Doc

Some posters on other forums rightly questioned whether the Gold SPOT™ Treasure Scoop was really any better than a regular treasure scoop. Well I already knew the answer to that question. You see for a year I have been working on the Gold SPOT™ design. I played with it I re-designed it, I proto-typed it 5 times. I wanted a design that would speed up nugget recovery and make it easier to keep the nugget in the scoop and not lose it. Remember, I'm the guy who had a catastrophic failure with the SAGA swing arm, and within days of release I recalled them all from the field. They just did not perform as they were supposed to. I went back to the drawing board and sunk thousands more dollars into re-designing and perfecting the SAGA™. I won't sell something unless I know it is a significant improvement over anything on the market. But just to show you what I already know, I decided to do a little impromptu video, an experiment. The video is unedited, except for the very end where I panned across an invoice with a customer's address on it that was sitting on the shipping table, I clipped that out. Watch the Gold SPOT™ in action and see what you think. Not to over-hype the Gold SPOT™ but one of the unique features of this scoop is that you can "HEAR" the gold. I know that sounds like an outrageous claim, but let me explain. When you get down to a small amount of dirt in a regular scoop along with a nugget and you agitate the scoop back and forth, the nugget does nothing but slide back and forth on the smooth bottom of the scoop. When you get down to a small amount of dirt in the Gold SPOT™ along with the nugget and you agitate the scoop the nugget rattles back and forth in the trough or channel clicking against the sides of the channel. Cool, right? I know we are getting quite a few Gold SPOTs™ out in the field and I would like to hear some feedback. Although if you are like me you are probably staying in out of the heat. -Doc

Congratulations Steve, You have an international following which is great. It brings other viewpoints and experiences to the forum. Doc

Thank you Frank, yes it's off and on the way. Your order was the one I was looking at that got me to thinking. It just so happens that the shipping was way off and you saved about 20 USD, as the shopping cart did not figure in the dimensional problems with it being over 24 inches and it didn't charge enough for shipping. But that's OK. Happy to get someone over in Australia to give them a go. Take care! Doc

I have not had any issues with product making it to Australia, but it is extremely slow. Apparently because the post office can not find flights to Australia to piggy back on. Australia is not allowing any citizens other than it's own to enter Australia, (a wise choice in my opinion) there just are not that many flights going to Australia. This virus has caused all kinds of issues. I personally look to be out around $4000 USD, because Minelab canceled their dealer conference for which I had flights, I obviously can not go even if I wanted to because no U.S. citizens are allowed. And now Virgin Australia has filed for bankruptcy. Your package will get there now that it has left the U.S. They have been doing the same thing to every package. They fly it all over God's green earth trying to find a flight that will actually make the journey. You have the additional problem that it is being sent from the east coast which has been hit particularly hard with this virus. So everything is really backed up. Doc

Hey gang, How many of you have old or extra lower rod to an SD/GP/GPX Excalibur, Sovereign laying around? The reason I ask is because I am getting a lot of interest in the SAGA™ from overseas, especially AUSTRALIA. however, the big bug-a-boo, is the cost of shipping. Because the package is over 24 inches long the postal service charges an enormous surcharge. Shipping for one SAGA rod is literally $66. I about choked. Now it just so happens, I was thinking ahead on this issue, and I made the SAGA so it would also use a spare fiberglass rod from an SD/GP/GPX Excalibur Sovereign etc. It fits perfectly. If an international customer could supply their own rod, I could just send a parts bag including a 1 ounce tube of Silicone sealant to glue the handle on and shipping would only be $32. USD. And get this, if a customer ordered two parts packages, the shipping would still only be $32 shipping for two packages. So if you had a mate that wanted a SAGA, you could share the cost of shipping. The only thing the customer would have to do is cut off the head of the rod they have where it attaches to the coil. The other end has the adjustment button which on most if not all Minelab lower rods is metal. That's not good because that adjustment button end is the part that goes into the SAGA pivot joint close to the coil. However, I would just include a plastic button to replace the Minelab metal button. So bottom line is I wonder how many people have those extra lower rods laying around or how readily available they are and if offering that option of the parts bag would be more attractive for an international customers than paying $66 for shipping? I know I wouldn't pay $66 USD for shipping. Actually the same goes for U.S. it cuts shipping from around $12 on a package going to New York to about $6, by eliminating the rod. It only makes sense if you have an extra rod laying around, if you have to buy a rod especially for that reason Minelab charges $42 for a lower fiberglass rod. Really interested in hearing from forum members in Australia. Doc

