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Showing content with the highest reputation on 07/01/2019 in all areas

  1. Finally got the skunk of the Gold Monster! All small stuff but I've been in such a drought this year I'm happy to detect any gold at all at this point. The stuff on the right side of the pan is my oldest son's, he was using his Gold Bug II. He turned over a boulder and found 19 pieces under it.
    13 points
  2. The guy who makes the coils is in my opinion a decent person, he has never once asked me to remark or promote favourably on the coils. He has not once questioned or interrogated me on any of my comments here on the forum, and I’m pretty sure he has been well appraised of proceedings. In my opinion he is extremely honorable. He seems to be a passionate detectorist and has shown me some impressive gold during our conversations and I’d say he originally started making the coils as a hobby and local demand soon took over. I’d also say he’s reached out to the wider community to try to connect up with Minelab users around the globe, especially here in Australia in Minelabs home ground, because he feels he’s created something of merit and wants to expose what’s hes done to a wider community. I’m pretty sure Money is not his main motivator. So then you must ask yourself the question why I’ve been so voiciferous on the subject? There are a blend of issues going on here which has been well documented, some of which I do not need to go through again. However the main key issues were: The coils are electronically inferior to the standards set by Minelab when they established the design parameters of the coils for the GPZ, I’ve used those same testing techniques when I’ve tested the X coils and gave feedback accordingly. This is FACT and NOT agenda driven. Secondly there is the major issue I have with the circumvention of Minelabs IP. So as Steve has mentioned the coils are highly experimental, so buyer and user be aware, the subject is highly emotive because there are obviously some issues with a lack of clarity around the subject, largely in part due to the language barrier and what I feel is a lack of upfront information provided by others. Then there are my own personal standards around integrity and being honest and upfront, call it duty if you like but I can’t just stand by on this subject when I was instrumental in bringing about the confidence to market them in Australia in the first place in a misguided attempt to access the much needed IP permissions and accordingly the big need for electronic improvements. So are the coils any good? Absolutely, my first impressions have been quoted elsewhere around the net and I stand by them. I was pleasantly surprised they worked so well. So what does ‘GOOD’ actually mean? It means the ones I used did not cause any damage to my detector, that they generally worked OK and found nuggets and one coil in particular found gold on a flogged training patch which impressed me. In summary the standard wound coils in ground that is not too extreme will provide an advantage thanks to size differences. They will be also be slightly more sensitive because the housing is thinnner thereby bringing the Tx and Rx closer to the ground compared to the thickness of the Minelab coils but that will also exacerbate other issues like saturation etc. They will be easier to use thanks to weight savings which could also equate to better performance due to better coil control and longer detecting hours. You would be amazed how much of a boost a positive outlook will provide to a person going back to an old spot with something new. The Spiral wound coils do seem to provide a sharper signal response but I would only recommend them in quieter soils (non variable soils like in the Pilbara and Kimberly regions of WA or areas that Normal can be used), I’m not certain how many spirals are actually being used in Australia but in a lot of ground they will be problematic. The Spiral wound coils were the only ones that provided a like for like performance difference in my opinion during the testing I did, the others were just down to coil size and shape. Coil weight, size and shape are more than enough reasons to justify the X coils because they are seriously lacking with the GPZ, in a lot of ways Minelab have brought this problem onto themselves for not addressing this HUGE need in a way that is palatable for the faithful end user. The ball is now right in Minelab’s court about how they proceed going forward, I don’t have a crystal ball so have no idea how this is going to play out. It’s seems I’m in a “damned if I do” and “damned if I don’t” situation, I had to choose between getting vilified by people not wanting to hear the truth or getting vilified by my own conscience and end users when they found out I was in possession of the truth, right now going bush prospecting is extremely tantalising. JP
