Steve Herschbach

The shirts are now in stock again. Though now it says "SUCK ROCKS..... with a gold dredge" to make it generic to all brands. I was just up at the new mining store and am happy to report they just broke a million dollars in sales for their first year, and actually turned a profit even with all the startup expenditures, both items exceeding our expectations. I'm working on a new catalog website for them right now, but it will be an ongoing project to add product and photos for the next few months. The main issue being good photos, as for a lot of our stuff there are only poor ones or none to be snagged on the internet. I may have to go up again just to spend a week getting product photos. Anyway, still fleshing out the framework/details and but it is mainly functional at this time at https://miningsuperstore.com/ We might go to direct online sales down the road, but it is not really the main focus, as sales figures with no website at all might reflect. We are adding Gold Claimer brand trommels and such this year, and things like that are not really point and click shopping. But we do want people to be able to see what is on hand more without having to make a drive from Talkeetna or Fairbanks, or flight from Nome, and the catalog site will help with that. The employee owned stores as a whole had record sales and record profits - again. We had a fabulous company breakfast meeting on the last day where Dudley and I announced the big news and handed out the bonuses. Not only did we get a tear jerking standing ovation but the crew gave Dudley and I each a memento. Very satisfying.

The prospects for something that exceeds the GPZ 7000 by as much as it exceeded everything else when it came out are extremely low. The current crop of detectors collectively is hitting a wall for performance regarding attainable depth for various sizes and types of gold. Minelab has done an excellent job of squeezing blood out of that turnip for the last twenty years, but there simply is precious little blood to squeeze now. The best I can see Minelab offering us is 7000 type performance combined with optimized coils to do better on the small gold. A GPZ 8000 that was lighter and with some plug and play X-Coil type options would go over well at the right price. But some new machine that makes the dead patches come alive again like the good old days? I'm not holding my breath at all. The only machine I am still hoping for focuses not on depth but ergonomics and affordability. Something like the Axiom, but at half the price. But that is not going to push performance any farther than we already have, whether it is from Nokta or anyone else. Long winded way of saying it's simply a matter of looking at what is on the market now and deciding what is best for you and the kind of ground you hunt and your budget. GPZ 7000, GPX 6000 and 5000, SDC 2300, and Axiom. Everyone has their favorites for what they do, but ultimately it's you going to have to make the decision based on exactly what opportunities you have available as far as size and type of gold and the exact type of ground it resides in. One machine might be a little better for this, another a little better at that. Only you know the answers to those questions so the most anyone here can do is toss out their favorites, which for some odd reason usually seems to be whatever they are using. I'm using an Axiom as it suits me in general, but from an outright performance perspective I'd say it kind of boils down to a choice between the GPZ 7000 or GPX 6000. GPZ if you lean to large gold at depth, and GPX if you lean to smaller gold.

I understand the reasoning Mark and have no issues with it. It is what it is, and yes, I have done many deals to split the gold with claim owners. Payment of a different kind and point taken. As far as the specimen pictured, open ground. Some of that around, especially out in the desert. But more often than not I’ve split gold with claim owners. I have paid outright to go places like Ganes Creek, but then it is keep all you find, not pay to do it, then pay more if you find something. But again, I knew the rules going in and agreed to them, so no problem there. It just boils down to a five year wait rubbing me the wrong way, and more than just a little. You can probably tell from the original posts I was thrilled with my three trips, and would have been happy to return. The five year wait unfortunately has left a bad taste in my mouth. To each their own, and best of luck on your trips over there if you go again, but I’ll be doing other things in the future.

Welcome. Cut off three inches, redrill lock hole and replace lock pin. or......

That is a very interesting comment, thanks for sharing.

