Learning the MineLab X-Terra 705

[goldenIrishman]

Ok folk, here's the deal.

Robi and I were loaned a brand new MineLab X-Terra 705 by a friend of hers and I need to learn how to use the thing to our best advantage. The hows and whys he loaned it to us is a long story which I'll not bore you with. I've read all the instructions that came with it (some sections were about as clear as mud) and now I'd like to hear from other people that are using the same machine for detecting gold. This particular unit has the 18.75 Khz DD coil on it and the instructions were written for the standard concentric coil. I understand the advantages of the DD coil but there were no changes listed in the instructions for when it's in use. I know this model isn't optimized for hunting gold, but I'm not going to argue with free access to a detector.

Any tips or tricks that would be easy for a beginner to use would be a great help. We plan on using the detector to try and locate better places to dig for our sluicing operation and we are currently working in the area around Greaterville, AZ.

 

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[DesertNuggets]

I can't stress reading the manual enough. Read it a few times. That machine has a TON of features and even some undocumented tricks. I'd keep the manual in my back pocket on my first few hunts.

Turn off Auto Ground Tracking when you find a target and don't turn it back on until you're ready to start hunting again. If you leave it on the machine might tune out the target as mineralization.

 

[goldenIrishman]

Thanks DN. That's a handy little bit of information on the Auto ground tracking. The manual goes with us to the field as well as the "quick start" card.

You mentioned "undocumented" stuff. Could you explain that a little more?

 

[Lanny in AB]

Check out youtube--there's some great little videos to get you started (plus some links to Minelab videos on the 705 as well).

Learn how to adjust it for electronic interference. Learn how to ground balance it (critical for gold hunting). If you want to coin shoot instead, search for ID/Tone charts (youtube; the Internet [google target ID charts] and learn the numbers--they come in quite handy for visual ID.

The 705 is a hot little machine. Practice with varying targets to get the idea on those target ID numbers and to learn where the sweet spot is under that elliptical coil.

If you don't know what the "Minelab wiggle" is, Google that or youtube it as well. That will help you pinpoint much better.

Putting it in all metal when you find a target in coin mode can really help with pinpointing as well. And yes, learn how to use the pinpoint function on the machine too.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[goldenIrishman]

Thanks Lanny! I'll check out the videos ASAP.

So far we've taken it out to our dig site once in an effort to locate some good pockets. We've been working the area for awhile and have been getting pretty good color, but more color is always better. On our first trip we took samples where we got good hits in gold mode and brought them back to the house to process. Out of 8 buckets we cleaned out about a 1/2 gram of gold, several pieces of heavy wire as well as several pieces of lead. I can understand the lead being that deep as they were bullet fragments but the wire surprised me as they were about 1 foot deep in the wall of the wash we're working. They had to have been there for a really long time. This area is also known for some really nice nuggets and I hope to start finding some of them soon.

Thanks again for the tips and I'll keep everyone posted on progress/finds made with the X-Terra. So far I'm liking this machine as it's light, well balanced and a lot easier to swing than my weed whacker which I'll be swinging most of the day today.