XP team usa

    In June 2019, Alan Carpenter and I represented XP at a weekend seeded hunt in Grand Rapids, North Dakota.  During the weekend we discussed and demonstrated XP machines with many people. We interview a gentleman from Canada, Ed Heilman.  We included that interview in our video of the event.  He had just purchased an XP Deus and planned a trip to the England for the fall.  I’ve received an email with an update to Ed’s XP Deus experience and trip to the England.  I’ve included it below as this story is best told in his own words.  There is a link in his email to the website containing pictures of finds from his hunt in England.

Hello Jim and Al

First let me say that it was great meeting the two of you at the hunt in

North Dakota this past June.

Thought I would give you a bit of an update concerning my use of the

Deus and results of the adventure.

I did some practice (5 or 6 hours) close to home.   A middle age school

located a half block away.   Picking up the odd coin and pull tabs of

course when I found an 1886 gold English Half Sovereign in a bezel.   A

real thrill and really unexpected for this type of place.    Thought

that maybe this was a good omen. This turned out to be correct.

Using the Deus was a bit of a challenge for me because of the relative little amount of time that I had spent using it.   A bit unsure of the sounds and readings and detecting in England is way different than what I had been doing here at home.  I did persevere and used it 13 days out of 14.   Only day I used my other detector was when it was raining for most of the morning.   Didn’t have a proper rain cover for the Deus so didn’t want to take the chance of getting the control box damaged.   Two others in our group were using a Deus so was able to get some pointers from them on the odd thing I was unsure of.

The other two using a Deus did quite well and I checked with them about depth and readings.   Also running my coil over their finds to make sure I was getting the signal and got a reading every time.   I guess I just never got the coil over the target.

My silver coins found were down from what I had been finding.   I did get two hammered coins.  A Elizabeth Ist  3 pence and a Henry Vth penny.    I got 4 milled silver with the oldest being an 1839 4 Pence.  Lots of copper coins (Greenies).   Some with dates but the majority of them really toasted.

My best relic was an early medieval harness pendant from the 1300’s which has been identified and I did come up with another gold coin.   An 1810 George III  1/3 Guinea.     Even a blind Hog finds an acorn once in a while.

Over all am quite satisfied with what I found and performance of the detector.

Have a look at the pictures of what has been found.   My pendant is the first item posted.   Gold coin is down a bit.

http://www.colchestertreasurehunting.co.uk/2019Septfinds.html

Another picture of me in the field, just minutes after finding it.  Also a couple others giving the Deus the credit.

Thanks for the T-shirt and Cap and giving me a bit of a spotlight in your video.   Well done.

Ed Heilman

Spiritwood,  Saskatchewan

I’d like to thank Ed for providing us feedback concerning his learning and experience as a new XP Deus user and congratulate him on some excellent finds– Thank you Ed and congratulation!

A few final thoughts.  The two XP Deus users who took the time to help Ed learn his machine in the field and answer his questions are find examples of how to be good ambassadors of our hobby!  This update not only shows us that XP machines find great treasure and add to a great adventure, it also shows us treasure is not always about gold and silver – it’s about the people we meet and the friends we make along the way.  Merry Christmas and a Happy Fun Filled Detecting New Year in 2020. 

   Alan Carpenter and I, a/k/a The Minnesota Beach Boys, attended the Minnkota Artifact Recovery Group’s 20^th Anniversary Open Hunt in Grand Rapids, North Dakota on June 1 & 2.  We had a GREAT time camping, visiting with old friends, making new friends, finding lots of coins and talking with XP users and those interested in and considering buying a XP detector.  There were 7 seeded hunts, a bean bag toss for silver coins, a dowsing contest for a silver dollar and Bingo for Morgan dollars along with raffles for coins, detecting gear, a treasure chest full of detecting gear valued at $400 and 6 detectors.  There were over 10,000 coins planted over the weekend.  I helped plant a few thousand myself.  There were 80 Hunters along with their family members resulting in well over 100 hundred people in attendance.  There were attendees from several states and Canada.  I personally talked with treasure hunters from Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Kansas and Saskatchewan, Canada. 

  As luck would have it, Alan had detector problems shortly before the hunt.  He sent it in for repairs and it would not be back in time for the hunt.  The scramble was on to find a XP machine Alan could borrow for the hunt.  A good friend of Alan’s from Wisconsin was coming to the hunt and let Alan use his Deus.  They tease each other about the Parkers and the Vikings all the time.  They made a bet that whoever got the least amount of coins would have to wear the other teams helmet this fall.  Well, let’s just say Alan won’t have to wear a Packers helmet.

