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Showing content with the highest reputation on 01/11/2020 in all areas

  1. Hey Guys! Remember this thing that I found on Florida’s Treasure Coast a couple weeks ago and posted about? I was so disappointed there were no visible markings to link it to the1715 Spanish Fleet that sunk during a hurricane. Well, I decided to carefully try to separate the silver sandwich with a paring knife, and was successful with minimal damage. The inside surfaces were dark and thick with corrosion but I kept working on them(rubbing on wet aluminum foil did the best...very time consuming. I don’t have an electrolysis setup yet). So glad I did it! I’ve definitely found my 1st Pieces of Eight finally (1/2 Reales likely)! Minted in Mexico between 1700-1715 during Philip V’s reign in Spain, if my research is correct. They may be little, but I’m tickled pink with them! 🙂
    9 points
  2. I've been hunting a lake nearby for the last week, so far, every hunt has produce some nice silver or gold jewelry. Today I was able to retrieve 3 more rings, 2 silver and 1 junk. I found something else, but, I'm not sure what it is. Here's my setting: Park 2 Manual GB Sens 22 2 tones Iron bias 0 Tone break +5 up Tons of trash to wade through to find a keeper, but, very satisfying when it happens.
    5 points
  3. Several months ago friends and I went to look for some lost Civil War valuables. Since we all had signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement I am unable to say where it was at except that the state is Tennessee. We were using a new type of metal detector that I put together and had a friend from John Deere software division do some programming for the unit. This system uses 3 separate frequencies for 3 separate coils and builds a 3D image of the metal in the ground. The images show a depth of over 5 feet and we expect to find the item close to that depth. Since we are looking for something rather large this works very well to keep us from digging the smaller items. We use a standard metal detector for finds closer to the surface as well, and yes we have found more than we expected. We arrived on a rainy day and set up camp for the next 10 days and settled in. The rain ended about midnight and we knew that the ground would be wet. We had early breakfast and proceeded to gain the land owners permission to hunt on their land. That took some negotiation to get everyone’s permission but we had written permission in hand. We then unloaded the 4 wheelers and equipment and set forth to locate what we were after. After digging up almost 2,100 pounds of trash and a couple of small relics we called it a night. The next several days proved to be just as bad as our first day on the hunt, finding only small stuff and very few relics, but we still had a pile of trash left to dig. On the 7th day we had a very good target that looked like we had found what we were after. We were able to dig it up and pull it from a 6 foot hole and we knew we had found something important. We had uncovered a chest that belonged to a 2nd Lieutenant of the Union Army. Inside were several of his items including a Remington Model 1861 Army Revolver of a 22 caliber. Also there were numerous other items including 8 $1.00 gold pieces. He had some silver tableware, razor, and many other items. The chest had shown wear from being in the ground and the inside material had all but rotted. Surprising as it was the chest was In good condition as someone had put bees wax on it and it was wrapped in a trap of some type. The heavy iron straps that held the chest together was all intact and just slightly rusted. One of the locks was mostly gone, but the second one was in much better shape. Most of the chest has been cleaned and redone and looks almost new, and the other items have also been cleaned properly. Some of what we had found will be placed in a museum near the location of which it was found, while the gun and the coins have been shared between the people who went. Everyone had an equal share in this hunt and 2 of the people were brothers who wanted the pistol. I was given 4 of the gold pieces and now I have them hanging on my wall. We are planning another trip back because we know that the treasure we are looking for is there. Since we have the area narrowed down we should find it within a few days. The land owners have given us the permission again and we have plenty of equipment this time to make it go much faster. Below is a picture of my coins as I am still waiting on pictures of the chest and other items.
