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Newbie, First Detector Purchase, SDC2300 vs SD2100


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Well initially I will just stick with question asked, SDC 2300 versus SD 2100 and ignore price. Both are "dig it all" pulse induction (PI) detectors.

The SDC 2300 is compact, waterproof, tough, runs off four C cells, and very easy to operate. It is extremely hot on small gold, easily hitting stuff the SD 2100 would miss.

However, the SDC 2300 has a hardwired 8" mono coil. The SD 2100 has over 100 accessory coils available in a wide range of sizes. This means that the SD 2100 can cover ground far better than the SDC 2300 and also reach far deeper on larger nuggets than the SDC 2300.

A very simplistic generalization of both units would be that the SD 2100 is the better overall prospecting detector where the SDC 2300 is the better site machine. By that I mean the SD 2100 is better suited for a person truly out and about looking for that next good patch. The SDC 2300 is good for hitting already hard hit areas ekeing out the leftovers, or for working targeted areas like a gully. The small coil very much makes it a machine designed to work limited areas in a slow, careful fashion. The SD 2100 with a big coil covers the countryside.

There is a middle ground. With the SD 2100 you are reaching back quite far in the Minelab lineup. A used GPX 4000, 4500, 4800, or even 5000 would be something I would be looking a lot harder at, especially now that people are doing the GPZ upgrade thing. In older units personally I would not be going back any farther than the GP 3500 (a personal favorite) or the GP 3000 and GP Extreme.

In non-Minelab brand new full warranty at this point the only serious contender to Minelab at this time (in my opinion) is the Garrett ATX.

As others have noted a decent VLF may even be the best option. The reason? You are in a terrible place for gold prospecting! Northern Minnesota, I would probably be more inclined to use a gold pan than a metal detector to look for gold. The best you can hope for is some gold in glacial material pushed down from Canada, a long shot at best. If I were there I would be running a Gold Bug 2 with a 6" coil but even then it would be a bit of an exercise in futility. Seriously, a small sluice box is probably a better investment. A SD 2100 has almost no chance of finding gold there, as most gold will be flake or fines. I hate to be the guy to break it to you, but you are in a really poor location to go nugget hunting with a metal detector.

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Thanks Steve,

 

I know I'm not in a good place to detect for gold but I'm still thrilled by just the excitement of treasure hunting. I'm going to pm you some of the literature I've found while researching gold prospecting in Minnesota. If you have time to look at it, I'd greatly appreciate hearing whatever you have to say about the literature. 

 

Here's a link to someone's find in Northern MN: http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=123779

 

Just seeing that makes me want to walk every square mile of Norther MN. 

 

I plan to bring my detector with me on my camping trips around the US, and I'm already planning to bring a gold pan with on my camping trip along the Rainy River. 

 

Thanks a ton for explaining the two machines to me. Now I have another question: Strictly speaking in terms of performance on mineralized ground are PI machines better than VLF machines? ... Why would a VLF be better in Minnesota? ... Is the ground in Minnesota highly mineralized? 

 

Thanks- Sam

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Pulse induction detectors handle ground mineralization better than VLF detectors. That is their selling point. However, really hot VLF detectors like a Gold Bug 2 or White's GMT hit tiny goldthat a PI cannot. Tiny gold is more common than large gold, especially in glacial terrain. So going for a detector designed to hit pinhead good means you have a better shot at finding gold eventually. The closest you will get in a PI is the SDC 2300. Spend enough money, put in enough time, and eventually you might find a piece of gold you could have found easier with a $5 gold pan.

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