  Dave D. sent me some XP hats, shirts, stickers, patches, headphones and a MI 4 pin pointer to donate for prizes and to give out to XP users.  We worked with Hunt-master, Jeff Kehl, to plant some XP tokens in a hunt.  The main prize was the MI 4 and we put together a hat, T-shirt and headphones for second and third place prizes.  The rest got XP hats, and of course everyone got XP Team USA and MN Beach Boy stickers. The gentleman that won the MI 4 was a first timer at an organized hunt and he was just getting into detecting and really needed a pin pointer.  I visited with him and his wife later and he was so happy and appreciative to have won the MI 4.  He told me he was sure he would do much better now that he had a pin pointer. He and his wife both thanked me.  I told them I was just there representing XP and that I would pass their “Thank You” on to XP for them – so thank you XP.  It was perfect to see the one guy that really needed the prize, win it.

  On Saturday evening we had a guest speaker, Terry Shannon.  Terry is from Minnesota and winters on Florida’s Treasure Coast where he’s well known for his amazing treasure fines and for being an all-around nice guy.  He shared a wealth of information about tides, currents, what to look for when selecting a beach to detect.  He told many amazing and amusing stories of his treasure hunting exploits.  He had a large display including several hundred gold rings, Spanish silver coins, brass spikes and lead plating from ships, pieces of china and pottery.  He had musket parts from a ship he and a friend made a dive on that was loaded with crates of muskets that was sunk in 1776 during the Revolutionary War period.  He said there were hundreds of muskets but the wood just disintegrated.  He had a display of Civil War artifacts, including a U.S. buckle.  I mention that because a Civil War U.S. buckle is on my bucket list.  Terry has several videos on YouTube, has been in Gold Prospector magazine and has an email following who read the treasure hunting stories he writes.  Check him out on YouTube and sign up for his emails.

  I’ve been going to this hunt for 10 years and have been a member of the club for 5 years.  I’d like to share a few personal experiences from this year’s hunt that were special for me.  For the last several years I’ve made it a practice to bring some items to donate as prizes to make the hunt just a little bit more fun. I don’t tell you this to brag, it’s because I’m a big believe in ‘giving back” or paying it forward.  This year I donated 2 Wheat Cent folders, 2 rolls of wheats and 2 sets, P,D,S 1943 Steel Wheat Cents as prizes for the kids hunts.  We also put together an XP hat, a set of headphones and a Steel Cent set prize for the kids.  It was a great joy to see those kids faces light up when they got their prize.

  In the main XP prize give away a young boy named Ethan found a XP token and won a XP hat.  He was happy to get his hat and he put it on right away.  The next morning before the hunt I seen Ethan and his dad getting ready for the hunt.  Ethan had is XP hat on.  I walk over and chatted with them for a minute and told Ethan he needed a little something more to go with his hat and I gave him a set of the 1943 Steel Wheat Cents.  He was very polite and thanked me.  Later on we had finished the Dollar Dance hunt and were walking off the field when I ran into Ethan and his dad again.  I had to ask him how he did in the hunt.  He was quick to pull out the 4 gold Presidential dollars to show me and he said “I did real good”.  I high fived him and told him Congrats.  Then it hit me, I had dug 3 of the big Ike dollars, so I told Ethan, I think you need a Big One to go with those and I gave him an Ike dollar.  I can’t say he’s going to run out and buy a XP detector, but, I bet, judging by his smile, that young man will have an interest in coin collecting and metal detecting for some time to come.  For me, the memory of Ethan’s smile is the most valuable prize I took home from the hunt.

  We’d like to thank XP Team USA for the opportunity to represent XP.  We found that many detectorists were interested in talking with us about XP detectors, even if they didn’t have one.  We look forward to networking with more like minded people in the future.

  We will be attending the hunt in Wisconsin the last weekend in July.  This will be my sixth time there and it is also a great hunt.  Bring your kids or grand kids as they have the best Kids Hunt I’ve ever seen and it’s free.  As it looks now my wife and I will have one, maybe two of our grand kids with.  Hope to see some of you there.  Blessings, Jim Kochevar

 

 

  At first glance, the #XPORX seems to be a ‘’lighter’’ version of the #XPDeus, referring to both weight (40gr less) and the software.
The Deus comes with 11  present programs and unlimited tweaking possibilities, while the ORX offers a 4+2 program formula, and limited tweaking options.

