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GPX 5000, Deus, AT Pro, Mxt, Eureka Gold, X-terra 705, Best Combo?


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I have the MXT All Pro and the GMT and the TDI SL but the SL will be going in favour of the GPX or the ATX,  The TDI Pro is a Good machine for Relic and Coins and Beach work but for all out Prospecting then in that situation the ML machines have the edge,

john

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Danny: Hi everyone , I'm new to prospecting and already addicted after 2 months. 'Prospecting', to you, means what type of terrain?  What typical-size gold are you likely to search for?  What area, in general, to you live and do you have ample Gold Nugget Hunting area access close to you or where you can easily access?  Is there a really good 'need' to have a PI detector as well as a VLF unit that is designed with Gold Nugget Hunting potential?

Danny: I was lucky enough to meet an old timer who has been prospecting for most of his life but is to old to go out these days , so instead refurbishes old detectors.  I picked up a sovereign gt and an old a2b gold hunter. Are you also new to the metal detecting sport as well as electronic prospecting?  Two 'old detectors' to be used for what?  Other than Gold Nugget Hunting, what type of detector use needs do you have?  Urban Coin & Jewelry Hunting with modern non-ferrous trash?  Relic Hunting older sites with an abundance of iron debris?  What experience do you have as that goes a long way toward selecting a detector?

Danny: To cut a long story short mike (old timer) had his whole yard set up for detecting in highly mineralised soils to trashy beach conditions . I learnt a lot in the several occasions I have been there as mike has pumped as much knowledge as he could into me. Two 'old detectors' from an 'old timer' so let's hope he is also active and experienced enough to be current on modern detectors and their in-the-field operation.

Danny: I've learnt how to use both machines well and found some great treasures with both machines. So, you have learned how to use both older detector models and found some 'great treasures,' but what have you found and what are you after .... other than gold nuggets?  What types of sites are you hunting and what is your definition of a 'great treasure?'  I ask because through the decades I have been involved in this great sport I have met many people who consider a rusty, decaying iron file a 'treasure,' or something like a hinge off of an old cast iron stove, while most others consider a 'treasure' to be something like an older dated coin, a trade token, a military or unique button, a spur or badge or certain bullets, etc.

Thus, I am curious what YOU consider a 'treasure' to be and what types of targets you are looking for, and in what type of an environment.

Danny:As with any hobby I purchased an sdc2300 , good machine in mineral soils and hard hit areas. Vague as to what you mean by 'hard hit' areas.  Some sites have been 'hard hit' and hunted over a lot for maybe three or four decades, but the amount of trash present has still been masking potentially good targets you are trying to find.  Sites such as military or pioneer encampments, ghost towns, mining or logging camps/towns, and so forth.  Those types or iron littered places are 'hard hit areas' where I don't think the SDC2300 would be considered a good unit to have in-hand.

As for "mineralized soils," that also leaves the door open for description and discussion, which can be entertaining when it comes to detector type and circuitry design, adjustment functions, operating frequency and search coil types used.

Danny: Problem: looking for an all purpose machine, To ME, an "All Purpose" or "Multi-Purpose" detector and coil set-up needs to be functional for 'All' hunting needs, to include urban Coin & Jewelry Hunting, Beach Hunting on both saltwater and freshwater beaches, Gold Nugget Hunting, and Relic Hunting a typically iron littered place with other site challenges, such as dense brush and building rubble.

I have owned and used a lot of detectors and rely on a few "All Purpose" detectors as well as a 'specialty and versatile' model developed especially for small gold hunting, but with much greater versatility.

Danny: I got pulled into the hype surrounding whites mx sport and sold my sdc2300 ( In addition I sold the sdc as my wife found out the price and threatened divorce) and put my a2b in my mancave in a glass cabinet next to my sporting memorabilia. So down to the sovereign gt , I have ordered a nel attack coil for it , which will slightly improve performance I'm told. Personally, I would also part with the Garrett A2B as well as the more dated Milenlab Sovereign and settle on a very good 'All Purpose' detector with two or three search coils to make a very functional package.  Then, if you were located where you had the time and ability to put a Pulse detector to work and where it might have an 'edge' for some Gold Nugget Hunting, add one back into your arsenal ... with your wife's okay, of course.

