X-Terra Setup for newbie???

[edthesped]

Hi I'm looking at ordering the 705 as my first detector. I have wanted a metal detector since I was a kid and am now finally in a position where I can get my long desired toy. I would like to use the detector for relic/coin hunting and will take it to the beach with me on occasion. From what I gather a good coil setup would be to purchase the gold version with the DD 18.75 KHz 10 x 5 coil then purchase the DD 7.5 KHz 10.5 coil. Does this setup sound reasonable? Or is there a better initial setup for a newb? Also, I'm thinking Kellyco as there aren't distributors locally. How are they at handling after sale issues such as defective units and questions? Also, I'm considering letting my 11 and 14 y/o kids use this, how hard are they to break?

Thanks

 

[TURNMASTER]

I recomend buying from a local dealer. Gold machine is ok with the 5 x 10. I like that coil a bunch. However be aware that you will dig more iron with it. I have had no durability problems with my Xterra or coils. Talk to your local dealer and find out what kind of mineralization you have in your area. The stock coil may be just fine. Your 2nd coil is also a good choice but it may not be the best choice. The 3Khz coil may be the one you want. but without knowing the area it is hard to say. The DD coils are good in trash, this will make a difference depending on the type of sites you will hunt.

Jeff

 

[edthesped]

Thanks Turnmaster, I'm in Pittsburgh, PA, old steel town so I expect a ton of garbage, as far a soil type is concerned, I don't really know. Unfortunately Minelab doesn't list any local dealers other than Cabela's and those guys don't know much. My sister has a farm that has a farmhouse that was built in the mid 1800's on the property, as far as she knows it has never been searched, she's been there 10 years and the farm was in the family of the people that sold it to her since the farm house was built, I'm thinking that is where I'm going to break this thing in.

 

[7centsworth]

The -terra 705 is a real good machine. I recommend indian nations a findmall sponsor also . He is cheaper than kelly co and he stands behind what he sales. Yoou can click on his page at the christian forum . I would give him a call though because sometimes he has a special . I know he has a special on the x-terra 505 and 705 right now with the coil you mentioned going on . he just sent me some cool free stuff in the mail the other day. I think the set you mentioned is a good one . All coils and set ups are good in certain situations . I have a 6inch dd and it and the 5x 10 are alot alike . That coil has found many coins that my 9 inch stock coil missed because of the trash. There are alot of good dealers out there . I have dealt with about four of them they all stood behind there stuff and some were alot cheaper not just a few dollars. Just pick a dealer you are comfortable with. Findmall has some really good sponsors that you can not go wrong with. Hope you get what you want and find lots of oldies. Happy hunting.

 

[RKW]

I bought my 705 with the 9", 7.5 kHz concentric coil and, at the same time, I also purchased a 6" DD 18.75 kHz. I use both and like both, but I favor the concentric a bit more for my uses. If, for some reason, it was lost, I would immediately replace it. I have come to really appreciate it. If I was in the market for a 705, I sure wouldn't pass up any smokin' deals that included a 9", 7.5 kHz concentric coil. Having said that, I have both the 18.75 KHz 10 x 5 coil and the DD 7.5 KHz 10.5 coil on order. In my limited experience, I would say the coils you mention are as good any for a beginner. Whatever coil you use, you will learn to interpret what it's trying to tell and to trust it. And you'll have fun!

 

[edthesped]

Thanks all, I ordered the new setup and hope to have it delivered before the weekend so I can get out and play.

 

[Tuco]

Hi,

I am new to this forum but have participated on other prospecting and MD'ing forums.

I have been using an Xterra 705 for about 3 months now. I feel it is a decent detector but my main problem is with Minelab. Currently Minelab is in shambles. there are endless complaints on many forum boards about the level of service and support customers are getting. I myself have been trying to purchase a DD 7.5 KHZ coil for two months and have spoken to many online retailers and they too have complaints about not getting anything from Minelab for months.

I spoke with Minelab Customer service and it took two weeks for them to find one for me. Their own customer service had a hard time finding that particular coil at any of their distributors. I can honestly say I regret purchasing the 705 for these reasons. If I could go back I would have purchase a Whites Spectra V3i. I feel it is a better Detector and Whites service is really good from what I hear.