    9 points
  3. The detector industry has a long history with dishonest ads posing as "reviews". And I know it's still happening because I've been approached by companies to do the same thing in the past and declined. This is real, this happens, and it causes people to be suspicious, rightly so. Anything that bends when exposed to truth should probably break, IMO. Products that can stand on their own will rise above that fray, just like the GPZ did after the dust settled. I'm going to put that very issue to test when I receive my coils. I have a spiral 12" and a spiral 17" coming which I bought (and a 10" normal wound which I will address in a moment) and I will compare all to the Z14. Obviously direct comparisons are not possible due to size difference, but if for instance the 12" is outperforming the Z14 on depth for nuggets over 1 gram, well then that says something to me, same as if the 17" outperforms the Z14 on nuggets under 1 gram. Data can be measured, it's how its interpreted that often matters to us. Anyone is free to suggest to me things they would like to be tested - lookie loos, customers, manufacturer, competing product reps. Ultimately I will decide what I test though and how I conduct them. Disclosure: I was bemoaning my lack of cash to buy a normal wound coil to test against the spiral wounds on this forum. So, X Coils sent me a normal wound 10" also to compare to the spiral, with a clear statement that I was in no way required to say anything good or bad and I could do what I choose with the coil. I am not required to write anything for them to use on their social media (like a well known detector company wanted me to do, for instance). And for the record, I have been approached in the past by 9 companies who wanted to send me a free product to use (from detectors to magnets to UV flashlights), all of which I have declined because they did not want to agree to my caveats that I could do and say as I please with the product. In this case, I didn't even have to bring it up, X Coils just said flatout there were no expectations. So, there is that. Seeing as I've been one of the more critical voices asking questions, it says something to me they are willing to let their product stand on its own, so I will see if it does. I have no relation to any manufacturer or dealer and I do not sell anything myself, the only thing I do is detect for gold and make videos and I do 99% of that alone. I believe this sort of disclosure should be sentence #1 in every review. Steve requires dealers to provide their real name in their signatures here, presumably so we can know who is a dealer and judge wether their posts may have economic interest or double as ads. It's not unreasonable for reviewers or testers to also disclose product relationships when they are using social media to promote their review (forums are social media BTW). If any reviewer/tester is offended by that, then I would politely suggest they reconsider doing public reviews and tests. If you post something public on the internet you open yourself to criticism and yes - trolls. I wake up to 2 insults on my phone, I see 2 more by lunch, and I go to sleep with 2 new ones. Every day. Just for sharing my personal nugget digs. It's the reality of the internet, I just ignore it. It's certainly not a reason to decline to hold reviewers to a minimum set of standards that all product reviewers in any product sector in the world should be held to.
    9 points
  4. By now most of the posters in this thread are known by their unique posting "voice." It's their personal method of writing that we all (mostly), understand where it's coming from. Some are - for lack of a better term - more 'direct' than others. That doesn't delegitimize what they are trying to get across. I like that it's not a democracy, this is why I am here; we are required to stick to clearly set-out ways of talking to each other. By posting we are tacitly accepting those guidelines.
    5 points
  5. Who cares, if some think we are in X coils pocket as long as our pockets have weight. Really there is no debate, reviews are peoples opinion, some negative some positive. But if a private individual makes a review, respect it, accept it as their opinion with no agenda just the way they see it, it is not a debate, there is no need to attack the private individual for giving his honest appraisal. Firstly that is not what DP is about, I`ve been here long enough to respect that, this is the one forum that frowns on disrespect, that principle puts it way above most others.
