Minelab X-Terra 305 Information & Details:
– VLF technology operating at 7.5 kHz Frequency
– LCD screen with target ID and depth
– Ground Balance (0 to 20 manual adjustment)
– Sensitivity adjustment (1 to 10)
– Discrimination adjustment (12 segment scale)
– Three operating modes (2 types of discriminate, all-metal)
– Three channel tune/noise cancel (-1,0,1)
– 4 AAA alkaline batteries
– Weight 2.9 pounds
– 9″ Concentric coil
– Three year warranty
Minelab X-Terra 305 Review:
The Minelab X-Terra series starts with the 305 model. Above are the important features and an instructional video from Minelab. The X-Terra 305 is a great relic detector and is going to be a step up from a beginner detector such as the Bounty Hunter Tracker IV or Garrett Ace 150 because of its increased options and discrimination.
Minelab X-Terra 505 Information & Details:
– All the features of the X-Terra 305 plus:
– Enhanced ground balance (0 to 50 manual adjustment)
– Additional sensitivity adjustment (1 to 20)
– Added discrimination adjustment (19 segment scale)
– Four operating modes (3 discriminate modes, all-metal)
– More tune/noise cancellation options (-2,2)
Minelab X-Terra 505 Review:
The Minelab X-Terra 505 is the middle of the series. Above are the important features and an instructional video from Minelab. The X-Terra 505 offers more customizable controls such as increased ground balance adjustment (from 20 to 50), sensitivity (from 10 20), discrimination adjustment (from 12 to 19), and has an additional discrimination mode. What does this mean for you? More options giving you an increased ability to tweak your detector for optimal performance. Relic hunting has many variables and the most important are discrimination, sensitivity and ground balance.
Minelab X-Terra 705 Information & Details:
– All the features of the X-Terra 505 plus:
– Even more enhanced ground balance (1 to 90 manual adjustment, automatic, beach, and tracking modes)
– Additional sensitivity adjustment (1 to 30)
– Added discrimination adjustment (28 segment scale)
– Six operating modes (4 discriminate modes, all-metal, iron mask)
– Even more tune/noise cancellation including manual and automatic
– Enhanced pin point mode (2 modes, automatic & sizing)
– Gold prospecting (Prospecting mode)
Minelab X-Terra 705 Review:
The Minelab X-Terra 705 is considered the top of the line in the series. Above are the important features and an instructional video from Minelab. The X-Terra 705 offers more customizable controls such as increased ground balance adjustment (from 50 to 90)and has additional settings for particular locations, sensitivity (from 20 to 30), discrimination adjustment (from 19 to 28), and has an additional discrimination mode as well as an iron mask mode. What does this mean for you? More options giving you an increased ability to tweak your detector for optimal performance. Additionally, the 705 has the ability to prospect for gold. This makes it ideal for locations where you can hunt for either relics or gold such as old mining towns.
Minelab X-Terra Series Guide:
The power button starts up the metal detector. A sequence will display and a tune will be heard. Once on, the detector will be in automatic detection. There will be no numeric reading until a metal object is detected. Menu accesses and scrolls through detector settings. Pinpoint/Detect has two functions. Pinpoint helps locate the position of a target still in the ground. Detect exits menu settings and returns to detection. (+) & (-) adjusts settings and scrolls to the left (–) or right (+) through the discrimination segments. (1,2,3) button scrolls through the different discrimination patterns. (check mark/X) accepts or rejects certain metals by turning on/off individual discrimination segments. (AM) toggles between the selected discrimination pattern and the all metal pattern. (detector button) activates the manual Ground Balance adjustment to compensate for different types of soil.
Minelab X-Terra Series Discrimination Pattern Vs. All Metal Pattern
In Discrimination Pattern the factory preset pattern 1 rejects ferrous metals and foil, and accepts nonferrous metals. Patterns can be edited and saved according to detecting preferences. The all metal pattern turns off every discrimination segment, allowing all metals including ferrous targets to be detected. So which is better? It depends of course on the area you are detecting. Discrimination is great for trashy area where you want to determine what is under the ground before you dig it. If you are hunting for relics, those can be iron which would be knocked out by discrimination. Choose All Metal Pattern if you want to dig everything.
Minelab X-Terra Series Target ID
As the coil is passed over a target, it detects the conductivity of the object and displays a number. Target ID is used to distinguish one type of metal target from another. Target ID numbers range from –4 to 44 on the X-Terra 305 and –9 to 48 on the X-Terra 505. Negative numbers represent ferrous targets and positive numbers represent nonferrous targets. The last detected target ID stays on the display until another target is detected. If the detector passes over a target that it rejects, the display will return to a blank detection screen represented by 2 dashes.
