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I like a bit of a challenge and, during the recent lockdown here in Oz, I decided to tune my Nox 800 to hunting just threepences. For those who don't know, a threepence used to be Australia's smallest silver coin before converting to decimal currency in 1966. They weigh about 1.3 grams and are 16mm in diameter. Once free to roam, i went to an old goldfield that lasted from 1855 to the late 1930's. There were a couple of old homesteads in the area that lasted until the mid 1970's. I figured i had pretty well worked out the best settings for the coin and was pleased that, after a full day's hunt, I detected 14 of the little beggars. I didn't get back to put in other hunt for larger coins as it persistently rained for the next three days and I was lucky to get my vehicle and caravan out through the resulting boggy bush tracks. Still, I have narrowed down several old homesites and, what I believe was, an old pub site. Now for another leave pass from the Minister for War.

The handle on my trusty old stainless steel scoop finally broke. The scoop is fine, but the handle is a custom curved 7/8" aluminum tube. I made a trip to Home Depot - nothing like that in stock. Looked at a piece on Amazon - shipping is killer on stuff 40" long. It was going to be like $50 delivered. I figured I could find something locally for less, but did not want to bother with it at the moment. I decided that I had $50 I might want to spend on a new scoop instead. Has to be stainless steel, and my new criteria is that I want to be able to bolt any straight handle on it that I want - wood, metal, fiberglass, whatever. I've looked at highly recommended scoops like the Stealth 720, but I have to admit $250 seems a bit much for a scoop to me. A bit of Googling and I saw one that looked fine, and the price was more to my liking. The $99.95 Scoopal Sand Scoop. I had a 10% off coupon from Serious Detecting, and after free shipping this scoop showed up in two days for $89.95, U-bolts included. I like that! It is well built, looks plenty stout enough to me. I happened to have an old wood handle already in my pile of pick parts, and so I bolted it on. The scoop has been on two outings so far, and I am quite happy with it. The holes are a little smaller than my old scoop, so it gathers more gravel, but is also way easier to recover tiny stuff like .22 shell casings that slipped through the old scoop. Anyway, if you are looking for a scoop without spending the big bucks this scoop is worth a look. I have zero regrets on this purchase.

Well, here is a real world scenario. I have a area that obviously has old stuff, but lots of junk that is probably hiding some good stuff. I'd like to just go in and dig everything. I'm thinking a small coil would be best on the first go for easier pinpointing and recovery. Then when the area goes quiet, come back with the big coil and go for the deep stuff.

Sure, but not criminal. if they failed to live up to the warranty, you could take them to court. Of course, it would be a "losing money" proposition, given what attorneys charge...LOL I think they still have a lot of unsold inventory. If word got out that the warranty was no good, it would really devalue that inventory. but mostly, I think they're doing the warranty work because they're decent people. It's the culture of the company, and always has been. That's the saddest thing about the closing....we lose that great culture. Jim

Above being said.................. the one problem I have with the "AQ" it's audio blasts when I move the detector to the side to dig and there is another shallow target under/near the coil........ I mean it is loud, and since I use the head phones I make (skullies) which the DB rating (sound level) is 15 plus over anything out there..............I get blasted if the "AQ" comes near the scoop, moving it a side to dig.... hitting another target..Or the AQ going back into the water......Not complaining, just one of my things that I've not seen anyone else talk of.... that I can fix..while I am making a battery for it. IP68, Bulgin On/Off...

Due to the high danger in entering the house with grains of sand and rusty materials when my woman is there, I keep my buttocks safe leaving any find that is not gold outside in the garden, inside a basket ... I do not remember how many hunts ago I left this pendant and other coins in the basket, perhaps distracted by the rings, much heavier ... Also it is rare to see pendants with red paint ... It seemed like costume jewelry. Anyway with my daughter yesterday afternoon, we rummaged in the basket and I showed her how many coins that I discard can return as new with a bit of hard work .. She immediately noticed and took the little heart and asked me if she could keep it ... I was surprised by the color, which I neglected to check well and with a lens I searched for the title engraving .. With great surprise this 2.3g pendant is 18K and at the current price it is a find of respect! I explained to my daughter that she will have a prize for this discovery, because I don't want her to wear gold at the age of 6 ... I was about to throw a good part of everything I collect and leave only coins to clean up and she saved something that I had not even noticed that I had recovered ... For the record, like an idiot I lost today's hunting session sleeping till late, after more than two weeks of decent waves stop and only 24 hours available before other waves arrive ... Too much wine and roasted meat last night ... Damned Italy

