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Showing content with the highest reputation on 10/22/2018 in Posts

  1. I went to a new spot with a buddy of mine and decided to try a couple new locations I have been to once before. Wow what a great location. Top secret for sure. I missed this nugget by roughly a foot and my buddy Andy hit on it. We were both using Gold Monsters. It was only a couple inches down under an ancient cobble.
    25 points
  2. Sometimes it is better to be very lucky than good. So I am working this beaten slope of a hill in Stafford, VA off of a period CW road. It's thick as snot and getting the coil to the ground was a struggle. I get this nice 22-23 signal with the Nox down 11". I dig up the target and it is s deep knap sack hook. Scan the hole and I am still hearing that 22-26 signal. One more shovel full and it is in my dirt pile. Usually a IH or a trime will ring up that high but not brass unless it is big. In the dirt pile is this half inch by half inch piece of folded brass. So how does a knap sack hook and a piece of folded brass read so high? I look at the folded brass and see some silver plating where the two pieces meet. I very GENTLEY pry it open and see my surprise. Soldier looks to have made an ID tag from possibly a tin-type picture case. The tag reads: SERGt J. Brown Com C. 7th Reg The tag belonged to Sergeant Joseph Brown, Company C, 7th Rhode Island.
    5 points
  3. Tom and I were able to get out and check out a remote site that we researched in the spring. A site that predates the gold rush by at least 20 years, and had nothing to do with the Spanish, but apparently it was used for a while. There weren't a ton of targets there, but everything you dug was old, not a single pull-tab, no clad, interestingly no bullets or shell casings either nothing newer than the 1850's. The first bucket lister was a cast tongue and grove eagle buckle! I dug the male part, and five feet away I dug the female part. Somehow, I lost the female part ? The female buckle shown above it in the group shot is smaller, and was broken in two parts, and dug in two digs, but they fit together perfectly so they must go together. Also dug a broken tongue, so must be another eagle to match it out there, and below that is a thin female buckle part that's all mangled up. My second bucket lister was a decorative powder flask (one side only), also shown is a pewter spoon (pretty rare to find these in California): Is the piece next to it a sword or knife scabbard? Here's a close up of both sides next to a wheat penny: This early Eagle on an Anchor Navy button was all crudded up, but I could see a glint of gold gilt left, so I used lemon juice to clean it, and am very happy with the results! Is this a sword hilt? ? Cleaned up nicely with lemon juice (tu) Little sash buckle kind of decorative item: Found this token, it's a large size, thought it was a large cent when first dug, but it turns out to be considered the first token issued in California! http://tokencatalog.com/token_record_forms.php?action=DisplayTokenRecord&td_id=8515&inventory_id=8752&td_image_id=33494&attribution_id=8321&record_offset=2 Some misc finds. There were a ton of tools dug at this site, axe heads, chisels, and other misc tools. I dug a bunch of lead and other small scrap/junk conductors not shown. HH, Cal
    5 points
  4. I’ve used the 6” coil several times now and it’s proving to be effective in my most iron-laden sites. I found the reale about 4” deep using field 2, sens 22, iron on. Threshold, 50 tones, GB 0, recovery 6, Iron bias 2. It was hitting a solid 22. The button was found at about 6” and rang up 18-19. I am using the updated software and have no plans to go back to the original version as the new has been working well for me
    4 points
  5. White’s this is no joke I drove 600 miles to Oklahoma to hunt with a friend coin hunting. I’ve been swinging my Sport and been doing great. I couldn’t ask for a better detector but at 77 with both over weight my hunt time is getting shorter. I’m going to work at it getting the weight off of me but I too need your help getting the weight off the detector I swing. I know the Sport is waterproof but I think it’s best if I get wet just in the shower from now own. Well that’s not true when I beach hunt . I would say White’s needs to make a detector for old farts like me but the words Senior Citizen sounds better . I’d like it equal if not better than my Sport but just trim down the fat off of it . I know the MX 7 has less weight but not near enough of what I’m talking about. Please don’t cut down on the screen size because that’s one thing is old guys like . I’m going to let you think about what I said and I if you you can do get back with me . I’ve already got a name for it and that is S C 2.5 ( Senior Citizen 2.5 lbs. ) haha Chuck
    3 points
  6. I think that for many detectors the 15x 12 "coil will work, most of the time as the main coil... That coil i have the sensitivity and reach of very tiny objects, but it also has a lot of reach for coins and medium and large objects. Is a control comparison of 15x12 "and 11" coils, in program Park1 and Park2 on sensitivity 20 and recovery speeds 4:in a moment I will publish the results of the airtest...
