Featherdfishead

Change of plans today so i only got out for about 3 hrs but i had another enjoyable day with my new mistress. I headed upriver from the spot i hit my first evening with the SDC. I detected away for awhile and dug afew shotgun shots and a piece of a nail and then a mellow signal. A little flake again and a second signal near by, two matching peaces. Took me awhile to get them to because the were just at water level and the clay soils kept clouding the water. Working up river waist deep i went a little while with no signals and then got a screamer and a mellow signal nearby. figuring the louder one was lead i dug the quiet one first for the third flaky peace, the load one ended up being the biggest peace, it was nice being able to work in the river and rain with out worrying about sinking the machine. I did give her a swim too. Dug a 5 or 6 more peaces of shot nearby and headed home just as the rain turned from sprinkling to a stead poor. Big peace was .5 dwt and the flakes .1 dwt altogether. Hope your weekend has been as enjoyable as mine. Until next weekend - Good Luck AjR

Enjoy your new machine - its a good one

Hit the dirt early today and hiked into an area that has some of the hottest bedrock around and has been hammered for years before the roads got washed out. The place i had the most hope for was down a gulch, across the creek and up a hill to an old grounds sluice operation. I hunted my way down the gulch, the old timers tore the entire place apart but sure didn't miss much. In and out of my homemade hip waders to cross the creek and up the hill i go. Dug a few boot tacks, a little lead and a front piece of a button out of the bedrock as i worked my way towards my spot. Slown Low i keep telling myself as i listen to the mosquito dove in my ear. Oh yah thats a good signal down in the bedrock. And out comes the little flake. Yes!, first gold of the day in under an hour. Close by is another little peace, neither register on my .1 Gram scale. Alittle up hill i dig two tinny pieces of screen mesh wire and the head of another boot tack. Come on now, then another good signal but only smooth bedrock under the coil. Hmm. Chipped in and theres a nice peace, then another not far off. Very excited i sweep the area but come up with nothing else. I stop for a drink and then crank the sens. up to 4 - had been on 2 and i could hear some of the more mineralized stringers in the serpentine. At 4 i have some falseing but get a repeatable signal in a small exposed bedrock nook adjacent to the last peace. Chip alittle and out comes another picker. In total the three peaces are 1.1 dwt. You may notice in the pic the two peaces on top are very rough and show little signs of water ware while the bottom three are all well worn. I happily eat lunch and look at my 5 peaces of gold. After lunch i worked my way to another area digging nails and junk as i headed to the most mineralized bedrock i know of out here in Scott Valley. Arriving at this location a good hour later i have found no more gold and set to testing the SDC over the bedrock. Total overload just like a VLF no matter what i do. Hot Stuff! After this experiment i work my way to another hillside and continue to dig little peaces of metal and afew peaces of lead and a random 1988 penny that has two holes nearly eaten through it, but mostly quiet ground. My first batteries died and i changed to my second pair and detected up til four oclock with no more gold.Tired and very happy with my new machine i hike out to show the wife and kids my finds. Off to another spot tomorrow, i'm pretty much hitn places close by that have been heavily detected to see whats missed but i can tell this machine is just aching to find a new patch. Thanks for sharing my adventure. AjR

Way to go Barry - i've been using Landmatters for the last few months and hadn't realized you were involved. Great resource - Thank You! AjR

Thank you gentlemen. Up early and headed out soon. used koss phones yesterday, today rigged up my Gray Ghosts. AjR

