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Scooping


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5 hours ago, Jim McCulloch said:

I have a very strong super magnet affixed to the end of my hoe, and once the target is in the cup, I swirl the magnet throughly through the dirt to remove the magnetic materials, magnetite etc., as well as sift the target to the bottom of the cup. This action significantly enhances the signal volume. But then again, removing more and more dirt has the same effect.  My conclusion is that mineralization, soil mass, and target orientation all contribute to signal strength.  However,  I prefer it when a loud signal is indicative of a big nugget! 😏 Hope this helps. HH Jim

Jim- are you using a flat cup like the one you gave me?  Could spreading out the material to make it thinner in a cup vs concentrating it in a smaller area like in a scoop make a difference?

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As mentioned before. The more mineralized dirt in the cup, the harder it is for coil to see the exact same target.  That's why I train folks to not grab a bunch of soil on the weaker signals.  Mineralized ground (even a little in the cup/scoop) can mask a signal. 

Take it a step farther.  I have recovered small gold nuggets that were in a red stain and when I was the red stain away, I can hear the same small nugget much easier.  Heck sometimes, the small stained nugget reads as Iron on the ID.  I clean the stain off and the gold magically ID correctly.

Great read.

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I briefly shake the scoop as it where a gold pan before leading it over the coil. Can make a big difference for small targets. For a small scoop and gold detecting that is.

GC

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  • 3 weeks later...

Yesterday I spent a day finding small gold because that was all that was left with a few bbs!  I saved a bit of time by changing my technique.

Rather than trying to get the nugget I detected into a small scoop, I went the other way.

You hear a nugget, boot scrape and you still hear it.  That is what I want.  So then you scrape more or pick at it and get the nugget to move.  I isolate the pile with the nugget in it now and then take a BIG scoop of that pile and wave it over the coil.  (Before I was taking smaller scoops and it was taking me too long to get it.)  The rate I waved it over the coil somewhat controlled if I could hear it.

After about 3 scoops if I didn't get it then I detect the remainder of the pile.  This speeded up my process except for the bbs and small wires!

Now, bring on the big nuggets!  haha

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Nah nah nah you fellas are way too tesstical, tis ya hearing that jumps up a notch when its suspected gold 😉

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