Compass

Now there's a nickname that just might stick. 😉

Thanks Mitchel, My running days are over except I did run for cover a couple weeks ago when I spotted the beach patrol coming up the coast at 2am! I was surprised at how quickly I can move with a scoop in one hand and metal detector in the other.

Nice work on that small silver- congrats! Your video reminded me that I need a fine mesh screen for my scoop to catch those smaller targets.

Thanks 2Valen, I'm feeling better already and could hunt tomorrow if I wanted to! I wade in the water and on this hunt worked in depths from my thighs to my stomach. I could go a little deeper but it's a little inconvenient to keep lifting the detector up to read the TID numbers. I'd say that my best lake finds have been made in about waist deep water.

Someone said that detecting was like playing a slot machine and every scoop taken or hole dug was like another pull of the slot machine handle (or the push of the button nowadays). You just never know when you are going to hit the jackpot. I think the comparison has merit but I like my odds at the beach or lake more than those in Vegas! 😉

Thanks DWD, Yes, I've had my spirit crushed with fake jewelry all too many times as well. Gold is gold but I don't think I would have been nearly as excited to see someone's dental work hanging on the edge of my scoop. Like you said, finding gold chains is tough which makes finding them especially satisfying.

Thanks Joe, I've been blessed with one of my best detecting years, so far, despite everything that's been going on. Being fully retired now helps. I know that the hot streak I am on will have to end sometime but for now I am enjoying the ride.

Thanks Hermit, I wanted to share more but I am technology challenged. My GoPro battery was going bad so I got that fixed but on this last hunt I didn't realize that my memory disk was full and I didn't know how to clear it in the field. I could have figured it out but that would have cut into my detecting time and maybe I wouldn't have found that nice chain if I took the time to get the camera working.

Thanks Joe, I can't believe how fast time seems to fly by when I am detecting. My watch said 10 hours but my body said only 8 or 9!

Thanks phrunt, It is but I wonder how many "1's" I had previously dug before finding that first gold chain- one hundred? two hundred? more? Totally worth it though!

Thanks Dog, You could add "sore muscles" to that as well. Glad that I am retired now since I need all day to recover from that marathon.

Thanks Skull, Yes, even without the gold neck chain it would have been an awesome hunt but seeing that long chain dangling from the scoop made this hunt truly special and unforgettable.

When I look at the picture it is hard for me to believe how much stuff I scoop up too. I was in the water for over 10 hours and maybe finding a target every 3 or 4 minutes which comes out to 150-200 targets which looks about right.

When I purchased the Equinox 800 many moons ago the main reason was because of its reputation for being able to find gold chains. From bench testing I knew that it would indeed give a good tone and TID on a medium sized gold chain but, unlike many of my Nox toting brethren, my 800 couldn't seem to come up with that elusive target- until yesterday. Now I don't typically use the Nox at the beach, just fresh water, and that is probably the reason for my past struggles. In the wet sand at the beach, depending on conditions, many of the lightweight, low conductor targets are washed away so when you get a low TID number there is a better chance of finding something good as compared to the lake. At the lake, the low conductor targets like aluminum foil, bits of pull-tabs and bottle caps pretty much stay where they fall making it more challenging to find the small gold since the TID's are similar. Using the Nox in Gold 2 mode and with the 6" coil I spent all day at one of my favorite freshwater sites. I was finding lots of targets and quite a bit of it was trash but, usually, this spot rewards me for my efforts and after about 3 hours I had a couple of small gold rings. One of the rings came up with a quarter in the scoop so I'm sure that I was actually hearing the coin and just got lucky. My luck continued a short time later when I scooped out low TID and found a gleaming yellow gold chain bracelet. The bracelet was somewhat stiff so my guess is that it had been there a while. It is stamped "14K Italy" and weighs 4 grams. A couple hours later I was working in water a little over waist deep when I got a strong, repeating, "1" TID on the detector. It didn't take long to retrieve it and soon I was looking at a sight that I live to see- a long, clean, glistening, gold chain hanging over the edge of my scoop- what a sight! I love finding any gold but gold chains are so rare for me that these moments are special and surreal. The chain is stamped "14K", weighs 8 grams and is 22" long. My wife likes it so one small repair and it will once again take its place in the world above ground. Obviously, I did a whole lot of digging yesterday.Most of the other jewelry is costume jewelry but there are a couple of silvers in there. I was surprised with the number of nickels that I found. I rarely find more nickels than dimes or quarters. The funny looking staple shaped object on the bottom left was actually a ring at one time. It is stamped 925 and is turned inside out. A great day in the water for me. Even after finding the gold necklace I hunted a couple more hours trying to find more gold. I wish I could have gotten a video of the gold but I, AGAIN, had GoPro problems and my disk was saying full before I found my first piece of gold. Maybe next time. GL&HH!

Well done Mitchel! Thanks for doing that- you probably saved someone some real grief!

Congrats on the gold Mitchel- your persistence paid off!

I think it's always nice to find rings with ornate designs- congrats! Not that there is anything wrong with plain bands.

I can't speak for others GB but, no, I don't envy the storms they get but I do get a little jelly about the old coins and old jewelry that they scoop up! We don't get the massive storms here but we do get storms that can move a lot of sand in a short time. We also get big sand moving swells from storms that never reach us. One such event about 5 years ago generated 15'-20' waves at one of my favorite beaches and the hunting was awesome for a whole week! I am more than ready for the next big one!

Thanks sohn, I agree, a few inches or a few minutes can make all the difference in this hobby and it can be frustrating when you just know that the gold is there but can't find it. It all seems to balance out in the end though.

Thanks tvr, I was hoping that it would continue a couple more nights but the window closed up pretty quick.

Thanks Matt, I wear a 14k yellow gold ring and it looks like cheap brass compared to this 21k ring.

Thanks dog, Yes, the late night hunts have been productive and pretty surreal when under a full moon.

Thanks Seeker, no, and I'm glad it's not. That would seem gimmicky on a quality ring IMO.

Thanks 2Valen, Certainly rare for me- I'm averaging 1 every 25 years! Yes, to me it is a work of art and I could never sell it for scrap value.