xterra 505 vs 705

[cen1]

I've been kicking around a new xterra Minelab. I've spoken with Rob through email. I'm not seeing a huge difference in the 505 vs the 705. The 705 does have the prospecting mode, but with a 18.75 coil on the 505, I'm wondering if I couldn't duplicate the mode. The 505 doesn't have auto ground balance, but oh well. Maybe I'm missing a key element. I would be using for treasure, coin and relic hunting mostly, but like the idea of looking for gold if I wanted to.. Thanks guys

[nuggethunting]

Hey Cen1,

Here are some of the differences between the two. If you plan on doing any type of gold nuggets hunting, especially smaller gold nuggets I would strongly consider the X-Terra 705.

705 has two detect modes, coin/treasure and Prospecting. The 505 only has one, the coin/treasure mode.

705 has more Discrimination patterns. The 705 has 4 + All Metal + Iron Mask, the 505 has 3 + All Metal.

705 has 4 Custom patterns, the 505 has 3.

705 has 28 segments for the Discrimination Scale, the 505 has 19.

705 has Multi (28) on the Audio Tone ID, while the 505 has Multi (19).

705 has much more ground tracking/balance ability. The 705 has Manual (0-90), Auto, Beach, Tracking and Tracking Offset, while the 505 only has Manual (0-50).

705 has two pinpoint modes, Auto and Sizing, the 505 has just one.

The 705 also has better Noise Cancel.

Hope this helps a bit,

Rob Allison

[cen1]

Well, I'll probably be gettin one off ya soon. the Garrett isn't real impressive. thanks

Scott

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi Scott,

If you are considering prospecting at all, get the 705. The prospecting mode on the 705 is vastly more powerful than the coin/jewelry modes that the 505 is locked into.

Steve Herschbach

[nero_design]

Hi Cen1,

As other's have already pointed out: the Prospecting Mode is the reason to pick the X-Terra 705 over the 505. It makes a very different audio tone in that setting. The 705 is a good detector and one which is for a more serious detectorist who wants a lighter machine that can be used casually on the goldfields, parks or beaches. The X-Terra 705 is actually far more sensitive when used in 'Prospecting Mode' than when it's in the Coin-Relic Mode. It's also a little more sensitive depth-wise than its previous incarnation (the X-Terra 70). For this reason, it would be the better choice if you were weighing up the 505 and the 705. If you want to spend 90% of your time doing parks and beaches, you could get the 505. If you intend to spend more time Prospecting, then the 705 is the better choice of the two.

When you discover a target in Prospecting Mode, you can easily switch back to Coin-Relic Mode to see what it might be on the TID before you dig it up. Whilst the TID isn't flawless, you can usually determine junk and iron targets at a glance before digging. Get the Dual Set with the Elliptical high-frequency Double-D coil if it's available where you are. You can also leave that coil on if you work parks and beaches.

*The Ground Tracking feature is fairly handy.

*In Coin & Relic Mode, I found the new X-Terra 705 to have 4 inches (10cm) more strength in the air than the earlier X-Terra 70.

* If you hunt old creek beds, there's a small, waterproof 6" DD HF coil available that picks up micro-nuggets under 0.10 grams.

I'm considering updating my X-Terra 70 to the 705. It's pretty handy to break it down and pack it away in a backpack and it's very lightweight. Yes, the VLF detectors are noisier on the ground compared to recent PI detectors and they won't give you the same depth... but they certainly have their place and I always take mine with me when I'm using another type of detector. You may need to back off on the sensitivity, but they can often clean up on smaller gold and they're lightweight and easy to use. They can still find larger nuggets down to around 14 inches in moderate ground. Possibly deeper if the target is large and metal based ...but not too much deeper. In mineralized ground they generally respond to smaller gold (2grams+) at depths of around 5 to 7. It has a 'Beach Mode' to help cancel out the salt and a LOT of people here switch that setting on in a Goldfield to enable the X-Terras to work on mineralized ground even more efficiently.

Cheers,

Marco

PS: Bumped into a chap working an area near here without much luck using a GP 3000 last week. He'd been there for two weeks and had met three people using 70s & 705s. He told me they'd all found some gold in areas he was unsuccessful in. I believe he was experienced but no doubt his personal detecting style, settings and coil choice played a part in his lack of fortune there. I've found a few ounces with my own X-Terra 70. They usually do very nicely in shallow ground.

PPS: If you get an X-Terra, be sure to grab the Protective Environmental Control Box Cover which slides over the control box to prevent damage, water spray and scratches.

[cen1]

Thanks Nero!

[TXKajun]

Yeah, what everyone above has said!

I went out last Saturday with my buddy who swings a DFX. We hunted an older school that we had hit before, but only when I was using my Ace 250. I ended up finding 2 wheaties with my 705 using the deep search/low frequency coil.....1952 and 1912!!.....that he had missed (I was looking for a jar some of the students had buried decades ago as a kind of "time capsule"). I've had it out in the gold field in NM at Jicarilla. No nuggets, but that 705 makes the ground invisible, both in prospecting and coin/relic mode. Go for the 705!

And be sure to buy from Rob! He's got the best deal going!

Kajun

[GARY SMITH]

Here is a video about looking for gold with the 705. Gives ya a bit of how it works with hot rocks and ground mineralization.

http://www.mlotv.com/view/575/prospecting-...he-x-terra-705/

Oh ya Rob, got the manual in the mail a few days ago. THANKS