DigsAlot

I got this pick from Rob, excellent customer service by the way!!!! Rob was able to send the pick to me in time for me to give it a run before the season ends.

My thoughts on the pick are a little mixed. I would say it is a good buy. There is a few things I would say should be changed or looked at. 

First, the blade side has the wrong grind angle, much like an axe vs a pick. This makes the chisel edge too thin and subject to bending marring or even breaking chips off when using it in a desert setting.

Second, the handle has a taper to it. At first, I thought this would be great. As a lot of picks these days have to thick a handle. Done in order to give it more strength; but creates a bulky handle as a result. In that setting, a taper would be nice. The other thing that we run into, is to small a handle next to the head of the pick, resulting in a weak handle that breaks. In the case of the NS22 pick. We have the perfect size handle at the pick head going into the metal sleeve. The taper results in making it to thin in the middle of the handle. Now the handle does return to the normal size at the end of the pick handle. Again, at first this seemed like a great feature; in reality, it makes the part of the handle you would normaly use one handed to thin for a comfortable and solid grip. Therefore creating hand/grip strain. When using it two handed, It makes for an odd feel trying to grasp either end of the handle to get the normal grip during two handed operations. It would be better for the handle to remain the original size all the way down. It is hard to find a pick with just the right size handle. I think this pick has that perfect size with out taper. Just my thoughts.

Third, comes the point of the pick. This pick has a wedge like tip. Some might like this type design. I personally do not, after trying it out with the NS22 pick. What I found was durning one handed operations it would make the pick deflect to one side or the other. Also, it didn't have the same penetration as a spike version would have. I do a lot of detecting in the Rye patch type area. In our dirt, it helps to have the spike to get a good depth per swing. With this wedge design it slows the pick down to fast to get that nice pick depth per swing. I plan to plasma cut my pick to the point style. I tried it in more gravel type dirt to be fair, thinking it might work better in that environment. It did not. Same result. 

Fourth, the wedge width is perfect for scrapping the top or clearing out the hole. The wings work great for that little extra piling effect when pulling the dirt from the hole. Except for the grind angle the blade side of this pick is great. I have already had the grind edge deforming. It has a bend from hitting a small gravel patch at Rye patch. The metal thickness is just about right. Changing the grind would be perfect.

 Fifth, the overall length of this pick is great, not to long or to short. You can use it one handed or switch  to two handed for those bigger Zed holes when needed.

Last, I did notice that my pick had a grind dig on the point side, top. It is a little deep, perhaps a 16th of an inch. This would be a quality control issue not a design issue. The paint comes off from use as expected, in case someone wanted to know about that fact. It does have a proper size pin holding the handle in place. Not one of those small pins you some times see.

Overall, I would say that this pick is worth buying. I was going to special order picks like this from Australia from the original designer. But this pick came up and is close enough to satisfy my needs. Our Australia members will  Recognize the overall design. However, for us in the USA this has design has been lacking in our market. The NS22 fills that void. Is it perfect no, is it a good pick probably. I plan to keep using it myself.

I disagree on the discrimination. Part of my success I Nevada is the ability to control what I see and hear. Vdi and discrimination allows me to pick and choose high probability targets. Steve did a write up about hunting patches verse cleaning out patches. Vdi and discrimination makes this a lot more accurate. Phrunt you have a tendency to over look the fact you are on perfect ground with the ability to jack your settings to max levels and not fight hot rocks and or heavily mined areas with tons of hunting/camping traffic. The US and main Europe suffer from the above immensely. The more info and control we have the better our choices in action will be. 

An older prospector (coin shooter mostly) said to me once and summed it up best, "I only have six many ups and downs in my back each day". 

If you take all the trash and false earth you dig and multiple it by hundreds fold you will begin to understand the rest of the communities desire for more knowledge of a target before digging. 

Also just because you have a thing does not mean you have to use a thing. To have and not need is better than to need and not have.

Best part is, to each their own and I respect your views. Healthy discussion breeds innovation.

Thanks for the info Steve.

I was speaking more towards design concepts vs labels. Poorly worded on my part. 

I forgot they combined names. 

First and most importantly it must give the SDC2300 a run for its money. If it can challenge the Zed sweet. But most gold is in the SDC2300 realm.

Second, super lite weight 

Third, rain proof yes, water proof NO. Land detectors dont make great water detectors. Water detectors dont make great land detectors in the pi world. We need a great land unit.

As for coils compatible to Gpx would be nice but not at the cost of cutting edge tech.

Must have an led interface with a vdi system. Something no other PI has done. Ok this should be second on the list. 

If  Discrimination was possible that would also be a game changer.

Built under the makro name, not nokta. The style makro does things is perfect. Nokta not so much, with all their dials.

Personal profile settings at least 3 for quick change in the field.

Lite weight is a must have.

Last, must have three or more coils. A super small sniper coil 7.5×5 type a nice med coil and also a large elliptical coil say 12×8. Coil swapping should be quick and simple.

I have owned several makro units. They are awesome. I have been a firm believer that makro would be and could be the company that topples minelab. That or forces minelab to change its approach concerning listening to its customers and build what we want our way.

Dont make a cheap PI. Affordable yes, but has to be a top end unit. The first one should wow people. Then build a cheap unit. 2 thousand range would be a good start range.

Let the gauntlet be thrown.

I would not hold your breath for minelab to do this. They would have already. It will be a Makro type company that builds this. 

Build it and they will come!!!! Watch the movie Minelab board members, build it and they will come.

Looking good Peg. That is the type of mining I really enjoy. Next season comes quick. 