    4 points
  6. Since the Equinox first came out and the Facebook groups started up covering it, there have been several examples of settings that are posted and stated as absolutes. One that warrants some discussion is GROUND BALANCE. The common response to the question “Should I Ground Balance my Equinox?” is “No, leave it at preset as there is no need to ground balance it since it is running Multi Frequency.” Before we accept that statement as gospel, let’s step back and ask a basic question which is if there was no need to use the function, why would Minelab had included it in the first place? The answer is they would not have and it is there for a reason which is to address the adverse effect caused by mineralized ground. The more mineralized the ground is at your selected search site the more the performance will be impacted. Remember, the factory preset for this is “0” yet it offers an adjustment range from “-9” to “99” So, do you know how mineralized the ground is in your area or the sites you frequent? Do you know that mineralization levels can change dramatically in a short distance? A good example is an older house where the front yard can be mild in terms of mineralization while the backyard can be severe due to coal cinders and other stuff in the ground. On a site such as this, settings that would be ideal for the front of the house might be mediocre at best in the backyard and ground balance may be the setting that corrects that issue. In the area around where I live in Michigan, the Ground Balance registers between 55 and 75 on the Equinox. I do extensive testing on actual targets before recovering them (great use for poker chips) so I can see if making a change or changes will improve performance and I have found that performing a Ground Balance at my sites makes a noticeable difference over leaving it at preset. In fact, several times I have found that a deeper target either is not detected or mis-identified with the GB at preset compared to setting it correctly. It also runs quieter which helps pick out those marginal signals. So, I could make the absolute statement that “Ground Balancing is always required” but is that really an accurate statement for any location worldwide? This past weekend my wife and I attended a hunt (rally) in central Pennsylvania and we stopped at an old school (circa 1924) on the way to the hunt site. I Ground Balanced the Equinox 800 and the site registered between 14 and 18 . . . much different than my home sites. I searched for a few minutes and got a good, deep signal. I reset the GB to “0” and checked the target . . .it was still discernible. So, in this case, adjusting the GB off of the preset did not buy me anything. The hunt site was a bit different and in some areas, the ground registered 50 or higher. In those cases, coins on edge were not as clear with the GB at preset (0) as compared to setting the unit for the ground conditions. I used the Equinox on my last trip to England and rarely saw GB values above 20 in any of the fields we visited. The takeaway from this is that there is no “one rule fits all conditions” as site conditions can and do change which will cause you to reassess your settings and make the adjustments needed to compensate for those changes. If you want to get an accurate answer to the question “Should I Ground Balance my Equinox?”, do the following . . . . 1) Do an Auto Ground Balance at your site to see what the ground mineralization is. 2) Find and mark a deep target. 3) Sweep over it with the GB set at “0” (preset) and then again with it at the value you found when you GB’ed the Equinox. If you get a cleaner, stronger signal with the GB set off preset, you have your answer for that location. If not, leave it at preset and reap the rewards. But avoid saying it always should be left at Preset based on an Internet forum or Facebook post as the person that made the post might be searching sites totally different than what you are. Dial the detector in to YOUR sites and YOUR targets . . . you will always do better than simply taking advice that might be fine in one area and not another and usually that other area will be yours. Hope this helps . . . . . remember, the answer to virtually any question that pertains to setting a metal detector is almost always "IT DEPENDS" as conditions vary so greatly!
    3 points
  7. Ya can't fool me. That's a picture of a big wash tub with about three ounces in it. So fess up and tell us where you found it.
