schoolofhardNox

Thanks. Our beaches are very different. Ours are eroding away, with sand being dumped back on occasion. "Sanded in", means sanded in only until the next storm or weird full moon. Some areas you are just inches from clay. On other more protected beaches there is more than enough sand 😄 I hope you do get the 5000 out and try for some deep stuff. What have you got to lose? 😉 Would love to see a hunt from your location with a 5000.

Beach hunt #8 was a return to the beach that spanked me good. 🙄 It’s a good beach and I didn’t want to leave it on a bad note, so I decided to head back there. I started on the grass section with the GPX to hunt high conductors, but the anti- interference coil would low tone on one sweep and high tone on the return sweep. Not really sure what that is about, but I will try a regular DD coil next time. Hunting low conductors (I dug a few) was futile, since it has been cherry picked for high conductors and there are a zillion pull tabs there. At least 2 or 3 targets per swing. So, I abandoned that and headed for the sand. I wandered a bit in the direction I wanted to go to for the day, and finally decided to try what I did previously – hit the concrete wall section. I picked a new concrete section and started hitting copper cents. This is clad territory, so I was going to basically hunt clad for the day. My hope was to find some gold, but I was willing to settle for zinc. 😆 Turned out ok and I did score some silver, so it was worth the drive. Still decent weather and a good workout as usual. Next visit will probably be at another beach, so I’m expecting lot more trash as I get used to that beach. Still, fun in the sun!!!

I believe it was.... I'm old enough 😄 Yep, the CTX is great on land but not that black sand. Even the Nox struggles in some areas. I only use the Nox if conditions just changed and things are shallow or are not in the black sand area. You can't beat the discrimination when you are the first one in a newly unsanded area. But when the beach gets sparse, the pulse comes out. Yep, Mines a Samsung but it folds, so the sand gets in the fold section. I carry a lot of gear on my belt so I just keep it in my back pocket. It had a otter case, so it's protected from sand other than the fold. I try and not pull it out, but keep it on for emergencies at home. I leave it in the car if I'm feeling like getting wet 😊

Thanks. The CTX is a great machine, but......look at the color of the sand behind the dead sunfish. The CTX would be limited to shallow depth. Even with the Equinox, the clad did not respond favorably. I wish I had the GPX that hunt. It really sucks when you are pumped to go hunting and you forget something that renders your machine inoperable. I guess you just make the best of it and remember to not do it again 🙄. This beach has been wonderful to me over the last few years, so I don't mind cleaning up the trash there. With no cellar, I can see you having a tough time finding a place to put detecting thing. There are no spare upstairs rooms to devote to a hobby, so they get jam packed into a corner. Kind of like my trunk when I hit the beach 😄. I've never been a smart phone kind of guy, so having one for the first time has some advantages, especially for picture taking. I'm not crazy about taking this phone on the beach though. Before, if I killed the phone no big deal, this one would hurt if I had to replace it. Sand get in the smallest cracks. 😄 No bowing allowed. I'm sure I make a lot of water pulse guys happy that I get all the iron before it goes out to sea. They get the gold and I get the iron..... That's a fair deal isn't it? 🤪

With that much silver, you have a great place to hit over and over again. When you run short on easy targets, then try some iffy ones. You may be surprised what turns up. Great hunt.

Beach hunt #7 was not a lucky number. Up at 4 AM - out the door by 4:30 to try and hit part of a moderate low tide. Got stuck at an accident scene for ½ hour, so late to the beach. Upon arrival I discovered I forgot to pack the GPX battery and harness. 🙄 So, it’s the Equinox all day long (not my original plan). The ocean was ANGRY. The rouge tides sneak up on you and drench you good. 😄 Poured the water out of my boots when I left. There is not much you can do on this beach without a good low tide but dig all you can and hope for silver or gold. Not going to happen on that day. Also, washed up at the high tide line was what I believe to be a sunfish. ☹️ I guess they can get really big, but this one was about the size of a manhole cover. So better luck next time and hopefully a new beach to explore. On the flip side, I did get another room in the basement to store my machines. The room I keep my finds and other stuff was getting so cluttered with machines and coils, that I could not work on things. This is the best way that I have found to store machines and coils. Hope everyone has a chance to get out detecting somewhere and enjoy the day.

