Steve Herschbach

On one hand the Minelab SDC 2300 is kind of goofy looking, but it is guaranteed to wow people when they see you unfold it for the first time. And so incredibly compact when stowed away!

Here is something completely different - the XP DEUS. The entire detector is in the coil, which is operated remotely by a control box or even directly by the headphones. It has a folding telescopic rod assembly that looks vaguely like the starship Enterprise when folded up.

Next up, the Minelab CTX 3030. This detector really wowed me when I put it together for the first time. Slip, twist, click, snick. Really cool and exposed wires are so 20th century.

Here is a subject you will rarely see. What makes for a good looking metal detector? There are many I have swung over the years that were downright embarrassing. Maybe that is why I try to make sure I detect when nobody can see me! These days though there are some good looking detectors out there, kind of like the sports cars of the genre. My favorite - the F75 Special Edition, also called the Limited Edition. Fisher can't make up its mind.

Well, FCC filings, trademarks, specs accidently going live on the Minelab website, there can be no doubt that after five long years we are close to seeing what Minelab has been working on for so long. They used to go about 2 years between models. My first GPX 5000 I sold in the fall of 2012 thinking surely a new machine would come out in the spring of 2013. After all, it had been three years since the release of the GPX 5000 at that time. But no, it was not to be, so I purchased another GPX 5000 new in the spring of 2013.

Now it is for sure something new is on the way and so my GPX 5000 just went up for sale - again. I have not used it since I came back from Alaska in July anyway, my preference being to use my SDC 2300. The only thing my SDC lacks is ground coverage, so I am getting the 15" x 20" mono for my ATX to make sure I am covered in that regard. I have immediately upgraded to every new model Minelab since the SD 2200 and have never once regretted it. I am willing to bet I will not regret it this time either. I think 2015 is going to be a very interesting year for electronic prospecting.

Great stuff Trev - Thanks for the smile and the chuckle!

It is moot anyway as you can't put a lid on the Internet genie. Your screen shot was captured by others and is being reposted elsewhere.

Hi JP,

The Arizona boys hunt that way, up before the crack of dawn and big siesta mid-day, then hunt again at end of day. It rarely gets hot enough around here to make me do that but then again I sat out middle of last two summers going to Alaska. Next year I stay closer to home.

Well, storms coming and wife just told me to go look for gold so I guess I will wander over to California again today. May be last chance for a bit, they are calling for snow tonight in the passes.

Anyway JP, enjoy your time at home with the family!

Hope you are running in both channels - it is not one or the other. They complement each other, with channel one picking up nuggets channel two misses.

or are you saying channel one is non-functional? That would be scary! But hey, with a nugget like that it earned its keep.

Wow, awesome, just goes to show you put any decent detector in the hands of a good prospector and gold will appear! It is hard going backwards with the models though, so I am sure you will be happy to get your GPX back. That SD warble drove me nuts.

That is one crazy chunk of gold. Looks like it was longer once then got bent over. May as well call it an ounce; toise are getting hard to find.

I have never liked the Koss UR30. Too loose on my head and no independent volume control. All my Minelab UR30 headphones usually stay new in bag to be sold with detector later. Which is why I am one of the first guys to get the adapter. After spending three grand, what's another hundred bucks? That said, it really should have been included when a detector costs that much. Little things like that go a long way with consumers. regardless, money well spent for me and also allows for use of booster and external speaker. My Sun Ray Pro Gold headphones run perfectly without the booster, but it is a must for the external speaker.

Finally. I sold my GPX 5000 two years ago thinking the new machine might be coming out, and then bought another new one when that did not happen. Looks like my GPX 5000 is going up for sale - again.

Since today is not a holiday in Australia I imagine a webmaster is on the hot seat someplace. Or maybe an attempt at viral marketing? You never know these days.

There are many things for me to be thankful about right now. Mainly I am thankful that all my family and friends are in decent health. If you ever lose that you find out nothing else really mattered.

Going into my second winter in Reno I sure am glad I am not still in Alaska. Highs in the 20s and lows in the teens in Anchorage at the moment. If I were there I would have put my detectors away a month ago and would have five more months to wait to use them again.

Instead, today I drove over to California to test out some detectors around an old mining camp. Did not find anything of note but learned a lot. Mainly I learned I am liking 60 degrees in late November!

Of course it can't last but no matter what it will seem like it is over before it even starts by my standards. And Arizona is just a days drive away if I wish, though I am finding I do need at least a little down time every year.

Life is good here, and I hope it is for each and every one of you also. Happy Thanksgiving!

You are doing well Glenn, and I hear you buddy Bill is also getting some nice gold. Good for you guys - keep it up!

Hi Rick,

No issues with headphones. The external speaker on the SDC is on side facing away from operator and it puts out insufficient volume for all but the quietest conditions. At least for my poor ears. I wanted to compare my external speaker volume to Chris' to see if mine is any different than his but have not got around to it. I use headphones normally and forgot last time we were out.

And no, I have not tested any of those gold samples on various units. I really need to do that soon.

Hello Trev,

Isn't prospecting grand, all the adventures it will lead us on in life? Some are successful, and some not, but oddly enough the less successful ones are sometimes the ones we remember most. Good to have you here, thanks for posting!

Ah, good old Nuggetshooter's - those were the days. I wonder what Ralph is up to?

