A short history here adds to the question. I have been detecting regularly since 1972. I've had every brand of machine there is, including a couple you probably never heard about. I know detectors reasonably well. I have an E-trac that I graduated to from an SE two years ago. I decided I wanted to approach present day detecting with two routines. First, I detect most sites in the USA with the E-trac which is like a vacuum cleaner on most targets that are in the open (not surrounded by iron or extremely deep). Second, I use a 705 with the 18kz concentric coil for targets close to iron, or the 3kz concentric coil with a slow sweep for targets beyond normal depth. At least that was the plan.
On a 10 day trip to the UK this month I used the 18kz coil for about 50 hours in iron infested areas thinking that the faster response would be the right choice. Understand that this was my 17th or 18th trip to England for detecting. I was detecting with sophisticated users, the best of which were using Fisher F75's or E Tracs. I usually work with the E trac in these situations and often excel when the final results are tabulated. Not this time. Looking back on the experience at the end of the trip I realized that the 705 did not get any depth. The hammered coins I found were all either surface or within an inch or two of the surface.
To digress just a bit, I have also used the 3kz coil several times in the USA (where I expect to continue using it) and realized no appreciable depth over the stock E trac multi frequency coil.
My question is this. I will need to make a substantial commitment of time going forward in order to determine if I am on the right track with my expectations of the 705. I decided to simply ask the question here of practiced 705 users. Are my performance expectations of better depth and iron separation unreasonable for the 705? Will I have to get larger DD coils and if so what does that do to the weight? Should I reasonably expect to match or exceed the performance of a Fisher 705 (for any Fisher F75 users out there who also have a 705) with the Xterra? Or should I target a different machine to get those items that we all know many other detectors will not reach or separate from iron?
On a 10 day trip to the UK this month I used the 18kz coil for about 50 hours in iron infested areas thinking that the faster response would be the right choice. Understand that this was my 17th or 18th trip to England for detecting. I was detecting with sophisticated users, the best of which were using Fisher F75's or E Tracs. I usually work with the E trac in these situations and often excel when the final results are tabulated. Not this time. Looking back on the experience at the end of the trip I realized that the 705 did not get any depth. The hammered coins I found were all either surface or within an inch or two of the surface.
To digress just a bit, I have also used the 3kz coil several times in the USA (where I expect to continue using it) and realized no appreciable depth over the stock E trac multi frequency coil.
My question is this. I will need to make a substantial commitment of time going forward in order to determine if I am on the right track with my expectations of the 705. I decided to simply ask the question here of practiced 705 users. Are my performance expectations of better depth and iron separation unreasonable for the 705? Will I have to get larger DD coils and if so what does that do to the weight? Should I reasonably expect to match or exceed the performance of a Fisher 705 (for any Fisher F75 users out there who also have a 705) with the Xterra? Or should I target a different machine to get those items that we all know many other detectors will not reach or separate from iron?