RickUK

Some nice find me old mate,your licence allows upto 3ft digging on the Thames foreshore,never knew you had a motorbike !!

Steve,a terrific article that you have written,albeit as you are aware that in theory we dont have gold nuggets as such,but we do have of course celtic gold staters and other gold coins as well,i have the 11'' stock coil and also just purchased a 6'' coil as well,from your experience of detecting here in the UK would/could this gold nugget method using the 6'' coil be used for hunting for gold coins here in certain locations that other celtic gold staters have also been found.Try too improve the odds in my favour.

The Equinox and small coil are a deadly combination for silver hammered coins but was wondering what your thoughts are on celtic gold staters and gold hammered coins ??

Still reckon it could well be the power cable as i mentioned on FB,wow £42 for a cable thats crazy.

Some nice finds,just bought myself a Equinox and 1st time out should be this weekend,was interested in them when they initially came out but my major buying criteria is that held me back is that a product need to be out for a minimum of 12 months so that any major defects or other issues appear and we are out of the 12 month period and the detector has proved too be pretty reliable and also finding items on a consistent basis as well.

Well done on the finds it gives me some encouragement for the new detector.

Thats the site that 'Sven Stau' from Canada owns,terrific source of early detector information and some of his modifications and 'Mirage' pulse interests,i own and use one of the Mirage detector and red hot on small gold jewellery.

For a all round general purpose use detector,very light and possibly one of the easiest machines for setting up my vote would be the T2,had mine since 2006/7 and found me the most gold coins for sure.From the time of starting the machine up and then detecting is just seconds its that easy in terms of setting up.

Its a superb find and it makes no odds if it was found by a dog,metal detector or eyes only find and really pleased for the finder/s,but i am wondering and this is just my personal opinion if this is a slight PR marketing ploy trying to get more folks into the area buying detecting equipment and supplies making a mini gold rush because of a few high profile nugget finds......probable wrong but gold fever can grip folks and get them too part with money into the local economy ?

I dont personally use any of the dedicated gold machines be it VLF or PI,so as such i cannot comment about your questions,here in the UK as such we dont have gold nuggets,so this is the main reason why i am not clued up as most of the other folks on this forum.

But what i do have and use and totally agree with you is the TDI Prothat is a superb machine and use it exactly the same as yourself ie low conductivity and by fine tuning the settings for the most part i can just dig my desired targets ie silver hammered and gold coins as those are the main targets that i am after and it does a surprisingly good job of knocking small iron and nails etc its that good but wont miss a decent targets.Most of my coils are GPX ones which of course work a treat on the TDI Pro,although i have 8 coils for the TDI my main 3 are the 10x5 folded mono,Coiltek 14x9 Mono my favourite and the bloody humongous 20'' Jimmy Sierra mono for maximum depth.

Also have a GPX4500 coming as well,but if i am honest i think the TDI will still be the No1 use machine.

How are Minelab too tell if you have a modified coil fitted ?? in the case of the SDC if anything did go wrong then just change the coil back and no one would be non the wiser if you dont tell them,also from what i can see the GPZ after market coil option requires the end plug too be taken off and used because of the chip problem,but as most folks who have bought a GPZ would have 2 factory coil,could they not just send back the decent non modified coil back with the detector or am i reading this wrong ??

Of course Minelab will post a 'warranty warning' its natural as they dont want lost sales of its products,but the Coiltek afrermarket coil option looks a superb product,but Minelab would only have knowledge of you using this aftermarket coil product if you told them about using it.

On 3/16/2019 at 7:10 PM, 1911Colt said:

Thanks for the replies, as for the White's, I forgot to mention, I took a TM-600 and also a TM-800 up there looking, after no results, I tested them on buried targets, those machines are also nearly worthless, wouldn't even find a bundle of copper pipes at 3 feet deep, and even more worthless on a jar of coins.  People say yeah 2 box for deep stuff, but in reality, unless you're talking about a steel drum or something similar, these won't find shit.

I use a Fisher TW-5 twin box and i have 2 simulated hoards buried at crazy depths and the twin boxes nails them everytime,about as much use on single coins or small artefact as a chocolate teapot,but for orange size articles and bigger the larger the item the deeper they go.

Regarding Pulse machines it does not have too be specifically a GPX pulse,i use a TDI Pro with coils right upto 20'' and once again if a hoard/cache is in that location then once again the TDI will nail it,2 other machines that i also use are the Nexus SE and the MP.All these machines are 'very deep' hitters as i call them,if a pot hoard is in the ground all these machines will nail them at amazing depths,in the case of say roman pot hoards traditionally a hoard was buried at what a man was laying down and could put a container in the ground at arms length,so for the most part these would be from say 15-24+'' which is well within the means of a Pulse of a high end VLF machine especially if the container is full or coins or other artefacts,here in the UK we have only found a very very small percentage of hoards,and over the coming years as detector get more powerful then bigger and more famous ones will appear that i am certain.

