Multi Purpose Gold Detector

[Joe L]

Being new to these forums, if this is not the place for this, please move. Due to excitement just wanted to sing out here.

I am adding a Gold detector to my arsenal..  I did research this for quite a bit and realized that gold detecting, nuggets anyway, would only be maybe 1%, well maybe less, use of the machine. It would also be used for general detecting and a unit for friends that want to give it a try (it’s a easy to use detector.) But, I do want a capable detector the will work for gold also. Reading Steve’s review and rating of this detector, I'm pulling the the lever.

For these reasons I have chosen a     Fisher Gold Bug Pro.

Thanks for listening.  Joe 

[PG-Prospecting]

Your equinox 600 can be pressed in use as an effective gold prospecting machine.  While it does not have a dedicated gold prospecting mode, my understanding is that Park 1 can be used for gold prospecting, since in multifrequency i believe it runs up to 40khz frequency.  

Steve Herschbach should be able to comment on this more, since if I remember correctly he is the one that i learned it from on one of the equinox forum post he did.  

The other option would be to sell the equinox 600 and upgrade to the 800.  Which is pretty much the best multipurpose detector out there and can detect nuggets as small as what gold monster 1000 will.  

 

[PG-Prospecting]

 

[Jeff McClendon]

Hi Joe L,

I am pretty much with phrunt on your situation. I have an F19  (same as the Gold Bug Pro in all metal-prospecting mode) and an Equinox 800 and 600. Your Nox 600 in Park 2, Field 2 or either of the Beach modes will be just as good as a Gold Bug Pro in my opinion. I have the F19 with the 5" DD, 10 X 5" DD and the Detech Ultimate coils. They all will detect small gold down to the .2 gram size at about 3" in heavily mineralized dirt. It will detect deeper and smaller gold with less mineralization. The Nox 600 with just -9 to -7 discriminated out and a little threshold tone added, in Park 2 and Field 2 does just as well with the stock 11" coil. If you had the 6" coil you would have an outstanding small gold jewelry/occassional gold prospecting detector.

 

Jeff

[Joe L]

Thanks all, yes I have heard about using the 600 and have a small nugget, very small gold round, and a small small bar,  that I tried with the 600. Granted it was just an air test, which I know most here including Steve think is not a good test and I agree. My T2 blew the 600 away in the air test.  I also like the idea of running the Fisher in a,  believe, true all metal mode. I know the 600 has an all metal but, don’t remember if it was a true all metal not just no dscrim.

Now I also agree that setting up the 600 with the right coil properly would work out well for some prospecting but, still like the idea of another multi use detector. I do live in  NYS and really gold is not the main goal, I think. My T2 will being going on the block soon being there, is not a lot use difference than the 600. So a small easy to use detector would be nice.

As for upgrading my 600 to an 800, maybe someday but, my Nox 600 is working SO WELL, I hate to take a chance.

 

oh well, will give it a try  and see where it takes me.  Thanks again, joe

[Joe L]

You folks are starting to talk me out of it.  Maybe I should hold on to the T2 and grab a smaller coil for that or the 600.

[Joe L]

So you all figure there is no advantage with the Equinox 600 over the GB Pro when using a 6” coil?

[Steve Herschbach]

Welcome to the forum Joe 

If the machine is going to be used 99% of the time doing other things, why do you need it? The machines you have are fine for such minimal use.

Your Equinox 600 with 6” coil in Field Mode 2 and all metal/horseshoe engaged will be very close to the Gold Bug Pro in performance. Both are just slightly better than a properly tuned T2 with small coil. Basically you have three detectors that are very close in performance and you are just splitting hairs as to which may be the best. Everyone has favorites and you can collect opinions all week long, but the truth is I personally could use any one of them or a dozen other VLF detectors and go find gold. It’s not the tiny difference between this hot VLF or that hot VLF that will make the difference, it is your access to good gold bearing ground and your knowledge of the machine you use that will make the difference between success or failure.

Bottom line is the Gold Bug Pro is a very simple to use and very well proven detector. If you can’t find gold with it, find better ground and work on your detecting skills. But I could say the same of the other two machines you already own also.

As far as Equinox goes, the 600 is nearly as good as the 800 for nugget detecting. I advise either Park 2 or Field 2, not Park 1 as mentioned by the earlier poster. I am sure I am one of the few that’s actually put it to the test and most people just assume the 600 is not near the gold finding machine as the 800 simply because the 800 has a “Gold Mode” and the 600 does not.

From my article at https://www.detectorprospector.com/forums/topic/6799-equinox-800-gold-nugget-detecting-tips/

Note: the following works as well on both Equinox 600 and Equinox 800. Since Gold Mode lacks target tones, going to Field 2 and using the solutions above plus the additional possibility of tones is another alternative. Instead of using Gold Mode and blocking the lowest target id numbers they can be left open to signal as ferrous or mixed ferrous targets. And you now have 5, 10, and 15 kHz options that Gold Mode lacks. Be very careful because the default rejection pattern for Field 2 rejects target id 1 and 2. This will reject most small gold nugget readings and reduce signal strength on larger gold by blocking part of the signal. Field 2 set up properly is quite close to Gold Mode performance and a perfectly acceptable nugget detecting alternative.

Field Mode 2
Frequency: Multi
Ground Balance: Auto (Ground pump method)
Sensitivity: 18 - 23
Recovery Speed: 4 - 6 (default is 7)
Iron Bias: 0
Accept/Reject: Everything accepted, rely on tones (alternative reject -9, -8, and -7 if too much ground feedback)

There are so many decent VLF detectors you can use now it’s like asking which computer you can get to best run Microsoft Word. I see minimal difference in actual gold found between a 1995 Fisher Gold Bug 2 and any competitive machine made since. The VLF tech flatlined some time ago and from my perspective everything since is just different flavors of ice cream. All tasty but none all that much superior to the others. The operator in my opinion makes the difference in all the ways that matter.

Best of luck to you no matter what detector you choose to use.

Steve's Guide to Gold Nugget Detectors

 

[Joe L]

Thanks Steve, greatly appreciate the input.  Joe

[Joe L]

12 minutes ago, phrunt said:

Steve said what I was trying to say in a much more coherent manor 🙂 You really don't need a Gold Bug Pro with what you own already.

The T2 is good on gold too so you have two really good detectors for gold, especially with a small coil.  You would be better off spending some of your money on a smaller coil and keeping the rest in your pocket.

I went through a stage of wanting more and more detectors to find gold, now that I've got a basic idea on how to do it and where to do it I could have found a lot of that gold with most of them.

 

I agree, thanks for the help.