X-terra Elite headphones and beachcombing.

[Dragonrider]

Greetings everyone. I am fairly new to metal detecting. I am recently retired and have always wanted to get into this hobby. I started out with a tejnetics Omega 8500 which worked well but was pretty useless for beaches. After seeing posts and recommendations on here I decided to go with the minelab Elite. Have not even assembled it yet but just had a couple of quick questions.

As far as wireless headphones go, do I really need to spend close to $200 to get specific ones or will any wireless headphone work?

Secondly, just looking for any tips as far as beachcombing goes. I love that it has presets for it which should make it easier and I understand I should go through the ground balance before using it. Any other suggestions or help as far as beachcombing is concerned would be very greatly appreciated! Thanks for any and all help.

 

[Dirt Duke]

Greetings everyone. I am fairly new to metal detecting. I am recently retired and have always wanted to get into this hobby. I started out with a tejnetics Omega 8500 which worked well but was pretty useless for beaches. After seeing posts and recommendations on here I decided to go with the minelab Elite. Have not even assembled it yet but just had a couple of quick questions.

As far as wireless headphones go, do I really need to spend close to $200 to get specific ones or will any wireless headphone work?

Secondly, just looking for any tips as far as beachcombing goes. I love that it has presets for it which should make it easier and I understand I should go through the ground balance before using it. Any other suggestions or help as far as beachcombing is concerned would be very greatly appreciated! Thanks for any and all help.

I use waterproof headphones on the saltwater beaches because waves and blowing water put the wireless headphones at risk. The Thresher waterproof phones are great.
As for wireless headphones, the Minelab ML85s are your best bet since the Minelab Elite uses a proprietary Bluetooth version. Regular Bluetooth headphones will not work with the Elite unless you go with kludged up adapters - tried that and found it wasn't a great solution. The ML85 phones are the way to go.

 

[Dragonrider]

Thank you for your suggestion. I'll probably go with the wireless ones. I looked at the thresher which look really nice but I think the wireless would be better.

As a newbie, I'm really hoping that the preset on the elite for the beach will be all I really have to do until I get more familiar with the unit. I won't be able to test it until late July when we head to Cape cod for 2 weeks.

If anyone else has this unit and has any suggestions or tips it would be very much appreciated. Going to order the headphones now. Thanks again!

 

[Confetrit]

Greetings everyone. I am fairly new to metal detecting. I am recently retired and have always wanted to get into this hobby. I started out with a tejnetics Omega 8500 which worked well but was pretty useless for beaches. After seeing posts and recommendations on here I decided to go with the minelab Elite. Have not even assembled it yet but just had a couple of quick questions.

As far as wireless headphones go, do I really need to spend close to $200 to get specific ones or will any wireless headphone work?

Secondly, just looking for any tips as far as beachcombing goes. I love that it has presets for it which should make it easier and I understand I should go through the ground balance before using it. Any other suggestions or help as far as beachcombing is concerned would be very greatly appreciated! Thanks for any and all help.

I just got the Elite myself, and I'm in the same boat. I have assembled mine, but I haven't had a chance as of yet to use it.

 

[Dragonrider]

I just got the Elite myself, and I'm in the same boat. I have assembled mine, but I haven't had a chance as of yet to use it.

That's awesome! I wish you the best of luck with it. You're probably not a newbie like I am but one of the main reasons I went with the elite was because of the presets. I'm a retired test engineer so I'm well versed in electronics and so on, but I got to admit when I read the manual and all of the different settings and descriptions my brain gets numb LOL. I think one of the hardest things that will take getting used to is the bar graph that indicates what you are detecting.

I decided to go with the ml80 wireless headphones because I guess they are slightly better than the 85 and they also come with a nice case which will be handy. The wife and I might actually go down to the cape for a weekend where we normally stay for 2 weeks just to get away and it would give me a chance to test it out and at least get familiar with it.

I wish you the best of luck my friend! Happy hunting!

 

[Confetrit]

That's awesome! I wish you the best of luck with it. You're probably not a newbie like I am but one of the main reasons I went with the elite was because of the presets. I'm a retired test engineer so I'm well versed in electronics and so on, but I got to admit when I read the manual and all of the different settings and descriptions my brain gets numb LOL. I think one of the hardest things that will take getting used to is the bar graph that indicates what you are detecting.

I decided to go with the ml80 wireless headphones because I guess they are slightly better than the 85 and they also come with a nice case which will be handy. The wife and I might actually go down to the cape for a weekend where we normally stay for 2 weeks just to get away and it would give me a chance to test it out and at least get familiar with it.

I wish you the best of luck my friend! Happy hunting!