About your questions about coils. I have the standard 7.5 KHZ coil that comes with the machine. I have the DD 18.5 KHZ Elliptical for prospecting and will soon have the 7.5 kHz DD 10.5 inch coil. I have had more success on beaches with the standard 7.5 coil then the 18.5 DD. I think the 18.5 DD is a good Gold Prospecting coil but the standard coil is good for the beach. If you can order the 7.5 KHZ DD 10.5 inch coil. It should be the coil that you use all the time unless your looking for gold nuggets.

This detector is not for children. You may want to try and ACE 250 for your kids. It is much easier to use and is a solid performer for coin hunting, etc.

KellyCo is probably the best online retailer you can buy from. They are an excellent company and after buying from many online companies I have standardized on them. There is no reason to shop anywhere else. They have great prices and their customer service is impeccable.

Regards...Tuco

 

[David]

Maybe get a X-Terra 305 for your kids then they can use(interchange) some of the same coils from your 705.

I have never had to deal with Minelab's Customer Service for a returned detector, so I do not know. But Minelab is still in full force with a good future as they just came out with 2 brand new detector models within about the last week or two, the GPX-4800 and 5000. I head they are also in the process of moving their Customer Service from Las Vegas to Chicago.

Search for a round 10.5" MF(7.5 kHz) DD coil to buy:
http://www.minelab.com/usa/consumer/where-to-buy

 

[edthesped]

I thought they were manufactured in the USA as well but I'm starting to think I am mistaken. I ordered from Kellyco and they said they should have the 10.5 DD in stock by the end of the week. I see I was charged for the coil along with the 705 so I'm assuming they are expecting them soon else I wouldn't have been charged.

 

[RKW]

I ordered from Kellyco.... I see I was charged for the coil along with the 705 so I'm assuming they are expecting them soon else I wouldn't have been charged.

Maybe, maybe not. My co-worker placed an order for a T-2 with Kellyco and they charged his card though the detector was on back order. Twice they told him it was on the way and twice they had to admit is was still on back order when he insisted they give him the tracking number. After 5 months he canceled the order so he could buy the item elsewhere, and they charged him a restocking fee.

 

[Digger]

I agree that it is frustrating when accessory coil supplies are limited. But that tells me more about the circumstances of owning a popular product than it does Minelab's Customer Service. I also read where some Minelab dealers are complaining about not being able to get product. But again, not being able to get product has little to do with Customer Service and more to do with product popularity and manufacturing not keeping up with demand. I must say I don't understand your reasoning for regretting your purchase of the X-705 simply because it took some time to find the accessory coil you wanted. I am not a Minelab dealer nor have I ever been. But I can't imagine that dealers report accessory sales to any manufacturer whether it is Minelab, Whites, First Texas or Tesoro. For Minelab Customer Service to not know who had a coil in stock does not surprise me. I have used White's detectors since 1972 and agree that their Customer Service is excellent. Their website offers direct sales. But the 6.59 kHz coil I am currently looking for is not listed. When I called them, they were unable to tell me which dealer has them in stock. But them not having a coil, or not knowing where I could buy one, wouldn't keep me from buying a V3i, if I thought it was better than the detectors I already have.

You've only owned the 705 for 3 months and you've not owned a V3i. I'm not sure why you would say that a detector you've never owned is better than one you have. Just because something costs $1000 more, doesn't make it better. Knowing and understanding the functionality of ANY quality detector is worth far more than the online hype or the current availability of accessory coils. I've proven to myself over and over again that the 705 is a truly remarkable detector. In the right hands, it will perform as well as anything out there, and better than most. And if you give it time, you can prove it to yourself. In the meantime, enjoy the fact you paid less than half of what you would have paid for the V3i. JMHO HH Randy

 

[Digger]

