X-70 Questions

[XterraDon]

I have been an avid MD'r for probably 30yrs but new to this website and I come and go from this hobby just because I get caught up in other areas of life. I still have my Fisher I bought brand new in 1984 and right now I am back to the hobby and I have been using my X-70 for the past 3 months as weather permits. Here are a few questions I have that may or may not have been previously addressed:

1) When Pinpointing whats an acceptable ID# change ? If I had a 30 prior to pinpoint should it still be at 30?
2) I have seen many people suggest staying in All Metal then discrimination with say Pattern 2...I find this is great except in huge trash areas...where there is nothing but one number showing after another. Heck I cant even keep up with all the numbers flashing by. Whats everybody's opinion on this?
3) The only coils I have is the 9 inch 7.5KHz and the 18.75KHz one for gold nuggets...Will getting a DD coil really enhance things for me? I mainly just look for coins and rings.
4) I always Auto GB and Auto Noise Canx...whats everybody setting the sensitivity to?

Cheers,

XterraDon

 

[Digger]

Don, I will respond to your questions based simply on my experiences with the X-70. Others may have differing opinions and I hope we hear from them as well.

As to numbers "bouncing"..... if you've read my coinshooting articles on the X-terra, you know I say that most US coins will not vary by more than two notches in either direction. (if you haven't read them, they can be found in the FAQFAQ section at the top of these posts) Never say never..... coins on edge and adjacent trash are only two things that can cause a "lack of consistency" on TID. But for the most part, I stick by what I said. The X-70 updates the TID while using Pinpoint in Coin /Treasure mode.

I've been detecting for 36 years, and have tried hunting in an all metal mode with different detectors during that time. Until I got the X-Terras, I could never understand how anyone could listen to all those sounds. I've learned to hunt in all metal probably 95% of the time with my X-Terra. I typically use 4 tone audio and simply ignore the low tones. If I am feeling good, I'll even crank on the multi-tone mode for periods of time. Being a coin shooter (old coins at old sites) I am primarily listening for the high or medium high tones. I still do a visual check on the medium low tones, just to see if it is a 10 or 12. I've dug hundreds of Liberty and Shield nickels. But you never know when it may be gold instead! (again....TID consistency) One thing you don't want to overlook is the ability to customize your Pattern settings for your sites. In other words, using Pattern 2 only represents specific rejected or accepted targets if you are using factory defaults. Like I've said, I typically hunt in all metal mode. But I have set my Pattern 1 to reject ferrous targets and +48. I set Pattern 2 as default and changing +24, +26 and +48 to accept. And I set Pattern 3 to accept all targets. The only reason I do this is because when you turn on the X-70, it always starts in the last Pattern mode you operated it in. Since I usually run in all metal, and occassionally suffer from CRS disease, I don't want to hunt for an hour only to find out that I am rejecting lots of potential goodies. Setting up Pattern 3 to replicate an all metal mode, if I forget to switch to the actual "all metal" mode, Pattern 3 will do what I need it to do. At least until I look down and see that I forgot to switch it over!

Depending on your soil conditions, a DD coil might provide better results. Especially if you are hunting in highly mineralized soils. There is no magic formula for determining just what is highly mineralized. However, in testing all the X-Terras with all the coils in a variety of soil conditions, I've come up with 28. If you are able to properly GB your 9-inch concentric coil at 7.5 kHz with a GB number of 28 or more, you probably won't benefit from the electrical characteristics of a DD coil. For those areas where the GB number is lower than 28, you may. You certainly will with numbers in the teens or single digits. But again, in my opinion, the concentrics offer better depth, more sensitivity and are more stable that the larger DD coils IF your soil mineralization allows a concentric coil to operate properly.

Target "congestion" determines where I set my sensitivity. Trash infested areas require less sensitivity. Wide open spaces let me run it higher. Since I typically hunt fields, yards and pastures, I can run my sensitivity pretty high. Usually to a point where it is just below creating false signals. Most places that is between 26 - 30. I think of properly setting your sensitivity as being similar to driving at night. In the wide open spaces, I run on high beams. When I get in areas of congestion, I use the low beams. Whether it is trash in the ground or fog in the air, I try to minimize the "signal" bouncing back at me. JMHO HH Randy

 

[nugget71]

change pattern 1 or 2 to your liking for those high trash areas. I have "trained" (programed my 70) in pattern 2 to accept and reject certain targets. Now this set-up is great for certain areas I hunt because I'm only going after specific targets. The beauty of this for me is I'm finding more of what I'm after and digging less trash targets. Once I have done the specified area I then go back over it with the all metal mode and sometimes prospecting mode with surprising results. I try to keep sensitivity as high as possible at all times ground permitting. Best of luck.
Cheers!

 

[Gonehunting]

I too hunt in allmetal and use 3 tones and only listen for the two higher tones. if not hunt in patterns with -8 to 8 and 48 discriminated. especially if it is an older site. I've also noticed when i go to pinpoint if it doesn't stay on or very near the original target id number it usually is not a coin, and I have dug alot to learn that. to be honest i usually dig it any way if it is with in 2 marks. don't know much about the different coils only have standard. my low khz was faulty and had to send back... GH