Danny: So I need a gold detector and an all rounder to complement the sovereign get : anyone with advice - I'm thinking between the deus, gpx5000( price is so high though) garrett at pro and whites mxt. I think you need a good "all-a-rounder" that also provides you favorable adjustment functions and operating frequency to perform for a lot of Gold Nugget Prospecting.  I have had and used a Garrett AT Pro, and for several years a White's MXT then MXT Pro.  I also used to have a few 19 kHz Teknetics G2's and a pair of newer Fisher F19's.  All of them have their own followers and they have their likes and dislikes.  Of these I liked the MXT Pro the best.  The XP Deus is 'OK' in its own way, but it isn't a model I like for several reasons, and it isn't considered a great offering for Nugget Hunting.

A very good Gold Nugget Hunting detector I will suggest is the Nokta FORS Gold + which operates at 19 kHz and I really enjoy its versatile performance.  For an "All Purpose" performer, however, I will suggest the newest Nokta FORS series model, the Relic.  It is based on the 19 kHz FORS Gold + but includes additional search modes and features, such as a 2-Tone general purpose and saltwater/wet alkaline soil Beach mode, and a 3-Tone processed audio mode that is very handy for Coin & Jewelry Hunting as well as working very densely littered Relic Hunting conditions.

My current detector battery consists on the NOKTA FORS Relic as my primary-use detector complemented by a Makro Racer 2.  I mainly use a 5½" DD coil on either for the trashier conditions I most often hunt in, and for tinier-size gold.  On my FORS Relic my 2nd most-used search coil is a 5½X10 Concentric elliptical search, but if a person prefers a DD design they have that in the same size as well.  For more open areas either model can use their standard 7X11 DD coil.

The Nokta FORS Relic also has some very useful adjustment functions that are great for my Relic Hunting needs in dense ferrous trash, and when I plan to hunt Gold Nuggets where most are typically going to be smaller, my go-to unit is the 56 kHz Makro Gold Racer with either the 5½" round or 5½X10 elliptical DD coil mounted.

While my 14 kHz Racer 2 can be used for Gold Nugget Hunting, I know I get better all-around performance from the 19 kHz FORS Relic or 56 kHz Gold Racer.  Better still, these models are all quite versatile, durable, have a very good search coil selection, and are all very affordably priced.  I don't have a wife right now to have to satisfy with my shopping decisions, but if I did again, I am sure the product, value and cost would be very 'sellable.'

Free experienced-user opinions provided ...

Monte

 

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Thanks Monte for your questions , I will try my best to answer with my limited knowledge at this stage . Prospecting to me means a combination of beach detecting and detecting for gold or relics in other conditions away from the beach , that could be anywhere . I feel like I need to bring out the Oxford dictionary to quote the meaning of prospecting here. 

Monte the sovereign I use for beach hunting . The A2b I have in my man cave , just like the mxt past the upper 48 ( correct me iff I'm wrong) has found the most gold nuggets purportedly here in oz. 

We can't dig up the parks here as they are public places , my experience is limited . I'm lucky I'm located a few kms from one of the busiest stretch of beaches in oz and a state forest a few kms in the hinterland with an old gold mine. ( an old gold mine does not mean I will find gold, I realise this) . The gold fields are an our or so away. What I mean by being hard hit are government sanctioned gold prospecting areas sanctioned for public use , where every foot or so you take there is a dig ( I know that does mean you will not find a nugget but chances are less)  . The sdc2300 I sold for reasons I have written and regret the statement, but the truth shall set you free monte :). My wife has become somewhat of fan of my hobby and she actively par-takes in beach hunting of late. 

There is no chance I'd be selling the a2b gold hunter , and definitely not the sovereign just yet , the sovereign is the only functional machine I have at the moment . The a2b is functional also but as previously said it's a relic and I like the history behind the a2b which is why it's in my mancave or poolroom depending on which country your from. 

Treasures , well for me that's a broad definition from old self loading world war 2 cartridges for the Australian infantry slr , to old horse riding buckle belts ,  to coins , jewellery and the elusive nugget.  I like unearthing historical finds , I equally like finding coins and jewellery and like most detectorists a nice large nugget ( one can still dream big monte :), and dream big I do . 

The mxt pro ( which other members has recommended- particular mention to John) I have my eye on as a likely allrounder as with the Excalibur 2 , but like any novice I change my mind depending on reccomendations from members . I have done my own research on the whites Tdi and v3i , however  like  you said it comes down to a machine your comfortable with . I also need a specialist gold detector for when I'm in Western Australia on my relatives property north of the Gascoyne. Iron ore country? 

 

Once again thank you for your input Monte and look forward to your reply.

 

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Monte , this is a find a picked up yesterday with the sovereign . A white gold chain necklace with a half Carratt diamond . 

