Roughwater

Thanks much John. I have read those reviews and I liked them. However he doesn't have a review of the Makro Racer 2 yet. Though it is very similar it has some added features.

Thanks John, I think I saw the video you speak of. As just an average consumer of Whites products I never really gave much thought to the folks who have put their minds and in your case their heats into a product. It's easy to take things for granted. Your post puts an additional perspective into the purchase and use of a product. For you, I can see it represents a big part of your life and it looks like you represented the MXT and Whites very well. Sometimes companies don't take such things into consideration, they are just trying to sell a product in a very competitive environment.

I am just starting to get used to this website so I hope you will all pardon me If I have (and I have) started threads here that has similar achieves already at this website for all to read. Before posting this I did a check and didn't see any previous posts directed toward the upgraded Racer so I went ahead with this post. In my search for a reasonably priced detector as an addition to my GPX that can serve as an occasional beach and coin detector as well as a gold prospecting detector for use in high trash areas I am starting to get a short list. One detector on that short list is the Fors Core and in the process of learning more about it I came across the Makro Racer 2. Not a true gold detector for sure but I liked almost everything I have seen and read about the Core other than having to set up and make changes to the settings via the side panel screen. The Macro Racer 2 seemed very, very similar but runs at 14khz, weighs only 3 lbs including batteries and the Racer screen is right in front of the user. The price seems very good as well on either but the Core pro package offers 3 coils including the 15" X 13" coil and the Makro Racer 2 only offers only 2 coils for about the same price. What drew me to the Core is that by all accounts offers great depth and appears to be very useful in trashy areas to separate the iron from the good stuff. In looking the specs for both machines, it appears they took the best features of both and made the Makro Racer 2. My question here would be directed to anyone who has used either the Core or the new or original Makro Racer and their feelings about the usefulness of either for general detecting and gold detecting. Thanks in advance, Terry

It's a pretty huge thing that folks at Whites are listening. Hopefully the issue Steve had can be resolved quickly.

Good day Goldhound, I don't have the 3030 but I came to this post curious about your actual success with the 3030 at finding gold, especially in the trashy areas. The 3030 is a big investment for most and represents the cost 2 or 3 decent VLF detectors. I have several questions about it since you have used it for a long time in search of gold. 1. In your opinion is it worth the extra cost ? 2. I assume you are finding gold with it and how does it compare with other well known VlF machines as far as ability to avoid the Iron and with bad mineralized ground? 3. What is your favorite coil for the machine? Thanks much in advance. Terry

I might pay more if having the old codes if doing so appeared to be really beneficial. Can't say how much more without seeing the pluses to having the codes left in the detector. I haven't personally used one but I do recall one review of a newer company's detector made to to take discrimination to the point where it would discriminate everything out if you prefer and set the gain higher than could be used in most applications and the reviewer felt this was a plus. I think I would too.

Wow, pretty gold! I think I see the secret of your success here. Every time you start back to the truck you start finding gold. To save time, I would just walk a few feet from the truck and start back and see what happens?

Maybe you need to go to the dentist more often?

Thanks a bunch Steve for your input. I get to rambling sometime and loose sight of where I was going. Guess it's part of getting older. Terry

