X Terra 50 Questions

[KJ]

Went out yesterday for the first time and had mixed results (I'm sure I'm the cause!)
I set up the ground balance (7), set the sensitivity at 12 and went off in all metal mode. Found some clad at 2-4 inches, but kept getting nails at +30. Any ideas? It may be that the signal was not consistent, and being the first time, I was digging everything.
I then went to preset 2 and seemed to do a little better, still digging everything, more clad, all 70s vintage at 2-6 inches, and a couple of tabs.I want to get to the older, deeper stuff, any ideas? The ground seems quiet in my area, what is the top setting for sensitivity without getting to erratic? The pinpoint was spot on and everything else seemed great.
Any clues would be appreciated, Thanks.

 

[BarnacleBill]

Let's start with some basics, and please don't be offended if I put them in simplistic terms as I don't know your experience or skill level.

First your sensitivity level seems fine to begin with. Next is ground balancing during which you pump(raise/lower) the coil parallel to the ground from 1 to 8 inches high over clear ground with no targets(check in All Metal mode). On the X-50 a perfect balance would yield no sound while doing this. It is extremely rare that you would ever find the machine to respond this way.

So normally while pumping the coil you will hear one of three sounds:
1. Low tones at various loudness's.
2. High tones at various loudness's.
3. Mixed tones hi/lo at reduced loudness.

Your usual goal is to adjust the balance till you hear hi/lo mixed tones at low loudness levels. If you happen to be over ground that brings you to no sound with no tones, then hurray for you.


I like to start with the GB set to 0(zero) where you will get a loud low tone( think of it as a little voice saying your GB is too low). I increase the GB+ till I get a mixed tone, then I go a couple of steps more (+) to make sure I'm at the most balanced point(no or mixed tones)and adjust back(-) to the best point.

In regards to targets, good targets(coins etc) generally will give a nice, smooth, full consistent tone. Nails will usually give a tell-tale double blip when swept over from two directions(90deg). One direction may sound good, but the other will double blip. You can also switch to All Metal and iron/steel/nails that are falsing high tone(ID 30's)in Pattern mode will show negative numbers and give a low tone as well as the high tone.

Also if you are only finding recent clad coinage it may be the old targets are not there, try a different location that you know has some history.

Pushing sensitivity to the point of instability:

After you have GB'd(Ground Balanced) correctly stay over the spot you are in. Switch to All Metal mode and pump the coil just like you were GB'ing. Go into Menu and increase the sensitivity a couple points, exit menu and pump the coil. If you begin to see negative numbers and the audio starts to spit then you have pushed the machine to the point it is now reading the ground as a target, back off the sensitivity till it will not spit. I like to back off a couple of points because you may move 10ft and now the ground is "too hot" or you will run across hot rocks that will react.

If you are a beginner to detecting or this machine I advise against doing this, running sensitivity too high is one of those issues that can cause a good deal of frustration, especially in areas with nails.

HH
BarnacleBill

 

[rentasquid]

I've gotten rusty items that sound "silver", but its not a real good response. It has typically been a clipped response that doesnt "X" out very well(not a good response on one axis). But every once in a while I do pull out a good target from a marginal sound. I typically hunt with all-metal now, so that if I hear a lot of those low iron tones, I skip over the little bit of silver tone that is set right with it. I may not be doing it right either, but I dont seem to chase shadows so much anymore. As per your sens. question...I think it has to be one of those try it at this level and see how it responds, then maybe bump it up a bit until it starts becoming a little too unstable, then back it off a little. Perhaps someone will jump in and give a better response to you as well. There are some sharp guys here that give good advice.

J.

 

[KJ]

Thanks guys. I think the tone issue in different directions is the key, I've had some jumping readings that I wasn't sure of. I will be more mindful of the consistency of the tones from multiple direction. The ground balance was easy, at 7 it was almost inaudible.
BTW, no need to be careful of offending me re: basics, I need all the help I can get in SIMPLE English. Thanks!

 

[dirt doctor]

Thanks Barnacle Bill , now I'm re-assured that I'm doing it right .
I find that my EX-50 stock 9" coil separates the good stuff from the bad better than the smaller coils from another brand of detector.
I hunt in all-metal all the time now .
Love those tones !!
H H George

 

[jackintexas]

I would say don't be discouraged about finding older coins now. Keep digging the clad for practice. Almost every time you dig a target you learn something. Like Bill says maybe there are no older coins where you are hunting. Do a little research to find the older places to hunt.

 

[bridge guy]

What would be the best make and model of metal detector in the price range of $300-$500. I would most likely be searching for coins and relic hunting. Don't need all those bells and whistles. I have spent many hours researching but cannot make up my mind. Need some impute from the experts!!! Just starting the hobby, but most likely will not purchase another detector for a while. Thanks JH

 

[BarnacleBill]

Hello JH,

In the non-metered twist the knob line, the Minelab Advantage is highly thought of for relic and coin hunting, and is right in the middle of your price range. The disadvantage is that many end up re-mounting the control housing to the rear for better weight balance. For a beginner this means the controls are now behind you, which may make the learning curve more difficult.

The X-Terra X-30 is a very good machine to start with if you don't live in an area with high ground minerals. It has very easy to use controls and is lightweight, as well as being in your price range.

The X-Terra X-50 is a little over your price target, but has the all the advantages of the X-30 plus an easy to use ground balance for highly mineralised soils. It also has the advantage of being able to use the high frequency coils which are very good for jewelry and relic hunting. And also has 2 disc patterns with memory so that you can set one pattern for coin hunting and another for relic hunting, very convenient.

HH
BarnacleBill

 

[bridge guy]

Thanks Barnailcle Bill, Found the X Terra 50 with many accessories on the web for just under $600.00. It includes a 9" 7.5 kHz coil and a 5" x 10" DD search coil with a four year warrenty. How does this machine stand up to the Musketeer? Also looking for a pin pointer at a reasonable price. Thanks again. JH/ Bodine

 

[BarnacleBill]

How does this machine stand up to the Musketeer?

Your question is very broad, could you narrow down what "stand up" means to you. Metal detecting can be very task or style centric, so what is a "must have" feature for one person does not matter a whit of spit to another.

I have not used a Musketeer so there may not be specific questions I can give you good information on.


Also looking for a pin pointer at a reasonable price.

As I stated above detecting can be very task oriented and as such the pin pointer I chose was for what & where I hunt. I am primarily a water hunter so I chose a Vibraprobe which is not cheap by any means. But it is waterproof to 30ft, floats, and is pretty rugged as long as you don't try to use it as a pry bar. It is also only sensitive to a target straight off the front of the tip.

But it has a couple of cons; One is that it is not terribly sensitive to very small low conductors like an earring back. Two is that because it uses a metal detecting technology known as pulse induction, that it will interfere with many makes & types of detectors. But for me it's positives outweigh it's negatives for my purposes. And that is what you will find as you chose a detector, kind of like trying to get a tailor made suit that fits you best.

HH
BarnacleBill