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Gerry in Idaho

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  1. This was shared to me and I thought of my Detector Prospector family. I'm not as good with a computer as I am a detector or I would have put a PI in the hands and said saving "Heavy Metal". Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels during the holiday sseason. Here's a Turkey for you Lunk.
  2. Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels.
  3. Glad you are happy with NF coils (past and present). They are an asset to our hobby and helps us find more gold. As for my previous experiences with NF. I'll compare them to my Coiltek. I've probably ran at least 20 different coils from both NF and CT in years past and I've been able to dig quite a few extra ounces of gold with both. Early on one of my favorites at Rye Patch was the 14" round MONO (the orange one). It seems one company will have the upper hand for a series and then it goes back to the other. I know there are other brands out there, but for 2 cents, I feel you need to stick with CoilTek or Nugget Finder as their longevity in this industry is solid. Lets hope on the next ZVT gold machines, both companies give us options and do it sooner than later.
  4. that's so comical...and true for most of us.
  5. Love seeing those golden cracks and that's quite a haul. Well earned my friend.
  6. Arky - It's a Love vs Hate relationship with a GPZ-7000. Love the performance and hate the body aches during and afterwards. LuckyLundy - Yes it seems that the majority of folks have walked away from Rye Patch. That's fine with me as I still enjoy what it offers. RVPopey - I'm ok with an occasional mess of smaller gold. Actually at times it's thrilling to hit a nugget every 5 minutes. I found a small patch and pulled 9 pieces from a 20' x 30' area. Sure there are even smaller ones for a GPX-6000, but normally not my style. Maybe next season I'll swing back over with a 6. Gold Catcher - I'm slowly coming back around to it. I still feel in most of my areas, a GPX-6000 is fine. As you know, each has it's +/_ and desired areas with results. Swegin - You most certainly could have been talking to a Legend. It's amazing he even gave you that much help.😆 If it's the same Legend, he's found more gold out there than most of us combined. Lunk - Yes I think Swegin must have run into Smokey. You/I know those few words were about as much as he'd say to most, when it come to "where to find the gold". He was great with keeping his patches near his vest. 🤫
  7. Steve, I'll be making a post some day about why/when a 7 is needed, but you already know. It's certainly not my desire to swing one but there are now options with the lighter coils we didn't have 2 years ago and that does help tremendously. Still overweight detector and maybe (hopefully) the next gen ZVT technology will be state of the art. Still plenty out there, less one ounce.
  8. Well it might be regularly for me, but in reality, I could have been swinging for much less time in my old trash areas and probably would have hit a couple specimens of size and ended up with more gold weight. But this trip was more about Training Customers and then I ended up taking in trade the GPZ-7000 I used. What better place to test it than the ground I know best. Yes I agree, MJ writings are well worth it.
  9. My last trip of 2023 to Northern NV was everything I expected and then some. On the last day, I was able to break the 1 ounce bar I had set. I actually had 2 goals for myself, at least a 1/2 oz and if the gold gods were on my side, then hopefully an ounce. After soaking my Nevada gold to remove caliche, my weight was 31.4 grams. Soaking results shows some totally unique and different variations of Au. Some nuggets with crystallized characters, a few weathered and smooth pieces, 5 leaf gold types a few bigger chunks and many smaller picker types. Even have a triangle formed prize. My biggest nugget of the trip was 6.6 grams and has a bit of chevron pattern. Majority of gold recovered was with a GPZ-7000, but I did find gold with 3 other models of machines (EQ-800 with 6" coil, Manticore with stock 11" coil and GPX-6000 with stock 11" coil). I took in trade while on the trip the 7 from a DP member, as I didn't own one (too heavy). One good thing about winters is early morning temps are too cold to hunt and the amount of light in a day is cut by 5 hrs. So with my thinking of starting to swing around 10AM and finish around 3PM with a lunch break, is about all my body can take of swinging a GPZ-7000. Plus I needed to test the detector before I sold it. Pics show just how interesting a small area of the region can have different gold patterns. Below is the gold right out of the ground and showing 32.9 grams. Has not been cleaned. Next pic is after CLR soaking to remove the Caliche (Calcite) that seems to form on many of my NV gold nuggets. Final weight was 31.5 grams so I only lost about a gram. Not as many chunky nuggets this trip (getting smaller each