Northeast

You're getting a bit mixed up I think N-Buddy. Cell phone generally means you can make a phone call or send a text via the various providers that own the towers located all over the country. However, once out of metro the coverage is patchy which I'm sure you know. But, some cell phones are 'GPS enabled' meaning that they will get a reading from a satellite for mostly any position in the world - just like any GPS device. Even if you are out of cell phone tower range. Any of the latest iPhones, iPads, etc have this functionality. This does not mean they are Satellite phones though - you can't make a call using that satellite reading. Then there are designated EPIRBs or PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons). They have only 1 function - they send a distress signal via satellite to emergency services when you set off the beacon. Then there are the SPOT type devices that will send some sort of message to pre-programmed emails/wife's mobile/neighbour, etc. These work via satellite not mobile towers. I use Avenza maps on my iPhone and it works whether I have cell phone range or not as it works off satellites also. It has absolutely no function for sending distress signals or otherwise. It can make marks on the maps and I can name the marks, and it can make a trail, etc. It is purely so I know where I am. Hope that makes things clearer

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?id=22438 https://www.prospectingaustralia.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?id=4656 https://www.prospectingaustralia.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?id=12207 https://www.prospectingaustralia.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3991 Lots of good ideas in the above mixed in with a fair bit of banter and bu!!sh!t

I would have thought that any Garmin/Magellan/etc unit would pin point your spot, allow you to make trail marks and notes, etc. I also use Avenza maps on my iPhone and find it very good. BUT, if you are wanting to utilise it sort of as a EPIRB type unit that can also transmit a signal to someone to signal distress or just to ask for simple help or let your wife know that you'll be late then you'll need to look at the units similar to what orphirboy is describing. There are several different examples of them around. Good luck with your search. Google is your friend and I'll have a quick search of Prospecting Australia because I know this topic has been discussed several times.

Very interesting feature Reg. Patented?

Interesting. As always Steve, thanks

Sorry, should have clarified that. I did mean "couldn't you hear it IF your head was underwater too?" Snorkeling, diving, etc. Steve's post was clear that once the pod goes underwater you couldn't hear the speaker anymore - but that's if your head was out of water. For those that dive in lakes and on a calm beach wouldn't it be better to be able to just hear the detector's speaker rather than be wired to headphones?

Can I ask what may seem like a silly question? I have never used underwater detectors and headphones but if the Equinox speaker is anything like the Gold Monster speaker then I am guessing you could actually hear it reasonably well underwater? I'm sure in a fast running river or a surf break it might be a bit harder but in a lake, slow flowing river or a calm beach couldn't you just hear it? I did warn you it was a silly question so stay calm

Tuesday 6th of Feb at 0900 hrs. Ridge Runner will get his on Friday the 9th of Feb - whenever his postie gets around to delivering it (1322 hrs just for accuracy sake).

Still got 6 days Flakmagnet Monday the 29th of January may just be the day!!

Going to be hard to know when the first person really gets their hands on one. Maybe we could put a date and time on when Ridge Runner gets his hands on one - we will all know 8.3 seconds after this happens

I agree with you MineBlab that it should be a non issue with the standard coil. Smaller coils might see an issue as with the GM. Even the larger GM coil does not assist much as it is still not very wide. We’ll wait and see.

I agree. The Gold Monster is horrible in this aspect. I’m sure the 6” coil doesn’t help to provide stability though. Maybe the larger Equinox coil will help? Hope so or there will be some more mods happening

Thanks Steve, Mike and MineBlab. Always good to know what the experienced among us do when learning a new machine. Thanks again

Setting up your own VLF VDI reference chart. Found this thread very interesting Steve, thanks. I have a query for yourself and anyone else willing to chime in. Obviously there are charts showing where certain coins/objects show on the VDI scale - as you have posted. Due to obvious differences with coins in different countries a different chart would be required for Australia, England, China, etc. And I'm sure that many of you take your own readings and make your own reference charts. My question is: What is your particular methodology in working out what VDI number correlates to any particular object? Do you simply move a dime past the coil, it reads 26 (or whatever depending on the machine) and you record that number? Or, do you want the dime read at a distance of 6 inches from the coil and record that number? Or, do you want an 'at coil' reading, a 6" from the coil reading and a 12" from the coil reading. And in your experience do the VDI numbers change significantly at those 3 different depths? Does anyone ever bury these targets in the type of ground they are likely to hunt and then document those VDI numbers rather than the readings of air tests. The same procedure would obviously need to be done with rings, chains, etc, etc. The reason I ask is that I am seriously considering purchasing an Equinox and would need to do this for Australian coins and make my own reference chart. Simply wondering how others go about this. Im not sure if there is going to be a simple or complex answer to this - happy for it to be a thread of its own somewhere more appropriate Steve if you think it warrants it. Thanks in advance

I'm glad you seem to be on to it dewcon

From the info I've seen so far Steve I could only imagine people thanking you rather than roasting you. I really don't understand what makes some people tick. Anyway, it's a thanks from me

Welcome to the forum Nakky. Im just not sure, are you asking a question or trying to tell us something?