Don't worry about the salting, I have to salt Nevada Brian's finds too. 🤫🤫🤫🤫

I was already there Steve! You see the big circle in the middle of the pic. That is what we call a Zed hole 🤪

Thinking about getting a bobcat skid steer to speed up my Zed signal recovery.

Could have been a screen off point. Dirt transported to another process point. I do it all the time. That is what it looks like when I leave an area.

If not the above, then it is most definitely a polar bear den (on vacation). 

23 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Gee Jim, I'm sorry you did not do better with the gold. Sadly the nuggets are not growing back as fast as they are being found. Back in the 80's and even 90's we heard a lot more about one ounce days. Now it's more like a few grams is a big day, and too many skunk days in between.

At least in Nevada I can wander around in the sun in open country not finding gold. In Alaska is was more like thick brush dodging bears while being swarmed by mosquitoes in pouring down rain. And no snakes and crazy sticker bushes like Arizona. Nevada when it is nice is some of the most pleasant metal detecting I've ever done, gold or no gold.

I agree with Steve. However for the purpose of science and through vetting of his claim. I am happy to detect his honey holes for comparison, just as soon as he tells me there locations. Pin pointed on a map, with notes on where to look; he could even go out the night before and put little flags marking the nuggets. That would be great, Mmmm K. 

2 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

No right or wrong, it purely depends on the situation. Are you trying to find a new patch, or trying to extract gold from a known patch? Are you hunting a natural gold patch, or highly disturbed ground like tailing piles?

etc.....

Two points, first I would love to have found that amount of gold in a month. Second, good way to explain the difference between models of hunting. I slow only if I find two in an area. Otherwise it is patch hunting speed. I do need to try this 1/2 coil overlap. 

Chet,

I must say I have issue with your test. It lacks a very important aspect, my presence lol ! After I helped fix your tire and we shared taco bell. By man/bro law we are like brothers now 🤣😅😁. I guess I will have to stick with hanging with Brian.

Nice test, did you put dirt in the pipe? Just wondering. Nice finds. We need to set up a swing date before the season closes.

Not for you

Does not count unless you have video or you read on the internet lol. Guess it is true i read it on the net.

Great book, lots of info on different types of ways to detect with the king of VLF.

On 8/9/2019 at 2:48 PM, Steve Herschbach said:

I’m not too worried about First Texas or Garrett. They are going concerns with good markets and engineers and should be able to adjust. FT in particular just brought a new modern facility online. If anyone stands to lose at this juncture I’d say it’s White’s.

https://www.detectorprospector.com/forums/topic/4942-waterproof-metal-detector-comparison-chart/

 

I see it this way. Tesoro is gone, whites is next without question. Not sure who will be next after Whites. Garret has other biz models to keep them afloat. But against Makro no company is safe, not even Minelab. Invent, update or die. Makro is making detectors the way we want them made. Minelab makes detectors the way they want and we are expected to deal with it. In this fast changing field that could be their  Achilles heel. 

Just my point of view.

Makro I am still looking for a PI the way I want it.

I can do that with my Nox using Steve's insane settings. But I refrain, so that the next generation of swingers has Some thing to find.

After you balance Klunkers Zed. Can you post the GPS cords for sourdough secret spots lol.

I want what I want when I want it, lol. That being said I will wait in line like all the rest for the PI that fits my build list. My build list is about the same as Steve's. I have a Nox and it wrecks all other vlf units. If you don't care for that statement sorry, I respect your view and will add you to the list of people that prevent me from dredging in Cali. The SDC is where I expect the small gold bar set at. The deep gold needs to be better than the Zed. It does not have to be as big in gold size as the Zed, would be nice. But let's face it, the honkers are disappearing. So I will take many grammer in a day over one big one. I get bored fast lol. Weight needs to be Nox like.

Let's keep it simple. Give me a PI Nox and I will buy two lol and a hat lol lol.

The reason the hunt was cancelled boiled down too, to many Moochers not enough helpers. So we (my group puts on the event) as a group cancelled the event. It will happen in 2020 however (If we get help).

You have to run the Zed the way that lets you detect. High or low Sensitivity is only one of the factors. I personally don't like a hum in my ears. It makes me tone deaf by the end of the day.

I also like my target sounds to boom out. Comes down to, run it the Way that works for you. If your finding small gold then you are good.

Scott,

Todd and I have been testing his SDC with the new coils. True the small coil is great. However we still plan to test the bigger coil to make sure it is not messed up. Just been to biz to get it done. I did find a .15gram with his unit first time I used it lol. 

Good luck with the Zed Dig. Post up your first finds.

5 hours ago, kiwijw said:

In a nutshell...Bigger the coil = deeper detection depth but then the item detected needs to be bigger as well. l Dont think there are too many big lunker nuggets around now that warrant swinging a large coil these days. Unless in a known area for big nuggets & the area is suitable for swinging a large coil. But then what do you call big, 14" 16" 18" 22" or 25 inches?, & what do you call deep?

Good luck out there

JW 

All the little specks are gone now that JW has a 6 inch coil ?

19 hours ago, kiwijw said:

MMMmmm....not so peaceful with a motor or two humming away all day shattering the peace.  Sluice boxing, crevicing, sniping & detecting are peaceful.?

JW 

When you are blowing bubbles under the water you don't hear the motor so much. But I agree with your direct of thought.

I plan to go out this weekend with maybe Brian. Maybe I can pickup some tips. 

There was several repeat signals I didn't dig because they didn't sound right. I dug several to find nothing after checking with the Nox. Went down to bedrock. I noticed there is a little more sharp a small size to target sounds. The kind I stopped digging where the broad and more mellow sounds. I am sure there might have been a real target. But I was trying to cover more on the claim picking off the good signals, saving the others for this weekend.