Very nice hunt. 2 good buttons!

Interesting. Did you try way up high on that small beach? If I don't get much at low tide, I work higher up until I find some goodies. With the storm removing about a foot of sand, I would have expected you to find more. As for the claim jumping couple, I'm wondering why you didn't walk up to them and tell them you are leaving since this beach only gave up 6 gold rings today. 😆

Thanks, it does but usually has PT950 or Plat written on it. If it is platinum, then the quality of the stones probably goes up as well. When I Googled it, 950 came up as a higher Sterling grade. It is well made as opposed to the junk they sell these days as jewelry. It's hidden so the wife doesn't borrow it 😊

Beach hunt #6 was a follow up hunt at the same beach. Started off using the GPX on the upper beach and soon found an area that I knew would trouble everyone’s machines (including mine). It’s right up against a rebar reinforced concrete wall. You can’t get within 2 feet of it without the iron in the wall sounding off. But there are ways to go around that if you are willing to put up with excessive noise. I wanted to see if I could squeak out low conductors. It worked and I found a huge number of nickels, including 2 Buffalo, but no gold. As the tides got lower, I wanted to switch machines and test the Equinox out in that same patch that was producing silver and gold for everyone. It is very hard digging with the packed sand and rocks, and I soon gave up using a scoop, since it would barely go 1” into the sand. Went back to the car and got my trusty shovel and abandoned the idea of hunting deeper into the waves. So, I followed the tide down as the others arrived (I love being first) 😊 One guy got a 14k earring, but it took me a long time before I struck gold. Finally, after struggling with a collapsing hole filling with water, I got it out. A nice 10K man’s initial ring. I was happy to join the crew in finding a gold ring in that area. After a while, a Mercury dime showed up along with more silver jewelry. Always nice to have a good hunt and to get some exercise at the same time! Looking forward to the next hunt already. Who says this hobby is addictive? 😄

Marketing, no matter where it is, kills ya. 😄 We though detector companies fool us with their trickery. Lucky you didn't buy every German silver piece in the store 😬 Definitely a 1944 Steel cent 😆. I just saw on on Flea Bay selling for over 200k. If only you could actually find one of those in change 🙄

Great hunt for such a short time out. That place has nice rings 😊

I think it said 1944 😆 I wish.

So, there was one coin from this last hunt which I could not ID. It's in one of the pictures, but I forgot to put a "?" mark underneath it. It was grainy, silver looking and had some small areas of surface rust on it. I figured I'd get rid of the rust spots and see if I could make out what it is. So I threw it in some Oxalic acid and hoped I might see some details and ID it as a silver dime. I forgot about it and just pulled and rinsed it now. Not a dime at all, but my first steel cent found at a beach. I never thought to check it on a magnet when I found it, but it sticks like glue. That acid etched out enough to make out Abe. Never know what you will find.

Has some nice weight to it! Impressive ring.

Yep CH is probably China. They make a lot of jewelry these days.

Awesome hunt. Some of those finds look old. You should get some good old coins and gold from there.

Thanks. Felt good seeing some gold in the picture. I may hit the water next time for a bit. Thanks. I hate when they hide the oar from me 😄 The jewelry was cool. I can only imagine what the local guys found when that area first appeared. I heard some incredible stories. At least 20 gold rings come out of that small area and I watched a guy find a huge gold class ring that day. Right place at the right time.

Isn't it weird that you can go and find seated coins but not a silver Roosevelt. That's just how it goes sometimes, consider yourself lucky 😄 Detecting has those "I can't believe I can not find that coin type yet" moments. Some people would kill for seated, but on the east coast they are common enough to get quite a few after a couple of years hunting. So congrats on finding your first silver Roosevelt.

