when to use prospecting mode ?

[dfmike]

I'm used to detectors that either operate in discrimination mode or all metal. The X-Terra also has a prospecting mode and even though I have read the manual, I'm not sure when and why I would use it ? Does anybody here use it frequently and what advantage does it have over the coin mode ? Thanks.

 

[Old Longhair]

I use it.
Usually in places where more depth is important, but also where the soil makeup is such that you can't get any depth in C/T mode.
One place that I've been I swear that they used foundry sand for fill, and there was no way to hunt it in C/T mode for anything but recent drops (which I'm not really interested in). But, as soon as I switched to Prospector mode I started finding Wheats all over the place.

Really, it's just another tool in the bag......and it's earned it's place there.

 

[Jackpine Savage]

Mike

What Minelab chose to call all metal on the X-Terra is not a true all metal mode like your other machines. It is actually a Disc mode that simply accepts all notches or in other words a zero disc mode. You could take any of the disc mode patterns accept all the notches back in and it would be exactly the same. Prospecting mode is the true all metal mode that you are used to.

Tom

 

[dfmike]

Ok thanks Tom. That clears it up. After Old Longhair's post I was still wondering what the difference was between prospecting and all metal. I was also wondering how all metal could still have all these tones available.

 

[dfmike]

Recently I was on a beach just near the shore and the Minelab was in constant overload but only on a 2 foot strip of sand that stretched the length of the beach. The sand was very dark there and nowhere else have I ever encountered this on a beach in these parts. It was like if a black powder had been spread on top of the sand. Could I have used prospecting mode there to continue my search ? I had not read the manual fully the first time I went out with it. I had no idea what prospector mode was let alone how to switch it on.
I'll use it next time I'm there. It won't be soon. It's all ice now.

I use it.
Usually in places where more depth is important, but also where the soil makeup is such that you can't get any depth in C/T mode.
One place that I've been I swear that they used foundry sand for fill, and there was no way to hunt it in C/T mode for anything but recent drops (which I'm not really interested in). But, as soon as I switched to Prospector mode I started finding Wheats all over the place.

Really, it's just another tool in the bag......and it's earned it's place there.

 

[Old Longhair]

Black sand is a challenge for any VLF detector. Prospector mode may work better there, but an 18.75kHz coil should also be employed.

Also, there is a very real difference between AM and zero disc. AM threshold will not break w/o giving you an unclipped audio signal. Zero disc tries to fit each signal into a specific target bin segment.
In "normal" soil conditions, Prospector mode will run deeper than C/T mode. There is no VID In Prospector mode. It will see everything unless you knock out ferrous signals with the Iron Mask discrimination, which will still allow all non-ferrous objects to be detected.

 

[dfmike]

Thanks Old Longhair. What settings of iron mask would knock out just about all ferrous targets ? From what I understand of the manual, that should be about 20 or at max setting ? It states that at 20, most ferrous junk will be rejected but some gold nuggets may also be rejected so I guess it would ignore smaller gold jewelry as well.

 

[Old Longhair]

Thanks Old Longhair. What settings of iron mask would knock out just about all ferrous targets ? From what I understand of the manual, that should be about 20 or at max setting ? It states that at 20, most ferrous junk will be rejected but some gold nuggets may also be rejected so I guess it would ignore smaller gold jewelry as well.

Correct!
However, the small gold that it would miss would be things like earring backs. Rings, pendants, and even chains will still be detected.

 

[johnedoe]

Recently I was on a beach just near the shore and the Minelab was in constant overload but only on a 2 foot strip of sand that stretched the length of the beach. The sand was very dark there and nowhere else have I ever encountered this on a beach in these parts. It was like if a black powder had been spread on top of the sand. Could I have used prospecting mode there to continue my search ? I had not read the manual fully the first time I went out with it. I had no idea what prospector mode was let alone how to switch it on.
I'll use it next time I'm there. It won't be soon. It's all ice now.

I would have got out the beach mining equipment and gone after that strip of beach.....

 

[deswiger]

OldLonghair has a good point, I never would have thought of that. I was told that the "Prospecting Mode" was for searching out gold, like in Nevada, New Mexico and such.

 

[Neil]

Thanks Old Longhair. What settings of iron mask would knock out just about all ferrous targets ? From what I understand of the manual, that should be about 20 or at max setting ? It states that at 20, most ferrous junk will be rejected but some gold nuggets may also be rejected so I guess it would ignore smaller gold jewelry as well.

Hey Mike a good idea would be to try different iron mask settings on some gold you or your wife/girlfriend have. I always set my disc settings by testing them this way. Ive got a few chains and small charms that read 2 on the Xterra and even bounce into a little lower than that so you have to weigh how much are you willing to sacrifice(how small of gold) to eliminate how much iron.

 

[dfmike]

Thanks Neil. Good idea. I don't think I have anything that reads below 4 in gold. Prospecting mode could come in handy in winter when I have to detect through a layer of snow before reaching the ground. I need all the depth I can get at those times.