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My Mexican buddy at work has photos of dead people on the highway on his cell phone with the Mexican federal police standing there too and other even worse stuff that I declined to view. He invited me to gold hunt down there and says as long as I don't look for trouble I will be ok. No thanks dude....it might be rough at times in USA goldfields but I will take it over Mexican prospecting for sure. Sounds like you need a big bodyguard...altho a few years ago he gave me a heavy chunk of black rock with green spots like copper, claimed his brother was getting 6 ounces a ton of gold out of this rock but it was all microscopic gold. The rock screams on my MXT out to like 14 inches.

Wise words John. I know I stop dredging/sluicing/highbanking for gold when I get up and trip over my own feet repeatedly. Its a sure fire sign of needing some R & R or time to go home and take a long nap. Wonder if this happens to other people too?

Thanks John, I can do some more experimenting without buying any new detectors for now.. Now on my Tesoro Lobo ST, I prefer the 3x7 coil, and it will hit metallic ores at almost a foot deep, like galena in Wisconsin,USA. Several times I got forearm size limestone rocks with a little hunk of galena in them with this coil at close to a foot in All Metal. My MXT I got before going to Ganes Creek, AK back in 2005, so it must be at least 11 years old and was used when I got it. The only gold nugget I got up there in Alaska was with my Lobo and that little 3x7 coil, however. It was an acorn size specimen at 5 inches, stuck in some bedrock fingers, just a whisper signal in All Metal. I wished I had used this combo my whole week up there instead of the MXT as I knew what to listen for and how to set up on the Lobo, was still a greenhorn on the MXT. And it was quite embarrassing when other guys asked how come I had just walked over a gold nugget they had found under my footprints? Happened to me several times. But we were told to dig only LOUD signals and ferget about the quiet signals I had trained myself to listen for on the Lobo...... Hmm, and the 8 inch concentric on my Lobo will hit mens gold rings at 12 inch ,no problem in All Metal, but barely 8 inch on coins. Guess I need to spend more time with both machines this year and take notes...

I thought the pump looked kinda odd vs my Keene crevice sucker pump with 3/4 inch intake pipe? Never seen a contraption like this before?May have to put this on the Spring inventing/building list...sure would lessen the amount of heavy mining gear to bring on a sampling trip !! A link on the IOWA gold forum I found just now...designed by a guy in UK it says.. http://www.iowagold.com/HOWTOPAGES/how_to_build_gold_sucker_stick.htm

Why such a large diameter tube and how much weight is there in the pipe after sucking up rocks/gravel,water? Some of us are pushing 60 years old or more, can't seem to lift stuff as well as when we were young whipper snappers. I used to be able to carry a full 5 gallon pail of gravel at 80 pounds weight, now its more like a 2 gallon pail of maybe 30 pounds of rocks,if that...would like to see your invention in action.... -Tom

Could you tell me how you setup the controls on your MXT for this world class depth in ground? One thing I dislike about my machine is I always get confused with the dual control knobs and 3 position trigger switch ,so just set the knobs for the white triangles on average. I've read MXT books but still get lost. One nice thing about my Garrett Ace 250 is that its so EASY to figger out and almost idiot proof and still gets coins at 6-7 inches. I grab it more often than any other detector... -Tom

I like the 6 x 9 coil for prospecting altho I believe it is a DD coil ,and since I don't have an extra lower rod, I just keep the 6x9 on all the time.I also hunt coins with it. Which coil are you using for your testing? I guess I am also wondering in the field, how many coins are actualy deeeper than 8-9 inches? Altho, in a park in Wisconsin, I dug up a wheat cent at a bonafide 12 inches using a Tesoro Tejon. My entire Lesche digger was in the hole when the coin popped out. It was grass on top, and dry dirt underneath, late summer.That was the deepest coin I've ever found. But the Tejon was an iron magnet so its gone. If it had had the modulated audio like on my Lobo I might have kept it. But no matter if the target was an inch deep or a foot deep, was always the same beep.12 inches with an 8 inch coil is pretty darn good tho and in the ground, not an air test.

I've never got a coin deeper than around 8-9 inches in black dirt with my MXT and 6 x 9 coil?Sure sounds like John has a super hot machine? -Tom

Hmmmm...many years ago while living at home, we had a backyard pool, like late 1970 era...I seem to recall being about blind without my glasses, UNTIL I put on a facemask...and everything underwater was clear as could be...but when I popped up above the water, was back to being a big blurry image...Another issue I cringe about is the water itself... a lot of swim beaches in our area get closed every year due to bacteria counts being too high.Is this true in slow moving rivers and creeks too? I see hookah divers with regulator hanging in the water when not in use and all I can think of is bacterial infections and my poor gut issues...do you pros ever have issues like this in reality or am I worrying too much? I will try to stick with shallow gravel areas or use my shovel if need to go deeper. The shovel blade is bent up on 3 sides to form a scoop and gravel cannot slide off the back.

Ok guys, I will dig up my old aluminum riffle tray and 1/8 inch expanded raised aluminum to use as a backup system.Its still damn cold here tonite, can't do any water testing till who knows, early April perhaps,unless global warming gives us an early spring...still have to find my quick connect coupler for the header intake too. I dunno why the photo can't be clicked on to show the whole dredge? Seemed to work when I did a preview...I also tried a 2 foot long section of pvc pipe attached to the suctiion nozzle last time but gravels would not suck up.It did work ok with 12 inch pipe extension. Long arming is not a lot of fun when your face is right up to the water, sure makes me nervous..never have tried a face mask and snorkel, any recommendations for a person with extreme near- sightedness? Hmm, I clicked the photo this time and it did open up to a full view....