Not sure how big a area that your so called cache is buried but gut feeling tells me that if you have not got any hits with 2 twin box machines then i am most surprised,a GPX i doubt would give you any advantage over a twin box.Most hoards that are found in the UK are what we call them scattered hoards ie the tops of the containers are clipped by modern deep ploughing and then scattered on further ploughing and also bringing up further coins and artefacts.You can start seeing a pattern emerging from the stray coins and then locate the main hoard main location,then it can start getting easier as just the sheer bulk of the coins or artefacts can/will trigger most VLF or Pulse machines with a larger coil on.We have a advantage that traditionally coins are buried in earthenware pots so detectors can see through them and pick up on the coins inside,but saying that even if a hoard is buried in a tin/metal box and it should give a humongous signal then you would dig that type of signal anyway........before i even switch on my heavy hitters and the prospect of digging large deep holes i have too way up the reward to effort ratio,if i find scattered coins in a tight radius then i fire up the detector/s as that is indicating a reward in my favour,but if like yourself a potential hoard is from hearsay then i would need far more concrete information that its worth putting the effort in and the reward certainly must be more concrete than hearsay.

Of course this is only some suggestions on what machines i use for hoard hunting and what i would use,i dont have a clue or very little about gold nugget hunting but i do have a fair amount of knowledge on recovering deep artefacts etc.Hope you do find your cache or what ever it is.

Must admit this detector is starting too really grab my attention for a deep pasture machine,i wont be buying one yet,as any new machine must have been out and been used for a minimum time period of 12 months before i part company with the 'folded' stuff,this criteria has always been adhered too as any new machine can have initial teething problems,so if i do decide to pull the trigger then it wont be till this coming december anyway.

Will be following all the reports of those folks who do own one and see how it plays out and if it then fits my requirements,it may or may not happen,it all depends on the reliability and if it performs for my requirements.

4 minutes ago, Rivers rat said:

This tale of Gold is the best tale i have read in a very long time.

I read everything last night after coming back from metal detecting

Thanks for sharing

 

 

RR

Rr,must admit i have done the same thing but about 3 or 4 times,fantastic lifetimes detecting adventure,one of the all time classics.

I will answer this question with a few possible twists that may or may not help,i do own a Minelab 15x12 Commander  mono coil and i also own a similar Coiltek coil but not identical,but it may help you in making a decision.

As mention above i do own a use the 15x12 mono coil but dont use it for nugget hunting but i do use it for deep hoard/relic hunting an must admit its a terrific coil for the type of detecting that i do,but this is the 'twist' that i dont use this coil on a Minelab detector ie like the GPX but i do use it on the Whites TDI Pro straight out the box without any problems what so ever.It is slightly on the heavy side,so i always use a full harness either on its own or with a 'Hipstick' with both of these extras i can/could swing this 15x12 coil all day long,so this info may or may not help it does not directly help you but indirectly it could do.

Regarding the Coiltek Elliptical mono goldstalker coil i dont own the exact size that you have mentioned the 18x12 but i do own the slightly smaller 14x9 mono version,this one again is not used on a Minelab machine but once again on my TDI Pro,and if i am honest this coil is my favourite all time coil for any Pulse machine as it is so light because its foam filled its as light as a feather,but of course it would be no good for surf detecting,but for all other uses like inland then this is without doubt a deadly coil,its very good depth wise but its also very good on small size finds.Mine use for both of these coils are not 'nugget' related but artefacts both large and small.

So that my take on one of the coils that you have mentioned and also a different size version of the 2nd coil that you have mentioned,but i have highlighted how i use them and how i found them by using them on a totally different detector.

What ever option you choose,good luck and keep us in the 'loop' about which coil you do buy.

Steve,would like to thank you for all the hard work and superb and interesting articles that you provide,make alot of sense for sure and been very helpful.

As we go into 2019 is just over 4 hours time i wont be adding anymore detectors as i feel that i have about every niche cover and the coils well i have a crazy amount but they are mainly for site specific use,but 2019 for me will be more about refine my detecting techniques,surprising enough rather than using larger coils for deep pasture detecting which of course in theory is better suited for larger than normal targets,i am going the other way and reducing my coil sizes on both my VLF machines and also Pulse as well.

Biggest problem that i faced in 2018 and going into 2019 is i am having major wrist problems as a result of a couple of bike accidents in the 70s and 80s and as a result these are starting to come back and haunt me due to age,but have adapted to accommodate this by using a full harness and a Hipstick even on light machines as well,so at least i can still get out for a full days session.

