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Showing content with the highest reputation on 05/01/2021 in all areas

  1. I like detecting for a variety of gold and really enjoy finding the stuff many higher end detectors can't see. I don't know yet, but feel the extra capabilities of the GPX-6000 will open up some of these areas I hunt with the VLF's to get even more of the gold and at greater depths or in worse soil conditions. As long as I am getting more gold, I'm happy. Will the new GPX-6000 see this kind of gold or act like all other PI's and the ZED and not see at all? I recently recovered this 4.2 gram speci with the EQ-800 while running the new CoilTek NOX 15" round. My goal was to find a piece of gold with the 15" and I met that goal. Part of some other testing back at base proved why I still like to take 2 detector technologies in the field. This particular beauty was found right in the middle of a GPZ-7000 grid area, along with 4 others while using different coils on the EQ-800. All 5 pieces specimens have visible gold and a couple how quite a bit, but to the point. The reason I found them in that gridded area, is because the GPZ-7000 does not respond or on a couple right near 1" and that's it. I teach folks this in my classes, as well as try to educate others on the goods and the bads of different detectors and technologies. Sometimes I get detectorists who are good hunters with their detectors and have success, tell me I'm full of BS and their detector will find it. I made a post on my FB (Gerry McMullen) and shared a pic of the find along with the true comments of, the GPZ will not see it. Between the private messages and or public posts, I was immediately informed by a few of BS and even told how I must not know the GPZ-7000. One well known GP-3500 hunter even said he guaranteed his 3500 would hear it. I know gold detectors and I know how to find gold with a variety of gold machines. No I am not the best, but I most certainly can hold my own and I learn to adapt really fast to a new area. Traveling to different states and countries to hunt for and find many different kinds of gold has helped elevate my detector knowledge and skill of many models of detectors and the differing Au rocks I have collected. So here is hoping the GPX-6000 with it's GeoSensing can respond to this little beauty. If it does, I know of some areas I'll be swinging the 6000. If it is like the GP-3500, the GPX-5000 and the GPZ-7000 and misses it, that fine too, I know what they can't see and realize it, I will also know where not to use the 6000. Bottom line for everyone. Please learn the kinds of gold your detector is good at finding and what it is not, so you aren't wasting time in those areas. Or be sure you have at least 2 different detector technologies.
    16 points
  2. Got out this morning for a 3+ hour all water hunt. Targets were few and far between but the 14K, 9.4 gram gold ring couldn't hide from the AQ. All settings were at preset except the delay which I ran around 10. I hunt in all metal and some of the iron was questionable with double blips but I dig it all anyway. The ring was down a couple of deep scoops but was very loud and repeatable. The open .925 silver earring gave a broken signal. Thanks for looking. Bob K
    9 points
  3. Another lovely day here, winds at 30 with gusts to 45. It was sunny and fairly warm so I got a quick hunt in on the hill behind my house, I am now calling it Mason Jar Hill because I have found about 50 mason jar lids there, I think it was a dump. It was bush hogged recently giving me an opportunity to search it more. I don't keep any of the lids, they are all rusty and corroded. I doubt anyone would care. I was only there about an hour before I got tired of the wind and the deer flies. Usually deer flies are suppressed by the wind but lucky me, not today! There were some spots on the hill that were out of the wind. Finds: Nice green 3oz jar, I think I damaged it digging for whatever else I was after. Heavy glass. Mangled token marked "Good for 50¢ in merchandise", sadly the vendor could not be read on the back. Old zipper pull, 1919 wheat, and a piece of decorative metal. Here is what the jar is, I found it. Got a lot more to do here, it's only about a half acre but it's all hill. Trash was mostly handgun bullet shells and the ever present Mason jar lids. The lids ID from 21-32, so I have to dig them all. 😵
    6 points
  4. I have been using a 15 inch x coil for over a year in WA. I went back to all my old patches and was thrilled with the results. Not only could I hear new targets but they were often clear loud signals on area’s I gridded. I became aware of issues from a couple of prospectors in the Pilbara that blew their boards but so far so good for me. I would sometimes have issues were the machine would start generating false signals especially under trees and I would have to turn off the machine for a while. This sometimes helped and sometimes didn’t. Eventually I discovered that if I ran her on semi ground balance I no longer had any issues. I also use electrical tape on the patch lead connector to stop it from coming loose. This is my first post though I’ve been following for years, cheers