Dragon rider, first and foremost, a Big Welcome to You to the forum and to the best hobby ever, Metal Detecting, from Georgia. I have been detecting off and on since 1981. I am primarily a relic hunter, but my wife and I also enjoy beach hunting when we get a chance. I'm a lil' older now having turned 69 in Feb. I bought the Elite after watching many videos on Utube and talking with some that own and use either the Elite or the Pro. I was looking for a detector that is a little less weight than my Minelab Safari. The Safari is a great overall detector, but is just a little heavy swinging after a while. I am right handed and I have torn my right rotator cup plus my right bicep. I did the very same thing to my left shoulder and arm back in 2020. I liked the weight of the Elite plus all of the features that it offers, especially for the pricepoint. In my opinion the Elite is hard to beat for all the technology and thought that went I into producing this detector. Certainly a lot of bang for the bucks so to speak. You may have already done this, but I went on Minelabs website and downloaded the manual. I like to put the sheets in the protective plastic covers and put them in a notebook. This greatly helps me to study this thoroughly and is a great reference tool regarding the detector. I was very impressed with the quality build of the Elite. I hope you and your wife have a Safe trip to Cape Cod, and I wish you the very best of luck with your new Elite on the beach. I look forward to seeing posts of your finds and Saves from Cape Cod. Kevin (Confetrit')

 

[Dragonrider]

Hello Kevin my name is Frank. It is a pleasure to meet a southern gentleman such as yourself. So you've been detecting for over 40 years. That is amazing! You have totally convinced me that I made the right choice by getting the elite. I also downloaded the manual and placed it into a binder but I really like your idea of individual plastic covers especially if I take it to the beach with me as a reference so I'm going to steal that idea! I'll be 69 in October so I'm only 8 months behind you I guess that makes both of us a couple of old farts LOL.

I'm so excited to begin using this. Being completely new to it I am at this point more concerned about using it correctly. As long as I use it correctly and I don't find anything that's one thing but if I don't find anything because I don't know what I'm doing that will really be disappointing. I am really hoping the presets for the beach will work out well. I would like to ask that as you become experienced with this, if I may pose a question to you now and again. I don't know if you can directly message someone on this site, but if you can may I message you with a question now and again?

Thank you for being so friendly and sharing with me. I hope both of your arms and shoulders are doing well now. I've been cursed with heart issues. I have five stents and I've had two ablations due to bad AFib. But hey I'm doing okay for the most part and that's all that matters.

Thank you again Kevin. You really have been most kind.

 

[fwcrawford]

That's awesome! I wish you the best of luck with it. You're probably not a newbie like I am but one of the main reasons I went with the elite was because of the presets. I'm a retired test engineer so I'm well versed in electronics and so on, but I got to admit when I read the manual and all of the different settings and descriptions my brain gets numb LOL. I think one of the hardest things that will take getting used to is the bar graph that indicates what you are detecting.

I decided to go with the ml80 wireless headphones because I guess they are slightly better than the 85 and they also come with a nice case which will be handy. The wife and I might actually go down to the cape for a weekend where we normally stay for 2 weeks just to get away and it would give me a chance to test it out and at least get familiar with it.

I wish you the best of luck my friend! Happy hunting!

I may be wrong, but I do not think the ML-80 wireless headphones will work on the Xterra Elite or the Xterra Pro.
They are for the Equinox 600/800/ and Vanquish metal detectors.
The ML-85’s are for use with the Equinox 700/900/XTP/XTE, and I believe can be used with the Manticore also.
Others may confirm or correct me on this.
Just wanted to give you a heads up…

 

[Dragonrider]

Thanks for the heads up! I'll give mine lab a call tomorrow and verify compatibility. Much appreciated thank you!

 

[Old Longhair]

That's awesome! I wish you the best of luck with it. You're probably not a newbie like I am but one of the main reasons I went with the elite was because of the presets. I'm a retired test engineer so I'm well versed in electronics and so on, but I got to admit when I read the manual and all of the different settings and descriptions my brain gets numb LOL. I think one of the hardest things that will take getting used to is the bar graph that indicates what you are detecting.

I decided to go with the ml80 wireless headphones because I guess they are slightly better than the 85 and they also come with a nice case which will be handy. The wife and I might actually go down to the cape for a weekend where we normally stay for 2 weeks just to get away and it would give me a chance to test it out and at least get familiar with it.

I wish you the best of luck my friend! Happy hunting!

Cancel your order if you still can. The ML-80 headphones won't work (they won't pair) with the X-Terra series. You need either the ML-85 or ML-105 phones.

 

[Dragonrider]

Never got around to ordering it was going to do it today so you my friend are a life saver.

 

[Dirt Duke]

I may be wrong, but I do not think the ML-80 wireless headphones will work on the Xterra Elite or the Xterra Pro.
They are for the Equinox 600/800/ and Vanquish metal detectors.
The ML-85’s are for use with the Equinox 700/900/XTP/XTE, and I believe can be used with the Manticore also.
Others may confirm or correct me on this.
Just wanted to give you a heads up…

You are correct, FW. ML80s will not work with the Elite or Pro. ML80s use standard Bluetooth, not the proprietary Bluetooth used by the Elite & Pro.