Gerry what do you mean by Doc's Digger? I'm confused. Doc

If you think the SAGA™ is just a Swing Arm, it's not. It's a steering wheel for your detector. Start at the 3-minute mark on the video, and watch what the unique design of the SAGA can make your detector do. If you know of any device on the market that gives you this kind of control please let me know, because I know of nothing that even comes close. If what you see intrigues you then watch the entire video. You're going to find that the SAGA will make detecting much easier and less stressful on your body and give you control over your detector you have never had before. - Doc

I take a 2 inch piece of webbing, about 9 inches long. I fold about 2.5 inches of the webbing back over it's self and stitch the sides leaving a little pouch. I slide a Super Magnet in the pouch and stitch it shut. I stitch the sides first without the magnet, that way I only have the one side that I have to fight the magnet trying to jump onto the sewing machine needle. So now I have a 2 X 2.5 inch pouch, and a 4 inch tail. You take the tail and stitch it onto the shoulder of your harness. Best to have another person person see where on your shoulder your pick should be positioned, and then put the magnet pouch there and stitch it on. Now you put your pick on your shoulder and the magnet jumps up grabs the pick and holds it there. I think I did a You Tube video on it. Let me look. Here it is. Start at 4:45 it explains and shows the modification. Doc

She's a beauty just the way she is! Big time Congratulations. They talk about finds of a lifetime, well that is one, to be sure. Doc

I'm not going to bore you with the details of the first attempt. Valuable exercise because the New SAGA™ really is exceptional, if I don't say so myself. If you currently use a Swing Arm, you will throw it away when you use this one. • No more breakage at the pivot point where Swing Arms attach to the detector. The SAGA™ is designed with a pivot point that allows for the typical movement that allows you to swing the arm out and away from the detector, but it also is designed with a rotating Pivot Joint that allows for up and down movement of the arm. This eliminates breakage, but it also gives you better control over the coil on your detector. (Watch the 2nd video start at 6:30 minutes) • No more wishing there was a Swing Arm that would fit your detector with it's weird shaped rod (SDC2300). Nothing could be more weird than the upper part of a GPZ7000, yet look at the picture to see how well it fits even that weird shape. The unique design of the attachment base, allows you to easily attach it to regular round rods, or irregular shaped large rods, depending on how you thread the UV resistant rubber straps. • No more trying to store the arm, if you need your hand to do something else. The SAGA™ has a proper storage clip. • Feel like detecting without the Swing Arm for a while? No worries! Push a button remove the rod and handle from your detector and stow it away until you decide to use it again. • You're a tall person and you like the rod long, or you're a short person and like the rod short? Got you covered. You can easily trim the rod to the perfect length then glue the handle on with the included 1 ounce tube of silicone sealant. If you have never used a Swing Arm, well, you are spending a lot of energy swinging one handed and you are unnecessarily stressing one side of your body, your arm, neck, and shoulders. When you take a walk, do you use both legs or do you hop on one? If you are hopping around all day, that one leg is getting mighty tired. That's why using your muscles bi-laterally helps fight fatigue and strain. Not only that, but you will never have so much control over your detector. You will execute perfectly level controlled swings effortlessly, when you are using both hands. Watch the videos to better understand the unique design of the Swing Assist Guide Arm. It's the last Swing Arm you will ever need, or want! Retail $74.94 Discounted Introductory price $59.95 plus s&h Watch the videos below. On the second video go to around 6:30 minutes mark to see the kind of control the SAGA™ gives you over your detector. Call your favorite dealer today! Thank you for your patience and all of your suggestions. Doc