    5 points
  5. The other day I went down to the beach with a friend to kill some time with the detector. I didn't find anything great. Just a several coins. Jokingly I said to my friend "THIS IS A TOP POCKET FIND" and put it in there. Well as we were walking home It got very hot/muggy so I took my shirt off. When I got home and went to take the coins out of my shirt pocket. They weren't there. Well today I went back to the same beach and found 1 of the coins. There should be several more in the same area so I'm going to try to find them with the MD tomorrow. Lesson learned: DON'T PUT YOUR FINDS IN YOUR TOP POCKET UNLESS IT IS SECURED
    4 points
  6. Cobill- Glad you and many others enjoyed that reading lesson I posted over the winter. It's not that I don't enjoy selling bigger higher end detectors (in fact I do), but it's the VLF's that will keep on giving on a variety of gold the other PI's and ZED just can't see. I don't make this stuff up, it's facts that I can easily back up and I do it every year. Here is another one I recently posted to FB (Gerry McMullen) that the Gold Monster 1000 recovered in the same gridded site the 7000 already clean out. In fact the guy wish the 7 was there and showed me where to go with the Monster, He was so stunned the 7 missed it, he took the nugget and played with his 7 for 30 minutes trying to get the detector to respond. Nothing, not a peep. So what do you think he did next? Be pissed off the 7 did not see it and a handful other others? Or think positive and realize there is a need for a VLF, which he purchased that same day before I left. Now he too is a beleiver and have showed me many ounces of Au he's recovered with his Monster and now Equinox-800, that his 7000 can not see. At least he realized the importance to own both and that a real gold hunter does not like to leave gold. This is a nice collectors specimen and the one his ZED does not see/hear at all, even in air. It The Gold Monster 1000 earned it's bacon on that day. Below is the 32 gram = 1.03 ozt piece so many bigger detectors can not see.
    4 points
  7. Interesting morning chaining....4 little bits....they are getting smaller as i move down.... Love this machine. Easy to use, easy to swing. EMI certainly effects it when you crank the sensitivity up. Managed to stay about half way today. Still screams on these small bits, but much less erratic threshold. None of these were deep, but just down from these theres a patch of deep looking clay. The 19" will get put over that. Back tomorrow to chain the top part of the patch!
    4 points
  8. Hey Guys, I think training on some units is important. I'm not a huge fan saying that training is essential or important on something like a Minelab Gold Monster 1000. This unit was originally designed to be used by people that couldn't even read/write, so it has to be super user friendly and easy to use. I think training on many detectors like the higher end PI's and such are important and will speed up your success, but also just as important is understanding where to prospect, what to look for and various "gold" indicators. Sometimes, this could be more important, being in the right spot where nuggets are, rather than being in a spot that don't have gold and being an expert user. To learn your detectors ins/outs in a parking lot or front of someone's house is not the same as a dealer taking you out to the goldfields, showing you the ground, the color of mineralization, types of hotrocks, geological indications and such. Many dealers advertise "Training," but it's what I call backyard training. It's not in the goldfields and really don't benefit you as much in my opinion. Another important factor on training which you should inquire about is - "How much one on one time do you actually get?" To go out with a dealer and there are a dozen other guys trying to get the same training is not the same as one on one in my opinion. I prefer to keep my groups smaller, allowing me and the customer to have more time together and for questions. Many dealers like Gerry and I also use multi field trainers, so you get a different view or perspective from other experienced users, rather than just one. Overall, some training is probably better than no training at all. Do your research and see what is the best fit for you. Some customers of mine have done training with other dealers along with myself to get even more information which could benefit them. Wishing you Golden success! Rob
    4 points
  9. Gerry, FB is full of haters and that is why I just posted your excellent article and told them "Class is in session".
    3 points
  10. Yes the secure top pocket is the best choice ! Something heavy nylon with a zipper is in style on the better beaches these days ! LOL I use an old case from a Canon point and shoot I found ,,,,on a beach ! (minus the camera unfortunately) the mesh bottom mod is a winner too .....
