Need Help Picking Out Test Nuggets For The Whites MX Sport

[khouse]

     Hello! I'm new to this forum and want to "pick" your brains.... First off I've never done any nugget hunting.  I'm hoping to get my Whites MXSports in soon. 

     I'm going to test the prospecting mode the best I can with some pickers. The problem is that I don't have any nuggets!  So you experts tell me what type and size of nuggets would be a reasonable test for the MXS?  I know it won't hit tiny ones and will easily hit large ones. 

     I just want to purchase maybe 3 nuggets for testing.  I will be using the stock 10 inch coil right now. Maybe a smaller one when available? Can you help?  Or maybe even sell me what I need? Thanks,

     Kenny

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi Kenny,

 

Well first off welcome to the forum, glad you could make it!

 

One thing to know is there is not a lot of difference between detecting gold and detecting aluminum and lead. Prospectors want two things in general. First, the ability to handle bad ground and hot rocks. That usually means avoiding detectors with preset ground balances. No problem there with MX Sport.

 

Then small gold capability, usually tied directly to frequency when talking VLF detectors. Anything over single digit frequency is good with most decent gold machines clustering around 13 - 19 kHz. The exception being dedicated prospecting detectors, which can run much higher frequencies. Again, at 13.8 kHz no problem with MX Sport.

 

You can substitute lead or aluminum for gold, and basically the smaller the pieces you can detect reliably the better. Going foil detecting is a good way to practice and get good with a prospecting detector. For big gold I use a U.S. nickel to approximate the depth I expect to get on a roughly 1/4 ounce nugget.

 

You really have no need to have big test nuggets as that nickel will suffice and big nuggets cost big bucks. You might want about a 1/2 gram nugget for a test piece but I am curious to see what other people think on that issue. If I am testing hot high frequency machines (40 khz and higher) it is more like 1 grain.

 

The stock coil will be ok but the 10" x 5.5" is a better nugget coil, half because it has a solid bottom and will not hang up on stuff. I hope they come out with a little 6" x 4" Shooter for the MX Sport.

 

PM me your mailing address and I will send you a 1/2 gram nugget.

[Ridge Runner]

Khouse

 If you can get some old shot gun shells and get the shot out. The old ones is got lead in it. If you can get your hands on any lead and then cut to different weights. This will take the place of the gold you don't have.

 Best of luck on the new detector when we can get one. Another thing if White's offer smaller coils for the MX you may need one. The trouble is you have to spend the money first to play the game. 

The Best

Chuck

[Ridge Runner]

Here I am posting at the same time Steve was.

 khouse you can take all what Steve says to the bank.

That guy is bubbling over with info.

 Chuck

[vanursepaul]

If you take that detector out...you will find plenty of stuff for your test nuggets-----AKA lead shot, and bullets...

 

My old buddy Little Bill used to cut a 22 bullet about in half for a test nugget.....

 

and I dont recommend using gold anyway --- i have left many nuggets in the little vials across the country from AZ to AK---

 

i will run my detector over them and then get distracted and leave them laying there......

[Digger Bob]

Yep, fishing weights work good too.  Cut some split shot in half, hammer it flat, glue it to a poker chip, and you are good to go.  Works with any detector in simulating gold.  Believe me, you will find a lot more lead than gold out there unless you get lucky.

[khouse]

When I jewelry hunt I find plenty of small foil. I know lead is close to gold. But I'm going to be filming and posting these tests along with coins, nails and such. There will be a lot of people calling me out for not using small gold nuggets not knowing lead and foil are basically the same as gold.  So this is the reason for my questions.

[Dean Stone]

By the way Steve, If i send you my address will you send my a 1oz. nugget to test my pinpointer? I don't have any place to go gold detecting.  flintstone

[vanursepaul]

IF anyone "calls you out" for using lead or foil----Well...... just consider the source-- ----

 

And dont worry about what everyone thinks--have fun with it-

 

you can see by this forum that everyone loves me--- even if i was wrong once----- (well...they thought i was wrong, but of course i was right...)

[fredmason]

I use a 1-3 grain nugget for a test...it is usually the most recent small nugget from my most recent previous trip...in the past I used bits of bullets or 1/2 a nickel...and if I don't have a test piece a bit of lead will almost always come around...

 

fred