Minelab Xterra 705 as a first detector??

[scootergmc]

Hello all,

I've been lurking/reading for a while and figured it's time I just go ahead and ask.

I'm new to this and am looking for a detector to learn on and grow into. I live out here in CA near gold country and spend a bit of time out in Nevada exploring old ghost towns and mines. I don't have anything specific I'd be hunting for, maybe relics/coins etc. around the sites, gold hunting here and there, etc. From my reading it seems the Minelab Xterra 705 may be a good unit to learn on and more. It looks versatile, very user friendly and easy to operate, and performs well for the price point. Weight isn't an issue either. I'd rather spend some extra $$ up front and get something that outperforms me that I can grow into rather than spend a little now and leave me wanting later.

What say you? Thanks in advance.

[Silver_Sn1per]

I think you made an excellent choice.

[Longhair]

I have to agree with Silver Sn1per.

The absolute best thing that you can do to know what the 705 is capable of, is to go to the Minelab site and register. Then log in and download Randy Norton's FREE e-book, "Understanding Your X-Terra". You will soon see that the 705 can be as simple, or as complicated as you're comfortable with. The e-book is an easy read (not like most technical manuals), and Randy includes several real world examples in his descriptions and explanations.

An E-Trac it's not. But, it is such a good and versitile machine (for half the cost of an e-trac), that I'll never be w/o one.

[Big Boys Hobbies]

Originally Posted by Silver_Sn1per

I think you made an excellent choice.

[Briman05]

It is a great detector you wont be upset with it. I was a little disappointed at the beginning because I was a little difficult to to get used to all the features but read the manual and the e book on minelab.com and you will have no problem the ground balance tracking feature is awesome.

[nittany1]

It's a great first detector. It's a great detector for anyone let alone a first detector. I just ordered one the other day, I can't wait to try it out. When I go detecting with friends I can't expect them to swing 5 lbs, they won't be used to it. I have uMax Bandido but it's got manual ground balance and we have tons of beaches here. The Bandido doesn't work well at the beach, you need auto ground balance with ground tracking. Hence the X-Terra 705.

Since you are by some areas you can hunt for gold I would get the Gold Pack with the 5x10 HF. It's designed to find gold. I live in Florida and we detect often at the beach so I got the kit with the 9" concentric MF. The 9" medium frequency coil is waterproof and I like to detect at the shoreline as the waves crash up on shore. The 5x10 high frequency isn't waterproof its splashproof so I wouldn't submerse it into a stream, but it's perfect for anywhere dry that a little bit of water might get on it, but don't put it in the water on purpose. There are two 6" coils, one 7.5 kHz medium frequency and one 18.75kHz high frequency, and they are both waterproof, so if you are going for gold in between rocks in the mountains, or in the cracks of rocks, or between rocks in a stream, the high frequency 6" would be perfect. There are also 9" concentric and 10.5" DD, the 9" actually comes in three frequency versions, 3 kHz low frequency for deep silver, caches and other deep targets, 7.5 kHz medium frequency for general use and 18.75 kHz for shallower small targets. The 10.5" DD comes in medium and high frequency versions, but they aren't waterproof, just water resistant. Then you have your aftermarket coils, Coiltek has a 15" waterproof medium frequency for beach hunting, cache hunting, relics, anything that needs depth more than pinpointing, and the NEL coils in several versions. I'm going to order the NEL Sharpshooter 9.5"x5.5" 18.5 kHz for general use, it's DD design and it's waterproof, but they have several different sizes.

Anyway, I think you'll like it. It might be hard to find but I would call around to our different sponsors to see which one has one in stock.

[OldNBroken]

For trying out all phases of detecting it is a great machine to have. It's what the wife and I started out with and will never get rid of. Even though I have upgraded to Etrac and Excal and ordering a Deus for the wife we will keep them for teaching others and the occasional trip to Az.

[Terry Soloman]

Great choice! Watch my buddy Kevin Hoagland with it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPJ7uMulip0

Originally Posted by scootergmc

Hello all,

I've been lurking/reading for a while and figured it's time I just go ahead and ask.

I'm new to this and am looking for a detector to learn on and grow into. I live out here in CA near gold country and spend a bit of time out in Nevada exploring old ghost towns and mines. I don't have anything specific I'd be hunting for, maybe relics/coins etc. around the sites, gold hunting here and there, etc. From my reading it seems the Minelab Xterra 705 may be a good unit to learn on and more. It looks versatile, very user friendly and easy to operate, and performs well for the price point. Weight isn't an issue either. I'd rather spend some extra $$ up front and get something that outperforms me that I can grow into rather than spend a little now and leave me wanting later.

What say you? Thanks in advance.

[scootergmc]

I previously watched that video, but haven't read through the book mentioned in above posts. Thanks to everyone for your replies.

Are there any other detectors I should even consider that will give the performance of the XTerra 705 at the same price point? It's hard finding negative information out there on MD's or unbiased comparos. It's almost like everyone seems to think they have the best thing going, which I guess is understandable after dropping your hard earned $ on something.

[Longhair]

Originally Posted by scootergmc

It's hard finding negative information out there on MD's or unbiased comparos. It's almost like everyone seems to think they have the best thing going, which I guess is understandable after dropping your hard earned $ on something.

Which is why I directed you to the e-book. Don't take our word for it, read what the pro's have to say.

[scootergmc]

Originally Posted by Longhair

Which is why I directed you to the e-book. Don't take our word for it, read what the pro's have to say.

I read the e-book this AM. While it's a fantastic source for doing exactly what it's entitled to do, it offers nothing in the way of a comparison to other MDs. That's what I meant in my previous post, some sort of a "consumer reports" for MDs. That's all. But that e-book keeps me entrenched with the 705. It's almost like a set-it-and-forget-it MD. Thanks again.