    3 points
  11. There should be more bottles there. If you make a ground probe you can feel out spots where there might be a concentration. Maybe nothing real old but still interesting & fun.
    3 points
  12. Welcome AU, Your new 1 ton 4x4 should do a fine job of getting you around! And welcome to the retirement ranks ; soon! Sounds like good times are in your future!! Be safe in your travels! Don't forget to post some pics!👍👍
    3 points
  13. Hello Arch, Like many of us, I'm happy you came back to detecting! Nothing else like it!! Those machines should still find the good stuff!!👍👍
    3 points
  14. Welcome PH69, You made it this far, Don't be shy. Tell us a little more about yourself and what you use and detect for most of the time. DP is a great site and full of some awesome people. I'm sure all of us want to see your tag name more than just once or twice. Pretty sure you made a great choice with the forum and certainly I'm looking forward to your questions and posts.
    3 points
  15. Welcome and I will be looking forward to reading about your adventures in the near future. Please post some of the pictures of your finds and places that you have been for some of us who can't get out that way.
    3 points
  16. Just got this machine, so i just wanted to take it out in the yard i have hunted for 4 weeks with the XP ORXand DEUS , after digging some tabs , which amazed me as i had been over this spot , and not just one but 6 targets i missed then i find the sterling Military pendant at 7" deep . I did not dig one Iron item, but i could hear iron . all i can say is this machine is different and its good ,very good . in 5 minutes this machine pulled out the 1st silver from this site.
    2 points
  17. I use both depending on the weather, during testing I used wired headphones a lot for continuity when making calls on audio ect (full BT operation did not happen till much later in the build/development cycle), but personally prefer a speaker for our climate. I now use the Avantree Rx APTX BT unit just like a WM12 dongle, they come supplied with a lead with a 3.5 mm plug each end and I just add a 6.35 mm adapter to go to the booster input socket. Currently I’ve just been putting the booster in my shirt pocket along with the BT Rx unit and then out to a single GME speaker in my other pocket or clipped to the cross over chest strap if I’m wearing my camelback. IMHO there is really no need for two speakers, the audio on the 6000 is pretty powerful as is so a single speaker in the middle of your chest is more than sufficient. There is a blend of volume required to get the audio sounding nice and crisp, usually this requires the 6000 volume to be about 2 or 3 then adjust the booster volume to a level where you can easily hear the threshold, I then run the coil over a small surface target and confirm its not overloading and back off a touch from there if required. This method also works really well with Zero threshold when in the Auto+ mode. I tend to use Steves insane settings methodology when using Auto+ with Zero threshold and crank the volumes to bang on the tiniest of bits, the threshold breaks pretty regularly and becomes a pseudo threshold but wow does it smash those tiny targets, a really brilliant method in saturable twitchy ground that unsettles the 6000. You need to keep on the Quick-Trak button often in this mode, balancing regularly, an OCD approach to forcing the GB is highly recommended. 😝 Note: DO NOT USE the Tx module anywhere near the control box of the 6000, insanity will result through the cursed EMI!! JP
    2 points
  18. Me and a hunting buddy happened upon a CW firing range. We thought, great, we'll dig a few minies and move on. But when we swung it was immediate target after target. A rare unexploited hot spot. Limited only by how fast we could recover the targets. Another buddy made it over to the area coming from a different field and joined in with the Deus. But this was hot Culpeper dirt so I had the advantage with my GPX 4800 PI detector. My other buddy fanned out to look for the likely firing line holding drops and buttons, but no joy. Likely cleaned out by others who were there beforeMe and a hunting buddy happened upon a CW firing range. Anyway, it kind of became an obsession and challenge for me. I would either be continuously recovering a target or checking/confirming one of my buddy's Deus targets. Would the minies dry up or would I drop from exhaustion? The minies won. 81 minies, one button, and 7 hours later, I called it a day with plenty of targets still heard as I walked out of the 20 yard by 20 yard patch. If you did the math, that is one minie recovered on average every 5 minutes. So now I have that out of my system, can take the memory of the day I dug minies at will, and will probably never have a day like that again, which is probably a good thing. P.S. The minies with the star marking in the cavity mean they were manufactured at the Washington Arsenal.