    2 points
  7. It's been a very busy summer/fall, so I was dying to get out to the beaches to see if the Equinox would still be kind to me. These pictures are from 5 of the 6 beach hunts. It's early in the season and the beaches are not shedding sand yet, so the finds are slimmer than last season. I did include a picture of one clad hunt that yielded over $17.00 in change in a 5 hour period. Most other clad amounts were much lower. Total clad after 6 hunts is $31.54 (average of $5.25 per hunt). It's going to be a long season and I hope to get out more often than once a week, but time will tell. So far I'm thrilled with 4 pieces of gold and the decent amount of silver I've found. I have been experimenting with Gold 2 mode, but so far with only a one tone option, all signals (including falsing from wet and mineralized sand) make a audible response. Can't figure out how to stop that. Wish it had 2 tones. I even ran a tight disc pattern, but the falsing was still reading in the low gold range. Anyone having success with the Gold 2 on wet sand??
    2 points
  8. Don't forget the 10% off senior citizens discount!
    2 points
  9. Personally, weighing the Equinox even on a 15x12 large coil as well ... ... I have compared a standard 11 " coil and big 15x12" coil - at 50 eurocents buried at 38cm in the ground. Test Field is uphil - so detecting that coin from different directions its more difficult ... here the standard 11 "coil had a problem with the detections - it did not give any good signals, or repeated, but .. one-sided signal .., so a large coil gave good signal from ID from all directions .. , Tested on programs: Park1, Park2, Field1, Field2 ... In my opinion, Park2 and Park1 pronouced beter signal in sensitivity 23-24, than Field 2 and Field 1 at the same sensitivity. In each program I tested the sensitivity and range of the coil on 3 small items in the ground: golden O- segment 0.05 gram of gravel on 10cm in the ground.13.5mm denar drained to 23cm in the ground, and 13mm silver earrings buried on 20cm .. programs Park2 and Field2 gave signal and ID to all 3 small objects on the sensibility 22, -its the excellent sensitivity and the range for big coil..... The 11" standard coil which takes it in sensitivity from 21 ... Park1, and Field1 no pronounced signal at golden 0.05 grams of the O-segment can not be seen sometimes in some situations again ... all of the first tests ..the cross indicates the position of 50 eurocent, 3 plastic collars position 3 of small objects in the ground...
    2 points
  10. This is my opinion of DD vs Consentrics from field use. People have the impression that DD coils eliminate masking. They do not. Often times they are vulnerable more so to masking then a concentric. Another misconception of DD coils is that they are better in hot ground. This is a maybe. If you are using a small DD it can help. But in the same ground, using a small concentric will work as good if not better. In order to compensate in the depth loss of a DD vs a concentric, you have to go to a larger DD coil. When you do this you are now reading more ground increasing the problem with hot ground. By going to a larger coil, you also increase the problem of masking. Larger coils also have the tendency of ignoring smaller objects. Using a DD also decreases your ability to pin point and discriminate. Most VLF detectors derive their best performance from a 6" to 7" coil on coin and jewelry type targets, in most hunting situations, at moderate depths. Smaller targets, such as small gold need smaller coils to see it. All other size and type coils, larger or smaller, are designed for nitch hunting situations. These are special applications for your hunting style or area conditions. Use of these coils create trade offs in performance in many different ways.
    2 points
  11. “Ships that washed ashore on Dog Island during the 1899 Carrabelle Hurricane were unearthed completely by Hurricane Michael's vicious storm surge last week in Franklin County, Florida. Of the 15 ships that were grounded on the barrier island during the storm 119 years ago, it's unclear which or how many were unearthed by Michael.” Rad the rest of the story here
    1 point
  12. Had a little after-season spin yesterday at a beach I don't do very often. Find of the day: Other detectorist's Equinox Display cover .. not exactly what you want to find But luckily the other Equinox user didn't seem to know his / her machine really well, and / or didn't detect very thoroughly. I've found 22,70€, 2DM and 10 Escudos - very good, almost as if it had been a season hunt! I didn't care about all the silver coin on edge stuff.. but yesterday I've surprisingly dug a 1€ coin, that sounded like trash.. A quick test on the beach revealed, that the 1€ (and 2€) coins on edge in exactly 90° to the center of the DD coil, produce solid negative numbers I don't know if this has been the case with the original firmware or my old detector - I'll have to check that.
    1 point
  13. After seeing and reading reports on the 15...I think I will just say with my stock and the 6 inch coils.....so far they work for where I hunt.
