I always believed the true test of nugget detecting skill is not how large the gold is but how small the nuggets are that a person recovers with a detector. Good going Peg!

My last outing everything seemed to be fighting me - weather, equipment, and deep grass. Only managed a few dinks, 14.7 grains or 0.96 gram.

All found with the Gold Monster 1000 and 10" coil except the smallest, flattest one. I decided to give the 5" coil another go. I rarely use it and with the reports on coil sensitivity issues I wanted to revisit it again to see if I am imagining things.

Scrubbing the ground the coil was quiet at manual sensitivity 5 and the rocks started bleeding through at 6. This was not touch sensitivity - just that having the coil on the rocks would start giving a little mineral response from them at 6. My 5" coil does not exhibit any signs of actual knock sensitivity until I run it up to manual sensitivity 9 or 10. Even then it is no worse than I experience with my Gold Racer, for instance, when cranked all the way up. I have no way to know but I suspect at least some of what is being reported as touch sensitivity is the detector popping on mineralized rocks, which can happen at fairly low sensitivity levels with the 5" coil. If a coil is fine in low mineral ground and then exhibits "touch sensitivity" in more mineralized ground this is probably the case, as true knock sensitivity should exhibit no matter what the ground mineralization is. Genuine touch sensitivity is triggered even by grass or sticks which are not detectable.

Anyway, the little flat nugget, third from right, was detected with 5" coil at sensitivity setting of 5. One nice thing is that the little coil is easier to run in deep grass than the 10" coil and that's where this little guy was found.

I am NOT saying that nobody is having issues with the Gold Monster touch sensitivity. My unit is like a just prior to actual production model however and I am just not seeing it. That being the case my final comment on the issue is if it is happening to you, it sure is not happening to everybody and so there should be a fix simply by replacing the coils or detector or both. However, if it is a case of running hot and eliciting responses from the ground or rocks by doing so, it will never get sorted out.

I do sympathize with those having problems and hope it gets fixed via your dealer or Minelab or both.

One last note. I was trying both my Gold Bug 2 with 6" coil and Gold Monster with 5" coil on some quartz specimens I have from Alaska last night. They were originally found with a Gold Bug 2 and 6" coil. My method at the time was to visually find quartz specimens and then manually rotate them over the coil. This is because some of the gold in them is so tiny that the thickness of the rock blocks the signal  and so the rocks often need to be rotated just right to get a faint little gold hit. This is complicated by the need to keep my hand away from the coil since these hot detectors will pick up a person's hand because we are faintly conductive (blood saline and sweat salts). Anyway, the GB2 with 6" coil and GM1000 with 5" coil are really a match for detecting tiny gold in samples like this. The main difference is the Gold Bug 2 signal tends to fade away in a more linear fashion, whereas the Gold Monster 1000 tends to remain louder and then drop off very quickly.

Click or double-click for larger photo size...

Brrrrr....

Garrett AT Max Instructional Video Part 1 Published on Sep 20, 2017 by Garrett Metal Detectors - This first part of the instructional video introduces Garrett’s AT Max, followed by instructions on the assembly of the metal detector.

Garrett AT Max Instructional Video Part 2 Published on Sep 21, 2017 by Garrett Metal Detectors - Part 2 of the AT Max Instructional video shows Basic Controls, Z-Lynk Wireless Operation, Target Information, Selecting Modes, Audio Tones and Iron Audio Features, Notch Discrimination, High-Resolution Iron Discrimination, Volume Adjustment, Audio Threshold Adjustment, Frequency Adjustment, Sensitivity Adjustment, Backlight

It’s a tough go detecting where the hunters or the fishermen lurk. I do keep all the lead in one box and shell casings and the brass in another though since it does add up. If nothing else a few dollars recycling someday.

If it was gold you would have got it!

Metal detectors only detect things that have conductive and magnetic properties. Most rocks a metal detector will pick up are iron ores plus a few metallic minerals like some copper ores. The types of rocks one would normally tumble, like agate, jasper, etc. are usually not going to be found with the detector itself. However, you can find such things visually while wandering around with a detector. I have a nice chuck of agatized petrified wood and some quartz crystal I have found while detecting recently and wandered into a nice agate patch not too long ago. The reality though is you don’t need the metal detector, just the eyeballs!

There are many cheaper versions but I was always a fan of Lortone Rock Tumblers

Another video screen capture, this one showing off LCD backlight for low light conditions....

On 9/15/2017 at 1:32 PM, Steve Herschbach said:

Anybody have a list of speakers and their subjects? Which vendors will actually have representatives there?

Well, I contacted forum member Sourdough Scott about this but he is not involved in the hunt this year. He was going to forward my request to the club people managing the event but I have not heard anything back. Apparently Tom with White’s will be there but other than that I have no idea.

