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Hi Folks I hope everyone is doing well over here. Ground conditions have been tough with the weather being so cold but things warmed up just enough to allow some detecting here in the mid Hudson valley. Unfortunately it's going to turn colder again over the coming week or so which will probably shut me down again. Anyhow, I went back to a site where I have discovered quite a few Connecticut coppers over the years and decided to hit a little bit further out from the center of the site. I came upon a 18-20 signal and ended up recovering a nice 1773 half reale. Shortly afterwards I discovered another copper believe it is a KG III. It sure was nice to get out. Recovering both coins.. I was using the 15-inch coil field 2, sensitivity at 25, ground balance of zero, iron bias was at 2 and recovery speed of 7. HH Everyone..

As some of you know, I head south each winter with a few clients and have some sun in the fun, with a few stiff drinks to kill any bacteria on my ice. I always take a detector and sometimes even test a few for manufactures (like I did last year with the TDI Beach Hunter). Anyway, I seem to find interesting metal objects in my scoop and on occasion they are still moving (that is for another story). So here are a few photos of finds and laughs. 1st pic of at least 10 different countries and some of their coins. Some of them I know others I'll need to look up in a book some day. 2nd is a waterproof Fugi camera. I took the card out and guess what was on it? Now here is a weird twist. There was video footage of me metal detecting. They actually filmed me. 3rd is a gold plated miniature brass shovel. Now I know there are some serious gold diggers walking those beaches, but now they seem to wear a shovel? I guess that should make it easy for the old guy to figure out their intent? 4th is an interesting piece. I thought it was an aluminum dog whistle but blowing on it numerous times has not produced a peep yet? Maybe one of those secret silent ones? My other thought was some kind of mini magnifier, but each time I look through I can't see anything. Sure does have an odd smell though. 5th. Is a Samsung phone. I've found a few throughout the years and you better have a serious scoop to reach them as sometimes the detector will go near 2 feet deep. I realize it is not a ring, but I also know a Rolex watch could be down there too. I'll be posting some of the jewelry later on as I am still getting caught up with customer emails and phone calls to get them detectors. Until next post, enjoy and if you know any info of my finds, please chime in.

Mike, The White's 24K has no issues with Micro jewelry in my testing soils. Here is my efforts from 2 well used volley ball courts. These finds were with my initial prototype 24K before the final product came out. Also notice the small ear ring backs & tiny #9 dove shot in the 2nd photo. Yes the EQ-800 will do well too. Glad that you learned this now and not wasting another year. It is very important for folks to actually test their detectors on the exact targets they wish to find. So many people like to skip that part and just assume. Great lesson learned and glad you had the gonads to admit it. Keep on testing and you'll find more.

Merton, What a coincidence as I was fortunate to meet Mr. Gargov and his lovely wife 2 weeks ago while in MX. We chatted detectors, technologies and folks who were around in the late 90's at Fisher that we both worked with. We talked of the Coin Strike, Gold Strike and how they were a little before their time for most detector users. Great technologies but the average Joe did not grasp them as well as had hoped. The Gold Strike was too different from the proven Gold Bug-2 and digital detectors were not the norm at that time. Dimitar asked if I was interested in seeing his detector (MDT 8000) and an hour later he is standing in knee deep water with said machine in hand. We walked up to beach and I put my EQ-800 down in a chair so I could handle the 8000. 1st thought was very impressive quality of carbon fiber shaft/handle. The display screen seemed a little old school boxy but the features/functions were right there for me to see. Weight and balance was pretty good. Dimitar was trying to explain this detectors main features and kept saying it reads the Salinity of the surrounding soils/water which helps increase overall depth. Also I remember him saying something about seeing through certain hot rocks and still responding to targets under them. Those two statements alone peaked my interest. Anyway, with his strong accent it was a little hard for me to catch all his knowledge while standing on a beautiful beach in MX with stunning views walking past. I had just scooped a smaller 3.4 gram Palladium band so why not take up is offer and swing it a few to get a quick idea of how it would respond to my newly discovered ring. In wet salt sand it did as he said it would. In the water I was not disappointed. At the edge of the water where the wakes break it had a little chatter, but that is expected as the salt mineral around the coil is changing extremely fast. A couple quick clicks on the LCD pad and it smoothed out. His wife came back to inform him they had to check out of the room and catch their flight back to CA., so I did not get much more time to chat with him. Overall quick impression as I know most model of detectors on the market do not perform well in salt water, I see another tool to add to some beach hunts. Now a couple things I did catch. It is not 100% waterproof to my standards but rated IP-68 (which will suite most beach hunters). When I asked about a Prospecting unit, he said it could happen down the road, but right now the focus is the MDT 8000, which could answer your original question of a gold detector. The $1500 price seems reasonable for a high performance Beach detector, but I feel the sales would be more brisk if priced around the $1000 mark. I guess the EQ-800 sub $1000 pricing and its overall sales have really changed how some manufactures think, we'll see. Either way, it does not take to many more gold rings to cover the extra cost now that gold is $1300+ an ounce.

