Gerry in Idaho

Almost forgot 2 other interesting items and one of them was on the surface.

A pink glass dish with a critter (see pic).

and a tobacco toy metal bull.

Sure love the do-dads.

Spent my last good detecting trip with friends for 4 days before driving out to Rye Patch proper and proceeded to give a gold detector class to 12 lucky folks.  This will be my last trip down there for 2022 and I wanted to give an update and share some finds.

1st things was good to see Lundy parked at an old patch scuffing up with few nuggies.  He sure talks highly of the 10" Ellip GOLD-HAWK coin on the end of his GPX-6000 and even showed me the proof.  He's a pretty good hunter ol Lundy, so please don't expect to get same results as he.  I think he had at least a half dozen nuggies sitting on it tailgate.

Now is our turn.  With the weather turning cold on us we had to bundle up pretty well, but it was the winds that was most annoying.  Headphones were a must and you still needed a hat over those just to cut out the whistling from the headphone frames.  Guess what I found out during this.  Those earbud around the neck things Doc sells sure make a difference on hearing but not so much on keeping the ears warm. 

We woke up to 2 days of fresh snow early in the week and decided not to drive very far off the main roads.  It was voted on and accepted that we stay in phone range and so we hunted for old coins/relics/do-dads.  I enjoy these kinds of multi hunt trips and NNV is such a perfect area to do so as there are many towns, camps, stops along the highway and also a few small picker nugget patches not that far from there as well.

1^st site produced 2 coins and a couple tokens.  My brother banged the 1^st one an 1909-S Barber dime and then backed that up with an 1884 IH cent.  Pic of the dime.

I had not even got on the board yet and little brother is making me feel old.  Funny how things come full circle in life.  At once I was the top dog detectorist of us two and it seems the last few yrs, he’s been outdoing me.  Anyway.  I sniffed out an interesting oblong piece of brass and can read “2 for 25 Cent on it.  Not sure what it is as there is no name to associate.   I did score two tokens and think one of them could be a collectors piece. 

The DEWY BAR of Salt Lake City UT, Good for 5 cent (below)

The other one STEVENS & JOHNSON from National NEV from the Ice Palace SALOON for 12 ½ cents.  (see below)

I actually enjoy tokens more than coins as they have more history behind them.

Then I stumbled across a really interesting coin, a US 2 Cent Copper dated 1876.  That was my highlight coin for the trip, heck actually my best for the year. 

My brother managed a V nickel and an 1887 Seated Dime as well. 

One of the most unique digs was a ramrod guide from an 1800’s rifle. 

My big silver of the trip was a 1920 Walking Half Dollar just a scuff under the dirt.  Not sure how this was missed by so many people as the site gets detected all the time.

An interesting pic for you all to figure out what that cement looking thing is.  Funny I have seen them before but never up close.  Anyone know?

Now lets get to the gold the stuff this forum is best at.  One day of no rain/snow we drove out to Sawtooth and 3 of us hunted over half the day.  2 small dinks with the 6000 is all we were able to round up mostly because of trying to find a new patch.  We know when looking for new gold areas, the chances of success go down drastically.  But thats' also how you can stumble across a new site. 

After that, we boogied back to camp at Rye Patch proper.  We had 30 minutes of light and so why not.  I grab a detector and 4 targets later I have 3 dinks stuck under my lip.  Man it’s funny how camp and the burn barrel just keep on giving.  Problem is they just get smaller and smaller each year.  Many people always say, "never leave gold to find gold".  That's exactly how this day went.  2/3rd a day for 2 small pickers and 30 minutes at a known site for 3 dinks (pic below).  The 3 on the coin came from Rye Patch proper.

The class had a fantastic group of hard core wannabees. Even with the weather in the 30’s these troopers just kept on absorbing knowledge from staff and I.  Gold started to get found on Saturday and by Sunday most students actually had great focus and nuggets were starting to pop.  I think be the time it was all said and done, we ended up with a dozen pieces of gold and 5 or 6 smiling faces.  It just amazes me how fast most folks can dial in their detectors/skills when around a few Field Experts for a few days.  That’s exactly why we offer what we do.

Below 3 pics is a customer from CA and his 1st Rye Patch, NV gold with his GPZ-7000 and small X coil.

A customer from Idaho using an SDC-2300 found a picker and then after class scooped up 3 or 4 more. ( I guess the class did him well.) see his 2 pics below.