Thanks again Argyle, I trust your judgement. I am presently in the market for a Joey coil for the 5000. Thought about the 6" mono but like the narrower shape of the joey. I know you are correct about some us ground being mineralized such as in Arizona but I haven't encountered it yet. Even so I would prefer to be prepared for it if I do. No, I don't presently have anything but the 5K. Years ago I had a whites Eagle and used it for a long time mostly coin hunting in parks and at homes off and on. Before I went on my last cross country prospecting trip I had bought a lobo, an old gold bug and the GP 3500. I never used the Lobo much or even the Gold Bug. I would usually grab my 3500 with the 8" Commander Mono. That was my favorite combo even though I had purchased several other coils for the GP. The small mono was usually pretty quiet and I could get close to and between most brush with the 8" mono. I had used it several times at the beach as well but the North Carolina beaches are pretty trashy under the sand and I mostly found new coins and very deep junk. I sold all my detectors to buy a home. Later on I did miss my GP so I bought a White Ti detector. I had it for a couple years and even built 3 coils for it including a 3 meter coil (3X3ft) but it actually came out more rectangular. I could detect a 1 lb piece of Iron at 6 ft air test. I had to get on a ladder to test it. I later sold it however to buy a hunting rifle as I wasn't using it much. Ideally I would like a detector that would do it all well but not sure there is any such thing. The dealer I usually buy from is doing some training in June here in North Carolina at a local beach and I would like to attend. I will also be attending his class July Nugget Shooting class in Oregon. His top choices for beach hunting are the CTX 3030, the Excaliber II and the Fisher CZ21 in that order. I am an Ex-Marine so I am told I can get a 15% discount on the minelabs but even so the CTX is pretty costly and the Excal would be best used only at the beach and they don't come cheap either. I am also about to retire for the 2nd time and trying to pay off my cards and paying them off and buying a $$$$ machine isn't real compatible. It does appear though that the CTX could be a great beach machine as well as a coin machine and maybe useful in moderate ground for prospecting. I have an electronics background so My present inclination is to buy a moderate priced detector that can be used as a beach detector for coins and for nugget shooting. There are several that seemed to maybe fit my need. However the Fores Core sounded pretty good as well as the F19 or maybe even the F21 hip mounted could maybe work. Thought about the AT Pro as it is waterproof but it don't appear to get great depth, not sure about it's salt use and am thinking the features of the Core might be better? I do know that if I pay off my small debts I will stand a better chance of staying retired and being about to use my detector toys pretty regular. Anyway that's where I am at present. Good day Terry

Thanks again argyle, As they say here in the southern US "I hear ya", meaning I understand. I hadn't previously thought of a mullock heap being different in composition from normal ground but in thinking about it I guess it is different. Kinda like testing in air VS testing in soil. That being said, maybe using Ganes Creek might have been a bad example for me to use. And from what I have heard about Ganes Creek, you got it right about it being full of mullock piles as you all call them. A lot of our gold bearing areas over here I don't believe are as mineralized as yours. There are some few however that maybe are and I would prefer of course having a detector that can still function in those areas if need be. There is some ground that just has too many tiny bits of iron. If I know there is history of huge gold nuggets I might dig or if I find a patch but otherwise I sure would like a detector that can eliminate at least some of the digging as some of the ground here is like concrete. You want to be able to cover some ground as well. I've heard good things about 2 of the detectors you mention, the Fores Core and the F19. Some of the other's here also like the 19 and Steve wrote a positive review of the Fores Gold / Fores Core. They aren't nearly as expensive as most of the multifrequency machines like the 3030. Gotta get ready for work. The real gold fields in the US or more than 1500 miles from me but I plan to visit some in late June and July so I have some time left to figure out what I want. Make a pleasurable day for you as well Argyle.

Thanks Argyle, You comments are much appreciated. Maybe the reason I ask the question is obvious not sure but the reason is that I have a good PI machine but feel I should get a VLF machine as well that would offer some discrimination. I don't have buckets of money so I would like to make my first choice a good one. I'm not as educated as I would like at nugget shooting but if I were to use no discrimination on a VLF machine and dig everything would it not be best to just use my GPX 5000 instead of a VLF and dig everything? It would certainly go deeper than any VLF would it not? Or by no discrimination do you mean to just go by the tones on the VLF to pick your targets? Thanks again, Terry

For what it's worth I appreciate this website. It's quickly become my favorite Nugget hunting website. I'm just getting back into the hobby and have learned and relearned so much here about the hobby here. Some things have changed but many things no so much since 06. But I feel like there has been progress though, not by leaps and bounds but progress none the less. I'm still waiting as all of us are for the PI detector that is light, waterproof, wireless and with excellent discrimination and modes for every type of metal detection. Terry