FYI -- the "for sale" ad for these shafts (and another for the EQX and CTX lower rods) is now up, in the classifieds section, for anyone interested... THANKS! Steve

Been going to Baja for several decades, caught lots of big fish and got some good gold too. For those considering a trip to MX without much experience here's something to always keep in mind; don't take anything down there you can't afford to loose.

Hi billdean… we’ve been finding naturally occurring native silver in northeastern Ontario for many years, but that experience doesn’t make it much easier to identify samples from other areas of the continent. That is because sample photographs are far less advantageous than having the actual sample in our hands to examine. That the rock responds to a PI metal detector is a pretty good indication of native metal, but not necessarily conclusive. There are a couple of sulfides and at least four of the more common arsenides in our area that do respond with perfectly good “metallic” signals to PI units. Incidentally arsenopyrite does not respond to my PI units. I suggest that you run a quick, simple streak test on the suspect material to confirm whether it is indeed native metal or for example a white or silvery sulfide, or possibly galena. Please determine the streak produced from one of the exposed occurrences in question. Select an area that protrudes from the surface. Rub it lightly across some white / beige porcelain tile or something similar from around the house that’ll give you a decent indication. For example, the bottoms of coffee mugs or French onion soup bowls are occasionally unglazed and will work just fine. Malleable silver produces a metallic silvery streak, whereas the brittle silvery sulfides generally produce dark streaks. None of them produce silver’s white metallic streak. There are other tests we can do to confirm silver, but the streak test is usually preferable because it is non-invasive. It won't damage your specimen. Below are two small naturally occurring native silver examples that were field cleaned prior to the photos. Both exhibit silver nodules or horns protruding from the rock surface, which is fairly characteristic of native silver in our area. Obviously a rock that has been subjected to the effects of erosion over eons of time will be characterized by a smooth or worn surface . But let’s hope the photos will be of some use to you as you examine your sample………………..Jim.

I am copying part of a post by Badger in NH on the Dankowski forum. Will this beach performance transfer over to hot dirt and more nuggets? I don't know but this guys results are certainly interesting. “For the depth testing I had a silver quarter, a silver dime and a medium sized mans 14k gold ring. I had drilled tiny holes in the center of the coins, ran a nylon string through each one and tied a knot on the end. This is to ensure that coins stay flat when buried. I would bury the coin at 15 inches and slowly pull the coin towards the surface a little at a time until it just came into detection range. When I reached the edge of the max depth that the coin could be detected, I grabbed the string where it came out of the sand, pulled up the coin and measured the length of the string. It worked perfectly. The gold ring is attached to the end of a fabric measuring tape. I tested the Tarsacci MDT 8000 against the Minelab Equinox 800. Settings were - Tarsacci - GB 600, SB 26-30 depending on Freq, Sense 7, Threshold 0, Disc 0, Mix mode. Equinox - Beach 1, Sense 23, 2 tones, AM on, recovery 6. To achieve a max depth designation, the detector must have a clear repeatable non-ferrous tone and reasonably accurate numerical ID. Tarsacci max depth on the silver Quarter was 13". Equinox was 10". Tarsacci max depth on the silver Dime was 12.5". Equinox was 9". (All the Tarsacci frequencies picked up the coins at max depth but 6.4 kHz sounded best.) Tarsacci max depth on the gold ring was 13". (All freqs picked it up but 18 kHz sounded best) Equinox had an iffy signal at 11" and 10" but only got a decent tone and ID at 9". I tried radically changing the GB number on the Tarsacci to see what that would do but came back to 600 because it got the best depth. I forgot to test Black Sand mode but will do that another time. So the Tarsacci wins the depth test by a large margin. I am extremely happy with it.” Tarsacci MDT 8000 Data & Reviews

