Steve Herschbach

Don’t go? I remember heading into Wrangell St. Elias National Park at one point. I stopped at the highway junction... a couple was parked there. I chatted with them a bit. They were tourists on a trip to see Alaska. I told them how beautiful the park is, then they explained they were afraid to leave the main highway for fear of bears. The Alaska Highway is a two lane road no different than the road into the park. I explained there were no more bears down that road than the one they were standing on. The discussed a bit though and decided it was too dangerous. I thought that was kind of sad. For me bears are a photo op to be looked for....

Seems to me like a few people just got them in the last few days. Patience perhaps? Minelab Equinox 800 with 12" x 15" DD coil Minelab Equinox 800 with 12" x 15" DD coil at the beach

I am pretty busy until Monday but will get back to you on this - promise! I will have to dig through my old photos and setup diagrams but I am sure I can help.

I agree about the MD Hunter site not being a source of reliable information. That is why here we go straight to the source. Just read the lawsuit documents... Like I said, probably not worth getting all hot and bothered over. Clearly Dave is a forgiving guy and if he is not holding a grudge why should anyone else? In my case it is a moot point anyway.

Use the all metal mode, run the sensitivity as high as you can without the machine becoming unstable, get a proper ground balance, and dig everything that signals. If you want to risk missing nuggets but are digging too much trash and don't care, you can pass on targets that id 6 or lower. An alternative would be to use single tone disc mode, and dial in a disc setting of 6. https://fisherlab.com/hobby/finds-Steve-Herschbach.htm https://www.detectorprospector.com/forums/topic/357-fisher-f75-strikes-gold-twice-in-a-row/ https://www.detectorprospector.com/forums/topic/7607-fisher-f75-ferrous-tone-quirk/

I don't know - I have never been to England in the spring. I was simply told by others that fall has the better chance for good weather and so that's been my choice, and after this last trip still would be. My first trip it rained a solid week so there are no guarantees anyway. The bottom line is fall just fits better for me for that sort of trip - spring has my eyes gazing towards Alaska . I am sure the spring hunts in England are just fine. Hopefully some of our UK forum members can enlighten us more on the weather patterns. These things never last forever, as those who now regret never making that Ganes Creek realize. If it is within your ability to afford one of these trips, I highly recommend people consider it. No matter what you will find items far older than can be had in the U.S., and pretty much every day you hunt. Gold is obviously a low odds thing, but 12th - 16th century silver coins come out of the ground on a near daily basis for somebody in a group. A hunt like this would be hard by yourself because there are dead periods where one person can't find anything to save their lives. Been there, done that. Working in a group, especially with radios, does for me at least cheer me on. I am happy as long as anybody in my group is scoring because it keeps my spirits up. They do not "steal" a find I may have made. Some people get bent out of shape when they are not doing well and they see others making a good find. These trips are not for those people. If you feed off the success of others as I do, these group hunts are great. The worst thing ever is when nobody in the group is finding anything - that sucks. Luckily that almost never occurs on these trips. Honestly I have found enough gold in my life. Seeing people find it for the very first time is a real thrill simply because they have such an over the top reaction that I enjoy. I like finding gold but being there nearby when others do is the next best thing.

Hi Dilek, Sadly even Nov 6-10 is only three days away. Do let me know next time you are in the U.S. a month ahead or more the next go round and I will do what I can. Orlando would have been a no-brainer since my father winters not far north of there so I have a double reason to visit Florida. I am quite proud I was able to early on recognize and point out to others that Nokta / Makro is a company going places fast, in no small part due to your efforts Dilek. Frankly in my opinion your company has met or surpassed all the competition except Minelab. You need true multifrequency and PI to get to the next level. But Garrett, First Texas, White's - all asleep at the wheel by comparison to the speed and aggressiveness of Nokta / Makro. I will be honest that I do hope they rise to the challenge also. All I want is for everyone to aggressively compete to get genuinely new product to the consumer much faster than has been the case in the past with the once every ten years thing that was going on. I am not getting any younger and can't wait around for that nonsense anymore! Just my view / opinion but it is almost like it is now just Minelab and Nokta / Makro who are aggressively driving the marketplace while everyone else scurries to adjust to the new situation. I should also make mention of XP but they have been sort of a one trick pony so far - they also need to go multifrequency etc to get to the next level. There is a lot left the technology can do for detectorists but I do believe that single frequency is pretty well tapped out at this point. It is the only reason I swing a Equinox instead of a Multi Kruzer right now, that's just a fact. Rambling now but just keep up the good work Dilek. Lots of us see how hard you are working and appreciate it. It still is a wonder that companies like Minelab can't communicate as well as you and your company do directly with their customers now that you have set an example, but in the end that is your strength and their loss.

