Jim in Idaho

I spent several years prospecting for diamonds in the Green River basin in Wyoming. never have found one. Last time I was there I left a couple of 8" x 48" sluices in two dry washes. Went back to check them last week. They were completely covered by sand/mud/gravel, so no longer working as sluices...LOL. But I cleaned them out and reset them, and in one, in an area that has produced the most diamond-indicator minerals, produced some nice gem quality chrome diopside, including one 1.46 carat piece, which is pretty rare for Wyoming. Thought you gem-heads might enjoy the pics. Also a pic of some other diamond indicators that were in the sluice, including ilmenite, and spinel.

Looks like a piece of surf-tumbled basalt to me. Jim

If it is, it's definitely not gem quality. What's it look like dry? Jim

I wen through this a couple of years ago. Thought my outdoor life was finished. tried all the Youtube video fixes, stretches, and all that. Nothing helped. Finally got a pair of inserts to lift my arches, and problem was quickly solved. the strain, and pain is caused by your ankles tipping IN. By raising your arch, it causes the ankle to tip more outwardly, thus relieving the strain on the tendon. I'm completely cured of the problem. Took about a week after getting the arch supports. Jim

LOL...have at it. Hope it works for you! Jim

Didn't install a valve stem. Should be air tight anyway. Calculating the displacement, it would take 70+lbs to completely submerge it. All-up it probably weighs about 20 lbs. If it gets water in, I'll just drill a hole on the top side to drain it out. Not too worried about it. I'm trying to keep things simple....I have a reputation for over-thinking my designs....LOL... trying to get over that...Ha! Jim

Nah....it floats fine. Only draws about an inch of water.

Here's a few pics of the finished raft:

I'm around guys. The raft is finished. I'll post a pic soon. It's been done for months, but haven't used it yet. Weather was too stinking hot this summer, and I had lots of chores to do. May not get around to the creek until next year. I spent some time up there and decided there are some ares that are dry, where the bars could have ended up. Those places are easier to check so will probably start there and go to the water if If don't find them in the dry areas. I'm hoping to spend some time there this fall. I'll keep you advised. I appreciate the interest. Jim

Chill....Mod 1 is not done on any SL from the factory. Only Mod 2 was adopted. The only way to get the increased sweep speed is to do Mod1 yourself, or have somebody do it....even on the S.E. Jim

The main two mods reg recommended were the Sweep Speed mod (mod 1). That mod applies to all SL's regardless of date. The second mod was to increase the sensitivity, and that mod was adopted by the factory in 2015. I'm not sure which 2015 machines have it, or don't. my understanding is that all SL's after 2015 had that mod from the factory. A search should locate the posts regarding what`needs to be done to do the mods. Mod 1 is fairly simple, as the caps needing to be replaced are large, and thru the board connections, and can even be done on the top surface of the board by cutting the wires of the old caps, and connecting the new ones to the old leads. The second mod requires a decent soldering station, and some serious skills as the components are really tiny, and surface mounted. I did both and the second taxed my skills as a solderer...LOL Jim

Wow...that's the first I've read that the SL will handle 5 li-ion cells (21 max volts). That may be a game-changer for the SL. Many thanks! Jim

I like the idea of separate power supplies for different functions, but question whether or not it can be done. As far as running 16v...I've done that for a few years with no ill effects. I definitely would not put 18v thru mine, even for short periods. The capacitors are rated for 16v, so limiting your voltage to 16v is all the protection you need. In the field, I doubt anyone could tell the difference between 16v and 18v. Jim

Many thanks, Karl!

Maybe some glitches in later versions? Or maybe version 1 was the best all-around version, and later versions targeted some specific targets to the detriment of other uses? be nice to find out, but we probably never will. Jim

Nope...I was wrong. Mine is version 1.0. But, as far as I know, there's no way to update anyway. Jim

Interesting, but no way to tell which software version is in your machine. I just checked mine. Jim

Works fine for me. Checked in an hour ago. Jim

I have/had one of these, Jim. Still have the sluice, and hoses, but no pump or motor. Bought it many decades ago. As I recall, the motor and pump, and sluice were all mounted on a flat, square tube frame, about 24" square that was bungied to the inner tube. Don't have any pics...wish I did. I checked the shop to see if I still have the frame, but it must have been lost with the pump and motor. Jim

I think Karelian, in his tests on the Pro, decided that coil is one of, if not the best, coil for small objects. If you dig back in his tests, you may find that, Rick. Best, Jim

Today I got time to put together the body of the raft. Threw it in the canal by the house and it floats good. Draws about an inch, just by eyeball. It weighs 16.6 lbs, so adding a few accessories, and the detector won't make an appreciable difference in how it floats. I'll start on the steering mechanism after lunch. I'm thinking of a movable rudder in the front. I'll probably take the time to draw it up, so may not get it built today. Also the detector, as show, is not in it's final position. Still have to come up with the mount plan for that. Here's a couple of pics: Jim

I'm going to research those headphones, in the event the Z-Link won't cut it. I'm up to my ears in chores around the place, so can't even get the Z-Link tested. Got pasture to keep watered, and lawns to mow and water, etc. Don't know how I kept up when I was still running the business....LOL But, the weather's kinda crappy, so hope to have things sorted out by Sunday night.....................which probably translates to a week from Sunday...Ha! I appreciate the tip on those headphones. Jim

Yeah...I drew it up in 2d CAD to get the dimensions I needed for cutting the pipe sections. Also wanted to see how the TM808 fit on there, so I could make size adjustments, if needed. Did a plan view and side view. No reason to think you're a rube for mentioning 3d CAD...I use it for some things. And, I sure as hell don't think of you as a rube...LOL...far from it. Best, Jim

I didn't draw it up in 3d, Chase. Didn't need 3d, and no sense wasting the time on something so simple. I'm going up to get the truck out of the shop, and then to Home Depot for some materials. probably get it built tomorrow, or Thursday. The raft itself is simple. A few details to work out, but not much to it. Once built, I'll take it down to the river and see how it floats Jim

I'm going with my TM808. Should work for this. The raft is going to be about 40" wide, and 54" long. Made of 4" ABS pipe. I'm without wheels until tonight, but should be able to get it built tomorrow. Still trying to decide on the splash shields. Probably stop at Army Surplus tonight and see what they have in rubberized fabric. Also need to come up with some plastic grommets for the fabric, too. Trying to design this right so I don't have mishaps in use. Will post pics as I go along. Also still thinking on the steering mechanism...maybe just have it angle each way, so the current forces it to each side based on the angle. thinking of rigid connections between myself and the raft, but may settle for ropes. Rigid would give more control, however. Maybe 1/2" PVC pipe handles, 8 to 10' long. Also need to decide on connection points on raft...probably slightly ahead of midway along each side. Might also need a "keel" down the center to have more surface area for the water to push against for steering....probably a vertical piece of 1/4" ABS maybe 4-6" in depth, the length of the raft. I'll test it without, first. Might also use two 1/2 sections of the pipe, mounted back-to-back, rather than the flat keel. The curve would trap the water force better. Just sort of thinking as I type...LOL Jim