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Showing content with the highest reputation on 08/09/2019 in all areas

  1. Easy answer. Look at machines like a Gold Bug Pro or Fisher F19 and tell me what you think it actually costs to manufacture one. Might not be the Simplex is priced low but that we have been charged a lot for too long and think that’s the way it should be. It costs no more to make a $499 F19 than it does a $219 F22. You are paying for features, not manufacturing costs. They were actually charging $799 for the F19 not too long ago. First Texas in particular was playing that game of selling the same detectors that you can buy as a Bounty Hunter or a Fisher but changing the rod or maybe just the decal and charging you extra by calling it a Teknetics detector. Literally charging for the brand name. Looks like Teknetics is now morphing into their factory direct discount brand. We have been supporting really, really nice profit margins that are now getting competition. Finally. Thanks Nokta/Makro!
    6 points
  2. Over the last Month I have been doing quite a lot of detecting on my local beaches . I found not as much coinage as I used to as cashless society has well and truly kicked in . But the Gold and Silver less society is way off. My total for the last Month other than a few Euro's and other coins was £384.76p , 1 Platinum ring which I found for someone and returned to him . The picture of a ring on its own is the Platinum . 3 Gold rings 15 Silver rings 2 Tungsten rings 1 other that looks like a Tungsten but doesn't say so and a Gold looking Stainless Still ring and a junk ring . I searched for 13 times for around 5 hours . The last picture is of the finds I had today.3 August. That search was during Pride. It shows how the cashless society has ruined coin hunting . There were a lot of people about but in the gaps where people had been it was quiet mostly apart from lots of rubbish. I had £13.57p and 2 Silver rings and a 9.3g 9k Gold Signet ring . The 2 notes , the £10 note I found on the way back to the Bus stop and the £20 was from a man that paid me that for trying to find his Gold Wedding ring that I failed to find that day and still haven't found. But will try again when the beaches open up . Machines used were the "ET" E.Trac or the "EQ" or Nox.
    2 points
  3. Fred and MN: Discrimination is not a feature I have much use for. Because I work on "new" ground I rarely encounter junk at depth. It's too easy to get locked into relying on discrimination. I've lost count of the number of times Jimmy, Reg or myself have dug good gold under an old bolt or such on previously detected ground. Moral of the story, don't rely heavily on discriminators when prospecting. All I can say in relation to the CC coils is that the iron reject function works, as to whether or not it is as good or better than a DD then you'll have to ask someone who cares!
    2 points
  4. It's not just brand loyalty that Garrett has going for it, but advertising. In the US, anyway, nobody does that as well as Garrett. But, yes, the question is: "is it enough?"
    2 points
  5. Fred; These coils discriminate the same as DD's on the GPX's
    2 points
  6. I've used my Tejon on dry sand with great results, but it's useless over wet salt sand. My Mojave does a lot better on wet salt sand with the 7" stock coil and the High Mineralization setting. It does start to chatter if you put a larger coil on it, though. But the 7" is really stable and has found me some nice targets. The Simplex does sound like a promising option, but we'll have to wait and see if it continues Nokta/Makro's track record of producing good machines. Despite Tesoro closing up shop, I admit I'm still really tempted to pick up a Sand Shark for water hunting. It may not be the most rational choice but... Tesoros are like potato chips: it's hard to stop at just one! -Ken
    2 points
  7. I consider myself to be extremely fortunate due to the fact that the entire age of modern metal detecting has taken place over the course of my lifetime. I was too young in the 60's to be one of the many famous names that were there first on the ground with these new toys that go beep. That's good though for me as most of them are gone now and I'm still here. I got my first detector at the true dawn of the modern detecting age when I got my White's Coinmaster 4 in 1972. It was one of the first of the new "TR" machines that were the starting point for what most of us use today. Mine was as basic as a detector gets, no ground balance existed yet or discrimination. Just a couple inches depth and a beep, dig it up. So I have been involved in detecting now for 47 years. I started my business while in high school in 1976, and have been involved in metal detecting pretty much daily ever since. Anyone who followed my online presence starting in 1998 may see a pattern. I have been