6000 Vs SDC

[Gold Catcher]

So, I went prospecting to mother Yuba (Sierra County), armed with the SDC. I went to a pretty trashy area that I had previously visited with the 6000. The problem with the 6000 in that area was that I had to stop literally every 20 sec to dig a target, mostly tiny pieces of trash. The enormous sensitivity of the 6000 is a god send, but it can come and bite you if you are in trashy areas. Even dialing back sensitivity all the way did not make any difference, as expected. I literally spent most of the time on my knees digging targets, almost thinking I should just remain on my knees and slowly crawl forward to scoop up all the tiny trash. Hence, this time I decided to use the SDC to have a PI detector with comparably lower sensitivity, just to make this a more productive day. Indeed, I was surprised (well not really..) how quiet the same area was with the SDC. Yes, here and there a few trash targets, but not nearly as bad as with the 6000. I could even walk for a few minutes without any target, something that would have been unthinkable with the 6000. I managed to pick up a couple of pickers, something I contribute to the fact that I was actually able to cover some ground, instead of having to stop constantly to dig small trash targets. So, bottom line, the 6000 remains my to go detector and it's performance is simply out of this world. However, there are instances where more sensitivity is not always a good thing. IMHO, this is another reminder of how different circumstances require different approaches and that there is not one single detector that fits all occasions.

 

GC

[Valens Legacy]

Nice hunting, glad to see it paid off for you.

Good luck on your next outing.

[Norvic]

Aye GC you have much patience way more than this fellow, 2 bits of rubbish in a row and I`m off faster than light, vowing to come back on the 30th of February ...........

[oneguy]

Had a similar experience with the SDC last season.  When I got my 6 I figured I no longer needed the SDC as I figured the 6 would cover anything and more than the SDC so I put it up for sale.  Nobody was interested at the price I wanted so the SDC didn't sell.  I had a spot I struggled with the 6 full of wet clay, lots of air traffic, and constantly changing coil positions detecting flat then vertical slopes, etc. The 6 was going bonkers and running wild the way it sometimes does and driving me nuts after awhile. A few days later I just wanted a nice easy day and didn't feel like doing battle with the 6 and thought I'd see how the SDC handled this particular spot. The SDC remained calm during the entire hunt like it always seems to do, found 3 nuggies, I wasn't mentally exhausted like I get sometimes using the 6 doing noise cancels, waiting on aircraft to pass, and having the 6 run wild on occasion?  Had a nice calm enjoyable hunt.  The SDC runs smooth as silk in my areas and it'll stay in the arsenal for those days I just don't feel like using the wild 6.......jmo's

PS....How did you attach your stand to the SDC?...I like it

[Gold Catcher]

2 hours ago, oneguy said:

PS....How did you attach your stand to the SDC?...I like it

Hi Oneguy. Indeed, for these situations that you describe the SDC is a good choice IMO. And, it is still a reasonably good detector that finds gold, albeit with a much narrower focus. I just wish they would come out with a more modern and ergonomically friendly version, while still keeping the MPF or something similar (without going for brute force). The stand came with the control box cover. You just slide the rod stand through the sleeve.

GC

https://www.ebay.com/itm/154921735979?hash=item24120e172b:g:DB4AAOSwPcVVt30x

[GotAU?]

I forget where I read it, but you could try lifting the 6K coil a bit off the ground when swinging in trashy areas to attenuate it’s sensitivity to the small stuff.

[Gold Catcher]

8 hours ago, GotAU? said:

I forget where I read it, but you could try lifting the 6K coil a bit off the ground when swinging in trashy areas to attenuate it’s sensitivity to the small stuff.

Interesting thought, I just would be a bit worried about EMI creeping in. I usually keep the coil as flat over the ground as possible.

GC

[Jeff McClendon]

Have you tried using the 14” DD for making the 6000 less sensitive to tiny trash?

[Gold Catcher]

8 minutes ago, Jeff McClendon said:

Have you tried using the 14” DD for making the 6000 less sensitive to tiny trash?

Thanks Jeff. No I have not tried the 14DD in this area, certainly worth a try. But from my previous times I have used the 14DD I can say that it remains remarkably sensitive to small gold, much more so than I would have expected.

GC 

[Gold Catcher]

17 minutes ago, Jeff McClendon said:

have you tried using the 14” DD for making the 6000 less sensitive to tiny trash?

The 14 inch might also be a bit too big for this area. I usually use it more in the open field.