Steve Herschbach

Sounds like “go fish” to me! Something about the way Minelab does coils must make it a low or no profit item for them. What else explains the absolute lack of interest in supplying anything more than the absolute minimum in coil selection? We know Equinox is wildly popular, so having more coils to sell people would appear to be a no-brainer. Usually the main expense in new coils is designing new molds. Once that is done it would make sense to use those molds for as many detector models as possible. Yet Minelab does not do it. There is some missing part to this equation. I’ve heard “only so many engineers”. Really? Can’t hire one? It all boils down to, if Nokta/Makro or Russians in garages can pop out coils like candy, why can’t the world leader in detector technology? Since everything boils down to profits, coils must not be a money maker for Minelab. That’s all I can come up with.

I've suggested it so that means it will not happen. Minelab Vanquish search coils Wishful thinking?

Supposedly hotter on small gold than the Dual Field. I’m personally not sure that actually is the case. As far as High-Q goes honestly nobody knows at this point if it is actually any different than the Miner John version.

I think this is correct, if anybody thinks not please let me know.....

I have been lobbying for a mid-range elliptical coil for the Equinox for two years now, since it is the kind of coil lots of gold prospectors like to use. Minelab throws my suggestions in the trash bin when it comes to coils unfortunately. Then the light bulb went off. The stock 11" coil for the Equinox sells for $229. I can get a 7" x 10" Multi-IQ coil for only $199 and a free metal detector to run it! It's called the Vanquish 340. No, Vanquish coils will not work on the Equinox. That would make too much sense. But still, $199 for a coil with a free detector included is a pretty hard deal to beat, don't you think? I was kind of blowing Vanquish off but now I'm actually thinking a 340 might be a fun little machine to have around. It has to be sweet on the arm at 2.6 lbs with an S rod. Just a thought. Minelab Vanquish 340 metal detector Search Modes - Coin, Jewelry, All Metal Custom User Search Profile - No Operating Frequencies (kHz) - Multi-IQ Noise Cancel - Auto (19 Channels) Bluetooth Audio - No Iron Bias - High Sensitivity - 4 levels Volume - 3 levels Target Tones - 3 tones (Low, Mid, High) Discrimination Segments - 5 segments Target ID's - -9 to 40 Depth Indicator - 4 levels Length - Extended: 1450 mm (57") Collapsed: 760 mm (30") Weight (incl. batteries) - 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg) Standard Coil - V10 10" x 7" Double-D Audio Output - In-built loudspeaker, 3.5 mm (1/8") jack Supplied Headphones - None Display - Monochrome LCD Supplied Batteries - 4 x AA Alkaline replaceable Waterproof - Coil to 1 meter/3 feet Operating Temperature Range - -10°C to +40°C (+14°F to +104°F) Storage Temperature Range - -20°C to +70°C (-4°F to +158°F) Key Technologies - Multi-IQ Minelab Vanquish 340 Instruction Manual Minelab Vanquish 340 Data & Specifications Forum threads with "vanquish" tag Minelab Vanquish 340 display and controls

Had to bump this to top. I'm still wishing/hoping/dreaming that Minelab would put the SDC 2300 in a regular housing that can use regular coils. People obviously want it. They have aftermarket frankencoils for the SDC now since Minelab refuses to accommodate the market. Why is it so hard to get companies to see what seems so screaming bloody obvious? No new invention needed, just an ergonomic design. Is it that hard to make something that is ergonomic? Charge the same price, I don't care, but please give users what we want, not what we are told we want.

Well that really is pretty much the Minelab SDC 2300, full time autotracking, no controls to speak of. It is the perfect beginner machine really if cost is not an object, nor the not so ergonomic 5.7 lb design, and the fact you have to bastardize third party coils into it to get any selection past the one that comes hardwired. The SDC 2300 really is just a turn on and go detector that ignores virtually all hot rocks, based on the GPX Fine Gold timing. That's what makes all this so frustrating. There it is. The circuit exists, nothing to invent. Just put it in an ergonomic housing with standard interchangeable coils.

