Some Pickers

[strick]

The wife and I headed to  N. Nevada this past weekend. It was our first Nevada trip together and my second to the area.  Got there late in the afternoon and neither of us could wait to start detecting.  I turned on the 2300 and within 5 min found my first nugget about 6 inches deep. I don't know why but I seem to have my best luck within minutes of turning on any metal detector. 15 min later I found another.  Another hour and the sun was starting to set so we got in the camper and had dinner....and a couple vodka drinks. One thing I love about this new hobby is there is no legal shooting time nor is there a bag and possession limit. So I told Lisa I'm going out to do a little night time detecting. I found three more.  I get back in the trailer and have another vodka drink.... I'm thinking I'm on a roll so I comment to Lisa that I'd like to end up with at least 20 nuggets for this trip. I should know better then to say something like that. The Kiss of death. All day Saturday not one nugget. I swang the 2300 till my arm almost was ready to fall off. Sunday morning we had 3 hours to detect before we had to leave. I managed 2 more with a lot of effort.

 

It was windy on Saturday and my machine was acting up. There were times when I would get this big spike in volume and the 2300 would make a loud screeching sound. I was running sensitivity on 4 and threshold on 3. Very frustrating. Might send it in to get checked out.

 

strick

[Ivansgarage]

My ? is where does one go?  N Nevada. did you do a little research? Did you go to a claim?

(club)  any pointers?

 

Ivan 

[El Dorado]

WTG........

[klunker]

 Ya done Hic real Hic good. But to keep this on the technical side, as is common on this forum. what brand of vodka do you use.

[fredmason]

Ivan, the best place to start is with a Prospecting Association. If you prefer to go it alone then buy Chris Ralph's book-Fists full of gold and Jim Straights book- Follow the Drywashers...and do lots of research.

fred

[Sourdough Scott]

I agree with what Fred. Get in a group of detectorists that know their craft. You can pick up so many pointers and somewhat shorten your learning curve. Watching YouTube videos on your machine can also give you tips. Then get the many hours of hands-on experience with your detector. And your hard work can be rewarded. If you are on the right real estate.

[~LARGO~]

Hi strick,

 

Way to go! You did very well!

 

About you machine acting up.  I haven't had enough use with my SCD 2300 in the field,

to declare it having a problem similar to yours.

 

What I have experienced, however, when the temperature is just right, and the wind blows

a bit, my Minelab GPX 5000, or GPX4000, have squalled a bit, kind of like a cat might do, if

it got it's tail caught in the screen door.  Best comparison I could come up with.  But it has happened

to my machines numerous times.  My take on it, is that there can be a buildup of static electricity in

the machine, and when conditions are just right, it makes that weird screeching sound, as the electricity leaves the machine, usually when touching dry weeds, as I am swinging the coil.  Not being a electronics whiz, my terminology may be not be precise in this case.

 

Now, thinking about it a bit, it could be there could also be static electricity built up in the dry weeds, and is discharged when your machine touches them, causing the strange sound.  Don't know if that is possible or not...

 

UPDATE:  Later today...Having some curiosity about my humble opinion about static electric discharge, I did a little search on the subject, that anyone could do.  Here is a patent application made by Whites Detectors, I think on a search coil with a static electric dissipater in it's design.  Essentially the application shows the coil design, along with a long explanation, as patent applications must have, to prove their point, and need for such. 

 

Within this explanation, is pretty much what I have said above, about dry grasses, electricity, and a metal detector not working as it should, to wit: going crazy...

 

Having experienced "Saint Elmo's Fire" on my trucks radio antenna in the dark of the night out there, which manifested itself as a buzzing green ball of electrical plasma on the antenna's tip,

I am convinced strange things can happen electrically, that you can't explain right away.  

 

A couple of things you can count on out there in N. Nevada, the wind blowing,

and the temperature getting REAL COLD as soon as the sun sinks into the western

horizon.  My nephew went out detecting and found himself in a very dark night, in an unfamiliary place, without a light, and disoriented as to which way to go.  Eventually, he did find his way back to his r.v., but had he not done so, he may have spent a very cold night there on the placers, and

at about 4200 feet altitude, it IS cold. 

 

Looking back, he reflected that his solution to his near

problem would be, leaving a light on his r.v. so he could see where it was, have a small quality flashlight with you all the time, I do. And tell someone you are going out, so they can check on you before things go sideways...

 

Sorry to be so lengthy, it is my habit...

 

Gary/Largo

[strick]

Ivan- we were on a private claim in the Rye patch area

 

El Dorado- Thanks... you back from Arizona yet?

 

Klunker- Seagram's (extra smooth)

 

Largo (Gary)- I have two 2300"s one runs smooth as silk all the time. The other has a more erratic threshold. I've tried frequency scans multiple times but it does not really help at all. The one with the erratic threshold was the one making the screeching sound occasionally.  What you are talking about is possible. I'm gonna head up to the foot hills soon and try it again. If it does the cat with a tail caught in the door noise again I'm sending it in to have it checked out. It was happening so much that I was ready to put it away. Monday it was not windy. This machine has also falsed on wet green plants before. BTW I met you last fall at Gerry's training session. You sat next to me during his talk. I was the good looking guy with the gray hair...

 

strick

[nugget65]

Good going!!!!

[~LARGO~]

Hi strick,

 

I remember you!

I hope you can get your issues resolved!

I hope to get out to the placers sometime, but right now my wife still has significant health issues.

 

Gary/Largo