How Small Is Your Smallest Piece Of SDC 2300 Gold?

[LuckyLundy]

Here's my smallest! It's in Grains. I've detected other targets that I could not locate after it got them out that had to be smaller...lol. My die hard GPX buddies ask me how can you build your monthly poke up with them little nuggets? I tell them just like you, One nugget at a time! Until the next hunt

LuckyLundy

[Sourdough Scott]

Had a question about the sdc2300 operating temperature. I live at 5000 ft elevation. And when there is a lack of snow. There are places I hunt in the winter when the temperature might be below freezing. Wondering if it would have any adverse affects on the detector?

[Steve Herschbach]

Battery running time gets shorter as batteries get colder. Other than that the detector can probably stand the cold more than you. If for some reason it has actually been underwater make sure it is dry before subjecting it to freezing temps. Not much risk there if any but trapped water will of course freeze and that may not be good.

[fredmason]

Water expands when it freezes-i am sure you know that. However, also taking a warm unit into the cold can cause problems from condensation freezing or simple thermal expansion/contraction.

 

I leave my detector in my truck, covered when cold but still in the enviorment to acclimatize...If you are a hunter you know the problems of taking a gun from hot to cold can cause.

 

fred

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi JW,

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

Just one question. It seems like you did most of you detecting with the GPX and then compared the targets it found with the SDC. Did you put a really good effort into to hunting with the SDC and finding targets first with it, then comparing with the GPX?

 

Over here lots of guys are running small coils on the GPX. The Sadie is very popular. It comes down to timings. With an 8" mono a GPX should punch as deep or deeper on most gold than the SDC. The GPX is still the flagship.

 

The SDC has timings that do allow it to more easily light up small gold, especially prickly or porous specimens that the GPX may find difficult or miss entirely. It also excels in highly mineralized ground. In areas with that combination of conditions the SDC shines.

 

If the gold is relatively solid and the ground relatively mild I would expect the GPX to outperform the SDC and I would say you are doing well proving that. Conversely, many people here and in Australia are proving the SDC does very well cleaning up in areas pounded by GPX detectors. Do not forget however, the GPX detectors pounding first got a lot more gold in most instances. A lot.

 

There is a remote possibility your SDC is not performing to the max but I prefer to take your results at face value. In your ground on your gold the GPX proves that it is still the Minelab flagship gold detector for a reason.

 

It would be instructive to hunt only with the SDC first and check with the GPX to see if it can find any gold for you that the GPX cannot. That is the only way to really answer your question. I guess the good news is that if the SDC is just not worth hanging onto for you there are people lined up looking for used ones right now.

[AussieMatt]

Hi JW

Been following your posts on 4umer for a while now - great finds posts BTW.

One thing I have noticed is that you never seemed to be overly sold on the SDC from the start. With good reason too - your results already indicated that it may not have been of any benefit to you! Since acquiring one, & don't take this the wrong way - its an observation only, it appears that you are more trying to highlight that your 4500 can outperform the SDC rather than put in a lot of effort with the SDC. Can't blame you for that though. As I said your record with the 4500 speaks for itself.

I am struggling to see how the SDC isn't picking at least some of the 4500's targets though. In my experience you get some more depth with the SDC as the ground becomes milder. Plucking out smalls in high mineralisation is it's forte though with most of my finds coming from less than 4" depth. I have however found surprisingly small bits deeper (to 8") & seen one from 10" deep in reasonably mild ground.

I have also found lots of speccis in areas where the ground has been hit with everything from & before Sd2000 days up to the GPX's. I'm either just lucky or they have genuinely been missed?

The replies to your thread on coil size also doesn't seem to match what I see in the field. Sadie coils, 12x7 & 14x7 NF all seem to be a very popular choice of coil as most people resign themself to picking up smaller scraps these days in the more accessible well worn areas. From my experience the SDC performs much better at this than my old GPX but obviously lacks the versatility to change coils/settings & hunt deeper.

[AussieMatt]

JW that 4500 & you certainly make a deadly combo. I reckon your pretty well spot on with what you say about the ground - where its possible to ramp up a GPX you will be better off.

I've got a mate still using a 4500 & he also does great with it on all size gold, in all ground conditions. He actually runs it a bit "hot" so noisy ground doesn't usually worry him much - good ear for it. I often joke that he could find gold with a broomstick & a dustbin lid attached but I know that he is just a very good operator with a very good detector that he knows inside out/back to front. I am thinking you are in that category also.

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi JW,

I will never forget the gravity dredge thread. It is still archived but photos gone - it was unfortunate the AMDS Forum had to die. Nobody there to replace me and I had to step away. I was glad just to get it archived before I left as it was in danger of being lost entirely.

Anyway, great posts here also, I appreciate the contributions. Just illustrates once again why no one detector is best for everyone everywhere.