Jasong, I switched to the heavy expanded after it was recommended by WalnLiz on the Australia gold forum for sluicing for gold, as a primary gold catcher for fines/flakes. I can always switch back to a normal riffle setup if I have issues.All the hardware is lying around in various junk boxes or my storage locker. Am trying to get rid of several containers of old/spare parts this year and tone down the inventing. Are you in Arizona or ? I need a mining buddy in Arizona to go detecting with, sluicing even better. My old Az mining buddy has cancer and can't hardly walk 50 feet,much less do any digging. And do you have any suggestions for getting used to altitude in Arizona ? Had a hard time catching my breath at Rich Hill and Prescott, AZ a few years back. Then I saw a sign that said elevation 5,000 feet. I've lived in Chicago area almost 40 years now at sea level. Unfortunately, a lot of western mining areas are up in the clouds it would seem? Thanks for the advice guys.

I got tired of my almost completely homemade small dredge, constant floatation issues, got rid of my floation setup and sprang for 48 x 9 x9 factory dredge floats from DNK Prospecting in Oregon, but after they got here, I realized I needed a frame to make all the parts go together, as in engine,floats, sluice, etc..DNK had no frame unless custom built so I elected to try to build my own with 1/2 inch square steel tubing and rivets for now. I had to use 1/2 inch as nothing larger would fit where the frame attaches to the slots in the top of the pontoons. I seem to have misplaced the aluminum caps I was sposed to use to hold the frame to the 6 mounting pads but had a sudden brainstorm. I really wanted a quick frame on/off setup so as not to have to mess with 36 sheet metal screws with the factory setup !! I got a 12 inch long drill bit from Menards and carefully drilled 1/4 inch holes thru the pontoon frame support ribs and made up some 1/4 inch diameter aluminum rods and pins. Now, I can remove the frame with just 4 pins and still have good frame support. So, I need to know where to mount the engine/pump support platform? It is currently over top of the sluice header but still allows reasonable access to see whats on /under my punch plate. I will be using a Keene P90, 2.5 horse pump, 2 inch nozzle, and will point all the hoses out the back to avoid side to side weight issues when running my suction nozzle. I was also told to make the sluice adjustable to get more pitch by sliding it forward if needed? So, I used 1 x 2 inch slotted aluminum angle to make this happen,welded to 2 subframe U shaped pieces and have a permanent 2.5 inch angle on the sluice for starters. I shortened the Keene Jet Tube as it was too long for the space available in my Subaru Forester. Now I can easily attach a quick coupler Keene custom made for me and just quick clip the hose to the dredge. I'd like to have some carry handles or rails, any suggestions? I bought some 2 x 2 inch steel gusset triangles off Ebay to add support to the engine platform legs via welding. I am experimenting with no riffles this time, in favor of heavy duty raised expanded steel about 3/8 inch thick x 2 feet long with backed miners mosss underneath. I also raised the header 3/4 inch above the sluice box floor to try to get less turbulence,added some raised 1/4 inch hole punch plate and foot long section of Keene Miracle mat in the 1st 12 inches of the sluice as well, another experiment... -Tom

We use 110 volts in USA so the charger will be a problem?

Steve, What do you think accounts for all these new VLF machines coming out lately? Guess it works out for us , the consumer, in the end tho. Competition is a definite good thing.

Does anybody know how well the Keene Miracle Black mat works vs Gold Hog matting vs the traditional miners moss and riffles in a small 2 inch dredge or stream sluice? Thanks. -Tom

A real life treasure hunt is really cool Bob.Thanks for sharing the photos and story. So people really do bury money and such? How did you tell the silver bars vs the fence that was so close by? I assume that ammo box let off a BIG bang and not a whisper? Looks like maybe a foot down? I always heard most folks bury stuff only as deep as they can reach? I have a buddy at work who buried $5,000 in his parents back yard but in cash just in case he ever got divorced he would have his secret stash to fall back on. Then his parents moved and his brother moved in and took down the old satellite dish that was my buddys landmark. He had to probe the ground with a metal rod as the cash was in a plastic bag. Somehow he lucked out and found it. -Tom

so when is the launch/for sale date?

How do they tell when this critter has or has NOT seen his shadow?

And the Minelab unit sounds so great until you see the price tag...oh well....

She is quite creative, nice piece....

Ok, I guess I am in the sissy camp then....I'd still be bundled up like it was 20 below...must be cold blooded perhaps...

ok, am I reading this right?As long as you mine gold but don't sell it, they cannot enforce their rules against you? What if you are on private ground , not federal land? And what about bartering, as in trade the gold for food, vehicles, etc...? Almost makes me wanna move outta the county when I retire? Heck, who are we to conserve endangered species anyway? Species come and go all the time it would seem...

Nice color,is it summer down under now?

he must be a little short on cash even tho he said it was not about the money...hehe...its always about the money.....glad he has a good sense of humor tho...is it really warm enough out there for bare feet and shorts already...I wish.....