 

[Dragonrider]

First I want to thank everyone who has been so helpful to this newbie. I'm so excited too begin using my new detector. I really look forward to being a contributing member to this great forum.

To anyone that owns the ml-85 headphones, do you know if there is a case that I can maybe purchase from Amazon that would fit it? The one I almost bought comes with a case but apparently the 85 doesn't.

 

[Confetrit]

Never got around to ordering it was going to do it today so you my friend are a life saver.

Frank, (Dragonrider), it is a pleasure to meet you also. That was a great call by some of our members concerning the wireless headphones. I'm glad this was caught before you placed your order. You will be able to get the correct headphones, no fuss, no muss. You have probably watched many videos on the Elite, but Calabash Digger has a pretty good video on the Elite for simplifying the start up use and the overall search modes, etc. It's pretty good if you haven't already seen it. I believe you'll like the forum here, a lot of great folks with experience who are eager to help anyone with questions. Don't worry about being a newbie. All of us here were once newbies, just like everything else. Just enjoy being out, and have fun using the Elite. Again, like anything else, the more you use and study up on the Elite, the better you'll get. No.#1 though is have fun. I'm glad that your heart health is doing well. We all have some sort of issues as we age, (old farts, Lol), but this is a hobby that can help keep us outside and active. I'll bet when yall get back from the beach your wife will want you to place another order for a metal detector. Again, I wish for you and your wife safe travels to and from Cape Cod and have a Great time finding lots of treasure and eat some fresh Seafood. Kevin (Confetrit')

 

[fwcrawford]

First I want to thank everyone who has been so helpful to this newbie. I'm so excited too begin using my new detector. I really look forward to being a contributing member to this great forum.

To anyone that owns the ml-85 headphones, do you know if there is a case that I can maybe purchase from Amazon that would fit it? The one I almost bought comes with a case but apparently the 85 doesn't.

I believe the ML-85’s do come with case, a charging cord, and a cord to connect them to your detector if the battery dies while out detecting.

 

[Confetrit]

Frank, (Dragonrider), it is a pleasure to meet you also. That was a great call by some of our members concerning the wireless headphones. I'm glad this was caught before you placed your order. You will be able to get the correct headphones, no fuss, no muss. You have probably watched many videos on the Elite, but Calabash Digger has a pretty good video on the Elite for simplifying the start up use and the overall search modes, etc. It's pretty good if you haven't already seen it. I believe you'll like the forum here, a lot of great folks with experience who are eager to help anyone with questions. Don't worry about being a newbie. All of us here were once newbies, just like everything else. Just enjoy being out, and have fun using the Elite. Again, like anything else, the more you use and study up on the Elite, the better you'll get. No.#1 though is have fun. I'm glad that your heart health is doing well. We all have some sort of issues as we age, (old farts, Lol), but this is a hobby that can help keep us outside and active. I'll bet when yall get back from the beach your wife will want you to place another order for a metal detector. Again, I wish for you and your wife safe travels to and from Cape Cod and have a Great time finding lots of treasure and eat some fresh Seafood. Kevin (Confetrit')

I meant to add earlier that you can feel free to hit me up anytime, whether it may be a question, with a joke, or just to share some stories. I by far know it all, but myself like many others on the forum here would be glad to help with any questions, as you have already learned.

 

[Dragonrider]

Thank you Kevin! I'm going to watch the video by Calabash digger that was suggested. This really is a great community! Do you know if it is allowed or even possible to direct message a member? I kind of looked but didn't see a way to do it.

I put the detector together today. I like the way it feels. Doesn't have a lot of weight. I bought the kit I guess you could call it so I got the pin pointer, a saw edged digger, carriers for both, the travel bag to hold it all, and the sand scoop. I got to figure out a way to carry the sand scoop lol. Don't really want to just carry it in my left hand so going to come up with a way I can clip it to a belt loop.

 

[Confetrit]

Thank you Kevin! I'm going to watch the video by Calabash digger that was suggested. This really is a great community! Do you know if it is allowed or even possible to direct message a member? I kind of looked but didn't see a way to do it.

I put the detector together today. I like the way it feels. Doesn't have a lot of weight. I bought the kit I guess you could call it so I got the pin pointer, a saw edged digger, carriers for both, the travel bag to hold it all, and the sand scoop. I got to figure out a way to carry the sand scoop lol. Don't really want to just carry it in my left hand so going to come up with a way I can clip it to a belt loop.

I don't get a chance to go beach hunting all that often, but when I do I usually just sling the sand scoop over my left shoulder, being right handed. To me it's more comfortable than trying to carry the scoop down by your side, less stress on your arm. Just a thought.

 

[Dragonrider]

Actually I like that idea! So did you just tie a strap to it or something like that and hang it off your shoulder?

 

[Confetrit]

Actually I like that idea! So did you just tie a strap to it or something like that and hang it off your shoulder?

No sir, I just lay it over my shoulder naturally. Pretty comfortable and out of the way while you are swinging the coil.