    1 point
  14. Learned a lot man, thanks and keep posting Gibson
    1 point
  15. Thanks! I found three or four other axe heads, but much larger (and much heavier - lol), so they're still there. This one was small, so I put it in my finds pouch, but I think it was also the reason I lost the other half of my eagle buckle as it made my pouch tipsey and it likely fell out when I was down digging ? Hope to locate it next time we're able to visit this site.
    1 point
  16. I primarily hunt in beach 1. All those finds were found using that mode. I was trying to figure out how to use gold 2, but it falsed and chattered like you described. But if there is a way to get it to work, it hits a lot harder than beach 1 on those small gold targets. At home I keep some sand from different beaches and the gold 2 mode made targets much easier to hear (and deeper) than beach 1. But when I got to the beach, it was a completely different story.....unusable. Now that is a future update I would definitely be interested in
    1 point
  17. What a hunt! Some great pieces there. Check the axe carefully for some round circular makers marks. Very early ones look pretty much the same as more modern ones. I'd call that a very successful hunt!
    1 point
  18. My beaches are typically very low mineralisation so I run with GB off and get better depth as well as that super smooth threshold that alerts you to the smallest and deepest targets.
    1 point
  19. The V Nickel was about 5" around some roots and around the 11-12 tone I received, were some other mid conductor trash (can slaw, a pop top, and some deeper iron that I left in the ground). But in between all those competing tones, the 6" coil narrowed in on a quieter but solid nickel tone. This is my second V and the ground is really hard on nickels in my area, but at least I can make out the date on this one. 1907. Tim, I'm very happy you posted the 11/12 numbers on that v- nickel. It confirms what I had posted earlier this year. I've dug 18 buffalo's, 15 v's and 2 shield nickels this year with my 800 and although I can't give you an exact count many were 11/12's one even had a 10 pop in once or twice on a really worn v. Location has a lot to do with what I dig but 11/12 are good numbers to me. Nice hunt and good info buddy!!
    1 point
  20. Back then I used eBay, my local metal detecting club (they used it for planted hunts and raffles) and my local coin dealer who gave me the best return. GaryC/Oregon Coast
    1 point
  21. I would love to work the east coast after a Hurricane...I often wonder how many emeralds and diamonds are laying around for someone with a sharp eye.... fred
    1 point
  22. Beach 1 is a better choice for small gold on the WET sand than beach 2. Interesting you can even hunt with gold mode on the wet sand because if my dry sand is damp most of the modes like to chatter really bad. Its going to be a matter of picking out those small targets that with any depth on the wet sand sounds a whole lot like weak minerals. I assume you are use the threshold and tracking....... some IB and maybe a high recovery speed...... like 6? Might try that 6" coil and work smaller areas. From what was shown on one of the other threads the 6" seems to be a pretty deep coil especially on small gold.
    1 point
  23. Lucky and Robin, Miss seeing you guys, we will have to catch up soon. Doc
    1 point
  24. Chuck's method is best in heavy iron. A large amount of nails in the ground can mess with your automatic ground balance, so find some clean ground, get a balance, lock it, then start swinging. An option to Relic mode is to enable Reject Volume. This will let you hear some iron in addition to the regular ToneID. Here is a video on how this can help ID iron -
    1 point
  25. Thanks for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed the video and learned about looking for Gold in the crevices !!!! Jeff
    1 point
  26. $239 internet price and supplies are now shipping to dealers. Time to order if you have not already. It’s so light it may replace the 11” as my stock coil. I don’t have any more problem pinpointing with it than the stock coil. Unreserved thumbs up on my part!
    1 point
  27. Diane and I went to a Willie Nelson concert in Paso Robles. Since we were going to be near the ocean, I brought two detectors for a bit of beach hunting. I only got in one hour of swinging resulting in a bunch of beach toast coins and this nice little ring..
    1 point
  28. It was great seeing faces old and new out at the hunt - pretty amazing event with about 400 people in attendance. The hunt area is HUGE! The clubs get kudos for putting on such a great event and it was nice to see all the kids that were attracted to their first detecting experience. Again, nice seeing you all! Tom and I snuck off at first opportunity and yesterday we running the Goldmaster 24K around on some old beat patches. The big stuff is about gone but little nuggets remain for hot detectors like the 24K. I managed to snag these four little bits, 7 grains total, largest piece 3.8 grains using the 6" concentric. Nice, easy running machine. The XGB multiple point ground tracking does seem to offer smoother operation with at least some combinations of hot rocks and ground. The place we were at is medium alkali ground with two particular hot rocks that trouble machines and the 24K ran great in this type of scenario.
    1 point
  29. It was nice meeting you guys as well. Steve is a stand-up guy, and his help was much appreciated! That first swarm of people in the morning was nuts with everyone trying to get a turn at swinging the new Goldmaster 24k. I took a bunch of photos, here is the lucky guy who found the nugget we hid!
