Ridge Runner

Hi Steve Looking forward to the next issue to read and see all that gold found. To find a nugget that big and if it was me I'd have to go put clean clothing on after. To find anything that large gives you bragging rights to last a life time. Thanks for the post. Chuck Anders

Steve I don't remember who sold this but it was not White's. After all he went back to watching the Meter on his 66 TR. The only bad thing about him was being he couldn't hear he'd open the back of his Ford and throw that detector in. That is neat that you still have the light. Steve time is getting away from us. Chuck Anders

Steve Back in the early seventies I had a dealership with White's. You could get a vibrator that plug into the speaker and like a watch it fit on your our wrist. You could get one that had a light on it that also plug into the speaker. I had looked into this because I hunted with a guy that couldn't speak or hear. That was odd going all day not saying a word. He didn't want to write anything down. You had to get it over with your hands are not at all. White's didn't at first have a plus for headphones but I remember putting them in. Chuck Anders

Steve and Azblackbird With all the talk on detectors that are VLF with the ID numbering system I had to pull my Eagle 2 out. I'd tested this small rice size you could almost call a nugget. Now dig this. My Gold Bug Pro and the GMZ couldn't detect it. The Eagle 2 Has a prospect mode so I put it on that and it detected that nugget at 3/4 inch. Now how about that using a 6 inch coil on the Eagle. Az the White's Eagle 2 came out in about 1991 but a short time before was the Eagle. This is the only time I know of that White's offered a chip for 125.00 to make your Eagle to a Eagle 2. Oh the nugget I was testing with came from White's I believe in 1972 when they came out with the Goldmaster 66 TR. I'd got the 66 TR and in this plastic case I had three small gold nuggets I've given two away to friends so I'm down to one. Chuck Anders

Steve Thanks for the info and your opinion. It's only so many hours in a day you have . So should one spend it testing to answer questions are nugget hunting. Well the nugget hunting won out but answer some questions if can. Thanks again Steve. Chuck Anders.

Steve Have you tested the 8 inch coil of the ATX on very small gold that the SDC can detect ? The small coil in the center of 12 inch coil of the ATX may be hot but is 8 to 8 the same ? If the 8 inch of the ATX is also hot on small gold then I wouldn't want to be swinging the big coil all day. Now just in case it's not then I'll need to save more for what's better and that would be the SDC. I do like the size of the 8 inch coil. Being it will give you a fair range of detecting. Chuck Anders

Hey Chris Your finding so much gold you may need to give your SDC a rest. Ha ha It's always good to hear of anyone finding gold. Chuck Anders.

Dredging under the ice is just not for everyone. I see they are running past shows now until tonight. Chuck Anders .

Chris If your not a dealer for Minelab you should be. I know like any detector to find gold you have to get it over it. Right now your hot and I'm happy for your good luck. I thank you for the show and tell of the gold you found. The great thing about gold I like is no matter how small it's still gold. Be a grain or gram it all adds up to money in your pocket. The trouble with all this show and tell I want one. I know it's only money. The best to you Chris. Chuck Anders

Thanks Steve It's good to see the big gold is still out there to be found. If I'd find something that big my heart would stop but I'd die with a smile on my face. Best of all to the finders and their show & tell. Chuck Anders

Steve Minelab and Garrett made the SDC and ATX putting the operating level in water at 10 feet down but the limit is not there. The true depth may be at 15 feet and they seen the need to have a safety factor in place of 5 feet. It's good to hear that the SDC will float. So if I get one and a shark gets me the SDC will not be loss. Some things is just wonderful. Chuck Anders

Well Steve I've been known to be wrong before and it looks like I am again but I'm not going to tell my wife. I too wouldn't want to swing that hola hoop for the ATX myself. Like said it takes people who have both detectors to be in the know. What I say is just a wild guess. Thanks Chuck Anders

Ken I'm going to say that the ATX has a small edge over the SDC. It's nothing to do with the detectors but has to do with the coils. The ATX with the 12 inch and the small coil within your swinging both coils at the same time. We know in most case the larger coil will go deeper than a 8 inch coil. Now I can't say this to be totally true because I don't have either detectors. So someone out there set me straight on this subject. The best to both owners. Chuck Anders

Thanks Ken We know most of the time you will get more depth with a larger coil but sometimes you don't have the electronics to back it up. The trouble is with the bigger coil the small gold falls by the wayside. I'd say this is why Minelab didn't go with a larger coil on the SDC 2300. The way you talk about the ATX it can hold it's own with the double duty 12 inch coil. I guess all the small gold detecting with the SDC it detects around the edge of the coil and not like larger gold in the center of the coil. Chuck Anders

To all that have a SDC 2300. I know that the SDC comes with a 8 inch coil and like all coils it has only so much depth. Have any of you done a ground are air test to find out the depth the SDC has on different size nuggets? Oh yes I know what's been posted that it's hot on small gold but I'd like to know more. If I swing it over a nugget say a 1/4 oz. will it detect it 12 inches down. The whole thing is will it get most if fair size? I've found when you get past 10 to 12 inches digging it stops being fun and turns into work. Depending on the ground maybe sooner. I find out as I get older the less of fox holes I want to dig. I don't know if I'll ever have a SDC but just on looks it's hot. Chuck Anders