The new Gold SPOT™ Treasure Scoop portable gold pan. (So have the SAGA Swing Assist Guide Arms, but I am waiting for some nylon nuts and bolts to arrive.) This unique tool is designed to increase your recovery speed of detected nuggets. When you give the scoop a little shake and agitation gravity causes the heavy gold to be channeled into the recessed bowl in the bottom of the scoop; the "Gold SPOT." When you start dumping dirt into your hand to isolate the nugget, the trough of the recessed bowl ramps up and channels any gold towards the riffles. The riffles hold the nugget, as the lighter material spills over the tops of the riffles into your hand. Ever cleaned out a crack in bedrock and the material in your scoop is setting off your detector but you're having a difficult time locating that little speck of gold? Add a little water to the material and you have the fastest most convenient portable gold sniping pan ever. I was prompted to redesign the standard conventional scoop that has been around for over 30 years because with the popularity of the Minelab Gold Monster 1000, smaller gold is really hard to isolate with a standard scoop. Included with every Gold SPOT™ is a plastic lanyard and EZ on/off security clip. How many scoops have you lost? Well not this one. The security clip is designed to allow you to always keep your scoop "at the ready" and be able to remove it and replace it in seconds using only one hand. See the video. The G SPOT comes in Green and we have a limited number of Yellow. I'm pretty sure you are going to love the unique features of some of the innovations I have incorporated into this scoop. Looking forward to your comments. The G Spot Scoop: Retail Price $17, discounted price, $14.95 or 2 for $27 plus s&h. Thanks! Message me with questions. Or email docsdetecting@gmail.com Doc This is the load I had waiting for me after it cleared customs.

I just read this and to say I am shocked and bewildered is an understatement. He just purchased a new bungee cord a couple of months ago. Fred was just a great guy and a good customer. From time to time I would send him a new prototype to test. He was always very straight forward, honest and helpful in his recommendations. Damn, he will be missed. Fred I know you will still be out there with us where-ever our travels may take us. You will not be forgotten friend. My prayers and thoughts are with your family. Doc

Waiting for the final production run. When they get to me I will announce it to be sure. Been a long wait to get this right but everything happens for a reason. I am super elated with the final product. Thank you for hanging in there with me. Doc

Also just a note on my sanitizing procedures. Someone messaged me and said I should have let the plastic soak for 30 minutes. Actually they soaked for 40 minutes, I went in and ate lunch, and came back out. I think I confused people because what I said was, "After I get it all rinsed out I would let it set for 5 or 10 minutes, (meaning in the sun)." Some people thought I was only letting it soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Plus the fact I didn't mention the fact that my people in China sprayed everything with disinfecting spray before packaging. Which is fine, but the stuff was still packaged in China, and traveled through China. So I was taking extra precautions. I am sure they did what they could. I assume DHL is doing something. But I don't want to take chances. If I do it myself, I will know it was done right. I'm confident there is no problem and this stuff is thoroughly clean. I talked to my sons who are both dentists who gave me guidance on the best way to clean these parts. They are the ones that said to use bleach. They also suggested to use dish soap in case there was any manufacturing residue. I have to handle this stuff so I'm not taking any chances with my health or yours. Doc

Truly this is the first time they dropped the ball in 25 years. They are just super to deal with. When I told them, guys this thing looked good but in practice it is falling apart. They said Doc, we are so sorry, tell us what we have to do to make it right. First time around I sort of left it up to them. I gave them some ideas but sort of left the design up to them. My mistake, they are not detectorists, they do not understand the rigors of this. I should have known better. So it was a learning experience. So I went to the drawing board and just started from scratch. Actually, I am sort of happy it went down this way. Had they designed something usable, that would have been fine, but I seriously doubt it would have been as good as this model. I think from now on, I will have the prototype done at the shop down the block from me, and then I can test it and tweak it, and when it is good to go, then I can send it for production. They clean the design up, and when I get it back, the design is good because it was already proto-typed here. It costs me $600 for one proto-type, but if I had done it to begin with I would have saved thousands. Doc

