hawkeye

It is a slow day so I will give you some mental exercise. My average nugget size is about 0.3 grams. Those nuggets total value is about $250. You should now be able to calculate roughly my total nugget count and weight. (boulder dash, my amount is truly humble--you are the man) My return on investment is about 1 to 80. But hey, I am having fun detecting and meeting others doing the same. The big one is waiting out there somewhere. Merry Christmas to all.

Nice work Lunk. Just curious, did you have to modify your audio settings any for the Quartzsite ground from those you presented after working N. Nevada?

Congrats Paul. Steve, very nice gesture. You and your forum are a class act.

I was just about to put my 4800 up for sale and then decided just to keep it. This deal would have made it even harder to sell. $3999 for a 2300 and a 4500 is a great real. Jim, as you know from being a long time reader, this group is a great bunch. So no worries about somebody jumping all over you like you see on some other forums. Welcome.

I have Doc's cover and am satisfied with it's overall quality and the protection it provides for the detector. I also find it a bit awkward to remove and insert the battery on the 7000 cover. I have considered cutting out the little elastic straps which just seem to get in the way of my ten thumbs. Regarding the above, my choice was based on quick accessibility to a quality product. Doc is providing a product not otherwise readily available in the U.S. I got mine 2 days after ordering from Rob. My previous cover was the Steve inspired economy "knee brace" cover. Worked good, but the back of battery was getting a little scratched because it was exposed.

Check out page 3, a 1/4 oz. nugget with the Ace 150. It would be interesting to hear the story associated with that find.

This is a crappy deal for you Chris. Totally unacceptable. I just hope this thread will expose a bad situation and result in changes. Step up Minelab.

Nice. What coil was used on the 5000?

Jonathan Porter, on 24 Oct 2015 - 8:55 PM, said: I was surprised I did not see further discussion of the information JP presented in the last sentence of the above post. I thought it was quite significant when compared to the older firmware version which dumped anytime the Quick Trac button was pushed. Just thought I'd give you another chance to read.

Thanks JP And thanks Steve for this forum.

Let me clarify. I wonder if the initial ground balancing sequence as programmed in Ver 2 absolutely requires the ferrite to result in a proper balance. Has Minelab made using the ferrite such a critical part of the initial ground balance that would be detrimental if not used in the process? Since the ferrite was introduced after Ver 1 it might be assumed it was not critical to the process and incorporated somehow in the firmware. Might it be assumed that Ver 1 would result in a better balance if no ferrite is available? Yes, the answer is get a ferrite. But until obtained could Ver 1 a better choice?

Have no ferrite. Would firmware Ver 1 be better to use than Ver 2? Is ferrite super important to ground balancing in Ver 2? I am thinking of reinstalling Ver 1 until I get the ferrite. Thoughts?

Hey SS, curious as to your reason for choosing to run high smoothing. No criticism, just wondering. Whatever the reason it sure seems to be working. Nice gold.

SDC 2300

I also use Bunk's 24" Hermit pick. I like the configuration of the scoop, although it makes it difficult to carry in your belt. The long narrow pick end is very effective. http://www.bunksarizonaprospecting.com/images/hermit.JPG I also have this pick for the small stuff.

I also have InReach with same plan (Safety Plan) as Steve mentions in his update. Two way texting works good. Seems to be a pretty reliable device. The fact that you can get a return text gives you confidence that somebody actually got your message. Good when in an area with no cell phone coverage. "Don't leave home without it".

Thanks for the comments Greaterville detectorists.

Ivan, anyone, Question: Can you tell me where one could find a map/info of the areas closed to metal detecting in the Greaterville area? I am assuming it is anywhere in the Forest Service managed public land that is not now claimed.

Hey Greaterville Boys, You may have seen this paper in your research of the area, but if not it is pretty interesting. See pages 3-14 of the pdf which is pages 11-22 of the report. http://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/0430a/report.pdf

Check this one out for a light weight packable backcountry puffer drywasher. Modern technology, modern price. http://www.whippetengineering.com

Greg, A of people like the "puffer" type drywashers like the Keene. You can either hand crank or buy the model with a 12 volt motor and power with a small 12 volt battery. I had one and it worked good for one old man shoveling. But, it is heavy and awkward to move in one piece. It can be taken apart and reassembled, but that is a p.i.t.a.. I sold mine and bought a Royal "blower" type. If I were to get a puffer again I would try one of the hand made small wooden ones--lighter and more portable. The Royal is similar to a number of the brands and is operated with a small 2 cycle engine leaf blower. They are very easy to take down, transport, and set up in a new location. The Royal does not require any tools to take down or setup. I personally found it handier than the Keene puffer, plus I had the blower/vacuum I could use to vacuum bedrock if desired. Keene has a new drywasher, the 160, that is advertised to be relatively dust free and can be converted to a wet system with an accessory kit. I saw one at a Gold Show last February. It is small and very portable. Has anyone tried one of these? They look pretty neat. http://www.keeneeng.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=KES&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=160 I eventually wore out a couple of shoulders shoveling dirt into drywashers and have decided to concentrate on detecting, but will occasionally drywash an area that seems promising. It is fun to pan out the concentrates and see that gold in the pan. As stated above, pick a size and type that meets your needs. They all work about the same and your recovery depends more on how you operate it than brand of the machine.

Nugget65, A little off topic, but have you caught anything yet with your Hillbilly Dream Catcher. What settings do you use on it?

Chris is referring to the gain settings knob on the side of the control box. I believe Bado is referring to the number of bars as they advance on the led read out on the handle when the threshold button is pushed. I also prefer running my threshold at 3 or 4 bars to get a more stable threshold. I, too, have found some pretty small pieces at those levels that initially were indicated only by a small break in the threshold. I think I may not have heard them if the threshold was set lower.

Ah yes, read the entire white paper.

Can any dust iron toroid be used, or does it have to be a specific size? Toroids of various sizes are readily available from Amazon for a few dollars.