New and having trouble with X-Terra Pro.

[tobiasf]

Have you downloaded and installed the firmware update yet? It will make a difference.

I looked and the only change mentioned is the addition of a continuous noise cancel mode. Is there more that isn't mentioned?

I learned an important lesson today. I had been getting tent stakes and bits of lobster traps all day. If you don't live in an area with abundant lobster traps, you should know that they are evil. They do sound like iron, but they also will squeal much higher tones. I don't know if it's because they are made of some type of alloy, or because of the grid shape of the metal, or because they often still have a lot of the plastic coating even when they've been smashed into 1 inch bits. A lot of the time the first thing you hear is the higher tone squeal, then the iron after.

Anyway after listening to that junk all day I got a pure iron signal that didn't squeak higher tones at all, so I said screw it and dug it. I tend to do this when I'm in the dry sand near the entrance to the beach. I like to remove rusty sharp things kids might step on if I can. I was slightly surprised when I spotted a dark colored chain sticking out of the sand. I thought at least it was something different, but when I picked it up I was dumbfounded to find a small 14 karat pendant. The signal was completely blocked by the chain, I never heard anything else but the iron chain. I took the pendant off and waved it at the detector and sure enough, it registered in the 40s.

Not 5 minutes later I found a 925 stamped ring, so I found my first gold and silver the same day right next to each other.

 

[Big Boys Hobbies]

I did find this just before I left, which was a treat. 100% fake, but it's the first, so it's special. I forgot what it read before I dug it up, maybe low 50s?

View attachment 599961

Too bad it is fake but those finds like that make my heart skip a beat! Still SUPER fun to find! Congrats!

 

[cellrdwellr]

I looked and the only change mentioned is the addition of a continuous noise cancel mode. Is there more that isn't mentioned?

I learned an important lesson today. I had been getting tent stakes and bits of lobster traps all day. If you don't live in an area with abundant lobster traps, you should know that they are evil. They do sound like iron, but they also will squeal much higher tones. I don't know if it's because they are made of some type of alloy, or because of the grid shape of the metal, or because they often still have a lot of the plastic coating even when they've been smashed into 1 inch bits. A lot of the time the first thing you hear is the higher tone squeal, then the iron after.

Anyway after listening to that junk all day I got a pure iron signal that didn't squeak higher tones at all, so I said screw it and dug it. I tend to do this when I'm in the dry sand near the entrance to the beach. I like to remove rusty sharp things kids might step on if I can. I was slightly surprised when I spotted a dark colored chain sticking out of the sand. I thought at least it was something different, but when I picked it up I was dumbfounded to find a small 14 karat pendant. The signal was completely blocked by the chain, I never heard anything else but the iron chain. I took the pendant off and waved it at the detector and sure enough, it registered in the 40s.

Not 5 minutes later I found a 925 stamped ring, so I found my first gold and silver the same day right next to each other.

Lobster trap pieces and tent stakes sound good on just about all metal detectors, so don't get discouraged there. It sounds like you are getting the hang of it. There are definitely better choices for saltwater detectors, but for the price it is definitely a good purchase. I have one myself, though it seems to work better as a doorstop currently congrats!

 

[tobiasf]

Well, today was coin day at the beach. I had a challenging time digging anything in an area saturated with bottle caps, pull tabs, foil balls from fast food, rusty bits of nails, etc. Found 3 junk rings then hit a few coin spills and had some luck finding coins that had been in the ground a long time so I knew I was checking areas other people didn't, and I saw like 3 or 4 others metal detecting throughout the day. The real mystery is how the heck this coin got on the beach. I don't know how I found it but nobody else did. I have to wonder if it was planted but somehow missed, or if someone lost their lucky coin at the beach. It was just above the cut formed by the average high tide wave action, but only a few inches down in the dry sand. It doesn't look to me like it has ever been in the salt water.

Anyway here's the pics. Oh I also found my first wheatie, the top penny in the image. Pretty worn though.

