how does it compare to other detectors like the MXT, GMT, GB1, LST etc.? I've already got a PI for the big stuff and am looking for something to get the little stuff. Having used the MXT in the past for prospecting, I know thatit will find a 1/3 grain nugget with the 6x10" DD. If the X70 can better this kind of performance I'll buy one. Seems that most of the posts on other forums are concerned mostly with coins/jewellry, not nuggethunting. When they do talk nuggets, it's larger stuff; 2-3 grains and over. Hell, I can find that size gold with my coin machine.. how 'bout subgrainers? I'm hoping that someone on this forum has put one through it's paces. Anyone? ..Willy.
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What's the scoop on the XTerra 70 re. prospecting and
- Thread starter willy
- Start date
Nuggethunting
New member
Hello Willy,
I seriously doubt the X-Terra 70 is going to find sub-grain nuggets. Your best bet is to find a Fisher GoldBug2 with a 6.5-inch elliptical searchcoil and you will find all the sub-grainers you're asking about.
I used to be a Fisher dealer years ago and it's probably the most sensitive detector @ 71kHz. I personally own a Minelab Eureka Gold and it will find nuggets under a grain in size in the 60kHz mode, but the Fisher GB2 will find them even smaller. The EG is much better for mineralized areas though.
Hope this helps a bit,
Rob Allison
Rob's Detector Sales
www.nuggethunting.com
I seriously doubt the X-Terra 70 is going to find sub-grain nuggets. Your best bet is to find a Fisher GoldBug2 with a 6.5-inch elliptical searchcoil and you will find all the sub-grainers you're asking about.
I used to be a Fisher dealer years ago and it's probably the most sensitive detector @ 71kHz. I personally own a Minelab Eureka Gold and it will find nuggets under a grain in size in the 60kHz mode, but the Fisher GB2 will find them even smaller. The EG is much better for mineralized areas though. Hope this helps a bit,
Rob Allison
Rob's Detector Sales
www.nuggethunting.com
Hi Rob. The reason I'm curious about the XTerra70 is that the frequency is about the same as the GB 1 and it has a disc. mode that would come in handy around trashy areas and for hunting old camsites. As I said before, the MXT I had could pick up a nugget down to 1/3 grain with the 6x10" DD coil and I found plenty of them up in Ak. This has me wondering about the X70, given that it has an even higher frequency and a lot of the other features of the MXT. The GB2 is a fine detector, but the areas I hunt are, besides being hotrock hell, highly mineralized and variable in said mineralization. Even the MXT struggled a bit in these places. I live in my RV and space is at a premium; trying to get it down to 2 detectors to handle my detecting needs. If I were to get a dedicated VLF nuggetshooter, I'd have to do some real hard thinking. My first choice would probably be the GMT, if for no other reason than it being considerably cheaper than the Eureka Gold ($800 Cdn vs. $1000 Cdn). I DO like the removeable control box on the Eureka vs. the pod design of the GMT (terrible decision by Whites) since I nugget hunt in streams. Reading the detector opinions on the AMDS website leads me to believe that the GMT also has the edge in sensitivity to small gold, being eclipsed by only the GB2. He states, in his (Steve Herschbach) writeup, that the Eureka seems to be optimised for the middle frequency, which is mighty close to the operating frequency of the X70. This doesn't mean that the X70 is a Eureka Gold, but it might be pretty close in performance. One thing that I'm a bit leery of relates to the coils. The X70 should not be submerged beyond 2' and I've read that the Eureka coil is also limited in this regard. Ok for the desert, but not in B.C. ..Willy.
steve herschbach
New member
Hi willy,
My X-Terra 70 will get a weak signal at 1 inch in an air test on a .5 grain nugget. This is not bad considering we are talking about a 9" concentric coil. I feel the X-Terra has potential but at this point am waiting for the snow to melt to give it some honest field testing.
The Fisher Gold Bug 2 is easily my first choice for small gold, followed very closely by the White's Goldmasters. These two models are enough ahead of the pack that everything else more or less lumps together in third place.
As you know my personal favorite for "all-around machine that is also good for nuggets" has long been the MXT. But the X-Terra 70 gives it some strong competition, and in certain areas, like versatility of the discrimination system, the X-Terra is clearly superior. But when it comes to nugget detecting I'd still give the MXT the nod based solely on the current coil selection. The X-Terra may shine with a small DD coil, but Minelab has never shown any interest in making coils as small as the Shooter coil for the MXT. Right now a 18.75 kHz 5" x 10" DD coil has been rumored for the X-Terra 70, but I just tried to order some and got sent 9" concentric 18.75 kHz coils instead! Hopefully Minelab will come out with something comparable to the small coils available for other VLF nugget detectors.
The X-Terra 70 in prospecting mode does a reasonable job of emulating the Eureka. Minelab has been blowing Eurekas out as of late and so I wonder if the Eureka is about to be dropped? The Eureka has never sold well for me as it is pricey and frankly fares poorly in most areas of Alaska compared to lower priced units like the White's GMT.