Anyway would like to wish all those folks across the world all the very best for the coming year.

Interesting topic and thanks for starting it and Steve's reply,i own and use a Fisher TW-5 which is basically the same machine as the Gemini-3 model,only use it as has been suggested on the supplied rod that is suspended from the shoulder by the provided strap.

Alas as we dont in 'theory' have gold in its raw state here in the UK i cannot comment on how it would fair for gold nugget hunting or gold detecting in general,how i use mine is for locating the deep container ie hoard or deep artifact/s after i have located what i suspect is a potential scattered hoard ie the top of a container that has been clipped by a piece of farm machinery usually deep ploughing,this then drags up some coins from the top of the pot/container and scatters the coin in a dragging fashion by further ploughing.Once i have located such a coin scatter then its time to use a twin box in this case the Fishers.

My twin box does not come out too play all that often but is the ideal detecting machine for the job in hand,of course its totally useless for locating single coin size items,but i am not after those as i am after the 'holy grail' the pot itself.In the new year hope to be back on a potential celtic gold stater hoard site,we have located about 20 full staters all in a very tight radius and all the same style,so it ticks all the boxes for a possible container location rather than say a purse drop.

Enjoyed the video,i have used a GPX but i do own a TDI Pro,for my detecting needs which is mainly inland sites that have a very high mineral content then the only detector that will work on this and surrounding permissions is a Pulse machine and the machine that ticks my needs and requirements is the TDI,almost all the time i run it in low conductivity as most of my desired targets are silver hammered coins and celtic gold coins as well,and using low conductivity works a treat and very rarely do i dig iron,small iron is almost totally eliminated like nails etc,of course large iron objects like horseshoes then almost all machine including VLF will show these large items as decent ones.

Great video,could not see after a very long period of research see any major advantage that the GPX would give me over the TDI especially for our finds here in the UK,for me it all boils down to the reward to cost ration on my sites and it just did not stack up in favour of the extra cost of buying a GPX.Of course just a personal opinion

I use both methods in my detecting arsenal,in the case for the defense of wireless coil and headphones then Deus for me wins hands down as a everyday use detector and the reason being is the major problems that i have with my right swinging wrist after coming off a bike at high speed in the 70s,i cannot take hardly any weight on the right wrist at all these days,so folks could suggest why dont i change swinging arms over to my left arm,it makes no odds how hard i try the coordination with the left arm just aint going to happen.

I can use bigger and heavier wired combinations for special site situations when say i suspect a hoard is in that location,then i use a full harness and a hipstick and can do maybe 2-3 hours and that is about the limit of using such a detector/coil combination.But i can swing a Deus coil on a Golden Mask shaft or even a Deus shaft but its limited to a 9'' coil and although i do have a controller i mainly just use the headphones as i see them predominately as a 'audio' machine,but by doing it this way i can swing for a whole day but even then i still need to use a harness,which although seems crazy with such a lightweight machine,as long as it allows me too get out detecting still for a full days session then that is what i will carry on using.

Regarding wireless headphones and wired headphones,of course on the Deus you do have a superb system that works exceptionally well and reliable,also i use a set of deteknix wireless headphones on almost all my other detectors and they are superb as i guess the Garratt ones are,really do work well and a major advantage being wireless as the wires dont get caught on anything,but i always carry a spare set or even 2 wired headphones as backup or even if someone else forgets a set.

Its swings and roundabout is guess,although my main machine is the Deus i never carry just one detector as i carry about 4 that cover about every scenario that i would possibly encounter on that permission on that day.So some would be wired and some wireless,if i am a great distance from home then having a few backup machines is vitally important as its so frustrating driving say 100 miles and finding out that you have a malfunction on a piece of detecting gear and you cannot detect that day because of the problem.

Its all personal choice at the end of the day and of course wireless coils the same as wired coils can both develop problems and both have good and bad features,for me i use both methods because of injuries and i will use what ever is available too prolong my detecting hobby.

Storing detectors and coils can be a massive problem,currently have 23 detectors and at last count 47 coils that i have accumulated over the years ? and all stored under lock and key at home,most of them get used as well.

The holy grail of UK finds a yellow hammy and in outstanding condition,alot rarer than celtic gold staters and guaranteed to make your heart skip a few beats when you do find one.

Steve,1st time that i have seen this old post of yours and makes alot of sense,in the last 12 months or so instead of running sensitivity as high as i use too i have reduced this setting down by massive amount,also either reduced discrimination down to zero or in most cases All Metal mode.My Deus and a original green T2 have all been running at reduced sensitivity on all my roman and saxon sites,but my finds rate has increased pro rata.