I've look at ones that is made in China by China-Man. I'd have to go with what Ken said and that is stick with a name brand. Look out for the dealers that are on the top of a hill. I talk with one dealer that sold China's ATV and he said that he gave a warranty not at all from China. If he didn't he couldn't sale a one. Another thing you need to think about is getting parts. Chuck Anders

One thing Steve you did find some good looking gold. The Best ! Chuck Anders

Hey Condor Like a friend says if I want it I don't need a reason. In his case it's a gun. I can sit and watch TV when I can't do noting else. I'm one that hunted all these years and never was thinking about getting rich. I started prospecting back in 62 along the 49s trail when in the Air Force. Right now I guess you could say I'm short on gold detectors being I've just got four. When you get the SDC 2300 I hope your happy with it. Finding a little color of any size will help close up the hole in your pocket made by your new detector. Keep us posted on how it's going when you get your SDC. Chuck

When I was big in coin hunting most of the time I used a small coil. One reason was you had less trash under the coil and the ID work better. Another reason that small coil would detect the very small coin are gold ring. I knew I loss depth but I'd come back with the large coil to punch down deeper. We all know a small coil will detect the very small and it will detect something larger if in the ranger of the coil. The small and large coil has a limit in relation to the power of the detector. I can take the GPX 5000 and put a small coil to detect the small gold. Now I got the small coil with the power of the GPX. Then I can pull it off and go with the big one for the depth but loose the very small gold. Remember small coil small gold and large coil will detect some small gold with more depth over all. The SDC 2300 has shown it's hot for the very small gold and it's going to detect other gold in the range of that 8 inch coil. This detector has to have the power but is limited by the size of the coil on depth. Again it's small coil small gold and in the case of the SDC very small gold. My thinking on the SDC 2300 is only limited by it's coil.Now if I could change out the coil for a larger one could it be near the GPX 5000. I think Minelab has a detector in the SDC 2300 that is so near being a GPX 5000. In having the coil on the SDC 2300 hard wired will keep the sales up on for both. detectors. Oh if I could only put another coil on the SDC 2300. Then I just may save me two thousand dollars buying the SDC. but right now Minelab will keep us in the dark on this subject. Here we are with a GPX that I can get a small coil to detect the very small gold. It's not a lot of trouble to change from one coil to another. I can get a lower shaft for the smaller coil and that's makes it less trouble Oh the SDC is new it's blue and I fell in love with this new blue toy. Ha I can't blame you if you go get a SDC 2300. What's not to love in a new blue toy and waterproof. Chuck Anders PS I'm sorry to repeat myself at times. That's the way life is after you go over a few hills. HaHa

Looks Great and very interesting! I must say you got my attention. Chuck Anders

Here I go again thinking outside of the box. We have a round coil like the SDC 2300 will have .Now your out in the field and you need a coil with a different shape to get between the rocks. This new coil will have a hinge at points around it. Now all you have to do is push in on the sides of that round coil to fit the size you need at the time. Each hinge point has a waterproof cover of canvas on the inside to keep out the dirt. If a toy company can make a transformer. Then why can't we make a transformer coil? Chuck Anders

We talk about weight and saying it's hard to make a detector waterproof. If this is the case in point then how did Garrett make two detectors that will go the same depth as the ATX? The two are AT Gold and AT Pro. Maybe your saying a PI has so much more electronics but not pounds.. What Garrett had was a housing it could put the electronics in that could go to hell and back. So that's what they done. Then Minelab came along and said we have about the same case. We'll do the same thing. What I see of the SDC 2300 shaft will be less trouble being I've had one of their coin detectors and it looks like the same. I do like the color because the other if I'd lay it down I may not find it again. I do hope the SDC 2300 will fill all hopes and dreams of what we want in a detector. The coil is a good size being you can't change it out. If it's running over a worked out patch and detecting that very small gold others has miss. Then it done it's job. Maybe the price of gold will go up and then it won't take as long to pay for it. Chuck Anders

Bearkat Thanks for your trouble on making the video. You done a great job and should help anyone on what that loop can do. I was just wondering if you ever been out nugget hunting with it on extended time? I can see you can cover lots of ground if it's open and flat country. Chuck Anders

Well Steve I just got the July issue of Lost Treasure and here is the SDC 2300 folded dripping wet with water and looking hot. On Rob's forum I called it a she because a he can't look that hot. The ad goes from one page to the other and like Minelab said it's about the same size as the open magazine. If like you said if it cost two ounces I may have it also but I'm working on another one first. I'll be all ears to hear about what you have to say on it. Chuck Anders

Hey Big John I remember it's a Minelab. I know Minelab is the top of the top of the line when it comes to metal detectors. I will buy them all if I can follow you around. Oh I'm not putting a time limit on my stay but I'm willing to talk about it. You take care John. Chuck Anders