X-Terra 70

[gvanvekoven]

Guys I hate to admit defeat - but I just cant figure this fantastic metal detector out. I have read the manual at least a dozen times and watched the CD at least as many times. I have taken it out about 5 times so far and each time, I get so frustrated I end up going back to my old prism. The digital readout bounces around all over the place - and the depth meter doesn't help at all. I can drop a coin on the ground, wave the coil over it, and it will show up 6 or more inches down, then 2, then 4, then 6......all over the place. Sensitivity on 14. A penny will read 34, 36, 38.....a quarter will usually read 42 - same as a soda can. I can find another quarter - same kind of quarter that is - and it will read anywhere from 38 to 42 at the surface. Is depth of the coin or how it is laying in the hole something that will make the readings range so radically? Ground balanced, Noise cancelled, all the 4 patterns (1-3 and all metal), sensitivity turned almost all the way off - doesn't make any difference. Tried both the standard 7.5 and the 18kHz coils (concentric) with the same kind of results. Pinpoint - well if anything within 6 inches of the center of the coil is what Minelab calls "pinpoint" I guess it's working as intended.

What the heck am I doing wrong?
Any advice to check the detector out to see if it might be defective? Troubleshooting methods? If you want to see if your detector is working properly - how would you go about doing it in a methodological foolproof (thats Gary proof) way?

Well - if you can help, I sure would appreciate it. I am new to this machine - and don't hunt with anyone that uses one. I know one person that detects and he uses a garret. He bought his about the same time I got my minelab. He gets a real kick out of watching me with my fantastic machine. He also gets a real kick out of going over the same spots I do with his machine and pulling out coins. O - I also get a lot of ghost signals. I did a hole, wave wave, dig dig, wave wave - etc. then - no signal at all.
Sometimes have to turn pinpoint off, then on again 2 times for it to work.
O BOTHER!!! Another too long message.

 

[seeker41]

ive noticed on the xterra forum that people have had a few problems with the x-terras!! post over there and see what they say. you may have to call sandy(minelab) and send it in for repair.

 

[Mike from MI "Iron Brigade"]

I will PM you an email of a guy that is good with one and should be able to help!

 

[rentasquid]

The numbers that you gave dont sound too unusual. I have an X-50 and the numbers will vary from coin to coin. I do have one coil that sounds like what your having problems with. I bought the 18.75 coil and after using it for a while, it started falsing all the time with the readout jumping all over the place. Once I went back to my stock coil, it started working better. Do you have an extra coil to try? I think their coil is susceptible to moisture. That is the only reason I could figure why my coil crapped out so soon. One of the best guys to talk to about you detector is Digger, who posts on the Minelab boards.

J.

 

[steve in so la]

GV - A large part of successful digging is being comfortable with your machine, maybe the X is not for you. I have kept my old Fisher 1266 for many years because I am comfy with it . steve in so az

 

[Pete in MI]

have you checked the coil covers if you have any? Sometimes dirt particles and/or mositure gets into the coil cover and rattles around between the coil and the cover which will cause a lot of falsing. Just a thought. I have to pull my covers off after each use and find a load of particles in between.

I have known (and done this in the past with a Garrett detector) some that use a silicone sealant to seal the coil cover to the coil so it keeps the particles and moisture out....be sure if you do that you thoroughly clean the coil and cover before putting them together and sealing them...or you'll see the problem in..not out.

Just a thought.

 

[gvanvekoven]

I have learned a bunch from your help notes. I see lots of things I was doing WRONG!!!! I jumped the gun by throwing blame on the machine instead of gathering the facts first. I am going to take the advice given from all of you - and after reading a very interesting post supplied by mike.

Guess what - first thing off - pulled the coil cover off and it was full of sand particles. Dumb Dumb Dumb! Going to use some RTV around it.

Was not going to all metal mode before I ground balanced. Another smart move.

Also - the sandy little island next to the old man (Mississippi) I search in is full of trash objects. Also - wet mud, wet sand, dry sand, hard as a rock dirt all within 30 ft area about 8 acres long. I need a smaller coil for that sort of stuff. Probably the reason I was getting all sort of readings over the same spots.

I wonder - I put the thing in prospecting mode just for kicks. Man that thing was going crazy! Can't be - can it? NAW - heck I cant even figure out to use the thing for coins yet. Gold in the Mississippi - now that would be a real kick in the pants.

I will work through it - I hope. If all else fails, I may send it in to be checked out by the Minelab experts. That will be last ditch.

Thanks again everyone.