Choose Detector

[AndreyW]

Good day, Steve!

Sorry for my english Please help me.
I'm interested in hunting for nuggets. Steve read stories about Alaska - very interesting!
I'll choose my detector. I do not know what I mineralization in the country, but many hunters use PI machine. Basically Minelab. Quite often find nuggets from 0.5 grams to 20 grams.
1. Help me in choosing among VLF machines that will provide depth on the nuggets 1-5 grams. I think about MXT pro, I will reel coil DD 6 * 10 "compared to the coil 12."
2. Steve, I understand from your stories 14 kHz frequency copes better with the mineralization than Let's say 19 kHz the gold bug pro. The 14 kHz will win great nuggets. I understand correctly? Weight detector I am not afraid.
3. Choosing PI machine for me also not simple. I can buy a Minelab. but I have to take out a bank loan. How TDI SL worse depth on nuggets 0.5-20 grams compared to GPX.

This hunt we gaining popularity and would not want to miss the season!

Andrey

Sorry, i forgot to add: I live in Kazakhstan.

[AndreyW]

Steve, please tell me that you did not have time to answer.   I'm worried that something was wrong did. I promise to share his story and purchase detector finds nuggets, It will be interesting.

[fredmason]

Steve may be on vacation or out detecting...have you read his list of nugget hunting reccomendations...read through all the posts on this forum and many of your questions will be answered...the final choice will have to be yours...and remember-there is no one perfect detector...

good luck

fred

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi Andrey,

Like Fred mentions I am a bit busy right now. Sorry I did not reply sooner but I wanted to think about it. I am afraid of confusing things when maybe a one line answer is better.

If you are looking for a mid-frequency VLF than there are many you might use. In my opinion they are all close enough to do the job, and vary more in the details. The long article I wrote at Gold Bug Pro vs AT Gold vs X-Terra 705 Gold vs Lobo SuperTRAQ vs MXT explains this in detail.

The Fisher Gold Bug Pro, Garrett AT Gold, Minelab X-Terra 705 Gold, Tesoro Lobo SuperTRAQ, and White's MXT will all do the job. More expensive options include Teknetics T2 and it's cousin the Fisher F75 plus the Minelab Eureka Gold.

There is little difference between 14 kHz and 19 kHz. Any decent unit from 13 kHz to 20 kHz will do the job for you. Since you have stated a preference for the White's MXT I would go for that. It along with the Gold Bug Pro and Lobo Super TRAQ are simple to operate options. The 6 x 10 DD coil is a very good coil on the MXT.

My second choice in a PI at this time is the Garrett ATX. The ATX fares very well compared to the GPX and if packaged strictly for nugget detecting would be formidable indeed. My issues with it stem more from how it is packaged than in how it performs. It gets the job done more effectively than the TDI and is easier to operate. It is impossible to do depth comparisons on the GPX versus TDI since comparisons must be done in the ground where the gold is. The Garrett Infinium and White's TDI are closer to VLF all metal performance than GPX performance. The ATX is a step above both those detectors.

See also my article at Steve's Guide to Gold Nugget Detectors

I truly believe the mid-frequency detectors are functionally equivalent when it comes to prospecting and the real difference is in the operator. That is why they all have their little fan clubs that claim success. A good prospector should be able to grab any one of them and do well. If they are attributing their success to the detector that is giving a machine too much credit. The prospector makes the detector, not the other way around.

I hope this helps and does not confuse even more. Good Luck!

[AndreyW]

Hello Steve! Hello Fred, thanks for the answer.

I regularly read several times forum and information website. Very useful site, thanks to its members! I want to concentrate the information obtained from the site.
In one of latest informations Steve said that he sold the MXT, as it has a large weight. I am willing to endure a lot of weight, if MXT is better nuggets 1-10 grams than similar detectors with frequency 19 kHz ( GBPro). I would like to know that MXT has a problem only with great weight and ergonomics.
I understand that the MXT is not a universal detector, he does not see that what he sees GMT and GB2. But I have a starting data size nuggets, mineralization and I hope to pick up these requirements detector.

 

I understand everything! I will study more information.

[Steve Herschbach]

The MXT is no better or worse than the other models at finding gold. The MXT is very well balanced and the weight is not an issue for most people. I spend a lot of time holding the detector at or above waist level so it is an issue more for me personally.