My First Gold Nuggets

[strick]

I really enjoy this site. This discussion board has been very helpful with this new found hobby of mine. I played around with metal detectors briefly back in the 80's when my dad was into looking for relics around old home sites. However back then I was a lot younger and I preferred chasing critters that were able to run or swim away from me. So for the past 30 years my primary interests have been fishing and hunting and I have not picked up a metal detector since I was a kid hanging out with my dad.

I have my wife to thank for giving me gold fever. I have no interest in panning or sluicing for gold. So whenever she would go out panning and sluicing, I went fishing. One day I was helping her look for tiny microscopic pieces of gold that she was recovering from a 5 gallon bucket of dirt she had trucked all the way back from Sonora. Along with the dirt she had also brought back a Garrett metal detector brochure with a picture of an ATX on the cover of it. The rugged look of the ATX got my attention right away and I decided that metal detecting for gold would be a great way for us to spend some time together. I bought her a AT gold and I got the ATX.

As soon as I got the ATX in my hands I decided to try it out on my property. I turned it on and walked out to the dirt, started sweeping....and about got my ear drums blown out! The ATX was sounding off like a full symphony orchestra due to all the trash in the ground. This was when I decided that I had better read up a little more on the subject of metal detecting. I quickly learned the differences between a PI detector and a VLF detector. Being the stubborn type I carried on with the ATX for a while and started hunting the parks and a few old home sites. The day soon came when I decided that I dug enough old rusty pipes and bottle caps that were 3 feet deep. I went out and bought a ctx 3030 and life got much easier!

About 6 months have went by since I bought my first detector and Lisa and I own a total of 5 detectors. The line up consists of AT Gold, SDC 2300, CTX 3030, and two XP Deus's. We have been having so much fun digging up old coins and artifacts. But we have not had much time to go searching for gold. Last weekend I had the opportunity to meet some very nice folks at Rye Patch. Gerry from "Gerry's Detectors" had a three day training session on a private claim. There were 11 of us there not counting Gerry and his helpers. I was using the SDC 2300. There was one Fisher Gold bug, two ATX's and 7 GPX 5000's

I had to leave by noon on Sunday so I could get back to work in California so I dont know what happened after I left but the nugget count at my departure was SDC 2300 - 11 nuggets, Fisher Gold Bug - 1 nugget, ATX's - 0 nuggets and GPX 5000's - 0 nuggets. I am very happy with my machine. This was my first time in an actual known nugget producing area and since I know absolutly nothing about about gold or how to find it, it may be some time before I get to post nugget photos again! Once I learned the language of my machine it seemed that I was digging one nugget after another....this is VERY ADDICTIVE. Thanks to Gerry, Lunk, Ron, Spencer, Largo and a few other fellas that I cannot remember their names.

strick

[Steve Herschbach]

Great story, thanks for sharing! And congratulations on your first nuggets!!

[Reno Chris]

Yes, thanks for sharing - nice gold! Nice SLQ T1 quarter too.

[strick]

Thanks fellas the SDC is so user friendly even a cave man can do it.  I cant wait to get back out again. Keep the coil to the soil !

 

strick

[Greg]

Good job Strick, and another great SDC story! I'm going to have to buy one.

[hawkeye]

No,no,no, don't buy one. Buy my ATX.;-)

[Lunk]

It was great meeting you Strick, and a pleasure to watch you do so well with your new gold machine; congrats again buddy!

[Ron (CA)]

Nice!! Congrats

[strick]

That seems like a long time ago but it really wasn't. The hobby is so addicting....you wake up and say to yourself...relic? gold? beach? or park today? My wife still uses the 2300 it's her favorite gold machine.

strick