Xterra 505 IDs in dirt at depth

[S505]

My detector control box and coil have both been replaced by Minelab. All under warranty at no charge. They indicated 15-20 business days and I received it at 19 business days. I am sure this included down time in Chicago due to the snow storm ~3 weeks ago. I am very happy with their service. I hope to be able to test the new coil/box by this weekend in the same test environment with the same targets . If the drops in ID are gone this experience will sure give credence to the statement that air tests are almost useless. It will also give an alternative valid reason why some users do not find deep coins.

S505

 

[S505]

I repeated the tests today and there is a difference but not as much as I thought there would be. I gained 1 inch depth on most targets but 2-3 inches on pennys. Ids still shift but 1 inch deeper than before. Pinpoint and detection sounds seem sharper, more defined. The old detector might have been within specs- maybe not. Maybe a test not in the ground is no test at all. The following might mean more than anything else: after testing in a bucket I decided to run over the yard where I have already been- a very trashy area. Hit 45 shifting to 48. Six inches down I found a 1907 Barber Half Dollar with nice scratches from my screwdriver. I think the new detector is a little better than the old.

S505

 

[RLOH]

S505, I am not trying to sound like a wise guy, but just maybe there are no deep coins under your coil. Unless your ground is highly mineralized, your stock 9 inch 7.5khz coil is capable of 7 to 8 inches of depth on a penny sized target. You have to remember anything deeper will not be difined signal. It might jump in tones and numbers. After you dig a couple of coins in the 8 inch deep range, you will be able to make a more concrete call on to dig or not. Also, with any detector with a ground balance adjustment, you MUST have a very accurate ground balance to get maximum depth out of any detector. Many people who detect are not very concise when they say how deep a coin is. Most of my deeper, older coins are in the 6 to 8 inch range. But, that is not cast in stone. If an area has been filled, you might find clad coins in the 8 inch range. You have a very capable detector and I am sure that once you get some quality time with it, you will be more than satisfied with it's performance.

 

[S505]

My last post might be misleading. My old 505 would only sound off on a wheat at 6 inches and then only very erratic. The replacement detector consistently hits it at 9 inches although very faint and a -9 ID (same ID as before at 6 inches). Before today I have only found one silver, a mercury next to a wheat at 2-3 inches deep. I am very happy with the 505, I'm just trying to define its limits and behavior with data.

S505

 

[SeniorSeeker]

I've been using Minelab's for a number of years now and I've not had any difficulties as you've described. With the Minelab X-terra 70 or the Safari, if the numbers indicated I had a quarter, it didn't make any difference what the depth was; two inches or ten inches the results were the same with meter read out. I've recently purchased a new X-terra 505 and haven't hunted with it yet but my priliminary air test showed it was right on, as far as I.D. and depth was concerned. Maybe you've got a bad coil? Surely you must know someone else who has another Minelab detector, who would let you use their coil for a few minutes to test your machine?