    1 point
  30. A quick specification comparison of the two detectors. White's Goldmaster Goldmaster 24K versus White's GMT White's GMT Instruction Manual GMT Information Page White's Goldmaster 24K Advanced Guide 24K Information Page Despite similarities these two detectors have a different lineage. The GMT was part of the effort involving engineer Dave Johnson that resulted in both the GMT and MXT. The Goldmaster 24K however I am almost 100% certain is an offshoot of the MX5 project, variants of which also include the MX7 and MX Sport. Notes on the chart above. The GMT has the ability to directly manipulate the ground balance up and down via the plus and minus buttons on the pod face. The Goldmaster 24K (GMK) relies on either automatic ground tracking or the ground grab, features the GMT also shares. However, the GMK has a ground balance offset feature. Under the section titled "Ground Scan" on page 15 of the White's Goldmaster 24K Advanced Guide: "In Ground Scan you can also set a ground offset by using the UP and DOWN arrows. This selection will affect the ground offset in normal search mode whether using XGB or locked settings." Note that the offset, once set, is active in both ground tracking mode and when using the ground grab function. Normally a manual ground balance is used to just tweak the setting derived from tracking or ground grab up or down a small amount. This can be done with the 24K but in a different fashion than the GMT. The fact the offset is active while in ground tracking actually gives the GMK an ability the GMT lacks. The Goldmaster 24K has a volume control the GMT lacks. A real biggie in my opinion is that the GMK can completely block the audio from ferrous targets. The best you could get with the GMT is an audio "iron grunt" on ferrous, but no way to shut it up. This is even more an issue when you get into some bad hot rocks that signal as iron. The GMT can get pretty noisy, but the GMK allows those signals to be blocked. It can in fact also block ferrous "wrap around" signals where ferrous reads very high on the scale, almost like a silver target. Coils compatible? That very important note is to warn you that all past Goldmaster/GMT coils are not compatible with the new Goldmaster 24K. Just another tip that these really are different detectors under the hood.
    1 point
  31. The following is a very detailed review of the new Makro Gold Kruzer... but first a little back story. I was asked to review a new gold detector in the fall of 2014 from a company I had never heard of before then – the FORS Gold by the Nokta company based in Istanbul, Turkey. I was pleasantly surprised to find the Nokta FORS Gold to be a very capable 15 kHz VLF detector that could serve well not just for nugget detecting, but almost any detecting tasks. The FORS Gold did have some odd design quirks, like the use of mechanical rocker switches instead of touch pads. I listed a few of these things, expecting that would just be the way it is. I was almost shocked when within a short period of time Nokta fixed or changed every item I had mentioned in my review as possibly needing improvement. This was unusual as normally once a machine has gone into production manufacturers are extremely resistant to design changes, especially changes in the physical design. It was a sign of what people have now found to be fact – that this company is serious about listening to their customers as a prime driver for product improvement. New Makro Gold Kruzer It was revealed that Nokta had a sister company called Makro, and the two officially combined forces shortly after I made my review. In other words, both Nokta and Makro now share the same ownership and management, but continue to be marketed separately under the two brand names. The detector models that each sell are unique, but there is an obvious sharing of the underlying technology between some models that the two brands sell. I had commented at the time that I would prefer a more standard configuration for a LCD based detector rather than the non-standard configuration as presented by the FORS Gold. By the fall of 2015 I was using the new Makro Gold Racer, which incorporated many ideas I had lobbied for over the years with detector manufacturers. I had been trying for some time to get somebody to create a metal detector that ran at nugget detecting type frequencies over 30 kHz but with a full target id system. It seems strange now but at that time nobody made such a detector. The Makro Gold Racer was quite unique in 2015 by offering a detector running at 56 kHz that also offered a full range LCD based target id system and dual tone based audio discrimination modes. This made it a detector useful not just for nugget detecting, but low conductor hunting in general for relics and jewelry. It is even a halfway decent coin detector for regular park type scenarios. The versatility and well thought out control scheme scored points with me, and I still have the Makro Gold Racer even after selling most of my other detectors. It seems that the moment the Makro Gold Racer hit the streets, that everyone else was working on similar ideas, as other detectors running over 30 kHz but with a full feature set started to appear on the market. High frequency detecting is suddenly in vogue for more than just gold nugget detecting. The one thing obvious now about the Makro / Nokta partnership is that they never sit still, but continue to work on and release new models at a pace that puts all the other manufacturers to shame. The companies are also big believers in seeking public feedback and then implementing the suggestions to create better products for their customers. This is readily apparent in the progression