  The ORX headphones are stand alone units and have no control over the menu features like the Deus..
I guess one question to ask is: ‘’does everyone really need all the Deus options in order to have a successful day’’. I can sincerely answer that they don’t, and I’m saying that as an experienced Deus user.

  The ORX HAS BEEN RELEASED TO “fill a gap” in the XP line up, offering the Deus experience in a easier and cheaper package. When using the ORX, you will be able to benefit from the incredible XP technology, having a very powerful machine at a budget price. The ORX was originally designed to the search with higher frequencies, but that won’t exclude you from a generic type of search and targets such as militaria and coins.
The ORX is a similar machine to the Garrett AT Gold, as the factory presets are aimed at HF prospecting. The AT Gold is locked at 18kHz, the ORX with it’s frequency choices offer a totally different and richer detecting experience.

  Instead of testing the ORX ourselves, we decided to give it to a friend of ours, Alexander, who happens to be an AT Gold user. He was very curious about testing the ORX, and more than willing to enter the XP world for the first time. I think that his experience is a truly valuable hint, considering that he had never used any XP machine before.

Here’s Alexander’s story:

  Finally, after years of using my trusty Garrett AT Gold, I had the chance to test a new machine. I must say, I’m never overly concerned about the latest technologies and most advanced #metaldetectors , for me the whole detecting experience is being out in the country with my thoughts, but hey, yes,  a decent machine would help for sure.

  During the past years, I’ve somehow educated my ears to listen for high signals, as the AT Gold can be a very noisy tool.
I thought, that it might be best to test the ORX ‘’old style’’, by going on old spots that I had considered to be ‘’emptied’’. We are talking about areas that have given up some good results in the past, scanned with great care and patience. First things first…this machine is F%&*#g light Man…..It was an incredible feeling, I kept thinking that I had left something back at the car, but no, I was fully equipped!

  After overcoming the weight factor shock, I started to play with the ORX, using the factory settings & programs. I was prepared for a very noisy experience but it wasn’t so. I was aware of the machine’s high sensitivity, as I could almost ‘’feel it’’: a lot of very short sounds and the tension between them, but overall the machine was very stable, quiet.

  Previously I had watched Gary’s ORX tutorials and XP set up guides (which I highly recommend) I decided to use the machine in a totally ‘’blank’’ way, using only the factory programs with their original settings, without changing them.

The chase !

  I was searching the side of a vast forest, and after few bottle caps and various scrap, I was without realizing it “acquainted” with the ORX workflow.
The second major thing you will notice, as an XP newbie, is the recovery speed between targets. Yes, I know that everyone states that, but I would state it anyway…the speed of this machine is incredible, and in a totally different league to my previous experiences with the AT Gold.

  I was using the Gold program and already impressed with the machine, and I was thinking that probably a big part of my hype was also related to the fact that the ORX was my first new experience after years of the AT Gold marriage, I was somehow trying to reduce the fire the ORX already produced in my thoughts, trying to remain neutral and perhaps loyal to the AT. But something incredible happened, something that would influence anyone’s judgment.

  I was following the path along the forest edge, when I picked up a mixed signal, which grabbed my attention because it was strong and stable, stronger than the foil sound I had been listening to, the meter gave high 75-80 readings. On a path infested by all sorts of modern junk, at about 7-10cm deep, the ORX had located 2 gold links, I would say ancient gold links!!! I was totally shocked, speechless, I was staring at the ORX display, and then at the gold links, it was like in a movie ‘’Buy an ORX to find gold!!’’ and I had indeed found Gold and this was only my first experience with it, WOW!

Impressed !

  I had previously discovered few Roman silver coins and small bronze decoration fragments in the area, but never Gold. The two links have a 9,5gr weight, and we think they were used as exchange goods/money and not fragments from a bigger piece (also considering that a Roman Gold coin has an average weight between 3/4gr). I will get  more information from the museum staff, after they have analysed the piece.

  I was in a dreamy state of mind, continuously thinking about the fact that most probably my other machine would have skipped that target. I felt I had enough action for that day, so I head back to the car.

  On my way, I noticed a large hill, covered by high rice grass. I don’t know why, but I felt the urge to investigate, even if the grass was too high, even if I had to keep the coil at 5cm above the ground it was something I had to do.