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I have found using the sdc on the beach the following 

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Above are silver , and gold earrings with quarter carrot diamonds. The bottom picture is a rise gold bird cage pendant with a gold swallow hanging underneath . 

 

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On 25/04/2016 at 10:27 AM, auminesweeper said:

I have the MXT All Pro and the GMT and the TDI SL but the SL will be going in favour of the GPX or the ATX,  The TDI Pro is a Good machine for Relic and Coins and Beach work but for all out Prospecting then in that situation the ML machines have the edge,

john

John,most surprised that you have mentioned about going for a GPX ?? the reason i mention that its that in the UK we dont in theory have any prospecting ?? i use the TDI Pro as mentioned before for real deep hoard/artifact hunting only with a large coil on,and possibly the odd occasion for beach work,but for the most part the TDI will be more than enough for the type of detecting that i do.

Must admit i am surprised about that one !! unless you are going back to Aussie land !!

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Danny, that is a wonderful necklace you found!  Definitely the type of jewelry recovery that can warm the heart with excitement and satisfaction.  Congratulations.  I have owned several Sovereign models in years past, my favorite being an XS 2a Pro model I had.  I didn't care for the balance, or how noisy it was in some power line areas where EMI was worse than a couple of other makes and models I used, but I did enjoy it for some open park Coin & Jewelry Hunting.  I found it better on higher-conductive coins and less responsive on lower-conductive gold jewelry than the MXT Pro I also used at the time. 

 

Danny's reply: Thanks Monte for your questions , I will try my best to answer with my limited knowledge at this stage . Prospecting to me means a combination of beach detecting and detecting for gold or relics in other conditions away from the beach , that could be anywhere . I feel like I need to bring out the Oxford dictionary to quote the meaning of prospecting here. ... Okay, and from here in Western USA I break down the description as 'Prospecting' is a term frequently used with reference to searching for or prospecting for native gold, i.e. Gold Panning, Gold dredging, Sluicing, or my favorite 'Electronic Prospecting' with a metal detector.  That term really caught on with the surge in detector use in Australia in the latter '70s and early '80s, and could apply to searches for silver ore as well.

Beach Hunting is simply a description to the type of location being hunting, salt water or fresh water, when searching for  Coins as well as Jewelry.

Coin & Jewelry Hunting, more typically, relates to those who search (where they are allowed to) public parks and schools, private yards, or recreations sites like sports fields, and most often it is an Urban type of site location, whether the town is small or large.

Relic Hunting is also a reference to the type of site searched, such as an old battle site, a ghost town, an old stage stop, pioneer or military encampment, homestead, etc., that is usually not occupied, and most of such places I hunt here in the western states in the USA are long-gone and void of any standing structures.  Often it takes both research and on-site examination to locate any sign of a former occupation.

I started Coin and Jewelry Hunting back in early 1965, but got interested in Relic Hunting ghost towns and homesteads and such in May of 1969, and I devote 80% of my detecting time to Relic Hunting.  Doing so, while I am interested in the older period coins, I am especially interested in old Trade Tokens and other types of smaller-size artifacts from earlier days.  Things like old buttons, sheep ear tags, bullets, cartridge cases and complete cartridges of interest and all sorts of interesting old 'keepers.'  That's what Relic Hunting is to me and many of us.

Danny's reply: Monte the sovereign I use for beach hunting . The A2b I have in my man cave , just like the mxt past the upper 48 ( correct me iff I'm wrong) has found the most gold nuggets purportedly here in oz. .. The Garrett Ground Hog got a lot of the early attention in Oz during the gold nugget surge in 'electronic prospecting,' and I am sure the A2b had a lot of use, too, and found its share of gold specimens, but I don't think it has found more gold than the others.

 

Danny's reply: We can't dig up the parks here as they are public places , my experience is limited . I'm lucky I'm located a few kms from one of the busiest stretch of beaches in oz and a state forest a few kms in the hinterland with an old gold mine. ( an old gold mine does not mean I will find gold, I realise this) . The gold fields are an our or so away. What I mean by being hard hit are government sanctioned gold prospecting areas sanctioned for public use , where every foot or so you take there is a dig ( I know that does mean you will not find a nugget but chances are less)  . ... Sorry to hear of that limitation.  I know some parks in some areas in the US have restrictions, and some cities/towns have ordinances requiring a 'permit' to metal detect their parks.  I live in a small, quiet town that is a short drive to several old ghost towns and several are old gold mining camps and towns around here.  They were not big producers, nor did they have larger-size gold specimens, but there is always some opportunity at them to find some gold,  plus they are enjoyable to Relic Hunt at.