    3 points
  8. A heart felt hello to Steve and all the members who make up this site & forums. I have a great respect and appreciation for the outstanding class I have seen demonstrated and found here. Detector Prospector sets the standard in my book. Top notch class without a doubt. I have been lurking here since just before the time all the equinox rumors and hype got started. I still am and was a noob at that time with the first detector i ever owned, gold bug pro. As I was trying to figure out detector prospecting with my new gadget something just seemed off with the gold bug pro. So i checked into a service claim only to find out i was in possession of a counterfeit unit. No service or help needless to say. Thank goodness i had buyer protection and was able to get my money back, because the seller was not cooperating with me.Learn from my misfortune and only buy from authorized dealers instead of looking for a "steal of a deal." By that time the nox was in the hands of you guys and i was excited learning from you all that this was the machine that could both fit my budget and needs. So purchased the 800 i did. I was only able to start to scratch the surface of the capabilities of this machine during my first season with the 800 last year. I seriously want to develop my nugget hunting skills this season. I detect in very hot ground lots of magnetite & hematite , nothing like grabbing the bull by the horns to get acquainted. Therefore as part of my first post /question to you all, is i would like to know if there are restrictions on printing from the forums here? I looked around best i could to try and figure this out but am unable to find this answer. When i try to print something I can only get the first page and all the rest are blank? I detect in a remote / no signal or web area. It would really be helpful if i could print out the very helpful settings/ tips / techniques found here and then be able to apply them in the field under real life conditions to help with the learning curve. In closing I would like to add that i really enjoy this activity and wish i had started detecting long ago. On one of my local park training sessions I unexpectedly spent 3-4 hours entertaining grandmothers, mothers & fathers & children instead of seriously training. Had a 5 & 8 yr olds pestering me using pin pointer to help recover targets and were very happy to keep the coins found. Me sweating bullets while they were all jumping around the detector worrying they would crunch it. Not to mention in the blink of an eye picking up my digging knife. I stayed cool enjoyed them and also the 10 & 12 yr olds that followed next and numerous question from all. I am sure you know what they asked. what did you find? what are you looking for? what are you doing? on & on. I was a bit disappointed that i was unable to get in the training i wanted as i drove home and then it dawned on me. It was more than just about me. Doing this activity i enjoy also allowed me to do my civic duty to others. I felt proud to know that I was able to both provide and share a good time with numerous strangers. Something so missing in our divided and hate filled society of today. Perhaps if more people became detectors the world would be a better place. Respect to all James.
    3 points
  9. Opinions in a democracy should be fostered. Silencing an opinion about how and why a product works with voting is a misuse of democracy. No one has demonstrated a misrepresentation but instead has focused on different standards of performance. I'm sure we are all soon going to be tired of the subject and will move on to the next Minelab innovation, leaving this topic behind. I vote we don't take a vote! haha
    3 points
  10. Wasn't found with a metal detector, very nice quartz and gold specimen found in a placer mine in the Huachuca mountains of Arizona.
    2 points
  11. 19-20 on the ole Nox stamped 14k
    2 points
  12. As most private individuals who have X coils have said on this forum, the X coils we have are not knock sensitive, handle the ground conditions we use them under and are very good gold producers, as well as/ or better then MLs coils. Their sizes are what we sought, the 15X I have being the only one close to MLs 14" is a slight bit heavier but it is a fair bit larger, refer to photo on my 15 & 12 thread. The only con I`ve found so far is it sucks having to make a patch lead. It is obvious to me from their performance the fellow making them knows what he`s on about no doubt, and for a "backyard" operation to show up ML in the coil department says it all. I am sorry Steve if standing my ground on this causes you some grief but it is time.
    2 points
  13. Check this link out from Steve.
    2 points
  14. When posts are pushing the discussion forward and don't get personal, nasty or pissy, they work for me. This topic has attracted a wide band of experience and a whole bunch of opinions - which means it's potentially volatile. I pay attention to this forum to learn a lot and contribute a little. The wording in posts is everything. I would hate to lose the educational value that comes along with tough subjects like this just because someone decides to get personal. These days we have Facebook and Twitter for that stuff.
    2 points
  15. Since several people all seem determined to ignore several other people or variously have problems with what others are posting then read this... How To Ignore Users On The Forum
    2 points
  16. Going back in the 80s, I`d just spent a few very successful days in deep (for that era) ground with a Dtek 14" Concentric on an A2B, anyway that night decided to attend the van parks nightly sit around the camp fire and share my opinion of this coil. Announced that I`d had good success with the newly purchased Dtek coil, was asked by one patronising individual to show or no believe, I just answered I don`t show. Said individual then started talking of his experiences and generally shouted me down. No skin off my nose as the weight in the pocket was real, but first and last time I bothered with such gatherings. It is for this reason I asked Steve a few weeks back to consider including coil reviews whether positive or negative in the Detector review database, to just simply allow people to judge quietly and as said before we are all over 12 thus can make our own minds up. I`ve given my opinions on the X coils as a private individual, each one I have once, Steve has removed the nuisance posts from my thread as I requested, because that is what DP is about, I`m happy with that, and will keep on reviewing on DP. Whoops Jasong has replied, but I`ll send, keen as to see Jasongs review.
