Roughwater

For what it's worth Danny, I think that would be your best bet as well. There would be a cost savings also with buying the MXT and there is a large assortment of coils. For what you save you could pick up an extra coil or two. I had a TDI at one point in time and a good machine. It was the original model before the pro and SL. It had a form of discrimination and maybe that's been improved in the newer models but with the one I had if you discriminated even a small nail you lost most of your depth. One thing too,whatever your choice, if you buy a good used one at a good price you can often get you money back by reselling or trading up. Terry

Thanks Red Dirt Digger, I had no Idea the 7000 could discriminated anything. Good to know. Also, we have a lot of Red dirt here in this part of North Carolina but not much gold. For the most part you have to go 1600 miles plus to get to most of the Gold in the states.

In my daily work I do a lot of driving and happened to come across one of these today: http://www.runawaycampers.com/pb/wp_63a033d5/wp_63a033d5.html I thought it might be someones answer for a road trip. Several size options. You can even get one with air. They are pretty small but don't weigh much. You could use it for your equipment or have the sofa bed they sell put in there for sleeping. Thought it might be cheaper than trying to turn you vehicle into living space? Cheaper than a new GPX.

That's a really nice kit for 40 bucks. Seems well thought out too. I like the big handles on the classifier and the hole. I think this model may set some new standards. Just needs a hole opposite the other hole too so one can attach a chinstrap for folks who think like me and Chuck. Terry

Chuck, Glad they are taking care of you. Hope your new one is the bomb as some would say.

I want to thank all of you that contributed to this thread. Ultimately I decided as many of you already know there is no detector that does it all well. I basically knew that but hoped there was something out there that would be a good back up for my GPX at finding gold as well as work decent at the beach. If I had lived in Gold country I probably wouldn't worry about the beach but I live much much closer to the beach than any gold fields. I think some VLF detectors might work Ok at my beach but then there is the problem with the accidental dunk or splash. The excal would be good but kinda unhandy on land, The several BBS/FBS machines would be good but not waterproof and if I'm at the beach I gotta get in the water. So it kept always coming back to the CTX3030. I knew that would probably be the ticket for the beach but so expensive! But long story short, short of any financial disaster I'm going to bite the bullet and get a 3030. Getting a 3030 would fill my beach detecting requirement perfectly as well as be good for coin and relic too just not so much as a gold detector. Since the 3030 would fill all my other detecting needs it left me open to buy a more dedicated VLF gold detecting machine. So when a like new Minelab Eureka gold detector popped up out of no where real cheap I jumped at it even though it was never previously on my radar. There were many detectors out there that were hard to choose between , like the MXT, The gold Racer, the 705 Gold Pack, even the Racer 2 was looking pretty good and any of them I would be happy with I'm sure. But with the combo of the GPX 5000, the CTX 3030 and the Eureka Gold I feel I will be well set for any type of detecting for a good while. If One day they come out with a PI detector that discriminates as well as the best VLF, I think you would have your one detector for all things, but that day ain't here yet. Terry

Looks like you have a sense of humor John. That's a good thing, helps keep us sane or close to it anyway. That's some drilling rig, it don't look all the portable though.

I'm sure there are better things but I had generally used one of those super cheap fairly long hunting knives. If it breaks then no worries. Not sure what I will go to now as I have detectors that will potentially go much deeper, but I imagine the coins are only so deep anyway for the most part. I think some kind of a probe would also be handy even if it's just a thin Phillips screwdriver. Steve mentioned sometimes he only goes for the shallow targets so you wouldn't need much more than maybe a flat blade screw driver. But in that scenario a pin pointer would come in real handy as well. Back in the day I don't recall ever hearing of them (Pinpointers) but seems like it's become almost a necessity now. I am sure I'll be getting one as well as I can see it would make the job easier, quicker and cleaner. Terry

Very good of you Chris to help them out. Glad you managed to get some gold too. Maybe you also showed them the power of a Minelab PI machine!

I'm probably not the best to advise but I've heard the 4500 is near as good as the 5000 at less money. Assuming you want a more dedicated VLF gold machine, the Makro Racer 2 and the Eureaka Gold look like good choices. But lots of folks also recommend the xterra 705 Goldpack, the gold bug 2, Whites MXT to name a few and not necessarily in that order. If you want a waterproof Gold detector maybe the AT Gold. Terry

Nice Job Danny. I found it difficult to use a Minelab GP on the beaches I hunt due to all the iron and other trash.

I would not include the Sport just yet as its pretty new and not all who have one are singing it's praises, though some may be playing a tune with them. But if you are into playing tunes with your detector it would be my first choice.

It was mainly for prospecting Steve. I have been fighting it but am now leaning toward getting a 3030 for all the rest of my detecting needs. I didn't want to go the big bucks but I know that with the beach being much much closer than any goldfields, it would get much more use than my gold detectors. Also at the beach, how could one possibly avoid getting in the water? Not me and with the 3030 I wouldn't have worry about getting it wet. I kept going over all the alternatives in my head and most every other alternative came up short or requiring the need for a 2 more detectors. I haven't pulled the trigger on it but I'm heavily leaning that way.