Anyway, I would not really consider the X-Terra 70 if the only goal was prospecting as dedicated units are better. But for a person looking for a well rounded all-purpose unit that looks to have good gold capability the X-Terra 70 surely is in the running. My biggest concern at this time is not how well it hits gold, but how well it handles actual real world tough ground conditions and hot rocks. Jury is out on that, but I am anxious to get the X-Terra 70 up to Moore Creek. I'm actually also very interested in the 3 kHz mode for nugget detecting in bad hot rocks. The small gold capability will suffer but it may be a good machine for places like Moore Creek. Rob will be at Moore first week this summer so you can bet we'll be giving the X-Terra a go there!
Steve Herschbach
Info on X-Terra 70
My X-Terra 70 will get a weak signal at 1 inch in an air test on a .5 grain nugget. This is not bad considering we are talking about a 9" concentric coil. I feel the X-Terra has potential but at this point am waiting for the snow to melt to give it some honest field testing.
The Fisher Gold Bug 2 is easily my first choice for small gold, followed very closely by the White's Goldmasters. These two models are enough ahead of the pack that everything else more or less lumps together in third place.
As you know my personal favorite for "all-around machine that is also good for nuggets" has long been the MXT. But the X-Terra 70 gives it some strong competition, and in certain areas, like versatility of the discrimination system, the X-Terra is clearly superior. But when it comes to nugget detecting I'd still give the MXT the nod based solely on the current coil selection. The X-Terra may shine with a small DD coil, but Minelab has never shown any interest in making coils as small as the Shooter coil for the MXT. Right now a 18.75 kHz 5" x 10" DD coil has been rumored for the X-Terra 70, but I just tried to order some and got sent 9" concentric 18.75 kHz coils instead! Hopefully Minelab will come out with something comparable to the small coils available for other VLF nugget detectors.
The X-Terra 70 in prospecting mode does a reasonable job of emulating the Eureka. Minelab has been blowing Eurekas out as of late and so I wonder if the Eureka is about to be dropped? The Eureka has never sold well for me as it is pricey and frankly fares poorly in most areas of Alaska compared to lower priced units like the White's GMT.
Anyway, I would not really consider the X-Terra 70 if the only goal was prospecting as dedicated units are better. But for a person looking for a well rounded all-purpose unit that looks to have good gold capability the X-Terra 70 surely is in the running. My biggest concern at this time is not how well it hits gold, but how well it handles actual real world tough ground conditions and hot rocks. Jury is out on that, but I am anxious to get the X-Terra 70 up to Moore Creek. I'm actually also very interested in the 3 kHz mode for nugget detecting in bad hot rocks. The small gold capability will suffer but it may be a good machine for places like Moore Creek. Rob will be at Moore first week this summer so you can bet we'll be giving the X-Terra a go there!
Steve Herschbach
Info on X-Terra 70
Hi Steve. I've been corresponding with someone else who did some tests with small gold and the X70 and, so far, it looks promising. The results you obtained with the 9" coil seem to be a bit better than I found with the MXT and 9.5" coil. When I was up in the Brooks Range (MXT w. stock & 6x10" coils) I found the elliptical coil to be the clear winner and surprisingly sensitive. As I stated, it could give a diggable signal down to 1/3 grain (but no real depth) and would "crackle" on even smaller stuff when hunting bedrock. The stock coil was rather useless there. This bodes well for the X70.. when they come out with the HF DD coil(s). It also seems that it should, at the very least, be comparable to the original Gold Bug, which is still used (and sought after) by a fair number of prospectors. As an aside, is the all-metal mode motion or not? I've read that it's non-motion and that could be problematic when hunting over changeable ground. Maybe it was a typo and it incorporates a SAT. If it does have a SAT, how fast would you think it is? with the MXT, I was generally hunting in HyperSAT. Another interesting thing to look into might be the tracking speed. ...Willy.
steve herschbach
New member
Hi willy,
The Prospecting Mode is a threshold based all-metal mode with a medium SAT rate that feels a bit slower than the MXT to me. The cable comes out of the back of the pod in such a way it would be kind of hard to chest mount, and I am not aware of any cable extensions. The Prospect Mode is slightly more sensitive to the smallest and deepest target compared to the disc modes (or the so-called "All Metal" accept all disc mode).
The sweep speed is forgiving, but does seem to do better at a little slower than MXT speeds. I'd give the X-Terra 70 the slightest of edges on tiny gold in air tests but in the field it remains to be seen as you can get good air tests but then have to back sensitivity down in the field to the point that you lose the air test edge. I would in a nutshell rate the X-Terra 70 as comparable on small gold to the MXT.