In the VLF world, it is generally admitted that the maximum detection depth is directly proportional to the coil diameter. It is evaluated at a depth about equivalent to the diameter for a concentric coil. In the PI world, the equation is probably different but still directly proportional for the same target size, shape and material. The detection range is a cone sticking out under the coil. A large coil generates a longer (thus, deeper) cone but its tip is also larger making the pinpointing more difficult. A smaller coil is better adapted for highly ferrous-polluted ground because its more precise detection cone Real experiments in real ground and sea water will tell.

Yes, I use headphones with my hearing aids. My audiologist says that I have a profound hearing loss and have found that over the ears give me the best results with my behind the ear hearing aids. The molded silicone ear pieces are more forgiving and I get less feedback with them. If you have any specific questions, I will be happy to answer them if I can. Norm

Minelab has five key products under development. It should be a pretty good bet that with the CTX 3030 being so old it does not even appear on the timeline below, that a product refresh is in the works. We also all know Multi-IQ was a big success. And one thing I know about Minelab, is the V2 version of anything is the one to die for. They usually come out with something totally new as proof of concept, and then the next version or two refines that into everything it really can be. The main question I have is the hardware. Will the new model still use the existing CTX housing? It’s a little heavy, but well balanced, and does allow for much more battery capacity. Or do they use the Equinox design? Hard to imagine in an upscale model, so I’d kind of doubt that. Something brand new, with the best features of CTX, but lighter weight? A new design would help keep the price down, which is a key now if you really want a best seller. New Minelab Ultimate The most requested thing in Equinox is more target range, so mating a CTX type display with Multi-IQ would seem a bit of a no-brainer. All I know is that if a Minelab can successfully put the best of CTX and Equinox together in a single detector, something that would make owners of either of those detectors want one, it could be another major home run for Minelab. And yes, it is the next detector that I personally am waiting for, now that I finally got an Impulse in my hands. Well, and whatever follows the GPZ 7000. Impulse plus CTX replacement plus GPZ follow up is what I’m shooting for as my future personal lineup.

I was able to get back to the lake this morning before the crowd took over. Took me about an hour in the water, to hit the wedding band in knee deep water. I don't recall what it read, but, out of the water it hit at 5, weighs a whopping 3 grams, 14K. It says wedlock on the inside. The inner layer looks to be white gold, with an overlay of yellow on the outside. The 8000 seems to run smoother with black sand and salt on for some reason, this is a fresh water lake btw. My settings were: -30 disc -2 Threshold 7-Sensitivity Manual GB at 638 12 Khz Salinity at 28

Yes, fixes were applied as issues arose, and a GMX would have all of those. I'd not touch a used first year MX Sport with a ten foot pole.

Smaller coils are easier to swing in water and in rocky grounds. It also better picks up the small targets and is easier to pinpoint. However, the detection depth is indeed reduced. Again, you can not have your cake and eat it.

I can tell you that the AQ will get a 8" coil. The GOLD will also have one (yet not interchangeable, different number of turn!!) This will possibly be offered as an option to the LTD version as well. There are already a few of them (as prototypes) out in the wild under field testing

