Learning From The Detector Prospectors

[Guest]

In a few days, so very much information, thank you all for responses and for all else written that is so very valuable. Aside from being thick headed, the challenge is that very little known and done so far applies in quite the same way. Like doing the opposite on opposite day, hunting tiny gold jewelry one aims directly at what one would usually try to reject. And so it is more like prospecting than jewelry hunting, a thing I know virtually nothing about. Thank you in advance for patience needed at the moronic things an old water hunter might say not knowing better and confused at becoming an instant newb.

To change your mind is to change your life. The old tried and true way is simply not producing now, so it is time to change. The big easy stuff is gone, so little hard stuff seems the way to go to keep producing. Suggestions made go from top of the line gold detectors to the humble Tesoro Compadre and lots of compromises between. Starting at the bottom, the Compadre is in hand to swing today if the rain holds off, and a gold detector will come soon. The likely first one will be a GoldBug if a used one can be found used at a reasonable cost. If it shows promise, a Makro Gold to follow that. Incremental, keeping the entry cost down till the value is seen. Also looking at the AT Gold to hunt water, but do not know if the return on that one would be worth it over the CTX 3030.

I would so value any further comments or suggestions you might have.

SL

[auminesweeper]

SL you seem to be looking at this the sensible way, Quite a lot of folks just jump on to the top shelf machines and when they realise how tough it is and then those high end machines end up on ebay and being sold at a loss, Working your way up machine wise is the sensible way to go and the truth is you do not have to spend a fortune to get a good Gold producing machine

The New Bench mark to be honest is being set by Nokta and Makro and even the old school Classics are still holding their own, The CTX 3030 is not what I would be focusing on for chasing Gold But it does everything else very well indeed but that is a big chunk of change to invest In and machines like the Racer and the Relic etc make it easier to break even by the end of the year, Although buying the best gives you some confidence that you have a good chance to find the good stuff Nothing will improve your chances like research and time on the ground and of coarse putting the Coil over the right spot, No one gets it all so there is always some left and for under a $1000 you can buy the best small Gold machines on the market and still have Gas money and take the MRs to Dinner,

Good luck and have fun,, John,

[fredmason]

Sl;

have you given the CTX a good run looking for micro-bits?  Or, do you just want a new toy-a mood that comes over most of us from time to time.

fred

[Guest]

Thank you both for your responses. I have indeed given the CTX a good test on small bits.  It gets pretty small but not micro, not broken rings or small foil. Which is a good thing most of the time, but not for this. For what I have been looking for up to now, I do not think there is anything better at any price. This is a 180 switching gears sort of thing, and the new toy mood is present to some degree as well.

Got a couple hours with the Compadre this morning before the rain started. What fun! It is precisely as advertised and things so small came out that old man reading glasses and the Garrett Pro Pointer were almost not enough. Thankfully I am an old man so had the glasses. A most lovely detector, simple and easy and forgiving of poor technique - a perfect first detector that will perform for even an advanced user. It covers ground with a 5" coil about as fast as the CTX because it likes to be swung a little faster. It will also clearly get what more expensive detectors miss, but you will dig a lot to do it and most of it is junk. Miss the screen with VDI and multiple tones, but it hits on things pretty small and there were finds that the CTX ran past. A keeper of a detector, and perfect for my beautiful little girl too. Two birds.

A curious thing was some coins found. They gave choppy erratic signals that sounded like crumpled foil, not at all like a usual coin sound even for this detector and for no apparent reason. They were not corroded zinc pennies or broken/bent either, but perfectly ordinary looking pocket change. Perhaps on edge? Who knows, but coin size good targets are hiding with a goofy signal that would normally be passed over so dig it all is clearly the order of the day. Not that big a chore in beach sand, and even if the signal is choppy it is quite easy to hear on this one tone detector and pinpointing is a breeze with that little coil. 

 

[RickUK]

I use a Compadre for river detecting in 2 local fords that mums take kids to play in the water when its nice and hot,the reason its a good spot to hunt,is that as we are all aware that once your fingers get wet they shrink the fingers that young mums have grannies old lump of rock on her fingers and those are usually the quality high value gold rings with quality stones in.

The Compadre is deadly in situations like that,they are not the deepest or the sexiest detector to look at,but its not what they look like its what they find that counts,and if micro gold jewellery is around it will sniff it out.

[Guest]

I so agree RickUK, it is a wonderful little detector that seems to produce all out of proportion to it's size and weight and cost. Might be the most cost effective general detector going.

[Roughwater]

3 hours ago, SLGuin said:

Got a couple hours with the Compadre this morning before the rain started. What fun!

Glad you are getting out and having fun and with a new, simple inexpensive detector.  Nice choice.  

About another month to retirement then I can finally get out and play with my toy's, er at least after my honey-do list is done.  

[Guest]

I lose that Honey-Do list all the time. At my age Alzheimers is easy to fake. Well I think I am faking, I forget.

[Roughwater]

Ageing is a bit scary.  I have always had a forgetful nature, I think a lot of it is that I have a one track mind but lately, I forget a lot more.  I just hope for a few good years of retirement.  Sometimes I wonder how medicare could be in trouble as I see so many pass before their time who have probably paid in all their life.  

[Guest]

22 minutes ago, Roughwater said:

Ageing is a bit scary.  I have always had a forgetful nature, I think a lot of it is that I have a one track mind but lately, I forget a lot more.  I just hope for a few good years of retirement.  Sometimes I wonder how medicare could be in trouble as I see so many pass before their time who have probably paid in all their life.  

I feel you on that one brother. If there is one thing you can do it is to eat well and carefully. It is the single most important thing you can do for your own health. High sugar processed food eaten often is killer. Eat less often and lower the carbohydrate content of what you eat as much as you can. Your weight will normalize, mental sharpness will return, and the aches and pains of middle age disappear.