It’s been a lot of years since I last met Chris. At one time he was very visible in the prospecting world but I think family life caught up with him. Very nice to see him out and about again in this excellent video! Though I barely recognized his new furry look. Published on Feb 3, 2019 - “Come join me in the remote goldfields of Arizona as I revisit one my favorite old patches and pull off a few more gold nuggets with my metal detector.”

This is one of the few sites remaining in my area of Alaska that the incoming Stampeders used and also others that came a little later.. The site is easily spotted but unfortunately most of the area surrounding the actual spot is under the Highway at the top of Thompson pass a few miles North of Valdez..Not anything is left to identify this location but thru careful searching and studying I was able to definitely say this is it. Not a large area now but you can see the tumbledown remains that lay scattered almost entirely reclaimed by nature. I have an idea there probably was more to be found but that is now under the Main Highway. That's ok as I realize that most of the other stopping spots on that trail are completely gone..I was able to squeak 2 coins from the site and both were dated after 1898 but close enough to know they had been lost by others that chose that way to come into the area after the Stampede. There were other gold bearing deposits along that trail that were discovered by these prospectors that were mined for a while, those might be stories for another time..The 2 coins found were a Barber dime and a nice 5 cent piece.... I was very happy to have found some dated coinage as that always gives you an idea on timeframes of travelers.....

I imagine Mexico is a wonderful place. I read a book by Victor Villasenor titled Rain of Gold...great story. Any way, he used to offer trips to the interior where the story was based,,,but, I never went. I think if I knew some one, spoke the language and did not mind the occasional Bite, I would go. But, I don't so I will stay where I am comfortable and understand the system ( I think). fred

If you guys do it sometime between the 9th and 29th of May I might be able to tag along for a day or two! (I decided I should make that Australia trip this year before our new crop of politicians make it 'illegal' to waste energy - recreational travel- and make a bigger carbon footprint!) Mitchel

The TDI SL for me anyway is a well balanced 3.5 lbs that is extremely comfortable to swing. There was just not perceived need for a hip mount option. The older TDI big box units and now BeachHunter are simply heavier units to the point where a hip mount option was considered desirable. That, and the TDI SL is just using one of White’s off the shelf housings used in prior models. Once you get down to about two pounds or less in the arm the whole nose heavy thing is truly not a big deal. Every Deus sold is nose heavy yet everyone raves about the ergonomics. No different once you get that weight off the arm here... it feels so much lighter you really don’t notice the nose heavy aspect.

Gerry, that is quite the coincidence you should happen to run into Dimitar in Mexico. Too bad he had to leave so soon as he is an interesting conversationalist. I wish I would have been able to spend more time learning the intricacies of the MDT 8000 from him as I think there is a lot to learn that is not in the manual. I was impressed that he actually detects for a hobby so he really does "get it" when you discuss detecting with him. I agree with you that a lot of people will likely want to stay in the sub-$1000 bracket when purchasing a machine. That's totally understandable when you have a detector such as the Equinox available. Of course just as a small percentage of people will pay for the performance of a GPZ 7000 I think the MDT 8000 will have it's own niche market eventually if it performs as well as it has at first blush.

Fantastic info/advice and story. I go to MX each year with detectors. Last year my buddy was pulled aside and they found his detector. They wanted money and after him telling them to keep it ($2500 machine) he agreed to pay $110 and it was on his birthday of all days. Me, I smiled and kept walking. He is the 2nd of my friends to pay some made up tax to get his detector in country. Another friend of mine had to pay for his drone. After you get through the border crossing and lines, I feel most of MX and their people (most of) are good. I have another story of MX down the road but for anther time. Good to see some nice gold recovered. As for my trip next week, I just cancelled as I did not want to be in MX if the government declares a State of Emergency. I might be over reacting, but my gut said it would not be a good time to be down there. Maybe in a big tourist destination (Cancun) or for dental (Yuma crossing) but we had planned on Lukeville crossing. I've yet to do the Baja crossing, but will make sure not to in the evening. Thanks again for sharing.