Yeah, the DFX is well behaved for a reason. It’s no powerhouse. I’ve found the V3i on the other hand to pull up a good target id at depth as well as anything I have used. The V3i for what it is really is an incredible detector, if you are into settings and customization options. If you can’t program a VCR and don’t read manuals, not so much. When I got the V3i the future was revealed to me as clear as a bell. Electronics as a rule gets smaller and more powerful. V3i was the first true multifrequency with true single frequency options, unlike the DFX with the workarounds employed. The V3i also innovated with integrated wireless. It clearly represented the future of detecting. White’s unfortunately never had the vision to see what the original Vision represented. Obviously the same could be done in a lighter weight package with a simplified interface. I started lobbying for such a machine from the moment I got the Vision/V3i. My idea for a V4 was not an enhanced V3i, but a V3i in a pod with a simplified interface. About a year before the Equinox was introduced I met with Carl Moreland, a key person in getting the V3i to market, and once again described what I thought people really wanted. Multifrequency, plus the ability to choose single frequency, in a light weight detector with a simplified interface. Carl was no longer with White’s at that time, having moved to First Texas. He never got a hint however from me that somebody had listened, and I had a working prototype at home. We all know now what became of that - one of the best selling detectors ever made. White’s had it all first with the V3i, the full recipe. All they had to do was take the proven concept, and bring the design forward into the 21st century. White’s basically showed Minelab what needed to be done, and so Minelab did it instead of White’s. White’s not following up on the V3i will go down as one of the greatest missed opportunities in detecting ever. If you want to learn about metal detecting and how metal detectors work, getting a V3i, reading the manual, using the detector, and reading the manual again, is a college course in metal detecting. The detector is basically a programmable build-your-own-detector kit. You can customize everything. The color screen and customization options for the screen alone could fill a book. The V3i never reached its full potential in my opinion due to the ability to save and exchange programs being deleted from the original game plan. If people had the ability to save programs and trade them on the internet, a programming sub-culture would have developed around the machine. You would have seen some amazing interface customizations. As it developed unfortunately, the only way to trade programs was to fill out a page of settings for somebody, that they could then key in on their V3i. It’s just too much work, and so people focused only on what needed to be employed in the way of tuning to get the job done. If we could export and import programs, there would be a huge library by now, with some pretty crazy stuff. If I could have one wish from White’s or whoever takes over, it would be that they open source everything available on the V3i, so it could be hacked, and program exchange capability possibly added by some intrepid programmer. The machine could have an amazing life still if they just had faith in the magic of open source. Maybe an impossible dream, but it can’t hurt to dream.

I’m glad it sounds like you might be able to get your issue with the 24K addressed Jim. The problem is not whether Whites wants to do warranty or not. The problem, with the factory closed, is parts supply. The number one issue with the MX Sport/GMX housing was pods that cracked and battery compartments that broke. Given these are a new series, and the obvious fact now that White’s was suffering, how deep is the stock of repair parts? You can’t repair a cracked pod if the parts run out. Same thing with bad coils. They are generally replaced, not repaired. Is there a big stock of 6” concentric and 4x6 coils to draw on? I very much doubt it. More likely after a little time passes owners of some of these newer models will find that if parts are needed they are just out of luck. Old models like the MXT, perhaps not so much. That could change if somebody buys White’s and gets back into production while assuming warranty obligations. Even that you never know. Fisher used to have lifetime warranties. When they went under and First Texas bought them, the first thing they did was stop honoring the old warranties. Given the options from companies that are going concerns, there is no way I’d buy a new White’s right now and just assume the warranty is not going to be an issue. I’d at the least be expecting a serious clearance discount price, but bottom line right now is if I personally wanted a new full warranty detector, I’m not interested in a Whites right now any more than I’m interested in a Tesoro.

From your description and black sand magnet results, you could probably do just as well in Park 1 which is actually in the manual as the first choice for freshwater hunting. That is what I use on freshwater lakes in the Denver area and there is plenty of black sand. Jeff

That’s what my magnets looks like after I clean the magnetite off! As has been said before, in locations with heavy concentrations, a single swipe through beach sand will double or triple the size of your magnets as it is totally encased in a spiky ball of magnetite.

With all due respect. That magnet is not holding "black sand" I guess what I am trying to say is, my rare earth magnet grows 2 plus times the size when there is true black sand around. Dave

I then tried gold 2 mode with no iron bias ,recovery 4 and sens. at 21 in multi and it pounded it with 4 inches at least to spare with solid 1-2 id. if you raised coil you would get a lot more iron id but still a nice zip sound.I would dig this for sure. At 40kz at 24 sens. it pounded it to but with 20-32 solid id numbers which is a up average.I would dig this too.I could raise coil and still get nice zip sound.20 kz.was nice but weaker but with very high up average numbers.I probably would dig this to if I had energy.