I have personally witnessed in going from that original Nokta FORS Gold to the new 61 kHz Makro Gold Kruzer just now hitting the market. In less than four years the company has gone from “catching up” to meeting or surpassing detectors made by other companies. The Makro Gold Kruzer has a full suite of functions, is fully waterproof, incorporates built in wireless headphone capability, and can be firmware updated over the internet. That short feature list alone puts the Makro Gold Racer in a very select group of detectors offering those same 21st century “basic features” that were lacking in almost all detectors made in the last century. The Makro Gold Kruzer obviously builds on the Gold Racer feature set with the following key differences. The Gold Racer runs at 56 kHz and the Gold Kruzer at 61 kHz, one of the highest frequencies available in consumer metal detectors. This continues the focus on detecting small low conductor targets. The Gold Kruzer is waterproof to 5 meters (16.4 feet) whereas the Gold Racer is not waterproof at all. Finally, the Gold Kruzer adds a three tone hunt mode, taking things up another step from the dual tone modes available on the Gold Racer. Now let’s look at the Makro Gold Kruzer in detail. Makro switched things up in that the Gold Kruzer comes with two coils, a 5.5” x 10” concentric coil, and a 4” x 7.5” DD coil; both include scuff covers. The 5.5” x 10” concentric coil, which was an option offered for the Gold Racer, has been redesigned and cut from 1” thick to ¾” thick and the weight reduced to 384 grams (13.5 oz). The coil is hollow and therefore slightly buoyant, so the 25% reduction in thickness is quite welcome in reducing that buoyancy to where it is basically unnoticeable underwater. The little 4” x 7.5” DD coil is a solid epoxy filled coil which works extremely well in smaller coils where epoxy filling does not result in too much weight. The small DD coil weighs 368 grams or 13.0 oz. There is one accessory coil available at this time, a 5” x 9.5” epoxy filled DD. This coil weighs 14.3 oz or 404 grams. It should be noted that because of the frequency change and with the Gold Kruzer using waterproof connectors, that Makro Gold Racer coils will not work on the Gold Kruzer. Makro has also learned lessons as regards coil ear durability. The coil ears on the Gold Kruzer are about twice the mass of those on my older Makro Gold Racer. Taller, wider, and thicker – these extra beefy coil ears should all but eliminate breakage issues. 4” x 7.5” DD coil showing beefed up ears The Makro Gold Kruzer employs a fairly standard “detector pod on an S rod” design forgoing the underarm battery box used on the Gold Racer. This confers a large advantage when it comes to waterproofing the detector in that only the pod has to be sealed. The change from AA batteries to a built in sealed LiPO rechargeable battery also aids in eliminating battery doors, which are always at risk of leaking. The three piece S rod itself is quite stout with no flex or wiggle. The cross hatch carbon fiber lower rod is not only strong, but lends an air of high tech quality to the look of the detector. The Gold Kruzer does not have the separate underarm battery compartment and in handle vibration mechanism featured on the Makro Gold Racer. This means the pod is totally self contained and can be removed from the handle assembly. This in turn allows for other rod options and the ability to break the detector completely down fitting in a small backpack or carry on bag. When the stout rod is combined with the beefed up coil construction you have a design that should survive those spills a person can take when working in the surf and there the detector ends up acting like a walking stick for support. It has been interesting to watch the company experiment with different handle designs. It is a thankless task because you never can please everyone. For me at least the handle / rod may be the best yet from Makro, with a molded hard rubber grip that will serve very well for a detector that may see underwater use. I personally found the Nokta Impact handle to be large for my hands and the smaller Gold Kruzer handle near perfect. Others may feel just the opposite so there you go. The arm cuff is a little different. It is narrower than some – good for me but maybe not so much for somebody with huge forearms. The adjustment is non-standard, with the arm cup sliding up and down the upper rod over a set of threaded holes. A small screw inserted into the top of the armrest and into one of these threaded holes secures the armrest in place. Kruzer upper rod showing cuff adjust holes and hand grip (control box removed) A unique feature on the Gold Kruzer is an optional external AA battery pack that can provide extra operating time in the field should the internal rechargeable battery go dead. The pack is designed to be held into the bottom of the detector armrest / stand by a separate plastic cover bracket that is held in place with two screws. I found the holes these screws go into will fill with sand if this bracket is left off, so I advise installing the bracket even if the external battery pack is not in use. The external battery pack with bracket is an option and so dummy screws or plugs should be installed to keep the screw holes clean and free of debris by those who down not have the bracket. I don’t think most people will ever need the external battery pack as long as the detector is regularly charged after use. It is a very nice touch however, especially for off grid use, as all you need is the external AA battery pack and a box of AA batteries to off grid for as long as the batteries will last. Some people may want the optional battery pack for