All Activity

At the end of the day, I gave in to the temptation to introduce the M9 into the artillery... After 49 total days of ownership and about 20 sessions in which I 97% adopted the M8, the Manticore has produced its price and the first gamble after the break even point will be this new coil. I'm highly skeptical of an improvement regarding thin gold sensitivity against the M8, but I'm attracted to a few more inches of coverage...Regarding detection depth, I'm afraid there's not much to look forward to. We'll see as soon as the coil arrives next Wednesday what it brings. In any case, before next Monday, I won't have a chance to dive.

I think we all have our personal preferences, when we talk about showels.. It really depends on a body strenght, how tall you are, and offcourse wich type of ground you are digging...

Oh, I didn't know. Minelab Service Center! There is a Minelab center in the country where I live, but they do not sell used detectors. Thanks to you, I'm glad to learn something new! Thank you 🙏

thank you Generic detectors are available through dealers in the country where I live, but it is very difficult to reliably purchase these discontinued products. thank you!

Miners Den Bendigo are an authorized Minelab service agent, If I was buying a used Minelab detector buying from a service agent sounds a good move, you could count on them having the knowledge to check it over properly.

Hi Chopsticks. I have never purchased a used detector from Miner's Den but they are certainly a solid, reputable and large detector dealer here in Australia and I have purchased some small items from them in their Bendigo store. Although being overseas you won't be eligible for the warranty, they will have looked over the detector (tested to some degree??) and obviously feel that it is in good working order to be offering the 3 month warranty to Australian purchasers. Hope it works out well for you. Cheers, N.E.

https://goldseek.com/article/how-much-gold-there-world

This is a pretty big loss. I can't imagine anyone using the real nugget rather than a picture at such a highly advertised event. It is certainly not the fault of the dealer but be careful out there! https://www.foxla.com/news/massive-gold-nugget-dating-back-california-gold-rush-stolen-long-beach

Indeed. Thanks, Steve...

Again, you all say in few words, and more effectively, than what I try to say with many... Thanks Mark! Steve

Totally agree. I have a couple steveg rods myself and they are fantastic. And seriously, since we have a lot of nugget hunters here, all anyone really wanted was the highlighted part of your comment. The idea was and still is to get that alternative rod from steveg rather than somebody else. Give business not take it away. I would wager that I was Steves first and largest supporter when he got started so there certainly was no thought here of throwing him under a bus. My favorite....

hello. This is my first greeting. I am planning to purchase a used Minelab e-trac detector, which is currently only sold in Australia. https://www.minersden.com.au/minelab-metal-detectors/second-hand/ The detector you are considering purchasing is the discontinued E-TRAC. They say they offer a 3-month repair warranty to Australian buyers. Has anyone ever purchased a used detector from that site? I don't live in Australia. So, since I plan to purchase through an overseas purchasing agency service, I am seeking a little bit of reliability. Thank you 🙏

I have many of Steve's carbon fiber detecting rods on my arsenal of machines. I even have one of his two-piece travel rods for my sand scoop. He makes a great product! I've never noticed any difference whatsoever in detection depth or interference when they were swapped in place of a stock plastic or metal shafts. If extreme gold nugget detecting is your thing, fine, get some alternative shaft for that application. For those of us not in that elite group, it's a complete nothing burger.

Found this publication recently: “How We Get Gold in California” by William V. Wells (published 2010 by VistaBooks.com). Wells was apparently an original 49er that returned to the California goldfields in 1860. He documents the gold placering equipment and techniques in use in 1849 then again in 1860. Of interest is that both the Long Tom Sluice and Dry Washer were in use in the California Goldfields by 1860. Plus much more.

Now, after the 3.7v upgrade, the Versa has become a sensing device with more unique features than the Nokta Legend. I think this upgrade went well.

That's a really good idea. And if the body size can be further reduced, a waterproof case seems possible. I support your efforts.

I’m a park hunter, no problem. If I was doing that kind of detecting, it would probably torment me.

Thanks, Steve, for very succinctly condensing all of my attempts to communicate down to this couple of sentences! You do it much better than I (who thinks too much)!

Put some tin foil on the entire top surface of your coil, its funny with the GB2, it screams even with no motion and no longer can detect any targets 🙂 I think the main people this will affect are prospectors, coin and jewellery hunters will likely only notice it when picking up and putting down their detectors or detecting in long grass where their coil moves around a lot in relation to the shaft, they're also generally looking for larger targets than nugget hunters so any loss of sensitivity by the shaft would be very minimal. Older detectors like my CTX have a carbon shaft, it doesn't pick up carbon shafts swinging over its coil though, even at highest sensitivity.

Well, everyone start showing your finds and get to using this forum again!

Taped a stainless steal thermos to the shaft with the end flat against the coil. Caused EMI problems and gave a weird sound. Had to turn sensitivity way down. Only lost about an inch, probably due to signal distortion.

1 to 2" is enough space between the coil and the lower shaft to make a substantial difference at sensitivity 18 to 22. I have not detected in areas that allow me to run my Manticore at maximum sensitivity using the prospecting mode when gold prospecting yet so I can't answer the second part of your question. Maybe phrunt can try it on his milder mineralization sites. EMI is way too high in the urban area I live in to test anywhere near maximum sensitivity possibilities also. Sorry.

There have always be 'rakers' on the California beaches since I've been here. They get clogged with stuff and really just level the surface. They go around and shake out in an area and leave rows/piles which are then cleaned by the sifters that take out the big stuff. When I first got my 800 I went to the piles before they were sifted and I found a chain because of the response. I tried to duplicate later and found it ineffective. I think if you have a chance to separate a pile and run over it then you could find some goodies. I know employees back from a few years ago would sort the beach trash and keep some good stuff. The same thing happens with employees for the Dept of Public works who work on sewers and drains. They run down and sell what they find. Wedding ring ... no problem. The rakers don't get it all. I've gone back behind them and find recent drops. The area of this hunt would never have a rake or sifter. It is under water every day.

Carbon shafts have been around for years with an almost 100% approval rate. I think this should not be a crusade against carbon fiber shafts but looking into fixes for the rare cases where they cause issues for some users. steveg faces obvious concerns about people imagining problems where none existed previously by the power of suggestion. I’d like to respect his concerns by not unduly fanning any flames and sticking to actual issues experienced in the field by normal users.

There is a little wiggle at the insertion point at the middle shaft cam lock. I had the same thing with the stock Legend lower rod. I just wrap it with a bit of Teflon tape when it bugs me. I don't recommend putting a coil bigger than the LG24 on that $19.99 plastic shaft however. It will flex with bigger coils.