XTerra and pull tabs...............

[James/Washington]

I had the XTerra 70 a few years back and sold it after I was having a difficult time finding nickels. The newer pull tabs in the square or figure 8 design come in in the nickel range. I am a park/school hunter and my parks are loaded, and I mean loaded, with pull tabs and other trash. I just traded for an XTerra 705 and was wondering if anyone has any secrets on how to get the nickels and pass up on a portion of the pull tabs. I fully realize that there is no way to be able to remove all pull tabs from detection as they are so close to a nickle but would like to pick your brains for any suggestions. I have the stock 9" Concentric 7.5kHz coil and the 5X10 18.75 kHz elliptical DD coil. I have been detecting since 1971 and am active and own several other detectors but being 67 years old and with back problems, I prefer to pass up as much junk as possible. I set up my detectors to get nickels, copper pennies, dimes and quarters and understand that I will be passing up some gold and I accept that as by passing the junk, it allows me more time to dig the good targets and lets me stay in the field a bit longer, which I love to do. I want to give the 705 another chance to work for me.

 

[homebre]

I use the 705 also and am also 67 years old, so I hear you. But I just dig pull tabs, put them in a jar, and then take them to the Ronald McDonald house who apparently raise a lot of money with this. Can't help you otherwise.
Andy from Hillsborough

 

[7centsworth]

Nickels are almost always 8-12 on mine. Try using a 3khz coil they don't pick them up quite as good.

 

[xwyokid]

Nickels are almost always 8-12 on mine. Try using a 3khz coil they don't pick them up quite as good.

When I had the X-70 with the 3Khz coil that is the same point nickels came up for me. After about 6 months I could pretty much call tabs from nickels, (at least 75% of the time!!) LOL.

 

[Mark in S.E. IA]

Here is something that you can try when you are using a DD coil and you have to be in AM. Wiggle the coil and pull it back towards you and just before the tone stops you should hear a iron grunt if it's Alum. If it's a nickel you should hear the low tone for nickle the whole time and also your target should be right at the top center of your coil for PPing.

Try that and see if that helps.

 

[Carlos (CA)]

I came across a you tube video called Minelab X-TERRA 705 settings for hunting jewelry. It may be helpful, since some jewelry falls in the nickel range. The fella shows you how to disc out common pull tabs without missing jewelry, by adjusting the frequency to +2 or -2. Perhaps the video can help a little for finding nickels.

good luck and Happy Huntin'

Carlos

 

[dfmike]

Carlos, this works for me most of the time. I set my frequency shift at +2 like in the video. One will still find pull tabs (recent ones) but they will be shifted towards another target ID where there are less gold rings. On my X-Terra, recent complete pull tabs will ID at exactly 12. By using plus 2 as frequency shift, they ID at 14 which he notches out in the video. That's why he notches out 18 also. 18 is the target ID of old ring pulls with the tongue. In my case older pull tabs aren't really a problem

I just tried it on a 1976 US nickel and the detector sees it no problem with a solid ID of 12. It doesn't see my test pull tab at all because I notched out 14. I'm unfamiliar with US nickels so it's very possible that depending on age and composition the ID would vary. The results might vary in the OP's ground as well.

 

[homebre]

I used to think US nickels would always be a solid 12, but I have found them all over the place (ID wise) depending on how corroded or dirty they are.
Andy from Hillsborough

 

[Old Longhair]

I used to think US nickels would always be a solid 12, but I have found them all over the place (ID wise) depending on how corroded or dirty they are.
Andy from Hillsborough

It depends on a lot of factors. Ground moisture, mineral content, frequency employed, etc....

That video has been discussed here many times before, and the general consensus is that it will insure that someone else will find stuff you've passed on.

 

[Carlos (CA)]

Carlos, this works for me most of the time. I set my frequency shift at +2 like in the video. One will still find pull tabs (recent ones) but they will be shifted towards another target ID where there are less gold rings. On my X-Terra, recent complete pull tabs will ID at exactly 12. By using plus 2 as frequency shift, they ID at 14 which he notches out in the video. That's why he notches out 18 also. 18 is the target ID of old ring pulls with the tongue. In my case older pull tabs aren't really a problem

I just tried it on a 1976 US nickel and the detector sees it no problem with a solid ID of 12. It doesn't see my test pull tab at all because I notched out 14. I'm unfamiliar with US nickels so it's very possible that depending on age and composition the ID would vary. The results might vary in the OP's ground as well.

Wow thanks for the extra insight Mike, its very helpful. I didn't realize that this topic had been discussed before, since I am new to this forum. Incidentally, the X-Terra 705 is the only detector to date that I have found jewelry with, based solely on the audio...its an amazing machine. I have other brands of top rated detectors, but the X-Terra is the only one with which i have pulled jewelry based on a very sweet response...

 

[dfmike]

Longhair, about Gerrys detectors video: That's one way of seeing it. In areas of heavy modern trash, the other way around will almost certainly ensure that one will waste time digging lots and lots of trash. That wasted time also means someone else will find stuff you won't. The guy in the video clearly specifies that some rings will be left behind. From the program he uses it's clear that high conductors will be left behind as well and many other things that might be interesting to some. The guy in the video certainly seems to be quite successful at finding what he is after (mainly gold) with different Minelabs (check out his other videos).

 

[Old Longhair]

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?55,2298709,2298709#msg-2298709

'Nuff said.

 

[Neil]

Longhair, about Gerrys detectors video: That's one way of seeing it. In areas of heavy modern trash, the other way around will almost certainly ensure that one will waste time digging lots and lots of trash. That wasted time also means someone else will find stuff you won't. The guy in the video clearly specifies that some rings will be left behind. From the program he uses it's clear that high conductors will be left behind as well and many other things that might be interesting to some. The guy in the video certainly seems to be quite successful at finding what he is after (mainly gold) with different Minelabs (check out his other videos).

Just another benefit of the disc notching system on the 705. I guess in a park I would try something like Gerry posted....you can even modify that to your particular park finds. I beach hunt so its easy digging usually and go from -2 up to zinc penny. Ive only found 2 rings in alot of hunts that ever read as a zinc penny....one was a huge 14k class ring and one was a 20k deep gold mans wedding band. Most rings I think are lost by women...are on the thinner side....foil up to nickel is a hot area.

 

[dfmike]

Thanks for that post. It's clear to me that the settings Jerry uses in the videos might be too aggressive just by seeing what can be found at and slightly above 20 but I still think that in certain situations discrimination in some of the gold range might be necessary to at least do away with modern pull tabs which comprise 60-80 percent of the junk I find in certain places.

Like Gerry puts at the end of the vid and I quote: "When I can find 80 percent of my gold rings and still reject the 2 most common pop tops and pull tabs that's a winner".

Most detectors in the same price range can't notch single non consecutive target ID numbers at will. I consider that an advantage of the X-Terra, not a nuisance.

 

[deswiger]

On youtube, I found Gerrys Detectors (Minelab X-TERRA 705 settings for hunting jewelry). He explains how to eliminate the pull tabs without eliminating the rings that tone in with the same numbers.

 

[Old Longhair]

On youtube, I found Gerrys Detectors (Minelab X-TERRA 705 settings for hunting jewelry). He explains how to eliminate the pull tabs without eliminating the rings that tone in with the same numbers.

That is the same video talked about in this thread.