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The Reg Wilson Gold Album


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A truly enjoyable read,thanks everyone who has contributed....thank you so much ๐Ÿ˜‰

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Thanks Steve for jogging the memory.

Seems every time we get the book ready to go another lump turns up or another story, although it is getting to the stage where we must just get on with it.

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This thread is the perfect cure for winter cabin fever! What an amazingly beautiful collection of gold photos and history.

Thanks for this, and all the best,

Lanny

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In a discussion with a mate recently about the amount of testing being done, or lack of, in regard to the public release of certain detector models, I recalled an amusing episode in this regard.

Way back in '87 Bruce Candy asked me if I was interested in testing a new advance since his highly successful GS15000, which proved that an Aussie built detector could match it with the 'big boys'. We had discussed the possibility of a metal detector which would ground balance itself, rather than having to constantly re ground balance every time theย  mineralisation changed, which could be quite frequently in many Australian goldfields. Bruce had built a prototype of just such a detector, which was revolutionary not only in the new technology, which he had called 'ground tracking', but also incorporated a light weight plastic housing, unlike the previous metal box configuration used by most detector manufacturers. Naturally I jumped at the chance to be involved, and shortly after our phone conversation the 'new toy' arrived, which was much more compact and lighter than the previous 15000.

It was important to put this technology to the test over many ground types, from iron stony rough bush to more open country. Months of testing and refining took place with the prototype going back and forth to Adelaide for changes and tweaking. While working in some open grazing country a problem surfaced that had both Bruce and I puzzled for some time. Occasionally a positive sounding signal would be encountered where the ground tracking would not tune out what sounded like a good 'deepish' response. This signal would disappear once the topsoil was removed but remain as a more faint hum when the hole was backfilled. There was no defining difference in the ground appearance where these signals were encountered and for some time this situation had me totally perplexed, and it only happened in the one bit of open ground.

ย The conundrum, when finally solved, turned out to be sheep piddle. When a sheep relieved itself it left a false signal, which sounded just like a deeper target and would not tune out. Back went the prototype again, and when it returned the sheep problem had been solved.

The rigorous testing that the GT16000 received turned up hundreds of ounces in its prototype form and went on to being a hugely successful breakthrough for Minelab, putting the company on a firm footing to become the world's best builder of metal detectors.

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Reg I was not impressed with the 15000 but the GT16000 made me take notice of MineLab but their Hype restricted me from joining the band for some years.

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On 3/12/2024 at 10:02 PM, Reg Wilson said:

With a wash and weigh the gold was revealed as a pretty ironstone and quartz bit over fourteen ounces. The best bit yet for my 6000 and 11' coil. Who says these are a 'flypoop' machine?

There is no gold more beautiful than Australian gold. Nice story Reg.

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