The Nokta/Makro Simplex+ is an amazing value at $254 new with warranty. This means hordes of people are going to just buy to try. This also means lots will get sold used with minimal use. It happens with every new model, and I don’t expect anything different with Simplex+. Due to the super low price I have to think the buy and try crowd will be larger than ever. The Simplex+ has that fabulous two year transferable warranty. It is a certainty that you will be able to buy these used with at least 18 months remaining warranty in the next few months. Since the machine new and unused is only $254 how much would you have to sell it for used to get some interest? Especially if others are selling? I’m guessing $199. Any more than that, may as well get one new in the box. Patience grasshopper! Nokta/Makro Simplex+ Data & Specifications

The issue with counterfeit metal detectors is getting bad. eBay in particular is full of them. Amazon not as bad but they are there. If you Google for lowest pricing, you will find scammers. Be careful buying used now, could just be a front for a scammer. Fake Gold Bugs Destroyed It’s pretty simple. Metal detector products generally have enforced minimum advertised prices. That’s the price you see most often and at all the legitimate sites. It’s the price I list in the Detector Database. Anybody pretending to be a dealer and selling the item for significantly less is likely to be a scam. Either accept that you have to deal with legitimate dealers selling at the higher prices, or find yourself a scammer selling for less. If all you care about is finding the lowest price on the internet, you WILL get ripped off. Well, not really. It’s voluntary. I am deleting all the links to these rip off sites when people post them. Outfits like King Detectors or Alibaba. The links below list a lot of them. I don’t mind identifying them by name but I do not want to advertise for them with links. Just accept that they are out there. Thanks. However, there can also be scammers selling at the minimum advertised price and really making a killing. All manufacturers have lists of legitimate dealers on their websites. You want to stay safe, stick with those. Just a tip however. They can sell for less than the advertised prices... just call them and find your best deal. Tell them you don’t need the “free stuff”, you just want their best deal. Genuine Bounty Hunter Metal Detector Dealers Genuine Fisher Metal Detector Dealers Genuine Garrett Metal Detector Dealers Genuine Minelab Metal Detector Dealers Genuine Nokta/Makro Metal Detector Dealers Genuine Teknetics Metal Detector Dealers Genuine XP Metal Detector Dealers (U.S.) Genuine XP Metal Detector Dealers (International)

That’s quite a haul, more silver coins than most people find in a year, and gold also! It’s great to see a post about using the GPX at the beach, that’s power for you. Thanks for posting.

A high school buddy and I founded AMDS in 1976. In 2010 we created an ESOP and sold the company to the employees, financing the entire sale to them. They did not have to invest a dime, just pay us back out of profits over the years. I am still on the Board of Directors and fly up at least once a year for a visit. They had their struggles early on but are doing very well now. I am very proud of them! https://www.akmining.com/aboutus

Nice honking ring Mitchel, good for you!

Welcome to the forum Walt!

Great weather right now, have fun out there Gerry!

