MontAmmie

Thanks, ya'll! I did take it out the next day (after mentioning Craig's List). It found me a very nice 24 inch 925 rope chain necklace with a musical note pendant on it. I'm still getting the Infinium when a used one comes up on Ebay. I'd really rather have the ATX, but I'm no spring chicken anymore and I think that swinging 7 lbs might put me in an early grave. Now if there was just a way to hip/chest mount that ATX box.....

Or even "posing" it for Ebay photos....just in case. Thanks Deft!

If the honeymoon is over and your bestie just isn't giving up the goods anymore, here is my advice: 1. Start shopping for a new detector. Make sure your old friend is in the room while you discuss the merits of various new machines with your significant other. 2. Watch other machines in action on youtube videos. Make sure computer screen is in line of sight of old friend. 3. Loudly announce when you go out to hunt the beach that there's going to be "only a few more trips with this antique". 4. Dig up 22kt pendant with diamonds on 3rd target. It's marked 916 on the back. Too bad the biggest diamond is missing. Might have to take the old DFX out again tomorrow.

I got out with the DFX a couple of days after Hurricane Matthew last October. Some of that "beach re-nourishment project" sand was gone, but not nearly as much as I thought there would be. I was expecting bare rocks and 10 years worth of gold rings 3 inches down. Now the interesting thing is that the sand seems to continue to erode. It was like Matthew "jump-started" the erosion and instead of the usual summer sand deposition it seems to still be eroding. There are more rocks showing at low tide than I have seen in the 3 years we've been snow-birding here. I'm just waiting for the next "beach re-nourishment project" notice to appear in the local paper. I'll be out there quite a bit until then. Anyway, happy hunting!

We're staying here in Florida this summer while Hubby gets a new knee replacement from the VA (long story), so nugget shooting in Montana is going to have to wait until next summer. By the time he gets done with re-hab it will be too late to go this year. Did I mention that Montana has 2 seasons? July and wintertime. I guess I really just need a beach entertainment/weight loss program for the next few months. I figure a waterproof PI machine will be just the ticket for that and I've always wanted to try one. Maybe a Garrett Sea Hunter or a Sand Shark would serve just as well for that purpose? I'll try to get a used one on Ebay, so if I hate it I can re-sell it and I won't lose much. I still definitely want a TDI, but used ones don't seem to come up very often on Ebay. And there's still the fact that I'm not sure if there really is gold left to be found in Montana. Maybe hubby is right about it all being gone. Maybe I need to do some panning first and find out before I invest in an expensive gold detector. I panned some last year, but I was totally clueless on where/how to look. Trying to remedy that situation while we're stuck here. I did find some dust in Alder Gulch. Thanks Fs and good luck to you too! I've never used anything except a Garrett 150 and my DFX, so I really value your input!

And the winner is....the Garrett Infinium. It seems to be the only one that will do most of the things I need it to do reasonably well. And it's waterproof, which is a huge plus for me. Of course, when I find Cortez's other boot, I'll be adding a an Excal and a TDI to the arsenal. Hubby can just mount me some brackets on the walls of the toy hauler. Guys, thanks soooooo much for helping me, especially Steve. This is truly a great community and I look forward to interacting with you-all for many years to come.

Nooooo! I thought I had the problem solved and had started shopping for a TDI. I guess I really need a waterproof detector. I almost drowned the DFX today. (Knee-deep + big wave). That nice deep trough between the waterline and the coquina rock is just sooooo tempting! I'll have a look at the Sand Shark....

Hey Prospector! I was actually just looking at the TDI! Have you ever tried it on a salt water beach? Now hubby is saying no way/no how is there going to be room for 3 different detectors in that toy hauler. I suggested that he take a chill pill and a nap. Steve, I think you're right about that Gold Bug 2. Well, it's a beautiful day here in Central Florida. I think I'll go on down to Paradise Beach and dig some pull tabs!