Gang the first production prototypes of the SAGA V2 Swing Assist Guide Arms are here. See what improvements have been made. Comments welcome. Thank you to the people that gave me feedback on the first version which as we all know was a crash and burn. -Doc

So here's the latest SAGA (Swing Assist Guide Arm) news. As someone mentioned, maybe SAGA was not a good name as the development of this product has become something of a SAGA. The initial test run of 50, we took some and put them into the field. MONUMENTAL FAIL. These things were falling apart faster than you could swing your detector. To say they were under-engineered was putting it lightly. I had the basic concept of how this should be designed, but ultimately I depend on my fabricators to use the right material and finally design the product to withstand the rigors of metal detecting. Literally the only thing that performed well was the handle and the storage clip. I was shocked because I have been using the same company for 25 years and they have never let me down. And considering that they are working to totally re-design the piece, they didn't let me down this time either, it's just that it is taking a lot of time to make sure we get it right. The straps were totally worthless. If you pulled on them, with very little force, they broke. We are now making the straps of super rubber. The pivot joint, was made too weak. Various pieces were just snapping. The pivot pin was either falling out of the joint or simply breaking. The ball joint which I thought would be a great idea, was actually a pitiful execution. It actually allowed too much play in the joint and made it feel like you had little to no control over the Swing Arm. Precisely what I did not want to happen. There were only really two movements I wanted. Obviously the first, a pivot joint that would allow you to move the Swing Arm out and away from the detector, to the right or left depending on which side you mounted the SAGA on. The second movement was a rotation joint allowing up or down movement to prevent breaking the pivot joint. Literally every Swing Arm out there has the ability to move out and away from the machine by some method that is not a true pivot joint, and designed with some very minor collateral allowance of up or down motion, but this limited range of motion causes a lot of breakage of the competitor's fake pivot joints. After going through the process I now know why competitors have designed their fake pivot joints in this manner, because they only needed one mold, which lowers costs significantly. My design requires 4 different parts and 4 molds. That does not count the 5th mold for the rod storage clip which my competitors do not offer. In addition to which competitors Swing Arms will not work on all detectors. The shafts on detectors have started to come in all shapes and sizes making it difficult to design a mount that will fit them all. I think I have accomplished that feat. The swivel joint and storage clip can be mounted on a variety of different rod sizes and shapes. I could only laugh at what an absolute failure this thing was. If it had been one little thing that was wrong, then I would have been mad, but when the entire damn thing is an abortion, well all you can do is laugh and say let's go back to the drawing board. Literally, until the Corona Virus came along, this Swing Assist Guide Arm was the worst thing to ever come out of China. To save time I went to a local tooling shop with my new plans on how to make this thing bullet proof. I am happy to report that the resulting prototype is strong like a bull, and extremely sturdy. It is in the hands of my factory in China and they have already done the CAD renderings. This one (SAGA Version 2.0) will be a winner! -Doc

I may have jinxed myself with a name like that. But it was shorter than Swing Assist Guide Arm. One of the definitions of Saga is "a long story of heroic achievement." Hopefully it will be that kind of Saga. Not the kind of long story where I sit defeated in a corner and cry. 🤣 Doc