    4 points
  4. Here's the thing; if you are Red Dirt Digger or Reg or JP who not only have the inclination and the time to get out and detect, they have the know-how and they have the ground where success (i.e. paying off their detectors), is possible. Don't think most of us are in that situation. There is no way I will ever pay off my detector(s), and that was never the hope. If you try to be economically prudent with buying detectors and hunting for gold, you are in the wrong hobby. What my detector allows me to do is to get out into areas that I would not usually go, to test my skill and luck and try my hand at finding something…it is the hunt that you cannot put a price tag on. I am lucky in that I have been able to pay for my detectors mostly with gold I have found. But the majority of the gold I have found comes from about three summers of dredging in the Mother Lode of the Sierra Nevada's in the late 70's, spending 10 hours a day underwater. As a friend once commented it's like voluntarily going to Leavenworth under water (a famous prison where they used to crack rocks all day). At one time I had accumulated about five pounds of gold and at todays prices, because I saved most of it, that has helped pay for most of my detectors. Nowadays I do not have anywhere near that amount of gold, but I do have years of fantastic enjoyment of new places, new experiences and new people. That has been worth everything.
    4 points
  5. I detect for gold alot and have paid off my detectors since the 2100 many times over. My best was the 4500...paid off 40 something times over. Its my backup detector after the Zed which is catching up to the 4500 in times paid off. While spending time wandering deserts other income opportunities come along, meteorites, gems, ornamental stone deposits. Detectors also lead to taking out leases and paid detecting from mining companies. But whether your obsessed like me and many others on this forum or just a hobbyist its great just to get out in the bush/desert with friends or family.
    4 points
  6. Here's a video of the Minelab Vanquish 540, Equinox 800 and eTrac comparing some targets while relic hunting. The area is challenging because there are not many targets left and the EMI is terrible. Steve if this should be under Comparisons feel free to move the post. Thanks
    3 points
  7. I've had this coil for quite some time, but it was packed away and forgotten. It was purchased for A$60 because I was intrigued. It is the anti-interference version. Measures 12 x 4 and uses the MInelab lower rod. Weight is decent, build quality is good. Performance in the field still remains a mystery as I've yet to use it. I gave it a quick air test just to see how it behaved on the Tdi Pro. This version has a hot spot in the centre of the coil which appears very sensitive to small targets at shallow depth. Seems to hit fairly well at shallow depths but doesn't have much punch for the deeper targets. Test garden results on coins would give real world depth on coins between a solid hit around 15cm or 6 inches and fading fast past 20cm or 8 inches. Useless air test with ground balance off, gain at max, in ALL, frequency in the middle, pulse delay at 10. 1 grain was 7cm .5 gram gold coin 16cm 1/2 Sovereign 23cm Us Quarter 23cm Aussie Penny 25cm Whites Buckle 33cm So in summary it hits hard on small and shallow targets, the centre of the coil is a hot spot for sure.. Fades fast as depth increases, the big Whites buckle just managed 13 inches. Since I managed max gain on the Tdi Pro in an EMI hot zone, the Anti-interference feature seems to work ok.. One of the things I like about the Tdi machines is the ability to plug in all sorts of coils, never know if you don't have a go.. My Tdi SL is highly resistance to EMI and the Pro less so but still very good. This coil could make more sense mounted on a Minelab around electric fences and mobile phone towers.. etc. All the best, Karelian
    2 points
  8. I've never had that great of a post-hunt surprise and probably never will. Great job, both in your hunt but also in your perseverance to find out what you really had, and well deserved , too. A great piece(s) of history to boot!