  I thought ‘’one good reading and that’s it, even if it’s a pull tab or Aluminium, it’s been such a great day anyway…what the heck’’. I was walking along the side of the field, near to the road, when the ORX hit a stable, high 84 reading, I thought ‘’OK, here you have the aluminium scrap you wanted to dig’’, I started to dig the signal.

  Man…’’the aluminium scrap’’, in fact, was an incredible ancient Greek silver coin, more precisely a Thasos tetradrachm 146 BC having 17gr. I was shaking, it was like a candid camera moment, but I was alone in that field. No need to say that the first thing I did once home, I ordered a full XP ORX set up, with the intention of going back onto that field soon, so keep a look out for more information.

  I honestly don’t know if other machines would have picked those signals, but for me that day was a life changing MD experience.

And I’ll say it once more: The ORX from XP metal detectors is a killer !

XP Metal Detectors, you gained a new fan, THANKS!

Alexander from Bacau – Romania

 

  My last outing of 2018 was December 31. But 2019 didn’t pick right up and I didn’t get out to detect until March. While it was cold and windy, and we knew the fields were relatively quiet, it was good to jump back in.

  My friend James was kind enough to bring me back to acres upon acres of colonial-era farmland. Too many acres to cover thoroughly, so the fact that he’d visited the property multiple times (once accompanied by me), didn’t dissuade me. Even though signals were few and far between, James had found some good stuff, including 6 or so colonial-era copper coins. I myself had found my first shield nickel on my first outing, and I was excited to return.

  Per our usual M.O., we arrived at the fields shortly after the sun rose from the horizon. It was windier and colder than I expected, so I bundled up as if I was an arctic exploration. We geared up and started swinging. The first field was really quiet, but my second target was banging, and turned out to be something very cool – a Kass Forge hoof pick/horseshoe tool. I had never seen anything like it!

  We quickly made our way to another field, and I concentrated on a noisier section. I had to suffer through some very good signals that turned out to be modern garbage, but I persevered. I knew something good would come up, and I was right! I found a nice, really old button – late 17^th-century to early 18^th-century. Score! Any time I find something that is potentially from the 1600s gets me really excited.

  After getting a great signal, I dug my hole and saw big green roundness. A coin!? I was hopeful. But as I investigated more closely, I could tell that it was too big to be a coin. It turned out to be a big whatzit, so I put it in my junk pouch and carried on.

  A few minutes later I got another really good signal. When I turned over the plug I saw a big coin! This time I was certain. I didn’t know what it was, so I pulled out my phone to record. As I started removing away the dirt, I was stunned – could it be – silver? It was! I had found a 1910 silver Barber half dollar! This was my first half dollar of any kind, and I was stoked. I grabbed my walkie talkie to tell James the good news, and then went back to searching.

  The field stopped producing, so we regrouped and tried an adjacent one. This one was eerily quiet, and we didn’t stay on it long. On to the next! My first target on the next field turned out to be a colonial copper. Sadly, it’s so toasted that I couldn’t get a proper ID on it. But it was still a positive sign and a good find!

  We planned to spend more time on this field, especially since I had just found something colonial, but the land owner drove over to say hi. He had recently got himself an entry-level detector and we encouraged him to join us and we’d help him learn. He suggested we search the yard behind his house – the house that was built in the mid-1700s. Um, yes please! I later found out that the original structure was built in the 1600s, but was replaced by the “newer” 18^th-century home. James started off walking side-by-side with the land owner and spent a great deal of time helping him out. I periodically did the same, as we helped him understand what the good targets were and how to dig a plug. James called him over to swing over a good signal, and then suggested he dig it. Well, it was indeed a good signal as it turned out to be a mid-19^th-century large cent. The land owner was over the moon!

  I didn’t find anything of note surrounding the old home, despite my best efforts. I’m looking forward to hit the unsearched areas of this property to see what else it might have in store.

  Here’s a video of my better finds. Please forgive the sound quality – I wasn’t lying when I said it was windier than I expected!

 

 

  Not too long ago I was able to get my hands on an XP hard transport case.  Sure… I’ve seen video reviews, social media posts of people’s thoughts about the case, and other online reviews. Prior to receiving mine I had only seen one in person, one other time, and for all of about 5 minutes.  Obviously, that is not enough time to form an opinion of a product. Although some online reviews may have slightly mixed or varying in opinions of the hard transport case, I like to form my own opinions.  Some people seem to love the hard transport case… Some people seem to have their own ideas of a better method of protection.  Either way, it’s still protection which translates into peace of mind for the end-user.