The funding part is if the museum wants the find. In my case they did not, so it ends up me negotiating with the land owner to buy back the item I found. Fair of course but takes some of the shine off finding things when you have to basically buy them. I'm told it's worth more than I paid but not like I'll be selling it. The end result is wait five years to buy something I found, not something I'm used to. The wait is unacceptable in my opinion. Some people on these hunts may not last the five years! They need a prescreening process as many of the items declared treasure everyone knows will get disclaimed, but it goes in the same long line. The worst part is it encourages people to break the law and in the end that probably won't be good for detectorists. Whatever, I won't have to deal with it again as I'd rather look for museum quality gold of another type less than two hours from home than put up with that kind of nonsense. But it was great fun, not just the hunt and the finds, but meeting people like Mindy and you Mark. Local treasure, no wait, no fee. Found this less than two hours from where I sit with a Nokta FORS Gold. 1.83 ounces of California Mother Lode specimen gold

Sorry late to reply, but bottom line is where one set of claims rules (onshore) stops, the other (offshore leases) takes over. There is no magical grey zone in between to take advantage of, unless the area has been specifically set aside, as has been done at Nome. https://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/mining/nome/

What I think is it is super nice you are posting here these days John as things are pretty quiet otherwise. I am in awe of your patience with the fine gold recovery. I think a bottle of super clean fines is not only prettier than some nuggets, but usually also represents more effort. Long story short good on you, thank you, and Merry Christmas!

Very nice job on the setup, I'm glad my info was helpful. You can still find the 5x10 DD and other Infinium coils but it takes looking and probably buying used. These guys show a new one in stock but I'd sure call to confirm that. Probably are some new ones on back shelves at older dealers. Northwest Detector Sales

Hi Mindy, thanks for joining the forum. Hard to believe (for me anyway) it has been over five years now since I made that find and still don't have it back. The first release notice was a mistake that was rescinded in 2019 and then crickets again for years. I was notified again recently that the museums had released it to me and the property owner. I bought out their share and had it mailed to me. No surprise when I got home this weekend from a trip to Alaska and learned now that the thing is stalled in customs so the wait goes on...... 🤷🏼‍♂️ My Celtic gold votive offering / ring money find from 2018 that I may actually see again soon: Celtic gold details - actual age unknown but BC, around 25 to 50 BC if in range of coins found in area, tagged as 1st century BC in the report. Some evidence has them being as old as Bronze Age I mentioned earlier in this thread that are lots of detectorists that are way better than I am and who have made more amazing finds. Mindy is one of those people, one of the best detectorists I've ever met. She runs some of the UK gigs and has been all around the world detecting over the years. She is truly a wonder to behold when detecting in the UK and has that magic knack for putting that tiny Deus coil over the right handful of dirt in the middle of miles of fields to pull up Celtic gold coins! I was just a short distance away in 2018 when she found this stunning coin and so was there to take this photo: Mindy scores a Celtic gold stater - her 12th gold coin! 45 BC to 25 BC Addedomarus - Trinovantian tribe 5.58 g. 16.90 mm

That is what it does when the one battery that powers the detector is low. The two batteries in the Gold Bug 2 do not power the same thing. One battery runs the detector completely, both the detection circuit and audio, the other acts as a booster to the audio circuit. In other words you can run the Gold Bug 2 with one battery alone if you put it in the correct battery bay. The one powering the detector and audio goes dead first, and often at the bitter end simply swapping batteries will get you another hour or two of detecting time. Not saying that is what was going on with yours, but you asked and that is the only time I have seen what you are describing happen. You turn the detector off, the battery gets a moment to rest, go over a few targets and it fades away again. More likely with alkaline than rechargeables as rechargeables simply go dead. Batteries are the number one reason for returns for service. People think they put new ones in and...... 🤷🏼‍♂️

Yes, it can be dangerous. From https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/AML_PUB_DangersAtAbandonedMines.pdf Why Are There Abandoned Mines? Abandoned mines are what is left over from mining activities in the distant past. Back then, mine operators could simply walk away from a mine without removing safety or environmental hazards. Today, federal and state laws require that mine operators make mine sites safe before abandoning them. How Dangerous Are Abandoned Mines? Every year, many people are killed or hurt at abandoned mine sites. In 2000–2013 alone, 381 people were killed; 152 people suffered broken bones and other injuries. Across the country, abandoned mines exist in every state. Even a mine that was “safe” last year could be deadly today due to deteriorating conditions. The leading cause of death at abandoned mines is drowning in water-filled pits and quarries. Steep, slippery walls make it difficult to get out of the water. Old machinery and other hazards beneath the water can injure or trap you. The second most common cause of death and injury is falling into vertical underground mine openings. These openings can be hundreds of feet deep. Often they are not visible but concealed by dirt, rock, mine debris, and water. Unstable ground or decaying timbers around mine openings can simply drop out from beneath your feet. I would note that since this publication came out things have improved. The statistics are a decade old. They have marked and fenced many old shafts and pits. Still, I’ve seen plenty that are wide open, and a simple misstep in mining country could cost you your life. But frankly you can say the same about walking around in a city. Be cautious and have your wits about you, and never let gold greed overcome common sense. No finds or pics from me because I stay out of them.