Well today I received a surprise in the mail and it was White’s new catalog for 2019. It was all in beautiful color from front to back . It showed the full line of detectors that White’s has to offer plus the lineup of the coils to go with each . White’s has a great line of all types of digging tools to cover anyone’s need . Chuck

I value a detector comparison test over a known target only slightly more than an air test. The test does prove, however, that the Tarsacci will find coins with holes and strings tied to them buried for less than 15 minutes better than an equinox. But it is good to see Minelab getting some strong competition. The real test will be to see which will withstand a day of being transported in a wildly out of control Polaris Razor.

Big Arm state park on Flathead lake with my mxt and the detech 10x5 coil. ran it in relic mode with the sens. hot and the disc pot set at 2. the prospectors pick worked great to get through the cobbles to recover the targets. Highlights were .65 gram silver bracelet, 54 s and 56 wheat's, and junk butterfly pendant. it sure was nice to be out swinging. just thought I'd share my first hunt this year. The best of luck to all !

Ah yes, John Tully. Dunolly's resident historian and top bloke. Also pioneering electronic prospector and finder of many sizeable pieces in the early days. Back in the day, you could see signs of where he had once surreptitiously scraped a patch or two with his little grey Fergy tractor. His excellent published series of maps and books have led to many good finds over the years.

I pulled the trigger and bought a Tarsacci MDT 8000. Like in the Johnny Cash song I drove right down to the factory and picked it up. Well, not quite, but close. I was only about 100 miles away from Merced vacationing so I made arrangements and drove down and met with Dimitar, the designer. I spent a couple hours with him. First, learning About the Tarsacci, then discussing its mineral handling capabilities and prospecting possibilities, then trying it out. We did some air tests on coins and nuggets and detected some test bed targets. I had my Deus with me so we did some comparison testing. The weather sucked and I needed to haul my carcass up to Oregon pronto so we did not do exhaustive testing but we did enough that I felt confident buying the machine. Dimitar did not pressure me to buy his detector. The detector sold itself. A week previous to this I was looking to buy an Equinox which I am no longer interested in at this time. In the interest of full disclosure I do not intend to use this machine only for gold nugget prospecting. I also enjoy relic hunting so the capabilities I witnessed that applied to both types of detecting made my decision for me. This machine has been marketed as a beach machine. I had about one hour of beach detecting experience up until yesterday. Now I have about 3. I played around with it on a beach in Oregon with a fair amount of black sand and see some decent performance( I think). What I am seeing on the beach is making me all itchy to go some where there is some bad dirt instead of sand. The Tarsacci is an interesting machine. The build quality of the rod is the best I have ever seen, top notch. I hope the rest of the machine lives up to that standard. I don't want to say much more as I just have so little time on the machine. And of course there is the human factor. I just paid a fair amount of coin for this detector so I must have liked it. Not being perfect I am likely wearing rose colored glasses now when it comes to my new toy. If some of you guys are like me where you have just reached that point in life where you have no interest or physically can not dig every target on God's green earth then this machine may be one to follow its journey through the gold and relic fields.

Jim Hemmingway, I was going to comment along the same lines as your post. I also have spent time in Mexico, in Baja and in the Yucatan. I have never had problems with the people. With the tourista's yes. But not the people. I guess it is easy to be fearful of Mexico if one only considers what one hears in the news, (or by watching Sicario), but as most of us know, travel almost anywhere is the best way to learn and grow.

