Xterra 70 - Brand New and I Need Help

[kcarter4x4]

My name is Kevin and I am new to detecting. JW from Kellyco told me about this site and suggested I check it out. So far it is great. I do have a couple of questions about the coils that I have. I do not have any idea where to use which coil. Sorry for such a basic question, but like I said I am new to this and a little help. The coils that I have are as follows:

1. 6" - 18.75 kHz - DD

2. 10.5" - 18.75 kHz - DD

3. Coil that came with the detector.

I live in Virginia so I will be doing most of my detecting in the woods and fields. Lots of Civil war relics here and a lot of construction. Another words, they are clearing a lot of land. I will also be using my detector on the beach at times. I really appreciate all the help. I hope that as time goes along, I will be able to help others.

Cheers
Kevin

 

[Beale]

Welcome to the site Kevin. Glad to have you drop by. Where in Va are you? Sounds like maybe Richmond/Petersburg area? In any event you have the perfect machine for your area. make sure to read the faqfaq area of the site. It has a bunch of really good info in it.

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?55,496344

I have heard really good things about the 10" DD coil and relic hunting. It is a deep seeker. The 6" DD is great for trashy areas. The stock is a good all purpose coil.

good luck to you and with your finds, Beale.

 

[Digger]

Welcome to the X-Terra forum. A couple "rules of thumb" for coil selection are: Larger coils detect deeper, but are less sensitive to small targets. Smaller coils separate targets better, but may not go as deep as a larger coil. Lower frequency coils are better suited to higher conductive targets such as silver and copper. Higher frequency coils are better suited for lower conductive targets such as gold. Concentric coils are designed to perform well in soil that is lightly to moderately mineralized. If the places you hunt have higher degrees of mineralization, then DD coils will provide better results.

At the top of these posts, you will find one titled FAQFAQ. In there you will find lots of good information concerning the X-Terra and some specific applications. One of the posts (fourth one down) is a chart BarnacleBill devised called X-Terra Coil Selection Table. Take a look at the chart and you will see how frequency and design effect the operation of a detector.

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?55,496344,496344#msg-496344

And if you have more questions, don't hesitate to ask! Lots of good folks on the X-Terra forum and they are all very willing to share their expertise. HH Randy

 

[kcarter4x4]

So, should I just use the bigger coil instead of the other coils. I do not mind digging up trash right now. I am new, so it is fun to dig anything at this point. I appreciate everyones help. Great web site and a great forum. Thanks again.

Cheers
Kevin

 

[Digger]

If you bought the X-Terra new, it came with a stock 9-inch concentric coil at 7.5 kHz. (by the way, the letter preceeding the serial number on the coil indicates the frequency. L is low at 3 kHz, M is medium at 7.5 kHz and H is high at 18.75 kHz.) Where the proper Ground Balance is set (to operate properly in your soil) will give me an indication as to whether you might need a DD coil or not. When you properly ground balance your X-70 with the stock coil, if the GB number is 28 or higher, the concentric should be fine. If, however, your GB number is less than 28, the effects of your soil mineralization would be better "neutralized" by using a DD coil. Since you indicated that you were looking for relics and are willing to put in the time it takes to learn any new detector, I'd recommend the 10.5-inch DD at 7.5 kHz. It is a bit heavier than the stock 9-inch. But it covers more ground with each sweep, separate targets well, and will hunt deeper than the concentric in mineralized areas. Don't misinterpret me. The DD coil can be used effectively anywhere. But the inherit design characteristics of a DD coil are such that the effects of highly mineralized soil are reduced. JMHO HH Randy

 

[RonNH]

Welcome to the Forum, you made a good choice for a detector. I don't hunt for relics specifically, but do a lot of field hunting in moderately mineralized ground. I use the 10.5 DD about 90% of the time and have dug Colonial buttons down to 12". I use the 6" 18kHz DD coil around cellar holes because of the iron and it does a great job on those sites. Your ground / hunting situation may be different down in Va. Best of luck, Ron

 

[nugget71]

I attack things from a different angle compared to the other more mature guys on this forum and try to keep things as basic as possible. Your 18.75kHz DD 10.5 is great for the beach and is HOT on small gold so you could use it to go prospecting as well. The 6" DD coil you have is great in very trashy and tight areas and perfect for working shallow creeks and river beds. Don't worry your 6" DD its fully water proof just make sure your control box stays away from the water . I use my stock coil for coins and silver in grassy areas like parks, playgrounds and schools. My only advice to you is to play around with your machine and do some tests to get familiar with it There are plenty of cool dudes and geeks here to answer any questions . Last of all have some fun and we want to see you post some pictures of your cool finds
Cheers!

 

[kcarter4x4]

Thanks again for everyones advice. I guess the more I use my machine the better I will become. This site is a great. Thanks and happy detecting.

Cheers
Kevin