Hi again, Steve! I'm so tickled to be actually "talking" to you! About my DFX. I've basically tried every program I can find, including the "Fox Beach" one. Coins, silver jewelry, bottle caps and pull-tabs- no problem. I've never been able to cajole the DFX into finding me some gold. Maybe our beaches are the problem (Thanks, Brevard County Beach Re-Nourishment Program). The sand is deep and plentiful, even after Hurricane Matthew last fall. I'm guessing that anything good is sinking to China pretty fast! Anyway, thanks so much for all your help!

Hi GB and Deutran. Nice to meet ya'll! GB-that spreadsheet idea is awesome. I think I'll do that too. Deutran-I really, really like that SDC, but Hubby is not into metal-detecting. Last summer in Montana I pulled out the DFX near some tailing piles in an old ghost town. Long story short-It refused to even ground balance, Hubby rolled his eyes and laughed, then he told me all the gold in Montana was gone by 1920 and I was basically wasting my time. Men. His eyes glaze over every time I start talking about mineralized ground, PI machines, hot rocks, etc. I did get him to agree to a new (to me) metal detector-as long as it's not over $1000 and it rides in MY personal cargo space. Yes, the RV is pretty crowded after we load the ATV. I think he would be more amendable to the expense of the SDC if I could wave some yellow rocks under his nose and prove to him it can be done. He had no problem whatsoever with a $3800 Nikon-but that's different since it deposits money into his bank account every month! (His philosophy is that I can spend all the money I want on my "hobbies" -as long as they pay for themselves.) Personally, I think my chances for gold in Montana are pretty good, since most of it hasn't been gone over 1000 times already. In all of my summers up there I have seen exactly one other person with a metal detector besides myself. Maybe that's because all the other detectorists found nothing, gave up, and went home? Anyway, I digress. I'm now looking at the Nokta Fors Core. I could hunt the wet sand with it and it might do ok on the rusty dirt in Montana? After using the DFX for so long the lack of disc on a PI might shortly cost me what few marbles I have left. Thanks Ya'll!!!!

Thanks, Steve and Klunker! Not sure if I can talk Hubby into a $3000 SDC (used on eBay). Maybe after that ton of gold nuggets magically appears he'll be more reasonable. The ATX would probably be ideal except for that part about weighing in at 7 lbs! I think it would probably wear me out pretty quick!

Hi Y'all! Great forum! Sorry if this has already been covered a zillion times, but..... I'm self-employed and am fortunate enough to be able to live and travel in an RV full-time. I live on a barrier island on the east coast of Florida during the winter and travel in the summer/fall/spring. My main places are Florida, Tennessee, and Montana (home of most awesome grandchild on earth). I love to metal detect. I don't have much room to store those 10 different detectors that I would love to own (RV). I have room for 2 or 3 at the most (if I want to have clothes and shoes too), and am loathe to part with my antique DFX, which has been my buddy for 10 years. Even though it's great for dirt-diggin' in Tennessee...and not much else. I've tried it on the beach here and it doesn't seem to like that wet salt sand very much. It positively seems to hate that mineralized dirt in Montana too. Maybe I didn't have it set up right. I've been researching for weeks and here is what I've almost decided on. If you guys could tell me if I'm on the right track, I'd be very grateful! 1. Garrett Infinium LS- Double duty for the beach/salt water hunting + a low-cost PI machine to find me tons (LOL) of 1+ gram nuggets in Montana. I usually dig everything at the beach and targets of any kind are few and far between in the places we camp in Montana. (Yeah, I kinda know where to look-presently working on a ghost town/mining camp book). I'd also kinda like to try sniping in some of those 38 degree creeks and rivers (certified diver/have wetsuit/will travel). Hubby thinks I'm nuts. 2. Gold Bug 2- Maybe I could go back over those tailing piles in Montana and find those hundreds of -1 gram nuggets that the Infinium will miss. 3. Keep my friend, the DFX. Every time I think of selling it, it tosses me a merc or two....no joke. Thanks, guys!