    2 points
  17. We do have 'evidence' that some detectorists are finding gold on patches that had stopped producing. That 'evidence' is compelling us to purchase no matter if the coil is 'proper' or 'improper' in its performance based upon all previous coils. Surely some of this found gold was 'missed' gold because it was not swung over before but we also have to believe that some of the nuggets are now visible to these new coils and new settings just because it is different. One just has to think of the doctor who told other doctors about the cure for stomach ulcers for many years before it was generally adopted that the cause was bacterial. Now the treatments are largely antibiotics rather than antacids! I also think of the Fosbury Flop when high jumping. It changed high jumping forever in a way similar to what PI machines did for nugget hunting. Z technology has taken nugget detecting down a different path also. The fact that a new detector or a new coil makes nuggets visible in the 'right way' or the 'wrong way' is really a secondary concern to a purist like Norvic and perhaps Dolan Dave. We just want more nuggets and meteorites and if we can get them from the wrong coil at the right time then we're a buyer. Mitchel
    2 points
  18. Everyone has an agenda, the agenda can be as simple as sharing your gold finds or more sinister, that is the way of human nature and why most of us have a highly developed BS meter! Human nature also does not like to hear the negative aspects of things especially if it puts a dampening on something you’ve hung your pride on like a new car, new boat, job, favourite metal detector or even God forbid a new coil (lets not even mention Politics here!!). Now to keep on topic with this thread I was in contact with the manufacturer a few days ago and asked him a few questions about which coils are proving most popular for his orders here in Australia and his reply to me was interesting. Firstly by far and away the MOST supplied coils are the traditional wound DOD coils and not the Spiral wound ones and secondly most of the larger coils have been fitted with the mod to help prevent the ferrite noise which is a really good thing, thankfully he listened to my feedback on that issue (and obviously the importer took full advantage of that feedback as well!). Tradional wound coils are a LOT lighter than the Spiral wound coils so the impost of the Mod is not too detrimental. What was most interesting was his comment about the performance feedback coming in from early adopters using these coils, he and I were very surprised by the performance comments because the traditional wound coils are not really any better performance wise than the Minelab coils except for size and shape, so he, and I agree, have put the improvements down to the size options difference. In all my testing the standard type wound coils didn’t seem much different other than the obvious electronic differences in favour of the ML coils (Saturation and touch sensitivity in General/Difficult differences and also not quite balancing out the Ferrite), there is however a very large and obvious difference in the weight which is a God send to users. I still stand by all the comments I’ve made on this subject as inflamed as it got at times and hope that users can appreciate the negatives without any of use getting our prides too bent out of shape. ? JP
    2 points
  19. Yeh, that was why I started that "I don`t understand what Minelab is doing" thread. Minelab has never been big on giving out information, but with this coil thing it seems like Minelab is making a point by not saying anything. I still do not understand ☹️
    1 point
  20. I don't prospect, but use gold mode frequently for reasons other than gold prospecting. That being said, if you are not going to go relic hunting and if the park sites you plan to detect in are not super trashy (requiring the faster recovery speed settings available on the 800) you will do OK with the 600. You may only regret the purchase down the road if you plan to expand your detecting hobby interests but by then you will likely have other choices, in the mean time you will have put in a modest investment which is wise if it turns out that detecting in not your thing. Good luck.
    1 point
  21. While the standard of Minelab coils have been quite good up till the GPZ19", it has been the exception. Remember that when the GPZ first came on the market with its 14" coil we were promised a larger, lighter coil, and what we eventually got was over rated, over priced and definitely over weight. I can't imagine that Minelab will sell too many of those 'woofers' now, and for that they only have themselves to blame.