    2 points
  9. Hi Yes I agree with you Alexandre , a serious MD test must be a blind test. If the tester knows where the target is buried and the kind of target buried , in most cases he will tell that he detects the target, even its detector cannot do it. As you said he THINKS that he detects it but it is a kind of psychological "auto suggestion" process ( sorry it is in French ) . The MD tests must be done very scientifically with a very strict procedure as you have done above . Doing this with many detectors of different brands on my own bed tests , I arrived to the conclusion that the max detection depth for a VLF detector in moderated mineralized ground is always around 28/30cms for a 10Centimes napoleon3 ( 10grams french copper coin ), no more ,whatever the detector brand is . Tthis is just logical because the electronic/electromagnetic physical laws are the same for all the machines.... The last test that I did was with the Nokta Simplex+ , and the result was again 28cm on this 10C Napoleon coin. By the way I am looking forward to see a Fisher PI coin/relic machine coming after the impulse AQ and the Terra , if this is technically possible .And I am looking forward to see a machine beating the 30cm depth on the 10Cent Napoleon 3 ( with a very good iron disc of course ) , I have never found one up to now …. thanks , Alain
    2 points
  10. Holy cow! THAT IS TERRIFIC, Peg! What a nice surprise! Steve
    2 points
  11. Good job, that must have been so fun to open. 😀 happy hunting!
    2 points
  12. They are coins from here in Europe. Its appearance seems to be copper, but nothing is further from reality. Its material is highly ferrous and as I have put in the photo when they get lost on the beach they are not worth even for the legal course. When I had TDI SL you had to dig it if you wanted to recover gold and it was frustrating to make 12 or 13 inch gaps and get that out. The beaches of southern Spain what I live in are full of these coins
    2 points
  13. I use both the sdc and the Zed. In high yield/normal/smothing off the Zed is an amazing machine that will find gold so small that even the sdc will hardly find ,especially in difficult ground. Note: you will need metal free boots!! Both machines have a different target profile with respect to the ground your hunting. In the open field the Zed is King by a large margin and superior over any other Gold Detector that's out there
    2 points
  14. I have already found a ring of 22k 0.3 grs I think 0.2grs 18k and 0.1grs 14K The chains in 18k it depends on the size of the mesh In 14K it's much easier but here we don't have any, it's only 18k
    2 points
  15. Well with apologies to Dew and in defense of the overthinkers (I’m one myself) the whole reason for a forum is to ask questions and discuss things. I guess where I have a hard time though I endeavor to be patient is when questions are asked that were answered earlier on the very same thread. People don’t read through, they jump to the end the ask the questions again. But that’s ok. It’s just the nature of the medium and people being in a hurry. And some stuff is complicated, like how disc is implemented in a PI detector and how it differs from a VLF. Bottom line is it is a job I took on myself to set up and moderate a forum and I’ve got no right and in fact am stupid to complain when people ask questions and discuss things. It is the reason the forum exists. So I do apologize Dew... your questions are welcome as are your contributions to the forum. That out of the way.... yes, I agree with you Joe!
    2 points
  16. Let's not OVERTHINK this detector. I remember Rick pointing out that this is a very simple detector. Maybe not as simple as a Whites Dual Field but still simple. Where the OVERTHINK comes in is that since we don't have one in hand we are still trying to compare it to VLF detectors. Steve has pointed out that we can ONLY compare it to other PI detectors. Again, most are pretty simple with very few controls. Mode control on the Impluse is about as complicated as it gets. The charts are pretty simple to understand (unless I am over simplifying them), reject the differ size nails and you reject different denominations of Euros. Again, they are in France and can only compare Euros with the nails. It is also stated that the shape of the coins verses the shape of the nails will cause a double beep in the nail and not in the coin on depending on the mode that you are detecting in. It has been stated several times that Le Jag almost always prefers to hunt in All Metal where nothing should be rejected except for saltwater which is always rejected as it is a built in feature which again makes this a simple machine as it is one less thing for us to fiddle with. Once he acquires a target then he will change Mode to decide whether or not do dig the target. Now if I am underthinking this detector please let me know. I read posts and think, "Is it me not understanding or is it others making it more complicated?". Just my two cents, Joe
    2 points
  17. If I still had my Z there is not a chance I would do it - even if I got a professional do it. Just too much money involved but that's just me, each to their own. Be great if the NF coils are just plug and play for you GPZ mob. Re: tiny sized gold that the GPZ will find, have a squiz at an old thread of mine here. The first pic shows a piece a similar size to the echidna's nose on an Oz 5 cent piece. Not sure if you are familiar with a 5 cent piece but it is bloody small 👍
    2 points
  18. Many PIs, BBS, VLF of all types have given up, there are not really detectors that have shown themselves to be brilliant. The good mastery and experience of the prospectors meant that they were able to score more points. Count of correct answers: ferrous targets + 1pt / gold targets + 3pts.Counting the wrong answers -1pt.