My Coin & Jewelry hunting is more limited, but when I lived in a larger metropolitan area, my 'coin count' was much higher.  Nothing like the tens-if-thousands of coins I would recover in a single year back in the latter '609s and through the '70s to early '80s, but still a good number of coins possible, and I averaged 12 gold rings per years just from tot-lot playground areas in the bigger city parks and schools plus other gold items and much more silver jewelry.

 

Danny's reply: The sdc2300 I sold for reasons I have written and regret the statement, but the truth shall set you free monte :). My wife has become somewhat of fan of my hobby and she actively par-takes in beach hunting of late. .. I understand, and it is good to hear that your wife enjoys this great sport with you.  If I marry again I hope I will have the same good fortune.

 

Danny's reply: There is no chance I'd be selling the a2b gold hunter , and definitely not the sovereign just yet , the sovereign is the only functional machine I have at the moment . The a2b is functional also but as previously said it's a relic and I like the history behind the a2b which is why it's in my mancave or poolroom depending on which country your from.  I live in the small town of Vale, in far eastern Oregon in the USA, and I do understand 'man cave' or 'poolroom.'  To me it is my 'den' and includes my hunting, fishsing and detecting gear, camping and emergency preparedness gear, research library, desk and computer area.

 

Danny's reply: Treasures , well for me that's a broad definition from old self loading world war 2 cartridges for the Australian infantry slr , to old horse riding buckle belts ,  to coins , jewellery and the elusive nugget.  I like unearthing historical finds , I equally like finding coins and jewellery and like most detectorists a nice large nugget ( one can still dream big monte :), and dream big I do .... I urban settings I go after coins and jewelry.  Most hunting I do is Relic Hunting older sites where older cartridge cases and such date to the mid-1800's to very early 1900's.  Unfortunately the largest gold nuggets I have ever found have been in the 5 dwt to 8 dwt range and I wish I could access, and find, better-sized gold specimens. 

 

Danny's reply: The mxt pro ( which other members has recommended- particular mention to John) I have my eye on as a likely allrounder as with the Excalibur 2 , but like any novice I change my mind depending on reccomendations from members . I have done my own research on the whites Tdi and v3i , however  like  you said it comes down to a machine your comfortable with . I also need a specialist gold detector for when I'm in Western Australia on my relatives property north of the Gascoyne. Iron ore country?... The  MXT Pro, especially, had been my favorite general-purpose detector since it was introduced.  I hunted most places with mine, and used the 6½" Concentric coil the most for all types of hunting, including Gold Nugget Hunting.  The Nokta FORS Relic and Makro Racer 2 are my current two primary-use detecvtors because theyn both excelled over the MXT Pro in all the hunting environments I typically search, and my Gold Racer is mu go-to unit when Gold Nugget Hunting in many places which tend to have smaller-size gold around here.

If there was no Nokta FORS series or Makro Racer series model on the market, I would still own and use the MXT Pro.  It is a good detector. 

Best of success to you in selecting a future detector model and functional search coils, and I trust your good fortune  at jewelry hunting continues, too!

Monte

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Once again thanks for your information and advice Monte. It must be interesting hunting in ghost towns and you have given me a couple of other detectors to ponder :) . To be able to find thousands of coins back in the 70s must of been something special. I think those days are gone . Usually there is a least another detectorist on the beach I choose to visit , but it's great to have a chat to the blokes and always good to compare finds while we are hunting. 

Danny

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5 hours ago, RickUK said:

John,most surprised that you have mentioned about going for a GPX ?? the reason i mention that its that in the UK we dont in theory have any prospecting ?? i use the TDI Pro as mentioned before for real deep hoard/artifact hunting only with a large coil on,and possibly the odd occasion for beach work,but for the most part the TDI will be more than enough for the type of detecting that i do.

Must admit i am surprised about that one !! unless you are going back to Aussie land !!

Yeah Rick it is only for use back Home, the GPX has little or No use here, I tried my 3500 over here for about 3 years and it was totally useless because of the junk, In all the times I used it here I could count the good finds on One hand.

They are Only suited to Prospecting Country, But over here the TDI's are the better option by Far, being able to set them up to ignore junk Is worth its weight in Gold here in the UK,, For Hoard hunting and finding stuff like that you can not beat the TDI Pro for that and the Depth alone puts it in the Super Detector Class like the GPX But being able to select your Targets like it does is the WOW factor.

John

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