Gold Catcher

2 hours ago, phrunt said:

I don't suppose anyone can put up a video of what a 6000 threshold that is "smooth" sounds like

Hi Simon, when you dial back on gain to about 4 clicks and below the threshold becomes rock stable, almost like a smooth single tone with practically no variation. That is assuming "normal" ambient EMI conditions and no source on your body. For higher ambient EMI reduction to gain 2 or 1 will again make the threshold super stable.  I don't have a video of it but could make one. The good news, only little sensitivity will be lost and most targets will stand out without any problem. In those cases I increase the volume on the detector and decrease it on my headset. Conversely, when I run on full manual gain or on auto+ I dial back the volume on the detector to one and increase my headset volume. The latter case helps me to get the machine a tat more stable (or better: helps my brain to process the jittery ground responses better).

GC

What a bummer, all these reports about poor quality. My 6000 runs without any issues and I am very happy with it. It was one of the first ever to arrive in the US, perhaps the early production models where higher quality? Regardless, ML better fixes these issues before releasing a new flagship detector (or any new model for that matter).

GC

3 hours ago, troutsnouter said:

inside bend gravel bars

I don't think I have ever found any gold on the surface of gravel bars. The low pressure deposits are usually all the way on the bottom, so dredging there would be better. Look for dry bedrock crevices, those that are sideways to the stream, not parallel. If there is hard compacted gravel-good, start cleaning them out and look all the way on the bottom. Also, sampling with the gold pan is helpful to orient yourself where gold has traveled. As Steve said, the area should be known for coarse larger gold nuggets. Sometimes, all there is is fine flood gold. Also, check higher up benches, if there are any. The GB2 is not easy to operate on bedrock which usually has a fair amount of mineralization, I use it more for very mild soil and shallow small gold. Just my 2 c. Good luck!

GC 

17 minutes ago, Jeff McClendon said:

have you tried using the 14” DD for making the 6000 less sensitive to tiny trash?

The 14 inch might also be a bit too big for this area. I usually use it more in the open field.

8 minutes ago, Jeff McClendon said:

Have you tried using the 14” DD for making the 6000 less sensitive to tiny trash?

Thanks Jeff. No I have not tried the 14DD in this area, certainly worth a try. But from my previous times I have used the 14DD I can say that it remains remarkably sensitive to small gold, much more so than I would have expected.

GC 

8 hours ago, GotAU? said:

I forget where I read it, but you could try lifting the 6K coil a bit off the ground when swinging in trashy areas to attenuate it’s sensitivity to the small stuff.

Interesting thought, I just would be a bit worried about EMI creeping in. I usually keep the coil as flat over the ground as possible.

GC

2 hours ago, oneguy said:

PS....How did you attach your stand to the SDC?...I like it

Hi Oneguy. Indeed, for these situations that you describe the SDC is a good choice IMO. And, it is still a reasonably good detector that finds gold, albeit with a much narrower focus. I just wish they would come out with a more modern and ergonomically friendly version, while still keeping the MPF or something similar (without going for brute force). The stand came with the control box cover. You just slide the rod stand through the sleeve.

GC

https://www.ebay.com/itm/154921735979?hash=item24120e172b:g:DB4AAOSwPcVVt30x

1 hour ago, Gold Seeker said:

How about a desert hat with a back flap, something like this, many different styles out there to choose from.

 

The problem with this and the hoodie option is the heat. When you live in warmer climates (AZ, NV, CA) this will not work most of the times.

GC

4 hours ago, Reg Wilson said:

Bose noise cancelling buds are great but expensive.

They work but I find them pretty shock sensitive. When you touch the cable they give an unpleasant banging sound in the ears.

GC

The FBI? 🤣🤣 That's hilarious. Probably the dummest thing I havd ever heard.

GC

1 hour ago, Jonathan Porter said:

I try to be the same, I’m not going to micro manage every step I take for fear of walking on an ant but at the same time I will definitely not deliberately drive over a poisonous snake just because it’s on the road. When I buy meat I try not to cook excess amounts and I never leave anything on my plate, I always try not to waste any of it because an animal had to die so I could eat, that deserves my respect.

Being accountable for the impact you have on this world is something we all need to consider especially in this sanitised and washed world we humans have created. Which brings me back to prospecting, it keeps you grounded when you have to sweat a little and get your hands dirty. Am I a raving greenie? I don't think so, I’m just trying to be a responsible human being.

JP

I wish more people in this world would have this attitude. Instead of fighting stupid wars people should rather pick up a detector and go prospecting. Life is a gift and gold can be found if you are just trying hard. Not just the physical gold but also the gold that comes from a fulfilled life, while enjoying the beauty of nature, recognizing that all life forms should be respected, being a good dad (or mom) and making a difference for others. You are born naked and you will be buried in an old suit. Everything in between is up to you. 

GC

4 hours ago, Sheppo said:

Will also add to what JP said and that’s you don’t want a pack of wild dogs on to you while you’re prospecting either.
 

You see one? Get out of there. More than one? You may be in for a bit of a ride.

I am am headset guy. Makes me always a bit nervous when prospecting in the middle if nowhere and I don't hear what's going on around me. Desert is a bit better than thick forrest where you can't see whats coming at you (animals or crazy guys on drugs- plenty of them in some areas).