That's keen oneguy. Keener than I would be in the snow. All the power to you

Thanks Steve. You are right, the pictures under the "Detecting Mode" heading do indicate an approx 50% loss of depth which seems accurate to what we found on the weekend. I had never given much thought to the accuracy of the pic, just thought they were trying to indicate that it lost 'some' depth. Certainly we knew the SDC would lack depth Vs the GPZ but were again just surprised how close the SDC had to get when the nugget was quite solid and had a reasonable surface area - although it may have been sitting on its edge making things more difficult. It think it makes Elusive contemplate what he may have walked over with the SDC - and it makes me wonder what I walked over when I had an SDC Just another educational session and display of the 'power of the Z'

Spent a productive few hours with Elusive yesterday chasing some yellow in a spot that he found a little while ago. We had tried previously and got frustrated by EMI - the day that we got the little piece in the picture with the key on the first page of this thread. Supposed to be 40 degrees C here yesterday so a 5.30 a.m. start was decided on to beat the heat. About 5 metres from where we got the 'key piece' last time we picked up the little one in the photo below. Up in the edge of the creek in a crumbling bit of rock. Only just a signal with the Z and pinpointed in the small hole with the Monster. A note to be made here - we originally could barely get a signal on this piece even with the Monster within 2-3 inches. Then realised it was in Gold Mode rather than All Metal. The difference when changed to All Metal was amazing - probably get it at 6-7 inches. The amount of depth lost with Gold Mode was an eye opener for us. Continued on for another 4 hours for a bit of crap and no more yellow, until.... I had taken all my stuff back to the car and was really just playing around waiting for Elusive to get back. Thought there was a bit of a signal. Scraped a bit...maybe that improved a little? Scrape...maybe a bit better? Maybe ground noise - I'd dug a few ground noise signals already Elusive caught up and I scratched a bit more off. Definite improvement and could just see a bit of clay coming through. Off with the Z and on with Elusive's SDC so I can dig and he can pinpoint. The SDC - nothing!! What? Z back on and a signal - bugger, maybe it is just the clay? Dig, dig, signal improved. Z away, SDC and now it was giving 'just' a signal. Dig, dig, getting better. Dig, dig, now it's screaming Don't need to measure these bits against the echidna's nose on the coin Elusive kept the little tacker - about 1.87 grams. We found out the hard way that it is a bit hard to split gold. It's Elusive's spot but it was simply the power of the Z that got the big bit. Well over a foot down and very strange that the SDC couldn't hear it until it was about 6 inches from the coil. Hopefully there will be more to come and the ledger can be evened. Big one all cleaned up - woohoo! And a few hours this morning in a totally new spot for Elusive, Outback 54 and myself. Back to the standard sizes again unfortunately, but gold is gold.

I agree. But it is what it is. I believe the only way around is to go back to the old version and then it will work. It may be cumbersome but maybe... 1) download the old software. 2) import all of your finds onto exchange 2 which should save them??? 3) download the newest software again and away you go? Smarter minds will advise if this is doable

Hi Steve. I'm slowly making my way through the links you put up to my other question. They have all been interesting and I am learning!! So, your thoughts above were disheartening for you. Has that ALL changed with the Equinox or is it just a decent step in the right direction? Thanks

I have no idea why this has popped up as a recent thread but I like it - maybe you thought it was pertinent Steve and brought it to the top of the forum? The first paragraph at the bottom of the Q & A page describes how high frequency detectors are perhaps not the best at discrimination. Is this perhaps why the discrimination on my Gold Monster has not been as accurate as I was hoping? I was expecting miracles of course Due to the fact that high frequency is not as good at discrimination is that perhaps just one of the reasons that the multi-frequency Equinox is going to be better at discriminating targets - it has the lower frequency range to assist. Obviously Multi IQ, processing speed, etc is probably having a greater influence but...? And the second paragraph at the top of the page where it is talking about positive and negative signals. So non-ferrous can ONLY give positive signals whereas ferrous are mostly negative but can be positive. So that made me think that if something is giving a negative signal at all it can simply be dismissed as rubbish - yippee. But then I imagined a beautiful big chunk of gold that had a heap of ironstone attached and assume that it might give positive and negative signal responses?? When responding please take into account that I have never used a VLF with TID numbers or visual displays other than the Monster with its simple Ferrous/Non Ferrous read out Thanks.

I'm guessing you have had a look here already http://www.detectorprospector.com/gold-prospecting-guides/steve-guide-gold-nugget-detectors.htm Good luck with your search

Very nice work Steve, thanks. I'm really looking forward to what people experience with the Exuinox on quartz piles, gold fields, trashy goldfield camp sites - hopefully JP can soon share some experiences. Near the keys in the photo - could almost be a Bitcoin Shame about the frozen ground - maybe you need an Oz trip