 

[Linesider]

Well, today was coin day at the beach. I had a challenging time digging anything in an area saturated with bottle caps, pull tabs, foil balls from fast food, rusty bits of nails, etc. Found 3 junk rings then hit a few coin spills and had some luck finding coins that had been in the ground a long time so I knew I was checking areas other people didn't, and I saw like 3 or 4 others metal detecting throughout the day. The real mystery is how the heck this coin got on the beach. I don't know how I found it but nobody else did. I have to wonder if it was planted but somehow missed, or if someone lost their lucky coin at the beach. It was just above the cut formed by the average high tide wave action, but only a few inches down in the dry sand. It doesn't look to me like it has ever been in the salt water.

Anyway here's the pics. Oh I also found my first wheatie, the top penny in the image. Pretty worn though.
View attachment 600574

View attachment 600575

Maybe it dropped out the dry sand. Nice find

 

[tobiasf]

Forgot to mention these two:

Man and woman walking towards me with drinks in plastic cups:
Man: Any luck?
Me: Nope, lots of bottlecaps.
Man: Well maybe I should bury her she's got two fake knees!

In a busy area, guy walking backwards dragging a huge beach cart full of family stuff.
Guy: Oops sorry didn't see you behind me.
Me: You're fine.
Guy: Let me know if you find the remains of my dignity.
Me: Is it metallic?
Guy: It may as well be.

 

[Sorthious]

Very nice find, grats on your first silver!! 1922 Peace Dollar(Normal Relief), first year was 1921 for those coins.

Here is a link to USA Coin Book with more info/value of coin: 1922 Peace Dollar

 

[tobiasf]

Silver day today. And one very fake earring.

I still hate lobster traps. Today I found an area where bits of them were everywhere, but in water saturated sand so a lot of the time the iron tone just didn't register at all.

 

[maxxkatt]

I finally managed to dig a few things in the wet sand, the type that's so wet when you dig it just fills in with water immediately. I found I had to keep it at 19 sensitivity and 2 swing speed on Beach 2 preset (the one that's meant for underwater) to not have the detector constantly making noise over the saturated sand.

I still have to work on actual underwater settings, but I have trouble hearing with the wave noise, so I might just pass on that unless I get a headset, and I don't know about that because the waterproof ones are really expensive, like over half the cost of the Pro itself.

I had trouble with lots of small bits of nails or broken off pieces of lobster traps around 1.5 - 2 inches long today. They would be deep and sound really jumpy, and when I dug at the spot I thought sounded the strongest I wouldn't find them. Then after taking out 2 or 3 scoops of sand, the signal would shift to one side of the wall of the hole. I think some people got bored of watching me dig trenches around the beach. I don't know if this is a limitation with the Pro being single frequency or what, or if I just need more practice.

if you hunt in water up to your knees you might not need water proof headphones. Look on ebay for some deals on used headphones. Your headphones will help in locating targets. Try to get ones that will quiet the surf noise.

 

[tobiasf]

if you hunt in water up to your knees you might not need water proof headphones. Look on ebay for some deals on used headphones. Your headphones will help in locating targets. Try to get ones that will quiet the surf noise.

I go in the surf from time to time to cool off and haven't had any luck finding targets. There's no calm bay around me and I find the moving water in the surf tends to wreak havoc on the single frequency Pro. I tend to just leave it on Beach 2 and Speed 2 and just adjust the sensitivity as I move from dry to wet to water. The Pro likes to chirp false signals sometimes when you swing over a change in terrain a lot, like dry to wet, or wet to wetter sand.

 

[tobiasf]

Still at it but last few trips have been really slow. I'm wondering if a reduction in signals is to be expected as the summer vacation season comes to an end or if it's just a coincidence. I did dig up a few cars, including these ones. I either leave them by a beach entrance or give them out to inquisitive kids that ask me what I'm doing, but I'm tempted to keep this Grave Digger model. It's awesome. The wheels turn. Front and back.