    2 points
  19. Something I've been wanting to do for a while now..I got another x ray generator couple weeks ago and wanted to try it out on my DR System.. Heres most but not all of the coils I have. 1. CTX 6" 2. TDI Pro 12" double mono 3. CTX 17' 4. XP Deus 9" 5. Miner John 8x12" mono 6. x cal 8" 7. Gold Monster 6" 8. Fisher Gold Bug two 6" 9. Nox 6" 10. Nox 11" 11-14 GPZ 7000 stock coil
    1 point
  20. Today I went to the beach to take advantage of the super tides. I got there and as luck would have it there was no one on the beach in my spots! I turned on the detector as I normally do by pressing in the on/off switch on the left side of the control housing. It turned on properly but I can remember I felt a 'give' that I hadn't noticed before. It was working so I just went about my detecting looking for targets. There were not that many either high or low today. When I went to take a break I got past the dry sand and tried to turn off the detector as I had turned it on. I pressed the button and all I felt was it 'give' without stopping. I tried repeatedly but no luck. I turned off the headphones and that didn't help, it just made it so everyone could hear. Now I know I've got a problem but what do I do? I unscrewed the connector to the coil and a message came on the screen that I think said 'Cd' and then the power went off. Now the power will not go back on. It was just before 5 PM in Chicago but I've left a message for Minelab. It will probably be Monday before I hear from them now. It looks like the 3030 will get some use or the SE Pro if I use a detector in the next couple of weeks. Anyone had a bad switch yet? Mitchel
    1 point
  21. HOW MAKE A SERIOUS COMPARATIVE TESTS PROCEDURE First rule Blind tests are mandatory to be serious. Second rule if you do not agree refer to rule number 1 😊 The purpose of this playground, and not to take into account the feeling of the prospector. It is too easy for a participant to indicate that he is correctly detecting the target. But in general he does not detect it or he thinks to detect it. It often detects a ground effect. During our long experience and our meetings with prospectors at the beach, we realized that the prospector was often influenced by the pride placed in his detector. This is why we have implemented this drastic and non-falsifiable comparative tests procedure. Of course for this test you have to be 2 people. A person who hides targets and a person who tries to find them. The depth tests can be done simultaneously. It is obvious that here are static tests. The reality is even more difficult! See for yourself the catastrophic results .... Document here : ******************************* https://www.casimages.com/f/qyqU0eUlCSb ******************************* COMPARATIVE TESTS PROCEDURE.pdf
    1 point
  22. Dan, GREAT job fighting through all the mid-tone trash, to recover the goodies! NICE! Steve
    1 point
  23. I did a test with my 4500 against my mates 7000 on both tiny gold and larger bits. On the larger bits i was able to match the 7000 but my settings were questionable as to whether they were usable (very noisy). On the smaller bits i wasnt able to hear them at all no matter what timings/settings i tried. it was at that moment id realised id made a big mistake for the last 4 years holding off buying the 7000. On a recent trip with another friend i got him to try his 5000 on 3 targets id found with the 7000 (standard gpz coil) They ended up being small gun pellots at good depth. We had to scrape off heaps before he could register a response.