I have to say small gold is not a major concern for me as I will not use the MXT or X-Terra 70 for small gold. That is why I have a Gold Bug 2. I am more concerned about how the X-Terra might work as a nugget machine for trashy locales like Ganes Creek or for nasty hot rock locations like Moore Creek. I suspect the disc modes will do better at Moore Creek than the Prospect Mode. The only two VLF units that do well at Moore creek are the Tesoro Lobo is disc mode or Fisher Gold Bug 2 in iron disc mode.
Steve Herschbach
X-Terra 70 Information
The Prospecting Mode is a threshold based all-metal mode with a medium SAT rate that feels a bit slower than the MXT to me. The cable comes out of the back of the pod in such a way it would be kind of hard to chest mount, and I am not aware of any cable extensions. The Prospect Mode is slightly more sensitive to the smallest and deepest target compared to the disc modes (or the so-called "All Metal" accept all disc mode).
The sweep speed is forgiving, but does seem to do better at a little slower than MXT speeds. I'd give the X-Terra 70 the slightest of edges on tiny gold in air tests but in the field it remains to be seen as you can get good air tests but then have to back sensitivity down in the field to the point that you lose the air test edge. I would in a nutshell rate the X-Terra 70 as comparable on small gold to the MXT.
I have to say small gold is not a major concern for me as I will not use the MXT or X-Terra 70 for small gold. That is why I have a Gold Bug 2. I am more concerned about how the X-Terra might work as a nugget machine for trashy locales like Ganes Creek or for nasty hot rock locations like Moore Creek. I suspect the disc modes will do better at Moore Creek than the Prospect Mode. The only two VLF units that do well at Moore creek are the Tesoro Lobo is disc mode or Fisher Gold Bug 2 in iron disc mode.
Steve Herschbach
X-Terra 70 Information
..running the X70 in zero disc. (with the forthcoming (?) DD HF coil) would be the way to go in nasty ground with tons of hotrocks? I seem to remember something about the added disc. channel helping to mitigate the response from hotrocks and nasty ground. Might be wrong but, if such is the case, it would be worth the slight loss in sensitivity. ...Willy.
steve herschbach
New member
Hi willy,
At Moore Creek the only way to go is run machines like the GB2 and Lobo in disc mode. All metal is way too noisy. I'd bet right now the X-Terra 70 in Prospecting Mode at Moore Creek would not work very well... hot rocks everywhere. But put it in a pattern mode and disc out the rock signals and it could do just fine. With the lower freq 7.5 kHz or even 3 kHz coils it might even be able to alleviate some of the hot rock issues while still getting larger nuggets. Higer frequencies equal better small gold performance but also tend to hit hot rocks harder.
Steve Herschbach
X-Terra 70 Information
At Moore Creek the only way to go is run machines like the GB2 and Lobo in disc mode. All metal is way too noisy. I'd bet right now the X-Terra 70 in Prospecting Mode at Moore Creek would not work very well... hot rocks everywhere. But put it in a pattern mode and disc out the rock signals and it could do just fine. With the lower freq 7.5 kHz or even 3 kHz coils it might even be able to alleviate some of the hot rock issues while still getting larger nuggets. Higer frequencies equal better small gold performance but also tend to hit hot rocks harder.
Steve Herschbach
X-Terra 70 Information
According to what I've read, low frequency detectors seem to handle mineralization better than higher frequencies. That being the case, I wonder if anyone has ever done a comparison between a quality LF detector running a DD coil and a PI to see just how much better a PI is. I'm not saying that the VLF will match or exceed the PI in depth, but how close can it get? Given that some LF detectors can find some pretty small stuff, it kinda has me wondering. ...Willy.
brissietex
Member
Willy,
I'd wait for the DD coils to come out to evaluate the X70. Choices right now are all concentric. Frequencies run at 3, 7.5 and 18 for the coils.
I just got the X70 and look forward to the DD coils for my beach hunting.
Hopefully Coiltek or Sunray will start making coils for the X-Terra series. I'd love to have a WOT on this X70 for some clearance.
cheers...Brissietex
I'd wait for the DD coils to come out to evaluate the X70. Choices right now are all concentric. Frequencies run at 3, 7.5 and 18 for the coils.
I just got the X70 and look forward to the DD coils for my beach hunting.
Hopefully Coiltek or Sunray will start making coils for the X-Terra series. I'd love to have a WOT on this X70 for some clearance.
cheers...Brissietex
I agree with you Steve on the need for a small coil for the X-Terra series 50/70. I bought the 50 solely to shoot for small gold amongst rubbish; with the odd coin or relic thrown-in for interest. I have no background in Coin-shooting, but have found the XT-50 very reliable with its discrimination. At this stage the abundance of targets in close proximity makes a tiny coil a must. I have asked Andrew, of coiltek Maryborough, to mention small coils to Trevor. I understand from the Minelab blurb, that there may be a mini-chip set in the coil which may present some licencing problems for a third-party manufacturer.
lemons
lemons