time) This next 2 pics are front and back of the biggest find and also my deepest dig a 6.6 gram at 15". Leaf gold is more rare than typical nuggets, but I still think Chevron is even more rare. Solid dense nuggets are always a treat as they are usually heavier than they 1st appear. The biggest of these is only (half a corn kernel) but weights .9 of a gram. The Triagon type nugget (in center) is really cool and collectible (only if it was a gram or more). Notice it also has a darker gold color to it. When I see those black cubes, I really start paying attention to my detector. They are Limonite cubes and come in many sizes. Last pic is all the gold again and showing a token I recovered in Nevada. It says NATIONAL, NEV. Wonder when the abbreviation for Nevada changed from NEV to NV? Well, I hit my goal for the trip and am proud of my efforts considering how hoard these places have been hunted. Actually, one of my good friends had asked if I found new locations that had not been detected and the answer is no. All gold was recovered from the same places I have known about and hunted. Sure I walked a couple washes I personally have not swing, but my staff have. If you are going to hunt Northern NV for gold, a great resource is "Placer Deposits of Nevada" by Maureen G. Johnson. Yes, each of the sites I hunted is mentioned in the above book. There's your "Nugget" of knowledge folks. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone across the globe this week. Gerry
  10. Reese, Well earned gold to you. As Rob had mentioned and you obviously know, the GPX-5000 has more Timings than most want to learn and when paired with the right coil and location, some more finds at depth can be made. Glad to see you making a few more golden digs and hopefully you don't have to sell your 6.
  11. I seriously have no clue when a new detector will come out. I just look at the previous track record and how they release detectors to get an average. The ZED is 9 yrs old and only their 1st with ZVT. So knowing them, something is being worked on and it's just a matter of time before leaks come out. Yes, the Annual report news does not mention anything for 2024 (which is practically here), but you/I and most others know it's just a matter of time and a leak of good news will start to trickle. Heck, just the update of the price increase for the GPZ-7000, could cause some to think "Buy Now" and dealers to "Stock Up". This might be exactly what the brainchild of Minelab is betting on (clear the warehouse), then the leaks of the 2nd high end detector with ZVT starts. I really don't have any clue though. I do like seeing Lunks results and that of JP's response, which not many have figured out. On a side note, the GPX-5000 has similar capabilities for those who take the time to learn it.
  12. Lunk, Again, you are taking the old technology and making it new again. One simple post and the price of used GPZ-7000's goes up, Bill is in search of a 19" coil and many others will be trying the same. That's why I enjoy hunting with you buddy as the very rare talented guys like yourself, keeps me on my toes. Now as for me going back to the 19" coil, I'll pass and save my back/body for other hunts. When the new ZED detector comes out, Minelab will most certainly have many of those issues ironed out for the actual detector, but the coil itself, I'm not sure how much lighter they or anyone else can make a 19" coil of that size with the actual performance that design provides. Only time with tell and hopefully the leaks from Minelab start coming out as the new year is around the corner. Thanks again for sharing your hard earned knowledge and as Phrunt mentioned "the cat is out of the bag".
  13. When playing with peoples emotions, things always take a twist. Gold to many is just that...gold. Heck, I still have folks who smelt all nuggets .5 gram and less along with their fines. At the other end, I have folks in my circle who sell their nuggets/pickers and even fines for spot and or above. Just like the food most of us eat, there are people who will pay more for a sticker "organic" and not realize how the term "organic" is stretched and use for profit. I know of gold collectors who are more interested in the nuggets region of discovery over many other factors. Their goal is to own a nugget from each region, county and sometimes mine. I do agree and it has been proven, some hefty prices are paid for nuggets that have factual history trail. Then you have the fake finds and that's what ruins some genuine discoveries.
  14. Oh boy would I love to jump in and serve everyone some stinking humble pie and my 25+ year opinion of how this company has changed. But the wiser part of me says to bite my togue and let it go or I could be outside looking in. Wonder if the new Minelab boss who was recently promoted has any great strategies to help turn Minelab around? Wishing him and Minelab the best of luck, as we (detectorists) really need them around for at least pushing for greater detectors and detecting technologies.