Ok, you are all too late. I bought the Eurka Gold. It wasn't was exactly what I was looking for but I couldn't allow Steve to buy another detector. I think it ought to be a suitable companion to my GPX.

I need a quick opinion as I'm ready to pull the trigger on one or the other. I can get the Eureka gold like new or a used Xterra 705 at a great price and need some opinions quick. Thanks much! Terry

Eklawok, I don't know if this will help but it's something I was thinking about today. I don't know how things were in the 50's and early 60's in AK but where I lived in a small town in Ohio there was always a neighborhood store. Almost no one drove to the store, pretty much everyone walked. Often, the parents who only had one vehicle and most often only dad drove it. Mom would send us waking to the store at least every other day. In route, now and then kids being kids would loose change. If you look at old photos of your town find the old stores and if you can search along the route to the store. More than once when I was a kid I would search the grass along the walk near the store and now and then I would find a coin. School was the same way. We all walked to school and sometimes had change so don't just check out the school or the store but the route the kids took especially near to each. Terry

The Fors Core Relic has a beach mode but is 19Khz I believe so may not punch quite as deep as a 15 Khz machine but would be interesting to try at the beach so see if it might be more sensitive to the smaller gold Jewry items.

Please don't view your posts as ignorant or irritating. You have been most kind and respectful with your posts. I don't think anyone here feels that way, I know I don't. Some may not understand your pursuit but I think you are on to something in pursuing the Micro Jewry. Will it be difficult, yes. It will take the hand of a patient person to accomplish. I think if you pursue it you will figure out way's to reduce the rubbish and still find the tiny gems you seek. Different folks have different hobbies. Many in this hobby value the size of the nugget or the value of the coin or Gold ring and can't see past that. But finding tiny items of Jewry among all the bits of accumulated trash that will take skill and patience that most don't of us don't have. I enjoyed going down the road you have led with your pursuit. I hope you don't end your quest nor leave this website. I would enjoy seeing this post continue as I am sure many here would. I am real new to this site and you have far more experience than myself and I would like you to keep us informed of your finds etc. I feel strongly that this is a good place to meet others that share this hobby. Though I live thousands of miles from most here I think we kinda feel a certain kinship with others who enjoy this hobby. I think you even got some here thinking a little outside the box as you do. Please stick around and let us in on your future hunts , what you find and what you learn along the way. Also you aren't the only person ageing here, many of us are. I am, but I think it's cool that we find joy in essentially playing in the dirt!

I don't know much about finding Quartz crystals but one day I was out at rye patch and a guy drove up who apparently does. I was apparently on the BLM land as we didn't have to pay to camp there. I briefly watched him as he picked out a big outcropping of quartz and proceeded digging under it as if he were digging for the roots of a plant. He pulled out a very large thick crystal. I was impressed to say the least. He offered to sell the crystal to anyone there for a pretty cut rate price compared to what you would pay otherwise. Wish I had bought the thing but didn't but it was a very impressive crystal! Huge by my standards. I think we had all picked up a few little ones while prospecting there. Bad thing for him was he drove a old wagon with old tires off the dirt road as if it were a jeep right up to the quartz formation and flattened one of his tires in the process. Maybe too, that's why he was selling the crystal so cheap (to replace his tire)? Anyway, it was educational.

Hi Brian, I can't personally help you a lot. But I did a search and the guy (Monte) doing the review has done the most in-depth review in comparing the Racer to the MXT I have ever seen. Keep in mind he is reviewing the Racer not the improved Racer 2. https://www.ahrps.org/forums/read.php?2,3597,3601

I thought of suggesting the original Gold Bug as they are real cheap now, but in a review of it, someone stated that it didn't have the gain of the GB2 so was not as good at detecting the tiny stuff nor had the detecting depth of the GB2. It not being quite as hot might be good for some purposes but not so much what you need it for I suspect. Terry

I haven't used either but those are 2 of the few I have considered as well. It may not mean anything but I saw a add by a Racer 2 owner who was wanting to trade his Racer 2 for a MXT pro? Had I not learned so much lately about the MXT I would be much more surprised. You might throw the 705 Xterra Gold Pack into the Mix. I thought at first the 705 gold pack was just a 705 with an additional coil but it also has additional features like a beach mode, backlight etc. But if you are real set on the two detectors you mentioned I won't be insulted in the least as I know choosing between one of two detectors is at least 1/3 less difficult than deciding between 3 detectors.

I have to get some of those cohesive Horse bandages. I like the way they keep the coil from flopping around and the spongy texture has to be a nice bonus. It reminds me of a waterproof material I sometimes used to wrap around outdoor antenna cable fittings but wasn't near as wide as the bandages. My computer was freezing up yesterday thus the repeat posts.

Argyle, Many thanks Mate.

Many thanks once again for your time and thought. Terry