The green is what makes this a real copper nugget, not a fake. It’s just a corrosion layer. To build up that thick, it implies the nugget was in the ground for a very long time. Like thousands or tens of thousands of years or more. A man made copper nugget, just like a copper coin, would have no more than a thin green patina. When I was panning copper nuggets at Dan Creek, it was easy to eyeball them in a gully. You don’t look for copper, you look for bright green nuggets. They stick out like a sore thumb in dark soil.

Got a message while I was out of touch in Nevada. Holly? said they were reopening their Oregon repair center for 3 or 4 weeks. She said they'd take care of my GM24K problem, under warranty. Best news I've had since Tuesday Morning...LOL Jim

I buried my 1.2 ounce 14k yellow gold chain at measured 10" in very wet dirt and tried pk1 sens.21 50 tone recovery 4 and F2-7 which I never use in turf and a got a soft but not bad signal with mostly a 2id with almost no iron id showing up.i would dig this if I was going for chains. That is more then I expected for park 1 with high iron bias.This is the limit for this target for a signal you would dig on target information.

At least they keep in contact with their customers and didn't just close the doors and tell everyone to go home without warning.

My answer wasn't based on the GMX, Steve. That's why I rarely answer hypothetical questions. I know zip about the GMX, or any other "waterproof" detectors. Don't use 'em. You are correct about the lack of parts. I'm concerned about that with my coil issue. On the other hand, I've done so well with the used Whites detectors I've bought that I don't worry about failures very much. But, that's my choice. No way I would tell anybody else which detector to buy. I try hard to avoid those discussions. Jim

If Minelab pulled this off and actually did it right, I think a new name would be in order - the Minelab Ultimate!

Yes.......... I would be giving up some, my guess is about 4 inch's but the amount of noise from a small coil would be so much less in the rough salt water it will make a huge difference. So you figure I get 19/20 on a nickel...it would go to 14/15..but then again we are in un-charter territory........... could be better.

Maybe Minelab can consider people taller than 5'10" metal detect. 😏 I hope they have learned quality issues effect everyone? Will be interesting!

This looks like a decent description of serpentine asbestos. It's certainly important from a safety standpoint to take hazards seriously. However, like any hazardous material, it's the amount of exposure, and to a lesser extent, how that exposure is spread over time. From the article: Heavy and frequent occupational exposures are more likely to cause disease than are nonoccupational exposures; however, a lifetime of exposure to low levels is also recognized as a potential hazard. It's good that you've become aware of the hazards of handling serpentine, and your activity around it going forward should be one of caution. However, if I were you, I wouldn't fret about a few hours spent collecting panable material in the conditions you describe. Easy for me to say, but I've been in related situations with regards to ionizing radiation. Knowledge is your first and most important line of defense. All others follow from there.

Where I'm from those are called garages.

Why is Paul Hogan (Crocodile Dundee) entering my mind? "(chuckle) That's not black sand." "That's black sand!"

Probably not. I was just thinking (possibly incorrectly) that it would go deeper for the targets I'm after. Hunting with the Eqx and 12"x15" coil makes the most sense if I need more depth than the 11" coil. The latter is my go-to coil by far and that's what will get the first chance. When I did my survey hunt, I was finding moderatly large (aluminum can sized) targets which I think were from the original (pre-backfill) topography. Those were 6-12 inches deep (from memory), which means if coins mimic that I'll have a chance. More investigation needed, but that will have to await cooler weather (including less direct sunlight). October-November has had great conditions around here lately, and even December. I'd rather wear multi-layers of clothing for a hunt than one layer sweat!

Might be the wrong way to set the audio and not only this thing...But I managed to keep a softer target response maxing 70%the treshold and reducing a lot the volume knob...Seems like the audio amplifier react a lot less in this way...leaving the higher treshold is much easier to balance your audio boost needs...Try it in an air test and see what I mean...

It's the shallow targets that get me, and I guess you would say its a combination of the headset I use and the AQ's steroids volume. I use the same set of head phones with my excalibur and it is noisy also but not as intense. I'm very surprised no one else has had the issue of setting the coil to the side when they dig and getting blasted by a stray shallow target. I'll go thru my hunt the other day and see if I can find what I am talking about. I did consider what Cliff had mentioned, the volume adjustment but then you loose the faint signals. Give me a few hours and I'll get a video up...