About Search Coils by Dave Johnson

Search Coil Field Shape by Dave Johnson

Coil Basics by Carl Moreland

On 9/19/2017 at 9:31 PM, Cabin Fever said:

Paraphrasing here, but the rep said its better then the 705 but probably not as good as the Monster.    I think that is a much more complicated question to answer but interesting anyway...  Another thing I couldn't quite make out but I think the rep said there was NO Multi Freq in Prospect mode.

This is what I would expect. The Equinox is shaping up to be four detectors in one, with four completely separate operating modes each tweaked for the specific use - Groomed Parks, Farm Field, Beach, And Prospecting.

The Equinox at 20 kHz and especially 40 kHz should at least match the X-Terra 705 in its Prospect Mode. And in my opinion the all metal Prospect Mode on the X-Terra is as good as it gets at 18.75 kHz. I ran one extensively testing against other machines and for me it came down to a push between the 705 and Gold Bug Pro. Basically identical performance. The ONLY thing that made me lean Gold Bug Pro was that while in threshold based all metal mode the Gold Bug Pro also displays the target id on screen via the separately running disc circuit. Best of both worlds - all metal and disc. The 705 in Prospect Mode has an iron mask function but no target id.   Gold Bug Pro vs AT Gold vs X-Terra 705 Gold vs Lobo SuperTRAQ vs MXT

That said just hearing that the Equinox might match the 705 is good enough for me, but I would expect a small edge at 40 kHz over the 705 at 18.75 kHz.

There are however genuine reasons why a detector made specifically for one use can have an edge over any general purpose detector. The Equinox must run well at 5 kHz through 40 kHz and at multifrequency. That means the coil is not tuned for specific use at each of those frequencies but is more generally tuned to operate across a spectrum of frequencies. In my opinion the Gold Monster 1000 is as highly tuned as any single frequency machine can be with both the gain and audio boost pushed to the absolute limits of the hardware - maybe a step beyond. Trying to tune a general purpose machine like the Equinox to run like that in the 40 kHz mode would almost be sure to result in instability and performance issues in the other modes.

Running in multifrequency normally offers no particular benefit when detecting small gold nuggets - you can pack a lot of punch into a single frequency detector for specific uses. However, if one wanted to use the multifrequency to prospect it would be as simple as changing to a mode tuned to do just that. Beach mode for instance is bound to be tuned to run in multifrequency to eliminate both salt and mineralized beach soils and could be a secondary mode for extreme alkali ground conditions.

The bottom line in my opinion is there is no reason - yet - to think the Equinox is going to replace my Gold Monster 1000 as my gold prospecting unit for the smallest gold nuggets in mineralized ground. If it does match or exceed the X-Terra and if it does offer on screen target id while in Prospect Mode it would however stand to replace my Teknetics G2 (Gold Bug Pro variant) and even Gold Racer as a general purpose but also hot on gold detector.

Just my take knowing what I know about how detectors and coils are tuned. Now what would be interesting is if Minelab or the aftermarket guys came out with a 5” x 10” or even better yet maybe 4” x 7” coil specifically tuned for the E800 at 20/40 kHz.

Note added 1/20/2019 - turns out Multi as implemented on the Equinox is very strong on small gold.

Like most everything else detecting I don’t think one is better than the other. Both DD coils and concentric have their place.

Until I know otherwise I will always place my bet on the dedicated single use detector over the general purpose detector when it comes to gold prospecting. My CTX might take a hike but not my Gold Monster.

I have never seen any comparisons of the two. Few people have the 13” coil and fewer yet have the HF coils so kind of early yet for that. I know when I was looking to buy the Deus my research did not find many people impressed with the 13”. You can only swing one coil at a time and so unless you just want to buy all the coils you might want to go get some time in with what you have first. Let’s see if anyone else chimes in who has first hand experience.

Welcome to the forum!

Your local area is really not amenable to metal detecting for gold. Personally if I were there a pan and sluice box would be the way I would go.

With that in mind then how much time truly will you be out west looking for gold? If only a week or two you may just want to buy a used detector and sell it when you get back. Investing a lot of money would not seem to make sense. Something like a Gold Monster is simple to learn, which is a plus, and not going to break the bank. Taking Gerry’s class would certainly put you ahead in the game.

My gold stays in a safe deposit box until sold. Showing off gold is a real good way to end up with no gold. The closest any non-purchasers get to my gold is the photos on this forum. I am actually working on a gold gallery for the website but doubt it will go live until later this winter.

It’s common in all sorts of stuff. When I sold snowmobiles we got people all fired up in with a spring introduction, then took deposits for fall delivery. They still do that every year. Pre-announcing product serves a dual purpose. It takes people off the market that may have bought other models. It also lets a manufacturer better gauge the interest level and get feedback that might be useful in last minute changes or additions.

On one hand I find it annoying, but it would be even more annoying to buy a detector and then find out the one I REALLY wanted was waiting in the wings. So I guess it cuts both ways. 

Do you need more ground coverage?

Here is an image I snagged from the Crawford's website and enlarged and cleaned up for a clearer shot of the display and controls. Hopefully they do not mind since I am giving them a link back!