Hi George, The finds have thinned since eight years ago but obviously great discoveries remain to be made. A really great trip. Wish you had been there but I am sure you are in a better place right now so there you go. Best wishes, say hi to Bee for me! Steve H

Welcome to the forum William, glad to have you here. 78 that is inspiring, especially after those operations... or maybe because of them. I hope I am still mobile at your age, aches and pains do grow by the year now that I have passed 60.

Hi Jeff, I am not sure why you think your post would start any trouble. We don’t do trouble on this forum! From all I hear the Quest delivers very good performance for the price. I admit that personally I find the idea that they got their start getting caught ripping off First Texas to be a turn off, but that’s just me and I suppose I should get over it. Thanks for the report, it confirms what I have heard elsewhere. Quest Q40 Metal Detector

7 x 11 maybe, 17 x 11 does not make sense. We now have a 15 x 12 coil so hard to imagine Minelab going longer and skinnier though I personally would love such a coil. They already have an existing mold of 17 x 13 via the CTX and so that is far more likely. 17 x 11 would get the ground coverage and keep weight at minimum but would not satisfy those looking for more depth. I don’t know. It’s not like Minelab tells me everything by a long shot and I don’t pester them with questions. I would love a 17 x 11 coil but I will believe it when I see it. Right now I need a smaller elliptical for nugget hunting far more than a balance killing extra large coil. The 15 x 12 in brilliant and I can swing it all day, but a 17” is getting into counterbalance and harness territory.

Ron does have a beautiful set of teeth. I told him so and only then found out he had the work done and was in an ad. I think he was in the first season of Dig Wars also, but I don’t watch the detecting shows so I am not sure about that. Whatever, he is an amazing detectorist with really great teeth! My trip was extremely smooth. A big mistake people make is taking too much stuff. Washers are available, so I had a pair of pants for travel/going out, and a pair to hunt in. Long sleeve shirt and a couple T-shirt’s. Lots of underwear and socks. Light jacket. Rain gear. Good pair of Keene light weight waterproof boots, travel shoes, slippers for barn. General toiletry stuff like toothbrush, etc. Two complete Equinox, one with stock coil, one with 15” coil. You need a UK to US power adapter, and I got one plug in powered splitter that has 6 full power USB outlets. Enough for detector, headphones, iPad, iPhones, etc. You need a second power adapter and another USB source in case detectors are charged in a mud room. The first ten days I charged everything in my room at one location. The last week the detector was in the mud room - just going with whatever the group is doing or as hunt manager directs. A radio is good. Mindys group everyone had their own. Ron provided radios, a better way to go I think as it insures they all play well. My old Garmin Rhino did not seem to work as well with other brands at long distance. Mindy mentioned she might do the provide radio thing in the future. Do ask to be sure. Bring spare alkaline batteries for anything that needs then but rechargeable are the way to go as long as you have the adapters needed. As I noted, spades are provided. I took my standard trash pouch and a pinpointer. My pouch always has a $1 disposable rain poncho and emergency toilet paper in the side compartments. You never know when a rain squall might appear and the poncho takes the edge off wondering if it’s worth putting rain gear on. When traveling new foods can lead to urgent trips to the nearest ditch or hedge row so do be prepared. I had no issues with either this trip however. I got a new super light suitcase at Costco, and all the above in the bag tipped the scales at 40 lbs. Critical stuff went in a satchel carry on that fits under the seat with room to spare. Valid passport of course. Plan ahead to get one if you do not have one. I got pounds sterling at Wells Fargo before I left. A couple hundred pounds left me with extra. You can just use a credit card but when traveling, you never know. The cash was easier for at stores and for misc purchases, and easier when everyone pitching in for a meal or drinks at a pub. My AT&T account was non-functional in the U.K. With the time zone flip it was easier for me to just rely on WiFi for the whole trip and text my wife, keep up on forum, etc. The barns all had WiFi as did pubs, etc. I did not miss the phone, except for that brief time when I lost it! There are disposable SIM cards you can buy for use while in the U.K. and everyone was selling them at the airport. I don’t know much about that but it is an opinion for those who need a phone and who do not have an international plan. I think that’s about it. If anyone has questions do please ask. I am writing up a Treasure Talk blog right now that will go over the Equinox itself, settings, general thoughts and hunt strategy, etc. that will hopefully be posted soon.

I got a chance to handle a set of these but not actually use them. However, the quality is apparent just holding them. Top of my list as a potential purchase as an alternate to the Minelab brand phones.

Start by contacting this guy in Scotland. I am sure he can offer some pointers. And you never know, maybe Derek and his wife would like to hunt gold in New Zealand! https://www.minelab.com/usa/go-minelabbing/treasure-talk?author=290104 My mom was a Cameron so I really should visit Scotland someday myself.