travel into the field just in case the battery runs short on power in the middle of a hunt. The port where you attach the external battery pack also acts as a port to attach a USB style charger cable. The detector is charged using this cable by employing the included USB wall charger. You may also use most USB charging adapters and newer computer USB ports. The USB cable also allows the Makro Gold Kruzer to be attached to a computer so that updates can be made in case any bugs are found in the future. This update feature is very nice insurance that should be standard on all new detectors. Another item that should be standard on all new detectors is built in wireless headphone capability. Makro uses a proprietary low latency system that exhibits no discernible lag at all. A really nice thing about being proprietary is there is no pairing process. All you have to do is enable the wireless feature on the control box, turn on the headphones, and boom, you are in business. The downside is you only have one choice of headphones – the included Makro wireless headphones. These are a nice, light set of phones but they are just a bit too small to fit over most people ears. I have fairly small ears and they still rest on instead of over my ear. The sound quality is good, but like most wireless headphones they seem less “bright” than wired headphones. All in all the wireless headphones are quite good however and a pleasure to use. Makro wireless headphones The Makro Gold Kruzer does have a waterproof speaker with decent volume that can be used instead of the wireless headphones. If you prefer other headphone options, be sure and get the optional waterproof port to ¼” headphone adapter cable. This cable attaches to the same port used for charging and software updates and allows any wired headphones to be adapted to the Gold Kruzer. The LCD display is well laid out with a very large target id number displayed. The other setting indicators might be a little harder for those with poor eyesight to make out, but should present no issues once the layout is learned. One big change from the Gold Racer is that the four large navigation buttons, trigger switch, and rotary dial power / volume switch have all been replaced by ten small buttons on the control panel. All the buttons can be reached and controlled by the operators thumb, but the small size and closeness of the buttons may make for some navigation errors early on, and especially when trying to change settings underwater or with gloves on. Makro Gold Kruzer display and controls The Makro Gold Kruzer User Manual is available for download so I will refer you there for all the little details. What you have in the Makro Gold Kruzer is a hot 61 kHz metal detector waterproof to 5 meters (16.4 feet). The Gen (General) mode is a fairly standard VCO audio all metal gold nugget detecting circuit. The Gold Kruzer in Gen mode is very reminiscent of other hot gold nugget detectors running in the all metal prospecting mode. The Gen mode acts exactly like one would expect a threshold based all metal mode to function. There is a nice smooth threshold that gives feedback about the ground and reacts to hot rocks with classic nulling signals and small nuggets with that classic “zip-zip” VCO audio. Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO) audio increases both in volume and pitch when a target is detected, giving a distinct response very common on many gold detectors. The only thing different here is that since the Gold Kruzer has an LCD readout; you can get target id number results while running in all metal Gen mode. The audio is far more sensitive than the meter however, so do not be surprised if the deepest and smallest of targets give no target id information. In a break with the Gold Racer the Fast and Boost modes are not dual tone modes, but instead are silent search (no threshold) single tone modes. Items either signal audibly or not based on the current discrimination settings. The discrimination setting, like that of the Gold Racer, is a simple up and down control. Everything above the setting gives an audio signal of “beep”. Anything below the discrimination setting level is rejected or ignored with no sound at all. The Gold Kruzer has no notching capability i.e. the ability to pick and choose individual target id numbers for rejection. Fast mode is just what it sounds like – a fast setting for working in really dense trash. Target recovery speed has been increased at the expense of outright depth, but sheer depth is useless where target masking is the main problem. Boost mode is exactly the opposite. Boost is the deepest discrimination mode on the Gold Kruzer but due to the increased sensitivity is more suitable for less mineralized ground and sparser targets. It should be obvious that the Makro Gold Kruzer is all about gold. This explains the shift from dual tone to monotone audio in the Fast and Boost. Dual tones as employed in the Makro Gold Kruzer can be problematic when hunting the smallest gold targets, especially in highly mineralized ground. It is hard for a detector to get a clean separation of ferrous and non-ferrous targets when the targets are very small. This is because the actual dividing line between ferrous and non-ferrous is not a line at all, but a zone. The Makro Gold Kruzer uses a fairly standard discrimination scale that ranges from 0 – 99. The range from 0 – 40 is considered to be the ferrous range, and 41 and above non-ferrous. Yet the discrimination default for both the Fast and Boost modes is 25. This is because if you bury small gold in highly mineralized ground or large gold extra deep in mineralized ground, the ferrous ground signal can overwhelm the very weak