Some settings for you to start with on the goldfields.
Chasing small nuggets.
Prospecting mode (that's the pick symbol)
Tracking on
Iron mask on 1
Sensitivity as the ground permits. Max is 30 - start there and work your way down till it quietens down.
Tones: 22
Coil: DD
Checking quartz species - that is working on and around quartz dumps at mine sites.
Checking white mullock heaps. (That's generally the last thing out of holes before the old timers hit the wash.)
Prospecting mode
Iron mask off
All metals mode
Tracking on.
Tones 22
Sensitivity: 30 (thats flat out)
Lots of rubbish or shooting for coins (will ping small gold)
Coin and treasure mode (the coin icon)
Pattern 1 - use all metals if not too rubbishy
Tracking on
Tones 4
Sounds you will hear: Unless it is an absolute screamer gold will not scream. It could be a simple rise in the threashold. Threashold setting is up to you. It should be an even sound that you will need to adjust. Gold can be a simple little 'woo woo' - very soft. It should go both ways.
You will hear broader sounds as well - these are usually hot rocks which you can generally see either close to or on the surface. They are bxxxxxs of things and look like a dark reddy, generally flat rock. On your Xterra you have the beauty of flicking the machine buttons to give you number readings. Ferrous all read negative, -4, -6, -8. Hotrocks generally give you a -8, + 48 reading. My advice? Check each one - you will soon learn what they are.
What does gold read? This is a very general observation. Depending on the ground, it can read any positive number but usually around + 12 - +16. But, dig all positive readings to start with. Could be lead, a coin or gold.
Technique. Stand on the mullock heap or quartz area. You should be swinging the coil about 7 to 8 seconds a metre across your body. Dont walk. Just stand and detect slowly. Then move on to the next bit. Don't lift at the end of your swing - get someone to watch you and see if you raise at the end of your swing. Detect as low as you can - wear out some skid plates - they are cheap. These are the plastic covers on the bottom of the coil. They are taped on. Tip. carry a thin roll of black tape - the stuff that does not rip. Detector shops sell it. It can be used to runs repairs or reattach the coil skid plateif required.
target found. the Xterra has a pinpointer that will centre the target, give you some idea of depth etc. If you are on quartz and mullock it will be below the coil quite close. You may not generally need it. As most of your targets will be shallow, gently scrape the soil away and redetect. If in the ground - repeat if out flip the detector on its back with the bottom of the coil facing up. Now, some folk may laugh but get yourself a flat bottomed kids plastic beach shovel, you don't need a manufacturers plastic shovel - save some $. Start scooping up the soil you have dug and run across the coil. If not there, place the spill in a clear spot - you may have missed it. repeat until you get a signal. Then remove half (its called halving) and repeat process until you have the target. You will get the idea quickly.
As for the beach and parks? I don't but rang a mate who did with the xterra - he said the settings in the book are fine.
This is a true XTerra story to illustrate how when worked with a PI they are a great detector. I detect with three other blokes. We were on new ground (that is ground off the diggings). We had two 5000, a 4500 and a 3500 all with big coils. A slight threashold break was heard near a smallish quartz blow. Digging down found a beaut quantity of gold. Because we had dug down to quartz and it was in sheets and with the lovely bluish slates I used the Xterra to pinpoint further gold. We also used it to check all the rocks and quartz pieces we had thrown aside. We got several extra grams from these throwouts. Now the moral of all is - we 'threw out' quartz that we thought had no gold. Its exactly what the old timers did.
Anyway Bingo - enough prattling on. Good luck mate.
Chasing small nuggets.
Prospecting mode (that's the pick symbol)
Tracking on
Iron mask on 1
Sensitivity as the ground permits. Max is 30 - start there and work your way down till it quietens down.
Tones: 22
Coil: DD
Checking quartz species - that is working on and around quartz dumps at mine sites.
Checking white mullock heaps. (That's generally the last thing out of holes before the old timers hit the wash.)
Prospecting mode
Iron mask off
All metals mode
Tracking on.
Tones 22
Sensitivity: 30 (thats flat out)
Lots of rubbish or shooting for coins (will ping small gold)
Coin and treasure mode (the coin icon)
Pattern 1 - use all metals if not too rubbishy
Tracking on
Tones 4
Sounds you will hear: Unless it is an absolute screamer gold will not scream. It could be a simple rise in the threashold. Threashold setting is up to you. It should be an even sound that you will need to adjust. Gold can be a simple little 'woo woo' - very soft. It should go both ways.
You will hear broader sounds as well - these are usually hot rocks which you can generally see either close to or on the surface. They are bxxxxxs of things and look like a dark reddy, generally flat rock. On your Xterra you have the beauty of flicking the machine buttons to give you number readings. Ferrous all read negative, -4, -6, -8. Hotrocks generally give you a -8, + 48 reading. My advice? Check each one - you will soon learn what they are.
What does gold read? This is a very general observation. Depending on the ground, it can read any positive number but usually around + 12 - +16. But, dig all positive readings to start with. Could be lead, a coin or gold.
Technique. Stand on the mullock heap or quartz area. You should be swinging the coil about 7 to 8 seconds a metre across your body. Dont walk. Just stand and detect slowly. Then move on to the next bit. Don't lift at the end of your swing - get someone to watch you and see if you raise at the end of your swing. Detect as low as you can - wear out some skid plates - they are cheap. These are the plastic covers on the bottom of the coil. They are taped on. Tip. carry a thin roll of black tape - the stuff that does not rip. Detector shops sell it. It can be used to runs repairs or reattach the coil skid plateif required.
target found. the Xterra has a pinpointer that will centre the target, give you some idea of depth etc. If you are on quartz and mullock it will be below the coil quite close. You may not generally need it. As most of your targets will be shallow, gently scrape the soil away and redetect. If in the ground - repeat if out flip the detector on its back with the bottom of the coil facing up. Now, some folk may laugh but get yourself a flat bottomed kids plastic beach shovel, you don't need a manufacturers plastic shovel - save some $. Start scooping up the soil you have dug and run across the coil. If not there, place the spill in a clear spot - you may have missed it. repeat until you get a signal. Then remove half (its called halving) and repeat process until you have the target. You will get the idea quickly.
As for the beach and parks? I don't but rang a mate who did with the xterra - he said the settings in the book are fine.
This is a true XTerra story to illustrate how when worked with a PI they are a great detector. I detect with three other blokes. We were on new ground (that is ground off the diggings). We had two 5000, a 4500 and a 3500 all with big coils. A slight threashold break was heard near a smallish quartz blow. Digging down found a beaut quantity of gold. Because we had dug down to quartz and it was in sheets and with the lovely bluish slates I used the Xterra to pinpoint further gold. We also used it to check all the rocks and quartz pieces we had thrown aside. We got several extra grams from these throwouts. Now the moral of all is - we 'threw out' quartz that we thought had no gold. Its exactly what the old timers did.
Anyway Bingo - enough prattling on. Good luck mate.