Hey Gang, Well, back to the drawing board. The first samples of Swing Arms we got into the field have failed miserably. Thanks to all of you who have put up with the frustration of being guinea pigs. If you have had one that failed, return to the dealer and he will refund your money, until the revised version is available. If you have one that has not failed, use it until it does, so you can give us feedback on what happened. Pictures are very helpful. So some of the things that have been identified are: 1. The strap, which I requested be made with some kind of UV rubber with fiber reinforcement was not made with reinforcement, so it stretches and then breaks. It also needs to be about 1 1/2 inches longer with one more adjustment hole. 2. The pivot ball joint has way too much play in it. It should only rotate 360 degrees with no side to side movement. Initially I thought it would give more freedom of movement, but it is movement that is not necessary and causes undo stress on the joint and a feeling of instability. The purpose of the ball joint is to only allow the arm to move up and down so it does not break. But the opposite is happening, because it has so much movement, there is a lot of stress on the part. That is an easy fix, the collar has to be redesigned to restrict the movement. I'll try to attach a pdf file to show you what I am talking about. Collar correction.pdf 3. The pivot joint, the one that has a pin in it that allows the Swing Arm to swing out and away from the detector is too thin and flimsy. This was supposed to be made of Nyglass, but I think they used something that was not suitable for this part. This will have to be redesigned to be thicker with tougher material and a more substantial nylon pin that will be sonic welded into place. The concept and functionality is solid, it is just the materials and some of the design that needs to be corrected. Now I don't know many manufacturers that announce to the public that they "screwed the pooch" so to speak. But you guys have always been very helpful with ideas and suggestions and helping me field test all this crazy stuff I come up with. So I wanted to include you on this. And trust me, this is the process I go through every time with everything I develop. From initial concept, to design to prototype to pre-production to testing to modification and back to testing and then to full production and shipping and delivery and to the market runs about 9 months to 1 year. Sometimes things go very smoothly, sometimes, not so much. It depends on the complexity of the item. Unfortunately for this SAGA swing arm there are so many different molded moving parts. 2 Molds for the handle, a mold for the storage clip, 3 molds for the pivot and pivot ball joint assembly, 1 mold for the straps, a mold for the buttons in the fiberglass rod, extrusion mold for the fiberglass rods. About $10,000 in mold costs alone. Fun, right? However, I have never brought to market anything that I don't use myself and stand behind 100% And the SAGA Swing Assist Guide Arm will be no different. So your patience is appreciated as we work on SAGA™ Version 2.0 Speaking of production, the "G Spot" scoops are in production but I had them made with a satin finish as in the attached picture. The shiny ABS material caused too much glare in my opinion and was too slick allowing small gold to slide too easily. The top picture is the new satin finish and the bottom scoop was the shiny prototype. Standby while we work out the bugs. Thank you and Happy New Year. Doc

An Aussie Prospector's Christmas Poem © 2002 G.M. "DOC" Louignont, Ph.D. 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all o’er the land. Not a creature was stirring, not even one bloke with detector in hand; The Roo Scrotums wereall hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that a gold nugget from St. Nick would soon be in there; The ol’ prospector’s in OZ were nestled all snug in their swags, The same for prospector’s in the U.S. but there they call them sleeping bags; Mamma was still at home and I was still out bush, Down Under I wanted to be home for Christmas but I was bogged down because of rain and thunder, When outside my tent a terrible noise waked me from my sleep, Fleeing for me life out of the tent I did try to leap. I rushed right through the mozzie netting ripping it right fast, Tripped over me privates parts I did, and fell flat on me ass. The moon on the dry lake showed wet puddles of muddy mush It brought a tear to my eye when I saw a full can of beer I did crush, When, what to my bloodshot eyes should make me scream WOO HOO, But a miniature sleigh, pulled by eight Big Red Kangaroo, With a little old prospector, so lively and quick, I knew in an eye blink it must be St. Nick. More rapid than emu his Roo’s they came, And he screamed, and cursed, and called them by name; "Now, Skippie! now, Shelia! now, Bloke and Wanker! On, Cobber! on Mate! on, Dingo and Drongo! To the top of the trees those eight Roos flew all! I heard him scream, "Get your arse in gear or I’ll cut off your balls!" As hot winds that blow sometimes on a blistering December night, When those Roo’s got out of line, he did make them fly right! So up over those tree tops those Joeys they flew, With the sleigh full of detectors, and St. Nicholas too. As quick as a bean fart, I heard somewhere from behind The rustling of the brush, and the smell of beer and cheap wine. As I rose from me arse, and was turning ‘round in my place, Into my camp stumbled St. Nick and he fell right on his face. He was all dressed in detecting gear, from his head to his no metal boots, And his clothes were all tarnished with red dirt; he was a nasty ol’ coot; A bundle of detectors he had flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack. His eyes -- how bloodshot, his fat gut how disgusting! A string of rancid burps and putrid farts he kept busting! He smelled of booze, his breathe it was plain outrageous, And the beard of his chin so filthy I hoped there was nothing contagious; The stump of a fag he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath; But he had a broad smiling face when he screamed, "Put on the Billy." "You think I got all night to sit with you? Don’t be so damn silly!" He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, But his smell was so awful it about made me puke on myself; A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, He told me he was so drunk he’d just like to go right on to bed; "But I got detectors to deliver," He said, "all over the damn place", "Getting them all to prospectors before daybreak, will be quite a race!" And grabbing a hand full of his knickers and scratchin’ his ass, He roared, "Is that Billy workin’ I want tea, I need to get out of here fast;" He sprang to his sleigh, to his Roo’s gave a cursing command, "You better get to friggin' flying or you’ll feel the back of my hand!" But I heard him exclaim, as he flew out over the lake, "Why don’t you quit looking for gold and spend Christmas with your family for Christ's sake!" Merry Christmas to all my mates here in the U.S. and Down Under wishing you a joyous and blessed Christmas and a glorious New Year - Doc and Diana