Another CA guy with his GPX-6000 and the GOLDHAWK Coil.  He was the gold hawg of the trip as I think his total ended up at half a dozen.  Below 4 he found while I was there.

Lunk was able to share his knowledge with the group before heading south to warm weather land.    He grabbed an Axiom just to show it around and in the few minutes of swinging he does what Lunk does best. (below pic)

I’m sure Lunk is down there in AZ right now charting his next desert hunt and ready to count his gold. 

One of the things we’ll offer our customers this winter is to get up with Lunk for a 1 day 1 on 1.  In times past we have not really shared this as it’s time for Lunk to find gold or meteorites to help him get through the winter.  Because we have a good number of folks who want to do training in AZ during the winter and they don’t click well in large groups, we decided to offer the 1 on 1 or 1 with a couple option.  Lunk will be offering 2 types of training days.  1 for finding gold with your detector and the other for finding meteorites with your detector.  Contact me for more details and we’ll go from there.

That's it this year for Rye Patch, NV and possibly even here in Idaho as we still have snow on the ground from a week ago.

I'll be updating my website Calendar of Events for 2023 after the 1st week of Jan.  In the mean time, check out a few new videos on my website www.gerrysdetectors.com and then click on Videos.

Time to start selling the Axiom and getting ready for a warm weather hunt.

Keep in low and swing it slow...the detector you goof.😉

Gerry

On 8/19/2022 at 9:48 AM, aerospace guy said:

Gerry...any indication when the Axiom will be available to all of us on "the list"? Trying to make plans for the Fall in state and out of state!

I have been informed a good size order is heading out this week.  If you are not on my list, please contact me ASAP at 208-345-8898.  Again, I do offer the 15% military discount as I offer on Minelab.

As a dealer and field tester of the Axiom,  I have to walk a fine line in keeping both parties happy.  Sometimes that's very hard and in fact for customers,  it's almost impossible.  When I get information,  it's my duty to share that info with you all.  

As for actual release date,  I feel it would have already been out if not for Steve H. and I both complaining about a few things.  What is impressive in my opinion,  Garrett decided to address these issues knowing full well, it's going to cause delays. It's going to piss off a few folks and interrupt some plans for folks.  Heck I even had customers signed up for the 3 days field training I'm currently doing right now this weekend at Rye Patch NV.  I know for a fact 1 particular customer was extremely disappointed.  So am I to a point.  

But the truth and long story is....how well the detector is perceived and performs when it gets into customers hands.  That's most important to Garrett at the end of the day. 

They could have been like other brands and released it, to only have many upset customers smashing the Garrett name.  They already know % of people are already going to bash it as that's what some folks enjoy.  The truth is that most folks will now be pleased.  Sure we waited a couple extra months,  but in doing so, we have an overall better product.

I feel Garrett made the right decision and also wish other manufacturers would do the same in getting it right,  even if it takes weeks longer.  On a $4000 detector, the highest priced detector they've ever made, the detector so many folks are wanting to get. Garrett has 1 shot at getting it right.  They deserve a little wiggle room.

Sure wish Fisher would try to do a high end PI.   Oh wait...I think they did and what dumpster did that end up in?  

Patience my friends. 

Just in the nick of time we were able to squeeze in one more field comparison.  Why you ask?

Weather up our way is really starting to cool off.  Just had snow the last few days on mountain tops around us.  Not sure how much more we'll be able to get out before we're snowed/frozen for the winter.

Here is what we completed -

My Field Staff Expert "Spencer" and I did some side by side comparisons with our Axioms recently.  His unit had the latest software update that pumped up the SENS/GAIN and my unit was the really smooth one with the older software.  I hate a detector that I have the SENS set to MAX and it runs so smooth I can't get any more out of it.  But I thought that was what Garrett was going to provide us.  Luckily they listened to a few of us (Thanks Steve H) and we were allowed a new Software update.

I'll make it simple here, but Spencer's unit with the newest update needed to turn the SENS down a couple clicks (just what we like).  Here's the funny of it.  He hit that nugget in an area we've pounded with the Axiom previously.  In fact, he called me over and when I swung across it, it was almost a soft whining sound, not even a signal.  His unit with exact same coil size and timing (just down 2 on the SENS) was hitting it pretty easy.

Sure enough, near a foot down was this beauty.  Just over an ounce troy in total weight.  The quartz crystals are a bonus to go along with the gold.

Garrett is in Australia right now and I expect as soon as they get back, we'll get an update on shipping times.