GC

Would be unthinkable here in the US. Dogs are more valued and loved than most people, probably for good reason.

GC 

21 hours ago, abenson said:

my trash to good target ratio was about 50/50 and that's doable for me.

Wow, every other target gold. Never had anything close. I am there with Phrunt. If I am super lucky it's more like 1/10 to 1/15. 

GC

5 hours ago, Jonathan Porter said:

If possible you should always run the target at direct right angles to the windings not along the windings to let the coil see the whole target relative to movement etc.

That's really good advice!

1 hour ago, Gerry in Idaho said:

If you happen to be around Rp this coming June, maybe we hook up for a day and compare some nuggets.

Looking forward to it, Gerry. The 6k is my every day detector and the best overall product, all things considered, that ML has ever made (IMHO). My 7000 is long out of warranty but since the NF Zsearch is a ML endorsed coil I speculate ML would still honor the detector warranty, even if I still had one. Interesting question though. I suppose the same will be true for the 6000 when the Coiltek and NF coils come out. Because they will be ML approved ML should still cover the detector warranties, even though you would then be using after market coils. The NF Zsearch is a huge upgrade for the 7000, I am in Rob's camp in this regard. Well, for that price it better be. 😉

Best,

GC

21 minutes ago, Gerry in Idaho said:

Happy Hunting folks and we look forward to another eventful and fun filled session coming up in June.

Awesome write up, Gerry. Always inspiring! I agree with your comments about the 6k being the RP king, but to be fair it all depends on how you are using the 7000 and on how experienced you are with this machine. An expert 7000 user who knows all the settings inside out will be equally successful at RP IMO, especially with the NF Zsearch coil, unless in wet saturated conditions where the 6k/14DD will steel the show. 

GC

1 hour ago, jasong said:

I'm pretty sure it has to do with speed. As it almost never happens when I run the scoop slowly. It's totally random though, same speed and same target will be heard one time and then not another. 

That happened to me several times. Slow scoop sweep and shaking the scoop before sweeping (so the heavies go to the bottom) usually always does the trick. Every scoop I repeatedly sweep slowly over the coil edge and also from different directions before I toss it. It takes a bit more time, but I have lost several targets by not being as careful like this. I also noticed at times an audio delay, which combined with sweep speed could contribute to loosing targets. It does not happen often though.

GC

5 hours ago, phrunt said:

Have you noticed all brands are sticking to smaller sizes, there is likely good reason for this. 

Imagine an SDC 2300 with a 22" coil? I don't think it'd give the depth increases customers would expect with depth on bigger deeper targets with such a big coil.    The 14x9 and 11" didn't really appear to do much for it from what I've read.

17" or larger seems to be the most in demand coil size for Australia from what I've seen yet all brands are sticking with smaller sizes for their 6000 coils,  I think for the 6000 you'd lose a lot of that small gold sensitivity with a really big coil that its so good for, and then the big question is will these bigger coils add significant depth or would manufacturers just be making bigger coils for mostly ground coverage losing that small gold sensitivity, along with adding significant weight and then would people be happy with that? 

For me I'm lucky I only want smaller size coils, 15" seems to be the limit of what I'd ever need around here 🙂

For me the 17 inch coil with the 6000 is more about ground coverage than depth. The nice thing is that the 17 inch is almost as sensitive as the 11 inch for small gold. But when it comes to outright depth I prefer the 7000 any day. The SDC with a bigger coil is a head scratcher to me. The MPF tech. is aimed for shallow small gold/mineralized ground. The 8 inch is perfect for that. So, why a big coil? I totally agree with you on that. The 6k, as it being called a super PI-GM, is also designed for shallow/medium depth (also as judged by the ML star chart). Hence, sensitivity to small gold at medium depth is one of it's biggest strength and no other detector can compete here. So, very large coils for depth would not make much sense (IMO). No doubt it can punch deeper too, but there it looses it's leading edge when compared with the 7000. Just my 2 c.

GC

2 hours ago, orgone500 said:

Nugget Finder Xceed coils for the gpx6000. There will be three coils released. A 12x7", 8x6" and 16x10". The one in the teaser image is the 12x7."

Sounds great! I wonder though whether they will be able to meet the huge demand. These coils might be really hard to get once they become available. I just remember how long it took for the NF Zsearch to reach the US market and that was just 1 coil.

GC

27 minutes ago, WesD said:

Yep, looks like a lot of 2300s are about to retire.

Not for me. The SDC can handle dificult terrain including hot rocks exceedingly well. With all my enthusiasm for the 6k it is kind of sensitive to hotrocks, more so than the SDC (IMHO). There are also other reasons, i.e. foldability. 

GC

4 hours ago, orgone500 said:

Just saw this add pop up on Facebook. There's a 10X5. Nice...

I bet the 10x5 will have the biggest demand. What a bomb this will be.

GC

20 minutes ago, GotAU? said:

Have you seen Gerry’s and friends underwater finds with SDC’c?

Thanks for sharing.  I heard the O-ring on the battery compartment seal needs to be checked frequently. I have the first gen. SDC which has a lot of mileage since I bought it years back, so I hesitate a bit to submerge it. I am very sentimental with this machine as it has been my companion for countless expeditions and adventures. And it has found me good gold. It will take courage to submerge it, like pushing an old dog into the water who has never swam. 

GC

Thank you guys! Great feedback.

GC