  15. Rob, Thanks for chiming in as I know you are one who sells them. I appreciate you answering my questions as Steve H and I think alike on many things and when us old time swingers see change, we've known a few times for actual upgrades or updates to the product, but as he mentioned, the manufactures don't want to panic owners of old and potential buyers of new...until they get their shelves cleared. Not saying this is the case with NF, as I know they are a solid long term company. You/I and anyone in the know (including NF) realize coil color can be affected by UV over time. I'm hearing some mention of the grey one but I've yet to see it? The white one I was fortunate to run was very impressive for performance to smaller gold, as expected. The only downside I notice is the actual material used for the cover. The plastic makes an annoying high scratchy sound when slid across the ground and the hollow echo drives me a little batty too. Funny how some plastics are smooth and quiet, but wear out soon and others are harder to last longer but then make more noise. Is the black coil and cover of the same type material of the earlier versions or hopefully that was part of the change? Now for the biggest question of all? Why does NF not have these coils on their website? If you think about it and the age of the GPZ-7000 (9 yrs old), it's certainly on it's way out. Is NF just trying to move the last of their inventory before we get updated with a totally new super lite and ergonomically designed $10K GPZ...whatever it will be GPZ-7500 or GPZ-8000? Again, it's kind of disturbing for someone who is on the fence about dropping over a $1000 for a coil that's had 3 changes in such short time and the actual manufacture does not even promote it on their site? I'm ok with change, updates and improvements. I'm not really keen on the manufacture not showing the Z-search coils on their own site. Have you heard why? Again, thanks for your time and letting us know the black is the newest. Do you have them in stock?
  16. Was it purchased for a USA Dealer? If so, how long ago? Thanks for chiming in Strick.
  17. I might be in the market for a 12" NF Z-Search coil and my research shows me 3 different versions. Why is this and what are the changes or upgrades? It seems the US is not getting the newest black version? Your thoughts across the pond is ideal for my eyes and knowledge. If my knowledge gathering is correct, the 1st version is white with red decal. Then and what I'm seeing in USA is this white with black decal, see below. Finally and the newest version is black with red decal. I know Nugget Finder is a very well known and long time respected company but seeing 3 different color configurations has me scratching my head. Please help me those who know.
  18. 😁 Wonder how you learned of the swing arm and Doc's Bungee system. Good to hear from you buddy and hopefully the gold is flowing. Yes I too use Doc's Ultra Swingie Thingie and also a Swing Arm off the GPZ-7000 (can be purchased separately). I carry my Apex pick on my back. I have Zip Ties made into a loop to hold the pick. A detector that really needs a swing arm (besides the GPZ-7000) is the SDC-2300. As for Ultra Swingie Thingie, I use it on a variety of detectors when Prospecting just so I can hold my pants up and carry my pic. The Minelab Pro Swing is a waste of money for anyone with size as the exoskeleton easily comes apart. And the Minelab Pro Swing does not hold my pants up. Why do I need my pants held up? My pockets are usually full of gold. He he.😁
  19. A shout out to all who serve (past & present), Happy Veterans Day, officially tomorrow. A special shout on this day 10 November, as it's the United States Marine Corps Birthday, 248 years strong. Semper Fi my brothers and sisters.
  20. Most certainly can. The price is adjusted though. "Detector Expert Markup", comes with GPS coordinates as well. Highly recommend the Extended Friendship Warranty as well.
  21. We most certainly did and as you know if you were down there, the weather was fantastic. Hopefully we'll catch you next time Lundy and swap some folklore from the well known Prospectors before.