involved in some top end machines, some VLF, but basically almost every ground balancing PI made has been in my hands at some point. I had a vision in my mind based on my background in computers that told me what was possible and where we were headed. I was particularly incensed when an upstart company from Australia showed up the industry leaders at the time with the world's most powerful gold detecting PI machines. All the more so when I heard White's had a shot at it and passed. I made it my mission to jump on and foster anything that came along that might compete, and so I was involved with the Garrett Infinium, the first U.S. ground balancing PI. I had a lot to do with White's finally producing the TDI. Yet the fact is nobody ever seriously took Minelab on, and finally they won me over because they delivered when the rest just milked us. Minelab has been the sole company at the forefront of this technology since the SD2000 was introduced. All this time I have wanted two things. A vision in my mind of what a VLF could be. And a similar vision regarding a PI. Both those visions basically revolved around something a normal person could use both as regards ergonomics and price, two areas we kept getting bent over on for 20 years. Long story short I am grateful to Minelab for allowing me to be involved in the machine that delivered on my first vision. The Minelab Equinox is the first machine ever that really can do any VLF metal detecting task and do it well. In any one area it may not be "the best" but no one machine delivers across the board like the Equinox. My VLF quest is over. I will use an Equinox as my primary unit until a detector comes along, probably a Minelab, that does what it does but better. No more VLF buy and try for me. Yay! In 2017 I laid out my vision for the PI I wanted. The price was kind of a set the bar high (with a low price) thing so there is a little wiggle room there. But not a lot... the machine price should be something most people can stomach. As far as I am concerned the GPX 4500 sets the standard at $2699 both for performance and price. The TDI wins on ergonomics but loses too much in performance for me. All I really wanted was a GPX performance in an ergonomic package, and we all know it can be done. That is what is so frustrating. It's one thing to introduce new tech but all I want is proven tech packaged right. Garrett has really been a disappointment not putting the ATX in a light box. They can do it but so far have refused. I would have been satisfied with that. Right now I am calling the Australian made QED as being the default winner of my challenge. The rough edges have been smoothed out, and it's got the ergonomics, coil selection, and price all right. I am not going to argue with anyone over performance. Based on what I know it's good enough for me to go find gold and easily beats the TDI and is competitive with GPX. Good enough for me and good job boys. The only niggle is no FCC approval for U.S. sales, no U.S. dealers or service. But by end of 2020 if there is nothing better I will have one anyway. But we have the Fisher Impulse AQ on the verge and a dry land prospecting version promised. I would be crazy not to wait and see what develops there. I sold my GPZ for many reasons, mostly because I was not going to be detecting much this year, but I resolved when I sold it I would wait until my vision appeared. I knew it was close. I decided I can have fun enough with Equinox until that happens. Put as simply as possible I want a reasonably powerful PI packaged like a good VLF that most of us can afford. Something that can get in and out of a small backpack with an hour of labor being involved. So I am tossing down the gauntlet. I have my magic VLF and am looking for a mate for it. Right now QED and Impulse are in the running. And it's up to Minelab, Nokta/Makro, and sure, let's toss Garrett and White's in there also. It's time to deliver as by the end of 2020 I am getting one. I prefer in the spring but if something is one the radar I may wait. By 2021 I will be using something that finally fulfills what this high school kid from Alaska has known would happen someday. And I got to be there and see it all from start to finish. As I said... a very fortunate soul! Interfacion QED PL2 Fisher Impulse AQ
    1 point
  8. 17 x 12 Spiral, pings tiny .1 gram bits no worries. Pain in the butt digging them but sometimes they lead to bigger and better chunks as was the case for me today. 76 grams at 18 inches, any detector would have heard it, same with the 6 gram bit. 14 gram bit was a different story, 20 inches down and very quite but definitely a dig me signal. With the X running so quiet it was no worries. A bloody pleasure to use, a complete contrast to my stock 14” which is so touch and knock sensitive, it’s had a hard life so maybe just worn out but it never ran as quite as the X.
