Gerry in Idaho

Gold catcher, I bring it up since so many folks I speak with really don't understand. Part of the 3 day training my Field Staff and I offer does talk about the importance of the VLF detectors and why. I also show a variety of gold the VLF’S can easily see, but the PIs can't detect, or do at a much lesser depth. Thanks for adding to the discussion.

Norvic, Oh yea I found them with the GPS coordinates I purchased on eBay. Best $100 I ever spent. Now if I was smart or I didn't care about hunting my old sites again, I'd just do exactly as I mentioned above. I could sell the GPS coordinates for each nugget at $100 a pop or all 4 for $299. You and I both know there's folks who would buy. I could milk those nuggets for a few more grand. Or...maybe I could give the coordinates away for free to anyone who purchases GPX-6000 or GPZ-7000 from me? Now you have me thinking outside the box Norvic. You are a great man today, not sure about tomorrow?🤫

Beatup, Those few rocks area hundred thousand hours of digging the more lead that you can imagine. On a rare occasion I win a nice prize. I don't think the average person realizes how much non gold they'll dig to find one of those rocks. I don't think the average nugget hunter will take the torture and spend the time of multiple days with nothing to show for other than blisters, busted knuckles and sore feet. But there are a few more still out there.

If they are all cleaned and smoked to perfect, we'll talk. Nice backyard my friend.

Bill, I use Predator brand T handle Piranha as I'm over 6' tall and I like the 40" length. Been using it for approx 6 yrs and have never bent it yet. It's dug a few $$$ in treasures with the most rare was when it dug 3 Barber Quarters in 1 hole. One of them was the prize winning 1913-S which is a Key Date.

Most certainly will be more little nuggets in Eastern Oregon deeper than what a GB-2 can do. Yes if the wife gives the OK look me up. I might take your detectors in trade as well.

That shovel is amazing, I have the same one with longer handle. You'll enjoy it.

I have yet to look under the tree, but Merry Christmas to you and yours. So funny to see someone out on this morning trying to get one more nice beach find from Santa. That digger is the same one I use, well built.

Merry Christmas to you Simon and thanks for taking the time to keep us posted on all your testing, adventures and humor.

Thanks for sharing some of your other interests Gary. Glad to see you still out there digging a few treasures. Yes that square nail is a monster. Love the coffee can and tobacco tags. I found a shoe heel with hundreds of those little boot nails will have to look for a pick. Merry Christmas and hopefully 2022 is more eventful in a good way.

Merry Christmas DP friends and hopefully you were blessed with a detector or detecting accessory under the tree. Just curious who all were gifted a detector, coil, scoop, research material or anything related to your nugget hunting needs? For me, I just returned from Cancun to Idaho's winter is quite shocking and white. My Christmas gift was to me, hunting the warm water tropical beaches and finding a few different kinds of gold nuggets (I'll post results once I get my phone issues corrected. Hopefully your 2020 is Golden in so many ways. A big shout out to all my customers (many who are DP readers, followers and contributors) who helped make 21 a heck of a sales year for me. Again, Merry Christmas and hopefully a Happy New Year.

Man if that doesn't get the blood flowing this early cold AM in Idaho, not sure what will. Your big deep growler sounding nugget (reverse signal), those are the best, but the hardest and fewest to find. Thanks for sharing your golden day with us as it was certainly a treat to be there with you and wathcing.

Glad to see you swinging totally functional GPX-6000 and finding gold. Plus you are in nice warm weather. Nice pics of your success. I too enjoy hunting around bedrock cracks. Keep it up.

I'm back now.

Pics are of 4 different 1 pound rocks with gold throughout. I guess technically they could be classified as Specimens if you must. Anyway, What's so interesting is, the 4 different rocks of gold were all recovered with 4 different detectors. Another interesting aspect is, the fact that these 4 different nuggets from 4 different detectors were found in 4 different states (AK, OR, ID, NV). Now for the most intriguing bit of information about the 4, all found with VLF detectors. That's part of the reason I still recommend gold nugget hunters to make sure they always have a VLF detector to compliment their big dog super deep power monster PI or ZED. If you are going to travel and detect a variety of terrains and areas of gold you need to have more than 1 tool. Sometimes DEPTH from a big powerful detector is not desired and in fact can be your worst enemy. The average person can only dig so many 2 feet deep hold and just a couple 3 footers and you are exhausted. I've done it myself and witnessed many other do the same. In old minded areas trash is usually abundant and a powerful DEEP detector can be your enemy. So what's one of my secrets to the success I have had finding big gold? DISCRIMINATION Yes that nasty phrase (don't use discrimination) so many people tell you "Dig it all" and I laugh all the way to the bank. So many old mining areas still produce big gold, but the specimens are mixed in with 100 yr old miners trash and a good way to help select the fewer targets I want to pursue. Don't get me wrong in that I don't like my GPX-6000 and GPZ-7000, as I do and have found many nuggets with them. But those tools have different features I use and like in situations that the VLF detectors are not so well designed. Just imagine the day we have get the feel of an ergonomically designed GPX-6000 with GPZ-7000 depth capabilities, the size imaging from a Garrett GTI, colored frequency analyzation of the V3i, discrimination with adjustable iron masking of the Equinox and waterproofing of the Deus II. Now that detector could be the ultimate and probably cost at least $2000 if made by an American company. We won't even try to figure what Minelab would charge? Now I know there are other aspects of finding big gold and so I'm asking those others who have had the rare pleasure of digging such big pieces to chime in and give info. The moral of the story is know your tools and their strong/weak points and take advantage of them.