Would love to join you but can't get out of state till at least after Mid June. Probably be too hot out there then to work very long in the daytime. Hope you let us know later how it goes with your hunt and the best of luck to ya! Terry

Chris, appreciate the input from down under. In reading your post it would appear the 3030 is able to handle the tough mineralization there? Do you know what other folks are using in the way of VLF and multifrequency machines that can handle your bad mineralization? Thanks, Terry

Deathray, I've read Steve's Reviews, but still wondering what folks are actually using and having luck with in the field. Thanks Deathray, Gambler, Hard prospector, Greg, Luke, Schiara and Breakofday! I much appreciate your comments. So far it looks like the F19 is pretty popular for the task with one vote for the 3030 the T2, F75, GB pro and a couple for the XP Deus. A negative for the Sport and a maybe for the sport with the 6"coil. Also a positive for the Macro and one very negative for the Macro Racer due to inability to handle mineralization. I hope some more folks will chime in on what works for them.

Pretty cool, and awesome scenery! Looked very professional to me. Thanks for the Video!

I have also seen nearly new one's for sale online already.

If you could choose just one detector in search of gold nuggets in High trash areas what would it be and with what coil? Let me put this question another way. You have an opportunity to go to a new Pay to play gold mine like Ganes Creek Ak. Of course you will take your favorite PI detector and if money were not object and you could bring a second detector for the trashy areas given all the new and old detectors available what would you bring to the hunt? Thanks, Terry

Steve, I really appreciate you taking the time to write your honest opinion. I for one am glad you didn't wait 30 days to give us your initial thoughts. I think many folks read and value your opinion above most. I had a White's eagle from way back and really liked it and like many, would like to see White's succeed and get us a great new machine but it's starting to look like this may not be it. You may have saved a few of us from buying something we might regret. I will be looking forward to your full review of the machine. Thanks again. Terry

Much Appreciated Steve. That's exactly why I'm looking forward to your review of this machine. I'm sure you will tell us based on your vast knowledge and experience of detectors if this is an above average VLF or not. Since this looks kinda like Whites answer to the Garrett AT Pro maybe you could tell us how they compare? Thanks, Terry

Appreciate the input Steve. I like what I have seen and heard on line about the AT Pro. I do imagine that a multi-frequency detector like the CTX 3030 would go deeper, have better discrimination and the fact that it's waterproof is a big plus for whatever use it's put to. I have a couple months before I have to decide. I did see a whites video review of the MX Sport where they put a nail both close to a good target and then a nail right on top of a good target and the detector audio was still able to recognize something possibly good was there which I thought interesting. They tried the same test on a similar older Whites and it was unable to do nearly as well. The new MX sport seemed to have much quicker response and could be swung as quick as one can and still have a response to a target. But I have not seen a decent tests or videos done on it in a beach environment. I'm anxious to see you do a review of the MX sport seeing that you have one now. Terry

Steve, I've heard good things about this new detector. Saw a whites utube and other videos. Can't wait for you to do a personal review of it as I may be interested in purchasing one. Terry

Just wondering what these are going for and how it compares to a GB-2?

I'm in a bit of a quandary. I am getting back into metal detecting and am planning a long detecting trip that includes Alaska, Oregon and probably more frequently the Atlantic coast beaches and coin shooting nearer to my home state of NC. I picked up a GPX 5000 to cover most of my gold prospecting. However I have nothing else. It was suggested by a very experienced detector user that I get either a CTX-3030, a Minelab Excal II or as he put it his third choice, a Fisher CZ-21. Problem is I'm not rich and just spent a lot on the GPX. So, I have been looking at lesser priced machines that would serve a dual or more-so triple service and could be used for the beach, coins and a for prospecting in high trash areas. I was thinking that other than the CTX, his recommended choices might not be the best for land use or prospecting and the CTX is a LOT of money. So after a lot of online research, I am looking at maybe the Garrett AT Pro (water proof) or the new Whites MX Sport (also water proof). Any suggestions would be appreciated. Terry