HardPack

Found a video by History Revisited demonstrating recovery speed, masking/unmasking, depth detection. I am liking this machine.

My bad. Good information to know about both detectors. For a stable clean signal it appears in this dirt 8 inches is close to the depth detection limit with the 11 inch coil at sensitivity 18. Bumping up to a higher setting increases background noise but workable; at 8 inches the weak signals increase as does the TID spread on shallower targets (dime/penny). Getting closer to breaking through the iron curtain. The bedrock isn’t far enough down to worry about the maximums.

How did the “model” like the steak filet dinner? I could use a set of uppers.

I am liking the Nokta approach with the M1, M2, M3 & M?.

I was using the 11” Nox coil in the “Separation” post. I was attempting to arrive at a stable baseline detection depth for the EQX 900 in a specific soil type GB 40. I started with the Sensitivity setting adjustments with Recovery 1 & IB 0. Then to get a feel for recovery setting adjustments impact of depth with Iron Bias at 0, Sensitivity 18. Then a separate run over the buried coins adjusting Iron Bias settings with Recovery at 1, Sensitivity 18. At the actual detection site the soil type differs with a ground balance of 30 (isolated areas at 54), has ground noise plus an overlaying carpet of buried rusted tin and major EMI. On this specific site the recovery & iron bias setting are headed up in order to cut down through the buried ferrous trash in search of deeper non-ferrous targets. This is driving the need for the ferrous/ non-ferrous target separation. Prior on site use of the coils with EMI demonstrated the stock Nox coils were more stable than the coiltek. How much depth will actually be lost, this portion is still a work in progress. I would suspect in higher mineralized soil types sensitivity adjustments would have a proportional impact on detection depth…

Check out the post in “Metal Detector Advice & Comparisons” under the topic “EQX 900 & Legend Separation”; on the top of page 2. Chase may be on to something.

Both the 11” & 6” Nox coils run stable on my EQX 900. The 10x5 Coiltek is more sensitive to EMI and ground noise. In my experience turning down the sensitivity to 18 or even 16 does not affect detection depth all that much with ground balancing in the 40 range. At the lower sensitivity settings the erratic TID spread also settles down. Also, if not needed, I set recovery to 1 and Iron Bias to 0, Discrimination setting of -19 to -10 reduce ground noise plus allows detection of ferrous suppressed TID’s of non-ferrous targets. Such as gold that is pulled down into the shallow negatives by adjacent iron trash or highly mineralized soil. Prove it to yourself, buried a sequence of coins (1, 5, 10, 25, etc) in your dirt at different depths (5”,6”, 7”, 8”, etc) then play with the 900 settings. Work the solution, you may be surprised.

There’s a two month old podcast (E176 Adrain & Dave, Oct,2023) with Dilek Gonulay of Nokta. Midway through the podcast there is a discussion about the status of a Legend software upgrade regarding increased depth for relic hunters (M4 Leap?). There is another nine month old (Apr 2023) YouTube discussion with Dilek regarding the status of development of a Nokta Pulse Induction detector. Would think there would be a Nokta information update coming out soon, if not a new product release.

You may have a few options closer to home. I believe there are placing claims in western North Carolina and perhaps Georgia you may be able to access for a fee. If you do come out west check out the local prospecting clubs in the areas in which you have an interest. Most have claims on public lands that allow camping up to 14 days. California has strict regulations on both out-take and discharge of water so bring a pan, classifiers and a slice box.

I am hearing report of waves to 30 feet, be careful. Here’s a portion of a news report: “Massive waves and coastal flooding are wreaking havoc for a third day in many of California’s coastal communities, where extreme conditions have forced water rescues, washed away cars and injured a handful of enthralled onlookers. The unusually large surf – often towering over 20 feet – has prompted beach closures along the California coast and sent damaging deluges of water into several beachside streets, homes and…” Well, at least the wildfires are out.

Will search the web for info.

Have a happy one.

Load up the woodstove tonight, it appears the winter storm door is about to open. A slider is coming your way. “Here’s Johnny!” Still my favorite movie. slider: when a Central Pacific warm moist air mass moves up along the west coast of North America to combines with a frigid air mass dropping out of the Arctic via the Gulf of Alaska then moves inland depositing deep snow on top of all the known gold deposits in the western hemisphere; to eventually stall over Alberta, Illinois, Indiana, Virginia and all parts in between. frigid: similar to a woman’s reaction after watching the “The Shining”; history & webster have demonstrated time and again this definition applies to all hemispheres known to man. webster: a slow learner; or men in general.