Great find. 95% platinum is sweet! 🥰 I did a quick Google search and found a bit from a china paper saying "Shenzhen-based jewelry maker EDL." The site was unsecured (so I just read the small write up without visiting it), but apparently Shenzhen is a hub for jewelry making in China and also where they try and produce it for cheaper than the big name manufacturers.

Beach hunt #5 was supposed to be at a new beach, but upon arrival the entrance was torn up for construction. Without anywhere to park, I decided to hit a beach close by. The beach I went to, was the one others have found a lot of gold and silver due to some massive push back from passing storms. I never got to share in that jackpot since I was late hearing about it. But today, I was first one on the beach, so I immediately went to the exposed rocks. I told myself that I was looking for low conductors, so ignore the high conductors. Using the GPX for this part of the hunt, I was trying not to waste time figuring out deep iron, knowing that others would arrive soon. First target, a real nice high conductor. 😄 So, I dug it, broke my own rule right off the bat, and was rewarded with a 1951 silver (class?) ring. I managed about 45 minutes of hunting before another detectorist arrived. I did hit about ¼ of all the exposed areas and left for the next area right after I dug a large ring. I thought it was gold and I thought it was a class ring, but it ended up being a Navy ring which says 14 k 1/30 RGP (rolled gold plate). Well, some gold at least. After a bit I saw 2 others arriving, so I picked up the pace. Targets were far and few between, but I did manage a bunch of junk jewelry, and then it happened….. I got a strong low conductor sound. I got the target out and when I pinpointed the pile, out comes a nice 14k herringbone necklace. I thought WOW, 😍 I didn’t think the GPX would hit that chain, at least not that hard. So, I went over the pile again and got a strong hit. Must be the medal that was on the chain? 🤔 Nope, it was a pull tab, probably the signal that I originally heard. That was a nice surprise. By this time, a detectorist was almost finished sweeping the next pile of rocks ahead of me, so it’s fair game to go over that area. Everyone on that beach was using an Equinox. I managed to dig a couple of junk targets but then hit on a small cabochon bracelet. Finally, I figured it was time to switch to the Nox with the big coil. I did various areas and landed in a spot that started producing coins. And then a silver peace ring came up, so I really circled that area. Next, an unexpected find was a .950 bracelet with what I think has Lapis Lazuli stones in it. Looks well made. A pretty piece. 😊 I read that .950 is the highest sterling you can get before it’s not practical to use in jewelry. No other marking on it. Another odd find was a spoon, which is usually silver plate over a brass base. This spoon showed no signs of being plated, so I thought I had silver. But the back reads Fuller A1. Plate, as best I can tell. There is no sign showing through the base metal on any of the edges or anywhere in any of the dings around the spoon. This is a well-used, thin spoon with a lot of ocean tumbling showing. I’m wondering if the base metal is a combination of copper, zinc, nickel, which would a be silver colored blend called German silver. I used the GPX 3.5 hours – Equinox for 6 hours. A great, unexpected day at the beach.

Nice early date. Super find. You never know how those coins end up in parks. Maybe someone raided the family coin collection or it was stolen from a house break? Maybe some dirt was brought in from an old field or house site to level out a spot in the park? But in any event.... you got it and that is awesome. 😍

Thanks Jean luc 😄

Thanks. Don't worry, if you are finding pull tabs and bottle caps, I have not been there. It seems lately I am a junk magnet with a couple of nice tidbits thrown in. If you want me to sweep all the junk out for you, call me up 😄

Beach hunt #4 is at a new beach. This one is pretty trashy up top, so the Equinox played most of the hunt. Total hunt was 9 ½ hours with the Nox doing 7 hours and the GPX 2 ½ hours. Great weather day and crowds were nonexistent for the most part. This is definitely the party beach as there were tons of bottle caps, some exposed, and a lot of foil, which I did not dig. Most of the time was spent waiting for the tide to go down so I could get away from the trash and concentrate on missed coins. Not a lot of goodies but one large silver ring. Next week at another new stop. I’m trying to expand out a bit. Great to be out hunting and enjoying the weather while it lasts.