X-terra 50 Yesterday

[Larry--IndianaHVAC]

I managed to get out for an hour with the xterra today and can say this machine continues to impress me. I went the top of a small hill that this farmer owns and said people use to camp there in the 40's. I have hunted this small area numerous times over the years and in fact I sectioned it off and use to take different coils there on the Explorer to test. The last few test brought nothing. Today I thought if I took the xterra there and found anything, it would be a miracle. I wasn't there for 5 minutes when I got a signal of 12 in the all metal mode. I dug a 1925 Buffalo from 4 inches. This soil is terrible with lots of rusted out nails and bunches of cinders. I then found a 1912 V nickel which read a 15 (first nickel that has not read 12), again lots of iron. My last find was a mercury dime again lots of iron and down about 4 inches. I have run the Explorer of this area in wide open iron mask before and just can't explain how I never got these 3 coins. I am only talking an area maybe 30x40 at most. If someone asked me that they only had $600 to spend on a new detector I would have to say buy the X-terra 50. I am not telling any BS here as this has to be the best machine I've ever used in this range. I'll probably catch hell from Minelab but I will go as far as saying, Minelab you made a machine that is going to take away a lot of your sales on the high end machines! This detector is AWESOME

 

[AgileMJOLNIR]

Larry,
it's interesting you say that, but I am also not suprised. I have been reading peoples hands on experiences with the 50 and they all pretty much say the same thing. Maybe this is a sign of thigns to come with a new and improved Explorer III someday.

All I can say is that the only thing negative I have heard of this machine is it has no backlight. BIG DEAL!

 

[Larry--IndianaHVAC]

I have to agree no biggie on the backlight. The display is certainly big enough to see in low light conditions though. This machine has just been an overall joy to use if not just for the light-weight of it. I am eager to try the new coils when they come out. If this stock 9 does this well in mineralization I can't imagine what the DD is going to do. It has been a most impressive machine. I haven't had a machine impress me like this since the Explorer first came out. Minelab is surely on the right track!!

 

[Rick(ND)]

Sounds like you did good Larry.
I got mine in today and had to try it, will say there will be a learning curve too, but not a hard one from the way it looks.
I just wanted to ask you if you notice any target that bounces around several number ever any good. I dug many of trash today that would read 27-33 and were trash, got some at 12-15 and they were trash. I did get some harness rivets and would you believe what looks like buckshot that was a good 4 or 5 inches down. 3 rusty nails in one hole that read between 18-45 and very weak 43-45 that was a rusty nail at around 11 inches. I also found a very old spoon that is just silver plated, but could tell it was a longer item. My surprise came from a area I worked with my Sovereign and went back with the Explorer and just got trash. I took the X-Terra there and got a decent signal that was bouncing a bit, but sounded so good right beside one of my old plugs. I dug a merc and a silver rosie and still had another signal with my Uniprobe and down about another inch or 2 was a rusty bolt, so the X-TERRA was able to see the coins on top of the bolt, very impressive.

Rick

 

[Jackpine Savage]

Larry & Rick..

Have either of you guys checked the effect of sensitivity settings on depth in a test garden (not air)yet? Also what sensitivity setting did each of you use in the iron? Rick did you have it cranked up, just low enough to prevent most of the iron falsing, or something else?

Ya better watch out Rick, your wife may just lay claim to that X-T 50. Best keep it a secret or get another for you.


Thanks and HH Tom

 

[Larry--IndianaHVAC]

Rick, I found the jumping numbers that just don't "sound solid" are usually trash. When I get a signal that sounds iffy, its usually just that. I find that when its got a crackle to it especially a 42 to 45 which is jumping it has always turned out to be a piece of larger iron trash. Usually you can tell by being in the all metal mode but occassionly like yesterday, I had a 3/4 steel pipe which was some sort of stake that showed up smaller in the pinpoint and all metal so I dug. I also have learned those old iron washers about an inch in diameter will give that broken crackle sound but the numbers will jump 42-45 and have learned to trust what the machine is saying. If the jump is happening in the 33 to 39 range its usually a coin. Jumping in the lower range of 9 to 15 always ends up as foil for me. A lock on of 12 or 15 ends up nickels usually and the 9 lock seems to be more a shred of aluminum can. Of course those rings can fall into any of those as any other machine. This machine gets easier to learn with each use. The learning curve sure isn't long but there is one for the numbers and sounds. Once you figure that not so solid of a tone out you'll know what I'm talking about.