    1 point
  24. Luis, it appears your corroding coin above is a direct relative of the nasty corroding Zinc cents we have here in the US. As these zinc cents corrode away, they read lower and lower on the conductivity scale, dropping well into the mid-conductor range of the aluminum square tab and pull-tab (man's gold ring). It will be interesting to know if the Impulse AQ audio characteristics of a corroding zinc cent (or 5, 2 or 1 cent Euro) will be tell tale enough to skip digging them. ? ? ? ? Rich -
    1 point
  25. Chase If nothing else you made me laugh when you said I’d buy anything new that beeps. You have a great day! Chuck
    1 point
  26. For the past 2 years, all I did was cherry pick for old coins and did ok in that dept. But, I've already dug more gold and jewelry than I did compared to then. My time was limited, so, I had to be more selective and utilize my time to improve my odds. I have an opportunity as this moment to take the time and dig it all. This window will be closing at the end of the month,then I'll have to become a bit more picky.
    1 point
  27. That is a "per battery" WH limit, so as long as both are less than 100 wh each you are within FAA regs. Again, as I and others have pointed out, the spare battery issue is dicey as it is subject to airline approval and it is their prerogative to take a more conservative stance than the FAA regs due to the implications of the worst case scenario (loss of aircraft), regardless of the probability of that happening.
    1 point
  28. Thanks for the reply.. Yes I agree its the sub 10 inch coil I've been hanging out for for the gpz. As for the cutting the lead that defanitly scares me with cost of coils etc so if probley try sorce someone to do it that knows what they are doing 😣
    1 point
  29. Next time it gives me fits I will pop it apart and see what I can find. There are 3 turn and 5 turn ones out. Not sure what would be sealed mil spec if even available that would be the same size. Thanks
    1 point
  30. My shoulder aches lately are making it hard to do anything with detecting or shoveling. Atho, it almost looks like the pain is coming from the use of my computer mouse somehow? If my elbow is not supported, the shoulder pain gets really bad .At work its not an issue cause I sit up straight and have a desktop to support both elbows. At home, I slouch, and the shoulder pain gets really bad without desktop elbow support. Guess its my own fault I hurt sometimes but it makes mining a lot harder then too... Small volumes of dirt are where I am at in mining. under 5 buckets a day ,if that. Heated car seats work wonders on lower back pain I recently discovered, even better than advils. My buddy says to stop buying more mining junk as its a waste of money and more stuff to cart around. He may have a point there plus it gets expensive. I recently gave unused gear to our club to raffle off.Was hard to let it go but I wasn't using the stuff . No drywashers needed in wet Indiana and Illinois. I better quit rambling here. But winter is boring.At least its mild this year.Only 1 snow since October, extremely unusual !!! mid Jan temps in 30-50 range, should be 0-30 normally and piles of snow.
    1 point
  31. https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/packsafe/ Portable electronic devices, containing batteries - Cell phones, laptop, camera, smart phones, PDAs containing lithium batteries, games, tablets, watches, etc. Most consumer personal electronic devices containing batteries are allowed in carry-on and checked baggage, including but not limited to cell phones, smart phones, PDAs, electronic games, tablets, laptop computers, cameras, camcorders, watches, calculators, etc. This covers typical dry cell batteries and lithium metal and lithium ion batteries for consumer electronics (AA, AAA, C, D, button cell, camera batteries, laptop batteries, etc.) Devices containing lithium metal or lithium ion batteries (laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc.) should be carried in carry-on baggage when possible. When these devices must be carried in checked baggage, they should be turned completely off, protected from accidental activation, and packed so they are protected from damage. Spare (uninstalled) lithium metal and lithium ion batteries are always prohibited in checked baggage and must be placed in carry-on. When a carry-on bag is checked at the gate or at planeside, any spare lithium batteries must be removed from the bag and kept with the passenger in the aircraft cabin.
    1 point
  32. mine would neither push on or off....Minelab replaced the control box....pretty good service! fred
    1 point
  33. Not sure on part number but it’s a 3-3/4 turn Cermet 100K?? I believe. Mouser was out of stock when I last looked. The 10 turn is great for GB as it’s a much finer adjustment but they are a TIGHT fit in those uMax housings.