  22. Summary of Gerry’s Detectors last 3 Days Field Training at Rye Patch, NV of 2023 for the customers. We’ll still offer 1 day 1 on 1 this Winter in AZ, all the way into March for those who prefer Individual hands on. I think due to the cold weather the previous week (lows in the teens & highs in the 40’s) with snow cover peaks... half the class cancelled. This put me in a bind and as soon as I realized how small the group was, I called 2 of my Field Experts and told them, not needed. Something about cold in the desert that just does not sit well with a few. Actually, the weather turned for the good and we had some of the best possible temps one could hope for. Sure the low temps were in the upper 30’s/low 40’s but the high temps were optimal at upper 60’s and low 70’s. Yes, the Nevada desert was shining brightly with hardly a breeze and way warmer than expected, as a few of us got too much sun having fun while learning/listening and enjoying the group session. Even had a few unexpected guests getting the last of the warm sun-rays for the year. I won’t go into details on what my Field Staff/I share the 1st day as it’s hard learned from many hours of us in the field with a variety of detectors, coils, settings, sites and kinds of gold. All I know, is the customers certainly do appreciate what they see/learn with their own eyes and that’s exactly what we want. We finished the day with a quick Proper Detector Setup so those who want to enjoy the evening swinging or before class the next morning. Soon after one of the VLF detectors (Equinox) and it’s owner from NV scored a picker nugget (sorry Floyd I didn’t get a pic). It’s nice to see/hear of gold being recovered the 1st day, especially for Rye Patch for anyone who knows how hard that area has been detected. Not much time after, Duke from Idaho was giddy with joy seeing his 1st NV gold, just a picker....but gold. This guy Duke, was a hard nut to crack as he is prior US Military Special Forces and an Expert Coin Hunter who’s retired and puts in 40 hr weeks swinging his NOX. He’s well over $1000 in clad alone. This summer he’s spent so many trips in the gold fields trying to find some Au on his own and it just never happened. Duke called me the week before saying he was cancelling as the weather was cold, his ego was bruised and his tent/sleeping bag was not designed for such weather. He had just returned from a multi day hunt looking for the shiny yellow with ZERO results. After that trip he concluded maybe chasing the elusive heavy metal was just not his cup of tea. I accepted Dukes words and removed him from the list. Not 10 minutes later my gut told me to call him back, so I did. It’s not that I wanted to see Duke fail, but more about his background and how much alike it is to mine. I’m prior USMC and for 25 yrs was a heck of a coin/relic/jewelry hunter. I thought I knew metal detectors inside and out and since my Success was so great, I just assumed the pursuit of gold nuggets would be the same. Boy was I so far off base and wrong, but at least I didn’t give up. I had a long talk with Duke and told him…most of his no gold problem was the Success of his coin hunting. Two totally different styles of hunts and target signals to be listening for (plus a bunch of other things most don’t understand). I promised if Duke would show up with an open mind and... if he could accept personal criticism from my Field Staff/I, as well as he change his habits, he would learn the ropes for this new chapter of using a metal detector. As for the tent/sleeping bag, he showed up with more blankets, but forgot his coffee making essentials (that’s a totally different story). Those who understand morning coffee, must know. Anyway, long story short, Duke did in fact learned/listened and found gold. He was totally surprised at how different the Au hunt is, but he accepted his bad habits and shined above the past. I can tell Duke will be a great nugget hunter if he desires to stick with it. Just before the day ended Mike from Idaho came up to me with his 1st NV gold and I was a little surprised all the previous classes had left a nugget for his GPX-6000. It just goes to show, even the best of us can’t find it all. Day 2 we stayed near camp as it seemed to be producing some nuggets. We hunted the wash near by and could see plenty of recent dig marks. There was much exposed bedrock from a recent rain and I knew there was gold to be had, but also some spots of heavy trash got scattered down the wash as well. It’s tough in those situations but those who persist and learn to use their tools properly (super magnet) can save time and hopefully be rewarded. That’s one good thing about trash areas in old gold producing prospects, you know there’s still gold left to be earned. We managed a decent picker in the wash with GPX-6000 but not much more gold from there. One of my previous customers hunted near camp on day 2 and he managed a a few with his 6000 as well. Remember, he's a previous customer and has already taken the training. The pic below is the same customer and his finds from this year in 5 months of swinging for gold. It seems the new improved GPX-6000 is the best at what’s left at Rye Patch and we were starting to see that. Yes we had