I also agree - Tom is a class act. So Tom, since it was there, any photos anywhere? If it's all about made in America how about you show us Americans instead of the bloody Brits! Spill it man.....

Garrett has probably not made enough detectors to satisfy current demand and they really do have a huge and loyal user base. Those who were looking for the AT Max to be multifrequency will jump ship perhaps along with some others. All in all though Garrett is doing a good job for their customers and while this may slow their sales a bit I think Garrett will be just fine. It's First Texas and White's I most want to see pull rabbits out of hats.

Looks like I have to carry the thread on by myself - where are you non-Minelab folks?

Gold I found with Makro Gold Racer in 2015. Largest nugget 2.4 grams.

Funny, I think just the opposite. This applies more to the "old school" U.S. manufacturers in my opinion. Minelab was nothing more than some little upstart from down under. Mainly because U.S. manufacturers thought that gold prospecting would never be anything more than a niche market, Minelab innovated and largely captured what is now the largest metal detector market worldwide. Then Minelab's BBS and FBS machines made huge inroads in the silver detecting market and via the Excalibur the water detecting market.

In the last few years while Minelab has focused on the gold market, another upstart out of France saw that "heavy, slow, and expensive" was not what the European market demanded and addressed the heavy and slow items in a stunning way. Price not so much but still way less than a CTX. They made huge inroads in Europe in particular. They are far rarer in the U.S. however then forum people think.

The U.S. company that in my estimation has had the best read on the U.S. market has been Garrett, with high value detectors and a grasp of social media the other companies lack. The AT series plus Pro-Pointer and now Z-Lynk is a family of great products that integrate well. But no high end innovative product. The GTI 2500 is still the flagship? Really?

White First Texas has dithered, another upstart, Nokta/Makro, has been making inroads with detectors that hit most closely at the First Texas Fisher and Teknetics product lines. They are still a very minor player but aggressive and moving fast. 2018 will probably bring more from them as they move at a speed that makes everyone else look sluggish. Their main gig so far has just been good product at competitive prices, but that will probably change going forward as they seek to introduce more advanced detectors. They have a long way to go before they are a real threat to the established players.

White's and First Texas have been most conspicuous in their absence with any truly new product. The MX Sport was a decent try on White's part but in most ways it is just a MX5 single frequency variant in a 4 pound plus package. Not the innovation we are looking for from White's. And First Texas......?

Now Minelab is striking back at XP and Garrett, once again seeking to be a major player in the coin, jewelry, and relic market.

I keep seeing commentary by people thinking Minelab would never undercut E-TRAC and CTX sales with a detector far less expensive. That is exactly the kind of thinking this article is discussing. People who think holding on to old expensive product is more important than just moving on and letting the chips fall where they may. If I were Minelab I would go all in with this new direction. Continue to make the E-Trac and CTX for as long as they sell and make money, but focus all resources on simply moving forward to the future. And I just do not see the future of coin/jewelry/relic detectors being 4-5 lb machines selling for $1500 or more.

Another detectorist opts out. You can't please everyone. Call me old-fashioned, but I hate the XP "charge the coil, controller, and headphones" system with inherently expensive and limited coil options. I want a pile of affordable wired coils that work underwater. If APTX does not float your boat, then the E800 also includes faster speed WiStream.

The nice thing is we have a market full of choices to suit different people. No one detector will ever suit everybody. Nor should it.

My commentary above is not meant to trash the Deus. Greatest thing since sliced bread and somebody needed to do it. It's just not my cup of tea for multiple reasons. Just like the Equinox will not suit many people.

Thank you very much Monte. No way I can make it that way this fall as I am way too busy right now, but you never know about next spring. I am glad to hear that CoRe is still working for you.

I just want to say again thank you for all your many contributions to metal detecting over the years!

For those that do not know Monte has a organization and website with forums - the American Heritage Research & Preservation Society. He is also the inventor of the now famous Monte's Nail Board Test

Welcome to AHRPS

American Heritage Research and Preservation Society (AHRPS) is an organization providing services for the metal detecting community. Our specialities include:

• Education and Hands-On Training
• Discover Metal Detecting (101 course)
• Exploring Metal Detecting (201 course)
• Discover Site Surveying
• Discover Artifact Preservation
• Research Case Studies
• Regional Shows
• Metal Detector Sales

On our site you'll find:

• Educational tutorials in our Tips & Techniques section
• Discussion Forums:
  • General Metal Detecting
  • Traditional Coin Hunting
  • Relic / Old Site Hunting
  • Buy / Sell / Trade
  • Announcements
• Historic site updates
• Metal detector demonstations and product reviews
• Free-to-the-public Detector Owner Rendezvous gatherings
• Competition hunts
• Annual, open-to-the-public 'Welcome-To-Hunt Outings'

I am not sure if it is true or not - one of those third hand stories and the circumstances seemed odd. I am doubtful myself.