With the red batteries........ no...they can come out and will be put on a charger then another set dropped in... the other 4s2p yes

I got out for two fun hunts and didn’t go home empty handed this time. The first hunt yielded all the older coins and the junk ring. My hunt today yielded a couple clad coins and a 3.2 gram 14k cross. Good luck and stay safe.

I tried the GMX with the 6' concentric on this target with the usual sens.10, boost 2 and I got a nice soft sound at all angles with the target better or worse depending on my timing and coil control. Most times I can lift the coil an inch and still get this target.The id was mostly 00 or 99 which are wrap around numbers.If I had my gmx it would be it in a good location where I planned to dig a lot so I would probably dig this signal as long as I still had energy.

A good video and well earned nugget. There is still a lot of gold in Victoria but I didn't find much when I was there. The Aussie Gold Hunters found a patch of very nice nuggets. Mitchel

I have never relied on Equinox iron bias for crown caps. In my experience dealing with crown caps at the beach with the Nox, crown caps do give primarily high tones, so those less adept at picking up the telltale clues are often fooled. Specifically, they give notoriously unstable target ID readings and marked iron grunts off the coil edge when in AM. They are pretty easy to ID in that manner and I will usually move on without bothering to even scoop them to be certain. I have no reason to believe that the Vanquish would not behave similarly.

I generally don't answer hypothetical questions, but if what you're really asking is "do I trust Whites to take care of their warranty issues?" yes I do. And were I in the market, I'd buy one of their remaining detectors. Jim

Thanks Willy, Sorry if I was tough in anyway. I get fired up thinking about this stuff and want to start chopping things up and making changes. Everyone see's things different and being a hunter that is out there I see things that work for me, but have to understand everyone has different views and needs. Thanks for being here and helping as much as you can...Very Appreciated.

Was out there today for the first time since late June. There are a lot of places to hunt there and right now I'm combining two requirements: being in the shade, and far from other people (minimum of 30 feet even from walking paths; definitely not near picnickers, sun-bathers, etc. who stay in one place). I did re-investigate the area we discussed as having been stripped (leaving piles) and backfilled. My conclusion now is that it was not stripped but it was backfilled. I''ve not yet determined how much backfill. That particuar area is not in the shade so I'm going to wait until fall & winter to get serious hunting there. I may need to break out the TDI (hopefully I can get away with ground balance off). Might also be a good place to use the Equinox 12"x15" and run in Gold/Prospecting mode. A lot will depend upon how much trash I'm willing to dig. I gotta think there are deep coins under the backfill. Some of the other areas he told me about are in the heavy growth, and the old paths are frequented by hikers so can't "social distance" right now. Today I found 5 Jeffies (don't know the dates, so fingers crossed), one Wheatie, and ~50 cents of misc. clad, copper Memorials, and Zincolns. Probably can get back there early mornings the beginning of this week (but not tomorrow) before the heat & humidity return with a vengeance.

2Valen I’ve been with Whites so long it’s like loosing a family member. I too hope they are willing to give their business another try . Chuck

Since no one picked a 9 inch............... I'll call out for that, but at this point I'll take a 8--9---------10 is pushing the limit on swinging the coil in the water. I've noticed that it's hard to get the 12.5 up to speed in rougher waters. And with a smaller coil there will be a lot less resistance...........noise.........and better coil control......So 8 or 9 for me...

I agree Jim. I was on the other hand specifically answering the GMX question. I've got three White's detectors right now and am not losing sleep over any of them.

Indeed.

The thing is, they would have nothing to lose. White’s does not sell software, they sell hardware, and this would drive hardware sales. It would never happen with the old White’s, but I’m going to hold just a flicker of hope somebody buys White’s, and has a more open mind as regards such things.

I know people that do. I don’t. With headphones on I can set the volume I need, so I don’t need hearing aids also.

i'm hoping that whitey does have an inventory sale, and that the end user can "catch a break" on the final cost of a new whites! have the m6 in mind. they always wanted more for their equipment...maybe the distributors will drop some money on their inventory. (h.h.!) j.t.

If you don't want to live my same nightmare, try to ask Nenad as I think is the only "authorized" dealer near your area able to sell something of those brands to you...I tried to buy the platypus in the Usa...Nothing...