     Let’s face it… When we purchase a machine we like to be able to take care of and protect our investment.  Proper care, maintenance, and storage is a big part of that.  Whether it’s long-term storage, short-term storage, travel, or just wanting to keep everything in one spot… A good quality Case can be a nice accessory to have to provide that protection and peace of mind.

     We’ve all heard horror stories of mishaps with machines while traveling. In the past, traveling with other machines, I have used a pelican storm 3100 series to protect my equipment both from damage and from the elements, so I was certainly looking forward to seeing how the XP hard transport case was constructed and how it could suit my needs.

A QUICK RUNDOWN OF FEATURES:

Inside foam is cut precisely to fit your XP detector and accessories.

Parts are perfectly secured.

The foam is shaped to hold up to 3 search coils.

Padlock compatible. (padlock not included)

Double security lock.

Wide handle for a comfortable grip

Size: 28.74 x 11.41 x 6.69 Inches (73 x 47 x17 cm)

Weight: 7.3 Pounds (3.3kg)

     Upon receiving the case, which arrived quite quickly and undamaged in shipment, I noticed that it was quite ruggedly built. Although it may not be quite as rigid as a pelican case, it still provides quite sufficient protection for the machine and accessories that you will be storing inside of it.  XP took all of the guesswork out of things and made the process of storing your machine and accessories quite simple. No more cutting foam to fit what you are trying to store. Everything is already pre-cut, with plenty of storage room as well,  and a fair amount of foam surrounding everything to provide adequate protection. Whether you’re throwing it in your vehicle, traveling, or just storing it all in one spot, under your bed or in the corner the case is a great way to get things done. I even found after putting all of my accessories into the case, including charging cable and clip, camera mount, rain dust cover, additional charging clip and cable, headphones, remote, and other parts of the machine  I still had room for a camera as well as a portable USB pack that I use for charging the equipment and accessories.

     I’ve been using the XP hard transport case for a while now and find that it fits my needs wonderfully when it comes to the XP Deus.  It is also worth noting that the XP hard transport case is not just for the XP Deus. It also works for the other XP models that have the s shaft telescopic stem such as the new ORX.

    Dust protection, protection from the elements, or just storage, the XP hard transport case will get the job done quite well.  Is it the right choice for you? You will have to be the judge of that. For myself and others who have been using the hard transport case for a while now they seem to be very satisfied. Remember… We’ve all heard those stories about equipment getting broken during transport and travel. You can’t put a price on peace of mind and protecting the gear that we use.

 

     Do you play the numbers game? No, I’m not talking about the lottery numbers. I’m talking about Target numbers. No… Not the target numbers you see on your screen but the concentration of Target numbers.  The target Rich environment!  Some days it’s a fun and rewarding game and other days it can be quite frustrating.  It’s a simple formula… To find the targets and that you seek, you have to go to where they hide.  Think about it… Where do we find treasure? Obviously the answer is under our coil. Luck may play a part for some people but we still have to get our coil over the Target.

     Chances are good that we are not going to find civil war relics on your local wood chip tot lot.  Likewise, chances are also good you may not find old coins and tokens at your newly built community splash pad.  I’m not saying and you won’t find targets in these areas, but you may not find the targets that you are looking for or hoping for. Research can play a big part in finding the areas you seek, as well as talking to the locals, and most importantly listening to what they have to say.

     Lately I have had a pretty good run on rings.  Some good, some bling, some returned and others look nice in the display.  On one particular outing not too long ago I managed to find three rings in about 15 minutes. Some people have asked me how I got so lucky. Short answer… I was playing the numbers game.

     I got into a target-rich environment where there had been a large concentration of people over a duration of many years. By doing this I increased my odds of the potential of finding jewelry.  Believe me you’re going to dig your fair share of trash but as long as you are patient and move slow you will find the good targets that you seek.  Over a short duration of time, working just a couple small areas of this location I have pulled I believe 9 rings including a diamond ring and a couple of silver earrings. You’ve got to be patient, persistent, determined and willing to play the numbers game!

     The flexibility and versatility of the XP Deus can be an asset in these areas where targets are concentrated. Get out there and play the numbers game!