Gold Catcher

14 minutes ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Yet what do you do when you have two hours and are looking at a nail filled trash pit?

I usually use VLF for these situations, like my Manticore with gold prospecting mode and all metal. The ferrous indicator does not work at all (!) for small gold, only the Target ID is somewhat useful if the gain is not too high. But depth is very limited (<3 inch). But indeed, and as you say, for these situations I am very eager to hear the first reviews, as a PI-ID might indeed be superior to the VLF IDs in these situations, albeit depth will likely limit target ID accuracy, even for a PI. Nevertheless, for this particular situation the PI-ID might indeed be superior, which would probably be reason enough to buy the Algoforce, in particular looking at the fairly low price. And mono coil will then be fine, because the ID will probably only work well in shallow ground anyhow, and sensitivity is maximized with mono.

GC

1 hour ago, Steve Herschbach said:

I do most ferrous vs non-ferrous work with all PI detectors strictly with my ear. I never use the Minelab or Axiom ferrous functions as totally untrustworthy for nugget detecting. I have seen 1/4 ounce plus gold nuggets called ferrous by those type systems and that's too much money to give up based on a poor result. Missing a bullet or a coin is one thing, missing a $500 nugget another. I honestly forget the feature exists as I never use it.

This really nails it, and this is perhaps not understood by some. For serious gold prospecting with a PI (let alone ZVT) there is no discrimination or target ID feature that would ever work with the current technology. Period. The Algoforce will not change this fact a bit. This is why neither the SDC, 6k nor the GPZ even offer this "feature", as they are designed for detecting gold. As Steve said, the only way to potentially do this is by ear. But it needs to be stressed that you really need to put in a few thousand hours fieldwork to get this "right". Many operators will not rely on this method and dig it all, me included. The only "discrimination" I do is the boot scratch method. Works pretty good, and it is free. For relic and coin hunting this is a different discussion, but also remember that gold prospecting and relic hunting are fundamentally different and require totally different techniques.

GC

I still would love to see a true gold machine with discrimination, like a 6k with reliable target ID at depth. And for a third of the price, even better!

The scope of this new one might be more directed towards relic, coin and beach hunting. A great profile and at a very good price! I should have waited with buying the Manticore...

GC 

Really curious to see how the ID will work with PI (and mono coil). From what I understand, challenging proposal to get this right in principle, especially with gold nuggets. But if they solved the problem, then they will have an edge over every ML machine.

GC

Thanks Nenad. Really interesting. I hope it will make it to the US eventually. But no match to the 6k or Axiom from what I understand.

GC

So who kept the gold in the pan?

Go for a used SDC. A PI will serve you much better than any VLF in the area where you are. And it is also a much more serious tech when it comes to gold hunting. If you can't find one for 1.5k, then rather save up a bit longer and buy when you can afford it. It will be a much better investment for the longer run, assuming hunting gold is your focus.

GC

13 hours ago, phrunt said:

Fully automated is great, as long as you can override it and have an advanced menu for those that like to adjust beyond the automatic modes.

You don't have to use advanced settings, but it's nice to have them when you need and understand them.  Fully auto is taking it too far and detrimental to performance for many users.

There is nothing stopping manufacturers having the best of both worlds having advanced menu's on an auto detector.

Agreed. Imagine the 6000 with a nice submenu, all optional of course....6k and GM user profiles are different, and I think 6k customers would have expected more from their machine than what is offered, despite all the glory.

GC

Good point, but perhaps even more so a reason to reset their business strategy and get partners on board who know what they are doing. If Xcoils would rise to quality standards of NF and Coiltek (perhaps they already are, but at least not in the perception of the majority of customers worldwide), then it would be a win win for everyone.

I just hope ML is smart enough to see the opportunities to merge the next gen GPZ with cutting edge coil technology, such as Xcoils. It would be wise to team up, and perhaps at the same time address some of the alleged quality issues that I have heard around manufacturing quality, robustness and reliability? Perhaps X-coil tech, but Aussie made/certified? 

GC

1 minute ago, abenson said:

I have the same issue. Garry claims it's a loosely wrapped coil cable that causes that. I can't say one way or the other because I haven't been back out looking for gold with the Manticore since October. But yea it's an issue. 

Thanks. And for me it is not the loose cable for sure.