I am frankly surprised that there has been no mention of the Tarsacci MDT 8000 on this prospecting forum. At least I saw none when I did a search of this forum. This detector intrigues me. Supposedly not a PI nor a VLF. Maybe ground breaking tech. Depth somewhere in between a GPX and a VLF but with almost full depth discrimination. It's mainly been marketed as a beach machine but the same features that make it excel on the beach may also be good for hot ground. I am sure it is not a panacea for whatever woes you have with your current machine. It seems you only have the choice of one coil, a 9x11. The tones sound different than what most people are used to. It's not as deep as a GPX or maybe not even a TDI? I don't know, not much info out there as this detector has only been available since mid-December. There are plenty of ways to pick this detector apart that I have not listed but let's look at the positive aspects of it. The Tarsacci may be the first detector that offers better depth than a VLF yet retains good discrimination both tonally and with a VDI number. The manufacturer does not tout it as being hot on small gold but there are a few anecdotal references on forums or youtube questioning whether it may be OK. I dont think it will equal a really hot VLF operating in a high KHZ range but I for one do not care. I get tired of scratching for fly-poop and would welcome a DISCRIMINATING detector that would give me greater depth in hot ground. I know that I am old enough if I dig ten deep nails I am about done for a while so the old proverb of "dig it all" doesn't work for me any more. One thing that really struck me is the ability to use the salt balance feature to totally eliminate certain(many?) hotrocks. I can think of more than a few scenarios where this detectors capabilities may produce some gold in the poke. So yes, I am surprised I see no discussion or even a mention of it as a candidate for a gold nugget machine. Tarsacci MDT 8000 Data & Reviews

White's 2019 metal detector catalog Download 2019 catalog here Prior year catalogs here

Well I was out today in a remote locating looking for nuggets with my 2300 and it sounded off on this rock. The area is noted for a lot silver. Not saying it is silver only my PI machine is pretty quiet unless it hits some kind of metal. It was lying on top the ground. It's dark gray to black. Maybe Hematite. Any one no for sure looking at a picture? Has some quarts in it also.

I have a Tejon with the concentric coil for about a year and it has brought new life to old grounds that I have hit with my AT Pro. Within a week I found a hefty gold ring from the 1930's with 7 sapphires and 4 diamonds mixed in with square and round tabs in a local park. The machine does take some getting used to and learning curve is a little more than the typical VDI machines when distinguishing the good from the bad. It will excel in trashy areas and can snipe out good targets with a clean signal amongst the trash once you know the unit. The silent search is nice and the user can look around and enjoy the day rather than keep looking at a display. Don't get me wrong, I do like my AT Pro and it serves me well but the Tesoro won me over.

Whoo-hoo, Mitchell’s coming to Oz! Better start a new thread ?

Maybe he has arthritis or sells all his 7000's or he wanted to play with the 5000...lots of possible reasons...even Adam's. fred

My prospecting buddy in San Diego and I decided to take a run down to Baja to see if this summer's hurricane event had moved any gold around. This particular Baja placer has been pretty popular over the past 20 years and we've pretty much hunted out all the easy stuff so we had high hopes for a new bonanza. We left on Monday crossing the border at Calexico. I was waved through after a cursory examination by the Mexican border officials. My friend was in a different lane and he was subjected to a much more thorough examination. I think it was end of shift and the border officials needed to make some quick money. Four of them pulling everything out of his truck. They ultimately came to his 7000 detector. He explained its use and then they asked what it was worth. He lied and told them $4000.00. They saw dollar signs because according to them he would need to pay an import duty on the equipment, $420.00 US dollars cash. I guess 100 bucks apiece is a good nights work. He refused and told them that he would just return to the US. After that the price came down to $240.00. He still refused and we used the turnaround lane back to the US side of the border. It's hard to argue their notion of justice. We spent the night at my house in sunny Yuma and decided to cross at Algodones the next morning. That crossing was going well as far as inspection, but then the immigration officer inquired as to our Mexican Visas. We've never needed a Visa in Baja unless crossing the states of Baja Norte to Baja Sur. So, we bought some much needed $35.00 cash only Visas and continued on our way. The summer hurricane wiped out most of the paved highway just outside of San Felipe. They were working on replacing the highway but in the meantime you're restricted to a rough one lane dirt road over about 40 miles. From my house to the Placer is abut 240 miles and we arrived in the early afternoon. The prime ground is another 3 miles by ATV. We spent the rest of the afternoon building some ramps and filling big holes to run the my Rokon and his Yamaha Big Wheel up the canyon. The hurricane had run water about 20 ft high through the canyon so all our improvements from last year were washed away. It was tough sledding all the way but I didn't get unhorsed this year. My friend took a nasty fall after his bike slid down a too smooth rock wall. He was hobbled and we ended up cutting our trip short. Nevertheless, I got one good day of detecting in. I found a stretch of bedrock that last year had a foot of overburden on it. It was now swept clean and I found these small nuggets in bedrock cracks. I intended to check some promising ground about a 2 mile hike away, but I just couldn't justify leaving gold to find gold. Maybe next trip. The weather was great and the gold available, just not enough time after our border mishap and my friend's banged up knee.