    1 point
  9. I hunt almost every day year round for 2 to 3 hours when the weather isn't below 25F or above 100F. It's good exercise, my dog gets to go too, and I get to detect!!!! I change up the pattern sometimes but 90% of the time I am hunting for coins and jewelry with my Equinox 600 with 11" coil or my Fisher F19 with Detech Ultimate 13" coil. Usually my Nox is in Park 1 or Park 2 discriminating -9 to +4 and my F19 is in disc mode, iron volume 11, tone break at 55, discrimination 35. Today, like most days I was concentrating on the pull tab, ring tab/beaver tail, zinc penny range looking for gold jewelry. That's roughly +6 to +23 on the Nox and 50 to 80 on the F19. If I am feeling pretty good I will dig anything in that range. I live in suburban Denver so no shovels, only screwdriver coin popping. It is really hot and dry here at the moment too, so I was only willing to dig shallow surface to 4" targets today so I wouldn't destroy the turf in the park I was going to. I was planning to dig lots of pull tabs, ring tabs, beaver tails and zinc pennies. If I dug a nickel, copper penny, dime or quarter in the mean time: Great! That definitely happened. I skipped over a few pull tabs/ring tabs and dug 41. Dug 11 pennies. So roughly 50 possible gold targets in 1 hour and 30 minutes. Amazingly enough before I recovered the 8 gram 14K gold ring ($240 melt value ?) the first thing in the hole was a beaver tail. It was actually on my screw driver - perfect bull's eye. I was NOT thinking "#$%%^^ another tab! I did what I usually do and rechecked the hole with my handheld pinpointer. The original target ID on my F19 with the Ultimate coil (thank you phrunt for constantly recommending it!) was a really steady 70 to 72 at 2 inches, so I was a little surprised with the beaver tail ring tab. Usually the numbers jump a little more just because of all the varying surfaces on the target when the beaver tail is still attached to the pull ring. So, I wasn't surprised that there was a second target (I was thinking maybe a zinc penny) but I was really happy that my remembering and practicing three important things payed off with a great ring. I don't find gold rings every time I hunt. I do find rings (junk and bling) at least 3 times a week along with earrings, chains, pendants etc. Some are gold or silver, most are bling. I would say that the ratio I experience between trash and jewelry is about 50 to 1. This hunt was right in line with that ratio. DIG PULL TABS/BEAVER TAILS DIG ZINC PENNIES RECHECK THE HOLE FOR OTHER TARGETS Jeff
    1 point
  10. Published on Jul 22, 2019 by Bill Southern. “I am kind of liking the Minelab Equinox 800 for gold nugget hunting as I use it more. It has some abilities the other VLF detectors out there do not have and man will it hear tiny targets as well as large. I am using stock settings for GOLD 1 in this video and will go into more later on various tweaks. I recommend the 6 inch coil when out for gold nuggets as it is much more sensitive and the smaller size helps with the highly mineralized soils of the Southwestern goldfields. In this video I am using STOCK Gold 1 settings with auto track and sensitivity at around 19. So let's go see if we can score a nugget....”
    1 point
  11. Hey. The girl lost her wedding ring in my city. Posted by .. help !!! Hello, the wedding ring was lost, if someone found it, please return for a fee. Just helped .. Found it and gave it to the girl. found on the playground )))
    1 point
  12. “Robert Louis Desmarais is the only inhabitant of a Californian ghost town, Cerro Gordo, where he has been searching for a lost vein of silver for 22 years. A 70-year-old former high school teacher, Desmarais used to visit the remote spot in the school holidays to search for ore. But he eventually moved there full-time, to live away from the crowds "up in the mountains, under the stars". Cerro Gordo (Fat Hill in Spanish) was once the most fruitful silver mine in California. "It helped to build Los Angeles," Desmarais says. Convinced there is plenty of silver left, he descends 800ft with a chisel and hammer to "crack rocks and see what's behind them".” More story and photos at https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-49084230
    1 point
  13. Hello Everyone Scott Ellis here, known as IRON MASK around other forums and detecting events. I run the minelabowners forum and I am the designer for the "Detecting-Innovations" "Tele-Knox" telescopic shaft for the Equinox. I am Canadian however I have been in Europe for 19 years and I have been detecting since 2010, currently own and Equinox 800 and a "dusty" CTX. I have some of my finds featured in the Equinox Handbook by Andy Sabisch. One of my best finds is a silver Roman Seal matrix that is now in a museum in Croatia. My oldest find is a piece of pottery from the Neolithic period and was a surface find. The season is just getting underway for us here in Europe and I hope to have time to get out and find the goodies. Good luck and happy hunting to all.
