Glenn in CO

Thanks! for your input Steve. I just found it interesting that Lunk was listening to target responses in addition to how the VDI numbers were coming up on the VDI scale and I guess they were somewhat consistent. I never paid attention to the meter on the GMT just went by sound only. In fact some targets sounded more like iron, but turned out to be gold. I was curious if the Goldmaster 24k meter and target ID is a improvement over the GMT. Then again what works in one area may not work in another area because of other factors influencing the detector. I guess to satisfy my curiosity I'm going to have to purchase one.

Only if your interesting discovery could talk, what adventures and stories it could tell! ?

Hey Lunk, What's your opinion on the larger coil on how it response to hot rocks and gold with the VID numbers it gives compared to the 6" coil? Do you believe the larger gold will find sub-grainers? Nice gold!

There are videos using different detectors using Monte's nail board test (calabash digger, Keith Southern to name of couple) on Youtube. I use Monte's nail board trying different size and types of coils and how the coils separate iron from a good target. It also gives you an idea of what type of response to expect or listen for when using different detectors, customize programs and settings and coils in a iron infested site. You can use other targets ( buttons, jewelry, bullets etc.) to see how your detector and coil setup responds to those targets. As Steve H. said it provides a standardized test not 100% full proof (different types of nails, trash, mineralization etc.) that you may encounter out in the field that will mask targets.

Hello Chris, Whink has a very low concentration of hydrofluoric acid (around 2%) and it will take long time for it to dissolve the quartz. Changing out every week may seem some improvement on dissolving the quartz, but again it will take months for any significant amount of quartz to be dissolved. Hydrofluroric Acid in a higher concentration (40%+) form will dissolve the quartz very quickly, but is a very hazardous acid to use and handle unless using proper protective equipment and ventilation. Regardless if you are using Whink or stronger form of hydrofluoric acid be sure to soak it in baking soda to neutralize the acid. The more porous the specimen the longer it needs to be soak in a solution of baking soda. Nice looking specimens! Very nice character!

What a great adventure, thanks for sharing and the photos you included in each installment made the experience as you told the story the best! Thanks Again!

Thanks! for the great adventure and photos so far, can't wait for the next installment. I was wondering do you have any yearning to try and do this again and/or past this wealth of knowledge and adventure on to grandkids, nieces or nephews if you have any?

Hi JW, This type of gold which comes in leaf and wire forms is almost invisible 90% of the time to a PI detector which is why I asked for recommendations on settings on the Equinox 800. I'm trying to figure out if it's the type of gold the Equinox has a hard time responding to or the stock coil is to big or the need to go to the 6" coil as Steve H. suggested. Thanks for your input!

Hi Mitchel, This type of gold is associated with shale and limonite. It comes in leaf and wire forms. I call it a specimen because it has octahedral crystrals and hasn't travel far from it's source, instead of a placer nugget that's pounded and rounded. The size of the specimen (1.48cm x .499cm x .058cm) puts those fused together small nuggets at about the size of a pin head or smaller. I took the photo with a macro lens. Here is the specimen on a scale showing at .1 gram, I converted it to grains in my post.(1.54324 grains I didn't put all the decimals in. )

I, my wife and a friend went nugget hunting for a couple of days last week before the snow starts falling in the high rockies. I and my wife were using our gold detectors and my friend decided to try his Equinox 800 with the 11" coil. I found this small crystalline specimen with my gold detector which weighs 1.543 grains and is 1.48cm x .499cm x .058cm in size. We set the specimen on the ground and my friend tried with his Equinox both gold modes with the sensitivity set to max and could not get a response. We then tried the all metal mode and got a clear response. My question is what settings or setup would you recommend for the gold modes or other modes to get a clear solid response? Or is the gold specimen not detectable because of the type of gold using the gold modes on the Equinox? The ground is somewhat mild with random hot rocks. Thanks for any input!

Nice finds! Great time of the year to be nugget hunting. As you said it's fun digging those little bits, keeps the adrenaline going.

Beautiful gold, beautiful scenery, beautiful sunset, can't beat that any day! WTG!

Very nice gold specimens, as Lunk says they should clean very nice. WTG!

Great Review Steve! Lot of detail information and honest evaluation on the new 24K, White's should put you on the payroll!

Nice bit of gold you got there! You and Lunk know how to work a patch with the Gold Monster 1000!

Great detecting weather, good gold, can't beat that. WTG!

Yep! Dave is still at it. He goes every summer and stays about three months. This will be the fourth season my son-in-law has been mining with Dave and I think the gold fever is starting to set in. If I were twenty years younger I'd consider a go at it, but nuggethunting with a metal detector is a hell of lot easier than dredging.

Steve , I believe if you had to live your life all over again you wouldn't change one thing. I and my wife when we started out prospecting, gold panning, dredging along with metal detecting that we feel the same way and would not change the adventures and opportunities that came are way. Our youngest daughter, son-in-law and grand kids moved to Homer four years ago and their neighbor across the street was a person named Dave Olsen. Dave's stories and gold he and his partners found dredging in the Bering Sea and inland around the Nome area was incredible. My son-in-law and Dave are in a remote area out of Nome now and are dredging and on some good gold. We gave a gold detector to my son-in-law for Christmas to take with him this summer and hopefully he and Dave will find more gold to take home with them. Can't wait to hear your next chapter! Here's some pictures of my son-in-law and Dave getting the gold!

I second that, looks great! Don't smash it up, it's worth more as a specimen than the value of the gold. There's got to be more of them out there waiting to be found.

Way to go Lunk! Doesn't seem to matter what detector your using, you can find the gold.

Glad you are having a productive summer - Thanks for the update and photos!

My first detector was a Compass Yukon (still have it, why I don't know) and I believe that was in 1976, then a Compass Relic Magnum 7, after that was a White's 600 DI. I have a Metrotech that a friend gave me back in the 1980's. My wife started out with a A.H. Pro Backpacker, then to a White's 6000DI. Still have the A.H. Pro Backpacker(two of them), a A.H. Super Pro V, and the Metrotech (again why, I don't know why. I guess it brings back memories of the good old days). Found 13 ounces of gold amalgam in ghost town in 1980 with the Compass Relic Magnum 7. (sorry for the poor picture)

Gerry, another very nice find! My guess on the black mineral would be galena or sphalerite and maybe the combination of the two minerals. My guess on why the smooth rounding, is the way the gold formed in a pocket and the host rock has weathered away. You are on a roll, keep it up!

Great to have you back Steve and look forward to the adventure that you will be sharing with us!

I would try oxalic acid ( very strong mixture with water) to brighten the gold and remove some of the iron oxide or try Whink that has a small concentration of hydrofluoric acid for somewhat more aggressive cleaning of the gold, removing iron oxides and dissolving some of the quartz. If you use these two methods it will take time to see any satisfactory results, so be patience. If you have some hydrofluoric acid in a higher concentration (48% strength or more) you will have faster results and would need to monitor closely so you don't destroy the specimen. But be extremely careful when using any type of hydrofluoric acid in any form, the acid is deadly and I mean deadly, you better know what you are doing! Finally soak the specimen in baking soda if you use any of the cleaning methods above. There are other methods that can be used to also give a wow look, but I would need to studying the specimen first hand on what would be the best course of action to take. Very nice find!