Glenn in CO

Gerry, Thanks! for the great feedback on the new White's GMT 24k. I know the gold I and my wife detect for in Colorado a PI detector has difficult time detecting small to medium size specimens of crystalline gold. I know you haven had a limited time using the new 24k but what's your opinion between the GMT and GMT 24k for performance? Thanks for the update and any information you are willing to share.

Gerry, I always enjoy reading what you have to post and I believe you inspire newbies and well-seasoned individuals of the hobby that their is coins, jewelry, relics, nuggets and treasure in general to be found no matter what detector brand they are using. Ultimately it comes down to the individual on how well they know their detector and its limitations and then to use that knowledge in a productive area to have success. Great post!!!

Here's a couple of pictures of the Waterproof TDI from some other forums:

Great information for anyone looking for areas to prospect for silver or gold. Great post!!!!

Both I and my wife have used every model of the White's Goldmaster beginning in 1990 and currently using the GMT. The type of gold were after, a high frequency detector is absolute must. Their isn't a PI detector currently made that will find the gold specimens that we find. We have always been able to dial the GMT in for optimum performance. The new GMK isn't available yet for the general public and I'm holding any comments to see if the new technology equals, surpasses any the high frequency detectors that are current available including the GMT.

Nice finds, you can really appreciate gold nuggets that have character and the value they bring.

Just simply outstanding! You just prove it is still out there. Like you said a lot of hard work but well worth it.

Like many of us we started out years ago with a tent and a 4-wheel drive (1973 Bronco) for our prospecting and detecting needs. Now as we have gotten a lot older and we have a desire to be more comfortable when out in the boonies, we have the truck and travel trailer to get us where we will set up base camp and the RZR to get us to our finally destination.

Any high frequency VLF detector will be your best bet for finding small gold, but high mineralization will effect depth. Check out this thread: http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/1424-vlf-detectors-and-depth/

The seven guys in the photo don't look to thrilled having their picture taken, so my guess is no happy faces on the guys she was the only one that found gold on that outing. To make more pain full she was a newbie.

That's one hell of a hole you dug there, but I can only imagine the excitement that was building the closer you got to that specimen. Way to go, finding something like that makes you feel it can't get any better than this, but on to next bigger one! Are you going to dissolve the quartz or leave it like it is?

Nice gold and outstanding meteorite fragment from a area that has no know meteorite falls. Good luck on sniffing out more of them!

I use a Sigma 50mm F2.8 DG Macro Lens on a Canon. Manual mode. Aperture at 7.0, mirror locked. Took around twenty photos, focusing at the point closet to the gold and then a series of focus points taken all the way to the background. Use Combine ZP to focus stack the photos for the final image. Lots of info on the internet on focus stacking programs, lighting, lenses and settings for cameras. Gold is a real son-of-a-gun to photograph because of its reflective qualities with lighting and other factors. Lots of trial and error to get the image you want if you are a beginner, but becomes a little easier as you learn. Here is a gold specimen I photographed using the above settings. Use the zoom feature on the photographs to see the detail.

Nice One! Keep them coming!

I like any gold pan (steel or plastic) that has a large or wide bottom. I find it easier to get the gold to separate from the black sands with a larger bottom. When you start looking at gold pans some have very narrow or small bottom and vary in size to a large or wide bottom. You will find all combinations of riffles built into the side of the gold pan. They all work depending on your skill.

Hello GU, The reason the nickel was reading all over the place is the coin is made of 94.5% steel, 3.5% copper and 2% nickel. I also found one this week a 1948 Canadian nickel and it was reading all over the place like yours on my detector, but my coin is made of 100% nickel and is also magnetic. Glad you able to get out for a little enjoyment!

Hello, Andyy. I and my wife have detected tailing piles in Colorado with great success. From the information you described it sounds like the miners were sorting the higher grade ore (the classified or crushed ore) from the lower grade ore ( larger pieces). What we found in the past is the miners only had there eyes to determine what was high grade ore vs. the lower grade ore and what they couldn't see was thrown on the low grade ore or waste rock pile. Sometimes these tailing piles have productive areas within the tailing piles that contain small pockets of gold specimens when miners were in very rich vein material and also found productive areas that formed a horizontal line across the tailing pile as they dumped ore on to the tailing pile. There maybe some very nice gold specimens to be found. I would recommend using a high frequency VLF detector if the mineralization isn't to bad or a PI that detects small or sponge specimen gold. Let us know what you find!

Keep in mind even though you could have the best gold machine and best coin machine that's on the market that you could purchase doesn't guarantee you instant success. Your success is going to depend on how well you know how to use the type detector you decide on, what you are looking for and the area you decide to search. There are many metal detectors with old technology that are being used and great finds being found. Find a mentor through a club, dealer or forum to help reduce the learning curve you will have, if not expect some frustration and challenge in learning how, what type and where to use the right metal detector. There are many good all around type of detectors on the market that will find gold, coins, relics and jewelry, you have to decide what make and model you will feel comfortable using. Believe me everybody that was a newbie had the same questions and concerns.

I and my wife have detected and prospected for gold in Colorado for over forty years in Colorado and specialize in searching mine dumps that contain gold that a high frequency VLF can easily detect. Most gold found in stream and rivers in Colorado will be on the small side. There are some placer areas that are yielding some large nuggets today in Colorado by mechanical methods and also using a metal detector currently on display at the Colorado School of Mines Museum. Visit the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and Colorado School of Mines Museum to see specimens from different areas of the state and obtain possible areas where one could use a detector. Also visit local museums that have a geology section that might have gold specimens for local mining areas. There are many gold and silver specimens that have been found in Colorado in the past with a metal detector that are troy ounce or larger in size and worth many times above current spot prices in value. Do the research and you could be rewarded quite nicely. Good Luck!

My guess would be part of a brass steam whistle.

This one reminds me of a chicken.

My best guess would be limonite (rusty red color) on quartz.

This one reminds me of a Ram.

I landed this while dirt fishing! Zoom in on the pictures to see the scales.