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I Got Yer Newbie Question Right Here!


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You asked for it, @Steve Herschbach?

This one might be fun for y’all though. I hope so!

Let’s say your best friend was brand new to the hobby - maybe they have a brand new detector (maybe an Equinox 800 on order - totally hypothetical, you understand) and a basic digging tool or two but that’s about it. The friend told you they were heading to a gold and treasure trade show that weekend (maybe the show in Quartzsite, and of course invited you along). What would you tell them to buy? What would you tell them to avoid?

If you want more info before advising them, let’s say that they had a strong interest in beach jewelry and gold detecting and a moderate interest in everything else. ?

Thanks in advance!

-Julie the n00b

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Beach detecting - one of those scoopy things with holes in them.   Here are 2 threads -

 

Some sort of a finds bag.

Gold detecting - a finds bag, pick, little scoop to wave over the coil and locate your find by process of elimination, maybe a back pack for food/water, good shoes, gators if in snake country, a PLB if out by yourself in remote country.

 

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1 hour ago, phrunt said:

The Minelab Pro-Find 35

It plays nicely with the Nox 800 too.  Great for parks.  Probably not needed at the beach. 

Mine has got a good workout recently just around the lawn and nature strip. 

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Get a gold scratch tester for your jewelry finds.

They should have designed the  pro find 35 so you can find the on /off button easier without  having to fumble around looking for it. Still prefer the carrot. 

strick 

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Banjo Pan from Mike Pung (Gold Cube).  Here's Mike showing how to dry pan with it:

And a demo when you have water available:

 

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All the above look good, soooo I'm going to add a really good set of gel knee pads …..

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See what happens when you have a forum full of great people?! ?

I am taking the question to mean that the detector choice is done, and it sounds like multipurpose type detecting. I use the same basic tool set for most everything, the main thing that changes is the digging tool.

All detectors should normally have a scuff cover on the coil. Minelab and Nokta/Makro coils come with scuff covers, but most everyone else comes without. I use them.

I do believe in taking the best care of my detector’s possible. With the fast release of machines these days it is likely that I will sell whatever I have just prior to warranty expiration. I want the max I can get so I am not going to beat my gear up. I treat detector’s like expensive electronics because in many cases they are. I always apply some sort of screen saver first thing out of box. And then I usually use at least a pod cover in addition to the screensaver (otherwise dust in the pod cover will scratch the screen). Larger body detector’s I may also wrap the control box.

I am pretty much boycotting dry land machines that weigh over 4 lbs and waterproof machines that weigh more than 5 lbs. Anything heavier a harness or bungee support system can save shoulders, etc.

On dry land I alway use my long time favorite Whites trash/treasure pouch which has room for little things like emergency toilet paper and a $1 rain poncho. I love the pouch so much White’s discontinued it so I bought a couple extras when I had the chance. There are many other options and people have all kinds of preferences. Some like mesh bottoms to let sand out but I dig too much tiny stuff for that. But even then you can put the tiny good finds in a separate compartment or container. Whatever. The main thing is have a good way to collect and remove trash. In my case the belt and pouch support storage of things that might otherwise go in a small rucksack. The pouch is on the belt, my digging tool and pinpointer go in pouch. A loop on the belt holds a pick if need be.

metal-detecting-tool-trash-pouch.jpg.966

For park detecting and digging deep coins I use a standard Lesche digging tool and will forever. No need to change... it’s always got the job done. For jewelry and clad byproduct I use a large screwdriver and I generally prefer that type of detecting to deep plugging.

I always use a pinpointer in parks and sometimes elsewhere. I have had good luck with Garrett pinpointers though it’s obvious from online watching that they have a failure rate. I had one with a bad button... still have it for some reason. But my Garrett Carrot is flawless and easy. I also like my Fisher F-Pulse but it seems it had a lot of teething pains for early buyers. Hopefully the bugs are worked out now as it is a good pinpointer. For most people I think the Garrett is stil just a tiny bit more straight forward in use (the Fisher has deep menu options via pressing that one button different ways. You can get into there and screw it up easier than is possible with the Garrett.

Nugget detecting not much changes.... just digging with a pick now and using a plastic nugget scoop for recovery. I add vials to the pouch for small gold and a GPS to the kit. I have a rucksack more for emergency supplies and water etc. for that type of detecting. See the link for that stuff.

The beach I am either mask and snorkel or walking the beach. In either case my belt now has a small mesh goodie bag with a magnet in it to capture hair pins / ferrous trash that might slip through. Wading or on beach I have a couple digging scoops I use depending on how hard the bottom is. Basically a long handle heavy duty stainless steel scoop for rocky bottoms, and a lighter duty scoop for sand. See the one on far right and far left in photo below.

That’s most of it for me and all kinds of options offered by others on this thread to consider. Thanks everyone! :smile:

post-1-0-31106600-1422215352.jpg

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You guys!!! What amazing advice for a hypothetical best friend going to a hypothetical gold show in hypothetical Quartzsite this hypothetical weekend!

One thing I didn’t think about - gold shows in the desert don’t have many long-handled beach scoops. Ah well!

I did see that banjo pan and it looks weird and fun. Very curious about it, thanks for the suggestion! Going to try to get a live demo tomorrow. 

Definitely taking all the “how not to die in the desert” suggestions to heart. Sunscreen is the thing I always forget. Sigh. 

Are all the Garrett pinpointers the same? I haven’t seen any orange ones, all these carrots are black! Heirloom varieties I guess.

Also eyeing crevicing tools and rock picks. Should probably also eye some eye protection, hmmm....

Or maybe I should spent less time shopping and more time prospecting! I’m such an armchair hobbyist....

Oh, and I have NOT won the door prize raffle. YET.

 

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