Merry Christmas Gerry and Michelle! Yes I have always believed that in Marketing the question, "What's in a name?" The answer is"EVERYTHING!". And you are right it started with the Swingy Thingy, with the tag line, "Stupid name, brilliant idea." When I originally started representing Coiltek when John Kah owned the company, I told John, I'm going to name your coils. The first sample coils he sent me he said, don't worry about the orange color, we can make them in a different color, that was just some scrap plastic we used. I said, on no! You don't understand, I am going to make that orange coil famous, you're going to need a lot more orange plastic. I want someone to look down the beach see someone using an orange coil, and say, "Oh look, that guy is using a Coiltek WOT coil." And so a whole line of coils was born, the Joey coil, the UFO, the Wallaby, etc. And I have had a blast working with all my great dealer like you and our fellow prospectors. Getting to see you and Michelle in far off places around the world when we get together for the Global Minelab conferences is something I really look forward to. And yes the Kangaroo Scrotum Pouches are real, from real Kangaroos harvested under license from the Australian government. They are so real they are illegal to possess in California, because some nitwit environmentalists convinced the legislature in California that Kangaroos are endangered. Kangaroo mice are endangered, not Kangaroos. (California, the land of fruits and nuts. Streets full of homeless and feces.) What a terrible fate for a beautiful state. Best Wishes for a great New Year, Doc and Diana

It will probably be about 40 days before I get the production run of 5000 scoops. I am going to have them made less shiny, I think it would cause too much glare for them to be that shiny. I want them to have a more matt finish. Doc

Oh come on, the fact that someone thought I didn't know it was a double entendre, is hysterical. I'm a 70 year old man, married 50 years, with a PhD and extensive education in human anatomy and physiology. And I was a street cop. There isn't too much I haven't seen or heard, my life has definitely not been lived under a rock. I think it was really nice for Lacky to be concerned and try to delicately explain that maybe I did something unintentional that I might be embarrassed by. I mean that could be a very big WHOOPS, if someone was sort of staunch and didn't realize they had done something like that. I think we all need to look out for one another more. Thanks Lacky! I thought about it. I don't think I would ever refer to it as the "G Spot" in advertising???? I guess I would have to see how it is received. All you need is one person that doesn't have a sense of humor to make a fuss. But I knew inevitably the jokes would come. "Hey what kind of scoop is that?" "It's my G Spot." "Can I touch it?" "No! Keep your hands off my G Spot." "You're awfully sensitive about your G Spot!" "Well it's the only one I have, and I don't want you to lose it?" "Damn it, I loaned my G Spot to John and he lost it." "Your G Spot??? John lost it? What in the hell are you talking about?" Don't tell me this won't be the source of many giggles among us goofball prospectors. I mean I could go crazy with ads about this scoop, but they might offend someone. Not to mention the magazines might not even run them. AD COPY: "If you've been looking for the G Spot all your life and haven't been able to find it, WELL, here they are!" I mean look at the LOGO on the scoop, it says Gold SPOT. OK so the G and the SPOT are all capitalized, must have been a typo??? 😀 Merry Christmas gang! -Doc