Merry Christmas to you/your family as well and hopefully 2022 is golden in more ways than one.

Your Christmas wish was partially already delivered by Santa over 10 yrs ago. Not only that, but we've had a few detectors that can use different coils and kHz. (Minelab X-Terra series and the XP Deus detectors). But it's your Christmas and I don't want to spoil it, so hopefully as you wish, there will be MORE OPTIONS for us. I actually love some of the features on the V3i. Garrett has a feature we'll start seeing in other brands/models real soon (size imaging).

OK Dan, you are talking words the average Prospector doesn't know "Alchemy". I had to look it up and yes that part of what their Engineering and Physicists do, changing other metals to gold. Now as far as you finding it each time you go out? I find that since you are hunting good gold producing ground that has never had a GPX-6000 on it, you'll be finding those goose egg days to not happen for quite some time. If you were hunting the same sites with a GPX-5000, SDC-2300 or even GPZ-7000, you'd of realized the Big-O days happen. Glad you are happy with your detector purchase from me and when the time is right to order up that 17" coil, let me know.

I enjoy reading the comparisons you and JW like to perform and share. It helps to see/hear/read the comments and yes the pics are just as interesting. Keep it up.

Steve said it quit well, the GPX-6000 is just to dang sensitive for the task you inquired. Now for User Friendly PI detector that can handle higher mineralization than a VLF and is one of the best ergonomically built big machines out there with exceptional depth, its got it. But me personally (Yes I have hunted CW Relics in TN, VA, GA and NC with a PI, I feel a used GP-3000, GP-3500, GPX-4500 or GPX-5000 is a better choice. Best bang for the buck in the older GP series. Good Luck.

Fantastic looking gold and I look forward to seeing the video. Curious if that was your GPX-5000 finding them all? Either way, well done.

Baha is one of the places I've wanted to explore, but I've been warned of more than normal corruption. Sorry you had to experience someone else's misery, but better them than you. The toughest part is realizing it could have been you and so now that seed has been planted in your head for that area, which is usually a turn off of future visits. It's a shame as the gold you shared in the pics is pretty good looking stuff. The Ram pics is cool as well. Thanks for sharing and showing.

I agree with most of the others who posted, the lead is man made lead. The Lead detectors the different manufactures sell (I'm a dealer of said desired detectors) are fined tuned machines designed for just that task (finding lead). I've dug hundreds of pounds of lead with the detectors and they do work well. On a rare occasion you might get lucky and find the odd colored lead. It's usually soft like lead, enjoys getting caught up in cracks, crevices and associated around bedrock.. like lead does, but it's unique color is yellow. It's name is gold, but as stated above, the lead detectors I've been swinging for 25+ yrs don't find it as frequently and the yellow stuff is very elusive when compared to lead. When you are finding small lead birdshot, you are doing it right.

Cleaning specimens is always a gamble and I have to admit, you have the system down pretty well. One thing I'm missing. The before and after weight are messing with me. Before was 55 gram and the cleaning lost 5 gram, but now the finished product is 28 gram. Did you mean the before was 35 gram? Either way, you have a winner on that one my friend, well done.

Great idea but it's already been thought of. Plus there are to many variables and negatives to a coil of that size on VLF detectors. If it was that easy and a larger coil of said size was actually doing that much better, I feel they'd already have it. The larger the coil the easier it is to miss the small targets. The larger coil on a VLF detector sees so much more ground and if it's mineralized, then that complicates things. The extra weight of the large coil will cause more lower shaft issues. Yes there are certain instances for specific kinds of targets a larger coil will do better, but it is not for most folks who own an Equinox. Don't get me wrong, I love depth, but it comes with a sacrifice and unstable target ID and harder to use in semi trash sites. Or you could use your GPX-5000 you already own and get much greater depth than an EQ with a 20" coil. Although, it is Christmas season so ask away ask away and just maybe we'll see, said Dasher, said Dancer, Blitzen and me.