    1 point
  14. Here is a easy way to fix your shaft wobble, even if only temporarily. The male end of the middle shaft just needs a single layer of electrical tape. The tolerances on the Minelab shaft are actually pretty tight. If it was any closer you might not be able to get it apart again. Anybody who has swung a Tesoro Knows those twist-locks only work for first assembly, lol I've done this before with other machines except I used aluminum tape, time will tell how long the electrical tape will hold out. The tape in the picture has about 15 hours on it, so far it's OK. Besides, it's easy to replace. Coincidentally when I took the machine apart for a cleaning and to take this picture, I noticed that Minelab made a similar raised surface on the lower fiberglass rod. The lower rod is so long that a little play really wouldn't translate into as much slop as the upper connection does.
    1 point
  15. I’m not too worried about First Texas or Garrett. They are going concerns with good markets and engineers and should be able to adjust. FT in particular just brought a new modern facility online. If anyone stands to lose at this juncture I’d say it’s White’s. https://www.detectorprospector.com/forums/topic/4942-waterproof-metal-detector-comparison-chart/
    1 point
  16. Thank you all for your replays. And Steve's. But after reading reviews. And talking to others. I think the white 24 k. Will be better then the gold monster. Stephen wescott
    1 point
  17. Thanks JR; I don't mean to be obtuse or beat a dead horse... I have read that the Detech DD works very well to discriminate iron... Does it really work that well? I have had several MINELAB PI's including the 5000 and would not trust the discrimination on a bad bet! Minelad's dd coils could not be relied at all in that respect...in my very, very, un-humble opinion fred
    1 point
  18. Maybe those Coiltek coils are driving the price up? Everyone that has a used one for sale should benefit.
    1 point
  19. You pretty much have to compete on technology or on price. If you dont compete on either you go the way of tesoro. Brand loyalty helps for a while, but in the end you have to be competitive. Nokta and Minelab have clearly chosen market share over profit margin per detector in the markets they are targeting with the equinox and the simplex. If the other companies dont respond in some way it's not going to go well (obviously assuming the simplex ends up being as good as it looks).
    1 point
  20. Welcome Scott. I am planning on heading to the Czeck Republic next summer for the World Gold Panning Championships. It’s always a blast. Can’t wait to see the country. May I inquire about the detecting laws over there? And where I can find one of your shafts for the Equinox? great finds there. Thanks for sharing. 👍
    1 point
  21. only God and fortune tellers know what Minelab is thinking or why!
    1 point
  22. My older version Pro Golds, will not work correctly on the NOX with the WM08. Also anyone reading, do not expect good results if you keep the WM08 on the back of a hat. That module needs to be line of sight. Dave
    1 point
  23. Do they make a coil without that discrimination that would work better on the Kwed?
    1 point
  24. You set the "iron reject" level of your choice on the GPX's for the CC coils, just like you do with a DD. As I said, no discrimination available on the "Kwed".
    1 point
  25. Really I think just the silicon will do it. Lubes it up so it will spin on easy then seals it. If the diameter of the hose is too big you’ll have to mill it, I’d use a four inch grinder and a sixteen grit flap wheel but if your like super Steve you can whittle it down with a spoon. I used the heat to burn off the old silicone from the bullet, only way I could get it clean. Everything was nice and warm when I reassembled it. As gas as the silicon I used what was in the shed, think it was GE tub and bath stuff?Good luck!
    1 point
  26. Fred: I've used the 32" Detech coil and it blanks out iron like a DD on the 5000. This feature isn't available with the QED as it doesn't have discrimination.