Great video Jeff, I’m going to add it to thread thread linked to below.

A VLF is what you should be using unless mineralization is severe enough to cause it to lose a lot of depth and target id accuracy. Air tests mean nothing as regards VLF vs PI because you are removing the reason for using a PI. Pulse Induction was popularized for dealing with stuff a VLF can’t handle. This usually means goldfields and mineralized saltwater beaches but can be anywhere and on any kind of targets where the ground has a high mineral content. These videos illustrate the type of soil that makes people grab the PI.

Not in particular though if you look at a custom designed carbon fiber high capacity battery type detector like the Axiom it should be obvious it costs more to make than a pod on a stick. However it costs FAR more to design a new housing and hardware/software from ground up over several years, as was done with Axiom. Part of every detector sold must recoup that cost, plus ongoing facility and labor expense, marketing expense, etc. Direct manufacturing cost is only a small part of the puzzle with metal detectors and other products.

I like the original Nox idea - give me BOTH options. But a simple dongle is the easy fix for all detectors one person might own.

Nice post Chet. Hard to beat the GPX 6000 for getting the gold that’s left in many well pounded locations, which is generally small gold. And it does do ok on larger stuff. In air tests though I’d comment that the 6000 is kind of like a high frequency VLF and excels in air testing. I’d still bet on a GPX 5000 with the appropriate large coil and timing for multi ounce more solid gold. It would probably tip 6000 though for specimen type gold so as usual there are no hard and fast answers. And yeah at end of day the GPZ is a real depth monster for the kind of gold that pays the bills. If I had to actually make a living with a detector and could use only one, it would be a GPZ. It just sucks that the coil situation has been so klutzed up by Minelab, absolutely not what I expected when they said it was the platform for the next decade or more when it came out. To me that meant more coils and software updates, not one coil then crickets. But it still represents the pinnacle of gold detecting technology to this day, at least in my opinion.

No the GPX 5000 has not been discontinued

No that is not normal in the slightest. And in my case I did not find the enclosed coils to be overly knock sensitive. Not immune to it, but I covered lots of miles with mine with no problem. In my opinion needs to be serviced or returned.

No, I listen for the sound characteristics, loud, soft, sharp, mellow, smooth, erratic, etc that all paint a picture about what kind of target I might have. I’m not thinking about what’s going on under the hood. Same thing when I drive - I’m not thinking about what the pistons are doing and how they are doing it.

Not half bad, though I still prefer the original….. https://bodhi3.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/how-metal-detectors-work.pdf More here….

There is no metal in mine. The top lace hooks are plastic, and been under a detector to prove it. They are breathable and waterproof. Sweaty feet have not been a problem for me but unfortunately I sure can’t say if it will be or not for you. I can’t say I’ve ever experienced such a thing with anything other than rubber boots.

I was out with Chuck when he lost the wallet. Between the two of us we spent hours looking for it. He of course tried to look everywhere he had been, and I tried to look everywhere I had seen him. Still when all was said and done turns out he had been farther up the hill than he had thought, so it did not get found by us. But I told him at the time, just wait, it will get found. It’s amazing how every foot of ground out there is getting eyeballed by people over the course of the year. And why nuggets are getting rare as we are all going over the same places repeatedly. Nice story Gerry, thanks.

Yeah but what does that really mean? Right now a CTX 3030 is MSRP fake price $2499 "on sale" for MAP $1999. So if they raise the BS fake price to $2599 the actual for what you pay price may go up to $2049 or no more than $2099. Still, we are talking a detector introduced over ten years ago in 2012. I hate the stupid MSRP and MAP pricing game. It is illegal in some countries but people in the U.S. fall for it all day long.