Jump to content

tvanwho

Full Member
  • Posts

    772
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    2

 Content Type 

Forums

Detector Prospector Home

Detector Database

Downloads

Everything posted by tvanwho

  1. I assume you are water hunting or beach detecting with your Lobo? How do you keep the control box from getting water damage? I used to water hunt with my Lobo but damaged the circuit board 3 times. Even wrapped up in a plastic bag and carried in a pouch on my neck, it got water damage. I was told not to lift the coil too high as water drops could run down the cable into the connector on back of the control box. Another user got water damage from his arm sweating too much somehow I was told. That Lobo does wonders on gold rings and even thin silver chains. I think I have a 5.75 inch round coil I am not using as I prefer the 3x7 elliptical coil.Where ru located?I am near Chicago, USA. Who tunes the Lobo for you? I had to send mine to the factory in Arizona to do that. -Tom V.
  2. My 82 year old buddy needs a liteweight sluice.His old Keene sluice, the big one, is just too much for him. I am using a homemade 2 foot aluminum box with just carpet and 5/16 inch raised expanded aluminum and a piece of 2 inch angled aluminum under the intake end to keep water from flowing under the sluice as much. I like the crossbars on your design. I never understood the pseudo flare instead of a real bolt on flare tho? whats a printer cost to make this thing?
  3. Glad to see somebody is living the dream and admits to having old age aches and pains. So, its not just me that has them. I seem to remember seeing some mini excavators at Northern Tool company in USA, 3-6 grand I think it was. I had to quit using my number 2 shovel this year due to severe lower back pain. Have modified a beach scoop I was using while metal detecting for coins at the swim beach.I covered up the holes in the bottom of the scoop and use it like a micro excavator. I dug an 18 inch deep hole with it this past weekend, material for my sluice. No awful lower back pains afterwards. So, hopefully I can keep going with this hobby a bit yet. -Tom V.
  4. I LOVE my Garrett ProPointer 2, 1 button, easy to use, not as deep as I would like, but almost foolproof. I hate my TRX and Garrett Carrot. They go deeper but so many functions that I cannot remember how to do them. Keep it simple. Kinda sucks getting old and brain getting overwhelmed with so many functions on our electronic toys? Just need to wrap a piece of bright orange tape around my ProPointer 2 so I can find it when it is dropped. Black is a poor color choice on Garretts part, almost impossible to find in tall grass if you drop it. I sure did like it this weekend when hunting fields where people sat to watch fireworks July 4. It beeps to pinpoint ,then beeps faster and faster as you get closer and closer to the metal object.
  5. I used to go out dowsing with the inventor Allan Hametta many years ago. He invented the first discriminating metal detectors, the AH Pro line back in mid 1970's . Looks like he updated his mini pinpointer probe.
  6. I got permission to search a sandy fresh water swim beach at a campground. I was at this same beach 20 years ago but they refused to let us in the water. It just now dawned on me as to why? It was AFTER Labor day and NO lifeguard on duty. So, will hit the place after July 4 Holiday and do it during the week to avoid weekend crowds. My question is this. When we were there 20 years ago, we actually did pretty good with our Fisher CZ 6 machines on just the beach. We got over $30 in loose change, no rings, BUT somehow we got a few mercury dimes and a silver nickel in 1 spot, just inches deep in the sand. How the heck did the silver get there? In the water itself, at one certain spot near where we got the silver coins, every time a swell would come in, I could not help but notice but what looked like hundreds of clad quarters would rise up out of the sand underwater. The little swell would recede and the quarters would vanish. But we were forbidden to even touch the water and the owners had the evil eye on us. I thought quarters were heavy and would sink in loose white sand? Why would they be concentrated along 10 feet of the shoreline and in less than a foot of water? Just glad I noticed and remembered this from 20 years ago. Hopefully nobody else noticed since then? Wonder if I should use one of them sharks teeth scooper things I saw on Ebay for working this spot or just detect and dig with beach scoop? I will be using my older Headhunter Diver and AT Pro machines. Thanks, -Tom
  7. Love your stories Lanny.....but I can't recall where you live? We actually struck gold in a new area this past weekend, in a 2 foot wide ditch in a farmers field near Galena, Illinois. It wasn't but a few colors and some pretty red rocks in gravels but it proves gold is in this old lead mining area. How do we tell if its glacial gold or native to the area? -Tom V.
  8. Hmm, I thought we had a deal going to get my like new rockerbox to Bethel for $450 which included that water pump in your photo? $20 wasted on packaging expenses now... -Tom
  9. How do I get away with charging criminal prices for a hot dog and getting rich at somebody elses expense? We need show specials at the eats area of GPAA shows.Or else have Costco come by and feed us for $1.50
  10. See the newest gold finding and recovery goodies and hope to see people I only know from Facebook and gold forums. Sure wish they had hotdogs at Costco prices tho? 5 bucks for a lousy hotdog....my pet gripe... -Tom
  11. Diamonds can be double pyramids or have triangular faces. Look at them under a stereo microscope. They also hate water. Water drops should roll off of them. And I think they float in Kerosene and get stuck in grease.
  12. Can we ask what area of Arizona this came from, machine used, ave depth? I thought all the big stuff was found already by the guys on this forum? Looks like patience and perseverance paid off for you.... -Tom
