Jump to content

Erik Oostra

Full Member
  • Posts

    744
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    12

 Content Type 

Forums

Detector Prospector Home

Detector Database

Downloads

Posts posted by Erik Oostra

  1. Here's another article (2015): 'Townsville is shark capital of Queensland' .. It also mentions Alma Bay on Magnetic Island, my home bay.. Keep in mind this is only the number of sharks caught on drumlines along beaches..

    https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/townsville/townsville-is-shark-capital-of-queensland/news-story/8d4d68e9228fc4a01388f59b4ebf8c23?fbclid=IwAR1Bg6H8KqiFThvgUd0wVYUkqSXBZobA9drkGqPq0eKHPpiOxcK7eC3VK60

    • Like 1
    • Oh my! 1
  2. 13 hours ago, blackjack said:

    I know that you really do have to watch out for the crocs. It's not just age and living in a colder climate that's seen me sell my surfboard, white pointers scare the daylights out of me

    The news article just reminded me of what you said about watching out for crocks.. 🙂 They turn up along the Townsville coast more often than the island, but the ones on the island tend to stick around for a while.. Parks moved a large male from Horseshoe Bay and released it about 200 kms down the coast, within 3 days it was back again.. I never saw it when detecting along that beach, but I'll bet it saw me.. One side of the bay is perfect crock country with mangroves and a tidal creek.. 

    Another one to watch when scuba detecting is tiger and bull sharks, they scare the daylights out of me.. Because of the mangroves and dredging to keep Townsville Port open the water around the island is usually very murky.. A long time ago I worked here as a scuba instructor and always cringed at how little people could see when learning to dive, not even their hands in front of their face.. The opposite of what they thought a tropical sea would look like.. These days I scuba detect when the visibility is good enough to see them coming, at least to give myself half a chance.. That's how my thinking goes.. 😁 

    I suppose that no matter where you detect there's always some beast wanting to eat you, including ticks and mozzies.. :ohmy: 

     

    • Thanks 1
  3. On 4/18/2023 at 3:41 AM, jasong said:

    They can solve novel problems, and they can find new ways to solve unsolved problems. They can create brand new things on their own, even without user prompts.

    I read somewhere that once one AI machine figures out a problem, all the others within its network instantly learn the same thing.. Like neural networks in our brains, learning and remembering.. This might not sound like a big deal but imagine a future where all metal detectors on the planet are linked by AI.. Every one of them constantly comparing and analysing each find, learning all the time.. Creating an unbelievably massive knowledge base.. If your detector instantly learned from all other detectors on the planet, then we'd quickly become obsolete.. An AI detector will know way more about a potential target than we ever could.. All we'd be good for is digging, once the detector gives us the go ahead.. It'd probably end up digging for us as well with some robotic probe, telling us to get out the way we're doing it all wrong.. ☹️   

    • Like 1
  4. Today's headline: Amateur astronomers map meteor fall site in Gulf Country, hunt for asteroid pieces continues..  https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-26/queensland-meteorite-search-area-mapped/102387230 

    I didn't know this: 

    In Queensland, you cannot collect or remove a meteorite on state land without approval from the relevant agency. However, on private property, any meteor fragments belong to the landholder.

    • Thanks 1
    • Sad 1
    • Oh my! 2
  5. On 5/5/2023 at 4:42 AM, Chase Goldman said:

    The Quest Wirefree mate should work with both Nox 800 and Nox 900 by plugging the Quest transmitter into the headphone jack of either detector.

    That's good to know in deciding on the Nox 900.. How is the transmitter mounted on the detector? I can find plenty of pictures of it but none show where it sits.. Is it on the shaft somehow or on the back of the control box? 

    6 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

    So you can plug headphones/earbuds into the amplifier and that silences the speaker?

    Yes that's right.. I've found that as a speaker or with headphones this amp really amplifies the fainter sounds of small deep targets.. The tone adjustment also works well and is great for people who are hard of hearing or tone deaf..        

    • Like 1
  6. 7 hours ago, Chase Goldman said:

    Erik's device (which also appears to have a headphone jack of its own to pass through audio...nice).

    I forgot to mention it, yes it also has it's own headphone jack.. I'm still hesitating about upgrading to a Nox 900, mainly because you can't use a WM08 with it.. Would the Quest Wirefree Mate work with a Nox 800? If it did the detector would have two good mates, the Treasure Mate and the Wirefree Mate.. 🙂 

    • Like 1
  7. On 5/4/2023 at 5:43 PM, phrunt said:

    That's a pretty cool setup, would come in handy for Legend users too with their blowing speakers 🙂

    Geoff custom makes audio amps and boosters to order.. When I told him it was for a VLF detector he offered to put a 3.5mm jack on it.. I told him I'd already bought the 1/4'' adapter cable which was very long so he made the lead on the amp shorter.. He was very helpful and I'm sure if I'd send him an Equinox screw-in jack he'd attach one.. The tone dial works really well, ranging from the zippy sound of a Deus to closely matching the Equinox tones.. It's also very loud and good at picking out faint deep targets..

