mn90403

That blog appears to be much to do about nothing. Where's the real review? It seems to be a STRONG opinion in Aussie speak. I can't follow the terminology. How can I learn what he really means? Give me Kevin, Steve, Lunk and JW's reviews about actual finds and use in the field. We need a few city folks to go back out in the deserts and mountains so they will know what we are voting for in the future to keep lands available. (I'm a city folk based on where I live!)

Perfect use I would say! Light and simple ... the 2300 IS a bit hard for my wife to handle and she needs a bungy. Now you have me rethinking ... maybe I need to get a Monster for her. hummmmmm (I promise I'll never use it! haha)

The high deserts of Southern California, Nevada and Arizona have been great if you like 100 degree plus days! If you can find a day under 90 then you detect on it.

I think it is a rather 'neat' detector. I just don't know where I would use it rather than what I already have.

Steve has already said he is going to use a different machine at least 90% of the time. Good or bad reviews about a 10%er or less if you have 3 machines or more should not be earth shattering. I've been on the latest is greatest kick for about 5 years now with Minelab but this one is not going in with my 7000, 19, 2300 and 5000!

Beautymus!

Steve, You heal fast. Thanks for the info. Mitchel

Wow! I ditto Steve's thought about not 'liking' your post. Can't do it. I do like the fact you have some sense of humor about it and that it was not worse. I've been to your areas and I was scared of the loose gravel so much that I was in a three point stance (one hand or detector on the ground) much of the time. Thanks for the post and reminding me that at any age it hurts when you fall and tumble on rocks that hold gold. Mitchel

Money saving info here! Thanks for the reviews.

I got the one flake in the first hour and that was it for the trip. My mind was 'tripping' from all the driving and I went over to Rye Patch by the end of the day and then went exploring around Fallon, Nevada the second half of Sunday. It was just a long Road Trip for me.

As Steve said there is no affect on a metal detector but you still have to deal with physical issues. If the caliche is very thick then you won't be able to see all the way through it. More likely than not there just was not much gold there. The caliche can go on for acres and has little to do with the gold other than it is sometimes a false bedrock and keeps the gold from going deeper. It can be a pay layer but it doesn't have to be. Mitchel

Congratulations. It sounds like you got at least one out there!

Take a grill and some steaks. Steve didn't leave that sort of stuff either. Mitchel

Fred, If it sounds bitter ... it just sounds like I was in the beginning and no one told me. Every prospector spends MOST of their time not finding gold. (Most means 99% no gold and 1% on gold but I would take that. Every 100 targets = 1 nugget ... great in my book unless you find a trash-less area.) How much of your time are you digging a gold target these days? Mitchel

Madhatter, Have patience (I sometimes don't). Why do you need patience? Well, everyone here giving you their settings and advice spends most of their time swinging without a natural target present. You can't hear what is not there. We all have experienced complete days of 8-10 hours and more without a hint of gold. When you see someone posting 3-4 nuggets now sometimes that is the result of more than one day of hunting. My last trip to a gold producing area took me 10 hours to drive there. I found a little flake within my first hour of hunting and for the next 2 days (20 hours) I was unable to locate any more gold even tho I had found gold in these areas in the past. It is easier to get good or great settings on the 7000 than it is to get directions to a patch to use it. Research your search area MORE than you research your settings. Mitchel

I think that I should also add that most large, living cactus are more valuable to me than a nugget. I don't want to make a choice. Now if you are talking about cholla, I hate those things! haha

Andyy, First time I used my 7000 I went to Quartzsite. I didn't get a lot of targets but I thought I had one at the base of a BIG saguaro. I waited and didn't dig. I tested the other cactus and all of them set off the 7000. It would have to be a huge nugget for me to fell a saguaro. I don't use a 7000 around them (and most tree roots) any more because they are all false signals. Mitchel

Fred, You'll probably be getting the directions soon ... Your nugget is about the size (.9 grain) of my Sawtooth find ... my only find. I got it the first hour I was there and then no more. WTG. Mitchel

Repeat after me ... Effective, Light, Affordable ... it will find gold.

I know, I know ... I'm SOOOOO excited. Steve, this is an alchemy shortcut! Now you don't have to waste time with transformations ... you just find the real thing with ease. alchemy - the medieval forerunner of chemistry, based on the supposed transformation of matter. It was concerned particularly with attempts to convert base metals into gold or to find a universal elixir. But ... why would anyone make more than one? Ok, ok ... I got it again now ... I'll just rent mine (free labor) for a percentage.

Steve, Just one question. Can I wear my steel toed boots? Mitchel

You will see the screen! You will see it better ... now let me see ... I didn't have my polarized sunglasses on so I don't know what the screen will look like but it is sometimes unreadable with my sunglasses.

If you want the BEST display possible go out and get an anti-glare screen protector. Last week I went into my local Radio Shack and about the only thing they had left were screen protectors. I have bought these in the past and put them on my detector screens. It is not a big improvement from my perspective. I didn't buy the right product it seems. I now have bought the ANTI-GLARE kind. BIG difference Hurry out to your local Radio Shack before they close and get 3 of these protectors made for digital cameras and camcorders. My brand was PointMobl. They are easy to cut because they already have rectangle lines you can follow. You will feel great outside day or night. Mitchel

Well done Swifty including the filling in of the hole at the end. That was a deep, loud little guy for the size. I think if someone had not read it was a .6grammer up front they would never believe their eyes when you only got IT. I've been there and dug those but they are getting very hard to find now. We know these are left because the GPXs missed them. There are still some 2300 nuggets out there. You are on 9 with a high smoothing. That will be different than many who will watch this. The only thing that I think we are missing is how 'faint' the signal was before you set up the camera. You had taken a couple of scrapes and you hoped it was going to be a nugget. How faint was it? Mitchel

Good job Dave. You guys have just been treated to the finds of one of the best guys in all the basin and beyond. Go to YouTube and see a few of his hunts. Google him and read some of his wisdom. Mitchel