XT 705 10 day trials

[ky digger]

A short history here adds to the question. I have been detecting regularly since 1972. I've had every brand of machine there is, including a couple you probably never heard about. I know detectors reasonably well. I have an E-trac that I graduated to from an SE two years ago. I decided I wanted to approach present day detecting with two routines. First, I detect most sites in the USA with the E-trac which is like a vacuum cleaner on most targets that are in the open (not surrounded by iron or extremely deep). Second, I use a 705 with the 18kz concentric coil for targets close to iron, or the 3kz concentric coil with a slow sweep for targets beyond normal depth. At least that was the plan.

On a 10 day trip to the UK this month I used the 18kz coil for about 50 hours in iron infested areas thinking that the faster response would be the right choice. Understand that this was my 17th or 18th trip to England for detecting. I was detecting with sophisticated users, the best of which were using Fisher F75's or E Tracs. I usually work with the E trac in these situations and often excel when the final results are tabulated. Not this time. Looking back on the experience at the end of the trip I realized that the 705 did not get any depth. The hammered coins I found were all either surface or within an inch or two of the surface.

To digress just a bit, I have also used the 3kz coil several times in the USA (where I expect to continue using it) and realized no appreciable depth over the stock E trac multi frequency coil.

My question is this. I will need to make a substantial commitment of time going forward in order to determine if I am on the right track with my expectations of the 705. I decided to simply ask the question here of practiced 705 users. Are my performance expectations of better depth and iron separation unreasonable for the 705? Will I have to get larger DD coils and if so what does that do to the weight? Should I reasonably expect to match or exceed the performance of a Fisher 705 (for any Fisher F75 users out there who also have a 705) with the Xterra? Or should I target a different machine to get those items that we all know many other detectors will not reach or separate from iron?

 

[goldseeker4000]

ky digger, don't loose faith in your 705, I have dug coins at 7 and even 9 inches with my x-terra 705. I was using the 6" DD HF. I was suprised at the depth I got with it. but the 3KHZ 10" should be a good coil for depth. Where did you have your sinsetivity set? If you have it set too high, you can actually loose depth. If you jack it up to where it becomes unstable and then back it off to the point it is stable then that isthe correct sensitivity level for depth. you can also look at detecting in prospecting mode and see if that increases depth. Noise cancel will also effect depth if it is not set correctly. I was missing alot of old coins and deep ones cause I was hunting in #2 hunting mode and then found out that I should hunt in all metal, that gave me alot more depth. I also unmasked all of the TIDs from 4 thru 46 because hunting in #2 mode factory preset, I was missing alot of old coins such as V nickels, 3 cent pieces and wheaties and much more. digger has on the freqiency asked question section of 705 forum a section titled what have you been passing over with 705. He has listed all targets and their TID numbers. I then unmasked all of those numbers on mode 2 and left all negative numbers and 48 madked. It helped alot. but hunting in all metal with tones set on 99 is better and listening to th sound to determine if it is a good target instead of relying on the LCD screen. If I want to hit really deep targets I will use my GPX4000 even though it is designed for hunting gold nuggets. With th DD coil I have Iron mask descrimination which only works down to 6". I found a clasp from an atv winch at 3 ft down with 11" DD coil.

 

[Digger]

You indicate you had better luck on past hunts with the E-TRAC. Based on what I've read about the UK hunts, the three major factors affecting the performance between the E-TRAC and the X-705 would include ground balance, sensitivity and coils. The E-TRAC does not require ground balance as it constantly monitors the mineralization and ignores the effects of the ground. The X-TERRA can accomplish much of the same by using the Tracking mode. Beach Tracking might even work better as it resets more quickly. Secondly, the E-TRAC has Auto-Sensitivity option. As goldseeker4000 suggests, you could very well of had your Sensitivity set too high for the soil conditions. It would have been interesting to have asked one of the E-TRAC users what their Sensitivity reading displayed. Third is the coil choice. The FBS detectors are equipped with DD coils. By design, DD coils operate much better in highly mineralized soils than concentrics. They operate more stabiliy, separate targets better and will hunt deeper than a concentric (in highly mineralized soil). And again, from what I've read, mineralization in the UK is quite high.