    1 point
  34. This article describes a gold pan developed by the ancient Mayan civilization: https://www.keeneeng.com/pamphlets/goldPan.html
    1 point
  35. Thanks guys, I sent Waterbury an e-mail with pics to get a positive ID.
    1 point
  36. I remember once when I ran into another gold hunter up in the desert. I was using the 2300. He commented it would take forever to pay for the machine with the tiny gold it finds....I thought to myself if I wanted to make money I could have just stayed home. Leaving work to go detecting is like leaving the gold mine to go play in the dirt. In a serious prospectors mind I do see how that works however and I would certainly be thinking in those regards... if it’s a business you have to. Its nice to have a hobby where you have fun and can find valuable items... My coin and relic machines have paid for them selves but my gold detectors have not...but I have had lots of fun with them that’s for sure. strick
    1 point
  37. Count of correct answers: ferrous targets + 1pt / gold targets + 3pts. Counting the wrong answers -1pt. Note : Those who did not answer scored more points than those who were convinced 6 squares of 1 meter x 1 meter Each square containing 10 boxes. Possibility on each square to have 0 or 1 or 2 or 3 targets Indicate whether there is a gold or iron target or a ground effect or iron mixed with gold, or nothing at all and do this for each of the boxes of all the squares. Advantages : - Impossible to lie - Impossible to guess by chance (millions of possibilities) - allows to compare the detectors on all the difficulties encountered. - allows to perform depth tests simultaneously. STATISTIC FILE HERE ***************** https://www.casimages.com/f/G3SvyFRmCSb ***************** There were 66 prospectors, and 48 prospectors abandoned. STATISTICS PORNICHET.pdf
    1 point
  38. certainly would be nice to hear from Nuggetfinder or Minelab. But I've spent a lot of time out in the sun over the years so I'm probably hallucinating.
    1 point
  39. A few afternoons back I went out to a local beach to do my normal searching. It has been a time of few waves and even fewer targets. Everyone hears this from me quite often but I've heard it from other detectorists as well. So, you relax, go slow and just enjoy the beach. A bit down from me I saw a group along the blanket line and there was something different. There was a little kid (older than mine) about 5 or so swinging a metal detector. It had a kinda orange coil and the kid just was playing with it a bit and then running around with the other kids. I decided to go up with my 800 in hand and have a little chat with him and maybe 'show' him how to find things. By the time I got up to where he was he was out near the water and the only one still around was his dad and his dad's friend or brother. We started up a bit of a chat and they said they had bought the detector off of Amazon for $60. I didn't recognize it but it was giving my 800 an EMI fit so I went to a different channel. I told them what I had in mind (quarter in hand) and they called the little boy over. I wish I had taken a picture of the detector but it was a short arm, adjustable with compression fittings, concentric coil detector of a brand I didn't catch. It had a screen that was discriminating and it did 'find' the planted quarter which the kid liked but didn't have that much interest in it. One of the really interesting parts of the story was the friend. He told me it was an Amazon purchase and thought that $60 should make it a very good detector. They didn't really have a clue. They asked me about mine and I told them and I could see their jaws drop a bit on now knowing that 'pros' like me were out with detectors from $500 to $900! It was way out side of their conception so they asked me what did I think of their detector. I didn't really pick it up but I told them there are these new little detectors that could be better than a lot of the detectors just 5 to 8 years old that sold for much, much higher prices. This is part of the new purchaser and market for the detector companies which provide higher end products like Minelab. It is a new reality of buyer and probably the reason for their low end detectors. When I came back and searched Amazon looking for this $60 detector I was flooded with many, many detectors from companies unknown. Minelab is not on Amazon it seems and many other searches for the average buyer. Some of you here see some advertising on this forum for the best metal detectors. I started a thread about it a couple of weeks back. One thing I did happen across when looking for the metal detectors were a few 'board detectors.' These were complete metal detectors on a circuit board that sell for less than $5.00! It becomes more clear that these detector circuit boards placed in a molded plastic handle become the brains for a $50.00 detector that wholesales for maybe $26. Components are cheap. Marketing and R&D are expensive! I didn't find much on the beach that day but I brightened the face of a little kid and I got a good story.