GC

Thanks Steve. Will wait for the M8 to see if it would make any difference. If there would just be any hope that 2024 would mark the year of the M8 arrival, beyond just a few dozen shipped...

1 minute ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Yeah, little know fact coil knock is related not just to sensitivity, but the ground balance setting. Even suppressed background EMI plays into it, which would give the Manticore more issues than a Minter, the Manticore being a multi.

Good to know that it could play a role. Even though I GB quite frequently and use auto track.

Could be. But for me in Goldfield mode /Prospecting theme and Sensitivity >20 the coil is beyond sensitive. Each time I put the coil on the ground for recovery scooping it screams like crazy, and any slightest knock will make it sound off. Perhaps it's just my machine though, but it sucks.

GC

Speaking of coil knock sensitivity, I only know one detector that is even worse at it: Manticore

GC

33 minutes ago, goldenoldie said:

General with its 14 coil to the GPX6000 in Difficult / Auto + with the 17x13 coil on an Aussie 50c coin, was the same.  

Thanks. I think the difference might be more significant with gold at depth in hot soil. The ground processing of the Z is unmatched IMO, and even smaller super D coils can hear targets rather deep. 

GC

I have not used the 10x5, but compared to the 9 round the NF 12x7 is more stable in my hands. And without significant sensitivity loss compared to the stock 11. But those are just my observations. Btw, I have no problem with edge void of the 12x7 and find this a terrific coil.

Coiltek 9, ML17x13 and NF12x7. NF never comes off! ML17 I rarely use. Kind of a funny coil. Supposed to go for depth as being a big mono, but appears to just provide more ground coverage with similar performance to ML11. The 6k is generally not a depth detector IMO. I wonder if the GPZ with the NF12 would beat the 6k with the big 17 mono on depth ( I bet it easily does, probably not even need to run hot!). But that's a topic for another thread. 😁

GC

The most important thing for me is to research the area, learn about the nature of the gold deposits and when it was worked on, the nature of the host rock, what type of gold was found (was if free mill), how coarse was it etc. I am not chasing flood gold with a detector, and am staying away from unpacked gravel bars, even when nicely accumulated at inside bents. It pays off to observe the area a bit before detecting, and to "think like gold". What mass flow can you observe? Where is the bigger gravel and where is the much finer one, etc. The old inside bent theory has never really worked for me that much and I have found gold all over river channels (low pressure zones can occur at many places). If the gravel on the ridges is bigger than in the gullies, then you will find more gold there, at least more likely IMO. My favorite areas however are alluvial fans, where the heavy stuff moves up instead of down during heavy mass movements. I am not talking about seasonal flash floods here and there, but rather about very heavy flow of material, likely when the fan was formed (millions of years ago). The Mojave nugget (156 oz) was found just a few feet deep in a 1000 ft overburden. So, heavy stuff can travel up at times, just not in a river. 😄

GC

On 1/10/2024 at 11:19 AM, Mike Nixon said:

Hi there, is the side zipper metal ? Thanks

No, the side zipper is not metallic, only the little zipper clip is (for whatever reason). But does not give any problems.

1 hour ago, blackjack said:

I think the 6000 may eliminate some percentage of operator skill ?

The 6000 is close to magic, but will not eliminate operator skills. No detector does for that matter. You will miss alot of gold, even with the 6000, or perhaps in particular with the 6000, if you do not adhere to general detecting practices, including strict coil control and slow steady swing speeds. You would be amazed how quickly a 6k investment can become worthless. 😁

GC

On 12/18/2023 at 6:54 AM, Gerry in Idaho said:

I was using the Manticore on this trip when I found the Chompers and the big gold ring.  13.5 grams and yes the last pic shows the details of the ring.

Not too bad my friend. See price tag below

1 hour ago, jasong said:

No one knew of any similar design other than that Supercede one which they wouldn't ship to USA

Tried so hard to get one, no success. They looked awesome. Using Bunk's Hermit pick, best pick I ever had.

GC 

These work really well for me

5 hours ago, phrunt said:

if you encounter a bad area the 6000 doesn't like you have to use a different detector, not a different timing.

Spot on. With all the greatness of the 6000 this is a severe limitation. That's why my 7000 is always in my truck (also since I don't own an Axiom...). 🙂

GC