 

[Dave Z]

Just by looking at finds from the different fourms.The Shadow X5s for example find a lot of mini's(mid range stuff)and brass.Exploders find a lot of dimes and you see hardly any gold,nickels or small brass targets.I was hunting with Charles from Upstate a few years ago.He's very good with the Explorer.I had a deep mid range target on my DFX and let him check it.He didn't get a peep on it.It was a small piece of lead about 7" down.You have an exploder,how many foil-ring-nickel targets do you dig that are deep.The DFX also seems hotter on brass/nickel targets.I dig shotgun shells at the 10" range all the time.When I had an XLT I never found any below 6".Dave

 

[Larry--IndianaHVAC]

Won't argue the dfx is a fine machine in the right hands and the right programs. Pretty much like any other detector. I think the Xterra is going to open a lot of eyes though. I just sold my dfx but will buy another come spring as I do test excelerator coils for it. My season will be over in a month and a few more of my toys will be up for sale.

 

[NIBBLER]

Just wondering what is involed in setting the ground balance?

 

[Digger]

I set the ground balance a bit differently than the manual suggests. I figure it is better to make sure there isn't any metal under the coil first. So, I turn on the detector, with the coil out in front of me, and put it in the all metal mode. (By the way, it has to be in all metal to set the ground balance) Then I sweep over a small area to make sure that the ground is clear of metal. Once I find a spot, I press the Ground Balance button and place the coil over it, about 4 or 5 inches in the air. I move the coil toward the ground making sure to not actually touch the ground, and listen for a tone. Continue bobbing the coil up and down as you make your adjustments. As the coil moves up and down, you will either hear a high pitched tone or a low pitched tone. The idea of ground balancing is to neutralize that tone. If the tone is high, you need to press the - button until the tone is virtually gone. If it is a low tone, you need to press the + button until the tone is gone. As I said, the proper ground balance setting is when the tones neutralize each other and kind of null out. After proper ground balancing, push the Pinpoint/Detect button and start detecting. It sounds complicated, but once you do it a couple times, and hear the tones, you will be able to set the ground balance in about 3 seconds. HH Randy

 

[NIBBLER]

Thanks digger.I perfer detectors with some type of ground balance.
I got to get me one .I'm well over due.Its been about 7 months since my last detector purchase.

Thanks again.
NIBBLER

 

[Steve(MS)]

I have found nickels 8" down with my Exploder and I am sure that there are other detectors out there that will do a bit better on low conductive targets but there are many whites users that simply don't like the dfex and would rather use a IDX, MXT, XLT. I am sure though that the dfex is a fine machine and if I had unlimited funds, I would try the dfex and many others as well. Regards,
Steve(MS)

 

[Des Dunne]

Randy,

Technically speaking, you are not correct:
The Ground Balance for the X-Terra 50 is independent of discrimination, regardless of whether in All Metal or a Pattern.
So, turn on, Pattern 1,2 or All-Metal, it doesn't matter, press the GB button, wait till the tones equate/null/balance by pushing the - and/or + buttons and that's it. You are right in saying it just takes a few seconds.
If you can't GB right away on regular ground, reduce sensitivity and try again.
Good Hunting and enjoy your new Minelab X-Terra 50

Des Dunne
Field Application Specialist
Minelab International
Ireland

 

[Monte]

with the X-Terra 50. That is "reduce the sensitivity and try again."

I almost always operate a detector at maximum sensitivity UNLESS it is just too noisy (unstable) and then I slowly reduce it.

With my X-Terra 50 I can usually hunt at full sensitivity and GB reasonably well as long as I am in factory Pattern 1 or, my preference is to set pattern 1 to only reject the -9 and -6 segments. That is enough to help handle a little bit of ground signal as well.

I will switch between Pattern 1 and All Metal when hunting an open area and IF IT IS VERY MINERALIZED then it can be a little noisy in All Metal if the ground is very "textured" (furrows, bumps, etc.), or if I raise and lower the coil during the sweep. If I plan on hunting mainly in All metal and/or if the X-Terra 50 is noisy in operation, I have to reduce the sensitivity to the point where I can GB and it remains stable when the coil is swept.