For some reason everyone want too crank the sensitivity right up and use the biggest coils that we can buy and expect to find the holy grail of finds,alas it does not work like that,all my detectors had big coils on predominately for clear pasture sites,but the only real advantage gained was ground coverage,but detecting became a nightmare and in the last 2 years i have done a total reverse and not only running all my detectors at reduced power but also reduced the coil sizes below stock coil size and my finds rate and doubled.

A tremendous article and have 'bookmarked' it for future reference......many thanks

That be Craig Denney from the west country,they speak funny and have a weird sense of Humour,but he is a very good detectorist,but he has been experiment in a big way with 'Geophyising' and combining this also with detecting,the Geophyising machine is a cheap setup compared with what is on the market,but it does add another dimension too his hobby.

A few weeks back he was a on a old pasture site and found what is probably a DMV 'desert medieval village' and that would not have normally been found without him doing his 'Geophyising' so although is equipment is very basic but his interpretation of the basic graphs do make sense and you can see features that other wise you would not see,so this does give him some advantage of just using a metal detector.

This is his Geophyising channel

Must admit i am finding this additional subject interesting as its a bolt on piece of equipment that can aid 'relic/artifact/hoard' hunting especially here in the UK.

On 11/6/2018 at 12:16 AM, auminesweeper said:

Congrats Steve on the Trip and the finds, fantastic trip all round really and to find Celtic Gold is a dream come true, Well done mate, looks like you got in with a nice crowd and it was good the weather stayed fine while you were here.

I am a firm believer in using a large coil like you had there on these field because everyone does the correct thing by fitting a smaller coil when the junk is thick, But there is always a chance of hitting something good just that bit deeper with a big coil, people laugh when they see me with a big coil in those sites but I never go home empty handed,

John,what large coil do you use on the MXT ??? is that the 14'' Detech one.

Terrific story,you cannot beat a bit of the old yellow stuff can you ? if you are finding cut quarters then your machine is setup spot on,pleased that you found a wide selection of finds.

Very interesting subject,i use a original T2 that i have had for many years and never really had trouble as such with EMI as i mainly detect farmland well away from EMI sources,but we do have problems occasionally with over head power cables.

So although i dont have trouble with EMI i do prefer my T2 to run smoothly rather than on the 'edge' as they say,you may get some slight depth advantage but at the expense of giving your ears a real hard time with all the falsing and other non desirable audio signals,for a very long time i always used discrimination mode only and 80 sensitivity was the baseline figure and of course adjust up or down accordingly on the ground condition,but this last year or so i have been mainly using AM mode and with smaller coils,i do have a slection of large coils for deep clean pasture sites and for the most part that has worked well,i do occasionally reduce sens down too around 75.

But i mainly use smaller than stock size coils these days mainly due on a wrist injury i received back in the 70s when i came off a bike,so these days i usually run any detecting unit with smaller coils on,also i have found that i am happier reducing the sensitivity down to 70 even in AM mode,always loved the 5'' factory coil as it gives great depth for its size and deadly on trashy sites,but always wanted a slightly larger coil but still gives alot of the characteristics of the 5'' coil for more ground coverage,i finally found the ideal coil recently when i located and bought a 6'' DD coil made by Coiltek,it was a prototype coil from them but it finally has given me everything that i want from the T2,no more EMI issues and runs as smooth as silk and just with 70 on the sensitivity in AM mode.

Always fancied trying a F75 but while my T2 still finds me the holy grail of finds the celtic gold staters then i wont change this winning combination,1/4 staters are are not the biggest of finds,and even cut 1/4 and halves are found with ease.

A great topic on EMI and some great information reply wise.

25 minutes ago, Steve Herschbach said:

I don't know - I have never been to England in the spring. I was simply told by others that fall has the better chance for good weather and so that's been my choice, and after this last trip still would be. My first trip it rained a solid week so there are no guarantees anyway. The bottom line is fall just fits better for me for that sort of trip - spring has my eyes gazing towards Alaska . I am sure the spring hunts in England are just fine. Hopefully some of our UK forum members can enlighten us more on the weather patterns.

Spring,can be nice weather wise,but the biggest problem could be that crops ie wheat and barley could well be in full growth,some farmers dont mind and will allow you to detect even upto 3-4'' or more,other landowner/farmers as soon as the seed hits the ground then that is out of bounds till harvest time,which is of course autumn or fall for you guys,August,September and October are the prime month when the window for detecting and rallies is basically at its peak.

This is why Detectival is usually in September/October as the weather is usually pretty good,i the spring we could have April showers.so if i was to choose it would be the later option.