    1 point
  22. Thank you JP. I agree with this the most: Coil weight, size and shape are more than enough reasons to justify the X coils because they are seriously lacking with the GPZ, in a lot of ways Minelab have brought this problem onto themselves for not addressing this HUGE need in a way that is palatable for the faithful end user. The ball is now right in Minelab’s court about how they proceed going forward I know for a fact that Minelab knows about this forum and this thread among others. I sent the sales department an email about this discussion as a loyal Minelab owner. I want them to know and respond. That was two weeks ago and there has only been more conjecture but no response from anyone at Minelab. Mitchel
    1 point
  23. Chase, Got it. Thanks for the clarification. ? Soldier on ......
    1 point
  24. Minelab GPX 4500 mentions on forum
    1 point
  25. I love it. It was a huge leap for me to buy an equinox, sand scoop, and a used wetsuit. This is like lifestyles of the rich and famous for me! (I decided that was nicer than comparing it to real housewives of Beverly Hills ?)
    1 point
  26. Oh, Steve, Solomon would be proud of you! Personally, I love the drama...much better than Days of our Lives. And I learn stuff fred
    1 point
  27. Write this down on the wall this is the year of movers and shakers. The only problem I see with all these new low cost detectors and what they offer is everybody plus their sister will have one . I’ve always told anyone wanting a detector is buy the best they could afford. What I did pay back when I can get the same detector for half price now . I know we’ve always had low cost detectors but nothing like we going to have in the year 2019 offering so much. Chuck
    1 point
  28. Absolutely!!! Interest rates are down - that's wonderful says 1 political party. Interest rates are down - that's terrible says the other political party. Same data - different interpretation. Absolutely again. It is refreshing to hear ?
    1 point
  29. I had someone tell me a story about finding nuggets in a trench that was cut across the road from the school in Dolan Springs. I also heard Kevin Hoagland talk about a nugget he found that is much larger than the nugget in the video.
    1 point
  30. Here's an article I found searching out of curiosity, this was a 70 ouncer taken from "Dolan Springs". But looking at the gold and the fact Dolan doesn't really have many nuggets, it was almost certainly found in Lost Basin, AZ. https://www.antiquetrader.com/featured/natural-gold-nugget-weighs-in-at-70-ounces-could-top-300k/ So, I think the coin dealer is probably spinning a bit of a tale to get a little more for his nugget.
    1 point
  31. Interesting, never seen that before, thanks for the link. The description lists the discovery location as the Huachuca's, but then owner says it was found outside of Oatman at a placer mine. There aren't many placer mines around Oatman that had screener plants on them. Personally, judging from the matte finish of the gold and semi-brecciated character of the quartz I think it didn't come from either of those areas. I'm really surprised though, I figured the 2nd largest nugget in state history would have been much larger. I've had old timers tell me about 10 to 20 ouncers they found in Lost Basin and Q in the 70's and 80's. I don't know much about Rich Hill but I gotta think there's been some close to that found out there, I figured even larger up until now.
    1 point
  32. Welp.....if they make it "too good" they'll undercut the sales of their higher tier(margin) products. So it's time to thread the needle and be competitive against similarly priced products without cutting their own throats. Meanwhile back at the ranch they need to keep looking over their shoulders at what Minelab is going to release from the chute. This Fall looks to be interesting!
    1 point
  33. Please forgive my ignorance, What is TX shift and TB? I figured B2 (Beach mode 2). I'm half lost without the abbreviations!