Thank you Tony... l love people posting relevant links. Forums are to inform, and in my opinion link bans are counter to that intent. The only requirement on these forums is that the links have to be at least remotely relevant to our subject at hand. So yes, happy days and a pat on the back. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge ??

Resistance is futile Rick RR

Klunker, I probably won't ask you to drive my RZR when I have my Tarsacci in it so we should be OK. LOL p.s. did you buy an Equinox? Signed, An early adopter......

Any success with this project? I almost went the V3i route some years back, but ended up with the Etrac, instead. The V3/i still intrigues me, but I'll probably wait until Whites comes out with the next version with faster hardware. Too bad the V3 user base is so small. If it were a popular computer or even Android phone, we'd probably have a variety of cracked and maybe even rewritten open source versions of the software floating around. As it is, it probably requires a very determined individual with the right skill set and a lot of free time to disassemble and reverse engineer the code. I like Steve's idea of Whites being forthcoming and opening up the detector and its software to hobbyists, but that is probably even less likely to happen, alas.

Thanks for this post I still have not hunted in the gold modes for gold nuggets and this is going to be a big help when I finally do. strick

You never know Beatty, that record slug may just have our name on it. Looking forward to when you can get away from your farm, so we can get back to hunting for it.

When you were experiencing the noise, did you try changing frequency? Did you try reducing sensitivity? Also make sure your coil cable plug is done up nice and tight. It can wiggle loose after a period of time, and many users may forget about it as it is concealed inside the shaft.

And the firsts keep coming, amigo: I’ve since dug my first silver half dollar (1957 Franklin) and first silver Roosevelt dime (1964).

Just to update,,,,come to find out the Gold Kruzer isn't really a micro jewelry detector. Small jewelry was ok, but micro jewelry was out. I know....unexpected but true. Texkenzie on Tom D' site did the testing for me and it fell flat. The EQ800 with the 6" concentric tested well, as did the ORX, but the Gold Kruzer couldn't compete. So I'm looking at Whites GM 24K, it seems to be very promising. Hopefully I'll be able to order one soon. HH Mike

Hahahahaaha, That reminded me of a time last year when I was going to Santa Monica Beach. I was driving into the parking area when a lady rudely cut me off. She knew she did, but she just couldnt help herself. Well she parked a big open parking lot and got out to do her stretches so i pulled up one space away...just to let her know there was a real person in the vehicle she just cut off. I could see here eyeing me as i calmly opened the side door of my Sequoia and took out my Minelab Detector case---- (You know i didnt realize until that day how similar that case looks to a gun case- !) I saw her eyes getting a little wider as I pulled out the detector and threw the case back in the car. Then i turned the detector on to let her hear it----- that must have been when she realized it was not a assault rifle.... As I was walking past her to go to the beach... I gave her my best Tennessee smile and a polite, "GOOD MORNING MA'AM -- She was not impressed by Jethro... And I may have seen a little puddle of water next to where she was standing ... Hahahaha--- California BABY!!!!!

Hi Condor… your highlighted words above should be permanently etched into every would-be prospector’s mind. Common sense says to take the bird in hand rather than risk losing it for the less distinct possibility of one or two birds later from out in the bush. I’ve met and worked with people in the field who think otherwise. They just cannot resist the temptation to abandon good potential prospects and jump from here to there without any rational justification for doing so. I had a fellow from Texas, with no experience in our northern silverfields, tell me straight-up that he felt he was just a notch better than the next guy, and off he went. I think it was a case of a big ego interfering with sensible decision-making. Good judgement is one of several key elements that distinguish a successful hunter from an incompetent fool with a metal detector in his hands. Thanks for sharing yet another captivating gold adventure from the border country. Congratulations on those handsome gold nuggets, lots of good character there. Jim.

Regarding the slur against Mexico, I live in Mexico half the year. In my personal experience it is no more violent than the U.S. It is regrettable that the further we are from a situation, the further we tend to be from understanding its reality.