There are all sorts of ornate watch winders that are worth keeping if you are into that sort of thing. I am so I keep them. https://colchestertreasurehunting.com/watch-winders/

Simon, just do it. Seriously, just do it. Family with a B&B trying to get you to go and a wife who is on board? If you do not do this I am going to cut you from my will!

Too bad about the last second notice as I would like to meet Dilek some day. I would have lobbied my old company in Alaska to become a dealer and have a person attend also but too late now.

Hi Rick, Many thanks mate! You are very fortunate to be surrounded by such incredible history. I actually did spend most of the next day methodically gridding the area where I found that gold bit, hoping for more, but all I got was the normal pile of lead and various widgets like watch winders. Good on you and the staters. Celtic gold fascinates me because the artwork is very much a "New Age Modern" look that is quite unexpected given the time frame. The nice thing about visitors is they often remind us how special the places are where we live. Alaska was like that for me. I had to stop and remind myself sometimes that my everyday experiences would be very exceptional for those living the city life, for example. In your country the sheer age is astounding. Every day I found things dating back to before the U.S. became a country or was even discovered. We had dinner one evening across from the house where the captain of the Mayflower lived. It is very hard to get my head around all the history but I enjoy every second of it.

Thanks Happ54, do consider just doing it. My two story threads and links have all the info needed. Ok, last set of photos.... Typical lunch in the field I do like hunting in the vicinity of the old churches, as at minimum you know there has been a lot of activity in the area dating back to the building of the church, and likely far earlier. St. Peter's, Great Totham is a beautiful structure and grounds surrounded by huge fields. I had visions of finding a religious medallion perhaps, but this day was a tough hunt for us all, with my best find of day a milled silver sixpence. 13th century St. Peter's Church, Great Totham Tim (Ill Digger on forum) in front of vicarage at St. Peter's St. Peter's at sunset Somehow 16 solid days of detecting flew by, and the sun set on the last day of the hunt. Season over for everyone, no more detecting until February 2019. As I noted before Tim made a fabulous find this last day, but I want him to have the fun of telling his own story about that. No matter what, a thrilling end to a picture perfect trip. It really does not get better than this. Metal detecting can bring you adventure as near as your backyard, or at locations around the world, but whether near of far the excitement and potential for great finds is always there. I do hope you have all enjoyed my tale. Thanks for reading and do share with anyone considering such a trip or who wonders why we all do this. I made a rare Facebook post to make it easy to share with you friends. Again, thanks for reading! The sun sets on the perfect metal detector adventure! Once in a lifetime find

View from "Bunker Hill" Weather for October - great, as it can actually snow! Temps in F My ten days with Mindy came to an end and I moved to a new barn to be with Ron's incoming group. The first barn was "country casual". This one has been renovated to more "ultra modern". Very nice upstairs but no photos. My wife would like this place. I opted to stay on a fold out bed downstairs because I want to sleep as cool as possible. It was also very private as I had it all to myself and could get up before the rest of the folks and get some coffee going. Kitchen at "Ron's Barn" My "room" - just right for Steve! Another picture of my 1.03 gram "gold sheet" One nice thing as far as travel is that long handle spades are provided. This reduces too much bending over digging thousands of targets. I normally could pinpoint and get target with one dig, but if I got in too much hurry would miss with the big coil. It's worth that extra few seconds to walk around the target and get a good target center. I also found the nose of the large Equinox coil to be a terrific pinpointer for nudging in the pile of dirt, just tilt the coil and poke around with nose down. It worked well as is or using the pinpoint mode. Then grab that handful and wave over coil. I got good enough at this I abandoned using a separate pinpointer the last week. For small targets grabbing a handful and waving over the coil was more efficient than trying to find the small lead and copper bits that only signal at an inch with a handheld pinpointer. When done kick soil into hole, stomp, and smooth. Digging tools provided Night out - manors along road in Dedham, England Steve playing Dr. Who. The booth was full of cobwebs but still had a dial tone! The Marlborough Pub in Dedham The menu - price in English pounds It was fun to go out and visit several pubs for dinner to see a little bit of the towns and have the local experience. This is on top of any money paid for the trips and is optional; a person can stay back at the barn and fend for themselves if desired, except for the rare "go straight from fields to pub" situation. Food ranges from "ok" to excellent. The main thing is never be in a hurry. We always got seated quickly (reservations) but a long wait to order, a long wait for food... basically you have entered a slower pace of life. Just go with it and enjoy the company and surroundings. Letting dinner settle.... Beautiful English manor next to field we hunted, grounds immaculately groomed

Congratulations on a great hunt Brian - proof you do not have to fly to England to make great relic finds!

