Jim in Idaho

Both great detectors. IMO the VSat is probably a bit deeper, but Bug2 is more sensitive to super fine gold. Both have found alot of gold. I've got a GoldMaster2 and 3. The GM3 is still one of my favorite detectors. Jim

Nope....there's no "right" way to ;pic k up a rattler....LOL Jim

Yup...my brother is a real character... and always has been. His life makes mine look tame...LOL Jim

Well... it goes like this. The summer of '64 the dad bought a ranch in the Bitterroot valley in western Montana. We lived in Simi Valley, CA, and moved to Montana in 1965. it took a couple of trips to hall all our stuff up there. The ranch was empty, so the old man had the idea to leave John, my younger brother, up there to keep an eye on the place. He is 12, and alone. But, he's like the kid in "Home Alone" So, while we were gone for a week or so, he devised a plan. The house was in poor shape, so mom and dad lived in a camper next to the house with my even younger brother, Mike, and little sister, Shelly. John and I slept in the ragged house. The room we slept in, in sleeping bags, had an attic hatch in the ceiling. So the first night there, after a long day of driving, John and I are catching up. One of the things he told me was about hearing noises in the attic at night...like somebody crawling around up there. He said one night he made sure the hatch was closed, but when he got up in the morning, it was open. Of course, we both look at the hatch to be sure it's closed. So, after a bit more talking we turn over to go to sleep. A few minutes goes by and our German Shephard, Lindy, starts barking. I figure I better go see what's going on. When I came back in the house, I heard a thump, but just passed it off. I crawl back in the bag, and turn to the wall to go to sleep. I'm about half-asleep when John says "I got to check that hatch one more time". the light comes on, a second goes by, and I hear John say "Oh My God", and I turn over, look over my shoulder, and see the hatch, which is half-open, and I was out the door, bag and all before John could get out, and he was standing at the door already. I hear a cackle as I go by, and realize I've been had. He still never lets me forget it...LOL. I was standing outside the room door, still in the sleeping bag, and having no idea how I got there. Obviously the "thump" I heard had been John jumping down from the chair he'd used to open the hatch. He lives at Los Lunas, NM, and has a campground in Colorado, near Antonito. Jim

Chuck, one leg is nothing. When I was 16 I got out of a 12' room without ever leaving my sleeping bag...LOL. An evil trick played on me by a younger brother. Jim

We haven't seen zero all winter. It's been around 8 this week. Highs in the mid-30's Jim

Jim, weird weather when you have snow, and I don't! Never would have believed that. Jim

Too heavy, IMHO. My new dry sluice weighs half as much. Keene's probably has a higher thruput, though mine's better as an exploration tool. I took mine all apart after the patent application, and am now building a new one that's lighter, and more compact. Mine also recovers gems, dry. I finally defeated the granular convection problem in dry gem recovery. Only took me 12 years to do it...LOL Jim

LOL...now 5074.90

All the best on your goals for this year, Jim. You've had an adventurous life...LOL I'd be green with envy if I hadn't had one myself...Ha! Jim

Jason, I hadn't tried the app until now. That is a great piece of work! I'm impressed with your abilities. Jim

Nah...could be anything. I was using a chart, and estimating between numbers...could have been off a hair, Didn't figure it mattered all that much...LOL Jim

LOL...Mn beat me to it. Jim

Roughly 11.52 grams or .370oz...or $1703...lol Nice find! Jim

LOL...Clark, my aluminum welding skill suck, beyond being able to make two pieces stick together. I appreciate the kind words, though. Argon is what you want for aluminum. if your welder is too weak for the thickness you want to weld, you can increase the heat by using a helium mixture, but it's a PITA. If you learn to TIG weld, you can weld both aluminum and steel with argon...kinda simplifies things. But, if you MIG weld steel you're going to need a 75/25 mix of Argon, and CO2. There are other blends, but for steel under 3/8", and aluminum under 1/4" those are the most common. and readily available. And, you aren't the first guy to forget to turn off a gas bottle...LOL I don't know single welder that hasn't done that. Sometimes you get lucky, and if your welder is newer, the internal gas valve still seals tight enough you don't lose much gas. Usually, however, you lose it all..Ha! Jim