non-ferrous signal. It really is not about the object size. A deep large nugget is a very weak signal just the same as a shallower small nugget, and either can end up reading as a ferrous target. The solution is to lower the discrimination setting into the ferrous range and accept that you have to dig some ferrous items to get all the gold items. This actually applies to any metal detecting. If you dig absolutely no ferrous trash, you are almost 100% guaranteed to be passing up some non-ferrous items reading incorrectly as ferrous. This can be acceptable of course depending on what you are doing, but passing on a deep six ounce gold nugget because it reads ferrous can be an expensive mistake. The Gold Kruzer default discrimination setting for Fast and Boost is 25 instead of 40 for this very reason. Dual tones have issues for this same reason, with decisive results on the weakest targets difficult if not impossible to obtain. The difference is quite small, but monotone is slightly more stable and proficient at working with the tiniest and faintest of signals right at the dividing line between ferrous and non-ferrous, wherever you have set the control to tell the Gold Kruzer where that line is for your particular situation. There is no pat answer as the where to set the discrimination control. It is a judgment call based on experience, but when in doubt, use less discrimination and dig more trash. Welcome to gold detecting! Makro chart showing gold occurring in 0 – 40 ferrous range The Makro Gold Kruzer has a new control that relates to this overlap between ferrous and non-ferrous readings. The Extra Underground Depth (E.U.D.) control acts to directly impact the tipping point between ferrous and non-ferrous readings. The E.U.D. control only works in one of the three discrimination modes and when used on a suspect target that is reading ferrous may reveal by a different tone that it is actually non-ferrous. It is noted in the manual that it can reveal some targets misidentified as ferrous, but it will also give more false positives on ferrous targets. I was unable in the time allowed to figure out just how efficient this control is. In theory you can just set the discrimination lower, digging more ferrous but getting those missed non-ferrous items. Or set the discrimination a little higher, and now examine suspect targets individually by engaging the E.U.D. control momentarily. Finally, you can run E.U.D. on at all times. Is higher disc with E.U.D. on at all times going to get better results than just using a lower discrimination setting? Sadly, I just do not know at this time. I do know it is no magic bullet so the efficiency of employing the E.U.D. control will have to be determined over time by users around the world What? You say you wanted tones? Well, the Makro Gold Kruzer has you covered. The new Micro mode is a three tone mode similar to that on other company models, but running at that hot 61 khz. The 0 – 40 target id range produces a low tone. The 41 – 66 range produces a medium tone, and 67 – 99 range a high tone. Micro mode allows the “ferrous break point” to be adjusted. This is that magic point where you decide what is going to read as ferrous and what reads as non-ferrous. Note that unlike the Fast and Boost modes, the default ferrous breakpoint is set at 40 instead of 25. This is good for coin type detecting but again may be too high for other types of detecting. While in Micro mode you may use the Tone Break control to vary this all important setting. You could mimic the other two modes by setting the Tone Break at 25. Now 0 – 25 will be a low tone, 26 – 66 a medium tone, and 67 – 99 a high tone. Tone Break can only be used to set the ferrous breakpoint. The upper high tone region of 67 – 99 is preset and fixed by the factory with no adjustment possible. You may use the Ferrous Volume setting to control how loud the low tone response is. The medium and high tone responses are set with the main volume control. The discrimination control still functions in Micro mode, with a default setting of ten. Hot rocks and ground responses occur this low on the scale, and so having at least some of the low end blocked or rejected with reduce the number of low tone responses generated by the ground itself. The control can be set as high as you want and will override the other settings, blocking all targets below the desired target id setting. The Makro Gold Kruzer does have a tone control, but it does not allow the tones to be changed in Micro mode. Those are factory preset, with the Tone Break between ferrous and non-ferrous plus Ferrous Volume as the two adjustments you can make. The Tone setting allows the tone of the audio response and threshold to be changed in Gen, Fast, and Boost modes only. Micro was designed first for hunting micro jewelry. Micro jewelry is a loose term that applies to all very small jewelry items, like very thin chains, single post earrings, tie tacks, etc. Micro is perfect for hunting tot lots and beaches and focusing on the “gold range” targets represented by the mid tone reading in Micro mode. Many jewelry hunters consider digging coins a waste of time, and so ignoring high tones can save digging pocket change when the real goal is a woman’s diamond and platinum ring. The Makro Gold Kruzer has a nominal non-ferrous range of 41 – 99 which is a 59 point spread. Normal U.S. coin responses are 63 for a nickel, 83 for a zinc penny, 84 for a copper penny, 86 for a clad dime, and 91 for a clad quarter. The high 61 kHz operating frequency acts to push target id numbers higher and most coins will respond at 83 and higher. I was surprised a zinc penny and copper penny for all intents read the same. The good