    2 points
  19. Rather have velcro, zippers always jam up from me from the dirt. Half the time I forget to clean off my digger and toss it in the pouch only have to sift out my finds later 🙂
    2 points
  20. That ring is beautiful. Love seeing those in the scoop !!! Drop that ATS back to 6 and be prepared to dig some holes lol. Congradulstions.
    2 points
  21. Have two of the green pouches which came with the ML detectors... and always use one while detecting.
    2 points
  22. Nice looking hunt and some good gold also. What did the shark tooth ring up at, I hope it wasn't a high OUCH.
    2 points
  23. I could not update my old dial phone either. That's because you do not update analog - you rewire it. Updates have only become important now that a detector is actually a complex program running in a microprocessor. I'd no more buy a new model digital detector that can't be updated, as I would buy a cell phone that can't be updated, and for the same reasons. This is not grandpas metal detector. But no worries, just my recommendation, and one I plan to follow personally from here on out. I'm sure lots of low end detectors will continue to be sold without an update function, and that's fine. I really only mean brand new models, which these days are almost sure to need an update at some point.
    2 points
  24. I use the Garrett pouch, or a Calces365 on the beach. The 365 had mesh on the bottom of both pockets to let dirt out. They are both less than $15.
    2 points
  25. No pouch? Kellyco has a pretty cheap mesh pouch. Not the best stitching but with care it will last a while, had mine for a few years now.
    2 points
  26. That's a pretty ring. Nice job getting it! Lucky for you - you only found the tooth and not the shark 😄
    2 points
  27. Nice ring but I really like the Shark tooth.
    2 points
  28. I am currently using a 4500 with the camo 14x9 coiltek elliptical mono. I also have a monster but don't use it much because my buddy uses his monster mostly and it works out good for us to tag team an area.
    2 points
  29. Welcome to the forum, and please share some of your stories with us. What type of equipment are you using and what part of the country are you in ? Good luck and happy hunting!
    2 points
  30. Hope you didn't break a sweat! Welcome!
    2 points
  31. Welcome AUG, Well if gold is what your after, you found the right forum. The gold people here will fill you in on anything your missing or want to know. Check out the DP database for a lot of great info, You will be surprised at how much cool stuff is awaiting your discovery. So glad to have you!!!!
    2 points
  32. Welcome aboard ! I actually saw Purple Haze live in '69 . So 'scuse me while I kiss the sky ! So , now that you've made it to the big time , got any plans ???? Arrrrrrr ya hunting anythin' in particular and where ya wanna be lookin' ? Have ya chosen yer gear yet ?
    2 points
  33. Arch, Glad to have you here and am looking forward to reading about your finds, please post some pictures too. Good luck and happy hunting!
    2 points
  34. I did some quick calculations the other day and to my surprise, realised that I have spent over $15,000 buying your awesome metal detectors. I don’t have a problem with that because I hunt the beach and water during the summer and hit the gold fields during the winter. My issue is with the current line up of gold detectors, specifically the pulse induction units which range in price from about $6000 to $10000 dollars. I know you plough a good deal of money into R&D but I feel a lot of your loyal purchasers are being neglected. I remember the days when the SD2100v1 and SD2200v2 detectors were available at a reasonable price as well as the reintroduction of the GPX4500 ( but I suspect as a reaction to perceived competition). These units were available alongside your official top of the line detectors so that Mr Average could afford a high performance detector. What has happened to your ability to still offer affordable pulse machines and not have to remortgage the family home? Mr Minelab......or is it Mr Codan.......your business model is sure keeping your stockholders happy but it is a far cry from how things used to be. Current new PI units are out of the reach of many users who have supported your company for over 25 years. I could go out tomorrow and buy a new GPX6000 but the reason that I won’t is twofold......my old 2100 and 3500 running both small and large monos perform very well for me AND I don’t want to further encourage Minelabs perception that “if we build it (and sell it for a premium price) they will come”. I fully applaud the GPX6000 platform based upon initial feedback from owners but COME ON..........stop making it an exclusive club !
    1 point
  35. I just want to say , I am not disapointed with the DEUS I really like the deus . great machine but the Tarsacci, goes the extra mile.
