If you are located in Australia have a look at OziExplorer Web site. It does everything anyone needs.    https://oziexplorer4.com/au/    I have used it for 20+ years initially shareware it was so good got a reg version soon after. Used for bushwalking and prospecting (keep all my nuggets locations and maps with it.)  By the way it is able to do any country.

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GC your not wrong about Garmin manuals, I started out in GPSs with the Magellans back in late 80s, early 90s. They were more user (read mug😉) orientated manuals and operation. But the Garmin Rino like Strick has found are magic for knowing where your mates are, anyway was the Rino that swung me over to Garmin. 

Those words are the same as mine. I got their first 2 channel multiplex Magellan's (very limited back then till they went to 8 channels version) and upgraded till they ceased manufacture of their platinum model. When the Garmin Rhino first came out, I got 4 in a two for one deal for Carol and Me with one spare and one for my oldest son. Their features covered all my prospecting, bushwalking and kayaking needs and as you say it bonus of seeing were your partner is located and not having to carry an additional two-way radio. I even got a RV GPS for my 4WD and Van since then. 

I prefer to chew on a nugget.  😋

Thanks for the update. Keep us in the loop with how she likes the hobby and her finds.

The super magnet is a time save, but they will not work on gold😀. The nugget I had disappear was never found. The situation was a signal about 5 gm strength in a large conglomerate bolder about 8 ft high. The target was at about eye level. After trying to remove it with a geo hammer it went flying. Spent 2 hours gridding the area around the rock, no non ferrous target was found even though very little rubbish in the area.

 😭          

10 hours ago, Doc said:

How many of you when you were new to this got caught up digging a really deep hole under a bush because of a good target signal?  

After getting down 18 inches you realize the target is the same as when you started.  That's when you realize some one snookered you by putting a bent rusty piece of wire on one of the branches of the bush.

When I was first getting started someone told me yeah other detectorists will do that.  I said, "Why?"  Because they waste 30 minutes of your time and that's 30 minutes less time you get to spend looking for gold.

Doc

In a spot that my mate got a 2 oz nugget near a tree root. I got a good signal near a tree. I was getting a good signal all round the tree. After a bit of digging things did not add up. going nearly 2 foot up the trunk of the tree I zoomed in on the location. The tree had grown over a horseshoe and completely covered it with bark.

Today it's 50 days and tomorrow it will be 7 weeks.  😒

11 hours ago, Jeff McClendon said:

Well Jeff this Geof with one F not 2 like you.  It looks like you need me to rescue your single nugget from all that junk attacking it. 😀 

Do you use a clear lacquer to keep them from oxidizing again.

         Most of the time it is not a matter of how deep a PI or VLF goes or how small a nugget it can see. It is more about the ground you are detecting. You have VLF experience so to get or beat a small nugget a PI can match or exceed a VLF with a change of coil even if has to be smaller than a VLF coil. For medium coin size target a PI coil the same size will exceed the VLF in depth by ¼ to a ½ in most cases. 

         The ground (location, mineralisation, depth, other rubbish targets (junk and hot rocks) and terrain will determine the best type of detector to use. As I mostly hunted for new patches in shallow ground in Victoria Aus. high mineral soils I found the Minlab SD series features were not worth changing from my VLF's it was not till I detected West Aus. gold fields that I changed to the Minlab GP series as the false hot rock signals there in 2003 onwards. So select a detector that suits the gold size in the location you will be in.

      By the way every new detector from some manufactures claim 20 to 50% more depth than the previous model but beware the are not using the same target as the previous model best size target. So it's a different ball game, but in a worked out spot/patch it may find nuggets that previous model was not good at.   

Doc said.....

In gold country over here we are always searching out Old Timer diggings and looking for missed gold.  Those sites are almost always productive but they are so trashy.  The old timers threw all their scrap iron, cans, nails, everywhere.  And some of those things are amazingly deep.

Yes we all want discrimination. The old timer's junk won and I had to quit. 😭 It was not the large rubbish, they can be kick away but those millions of small bits with every swing.

I am sure there is a few more members that had the same finds.

Super impressive..........bbbbb but where are the long range detectors I can't see them.😁

I don't use any, just squat so the knees are not near the ground.

2 hours ago, Ethan in Adelaide said:

Geof did you also share some of your finding?

Only the location ...... It was to small to divide. 🥺 

The Nugget Finder Sadie was a great coil I could not get it off of Carol even though I won it.

Date: Wed, 4 May 2011 12:47:03 +1000

Hi Geoff

            Thank you for entering our “Name The Coil” competition.  Unfortunately your entry was not the winner however it was one of 5 finalists.  As a finalist you have won yourself an 8 x 6 mono.  Please supply a mailing address and your coil will be sent out within 2 weeks.

Thank again for your entry

Regards

 Rohan Johnson

In 1929 Lewis Hubert Lasseter (1880-1931) began writing to federal and state politicians describing a reef in Central Australia bearing gold “as thick as plums in a pudding”. No politicians were interested in funding a journey to the reef, but two expeditions would set out regardless, capturing the imagination of the nation and its press in the process.

Thanks mate I kept reading more articles in the Mag and copied the last one. Let hope I am with it now MATE.

The great 1930 depression hope Lasseter's Reef. Article by "Australian Geographic Magazine"

https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/history-culture/2019/07/lasseters-reef-will-it-ever-be-found/

..... Correct LINK ....

I have notices a few household broom handles.

"Oates Duratuff Bamboo Broom Handle (B-11590) 1.35m x 22m"

I don't think they will break but not sure about bending they maybe another choice.  

To many people tend to underrate old detectors. Your detector was one of the best in it times. All I can say is it will not be too much of a handicap in finding deep silver coins in the non discriminating mode, it did have the "bees knees" of discrimination of it's time and still worth using it as well. 

Another choice is to look at isolated single claims, and over lay it on a geo. map this will show you the geological area that is the same as the claim. You can detect on unclaimed area and may get on to a missed area. Gold in Leonora and Laverton can be spread out over a large area. Have a look at my post " Nugget Spread  " and note some of the distances on the patches. 

Happy birthday and enjoy those left over dog biscuits as your reward. 

🦴

3 hours ago, Aureous said:

Its a legal waiver against personal liability. If you injure yourself, the company isn't liable. The form also identifies you, your vehicle etc 

I did that years ago, as well as above they wanted a record of gold finds and location. Doing this puts you in the good books with them for the next time.