GotAU?

How do you like that X-coil on your 5000?

Naw, that kid will be the next Gerry and will be posting himself all over the internet with rings and watches on all of his fingers and arms with a big ol’ nugget in his mouth. 🤑

HiChuck, Thanks for the reply but really- no pain… I really enjoy just being out there more than anything, and the gold would be a nice icing on it, but the searching and exploring is the best part. That’s why drywashing is ok to me and I enjoy running a puffer for a bit, but detecting is really fun. I’m also looking for cool rocks and minerals, fossils and petrified wood, lizards and other live stuff, and even looking at the flowering plants when I go. And best of all is sharing it with my wife and family, or a couple friends makes it even better.

Went out for a day with a buddy from AZ that likes to highbank - in the desert! I could have brought a drywasher, but I assumed that the soil would be too wet so I just brought my 6000 instead. I spent most of the day chasing a skunk around with it while my buddy was making mud jello out of the 20 gallons of water I brought for his highbanker. It was a long day and the sun was about to put us in the deepening canyon shade, and I wasn’t very happy about being skunked so I grabbed a small shovel, a bucket and a 1/4-inch classifier and went for a short hike to get some grab samples off of a channel wall. I panned out the bucket of classified dirt from it when I returned to camp and got some color - about as much as a ball point from a pen’s-worth. That made it better, but I still prefer detecting over drywashing for the other benefits that go with it like hiking and exploring in the open desert and putting my mind at ease while just listening to the machine purring along, it’s very relaxing and sometimes may be rewarding as well! The highbanker take- mine was too small to see well.

Looks nice, welcome back! I’m local- I like to go when I can - favorites include a couple hours northwest and also northeast of San Bernardino… What general areas do you frequent?

They are viewable for free, and you can download them to Google Earth, they just don’t come with the bells and whistles provided through the navigation programs: https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/

That’s a great recommendation for both IOS and Android users! Free maps and one-time fee also, in addition to some for pay features. It also has some other countries covered as well: https://www.backcountrynavigator.com/backcountry-navigator-pro

For off-road mapping with subscription fees, there’s Gaia and XMap (I don’t know which of these will work beyond the US, probably Gaia only), and there are a few other subscription mapping apps that you have to pay for maps with. In the US and Canada, I have been using Topo Maps (for Apple IOS (there’s a great looking non-subscription fee program for Android listed in the next post below). https://topomapsapp.com/ it costs $8 initially with no subscription fees after that, and provides unlimited free use of all USGS topographic maps of US, and all Canadian Topo maps as well. To use these, you preload the maps in either low or high resolution mode onto your phone so you can use it without cell phone coverage. You can navigate with it via your phone or iPad with GPS and it shows where you are real-time on the topos, and you can put in and export custom waypoints. It also has a search function to show where different named features are including many mines. I use the waypoints to mark claim boundaries and other points of interest. Phones have GPS built in, but if your iPad does not have built-in GPS, you can get a separate Bluetooth unit like a Garmin GLO for about $99 to give it that utility. I use it for my older dash mounted iPad for off-road navigation in my truck. Topo Maps iPhone zoomed in screenshot made in low- resolution mode (not a real claim!):

Here’s an alternative to carrying a phone and a separate GPS; Apple iPhone 14’s come with SOS EMS satellite messaging and location services, and you can also share your location via satellite with friends for free, but you can’t message them. https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/send-your-location-via-satellite-iph2aac8ae20/ios As for phone mapping, there’s Gaia and XMap (I don’t know which of these will work outside the US, probably Gaia only), and a few other subscription mapping apps that you have to pay for their maps with. In the US, I have been using Topo Maps - a great $8 mapping and navigation app. It uses free USGS and Canadian topographic maps that you download off the web. I am writing more about it separately on a different post. An iPhone 14 with a mapping app like Topo Map may be a good alternative to the Inreach if you don’t want to pay a subscription fee for maps and satellite emergency services or for sending location tracking to your friends or family.

Hey Gerry. My audio service went well, I just PM’d you more details… When I sent in my Serial Number they only said it was in the to be serviced batch.

I hate those disappearing targets - I mean those that are suddenly absolutely nowhere to be found no matter how much retracing, re-raking and resampling I do. Then after a while I remember those magnets on my pick…🙄

Gerry- I sent ML service in AU my serial number and they responded very quickly about mine needing service. Send out your numbers to them or maybe they’ll send you a cutoff date? Jeff - thanks for your reply. I have the same coil and it is a pleasure to use. Unfortunately I haven’t found gold with it yet but it is good at finding lead fragments. I used the 11-inch last time I was out and did find good responses to small stuff fairly deep with it. I should try a comparison sometime on the same targets.

Jeff- what do you think about the stock 11-inch mono vs the 10x5 in terms of performance?

Wow- tortoise came out this week and the wildflowers are going crazy over here!

Great story, thanks for sharing!

Hi Joel, As Steve mentioned above, I have a perfect example of what a PI can do compared to a VLF in certain areas. I was at a site where I once used a Gold Monster and then a 24k to detect it, but there were many black magnetite hot rocks of all sizes all over the place which really made it difficult to use the VLF machines. I went back later with a 6000 and it worked very well over those same rocks, and I was able to hear and dig up some small gold where both VLF’s had been previously. It was all the noise from the hot rocks that made me quit and miss the nuggets previously as it was just too difficult to hear anything over the site with them.

The designer also has the Top Runner classifier on YouTube:

I can see it now… For sale- lightly used GPX 6000 with 5 extra like new coils and 2.9 years of warranty left - $3500.. joking only, but Simon if you ever make it to the US I have a deal for you! 😂

Brecciated Jasper? Formed around other fragmented materials and cemented them. That’s pretty cool!

To be honest, a Minelab Equinox 600, 800, or the newest 900 model Equinox would serve you better if you are looking for metallic artifacts and coins. And as it has multiple frequencies, it is a good gold prospecting detector as well. You also have larger coils available to use with it. The 24k was designed primarily as a prospecting detector with its higher operating frequency and is very sensitive to small gold nuggets. The Equinoxes have lower frequencies more suited for coins and other larger metallic artifacts at greater depths.

And maybe found? https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/history-culture/2022/02/has-lasseters-reef-been-found/?utm_source=website_cta&utm_medium=post_highlight&utm_campaign=on_site_links …but where’s the gold? By the way, Australian Geographic looks like an interesting read, thanks for the link to the site!

Darren, please take Simon (Phrunt) on one of your prospecting trips, you should see what he has been calling his NZ nuggets! 😉

Get him one of those that use a cellphone, he’ll be interested! no really- one of the smaller VLF’s would be good- and I like Strick’s idea of salting the ground with hot wheels!

Very nice assortment of small pieces- I like the variety of what that coil can pick up. Ok, I get it. Gold is where and when you go look for it. Thanks for the reminder and kick in the pants, Gerry!😉

Well for example, the 9” Goldhawk is $443 + $35 shipping from Coiltek AU, and in the US, nice dealers we know 😉 are selling it for $425 with free shipping.