With all that said, if I were going to make that trip and I was going to use the 705, I'd make sure I had both the 6-inch DD at 18.75 kHz as well as one of the 10-inch DD coils. I'd chose DD coils due to the mineralization known in that part of the world. I'd use the larger coil in the open areas and the smaller coil in those areas with a high concentration of targets. (better separation). And I'd opt for the higher frequency due to 18.75 kHz being more sensitive to smaller targets.


In response to your last question as to whether you need to get another machine? If you had good luck in the past with your E-TRAC, those around you using their E-TRACs were having success and you still own an E-TRAC, why would you need another machine? Especially now that you know how to improve the performance of your X-705. Next year, take them both and do some "head to head" comparisons to see how they stack up. JMHO HH Randy

 

[ky digger]

I was runniing sens between 18 and 20 most of the time. I ran this level because I also had an E trac with me that registered those numbers on the auto sens gauge. If you have owned an E trac you know that it has two limitations. First, the recovery after passing over iron is not fast enough to pick up a nearby coin, particularly in Britain. The E trac users did not get competitive returns when compared to the F75 in iron infested fields. Second, the E trac will not recover deep coins (below 8 inches) in mineralized soil in KY. I've had the standard Explorer and then the Se, both of which would recover items approximately 1 to 1.5 inches deeper than the E trac. My question is whether or not the 705 will get coins below 8 inches in KY, and whether it will spot a coin next to an iron piece.

It is beginning to sound as though I need to get a larger DD coil if I want to accomplish my objectives.

.

 

[digmeahole]

From everthing i have read the the higher freq coils may not give you an advantage when looking for coins and that a MF DD is the best choice..... Is this info incorrect sooo confusing!!!!

 

[kirk01]

I'm digging dimes with the much overlooked 9" concentric 7.5 kHz MF coil at 8 to 9 inches.
Moderate soil ( 40-60 ) sensitivity 28.

Good Hunting

Denny

 

[ky digger]

Thanks Denny,

Are you sweeping at a slow pace? And is the machine noisy at 28 sens?

 

[Thisoldgoldchaser]

In heavy mineralized soil you almost need to use a DD coil to get good depth. The 10 inch DD either at 18mhz or the medium freq will work well. I had good luck with both in Colorado which is high in mineralization also. The only detector I had that did somewhat better or as well in mineralization was my Whites MXT. I had an Etrac as well but I never really got the hang of it. Personally I think the 705 is one of the best all around detectors there is. My opinion of course and from experience but I know others wont necessarily agree and not wanting to start a fight. But I do think you can get good depth with your 705 by going to one of the 10 inch DD coils.

 

[goldseeker4000]

ky digger, I would like you to try something. try hunting in AM mode and set on 99 tones, after ground balancing set sensitv, start at 15 as digger told me and pump the coil up and down and raise the sens til it becomes chirpy and then back it off til it is quiet, then return to search mode. If you get target next to ironrun it in AMand if the tones turn to a mix of low tones it is iron or trash. something you can try also is run in ground tracking and also switch to prospecting mode. do a text of your good targets with the iron mask and keep cranking up the mask to see if you loose any of your targets. This way you will know which of your good targets drop out and are kasked if at all. By switching to prospecting mode, I am confident you will be able to separate out a good coin from iron. The prospecting mode is designed to do just that in highly trashed areas when looking for gold nuggets. I did a test on a 1 grain piece of gold I found right after I found it I put it back in the hole and then cranked up the Iron mask and each time I upped a notch I would pass over the tiny gold nugget. I was able to crank it up to max of 20 and I was still picking up the gold loud and clear. Give it a try with some tests with some of your coins you have found and especially all coins you have found in the UK. the prospecting mode does go deep. And I agree with digger on the high frnz coils. I really like the little 6" HF DD. Also if it is really bad in Uk you can hunt in prospecting mode and if it still is bad you can use the ground balance offset to compensate for mineralization and still get good depth. You have many options to try with the 705.

 

[ky digger]

Thanks for the info seeker. I will try it..........