Again, if you are wanting to get the Axiom, let me know and get on my list.

Gerry's Detectors 208-345-8898

Gerry

Chuck - I'm a big fan of smaller coils.  Many of my old coin and relic sites are loaded with 100+ yr old iron trash and the smaller coils will outperform the stock coils. 

This 1867-S Seated Half came from a trashy site. It was at an 1860's wooden hotel that burned down, with more nails scattered across the soil than most could imagine.  It was the 1st coin I found here at this site.  Digging through iron and rusty tin to find this coin was tough. 

You can still see iron staining from one of the nails that was sitting on top of the coin. 

I realized how bad the conditions were and so I just kept at it with the small coil and even having to lift the coil a couple inches off the ground to get better target separation.  That trick helped recover one of my all time favorites.  The pic below is of 1852 $2.50 & the 1st gold coin any of my family ever found.  I highly recommend small coils for such sites.

The majority of detectorists only use the stock coils and when they get to a really trash site, their lack of knowledge and skill ends up leaving good nonferrous treasures to be found.  Smaller coils are the trick for many such sites.

If hunting for gold nuggets, a VLF detector has better chance of success at the old nugget patches as much of the remaining gold is small pickers.  A smaller coil is ideal for little gold bits and in fact many VLF detectors will get MORE DEPTH on a tiny picker than a stock size coil.

If I was to run to Rye Patch right now and my detector is a VLF type, it will have the smallest coil option and that will find me the most pieces of remaining gold.  I have to play the odds and that is exactly why I highly recommend all customers who come to my 3 days Field Training to make sure they have and use the small coil on their VLF's.  Any gold is better than no gold if you are new to the Au hunt.

Pictures are of an old Staff Member and his success at finding smaller pieces of gold while using the famous Gold Bug-2 with the smaller 6" Ellip coil. 

I'll have to admit and give credit when due, the GB-2 with 6" Ellip in non mineralized shallow ground is the most deadly of any VLF detector I know at finding those tiny bits.

EL NINO77 - Yes I agree with you as well.  Today's faster processor detectors can do much more with a stock size coil than the older technology machines of years past.  That's part of why I enjoy going back to my 1970s/80s/90s sites.  Heck even the sites from 10 yrs ago with todays detector speeds can find a few goodies.

A few yrs ago I detected a lake and the particular site in the water was where an old wooden pier used to be.  It (the pier) has not been there for many yrs.  I realized this site would be a tough hunt but with the older detectors I was able to find a few silvers and buffalo nickels.  My situation was that most of the good targets were deeper and in the 4" to 8" depth.  In all of that was good amount of rusty iron nails, bolts and other trash signals.  I like to run my DISC wide open so I can hear the amount of iron and since the older goodies were deeper, I needed the stock coils extra depth.  The site is very tough to hunt and most give up really quick-like.  

I was recently in the area and realized I had not used the Equinox at the site.  I figured the extra recovery speed of the newer detector just might pull me a few more old coins or other treasures.  So I put the newer technology to use at the site and immediately found a rough condition 1960's Jefferson Nickel, then a 1928 Buffalo Nickel.  I methodically kept at it swinging so slow and listening for just a slight change of tone, telling of something non iron.  That's when it happened and I dug this beauty of 14K white gold ring with a stunning diamond.

This ring sure put a smile on my face.  Luckily I didn't have a bugger in my nose.

I'm not saying the ring is really old and has been missed all those times.  But I do know this particular beach gets hunted quite a bit by a local club.  The fact that it was only 5' feet from the bank and in only 3' depth of water, it should have been recovered.  But since the amount of iron targets right there from when the old pier was there, they mask so many good targets.  Again, most folks walk away and hunt the easier ground.

The Equinox has been one of my favorite water detectors for a variety of reasons.

I feel the new Manticore, what detectors is mentioning/targeting and how they are advertising, it's going to be even better than the proven Equinox for so many people and different hunting styles.  

Having the other coils will just help make this detector shine even more.

Hopefully Trevor at CoilTek is already working on a smaller coil than what Minelab is offering.  My personal choice would be a 6" Ellip.  I would also accept a 5" round but an elliptical design can do more things.

Again EL NINO77 - I like your/Simon thoughts of 2 coil option when ordering but we have already been informed here in USA, we get it with just the stock coil.  Who knows what kind of promotions they might do later down the road.

Thanks for contributing.