Hearing a few rumors of an upcoming Nokta news release on or after December 31st, 2023. New PI detector, Legend software update, M4 boost, or just rumors?

Here’s a three month old video regarding a Legend software update for relic hunters. There might more information released in the next few days. Maybe

Here’ the leak, I meant link:

Does this explain the lowered Legend price tag.

Back to an abandoned country store site? Reminded me of a find in town some years ago. A couple of friends were remodeling a local drinking establishment. While repairing a sagging floor they discovered a large pile of coins under the bar in the crawl space. While drinking to the reopening the owner/bartender was observed tossing coins on the back liquor cabinet. All eyes followed the coins as they glided over the rear countertop towards a collision with the wall before dropping down through a newly widen crack between the back wall and floor boards. At that point we all downed several toasts in tribute to the bartender, his father and grandfather. Unfortunately, at the moment of discovery I was busy down the block converting another old adult entertainment establishment into modern office space. Delayed by just minutes, after rummaging through a hidden upstairs recess, I arrived too late to stake a valid share of the original Italian bar claim. Great finds, Keep digging!

That’s one way to eliminate the competition. Perhaps we should adjust our criticism “tone” setting. Naw!

I planted a few more rows of coins (1,5,10,25 cents) in the garden at 4, 6, 7, & 8 inches to check the effect of setting changes on the EQX 900 detection depth. For the base test dropped sensitivity to 16, Recovery to 1 and Iron Bias to 0. TID stabilized at the lower sensitivity settings 18 and below, I was able to tell a penny from a dime using SMF in Park 1/2 & Field 1/2. The 900 detected all the coins at 7 inches but at 8 inches (due to size?) the dime and penny signals were growing real faint. Set up the “user profile” to switch to Recovery 6 & Iron Bias 9 in Field 2, will use a Sensitivity no higher than 18. Test of the user profile in the garden was good to 7 inches at a ground balance of 40 (granitic clay). However, all the coin rows were outside the ring of buried iron. It appears to me that increases in the Recovery setting has more of an effect on detection depth than increases of the Iron Bias setting. Increases in Sensitivity settings from 20 to 28 caused a corresponding increase in the TID spread with the penny & dime TIDs blending. I saw similar test results in lower depth detection with increases with the XP Deus (9”x35) Reactivity, Silencer & IAR settings (#6 Deep & #10 Goldfield). Increases in the Deus Sensitivity & Audio Response settings increased depth detection or audio respectively without the wide TID spread. Big storm system blowing into the west coast, large waves impacting the coastline with some tidal flooding.

I am old enough to remember, not very effective against wooden box mines. Spent some time staring at the Whites in a magazine ad. Had to wait until retirement to find the time to detect. Semper Fi

I plan to take the Deus out to the site after the storms move out. I set up a "Deep Relic" IAR program with the X35 for a starter. I'll take a small rake along too.

I use the falsing signals also but unfortunately there is not a secondary iron check on the MInelab EQX 900, unlike the ML Manticore. With iron falsing there has to be some amount of masking of non ferrous targets. I am going to stay with the 11” Nox in Field 2 for now, it handles the EMI plus more target depth. However, both gold search modes hammered all the coin targets.

Iron sled runners?

I have buried multiple test targets from 6 to 8 inches. A coin on one side of the hole and a rusted square nail on the other (no overlap), all within a field of 8” deep rusted old iron (axe head, spike, horseshoe & flat plates with no rust halo effect). Tested each of the EQX 900 search modes in SMF, switching sensitivity up from 12, stepped recovery from 1 to 8 in each search mode (except beach), changed the iron bias from 0 to 9 in each recovery setting, used the same procedure with all three coils (11”, 6”, 10x5). The iron falsing drops off with the EQX 900 “iron bias” at the max settings but is not eliminated. With all coils Recovery 4, Iron Bias 1 at GB 40 seems to work best for depth and separation on test targets. With the 11” coil a clad quarter TID adjacent to a square nails is pulled down to 52. Outside the iron test area, except for nickels, the two smaller coils are unable to detect 6 inch deep coins in a granitic clay soil; none of the Nox coils have detected the 6” deep memorial penny. (side note: within the iron test area & out, the XP Deus with 9” X35 at 12kHz detected all ferrous & non-ferrous test targets at depth). Actual site condition (typical placer mining site) is a blanket of rusted tin and iron with the same iron falsing issues at a similar ground balance but slate soils. With the EQX 900 picking up site non-ferrous targets away from the rusted tin/iron, nothing yet within the iron. At this point with the EQX 900, if I have to starting layering down through the site iron trash I may be better off with a square nose shovel & screen. Perhaps it is time to try a different metal detector.