Perhaps a DD coil could improve this phenomena, we will have to see.

But nonetheless, a maximum setting of 20 is far more than the factory preset sensitivity setting and the X-Terra 50 will easily GB in most environments without a hitch at the factory setting or a little more. I am just one of those people who push it top the limit.

Thanks for adding to the forum conversations. There is no doubt that we're just seeing the start of activity on this new Minelab X-Terra Forum because when these excellent units get into the hands of all the consumers, it's going to be a buzzin' over here!!

Now, it's time to get out the door and see what my X-Terra 50;s going to help me find today

Monte

 

[BJ in Okla.]

I found a Merc dime in heavy iron trash,with my Explorer ll,it was standing stright up, about 4" deep. After I uncorvered the dime, we checked it with another Explorer,a CZ 6A,a Sovereign XS and a DFX. The DRX was the only one that could not see the dime. The DFX was using a 9" hot foot coil. Even a factory prog should have seen that dime. My friend put up his DFX and got out a Classic ID and started finding some good coins. Just last week, I found a wheatie,a nickel and some clad in area that a guy with a DFX has been hunting for 2 mos. My friend with a CZ 6A found a 1944 Merc in a area that the DFX had been over, even my old Sovereign got a good 180 lock on the 44 merc.I dug a 136 on my Sovereign and it showed up in the foil range on the 6A, it was a 1898 "V" nickel. <BR> I have had and used the DFX,MXT,XLT,QXT,IDX,IDX pro,and had a X-5 with the 7" & 9" coils. I have a Sovereign XS and a couple of CZ's. I say, use what works for you and in your area. If I remember right, Whites bought a old pat.# from Minelab to make the DFX, right ? I know the DFX is good, I have a Whites DVD video on the DFX and the guy in the video finds a old US buckle in school play ground. And look at all the weight he lost,lol. HH..BJ

 

[Steve(MS)]

n/t

 

[crazyman]

Over the years I've owned many different Detectors and they all found goodies. Some excelled in areas that others didn't. Just like everyone else I have certain hunting sites that I return to year after year with different machines hoping to pull out one more goodie that the others missed. Sometimes I do and some times I don't I've found stuff with my old Whites 6000 di pro at such sites that have been gone over hard with my Sov., XLT and CZ6 and vice-versa. I've gone back over the same areas with a Shadow X2 and Whites classic III and found additional goodies. None of them go deeper than the Sov. but some are better in iron trash or like my 6000's I've been using for many years, I just know the machine so well. The two machines I've kept and used through the years are the 6000 and Shadow but the new X-terra 50 sounds like it might be a good machine to try for the old lumber mill ghost towns and logging camps that I hunt the most. I'll be ordering one Monday. and if it does as well in these iron infested sites or Victorian home sites I hunt often with my 6000 and shadow then I'll be happy.

 

[Dave Z]

You said he was using the stock program.The factory programs on the DFX are NOT similar to other brands stock programs,THEY SUCK.I remember getting a signal with my DFX last year using one of my tweaked programs.I got a strong signal,it read in the dime range and depth meter said 5".I picked the coil up another 4 or 5" off the ground and still got a signal with a solid VDI.Then just for the hell of it,I loaded all the factory programs to see what kind of signal they would give.NONE of them made a peep.I was a little shocked at just how bad the presets were.You see BJ,all the factory programs are set so a beginner could use them.ALL of the sensitivity settings are turned WAY DOWN.AC sensitivty's are in the 60's.I use an AC of 80.Preamp gains are set at 2,I use 4 all of the time.You would have to set your sensitivity's on your other machines at about 1 of 10 if you want to compare it to the factory programs.Like I said in my post below,a lot of guys just don't ahve a clue to what their doing.How many new guys do you see on the Explorer fourm that can't find anything below 3".I see LOADS of them.After guys help them out and give them programs,they're usually fine.DAve

 

[John(Tx)]

I know I read that somewhere but can't seem to find it. Am I correct to say that it will still id in the all metal mode with both numbers and tone? Thanks, John

 

[Rick(ND)]

The new X-TERRA will ID in the all metal mode along with either of the program modes of the 50. I just don't ID in the pinpoint mode.