    1 point
  27. 1 point
  28. JR that is no doubt true. However, the tone of the statement seems to indicate a much better discrimination than the stock coils.... It could be that I have become very cynical of much advertising, I would rather get the truth from users. inquiring minds want to know, ya know fred
    1 point
  29. I recently installed one of Steve’s Detector Rods on my Equinox and wanted to share a few observations. When I’m particularly impressed with a product, I like to let the maker and others know my thoughts...good or bad. The first impression out of the box was very positive. The build quality of this two piece system, both material and workmanship, is absolutely excellent. The cuttings are smooth and the fittings precise. You can immediately tell Steve uses only the best materials in the overall construction. Being a scientist, his penchant for precision is obvious in everything he does. Another very important fact about Steve—he’s a one-man-shop small businessman and an avid detectorist who knows what we need from personal detecting experience. Now for a few specifics. The locking mechanism is extremely sturdy and I really appreciate his use of an adjustment knob instead of having to hunt down or carry a screw driver in order to adjust the locking tab tension. I quickly noticed another user friendly design feature on Steve’s part. He uses easily found round washers on the lower rod where it connects to the coil ears! I don’t know about you, but I was amazed at how expensive those tear drop washers are when or if they ever need replaced. Thank you Steve! Another unique offering of Steve’s rods is the available counterbalance weight. As many have commented on these forums, the Equinox is inherently nose heavy...particularly with the 15 inch coil. Although his shafts are extremely light in their own right, a mere 7.86 ounces of combined weight of the two shafts, the counterbalance weight makes a huge difference in the perceived weight. When you first look at this counterbalance weight you may think that it only serves to add more total weight to the Equinox...and you’re right. However, when I installed that weight on the back end of the shaft, the balance was markedly improved...balance being a key factor of perceived weight. The designed fulcrum effect makes the detector simply feel lighter and makes it much easier to manipulate. I’m sure I could swing this Equinox for hours, even without the use of a harness, and my arm would be just fine. The stability of this set up is incomparable...and I’ve used many shafts on many detectors over many decades of metal detecting. One design aspect that may go unnoticed is that Steve’s lower shaft is 1.75” longer than the factory shaft—and he can make them longer upon request. This simple idea allows more of the lower rod to remain in the upper shaft giving it added stability even at extended lengths—not one wit of wobble with this one! An aspect I also appreciate is the elimination of the restrictive spring button adjustment system. The button only allows you to adjust the shaft to a factory predetermined series of lengths. Steve’s approach allows you to adjust the shaft to any length with which you feel comfortable. This guy has really thought the design through and focused his efforts on all those “little things” that make a big difference. Steve offers his shafts in an array of colors. Black, Red, Blue, Green and Silver. He can also provide custom work on his shafts if that’s what you need! Who else offers that? I’m obviously impressed with this young man and his workmanship and I like to let folks know when I find an outstanding product from an outstanding producer. One last but very important comment. I have no personal or financial interest in Steve’s Detector Rods. I never met the young man and since he lives in Norman OK, probably never will since OK is a mite far from my Florida beaches! Specifications: Upper Shaft Length: 34 7/8 in. Upper Shaft Weight: 4.81 oz. (136 g) Lower Rod Length: 26 in. (custom lengths available upon request) Lower Rod Weight: 3.06 oz. (87g) Material: Carbon-fiber (3K, twill pattern, glossy finish) Cam Lock material: Injection-molded Plastic (nylon) Threaded End Cap material: Delrin Threaded Butt-End Insert material: Delrin
    1 point
  30. Ok, you guys have made me look at Detech for the first time. What can it do for me? Well ... I still have several machines that one of their coils could be put on so here is the beginning of my research. What does this statement mean: THE DETECH BRAND Regardless of the brand that’s stamped on it, there is a big chance that your metal detecting coil is made by Detech! Detech is the first to build coils with magnetic sensors, enabling pulse induction detectors to discriminate between ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