    1 point
  40. 491/5000 Hammer coin I found on 5 ID ... near the coin was a piece of aluminum foil that gave 4 ID. After digging it had a hammer coin of 7-8 IDs. I use Park2 ../ in this program, conductive ground may reduce the salinity of IDs. Park1 program is resistant to saline and conductive ground. Try to compare Park 1 / for conductive, saline ground / and Park2 / for iron-polluted ground / Try to compare it with recovery speed 7 and discrimination set to +2 ...
    1 point
  41. Well it takes about 0.2 seconds to google the info for US Domestic flights, so here you go for the FAA rules (so this does not apply to international travel): https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/packsafe/more_info/?hazmat=7 Bottom line - maximum capacity you are allowed to bring on board per battery = 100 Watt-Hours (Wh) (an Equinox cell is 18.5 Wh, a GPX large cell is about 63 Wh). There is no limit to the number you can carry on board as long as the capacity limit is met and the battery remains installed in the electronic device. In addition, you can carry up to 2 spare batteries less than 100 Wh each, subject to AIRLINE approval. So if the GPX detachable battery packs are categorized as "spare" Li-Ion batteries can present a problem if the air carrier objects, which is their prerogative (as demonstrated in Steve's GPX Arizona detectorist example). All "spare" or standalone Li-Ion batteries must be carried on and cannot be in checked luggage. However, devices that contain Li-Ion cells less than the 100 Wh capacity limit can be in checked baggage as long as the device is secured and is prevented from inadvertently being turned on and is protected from physical damage. International rules vary and can be more restrictive than US FAA rules as encountered also first hand by Steve, so your best bet is to discuss the situation with your international carrier ahead of time. HTH BTW Watt-Hour is a measure of energy which roughly tells you the potential for fire causing Li Ion material. A Watt-hour = Operating Terminal Voltage (Volts) x Current Capacity (Amp-Hours). So a 10,000 mAH (10 AH) capacity alone does not tell you the energy (the parameter of interest to the FAA and airlines), you need to also know the operating terminal voltage which is usually between 3.5 to 22 VDC depending on how the cells are connected.
    1 point
  42. Very easy to build our own LiPo 14.4v with a excalibur battery pod. Once we get our hands on a battery pack. I did read that the M-8 connector for the headphones had went to a 5 pin. Bottom picture is of m-12 endcaps I made for the xcaliburs...
    1 point
  43. If the carat is low, it will be easy to detect in all modes. If the carat is high and the jewelry is heavy (24K and> 4grs) then it will be difficult not to reject it and continue to reject ferrous in the same time.
    1 point
  44. I have finally been able to do a little testing of the Vanquish 340 with V10 coil with no coil cover, which somewhat duplicate the testing done by abenson. The 340 has no high/low iron bias adjustment and has Coin, Jewelry and All Metals accepted modes. The only other settings difference was that I did not set the sensitivity on maximum. I set mine at half strength. The Vanquish 340 in All Metals accepted easily passed 4 for 4, the Monte's Nail Board test with a zinc penny in position 1. It also scored 4 for 4 in Coin mode. In Jewelry mode it was 3 for 4 with failure on sweep direction 4. I have not done this test with a zinc penny in position 2. Nails of course are different. I have my Nail Board test set up with older square nails. I used two 2" square nails and a zinc penny for a second test with all three targets on the same plane in this configuration with the space between the nails and the zinc penny at 1/2": l-------------- O ---------------l. In All Metals accepted and Coin mode the Vanquish 340 was able to hit the zinc penny if I paid close attention to making medium speed swings and very good coil control while keeping the coil very close to the targets. If I lifted the coil more than an inch above the zinc penny it was completely masked in both modes. Sensitivity adjustments made no difference. Jewelry mode failed. This masking remained until the space between the zinc penny and nails was widened to 1 1/2". At this amount of target separation the 340 could easily detect the zinc penny all the way to 3" height in all three modes. With targets separated 2" or more there was no problem at all I tried this same test with aluminum