Jim in Idaho

One thing I was surprised by, in my tests, was the large difference between air tests, and ground tests, when comparing coils. With my SL, the 12DF was always the hottest coil in air tests, even on gold as small as 1 grain. But when I tested that coil on small targets in the ground, it performed poorly. Also, when comparing the NF Sadie with the Whites 7.5DF, the Sadie was clearly better in air tests, but testing in the ground showed much less, or almost no difference between them. One thing I learned in all that is to never use an air test as the deciding factor for detector, or accessory coil purchases. Jim

What wre you using as targets, Joe. Some more info on your test would be helpful. Jim

Not always, Jim. My DFX does that and the RNB battery I use in it is the same one I used in my GMT. The GMT never had the problem. I've never worried about the problem in the DFX, as it restarts and runs fine after one of these events. I figured the problem may be the battery contacts, but don't know for sure. Jim

Unless ML filed for patent protection in the US, they would have no protection in the US. From what I learned chasing my patent, you must file in every country where you want patent protection. In most cases, it's not worth the hassle and cost to pursue patents elsewhere for Americans, unless you have pretty decent worldwide marketing. But for other countries the US is a BIG market, so is worth the effort. Jim

LOL...yup. Though it would have to be a deal....my wife has decided I need to do some urban renewal of the house this winter.....the wages of sin are death...LOL Too much prospecting. Jim

I'd still like to build your version of the ATX, Steve. So far, I've been unable to find one cheap enough to use. But I haven't given up hope. Jim

I'd like to see them make a new version of the GB2. Same frequency, but with new electronics. Jim

I don't worry about lions, much. Most of the places I prospect they're always around. I even quit carrying a firearm. I do carry a large, very sharp knife.....don't want to go down without a fight...LOL. If a big cat gets that close to me, I'm toast regardless of the weapon carried anyway. Jim

What a great haul of gold. I'll bet that was fun! Jim

Hey Clark, we got over there in that area I've been looking at, and you know. That's where I found the copper nuggets, and old cartridge, but farther up the canyon. We'll be going back next year, for sure. We found some diggings that are well-hidden, and looked like nobody had found them in a while. The other locale, below the tailings, had been hit lately...many uncovered dig holes, so we looked elsewhere. Went all the way over to Patterson poking around. Jim

Ha...it was darned sure warm enough, Steve. 66-71 in the afternoons. The week before it had been single-digits at home, so we took flannel shirts....big mistake....LOL Jim

LOL...that's all true, for sure. I live in a desert, and have always preferred the desert, and desert-edge mountains as the place to spend my outdoor time. Dave and I are not at all disappointed. We had a great time, and that's what really counts. The looking is what's fun, and the challenge. Jim

My old friend, Dave , and I spent 8 days in Nevada last 2 weeks. Found no gold, but did find a new area to explore. Gives us a decent place to Iook forward to this winter. I found a .44 Henry rimfire cartridge, my first, and two copper nuggets, my second and third. Dave found several round balls of various calibers, and of course, many spent bullets. We also found some really fresh lion tracks well out from the mountains on the valley floor about 40 miles west of Winnemucca. That was pretty interesting, as the tracks were made in dust, and were nearly perfect. Had to be made the night before. Probably a young cat trying to locate a decent place to set up a territory. Not much big game around, but lots of wild horses. Jim

I know, for a fact, that the Special Edition has the second Reg Sniff mod from the factory. But, I was also told so do all the SL's made since 2015, so they would both be the same. Notice he did not say they were the same as the older units. Jim

My buddy, Dave, and I are headed to the Winnemucca area Friday. First chance to use the modified SL for gold. Also taking the GM24K, and Dave will be using his Equinox 800. I've done a lot of research on the area since our June trip, and hopefully it will pay off with more gold. We may stay a couple of weeks, depending on the weather. Jim

Hey Tony, congrats on a great find! Love hearing those stories on the deep finds with the TDI's, and Beach Hunter versions. Jim

I'm over 70. I'd rather have a shorter-lived detector, with greater ability, than a longer-lived unit with less ability. I'm going on 4 years with my 16v battery pack. Jim

I think the deer population is taking a serious hit from the wolves, Mike. I see it everywhere I go in the mountains...less and less deer sign. Currently 26* here at 11:00am. North wind at about 15mph, and clear Jim

LOL...this keeps up, and it won't be anything BUT polar bears. Jim

Not bad here yet. No precip today, but a low of 18* tonight, and 10* lows for Sunday and Monday, and then 3* for Tuesday night and 7* for Wednesday night, and then slowly warming. High Tuesday only 26*. Even at 4,500' that's really chilly for this time of year. Don't think all the sugar beets are dug yet. I see Butte's going to be below zero....poor citizens. Jim

Going to get cold a month early. Down to 12* Monday morning, and 9* Tuesday morning, and then back to 12* Wednesday morning. Highs in the low 30's. We're planning a trip to the Winnemucca area around the 1st. Hope it warms up a little. The earliest I've ever seen single digits here is the first week of December, though I remember a couple of years when we had 10* about the 10th of November. Both of those years that 10* was the coldest temp of the entire winter. I have a feeling the talk of a Maunder Minimum may be true. We had a cold October last year, and even colder this year. Jim

Doesn't surprise me at all. Glad Steve Howard finally cleared that up. But now I have another coil to buy, once they're available. Jim

Whites could not patent the design after the fact of its sales to the public. Can't be done. The only way they could patent it would be to make a substantial change in the design. Nobody can patent an idea that is even publicly written about. Once an idea, or design, is known, it can't be patented. Given that, and given the fact that Whites is calling this a High-Q coil, it's possible Whites has come up with a design change that increases the 'Q' factor of the coil. That change could be substantial enough to allow it to be patented. Jim

Solid questions, Steve, and they deserve to be answered by Whites. I don't see any bias in those questions. Too many separate answers to a simple question. C'mon Whites...what's the story? Also, the patent application may be there, but has yet to be published. You can forestall publishing for up to 18 months after the application. Jim

Thinking about the sweep speed. it would be nice, on the SL, to have a small bit of circuitry to allow the filtering to be adjusted on the fly. Something to allow the capacitance in the filter to be changed...even a 3 -position switch would be great. I'm going to be thinking about that this winter....which, according to the weatherman, is going to start this afternoon. Supposed to be 16 in the morning, with light snow on the ground. Jim