In my past Adventures in Baja posts, I generally give a cautionary note about the uncertainty of Mexican rules, customs and laws. I have been traveling in Mexico for most of my life. I used to be proficient in the language now I can get through the basics with enough nouns and verbs to get by. Algodones is a small Mexican town just 12 miles from Yuma. The border crossing closes at midnight and opens again at 0600. It has become the Dental Mecca for tens of thousands of Americans. There are over 150 dentists practicing in Algodones. There are companies that organize bus trips from San Diego and Palm Springs for dental services. I have had 3 dental implants done down there and I couldn't be happier with the professionalism and price. Many non-narcotic prescriptions can be filled for about one quarter of the price in the US and transported back to the states without a tax or duty. Right now is Winter Visitor time in AZ, and about 3 thousand people a day cross the border for dental work and prescription drugs. Mexico is not as lawless and corrupt as some people might think. Nevertheless, there are those moments and for many people the risk is just not worth it. One of my high school teachers lives in San Quintin on the Pacific coast of Baja. I spoke to him recently and he is working on finding us a placer gold guide down there. Adventures continue.

nice gold.. too much trouble from the policia for me... fred

I can't speak for Steve but it sure sounds like he was doing what I call "clad stabbing"....Quick easy shallow coins. "IF" you chase the older coins in beat to death parks you'll find them DEEP. Ain't gonna get anything done with a probe or screwdriver without making a hell of a mess of the turf. I've been in these shovel debates before and agree "the perception of a shovel is bad...no doubt". The reality is I can cut a much better, faster and cleaner plug with the lesche shovel than I can with the handheld lesche….much less a screwdriver (great for shallow stuff)…… I've been confronted in parks before and once I demonstrate how I cut a plug and put it back, then ask if they can see any of my other holes, that usually quiets them right up...… But then again...there's idiots out there that'll ruin it no matter what they use? Shovels look bad agreed....but boy do they do a nice clean quick job on the deepies……...jmho

My honest opinion? a complete waste of money. Keep it simple. A few crevicing tools will accomplish whatever the little vac would, with less weight, and with pretty much no operational issues.

a snorkel seriously LOL its a weed pipe or crack pipe cool looking though and it looks ike 2 people having sex not a octopus

You are the MAN Tom!!! Great finds and great display. Thank you so much for sharing your results... as well as your techniques and settings throughout the year. This post definitely gives me something to shoot for (and never hope to attain ;)). Glad you are loving the Equinox!! Tim.

Installation completeThank you.

Most forums have rules against linking to other forums and so they will not allow their members to link here. Another reason why I started this forum. Forums should be about sharing information and prohibiting relevant links is censoring useful information. On this forum I want people to provide links anytime information elsewhere is mentioned, and no matter if that is another forum or not.

I think you should send this pic to Garrett Inc and ask them if the warranty is still good. Maybe they'll finally get the hint. (Helloooo, Garrett? It weighs a freakin' ton.)

The coil bumping problem was never as bad as advertised. Like Chris Ben said, irritating perhaps, but with careful coil control not much of an issue. Truthfully, the ATX will not benefit from fast hunting anyway - slow and careful is the way to go. I did have a go with a prototype of the new mono coil, and it did more or less eliminate the issue, but I have not acquired a production unit yet to confirm how it came out in the final version. More to the real question however. The ATX at $2120 is perhaps a step up from a GP3000 on small and porous gold, but not by much. Some would no doubt argue not at all. A new GPX 4500 can now be had for $2699 and with a small coil is every bit as good as an ATX for small gold and a far more versatile prospecting detector. However, if you can swing the extra dough, what I would really recommend is a SDC 2300 at $3750 new or less second hand. The three year warranty is transferable. A GPX or an ATX still might not get you the porous gold performance you seek. The SDC will do it as well as any PI can, and pushes even hot VLF machines for performance in that regard. Exceeds them actually in bad ground. Don't get me wrong, I am like Garrett ATX Fan #1 having used them since they have been out. It is one of the best salt water machines I have used and that combined with it's compact fold up design and ability to handle salt ground and some hot rocks that my GPZ 7000 struggles with make it a versatile machine worth my having as part of my permanent collection. However, were it not for the waterproof saltwater part I would have a GPX as my second machine instead of the ATX.