shards, pull tabs and other coins with similar results. With pull tabs and similar sized and shaped can slaw there was barely a hint of the penny unless the coil was within 1" of the targets in any mode. Coin mode seemed to be the best with Jewelry the worst. Separating the aluminum from the zinc penny by 1 1/2" or more alleviated the masking. I put a US nickel on the right of the penny and a US quarter on the left and spaced them 1/2" apart. In Coin mode these targets sounded awful with broken sputtering audio and wildly fluctuating numerical target ID. In All Metals accepted these targets produced negative and positive numbers and iron audio, medium and high tone responses almost like iron falsing. To be honest, if hadn't known what these targets were I would have guessed a rusty tin can, rusty iron or a rusty crown bottle cap. Moving the coins apart so that the spacing was 1 1/2" made them clearly identifiable with no nulling or iron responses. The left outer edge of the V10 coil was able to separate these targets at 1/2" if I tilted the coil and moved it very slightly. Otherwise, it was a mess. So target separation/recovery speed on the Vanquish 340 is definitely not as good as on the Equinox nor should it be for $199. So, when I'm using this detector or letting a family member or friend use it I will have to remember this and investigate any close to the surface targets that seem larger than normal and that sound like rusty iron in All Metals mode and nulling/falsing iron if the Vanquish is in Coin or Jewelry. Could be multiple close spaced targets like a coin spill. Jeff
    1 point
  45. I would appreciate any help identifying these items. The top item is heavy bronze and appears to be a buckle of some type. Looks as if it would have been riveted to leather. The middle item I have found several of. One on a Civil War campsite with two lengths of chain attached to each link. Appear to be a combination of iron links and a lead or pewter disc. The bottom item I also have found on several occasions. Has a small lever looking attached part. All were found on an old plantation site along with some Civil War relics. Thanks!
    1 point
  46. Hi everyone, I'm new to metal detecting and I just ordered a Whites 24k. My question is does the IP54 rating mean I can detect in the rain without worry? I've seen the technical definition but wanted to know what that means in practice using the detector in the field? Thanks for this forum, I have learned a heck of a lot. I found a little gold in an old hydraulic pit with hand tools and I'm hoping the 24k will help me cherry pick and save my back!
    1 point
  47. My three favorite finds of 2019 are a US civil war belt buckle, what I believe to be a US civil war bridal rosette, and a 1776 Spanish 1 reale coin.
    1 point
  48. I try not to think about my finds off setting the cost of my detectors. I love detecting too much and especially my Equinox 600 and 800, my XP ORX and my modded TDI SL. I purchased all but the TDI SL new, and got the TDI for less than $400 and purchased all of them since January of 2018 so roughly $2500. I keep good records of finds and hours in a journal, so just for fun, in 2018 my clad total for the year was $288 (mostly after getting the Nox 600) and jewelry melt value was $625. My totals for 2019 were, clad $581, gold nuggets and flakes $530 melt value, and jewelry $915 melt value. Total from January 2018 through December of 2019 is $2939. So, technically my detectors and extra coils are paid for in material terms.I don't need that kind of justification to enjoy this hobby. My love for this hobby is totally priceless....... To me, using these great detectors and finding anything is what is so rewarding. The fact that I can find enough to actually add up to something tangible is pretty amazing. I gladly volunteer at my expense to detect for university archeology departments, historical societies, State Park lake lead removal, municipal governments and law enforcement for free, with pleasure. Like Chase earlier, it is not about the money for me. I'm retired and I metal detect for exercise, love of the outdoors, solitude and/or working with a team, skill development and for the thrill of it. When my body won't let me do this anymore I will still have countless wonderful memories. Jeff
    1 point
  49. That’s some good news! 👍🏼 If there is any area in metal detecting that needs the “Nokta/Makro touch” it is pulse induction.
    1 point
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