Will we need a Minelab X-70 Classroom?

[ericdj]

I just bought aa new X-70 from a dealer here in CA. He just recieved his shipment Friday.
Anyway I took it out this A.M. and have been somewhat overwhelmed. Even with the pre-set search modes, still not sure if I need to ground balance it. And run with tracking on, and turn off threshold.etc.
It almost like learning a new CAD system, but once you get it, you do things without thinking twice.

I hit a school yard with a ton of trash but also good targets. Numbers and beeps flying everywhere. Too much for a sub-rookie X-70 user, so its off to a nice, quiet tan-bark tot-lot 'til I figure out what's what.

Maybe all the answers can be handled on this forum, but the X-70 seems far from a turn-on and go machine.

One question for starters, I did lay the unit down after I decided to dig a target. On rechecking the target hole, I got a different set of numbers, or no response in an area I was getting all kinds of hits in a minute earlier. Gee Dr. Laura, what did I do wrong?

 

[George Fatizzi]

 

[Mike Bearden]

It's a good idea to GB again after tweaking inside the menu, keep the sens down low to start with as George said ..
Mike

 

[BarnacleBill]

n/t

 

[ericdj]

Let me say this is the best site on the net for detecting, I've never seen a more supportive group. Truly amazing. Also, I'd like to apologise in advance for newbie questions
I went back out for about 4 hours and had it in Coin & Treas. mode, disrim pattern 1. I left all the settings in default. As far as ground balance, the book says GB is operating when the beach icon is off. So unless you're at the beach, you shouldn't have to fiddle with GB at all, right?
As far as threshold, do you just set it to 0, and be done with it?

The park is pretty trashy, lots of two-hole pop tops, which seem to read 34-36, IIR. Right in the dime zone. A few ring pull tabs, which read like a quarter. The problem with those is they don't jump around like most other aluminum pieces. And lots of aluminum can chunks that have been chewed up by the mower and pushed down 3-4 inches. I thought I had some half-dollars a couple of times.
I did come away with about a buck and a half in change and a Hotwheel Porsche Boxster, but nothing old. I did find a Merc dime using a friends Explorer II, but that may have been a lucky hit, 'cuz the park opened in the late '50's early '60's. And I'm not the first guy in there.

 

[BarnacleBill]

this as a first detector, then you were done a disservice. This is the epitome of a non-beginner machine. So before anybody dives into helping you, they need to know, what you know or don't know about metal detectors, and how much experience you have overall.

This isn't meant as any elitist attitude, but from the questions you've asked, I am inclined to say take the X70 back & get an X50 or X30. Otherwise, you may become so frustrated that you will give up, and nobody here wants to see someone give up right from the git-go. There are people posting here with several decades of experience, who are having to read the X70 manual several times over.

HH
BarnacleBill

 

[ericdj]

Hi Bill,
I understand and appreciate your thoughts concerning my posts.
The X-70 is my 4th, one is a Minelab Eureka Gold, the one sitting in the corner is a White's Prizm IV. My first was a Garrett Hunter, that's how old I am.
The one I just quit using, a Whites Prizm...the epitome of a turn-on-and-go, is not what I'm looking for performance-wise. I am able to do some prospecting in the Sierras, and being able to have a multi-use machine is a big bonus.
I'm used to dealing with CAD systems and learning a hi-end detector is not dissimilar. like learning a new language - constant immersion. You just have to keep at it.
Sorry to be a PITA, but once I get a few answers then I'll be quiet.

If what you say is true about several folks here, with decades of experience, having a tough time with the manual, maybe this forum needs an X-70 classroom. I'm sure someone will write a book or make a DVD eventually.

Whether you decide to respond to simple questions from me or others is up to you, of course. Your knowledge is valuable and interesting and I look forward to your posts.

Thanks.

 

[wpaxt]

Eric,

I've spent the weekend with an X-Terra 70 test unit & will be posting my field tests and opinions later this evening (and hopefully get some sleep before work tomorrow, too!).

George, Bill & Mike have all given you very good advice that I would like to add to. If I were you, before I went out again, I would re-read the manual a couple of times (I've been through mine 3 times already). Then I would run some targets under the coil (do you have a test garden?) to learn how the machine responds.

Then I would reset the machine to factory presets & use the turn-on-and-go method printed on the back cover of the manual. Use the auto GB option if you aren't comfortable with doing it manually. Leave the tracking & all other options alone & go out & hunt. I have a feeling that you will do much better the second time around. If the machine gets balky I would recommend decreasing the sensitivity & leave the GB alone--Minelab is quite clear that unstable operation is more often than not a sensitivity issue as opposed to a GB issue. Also, be sure that you aren't in all metal; try pattern 1 or 2. If the park is really trashy all metal will drive you nuts.

Post your results, email me if you like (wpaxt@aol.com), and be patient. You'll get the machine, and there are lots of experienced folks on this forum with plenty of hours on all of the X-Terra's to help you out if you have a question or a problem.

Bill (S. CA)

 

[steve herschbach]

Hi Eric,

The XT70 is not all that tough! Just give everyone a bit of time to learn enough to actually provide good answers and I think you will find all you want to know on this forum.

The X-Terra 50 I picked up and basically ran without the owners manual. The X-Terra 70 does have enough options (like manual ground balance, auto ground balance, and tracking ground balance) that a bit of owners manual review is in order. Some features, like the Target ID Stabiliser, are not explained enough to really leave one knowing exactly what it does and what the trade-offs are... and there are ALWAYS trade-offs!

The iron mask blanking in the prospecting mode is also very different than iron rejection in the coin mode. But how and what effect it will have will take experimentation.

Just a couple examples of why the X-Terra 70 is a different machine, and one that will need a bit of time to get a full handle on what it can do or not do.

Steve Herschbach
Steve's Mining Journal

 

[BarnacleBill]

I see others have chimed in already with some good advice.

Three simple things, the first I think you've already done:

1. Stay out of trashy areas like parks for now.
2. Reduce sensitivity to say 12, see manual Pg31 lower right.
3. The audio of the X-machines gates on and off very quickly, once you get into a target area, slow down the swing while you investigate the target to get a better read on it. Otherwise deep good targets may sound like trash and surface trash will sound like machine gun fire.

You're going to get a variety of suggestions, so work through them till you get comfortable with what works for you.

HH
BarnacleBill
The one, the true major PITA, at least that's what Mrs. Barnacle thinks!

 

[ericdj]

n/t

 

[ericdj]

n/t

 

[psyvad]

Eric,

Noticing that you do some prospecting in the Sierras... I'm new to detecting (got an X-Terra 50 for Christmas and have been hunting woodchip playgrounds to get used to the detector and figure out how to dig targets without messing up the lawns in parks). I live about 40 minutes from the California gold discovery site at Coloma and was hoping that with the X-50 and the high frequency coil that I would be able to use it on the banks or in the shallow water of some of the Sierra streams to find some small pieces or flakes of gold. Am I dreaming or is that a possibility?

Thanks!

Bart