  8. I've been trying out the Treasure Mate v3.2 with my WM08 using the Equinox 1/4'' adapter cable.. It works great! I've been after an audio amplifier with an adjustable tone dial for a while now and recently came across a bloke in the Northern Territory who makes boosters and audio amps for PI detectors.. He trades as VKTEK Solutions.. https://www.vkteksolutions.com/  He also exports to the USA..

    The audio amp comes in very handy when exploring more remote places away from the public or when headphones are too hot to wear.. This version of the Treasure Mate recharges with an USB cable (included).. Sorry about the lousy video but it'll give you an idea of how the whole thing fits together.. 

    TMv3.2 and WM08.JPG

    TMv3.2 USB .JPG

    TMv3.2.jpg

    Equinox Adapter Cable.png

    • Like 5
  9. 2 hours ago, blackjack said:

    I'm a bit envious of where Eric lives, I'm sure most of the time he's in bare feet and thongs are his version of safety footwear. 

    9 hours ago, dogodog said:

    As for the flip flops I wouldn't be caught dead in those. I'm like an old cowboy, Die and detect with your boots on!!!!!

    Yeah most mornings bare foot is the way to go on the beach.. Thongs/flip-flops come in handy along creeks.. I've also got scuba booties and steel-cap work boots in the back of my 4X4 somewhere.. Like detectors, tools for the job..

    I wore my thongs/flip-flops this morning when I found some more oldish coins (1938 - 1943) in the creek below the sand dune in the picture above.. They're in much better nick than their saltwater cousins.. I had to knock-off early because the detector ran out of juice..  

    2.JPG

    • Like 6
  10. 3 hours ago, dogodog said:

    Erik, Thanks!!! I had a feeeeeeling this was the Evil that haunts us all. My soil is bad enough, the extra noise is horrible. And I hunt with average sensitivity. Now go make someone's day!!!!😃

    4 hours ago, Erik Oostra said:

    I reckon you're spot on Dogodog with the issue being WIFI related.. Both my Nox and D2 go mental on a beach near a backpacker hostel when their WIFI is on.. There's also a powerline with a box nearby which never causes any interference.. 

    I must point out that this is the only spot on the island the D2 does this.. I've used it around a huge telecommunications tower which drove the Nox crazy but not the D2.. Maybe the hostel's got an extra large WIFI transmitter to beam down to their private beach? It's weird that it only happens here but I know for sure that when their WIFI is turned off both the Nox and D2 behave themselves..  

    • Like 3
  11. 4 minutes ago, dogodog said:

    I'm fairly sure that most of the issues are WIFI related (maybe I'm wrong). For instance I can detect directly under a huge power line with very little interference, While I hunt a particular park with a housing/townhouse development that borders it and my machines will go mental.

    I reckon you're spot on Dogodog with the issue being WIFI related.. Both my Nox and D2 go mental on a beach near a backpacker hostel when their WIFI is on.. There's also a powerline with a box nearby which never causes any interference.. 

    • Like 1
  12. On 4/19/2023 at 7:33 PM, geof_junk said:

    Erik have you checked nice sandy boat landing points for picnics around the island. It might not be the best for coins but rings, watches and necklaces could be at these spots and they would not be hit by weekend detectorist.

    I borrow a tinny every now and then to get to spots where weekend boaties go to shore for picnics.. Yesterday I was at Youngs Bay, got stuck in the mud at low tide but did find an old picnic spot where I scored a 1928 florin and a few pennies.. I'm the only detectorist left on the island, the other boys gave up because they weren't finding anything.. They blame me for getting up early everyday and hogging the place.. 😄  And yeah mate, I'm keeping a very close eye on your beach.. 

    20 hours ago, Valens Legacy said:

    The spot that you were hunting I wonder if you tried the water near the finds.

    I know that some people have always tried to stay away from others so they could swim privately.

    I follow the creeks which flow into the 'lagoon' looking for those sort of spots.. During the wet season when creeks are flowing there's always people popping up in the most unlikely places.. There's some great secluded swimming holes on the island where I often find bits of jewellery and coins.. Detecting around creeks and swimming holes always make a nice change from saltwater/beach hunting..   

    P1020451.JPG

    • Like 6
    • Thanks 1
  13. 1 hour ago, blackjack said:

    "a bit of a bush bash to get there" 200mtrs from Pacific Drive through the dunes ? Is that 'resort style bush bashing' next you'll be telling us you needed a guide 🙂

    Haha.. Mate, it's bloody hard going along the top of the creek bank, and there's a waist-deep crossing to get over to this side.. And no end of crocks to worry about.. 😁 I even had to wear thongs.. X marks the spot..

    3.jpg

    • Like 1
    • Haha 4
  14. 1 hour ago, Chase Goldman said:

    I'm not a tree expert, Erik, but do you think those trees have been around a hundred years or could the landscape have changed to be less inviting for hanging out over the years? 

    Those trees don't show up on old photos, they're far younger than the coins.. Old photos of this part of the island show a forest along this bay right up to the beach, but there may have been a small clearing here a hundred years ago.. The landscape is very different now and I'm forever having to imagine where people would swim/picnic in the olden days..  

    • Like 4
×
×
  • Create New...