two Axiom’s in class and even though they were able to hear most of the targets before we actually dug them, they had yet to score their own gold. Day 3 the final and usually the best day for Success. The students have had multiple 1 on 1 times with my different Staff and plenty of tutorial. It seems the knowledge is most remembered (repetition) and best coil control, ear’s listing to the right sounds vs the wrong sounds…is being accomplished. I can assure you of 10 trips, 9 of those the most gold recovered is on the final day, which should make sense. It just goes to show the advances and progress the folks in the class have learned. As the man in charge, that’s exactly what I want to see and it keeps my Staff/I happy. Up until this time on the 3rd day, Minelab ruled the gold count. Most of that was due to the number of Minelabs in the class vs other brands. The two Garrett Axiom guys were getting a little antsy and I could see it in their body language. I made sure Lunk who owns the Axiom with great success was on them aplenty showing the capabilities of what I consider the best value Pulse Induction gold detector on the market. Is it the best for all scenarios, NOT AT ALL and no detector is (that’s an upcoming write up). Axiom’s come shining through. That’s exactly how the last day of the training ended. The students are putting everything they’ve learned together and so their chance of Success is 10X or more of when they arrived. To start the Garrett glow, Frank all the way from Colorado is swinging an old push windrow and his Axiom lights up a beautiful Rye Patch type character piece of gold. It looks to be just the right size for a dainty pendant down the road. Frank was all lit up and smiling as he explained how he thought the sound of that target was so smooth and clean, he was pretty sure it would be nonferrous. It’s just a matter of it being the right kind of non-magnetic metal, and it was. The other Axiom guy, poor Randy from Oregon, we noticed his detector on occasion would act up and then work fine. We limped him through until the 3rd day when Lunk handed him his own Axiom detector. Thanks’ Lunk for doing so, as Randy didn’t even purchase his unit from me. Hey, that’s just part of why I and many others feel, my team of Experts is the best out there. Having a detector run flawlessly is a big part of self confidence and if you are newer to the game, it’s such a letdown. Well Randy didn’t have to worry now as Lunk’s Axiom is a proven golden winner and those Special Settings Lunk has hidden in the menu (just joking) came through 2X for Randy. Randy with new confidence in a properly running Axiom digs a nice chunky, semi rounded, solid, Rye Patch nugget. What’s even more impressive is about 5 minutes later and less that 5 feet away is his biggest prize, see pics. Yes that’s a water worn, thick, soft, yellow, heavy metal, 3.2 gram, gold nugget. Randy is a mostly quiet kind of guy changes to a little more bubbly of a character while he explains to the rest of us how he found his 2 nuggets. It sure will be a nice drive home for him as he rattles his container with gold and confidence in his abilities. Mike from Idaho was the last student that I know of to find another nugget with his GPX-6000. After that I know of a few my Staff recovered as the training session winded to a close. Did all customers find Gold? No Sir, and we are quite blunt about the odds up front. But most did and that’s a good thing. Did everyone get to hear undug and unknown targets with their own detectors? Yes and that helps build confidence for those who may not be so lucky to go home with gold. Remember, my Field Staff/I provide the location and detector education. We have no clue who will find gold and not, as we don’t know the students and or their capabilities. We promise each person will have a greater understanding of their detector and it’s capabilities, both good and or bad. No use in using a particular detector in a situation where said machine is weak for such task. But, so many people unknowing do so and when your detector doesn’t beep on that kind of gold, you’ll never know, because you missed it. Detector Knowledge and Self Confidence is a big part of Golden Success and not knowing/having it, is like playing poker with a guy who has an Ace up his sleeve. You don’t believe me, lets play… it’s your deal. Thanks for taking the time to read and any questions, please ask. Thanks, Gerry 208-345-8898 Gerry's Detectors http://gerrysdetectors.com/ Gold Nugget Detector Field Training
  23. Yes those roads did produce some amazing gold finds. Steve B and another gentleman from ID that I know of, both found good gold there. Funny as Idaho is my home, I've yet to wander that far North.
  24. If possible try to swing another GPZ-7000 in same Settings on the same day and location? If same results, then the answer is probably not a bad unit, but more to do with the conditions. It's so hard to tell as we are not there in you're shoes. We here in the USA can most certainly say with confidence, the GPZ-7000 in many of our soils can find smaller gold than our older SD/GP and even GPX-series detectors (minus the new GPX-6000). Keep us updated
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