Sorry for the late response, as I see you already ordered your X-TERRA. But rest assured you bought a fine detector. One thing I would recommend, however, is to see how the stock coil performs before spending a lot on accessory coils. The reason I say that is because the X-TERRA is unique in that it offers coils in concentric and DD. And some come in one of three different frequencies. I know you said you planned to coin/relic hunt, with an occasional trip to the beach. Knowing the ground phase readings for the stock coil will help determine what might work best for you, at the sites you hunt. Lower frequencies are best suited for higher conductive targets such as silver and copper. Higher frequencies are best suited for lower conductive targets such as gold. Lower frequencies will detect larger targets at greater depths than higher frequency coils. And higher frequency coils are better at detecting smaller targets than lower frequency coils. DD coils are designed to better neutralize the effects of heavy mineralization. If you hunt areas with heavy mineralization, then the DD coils will provide better depth, greater sensitivity and will be more stable. If your soil is not heavily mineralized, then the concentric coils will obtain more depth and give more accurate TID. On the 705, the "break point" for whether I want to use a DD or a concentric is the ground balance number of 28. If I am able to properly GB my 705 and achieve a ground phase number that is greater than 28, I know that a concentric will be my best choice. If when I properly GB my 705 and achieve a ground phase number that is less than 28, I know that the mineralization is high enough that a DD coil will work best. I hunt for old coins at old sites. If I am hunting an area where I need superior target separation, regardless of my GB number, I chose the small 6-inch DD at 18.75 kHz. If I am hunting a wide open area, my preference is the 9-inch concentric at 3 kHz. There is not a better "silver coin killer" combination for the types of places I hunt. JMHO HH Randy

 

[RKW]

From reading old posts from this forum and others I get the impression that the x-terra coil shortage is cyclical and not necessarily specific to the 10" DD 7.5 kHz. Apparently at times the 5X10 elliptical was in short supply. I bought 3 coils besides the 9" concentric that came with the detector. I bought them because I can. I have more money then time. In the end, I find do best so far with the stock coil. For a new 705 owner, practice is much more important than a selection of coils. I sure wouldn't get buyer's remorse over a coil shortage.

 

[Tuco]

Well Digger,

I agree with you that it's a decent Detector but I have been waiting for that particular coil since my MD purchase (few months). I would have liked to have had the coil for several summer trips that have come and gone. It has only been in the last two weeks that I finally took my complaint to Minelab. I didn't expect it to take two weeks for them to find a distributor who has that coil. I did speak with many online vendors and they voiced frustration at not being able to acquire anything from Minelab. One of them in Texas actually stop carry the brand because of these reasons. I also don't want to share everything I discussed with them but they made it clear that things have not been smooth recently.

I also don't think it has anything to do with popularity. I think they have just dropped the ball in the recent organizational changes and their supply chain is broken. They have closed their factory in Ireland and moved production to Malaysia. Although though did say some of their coils are made in the USA, I don't know if I believe them. All I know being a business owner myself is that if I am selling something I better have the proper support behind it. They should know how many units they are selling to make sure that their customer base has access to these accessories.

So I regret purchasing a detector that I can't fully enjoy. Just like my research proved the XTerra was a capable machine my research has led me to believe the V3i is just as good or better. I'm sure I can find one at a price that isn't 1000 dollars more.

Anyway, I'm not the only one complaining. There are a lot of folks that aren't satisfied with Minelab at the moment.

Regards, Tuco.

 

[mapper65]

I'm not making excuses for Minelab but I think I may be able to shed some light on the situation. I'm in a business where we buy and sell industrial electronic type equipment. Many of the suppliers that we buy from are have trouble supplying us with electronic finished goods. What the foreign companies have told us is that when they saw the U.S. market start to tank, their suppliers cut back on making circuit board type components because they felt that the U.S. economy would drop so low that people would not be buying the products that these components were to be used in. They didn't want to have all of these items sitting around with nobody to sell them to.

It's just been within the last month that we are starting to see these suppliers ramp up production again and get back on a regular shipping schedule. It's been really tough for us because a few months ago we were getting lead times of 8-10 weeks on items that used to be in stock available for immediate shipment.

I tend to believe that this is what we may be seeing when it comes to Minelab's lack of product.

 

[edthesped]

I ordered from Kellyco.... I see I was charged for the coil along with the 705 so I'm assuming they are expecting them soon else I wouldn't have been charged.

Maybe, maybe not. My co-worker placed an order for a T-2 with Kellyco and they charged his card though the detector was on back order. Twice they told him it was on the way and twice they had to admit is was still on back order when he insisted they give him the tracking number. After 5 months he canceled the order so he could buy the item elsewhere, and they charged him a restocking fee.

You made me a little nervous with this post. I called Kellyco and mentioned what you posted, they assured me that I could receive a refund without any fees as long as it hasn't shipped yet. I did not ask for a refund so I can't say that it is 100% fact.