  13. Hmm, I can't stand fruits and veggies-poor digestion, however I just discovered climbing stairs at work seems to be something I can handle. Kinda have to as they moved our dept fridge upstairs last week. I keep my almond milk in there. At least the almond milk keeps my cholesterol under 200 for over 5 years now with no pills. One less thing to worry about anyway. I am gonna leave my Beach Brute scoop alone. I had already put in a grate with 3/8 inch holes on it and a 6 foot heavy wall aluminum handle. It also has an angled backside for my foot to push against. I can dig into the creek bottom similar to a lake bottom, sift out the bigger rocks, small stuff falls thru the holes back to the hole bottom, and pull the handle straight up and move the rock laden scoop off to one side I think ,should ease my lower back pain, especially keeping the scoop under water as the rocks are lighter then.. Gold bearing material in the hole bottom for a sucker stick or my 2 inch dredge nozzle to suck up the small gravels. And my steel tined rake to remove surface cobbles.I can always nylon tie a piece of sheet metal under the scoops holes if needed. Sounds like a plan anyway...
  14. How do I get my lower back muscles in better shape for the gold digging season is what it all boils down to really? Or losing my spare tire, or both? Sit ups don't help much and too painful . I wasn't expecting so many aches and pains at the tender age of 61? Wonder if walking up and down the flights of stairs at work would help any for starters? My lack of exercise during the winter months and a desk job don't help matters any I guess.
  15. I had a sudden brainstorm on this. I will experiment with my beach scoops. See about putting a piece of perforated metal sheet in the bottom curved area of the scoop, fasten it in with nylon ties. And maybe a solid ramp piece ,possibly on a hinge at the front bill of the scoop to act as a trap door. Then some solid sheet metal tied to the bottom of the scoop. I am thinking I could push with the foot pedal thing in gold bearing gravels/rocks, then shake the scoop a few times just like when sifting for coins at the beach . The small stuff should settle thru the perf plate and get stuck underneath. I can then keep the scoop underwater to lessen the weight and pull the cobbles out by hand. Then dump the small stuff out by tilting the scoop forward into a sluice or bucket. Heck, I could dig down 3-4 feet doing this and wear my life jacket in case I need a rest or stand inside an inner tube. Use a floating plastic tub tied off to my waist to dump the gravels into and/or have a gold pan handy. I need a project to putz around with anyway...
  16. Thanks for the video Steve.I have something similar to this .Its only 4 inches wide. Just something about the long handle and reaching over to the sluice while half bent over , puts a HUGE strain on my lower back. Maybe I could use a beach scoop with foot pedal and bolt on a curved piece of solid metal sheet under the holes. The gold tends to be in the smaller sands and gravels so don't want to lose that stuff. I could also use the scoop to remove up to softball size rocks without so much back strain. Just need a sturdy handle that won't snap off.
  17. I just don't like the scoops with a longer sharp point on the digging end as they tend to rotate as you dig down. I prefer the more rounded tip. Now if I could just find a scoop with absolutely NO HOLES?? My lower back doesn't like gold digging in the creek when I am bent over doing it or throwing rocks. Severe lower back pain afterwards. Any suggestions? If I had me a beach scoop with no holes and a kick thing in back, I could dig standing straight up I think and just lift the scoop up to my highbanker or sluice and maybe wear a lower back support thing. as well. The joys of being over 60 and stuck at an office desk job all week. Most of my running around at work stopped after our mainframe computer was junked. Network is nice but no legwork nowadays. -Tom
  18. Gas mpg, try these CHEAP tricks. Go to Walmart and get some Mobil 1 Oil . Make sure to get the stuff that says FOR CARS OVER 75,000 MILES. I accidentally found this is the ONLY version of Mobil 1 synthetic oil to give an MPG boost. I get about 2-3 mpg more after using this oil in my 2010 Subaru Forester with AWD ,170 horse 4 banger, and automatic trans.And it feels like I have a V6 power wise with this oil vs my 4 banger, accelerates VERY quickly nowadays. I sure would like to know if this Mobil 1 oil will boost 4Runner MPG? I also seemed to get an additional 1 mpg this winter after putting Mobil 1 synthetic gear lube in my rear differential. I dunno why you guys are bad mouthing AWD ? I love it ,never have got my car stuck yet. Goes thru 2 feet of snow with dedicated snow tires. Floats on top of mud holes without sinking in. Just wish it had more ground clearance for rocky trails...oh and Silver gas sometimes gets me 1-2 MPG over 87 Octane, not always, but sometimes, especially on the highway. Premium gas not cost effective. All season tires get 1-2 mpg better than knobby off road rubber too. -Tom V.
  19. How do you get up and down from the truck top tent? With my luck and poor memory, I'd ferget that 1st BIG step down .Us older guys have to do our business several times at nite nowadays. Sharp lookin Taco. Do Tacoma truck frames rust out west like they seem to do here in the rust belt? I am leaning towards a Chevy Colorado instead or the new 2019 Ford Ranger to try to avoid this rusty frame Tacoma issue. And 4 inches of thick foam padding is an absolute must have, unless you don't mind painful hips in the morning? I learnt that the hard way from tent/car camping. They do have double thick air mattresses, twin size ,about 18 inch tall, around 50 bucks for an Intex with electric air pump. -Tom V.
  20. that machine was $1000 plus new, its a steal at 150 if it works ok
  21. Sure is nice of Steve to have these forums where we can learn from others ...thanks...
  22. The last time I was out west to prospect was around Prescott Valley, Arizona on Rose creek. I could not figger out why I was out of breath just carrying a few tools and a Tesoro Lobo detector around? I had to stop every 50 feet and try to catch my breath. And I am not a smoker either. Just some asthma and allergy issues. Had the same issue around Rich Hill area. Well, then I noticed elevation signs about 4000 and 5000 foot altitudes. Hmm, having lived around Chicago now for almost 40 years and a bit of asthma as well, maybe that's the issue since we are at 500 feet above sea level.? So, how do I get my lungs up to speed when on vacations to gold country and the elevations ? Is there a reason why gold and minerals tend to be at higher elevations vs low ones? -Tom V.
  23. Could we possibly see some photos of these mine dumps so we know what to look for in the field? Thanks. -Tom
×
×
  • Create New...