news is the low conductor range is expanded, which offers the ability to help discern different pull tabs and other trash items over a wider range. This in turn may help eliminate at least a few pesky trash items while hunting gold, although ignoring gold range items of any sort can be risky. Still, with a U.S. nickel reading at 63 and most women’s rings reading under the nickel, you get the 40 – 63 zone as a 23 point range where much of the most valuable jewelry will turn up. The default high tone breakpoint of 66 – 67 is clearly focusing the Gold Kruzer mid-tone on this very important gold range. Do note that large men’s rings and nearly all larger silver jewelry will read above 66 and therefore give a high tone reading. The Gold Kruzer has some obvious applications but there are a couple catches. First, it is running at 61 kHz, which means it is very hot on low conductors, but that it will have just adequate performance on high conductors like silver coins. Second, its extreme sensitivity to low conductors means it will not work well if at all in saltwater or on wet salt sand. Saltwater is a low conductor and will respond quite strongly on the Gold Kruzer, and getting it to not respond to saltwater gives up all the sensitivity to small gold. The Gold Kruzer will work very well around freshwater or on dry sand, it is not intended as a detector for use in or near saltwater. I would suggest the new Makro Multi Kruzer as an alternative to those who want to hunt in and around saltwater on a regular basis. Makro Gold Kruzer with optional 5” x 9.5” DD coil There are many features I could delve into but at over six pages this report is getting long, so I will again refer people to the User Manual for the details. Suffice it to say that the Makro Gold Kruzer has a full set of features like frequency shift for reducing interference, temporary audio boost for the Gen all metal mode, adjustable backlight, and the ability to save settings when the detector is powered down, and more. I got the Gold Kruzer prototype during a period when I was quite busy and the weather was not helping. I did have time to do a few tot lot hunts plus make a trip to the goldfields to evaluate the machine. The Gold Kruzer is well behaved in urban locations, with only a little static from electrical interference sources. I found the new Micro mode to be just the ticket for quickly blasting through a tot lot recovering prime gold range targets. I dug everything as is my practice when learning a detector, and ended up with the usual pile of aluminum foil, junk jewelry, and coins. Nothing special found but no doubt in my mind that the Gold Kruzer acts as intended in this type of setting. There were no surprises in the goldfields. At 61 kHz and in Gen mode the Gold Kruzer is a real pleasure to run, with all the response and nuance one expects from a great threshold based all metal circuit. Boost Mode also works very well as an alternative for small nugget detecting. I had no problem at all finding a couple little bits of gold weighing under a grain (480 grains per Troy ounce) on my first and only nugget hunt so far with the Gold Kruzer. Two tiny gold nuggets found with Makro Gold Kruzer To sum up, the new Makro Gold Kruzer once again ups the ante at Makro. It comes standard with two coils and is fully waterproof for about the same price as the Makro Gold Racer so I would have to assume the Gold Racers days are numbered. The one thing I am not sure about at this time is that the Gold Racer has a 15” x 13” DD coil option. The Makro Multi Kruzer has the 15” coil option, but no such accessory has yet been announced for the Gold Kruzer. This is probably not a concern for very many people, but it bears mentioning. I have no problem at all recommending that anyone interested in a detector with a focus on gold take a very serious look at the new Makro Gold Kruzer. It’s performance on low conductors of any type means that the Gold Kruzer is not just for prospectors and jewelry hunters but may also see favor with some relic hunters who focus of low conductor targets like buttons and bullets. This is a solid detector with 21st century features at a very attractive price. Makro Gold Kruzer Information Page Makro Kruzer Color Brochure Download a pdf copy of this report Steve Herschbach DetectorProspector.com
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  32. When I get serious about finding value targets, or I am hunting a place for the first time, I grab my 6 1/2" concentric to hunt with. Nothing I have owned or used has yet to out perform it.
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  33. Interesting also that the hottest machine ever made, the Gold Bug 2, only employs concentric coils.
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  34. I like concentric coils on VLF's because they produce a hotter signal response but also allow you to whip the coil a lot more aggressively compared to a DD, which helps no end in identifying small shallow targets in hot ground. I had a concentric 10" elliptical coil on my XT 17000 years ago and loved it, problem was they had major issues with them out of the factory so a lot of them were very noisy even in mild ground which then killed them in the market place. Found a lot of gold with the one I had when it was working properly. To my mind if your using a VLF to chase gold then you may as well use a concentric coil and then just target areas with average to low mineralisation rather than go down the dull muffly signal response of DD coils on tiny surface targets, if the ground hots up too much then by all means put on a DD or even better just grab an SDC 2300. JP
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