Minelab X-Terra Series Pin Point
Pinpoint instructs the X-Terra to temporarily disengage discrimination and become a non-motion detector. Targets normally discriminated will emit a signal when beneath the coil. In pinpoint, the detector gives a continuous audio response as opposed to a single beep while detecting. This continuous response indicates the strength of the target signal directly below the coil. The pinpoint audio response is tone and volume modulated. The difference in tone and volume produced will help in locating the targets position and depth. Depending on the size of the coil you are using, finding a target beneath your coil can be difficult without pinpoint or a good Pin Pointer.
Minelab X-Terra Series Sensitivity
Sensitivity is the detector’s level of response to a target and its environment. Real targets are interpreted as distinct beeps. Interference or false targets are interpreted as crackling or popping noises. Adjusting the sensitivity is about preference. It really comes down to what you are comfortable with. The higher the sensitivity the more falsing there will be and if adjusted to high a reduction in depth. If sensitivity is to low, you will have reduced depth. You have to find that sweet spot. What I do is wait for the detector to false and then back off the sensitivity a bit, repeating this process until there is no more falsing.
Minelab X-Terra Series Tune/noise cancel
Noise cancellation has to do with electromagnetic inference. This can come from all sorts of items but mainly from power lines, both underground and above. At the beach where I detect I have noticed some issues when I am near the street and I have to turn down the sensitivity dramatically to combat the interference. Noise cancel is an easy way to adjust your metal detector to take into account that interference. Check out this video from Minelab detailing how to adjust for inference from both above (noise cancel) and below the ground (ground balance).
Minelab X-Terra Series Ground Balance
As discussed in the sensitivity section, when the detector is unbalanced, it will detect targets, but it may also register false detections due to ground mineralization. These false detections are displayed as –9 in the 505 and –4 in the 305 in All Metal, or as two dashes when using the factory preset patterns. This will cause good targets to be displayed only briefly and with clipped sound. To adjust ground balance hold the coil parallel and 4 inches above
the ground. Select the ground balance button. A constant hum known as the ground balance tone will sound when the coil is held steady. Continuously lower and raise the coil towards and away from the ground and listen to the ground balance tone. Try to lower the coil as close to the ground as possible without touching it. Adjust the ground balance using + and –, listening for minimum volume which will occur during the transition from low to high. If the tone is low, increase the ground balance setting using +, if the tone is high, decrease the setting using –. The menu scale and numeric ID will indicate the chosen setting.
Minelab X-Terra Series Metal Detector Accessories:
The Minelab X-Terra Series Metal Detectors are great machines for any type of detecting that suits you. Below are some universal metal detecting accessories than help you use your Minelab more efficiently.
Minelab X-Terra Series Headphones
Minelab X-Terra Series Rechargeable Batteries
Minelab X-Terra Metal Detector Digging Tools
Where to Hunt with the Minelab X-Terra Series Metal Detectors?
Research is an important part of metal detecting. Take a look around the area where you live and determine what you are searching for. Is it old relics, coins, or newer drops like change or jewelry? Personally, I like to do both but because of the area I live in, I am primarily a beach hunter. Relic hunting in general is all about research. Do you live near an old wagon trail, a civil war battlefield, or do your relatives have old land? These are all fantastic relic hunting locations. Other then relic hunting there is “coin shooting” which is hunting for coins old and new. Parks, fields, sidewalk tearouts, schoolyards (if allowed) all make great hunting spots.
The beach is my favorite place to metal detect. Why is that? Because it is easy to dig and the beaches are constantly being replenished with fresh drops. During the summer you can go after work, in the morning, or ideally, on Sunday evening to catch all the weekend travellers to see what was left behind. During the winter, storms can move the sand around and you can find older coins and artifacts. The Bounty Hunter Tracker IV will work great on the dry sand of the beach. You may want to turn up the discrimination as the beach can be quite trashy. Be sure to check out my webpage detailing my Beach Metal Detecting Tips.
Which model of the X-Terra series is best?
Well it all depends on your budget, where you are hunting, and your knowledge with the use of metal detectors. With so many machines, detector companies like to create different models to suit each person. The Minelab X-Terra 305 is great for “coin shooting” and some relic hunting around old homesteads, etc. If you are a more experienced hunter you may want to have more features at your disposal for the more difficult locations like heavily iron infested areas and the Minelab Xterra 505 may be a perfect fit. Finally, if you want the ability to gold prospect and have even more added features then the Minelab Xterra 705 is an excellent choice.
Are you interested in purchasing any of the Minelab X Terra metal detectors?
Ready to take your metal detecting hobby to the next level? The first thing you need is the right detector of course. But where can you get one for the best price? If you want the best price why not buy from the websites that have consistently low prices. You might as well buy from a place you are familiar with also right? To the right is the best price on Amazon. Below are current Ebay auctions that include both new and used metal detectors. If you found the information useful and choose to buy from either of these sites, good luck with your relic hunting!