12th Century St Mary the Virgin's Church, Little Bromley open to the public Amazing stained glass interior More stained glass And one more Early vintage Mini Cooper I did not find it but I got to hold Mindy's stater fresh out of the ground - wow!! English sunset at end of long day hunting English garden - do make time to stop and smell the flowers!

My understanding is that it is illegal to convert farmland into subdivisions in England like we do in the U.S. because the farmland is too limited and of value to the country. The island is not getting any bigger! Therefore farm owners often convert barns into apartments available for lease ,which is convenient since we are metal detecting on farm lands. Here is the place we stayed for my first leg of the trip, and the van that Mindy drove us around in. "Barn hunt" home for ten days Living room / commons area This barn actually has fields we can hunt within walking distance, good for the last day when time is short. Surprisingly for an island less than one sixth the size of my home state of Alaska, Great Britain still has some wide open vistas. There is far more open country than I would have imagined. Some views go on forever Drive by view of St Osyth's Priory, an abbey founded in 1121, undergoing renovation. The group would have killed to hunt inside the wall enclosed abbey grounds and surrounding park! St Osyth's Priory Some English homes This is the excavation where I found my Celtic gold. One dig with the spade and out. Most finds only take a turn of the shovel but some needed more digging. The main thing is holes MUST be filled in a good fashion or fields access can be lost. Dispose of all trash properly - that often meant nearby ditches. Just one turn of the spade and Treasure! Wheat rows sprouting

I took photos as I could along the way. Here are the better ones in the order in which I took them with some notes. The farm fields we hunted were mostly planted with wheat for the fall/winter but many had signs of having been planted with potatoes or small patches of onions or carrots over the summer. Some fields are in "stubble" which is nothing more than mowed down wheat stalks in most cases. The stubble is harder to hunt when dry but affords a refuge during rainy weather as the stalks soften up and the ground is not muddy like the fresh plowed fields. The plowed fields can be deep plowed and very rough. They get plowed/processed again for a finer finish but still loose and lumpy. Some get processed yet again it appears to a very fine flat finish but it may be just the consistency of the soil I am seeing that creates the finer finish on the first go. The fields get planted and then "rolled" to compact, and they sprayed with fertilizers and/or insecticides. I am no expert on all this, just trying to get the idea across. We hunted all the various phases and the wheat can be hunted until too deep to swing a coil though. All the farmers have differing levels of tolerance for detecting activity depending on the state of the fields and the hunt managers keep tabs on all that for the group. Bottom line rolled or planted fields made for the easiest walking. The newly deep plowed land could literally break ankles, and the fluffier, rougher stuff is somewhere in between. It is just fine but I did notice at the end of the day I was more tired from walking on it. Here is a photo of a loose and lumpy field... Hunting a lumpy farm field Driving is not just about driving on the other side of the road. I can handle that. The parking and navigation laws are near non-existent compared to the U.S. The basic rule is you have the right-of-way while in your lane. And you can park almost any way you want as long as one lane is left open. This means one lane is often blocked. the open lane has the right of way, and if you are in the blocked lane you want, then dart out and make a dash for the next open area in your own lane. It feels like a game of chicken at times, but the person in the wrong lane must always give way, even if it means backing up. People park forward or backwards, and often halfway up on the curb -whatever. These lanes were designed for horses at most, and bless the Brits they leave it all be and just cooperate as best they can to deal with it. In the U.S. we would raze it all and build a superhighway. I admit I kind of prefer the English way of dealing with limited land and cultural resources. It in the end adds to the charm of it all, though it can be frustrating when you run into a rude and aggressive type who tries to intimidate others to get the right-of-way. Ron is a fire engine driver and therefore his skill level at navigating this stuff vastly exceed my ability to watch it all for a couple days. I had no problem being in the back of the bus at all times, securely strapped in! Notice cars parked in lane facing both ways, view from normal left lane driving Now we are in the "wrong lane" with oncoming traffic. The oncoming has the right of way, and we are going to dive into the little opening on the left so they can continue on. Then pop out and make a mad dash for the next open stretch. Very exciting! Navigating the narrow streets Downtown Manningtree. I think squiggly lines mean no parking. Mindy getting supplies at classic English butcher shop. She is a great cook! Misty morning, damp field

Great report NSC, thanks! In extreme mineral ground I would expect the 11” coil to have better depth on most targets. In milder ground the 15” should have the edge for depth, but mileage will vary. That’s why I never jump on the “bigger coil, more depth” bandwagon when talking large VLF coils. I buy them strictly for coverage and will just take whatever depth comes along with that extra coverage. This is one light coil for its size and no problem for this GPZ owner to swing for 12 hour days. I already have over 160 hours on the coil. It suits a lot of what I do and will see much more use than other large VLF coils I have owned. Good job Minelab! Steve's Minelab Equinox 800 with new 15" x 12" DD coil