Alaska raised the annual state mining claim rental rates substantially in August, as people who got the billing know. The state website fact sheet still shows the old rates however and people who did not get the billing may be in for a unpleasant surprise. http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/hottopics/pdf/new-rental-rates-for-mining-claims.pdf NEW RENTAL RATES FOR MINING CLAIMS, LEASEHOLD LOCATIONS, PROSPECTING SITES, AND LEASES On August 1st, the Office of the Lt. Governor approved a change to 11 AAC 86, setting forth new rental rates for mining claims, prospecting sites, and mining leases for the 2020 mining year that begins on September 1, 2019. These increases to mining rental rates were conducted in accordance with State of Alaska Law AS 38.05.211, which requires an adjustment to the rental rates based on the change on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Alaska every 10 years to account for the change in the cost of living over the 10 year period between adjustments. The last adjustment was completed in 2009. Table 1 list the new rental rates for different types, sizes, and ages of mining claims and leasehold locations. The rental requirement for prospecting sites is a one-time payment of $305.00 to be paid at the time the prospecting site is recorded. Prospecting sites are good for 2 years and may not be renewed. Below are Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). Question? - How are the new rental rates calculated? Answer. - In 1989, the State of Alaska Legislature set the rental rates for mining claims, leasehold locations, and mining leases. In addition, the legislature directed the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to adjust the rental rates every 10 years based on a change in the CPI for Alaska using the following simple formula in which the denominator is the CPI for the first half of 1989 as determined by the Federal Government Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the nominator is the CPI for the first half of the year in which the adjustment was made. The formula resulted a correction factor. The correction factor is multiplied by the rental rates set in 1989 to produce the new rental rates. Question? - Why is the rental rate for Quarter Section mining claims not exactly 4 times the rate for the Quarter-Quarter Section mining claim? Answer. – The Legislature required DNR to round off the rental rate to the nearest $5.00. For example; the calculated rental rate for a 40 acre claim of less than 5 years is $41.27 and when rounded to the nearest $5.00 is $40.00. Multiplying $41.27 by 4 results in the actual rental rate for a 160 acre claim to be $165.08 and rounding off to the nearest $5.00 is $165.00. Question? – I have already paid my claim rental for the coming year at the previous year rate. Will I automatically lose my claim because I didn’t pay the total amount due for this year? Answer – No. By regulation, if it is determined that a miner fails to make a full payment for rent on a mining claim, DNR is required to notify the miner of the deficient payment by certified mail. The miner is then required to make full payment on or before December 2nd or 30 days after the receipt of the letter, whichever is later. Any additional questions not addressed above will be answered by contacting DNR representative Lora Eddy at (907) 269-8628 or Kristen Shake at (907) 269-8652, or by email at kristen.shake@alaska.gov.

The Tarsacci MDT-8000 is a probable hybrid, VLF using time domain processing. The same can be said however for most Minelab multifrequency detectors.

I agree about the low profile type... the pic I posted was just the first I found Googling for a picture.

Great dimes! Silver dimes are a favorite find for me.

No, I already have two pinpointers and have not been doing any water detecting so I never got one. Amazon reviews have been lackluster, some complaining about lack of tiny item sensitivity. That can be good or bad. If you are looking for tiny stuff not good. If the focus is coins and rings it could be a plus. Some of the complaints about tiny item sensitivity seemed to be unrealistic expectations for a pulse device made to work in saltwater. If I ever head to Hawaii again I will spring for one but otherwise just don’t have enough need for another pinpointer given what I already have.

I keep making noise for something like that. Right now the QED and upcoming Fisher Impulse are potential contenders. I would love to see Minelab do something. Just stick the SDC in a standard detector housing for gosh sake!

Welcome to the forum Adem! None of the best VLF (induction balance is more accurate) nugget detectors is so great that it makes the others not worth considering. They all work well, so it just comes down to which one has some feature that you like in particular. Which is best just depends on who you ask. I can use any of them and do just fine. Currently my two choices are an Minelab Equinox 800 and White’s Goldmaster 24K. But that’s just me, others like other machines or combinations of machines

Having Googled and compiled all the U.S. gold coin responses I could find for the Equinox here is what I came up with: Coin Target ID $1.00 10 11 12 $2.50 15 16 $5.00 18 19 $10.00 21 $20.00 25 26 27 Minelab Equinox U.S. common coin and gold coin (yellow) target id numbers

Great info, thanks!

I use NiMH 9V batteries in my Carrot with no issues and have been quite satisfied with them. One in pinpointer and one ready for backup in my pouch, rotate as needed. I used them in my old Gold Bug 2 and Gold Bug Pro also. Same set still working fine since 2015.

My guess is vesicular basalt with some sort of cavity filling, possibly calcite. Since you have a lot of glacial deposits there the rocks are quite a variety from all over the area. When in doubt about rocks checking geologic reports for an area can offer clues. https://www.geo.sunysb.edu/reports/Boulders paper.pdf