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Which Detector For Australia?


Guest AussieDigs

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Guest AussieDigs

Hi Guys n Gals.

I’ve never ran a detector but very much looking forward to it. I live in the Nth East of Victoria Australia with access to what was some of the richest gold fields. I have no idea as to what the ground is like but it would be a fair guess that it would be at least reasonably mineralised.

I know i will be a beginner but i dont want to spend my limited budget on a beginners detector. I’m willing to do the hard yards with the likes of an intermediate detector. The areas that i would be concentrating on is Beechworth and the Buckland Valley etc, so the ground will have plenty of iron and the likes and mineralised. I will be working mostly around the mines on hillsides etc. 

I noticed a used Nokta Fors Core for sale so did a little research. Nice detector. VLF struggling in the mineralised ground or does the Nokta fair not too badly? A good used GP3000 is going to be twice the price and above my budget but i could work on that. Lack of descrimination would probably be an issue at these workings? Whites SPP? I’m finding it hard to get too much info on these but from what i have read they seem like a good detector.

Because of the likes of the trash and mineralised ground, i’m finding it difficult to choose between the VLF and a PI. I could start with the likes of the Nokta and purchase the likes of the GP or SPP further down the road.

Does the SPP come under another name or as an updated model?

Thanks all.

Al.

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Hey Al

I can only speak from my personal experience within the Victorian Goldfields. We have some of the most mineralised ground in the world. The honest truth (IMHO) is that most, if not all, VLF machines will struggle. The likes of the Minelab Goldmonster, Fisher Gold Bug etc will get gold but you have to pick your ground. White pipe clay, mullock heaps and quartz piles are the usual targets for those machines. They certainly don't punch as deep as a PI machine and are harder to work in our soil. But they are cheaper.

As for PI machines - not all are created equal. Although the basic technology is the same, the way they handle mineralised ground, emi etc is very different. Basically you get what you pay for. For my way of thinking, for a beginner who wants an intermediate machine thats easy to use and a proven gold getter - a Minelab SDC2300 is the way to go. The Whites is an ok machine but I have yet to see one perform as well as the Minelab (down here anyway). I have only seen one in use down here and it has found gold but not much. The user was struggling to get the depths of the Minelab due to having to dumb it down to handle the mineralised ground.

Now I do admit that I am a Minelab fan so I'm probably a little biased but if I am always open to other machines if they prove themselves as capable as the Minelabs. In other countries where soils aren't quite as hot, I'm sure I'd certainly have more of a choice.

Disclaimer:: I am only speaking about how the machines work over here in AUS (especially down in Vic). So please all you guys based in the US, dont jump down my throat because another machine may work better over there. ??

regards Pat

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Guest AussieDigs

Hi Pat, thanks heaps mate.

well the Nokta sold.

Pat, how would the SDC (or any PI for that matter) fair with so much trash about? There would be a huge amount of iron/nails etc.

Is there was a VLF that would handle the mineralised ground better than what a PI would handle trash?

Thanks mate.

PS... Ocean Grove was my haunt as a child/young bloke during the summer months. Fond memories.

Al.

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The areas that i would be concentrating on is Beechworth and the Buckland Valley etc, " 

Most of this area is either Mountains or  Rivers (Dredge Rivers). Dredged Tailing  would most likely be the target area but my look at the spot, showed most areas either covered with blackberries or private farms.

I have two ML3000 great machines but some of the latest higher frequency VLF have some good feed back in East Victorian for creek sniping  for specks and specimens. By the way the Golden Triangle is still the best bet and the ML GP's or better is the way to go.

 

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Guest AussieDigs
1 hour ago, geof_junk said:

The areas that i would be concentrating on is Beechworth and the Buckland Valley etc, " 

Most of this area is either Mountains or  Rivers (Dredge Rivers). Dredged Tailing  would most likely be the target area but my look at the spot, showed most areas either covered with blackberries or private farms.

I have two ML3000 great machines but some of the latest higher frequency VLF have some good feed back in East Victorian for creek sniping  for specks and specimens. By the way the Golden Triangle is still the best bet and the ML GP's or better is the way to go.

 

Thanks Geof.

Yep, mountains and rivers. Oh there are plenty of areas that can be scouted thats for sure.

Wouldnt the higher freq VLF’s struggle with the high mineralised ground over the lower freq? Sorry if i have this arse about. The more i read, the more confused i get.

Maybe for the interim i should get something like the Monster 1000?

Cheers guys.

Al.

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10 hours ago, AussieDigs said:

Does the SPP come under another name or as an updated model?

The White's Sierra Pulse Pro (SPP) was a special limited version detector.  It was initially labeled the "GMT Super Pulse" and exclusively(?) distributed by Associated Group of the United Arab Emirates to the African market.  When they didn't sell well, Jimmy Sierra was offered and subsequently sold them through limited White's dealerships in the western US (and directly through his website?).

The SPP is simply a standard White's TDI/SL (still on the market) with a couple controls removed:  the variable adjustment for pulse delay (nominally 10 microseconds to 25 microseconds on the SL, locked at 10 microseconds on the SPP) and without the conductivity switch found on the SL model.  All the TDI's have a simple type of discrimination -- low conductor vs high conductor -- and the switch on the SL allows you to choose either one or to hear both.  With the SPP you just hear both tones and let your brain discern between high and low.  (There is some noise reduction advantage choosing high/low as oppose to both.)  Oh, one other difference is the coils which came with each detector.  Coil choice of the TDI has never been a problem since besides White's selection, aftermarket coils (Miner John, Razorback, MInelab, Nugget Finder, Coiltek) abound.

 

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3 hours ago, AussieDigs said:

Hi Pat, thanks heaps mate.

well the Nokta sold.

Pat, how would the SDC (or any PI for that matter) fair with so much trash about? There would be a huge amount of iron/nails etc.

Is there was a VLF that would handle the mineralised ground better than what a PI would handle trash?

Thanks mate.

PS... Ocean Grove was my haunt as a child/young bloke during the summer months. Fond memories.

Al.

PI machines dont discriminate. Therefore you dig every target. High trash areas can be a nightmare but also very rewarding if you have the patience.

VLF machines can discriminate the iron out but its a tradeoff for depth in mineralised ground. 

Basically ALL VLF machines will struggle with mineralised ground. The higher frequency machines are great for smaller gold but only if you pick your ground as I mentioned before and as geof_junk mentioned for sniping creeks etc. The guys using the Monster and Gold Bugs are doing well going over quartz piles, quartz reefs, tailings and old mullock heaps. They are finding the small gold the old timers missed.

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Maybe this can help you decide?  If nothing else a vlf is much cheaper than a PI and to be really complete you should eventually have one of each????

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcL04ZHki6Q

 

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