    1 point
  36. You know me well Mitchel, Weight and Ergonomics do in fact = more gold for this old Jar-Head.
    1 point
  37. I think this post from JP should answer it: https://www.detectorprospector.com/forums/topic/15854-gpx-6000-vs-gpz-7000-recommendation-for-us-prospectors/?do=findComment&comment=163003
    1 point
  38. Way to go Bob. I know you are glad just to have the machine back and out there in the water. Congrats on that beauty especially right now when things are tuff out there. See ya on the beach buddy
    1 point
  39. I am retiring at the end of August. I will be pulling my 5th wheel around the US hunting nuggets and relics. I have been mostly vacation detecting for a couple of years now. I am really looking forward to doing A LOT more of it with way better equipment. I have met a lot of other detectorists out there and what I'm looking most forward to is making friends with more of you. I get a lot of enjoyment from sitting around the campfire swapping stories, getting to know people and absorbing some of the vast knowledge of how and where to hunt. I hope to see y'all down the road!
    1 point
  40. I could be wrong but I think when you change modes it might change how much emphasis or bias is used in frequency ranges ie beach would favor low frequencies and Gold would lean towards the high frequency. Just a hunch as ML likes to keep secrets.
    1 point
  41. If using a Bluetooth receiver of some description (APTX Low Latency of course) do you then need a booster of some description or will the receiver run a speaker directly? My guess is you need the booster to 'drive' the speaker? Electronics are not my strong point! 🤪 JP - personally do you use a B&Z/speaker arrangement with the 6000 or just plug in wired headphones? The B&Z to give extra volume seems redundant as the 6000 has plenty of volume? OR, as with the GPZ, is there some benefit to running audio controls lower on the 6000 to maintain a stable machine and then boost the audio after it has left the detector? Cheers, N.E.
    1 point
  42. I agree wholeheartedly, and thanks (sincerely) for this advice and others you've given. We all have prejudices (not necessarily a negative word, as it's typically portrayed), some positive and others not so. We are all products of our past as well as limited by our raw capabilities. Site, detectorist, detector -- in that order. Most important (for everyone, IMO): find good/better sites. Next in importance, improve your detecting skills. The right detector is important, too, but how one defines 'right' is as varied and the sites and detectorists.
    1 point
  43. Likely that is as unusual/difficult of a find as a USA 20-Cent piece, particularly because it was found here in the USA. I realize Canada isn't far from you and that the closer to the border the more likely to find Canadian coins. But their 20-Cent pieces weren't popular or common, either, AFAIK. Sounds like you have quite the group of detecting friends up there in your area. Nice that you share the experience so generously. "...In Vegas for business..." -- I've used that excuse on more than one occasion, too. 😏
    1 point
  44. Dancer - not ignorance, I think you are just missing the point a little. The statement you made below in a previous post is a great example. First of all - there is a self contradiction here - if they did NEED some tweaking, then having a software updateable machine would avoid the need to send it back in for tweaking. In other words, by placing the two sentences above back-to-back you unwittingly backed up Steve's point. But more to the point, I think you are not differentiating between updates required to fix a defect and updates that improve the detector's capabilities. While it is true that updates are often thought of as merely fixing flaws, that is not the only reason to update a machine. Updates to digital machines can also bring on board new features, capabilities, and improved performance and that is key. Take the Equinox for example. The latest two Equinox updates may have contained some "bug fixes" under the hood, but primarily they added additional capabilities to the Equinox including improved iron bias and added a new low frequency mode to improve depth when hunting specifically for high conductive or large targets. So as Monte said previously, having the ability to self update your machine avoids the need to send the machine in for tweaks, bug fixes, or to gain new features. Steve's "just say no" to non-updateable machines was directed primarily at First Texas who seems to be the one remaining large detector manufacturer that does not provide machines with with field update capabilities and still requires them to be sent back to the factory for updates and/or charges for updates that add new features. Nokta, XP, Minelab, and now Garrett have all gotten on board the update train which is really the expectation of todays technology consumers where phones, computers, and even cars are able to be updated in the field. The one machine that has me scratching my heads is that Tarsacci (I own one) that despite being an advanced design, does not appear to be field updateable (the designer having once worked for First Texas may have something to do with it, but I doubt it). That being said, it does not appear that software tweaks have been needed for Tarsacci which is a testament to the "first time quality" and out of the box capability of his machine. Regarding your ACE 250 comment, that is fundamentally true - for 95% of detectorists and situations the ACE will do just fine and for the army of clad hunters out there, it will scratch their itch just fine and is still capable of finding significant treasure, jewelry, and relics merely by swinging it at a decent site (probably the most important ingredient for detecting success) and provided you simply get the coil over the target. But old targets and natural gold do not get refreshed, clad is drying up as the cashless society progresses, and COVID has really taken a dent out of fresh jewelry drops at beaches and parks over the past year. I believe the majority significant treasure now lies not at great depths but is buried untouched amongst the trash at relatively shallow depths because older machines just nulled out under those conditions. Depth is not as important as speed and the ability to pick shallower targets out of thick ferrous and non-ferrous trash. That is where the modern mainstream (Equinox/Apex/Simplex/Vanquish) and niche (Tarsacci/Deus) machines come in to play with high recovery speeds, mutifrequency capabilies for salt and iron (more on that below), ability to have expressive audio that differentiates ferrous and non-ferrous targets well (Deus), and superior mineralized dirt handling (Tarsacci/Deus/Equinox). What is so great about multifrequency? Some target interrogation, salt cancellation, and signal processing features can be optimally implemented if the machine is using simultaneous multifrequency signal processing because targets of different conductivities respond differently to different operating frequencies. Put simply, if you hit that target with multiple frequencies you can gain more target information in real time based on how the target responds to the different frequencies which enables better iron detection and better salt signal cancellation - that is why vlf multifrequency machines tend to do better than single frequency machines at the beach. The notable exception being the Tarsacci which uses a special single frequency signal processing methodology to balance out the salt signal. Anyway, it is always easy to make statements like "my old machine did just fine". And like I said, for many, many, detecting situations you can almost get away literally with a pinpointer on a stick and do just fine. But my ability to recently pick out an old Capped Bust dime in the hotest of hot dirt at a pounded site, 81 minie balls out of a patch of highly mineralized ground, and my first gold coin floating in a sea of iron nails and can slaw, really benefitted from using machines with special capabilities and state of the art technologies. I can almost guarantee that I would not have the same success in those situations if I was swinging an ACE 250. HTH HH.
    1 point
  45. Welcome, looking forward to your finds.
    1 point
  46. Wewlcome aboard ! All that and more right here...
    1 point
  47. Welcome, this is definately a good place to be.
    1 point
  48. Biggoldnug, Welcome There are several Southern California members here. Some of us are like you in that we hunt the beaches and the mountains. Mitchel
    1 point
  49. Actually I mainly used my Equinox in Multi, this for max depth on small and big targets on low/medium iron trashed areas . Monofreq I already have a Deus HF that can run from 14 to 50khz , which is 500grams lighter than the Equinox a huge difference in terms of ergonomy. So I have no real interest using an Equinox running in monofreq for what I am doing . Yes I have tested faster recovery speeds on the Equinox , but even at 7 or 8 it is outperformed ( for me ) by a Deus/Orx running at 30or 50khz on my very high iron trashed areas ,typically European nail carpets which are very specific and cannot be found elsewhere in the world I think , not at this iron density level anyway ... Concerning the Deus/ORX and Tesoros I was thinking to the Lobo ( called Redoutable in France ) which is a very fast detector . But there are other examples , Teknetics like the T2 are G2 are also fast detectors which work very well over here . Also it is not only a matter of recovery speed but also of iron filtering . On ultra trashy areas a Deus is almost silent and only beeps on good targets , like a Tesoro Lobo or Teknetics T2 , it is really impressive... If I use a ML multifreq like the Equinox or the Vanquish at the same place it is an other story they are very chatty ... So usually I use the Deus for high iron trash areas and my Vanquish for lower ones , but I like the Vanquish and I also use it on very trashy areas , as I have years of experience with the ML multifreqs "fluted" tones . My second detector was an Explorer XS that I bought in 2001 , a few years ago ... 🙂 My Explorer XS , north east of France . Summer 2004
    1 point
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