    1 point
  31. Back in business with the new Nox!
    1 point
  32. This mod has been done at the factory on all SL's made since 2015. So, only applies to earlier models (mine is 2013). It consists of removing the diodes D20, and D21, and capacitor C56. You also have to install a jumper across two of the three diode leads on D21. I'll post a pic showing what I did. The effects of this mod are much more subtle than the sweep speed mod. Maybe a 5-8% gain in sensitivity in the air test on the 1 grain gold bar. But, still some gain, though I had to be paying attention to hear it. This mod should not be undertaken unless you have some serious soldering skills. The components are REALLY tiny....like 1/8" wide, or maybe 3/16" at the very most. Getting the jumper in place is tough...took me 15 minutes of fooling around to get it soldered in. The mod pushed my air test distance on the 1 grainer to 3 1/4", without headphones. Might have done a bit better using the hp's. there is also a slight increase in ground noise to contend with, but nothing that really bothered me. In really ugly ground, it may be worse. We'll see. In the pic, the red triangles are where the diodes were. On D21, you can see the jumper under the lowest leg of the triangle. That jumper is 3/16" long. The straight red line, on the right, is where C56 was located.
    1 point
  33. I should have posted that. I was using the 8 x 6 NF Sadie. But later on, I tested it using the 12"DF, which has consistently been the most sensitive coil I've used on my SL, and results were identical. I gained about 3/8" on the 1 grain gold bar. It's not alot, I know, but definitely a gain..
    1 point
  34. Maybe if you find yellow Koala then your onto a hot spot?
    1 point
  35. No gold for me and it's not because I've not been trying...Been hitting some parks around my area and a couple beaches on the river. The ocean is only 1.5 hours away but still I find it hard to get to for some reason. It's nice to get into the water during the Summer...I was at a beach yesterday and dug about 20 sinkers with my excal.. low tide was around noon and Kids were following me around asking lots of questions...different type of detecting then nugget hunting but you got to work with what you have close to home sometimes. The crucifix is 925 the two rings are fake but look nice anyways
    1 point
  36. This is an interesting read about the usage of foreign coinage in those days.. https://www.crookedlakereview.com/articles/101_135/119spring2001/119muhl.html
    1 point
  37. Skate, The Impulse is on the whole slightly less “fussy” than the TDI (I have had two of those). The controls are similar, but there are differences. One big difference is that there is no huge depth penalty like is found in the TDI when the TDI is in GB on mode vs. GB off. Below is a photo which was released after Fisher brought a proto to the Huge Outdoor Expo in Germany. Here is my best shot at explaining how it works. Please note that l have only used a prototype and that only for a few hours per day over three days. Volume and Threshold are pretty self-explanatory. Likewise Sensitivity operates pretty much like on any other detector. The two smaller knobs at the bottom are - on the left, the on/off, Batt test, noise cancel, all metal and two discrim modes - mute and tone. The right hand one sets the noise cancel position when in noise cancel and the pulse delay when operating in all metal or one of the two discrim positions. The start up routine is turn on to noise cancel, then rotate the right hand bottom knob till you get the quietest audio - there is no stop, it’s just a rotary encoder. Turn to all metal and set comfortable level of sensitivity, threshold and volume. The Sat Speed works much like the SAT or recovery speed setting on a VLF, longer signals with more depth perhaps or shorter ones to enhance the discrim function if you are using it. The Iron Mask Knob increases the effect of discrimination in the Multitone or mute iron ID modes (selected with the lower left knob). The Pulse Delay control is generally used at the minimum which conditions allow. Some circumstances may require a longer pulse delay to compensate for salinity, running salt water or other factors. The shorter the delay, the more sensitivity to ALL targets, not just to small ones. The SAT and Pulse delay interact to some degree so adjusting the delay may make you want to tweak the SAT. Unless ferrous junk is a serious problem, all metal is the quietest mode and the most straightforward to use. It also has the max depth (although the sensitivity difference between it and the ID positions has been steadily reduced as the successive prototype revisions were developed). LeJag, who has been the chief development tester, hunts in all metal and finds that he seldom needs to cross-check in discrim. - but he has been using PI’s for a decade and is an ace. In my limited use of a prototype last October in San Diego, I found the all metal or the iron mute discrim mode to be the most comfortable for me. None of the settings are super critical. The
    1 point
  38. My 800 had the loose shaft wobble problem. Minelab originally replaced the piece of shaft that was loose. This worked for about a year. Now it’s loose, again. Here’s a similar fix that I’ve done using a piece of high temperature duct tape. Cut a small piece just slightly narrower than the diameter of the tube and long enough to cover the inner surface of the locking pressure tab. Insert using a toothpick. Press flat with finger. The piece of duct tape is thicker and more durable than electrical tape. The high temperature adhesive should be more resistant to smearing or sliding. We shall see!
