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Send offs, my first summer in AK I found a 1/4 ounce nugget with GP extreme. Since then I had never found one bigger. This year I had to move out of AK. I went back to one of the places that I used to dredge a lot. I had found a few nice nuggets in there and last year I found a 2 penny weight nugget. So I went back this year and started where I had to quit last year and found these nuggets in my first day. The big nugget is almost 11 penny weight. I have been meaning to write this post for a while but didn't get to it.

Interesting - a dedicated gold machine by XP incorporating the new high frequency coil and marketed in Africa at a very low price, only $680 http://www.depardetector.com/product/depar/dpr-600/912/511 Note 9/14/2018 - It took almost two years but it appears the Depar DPR 600 is finally coming to countries other than Africa - announcing the new XP ORX! Depar DPR 600 gold nugget detector by XP It certainly raises some questions. The first being, will we be able to buy this machine from XP dealers, or is it some sort of special deal for Depar? Personally I would be irritated by that were it to prove to be the case. I think many people here would rather buy this machine at a far lower price than buying a full blown DEUS and then having to pay even more to get the high frequency coil as an accessory. The video gives an idea how the high frequency coils may act. The elliptical version of the coil is said to operate at 20, 40, and 80 kHz! (See video). Is this what we will see in the high frequency elliptical for the DEUS? The round HF coil is said to operate at 15, 30, and 60 (56) kHz which is in line with what has been previously advertised. Depar DPR 600 Owner's Manual

Wears a hipstick on each hip and eternal grin on the dial, approach with extreme caution. Could have drooling partners following to ambush.

Since leaving the company I'm a bit out of touch. But. remembering the question always asked by consumers: "why are they cheaper in the USA?", I can't help but thinking something is really strange if this new unit can be bought for USD$680.00 which is equal to GBP£540.00 and EUR€624.00 While a New one in the UK w/9" coil, remote, small headphones and NONE of the other accessories being supplied will set you back USD$1734.00 or GBP£1378.00 After all, it's the SAME device albeit with different colored plastics and software. And...money is still being made by the manufacturer AND the supplier!!!

Hi Rod, The problem with questions like these is finding someone who owns all the machines you are interested in and who is willing to take their time to do tests for you. I have used all those machines but currently own only one of them. And at the end of the day it depends on the exact nugget and the exact ground - what exactly does "fairly mineralized" really mean? Which coils? Stock coils? Or should an attempt be made to equalize coil sizes and types? In low to moderate ground I will bet on the Gold Bug Pro and the Gold Racer. As the mineralization cranks up, at some point the PI detectors will have the edge. So when you say fairly mineralized ground it could be a horse race. Depths expected maybe an inch or two. Another way to frame the question is "We are going looking for 0.3 gram gold nuggets in fairly mineralized soil. Given the choice of a Whites TDI original, a Garrett Infinium, a Gold Bug Pro, or a Makro Gold Racer, which would you take with you?" Me personally I would grab the Gold Racer. Runner up Gold Bug Pro. Hunting 0.3 gram nuggets with a TDI or Infinium is challenging under any conditions as neither of those machines would be noted for small gold capability. Sorry to not be more specific but all I can do is offer generalities based on my past use of those detectors. The question I obsess over these days is where do I go next to have a decent shot at finding gold? The detector part is the easy part. Finding good ground? Getting harder every day.

Hello Franck - yes I remember you! If all you have used is the SDC 2300 the ground may be more mineralized than you think. The SDC ignores nearly all bad ground, one of its best features. If you use a VLF things may change dramatically. I spent most of my career detecting in Alaska in the rain. Any good metal detector will work in rainy climates with just minimal care. However, being waterproof is a plus in a rain forest, no doubt about it. Any VLF gold detector listed at http://www.detectorprospector.com/gold-prospecting-guides/steve-guide-gold-nugget-detectors.htm will do the job and people all have their favorites. My favorites change year to year, so it is not the sort of thing there are firm answers about. To my mind nearly all 13 - 15 kHz detectors are close enough I would use any of them and be happy, and the 19 kHz group has a bit of an edge on the tiny stuff. Rather than go on about it all day though I will offer a couple picks. The Gold Bug Pro (19 kHz) is one of the most popular VLF nugget detectors ever made and used all over the world. A very safe choice. If waterproof was desirable, the Garrett AT Gold (18 kHz) is a very good alternative, one I might use myself in a very wet environment. Just my opinion as others will have other ideas, no less valid. There are simply too many good detectors these days and that makes it confusing, but at the same time hard to go wrong. The real difference does lie more with the proficiency of the person using the machine than in the tiny differences between the detectors themselves.