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So, what will the TDi enhancements cost us Reg? I have an original TDi myself. Ps, can you hardwire a 4 inch Tesoro coil to a Tesoro Compadre and shorten the cable to like 18 inch? I believe the coil has a 5 pin connector. Not sure if this coil is Compadre compatible? I had it on a Tesoro Umax machine long ago. Trying to make a discriminating pinpointer detector like Steve did with his Fisher GB2? Thanks. -Tom V.

I found my Tesoro 4 inch hockey puck size coil. It is white with a 3 foot long cable. I will email Tesoro and see how much it will cost to wire it up to my used Compadre I ordered, IF its even compatible?

Tesoro 4" Round Concentric Search Coil with Short Cable (5 Pin) shown on Kellyco website for certain Tesoros? Wonder if it will work with Compadre? The Compadre coil is hard wired so what to do ...? I might even have one of these in my junk pile come to think of it...hmm, just found this link about wiring in a new coil to a Compadre http://jb-ms.com/Detectors/Compadre/Rewire.html

a $700 pinpointer tho? guess that's dirt cheap vs a ZED tho... I just ordered a used Tesoro Compadre myself with 5.75 inch round coil for $110 shipped, will shorten the stem to maybe 18 inch or less. Can the cable be shortened without needing to retune the machine I wonder? if only I could use the Garrett 4 inch hockey puck coil with it?

Maybe I better go ahead and get the Compadre I saw for $110 shipped with 5 inch coil? I used to have a Silver Umax with a 4 inch coil and had it like Steves setup,and used it for for getting coins around parking meters.I could just lay on the grass and poke around each parking meter for the loose money on the ground. A short cable and plastic rod would be a BIG plus tho for nugget pinpointing. VibraProbe had a mini waterproof Pulse detector years ago with a 3 inch round coil permanently attached. But I seem to recall it had poor depth,maybe 2 inch on a quarter and NO discrimination. -Tom

Ok thanks Chris. My rockhound friend in Arizona, has concurred that my crystal is non gem quality sapphire,not so valuable but good enough for my living room rock shelf collection anyway. He tells me the gem must be Clear to have any real value altho the size is unusually large and I've never heard of sapphires being found in Indiana,only tiny diamonds. I guess I could always send my photos to the Indiana Geological Survey for a little notoriety..

I'd like to know how Google produces almost 3 dimensional views from a flat computer screen with no special glasses? And how do they produce unlimited perspectives? Are they the real thing or computer simulations? Last night, I was able to determine that a creek I had my eye on for gold, actually runs along the base of a small plateau.I had thought the land was all flat before this. Just have to figger out now how it goes from a small meandering stream into a mini deep V horseshoe canyon all of a sudden and then opens up again? -Tom

Should I have it cut open or what would you guys do at this point? How much might it be worth cut and polished vs uncut? I think it must have been caught by the grizzly in my mini- highbanker. I use 3/4 inch square hole perforated steel vs most folks who use parallel steel bars. This stone would have slid out the backend of the highbanker otherwise. Purely accidental find, maybe I need to rethink my gold digging operations in this creek? What would you guys do if you realized gemstones were in your gold creek? Its all privately owned so can't use big machines. Maybe start doing some sifting instead? baseball/softball size cobbles 1st 6 inches, then large marble size cobbles/sand/fine gold, then football size,water worn cobbles at 18 inches before my hole filled in with muddy water. 3 foot deep sandy pool just downstream of the gravel bar. I was just using a shovel at the time. Thanks, -Tom

I found this rock while gold dredging last year in Indiana in a gravel bar. I didn't realize until a month ago,it is a crystal of sorts ,white and dark blue and a black splotch ? It is a double crystal,Indian head penny for size comparison against a chunk of coal I found in another creek. Have been told it might be a Blue Sapphire crystal or Blue Beryl Crystal? Maybe Chris Ralph will know the answer? Dunno how it got into an Indiana gravel bar tho? Brought down by the glaciers with the gold from Lake Superior area perhaps? There was a pile of fine gold in the gravels on an inside bend of this 15 foot wide creek and numerous pretty rocks. I busted one open today and it is a Pink/white quartz inside. I guess it pays to eyeball a bit when gold hunting...I wonder if my crystal could be made into a ring or something? Just measured a bit. The top layer is approx. 3/4 inch across the parallel flats and 5/8 inch thick. If its a sapphire, how many carats might it weigh? Should I take it to a jeweler? -Tom

looks like a micro size arrastre...or a coffee bean grinder?

I was on my way to the central Indiana goldfields this weekend when I pulled off the Interstate highway at the rest area and spotted this ? Kinda looks like a Unimog, but fitted up with a backhoe and dozer blade? Just what us prospectors might need.... -Tom

That sure is encouraging me to buy a Nokta Fors Gold machine soon. Nice nuggets. -Tom

but all the prospectors I know are the worst cheapskates and claim to be broke all the time,including me...

I am still wondering how them ZED guys came up with 10 grand each to buy them things? Did they remortgage their house, take on 3 jobs, sell their first born, rob their retirement accounts, run up the credit card, or just happen to have 10 grand sitting around to toss away? I wonder what they figger the payback time will be, days, months, years, decades? Not gonna happen for me, retirement isn't far away and I gots to save my pennies..tired of working.. -Tom

ahhh, Steve's magic key might be the cure....

Scott, Having only 3 detectors would be assuming you are only a gold hunter? What if you get a hankering for Civil War relics, coins at the park, and coins and jewelry down at the beach, and in the swimming areas, fresh and salt water, and we haven't even discussed hunting for buried treasures/caches, tot lots yet?

Thanks Guys, I guess I lead a sheltered life? Tweekers sound about as weird as cruisers at state parks and rest areas. How do we protect ourselves from this riff raff? Sometimes,I have to leave,just don't feel safe there. I had 1 jerk follow me around in his car even as I was flagging down a state park employee to complain.

Not more lingo I don't understand? what the heck is a Tweeker?

Arizona Outback is in Prescott, Arizona and is selling the basic FORS Gold unit with 1 coil for $595. He has a video of it on his website too. This is Chris Ghoulson. -Tom

Can you get Jim to post it over here Steve?

Can we dredge in California yet this year or is that still undecided?

I seem to be lost on Aussie terms vs American? Can you translate please? I take it a Thunder Box is an American Outhouse/bathroom? No idea what a News Agent is? -Tom

He got bit by a big orange striped cat? I thought this thread was about snakes? -T

So,there REALLY is BLACK Gold and its NOT the stuff we put in our cars then? Thanks for posting these great pics guys !!! I better print them out in color for future reference. Ps, did these black nuggets give an iron grunt sound or a gold sound? I threw out a fist size, super heavy , black rock I got with my MXT years ago and it sure looked like a nugget,not magnetite, exact shape of my clenched fist. It was in an old timers iron mining prospect site in a mudhole creek. It screamed, no low grunt noise. Still kicking myself 8 years later for not testing it with my pick magnet or scraping the black coating,musta weighed minimum 2 pounds...

That is a pretty cool specimen Gerry. I went to Ganes creek with your group back in June 2005, can't hardly believe 10 years have passed already! Nice to see you posting here on Steves forum. Ps, does that piece sound off like an iron grunt or scream like gold on an MXT ? -Tom V. in Illinois