    1 point
  39. You're probably spot on as a picnic area. There was an old estate near by that had been burned several times in the late 1800's and finally torn down in the 1940's. It used to overlook one of the ponds and located up on a hill. Nearby is the remnants of old stables/barn that is long burned out as well. The pasture is heavily overgrown. Very tough finding anything as there is pieces of tin roof's, lead and copper flashing and tons of nails as well as 50 years of bottle tops. Even the best machines can't punch through all of that hehe. There are a total of 700 acres that have been picked through for at least the last 30 years. Been a lot of other detectorists out there as I can see all their dig holes all over. I tend to follow the hunting trails which are really difficult to see and easy to lose. There are tons of shotgun 20 gauge shotgun shells and 22 rimfires suggesting there were younger people doing much of the plinking in the areas. Slopes are steep and a lot of vegetation making it a good workout to get through. Still lots to poke through and the area is old enough i might find a pinetree if I'm lucky.
    1 point
  40. Yes the Equinox is a fine gold VLF gold detector and I have had great Success with it too. Certainly a machine that does better on Prospecting Nuggets than most folks probably realize. Bill Southern has been around the block a few years and knows his stuff. Good to see he finally cleaned up a little as the beard and hair used to be pretty rough. I think he was trying a Grizzly Adams look, minus the belly. Thanks for sharing Steve.
    1 point
  41. After two days of testing, JR Beatty and I agree that this is one very good coil.
    1 point
  42. Pam, you didn't say where you were hunting, turf, beach or what. Here is my advice. Pick a program that you like the way the audio sounds. Lower the disc to -30. Nothing notched. Put it in 3 frequency correlate mode. Set the Correlate setting to somewhere between 5 and 10 points. The default is 20 points and that is too big....10 is good, try for 8. 8 will give more trash rejection. And then just dig whatever gives a good repeatable response. You should be able to cover ground and get your coil over more likely ring targets and skip a lot of trash. Remember that Correlate is comparing the two strongest reporting frequencies. Due to the nature of the frequency selection, one of those frequencies will always be 7.5 kHz. It is easy to correlate high conductors because 2.5 kHz is close to 7.5 kHz, however.... For low conductors, there is a greater span between 22.5 kHz and 7.5 kHz. This means its harder to correlate targets between these two frequencies. So when you use fewer correlate points it removes a lot of low conductive trash. Rings conduct a lot better than most low conductive trash so you can keep most rings responding in a narrower correlated window. Bottom line is that you cover more ground and are only hearing and digging signals that have better chances of being a ring. Hope that that helps, Good luck, Mike
    1 point
  43. Another ounce and a half today with the X
    1 point
  44. Of all the detectors I've tested and written reports on for 1st Texas, I can say, I never once ask if I could test, they contacted me to see if I was willing to check a particular machine. It's not an easy job but extremely time consuming. Now that said their is one "You Tube" guy, that in my opinion does the very best detector comparisons and that is without favorites given and that is "detector comparisons"
    1 point
  45. Just shipped my middle and upper shaft to Minelab in Illinois. Got a confirmation that they will inspect, repair and return them. They apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused. Can't do any better than that! The shafts didn't wobble but were twisting and the cam locks wouldn't tighten enough to take up the space. They asked for the serial # so I figure some units have the issue. We'll see and I will keep you posted. UPDATE! Got the rods back from Minelab in Illinois. The new rods have the same O.D. as the old ones. The cam locks have a thicker plastic protrusion to squeeze the rod and make it tighter. Much better than before. Thanks Minelab for acknowledging the issue and for the fast turn around. Yay!
    1 point
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