balance manually. The Track setting also seems to do a good job. I typically operate in Fixed ground balance just to insure that the Track does not balance out a deep weak or tiny target. I tested the Prospecting mode out in my back yard using some of my gold nuggets. I buried them in the dirt in my test area. I was surprised to find that it would pick up my 1.2 grain test nugget at almost an inch under the dirt. It picked up my 4 grain nugget at about 3 inches deep and my 12.8 grain nugget at almost 6 inches. I was using the stock 9" concentric coil, Fixed ground balance and the default Prospecting mode Sensitivity and Metal Mask settings. I really expected the metal mask to take out the small 1.2 grain test nugget. The Double D coil at 18.75 khz should improve this a some and it should make a very respectable gold nugget detector. It might even be as good or better than some of the dedicated gold nugget detectors on the market. We will see about that later this summer here in Colo and in AZ next fall. I have not had a chance to evaluate it on a saltwater beach but I hope to do that also later this summer.
I am very pleased with the detector so far. It is very light weight and if it performs as well on the beach as it has so far in the Coin /Jewelry and Prospecting modes it is definitely the closest thing to a universal detector that I have ever used. If Minelab would add a back light on the display and make it waterproof to 200 feet. I could sell a whole bunch of my detectors.
I just thought you would like to know my impressions of the detector so far.
God Bless,
Cyril"
I am posting the pictures he sent as well. Hope this has been informative.
Chuck@TreasureHut
"Here is a little bit of a run down on the detector so far. I spent some time air testing the X-Terra's Coin/Jewelry mode on a lot of known targets, including a few nuggets that I have found. I have also used the X-Terra in the field hunting several times. The audio response from Minelab detectors is significantly different than say Garrett, Tesoro and White. It takes a little time to learn the detectors language. So far I have found well over 100 coins (all modern) a nice sterling silver ring and bracelet and a old Colo. Retail Tax Token. I don't think any of the targets were much over 4 inched deep. As I learn the sounds and ID readings of the deeper targets I know my target recovery depth will get a lot deeper. It has plenty of sensitivity to get down deep. The mineralization here in the parks and schools in Colo. Springs is really not very high and I find that I can run the sensitivity in the 20 to 24 range and not get a lot of falsing most of the time. I really like the wide range of the sensitivity control. I have been hunting in pattern 1 almost all the time. The detector ground balances very well. The Auto ground balance works well but I normally ground balance manually. The Track setting also seems to do a good job. I typically operate in Fixed ground balance just to insure that the Track does not balance out a deep weak or tiny target. I tested the Prospecting mode out in my back yard using some of my gold nuggets. I buried them in the dirt in my test area. I was surprised to find that it would pick up my 1.2 grain test nugget at almost an inch under the dirt. It picked up my 4 grain nugget at about 3 inches deep and my 12.8 grain nugget at almost 6 inches. I was using the stock 9" concentric coil, Fixed ground balance and the default Prospecting mode Sensitivity and Metal Mask settings. I really expected the metal mask to take out the small 1.2 grain test nugget. The Double D coil at 18.75 khz should improve this a some and it should make a very respectable gold nugget detector. It might even be as good or better than some of the dedicated gold nugget detectors on the market. We will see about that later this summer here in Colo and in AZ next fall. I have not had a chance to evaluate it on a saltwater beach but I hope to do that also later this summer.
I am very pleased with the detector so far. It is very light weight and if it performs as well on the beach as it has so far in the Coin /Jewelry and Prospecting modes it is definitely the closest thing to a universal detector that I have ever used. If Minelab would add a back light on the display and make it waterproof to 200 feet. I could sell a whole bunch of my detectors.
I just thought you would like to know my impressions of the detector so far.
God Bless,
Cyril"
I am posting the pictures he sent as well. Hope this has been informative.
Chuck@TreasureHut