Nice link, thanks for posting.

The SDC is really killing it. Seems like everyone that gets one is immediately posting gold finds on the first outing. I think that is mainly due to the cost. Lots of experienced guys willing to spend the bucks, not too many newbies. If you know your stuff and know a decent location the SDC is almost sure to find gold left behind, no matter what detectors were used before. I think the only place it will fail is low mineral ground where the Gold Bug 2 users have already crumbed it to death. Look for high mineral locations, that is the key. The worse, the better.

Hopefully I will be seeing a final version F75 LTD2 this week because the moment it arrives I am heading out to an 1800's ghost town with it. I have yet to find that first gold coin and am thinking the new F75 can help me knock that find off the bucket list!

Here are a couple more pictures of that "Ugly Nugget".

The V3i is a detector nerds dream but you would almost never see one outside of cities. It really is more a turf, jewelry, and beach type machine, though it can be pressed into service nugget detecting. I have a friend did well on two trips to Ganes with the V3i. Lots of units I would grab before my V3i when it comes to nugget detecting though. I have a V3i and it is a top notch jewelry unit. More akin to the CTX 3030 but with way more settings and possible customization. And close to a grand used.

Sounds like you need to check out my updated Nugget Detector Review! Once you head down the VLF rabbit hole you can drive yourself nuts with the options, because so many good detectors will do the job. It honestly boils down to feel and style. Kind of like buying a good pistol - there is one that just fits your hand and hefts right and has that certain look, but if you are a good shot most of them will do the job. See also Gold Bug Pro vs AT Gold vs X-Terra 705 Gold vs Lobo SuperTRAQ vs MXT

Well, I love the Gold Bug 2 but if the desired goal is a backup gold detector but also for coins and relics, especially aound trashy old campsites, I would go Gold Bug Pro instead of Gold Bug 2. The CTX is pretty much in a league of its own unless you count older versions like the E-TRAC and Explorer. The CTX, E-TRAC and Explorer are multi-frequency units and are not so hot for prospecting though and heavy to boot. Gold Bug Pro is only 2.5 lbs and runs off a single 9V so easy to stash and easy on your pocket book. You can get the basic model with ground grab only (no manual override) for under $500 brand new with full warranty. And dirty little secret is the base model is every bit as good as the Pro model.

Hi Glenn,

Glad to seeing you doing well, - those floods must have helped. I am working on my schedule now and will be down soon for a week at least.

I have like new TDI with ten month remaining warranty for sale at http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/classifieds/item/15-whites-tdi-with-12-coil/ I should be doing a sales pitch. I am worried though you would not be happy with a TDI. I thought you and Rob gave them a brief spin at Moore Creek?

They work well enough, but as you are finding with the SD 2200 it is hard to come down off a GPX. I guess it really is a budget issue more than anything.

If it were me, my first choice for backup for a GPX would be another GPX, since you then get another battery, power cable, etc. Stuff you can use on your main unit. Recent eBay sold listings of the GPX 4000 are going in the $2200 - $2300 range.

You can step down through used Minelab models all the way back to the SD 2100. The SD 2000 is to be avoided as listed as obsolete by Minelab, but they will still service the 2100 on up. Recent eBay sold listings of the GP Extreme are in the $1200 - $1300 range. I believe Chris Ralph has a lightly used GP Extreme for sale. Most SD models seem to be going also in the $1000 - $1300 range so the GP Extreme looks to be a sweet spot for performance for the dollars. I know JP had good things to say about the GP Extreme.

Personally, my first choice stepping away from a Minelab is a Garrett ATX, which is why my TDI is for sale. I believe the ATX has better overall performance on a wider range of targets than the TDI. The main issue is the physical layout. The ATX is a 6.9 lb arm workout. The regular TDI like mine is closer to 5 lbs and can be chest or hip mounted. The TDI SL is rod mount only, but a very well balanced unit weighing under 4 lbs. The SL is a sweetie but it does only run a half day on a set of AA batteries so be aware of that. The regular TDI usually has two Li-Ion batteries with it that each get about a day of running time.

The TDI does have a huge advantage as an inexpensive backup to a Minelab in that the TDI can run most any Minelab SD/GP/GPX coils. A big plus in its favor that. Some coils may need to have the pulse delay reduced to prevent overload but most will run just fine on the TDI with no special adjustments. Do not put a TDI coil on a Minelab though, the Minelabs are not as forgiving.

The other thing is a used ATX goes for more than a used GP Extreme with recent eBay sales running $1600 - $1800 whereas you can buy used TDI models all day long under $1000 - they run $700 -$1000 depending on model and condition.

After reading all that again I vote for GP Extreme under $1300 used or TDI under $900 used (SL under $800). If waterproof is important, as it is for me, then the ATX is the only real option. Unless money is no object, then get the SDC 2300!

Wow Clay, excellent insight and details. Thanks! With increasing availability of computing power things can only get better. I still can't believe I have two terabytes of storage sitting in front of me as I type, and it wasn't even expensive.

More on LiDAR - they discovered Roman gold mines in Spain! We have detector guru engineer Dave Johnson to thank for this link:

http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news/2014/11/airborne-laser-finds-roman-goldmines?et_cid=4277812&et_rid=281012844&type=cta

Now if we could just see underground like that!