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Garrett Metal Detectors For Prospecting?


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On 1/26/2021 at 1:04 AM, Dances With Doves said:

It seems that the AT Gold with the Nel snake coil make  a   pretty good combo if you had to use that machine for Nuggets.Our   Gerry did a video for Garrett using the 4.5''  sniper coil for the AT Gold and was finding #9 shot.Not bad for an 18kz machine.

 

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3 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

The only reason I keep my 24K is the coil selection versus Equinox, otherwise it would be gone. The only VLF I really need for nugget hunting is the Equinox, and truth is even then I'd rather have a PI.

This thread was about Garrett............. :laugh:

I think you will like the news coming out next week with coil selection for the Equinox.

Sorry for mentioning Minelab in a Garrett thread, but when someone asks for opinions, as a guy who used them quite a bit with success and knows the difference, I sometimes forget the original post.  My bad.

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On 1/25/2021 at 3:13 PM, Dances With Doves said:

With all the talk of Minelab dominating the prospecting part of metal detecting lately   how often has any one used a Garrett for gold prospecting in the last  few  years?  

That was the original question. We can talk about Minelab all we want...........

Dances With Doves, I never used an X-Terra 70 for prospecting. I did use the X-Terra 705 with the 18 kHz coil vs the AT Gold with similar coil. Personally, the X-Terra 705 in prospecting mode could ground balance better than the AT Gold in all metal on hotter ground.

As many folks in this thread have mentioned, testing a .5 gram nugget on a concrete floor won't tell you much. Even most 6 to 8 kHz detectors will hit that nugget even in a discrimination mode. Testing the same nugget 4" deep in a tub of really mineralized dirt will tell one all they need to know. Compared to the Equinox in hot ground, all the other VLF detectors on the market I've tried including the Gold Monster 1000 will not be able to compete for long except for maybe a Vanquish 540 with the 8" coil and with nothing discriminated. Sure, any VLF operating above 18 kHz in an "all metal mode" with a small coil may be able to give an audible response of some kind over that buried .5 gram nugget in nasty dirt. Giving any kind of reliable numerical target ID or a reliable ferrous/non ferrous response would be iffy however. The Equinox in its Gold modes will not only hit that target easily, it will also more than likely ID it correctly as a low conductive non-ferrous target in the gold range.

Gerry mentioned several features on the Equinox using the Gold modes which make it superior to the Gold Monster 1000. Three more would be: simultaneous multi frequency operation, a threshold tone that is both a reference threshold and a signal booster, along with 50 individual segments of usable discrimination if you happen to need them for hot rocks, etc.

Gerry also made a reference to an Equinox coil/coils announcement/release on February 1st unless I was dreaming when I read his post......HALLELUJAH    

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1 hour ago, Gerry in Idaho said:

Sorry for mentioning Minelab in a Garrett thread, but when someone asks for opinions, as a guy who used them quite a bit with success and knows the difference, I sometimes forget the original post.  My bad.

I was joking Gerry, thus the smilie :smile: If this was the Garret Forum I’d have to slap you around, but this forum is open topic. I may split it at some point though because your brilliant post is buried in a Garrett thread, and will be missed by many.

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6 hours ago, Gold Catcher said:

Thanks a lot, Gerry! That really makes a strong case. I have never used/owned the NOX but I will definitely consider adding it to my fleet. Amazing that there is only such a small price difference, as you have said before.

The Nox 800 always was/is very good bang for the $$.

G4G

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29 minutes ago, Dances With Doves said:

Around the year 2012 if you were mostly a fresh water jewelry hunter that hunted  nuggets occasionally this machine  (AT GOLD)  was a good choice if you could have only one machine.I think it is good enough to be considered a nugget detector  even though there are better.  

I totally agree. I got mine in 2012 used for $250. If you wanted to hunt freshwater creek, stream or river nuggets and freshwater gold jewelry pretty much submerged, it was basically the only VLF choice and a good one too. For freshwater jewelry it is still a good choice which is why I still have mine. I use it when I want to hit some freshwater lakes and swimming holes in my area. Sometimes I use it for tot lots and parks in really bad weather too or if I need a break from the Equinox. After 10 years mine still works great especially with the MS-3 headphones and wireless module or just the original headphones. I used it yesterday in the snow in a couple of bark tot lots and came away with some .925 silver. It gets the job done in the right conditions.

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One of my buddies was crying when i found a measly 10k 1.5 gram ring in a  bottle cap infested lake.I had 3 gold in a row since he last struck gold.I told him you  know your just  playing games with me and that you  will strike big.1 hour later he  gets a 2 car. diamond in a  platinum ring that a jeweler offered him $3500 cash or 7000 in store  credit.It was worth probably over 20 grand. At gold were our machines at the  time and we paid $640 new.I have to admit that i like the sound of the AT Gold when it  hits a gold ring more then the Nox.It  hits it like a pit bull  on a meatball.

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16 hours ago, Gerry in Idaho said:

think you will like the news coming out next week with coil selection for the Equinox.

Hold up there!!  What is this?  🧐

But I suppose you’re going to tell me you can’t tell me?  😉

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