    1 point
  34. Its a concrete rake, and yes it is good for that. Thats why I encluded it inmy tools for detecting.
    1 point
  35. Dealers and manufactures are entitled to their opinions also! I would dare say that some of the best individual detectorists that I know here on this forum and in 'practice' are dealers. They have a 'line' of detectors that they prefer but with or without that line they know more about the detecting business and finding stuff than I'll ever know. They are the influencers in our industry. Let's not kill the messenger or ignore their affiliations. We do not live in a utopia yet. People have to make a living. We are lucky enough to have a choice of detectors from manufacturers still in business. Many of us are not satisfied with any or all of the choices. Maybe we should go back to those hobby days where we build our own from kits. We put in what we want. I've had a chance to buy equipment over the years from several dealers and receive paid and unpaid training from several others. I don't find the word 'dealer' to be a bad word as much as a descriptive word. There are successful dealers (good at detecting and business) and the others who didn't remain in the business. When someone is no longer a dealer are they returned to purity of opinion? No. The owner of this forum has 'suffered' from his enjoyment of the Equinox. His opinion was viewed with much skepticism. He found a detector he enjoyed and went 'all in' for a period of time. He has said he won't do it again. We are an impossible lot to please. So maybe we should just adopt the Abraham Lincoln line: “We’re just about as happy as we make up our minds to be,” https://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/10/20/happy-minds/
    1 point
  36. Dave's Salt Water Report Card was an accurate and well written account. I bookmarked this as kind of a "problem set" for future projects in the NOX. Never liked the "bitty" quality that the audio takes on in fast or deep salt or where there are inclines. The overprocessed signal removes you from the feedback that needs to be responded to by way of coil speed and tuning. I guess this is why there is the low TX shift--so new hunters would not be at a total loss. There's also the problem of ground noises jumping up. Best thing I've found is to run B2 in 2 Tone with a massive manual undertune (-9!). This gives more of a solid barrier--and cleaner assignment of targets. It can also be run in All Metal this way to make good responses stand out. You also have TB to clean up the signal if needed. Not my first choice as a deep salt water machine but it works and is accurate. cjc
    1 point
  37. Thanks Noah. I was surprised by how it can disc out bottle caps (with the foil on them) and still ring loud and clear on a gold ring. Can’t wait to do some beach time with it.
    1 point
  38. thank you gb. i reside in maine. usa. and yes there where moments the children did test my patience and had me worried they would damage the equipment or get hurt accidentally on the sharp tool .... but i told myself they are children and as you mentioned we all have those childhood memories of those interactions that were special to us as children. i am like you probably in the middle but that day it just seemed like the right thing to do. as a mantique i feel the desire to give back when ever i can to whom ever i can. reflecting back on that day i dont think i would of felt the same pride i had driving home knowing i did a good civic thing that day if all i did was a training session, so thanks again for the recognition about that. i am no tech geek and weak in the wiga jiga department so i will see if i can get to work on completing my profile info if i can figure out where to do that. regards.
    1 point
  39. Speaking of the Le Trap, I am in the Chicken Gold Camp & the camp next store Gold Panner has 3 or 4 of them for sale in their store. Detecting up at Jack Wade & moving camp to the Walker Fork Camp Ground anybody around ? Only get internet while at the Chicken Camp or while in Tok once every 10 or so days so come look me up lets Detect. Happy Hunting !!!!!
    1 point
  40. Thanks for those photo's Dain.
    1 point
  41. There is a glimmer of hope. A fellow who not so long ago advertised mods on Tesoros has relocated and although he isn’t set up yet he expects to be able to offer mods and perhaps repairs in the not too distant future, I believe he has schematics for at least some of the machines. He isn’t ready to go public yet, but at least it is a glimmer of hope. I have been in contact with him but he has asked for no further disclosure till he is in a position to do something useful.
    1 point
  42. Thank you Barry, i appreciate your comments and insights. I do support Land Matters and also subscribe to Mine Cache that does a Google Earth overlay but is not detailed enough to show the exact boundaries of individual claims. For $30 a year it is OK as a starting point. I would pay more for a detailed subscription. I ultimately put the burden back on the government for not making this data user friendly. The government should be able to have an automated real-time mapping system. We live in a world of big data, analytics and graphics. Claim holders should get something for their money other than having to support big government salaries, benefits and pensions. Would the government support a grant to Land Matters to do this? Perhaps as a for-profit subsidiary? My venture capital backed companies get NSF and SBIR grants all the time. In short I greatly appreciate your detailed response. Randy
    1 point
  43. Randy I am more than capable of making such a map. It's what I do for a living. I do the research and make the maps that other professionals use to plan their mineral exploration. Each of those maps is a snapshot in time as you pointed out. The currency of the information on mining claims and land status needs to be considered. At best a lag of at least 110 days behind the actual status of the area being mapped is a given. My disclaimers about the currency of information presented to my clients is extensive and specific to the data being offered. Clearly if I were to do that work for free for public distribution the area would be quickly claimed up, possibly by one of the members on this forum. ? Then there would be no place for you discover and prospect. Sort of counterproductive to your wish wouldn't you say? A middle ground would be to provide more generalized but as timely as possible information for prospectors to do their own research. That's been offered for several years at the Land Matters nonprofit website. There are mining claim maps located to the nearest section with direct links to individual claim's Serial Register Pages as well as links to the County Recorders, Master Title Plat downloads and instructional tutorials and videos. Essentially Land Matters provides you with the tools and instructions to do the bulk of your prospecting research work yourself from the comfort of your home. The answers are in there but they do require work on the part of the prospector to answer their specific questions about a specific area. Silver platter enough? ? As for your "simple" map on Google Earth, GE has a valid use for getting a generalized view of the physical terrain. The 3D function is far from accurate or representative but it allows a view that no other free public mapping system provides. I'm going to share with you Google's take on the value of that form of mapping as far as locational accuracy and use: Google Earth, Land Matters, the LR2000 and the County Recorder each have a role to play for prospector's research. Each has their own degree of reliability and accuracy. Knowing those factors I would have to say no "expert" will ever be able to give you an answer to your question that might not change before you arrive on site. Ultimately it's up to each individual prospector to determine the status of lands before putting boots on the ground. Due diligence is the legal standard required of prospectors entering the public lands. Relying on a map someone offered publicly does not absolve you of your legal duty to perform that due diligence. I might share an open location privately much as someone might offer to share a patch. In neither case will you be guaranteed of success. If you don't get any gold on the shared patch you might go home disappointed. If you trespass on a shared potential prospecting location without doing your own due diligence you could arrive home much later and with a new legal problem. Do the research to find open ground, put boots on the ground and check for existing locations then prospect with confidence. It's been done that way for as long as there has been mining. Modern tools often make that process easier but you still need to complete the process before you can legally prospect, even if someone has given or sold you a map. Barry
    1 point
  44. Thats tough getting written permission these days. I know of a few big mining corporations that have no problem with casual use detecting on their land. Also a big timber co that I talked to, but for liability reasons they shy away from anything in writing in case someone is injured.
    1 point
  45. I would not take a camera that does not belong to me. It might belong to a hunter or is there for some other reason, maybe monitoring cattle by those who graze there.
    1 point
  46. This is why I end up giving up on prospecting. I come back to it every 10 years or so and try all over again to figure out the claim maps, all the regulations and laws concerning recreational mining, etc. When I do think maybe I have a spot figured out and go up in the hills I worry the whole time that I got something wrong or I'm not where I think I am. I don't go up in the mountains so I can worry and stress so I end up chucking all the stuff back in the closet and take up some other hobby. If the goal is to kill recreational mining as a hobby everyone involved has done a great job. Obviously I've reached the point of frustration again. That's the main reason I'm focusing on jewelry, at least I can figure out the rules in that pursuit. I also have a couple possible nugget spots picked out. As far as I can tell it's BLM and has no placer claims. I'll probably go up eventually, and I'll worry the whole time I missed something and am pissing off someone.
    0 points
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