Hello All, I can gladly say that my SDC arrived this afternoon and as soon as my wife was home to watch the kids i hit my latest spot. As unbelievable as it sounds and still seems to me i hit the small flake (doesnt register on my scale that goes to .1 grams) a few inches down in the bedrock, i chipped and chipped and the sound got better and better. Got it out by bashing and cleaning up in my pan was absolutely amazed at how clear and true the sound had been. Stoked and still dancing a jig i slowly proceeded up river and got another signal that was a little louder but kinda hard to get at due to the angle of the bedrock. I smashed apart the small ledge with my trusty Apex and rescanned the area. Now it was nice loud and clear, bet this'll be lead i thought. Smashed, scooped, scanned and repeated again. No lead shot, a beautiful little 1/3 dwt Nugget my second in a half hour. I'm Absolutely Ecstatic!, I haven't had this much joy finding gold in awhile and i always enjoy finding it. I have been creaming this area with my GB Pro over the last year and thought i would breeze through here and hit a spot up river but instead i made it about thirty feet. Awesome! With a very big toothy smile i decided i'd head home before it got dark and get some good rest for tomorrow since i have two locations that i'm just jonsen to hit. Today i was running sens. on 2 - never got time to worry about turning her up. The SDC is definitely the best metal detector i've ever used - The arm rests a bit of a pain and i'll be making a weight system for diving-the coils buoyancy is annoying. Yet i'm in love. My wife asked me if i was going to shower with the thing the day that a bought it. Upon arriving home today i told her "sure s@#t i'm showern with it - F#$&*^g sleeping with it to. LOL I'll be detecting my ass off the coming weekend - rain,shine, snow or sleet Thanks for sharing my joy AjR

Yes we are Kenny, and I'm thankful for our freedoms and the sacrifices our solders have and continue to make to keep it that way. My sister hopes to spread such security and democracy to your continent to. Thats what i was getting at in my last post. I'm intrigued by many places in the world and love to learn of other cultures and bioms but I rely on our secure and comfortable lives to learn and build my character and i'm unable to brake myself from my box. Fortunately i was born in one of gods greatest areas here in N.California and have never found a reason to leave. Its one of lifes fears that i will comfortable live with. Once my sis lives in africa i may go there but this will be awhile in the future, and i'm sure i'll still be fearful. I deeply enjoy this thread Kenny thanks for joining the forum. Adam

My little sister i'm going to visit in Reno has been married to a native man from Ghana for 10+ yrs, his names solomon and i love the guy, she just got back from 8 months there with he children while salomon stayed in Reno. He works for CAT building their machines from the ground up . She was helping finish the construction of their new house and acclimating the kids to the habitat for an extended time. She has been back and forth many times over the years and has never had anything to bad happen, she loves it. She's a social anthropologist that hopes to relocate their after the kids are out of the house at which time she's going to build a women and kids center. I'm very proud of her and give it to her for being able to travel so freely and experience so much - she just hit 30. But i have different views and opinions - the beauty of diversity in nature. I on the other hand couldn't of done it. The entire time she was there this last time the ebola was raging next door and she wasn't worried at all. I was. I'd have came home immediately. As for the rogue type governments id like to say id not worry but id be scared shitless. Much of it comes from me growing up nestled in the mountains and never having found need to leave, another part is the comfort that we americans take in our easy lives and stable government. I have the curiosity but also the for sight that it kills the cat i guess. Thats why i'm known as a realist. Great to be able to help though Kenny and i wish you the best of luck and life. Adam

Thanks for the info and the offer Ken! Talked to my sister this morning and she has plans for me to paint the trim on the second story of her house because she and her husband are scared of the heights. Gave me a chuckle but what am i to do. I'm going to likely hit the parks with the boys and then sis wants to take me somewhere towards Carson City for the second half of our free day. I will be making annual trips to the area now that my family has relocated there and would love to meet and get onto some Olinghouse ground for a day or two if possible. I enjoy the strong community that is growing on this forum. If only we the people could come together aside from our unique characteristics and unite for the good of All instead of the Individual. Ooo philosophical man. LOL

Real life is always better then fiction. The stories the scars tell. I often make jokes about hitting Mongolia for its vast beauty and un-detected acres to my wife. But like Steve i'm a pussy when it comes to traveling to countries with shady governments then our own. Canada i will definitely visit and hopefully find some gold in later in life.

No secrets needed - Thanks Chris, I'll hit a few parks with the boys for some refined gold. They'd be happier doing that anyway. My five year old has an old Bounty Hunter Lone Star that i modded to fit him,hip mounted and all. it doesnt go deep but disc ot junk for him well. AjR

Hello All, I'm going to be visiting my mom, grandma (turning 90) and little sis in the Reno/Sparks area the end of next month and was hoping to take my ten year old nephew out detecting with me and my 5.5 yr old at least one day. Mostly time with uncle and hopefully a chance at some Nevada Gold. Cities are tough for me so i need somewhere i can get out and enjoy the beauty of the desert. Being a biologist whom has rarely traveled and studied the mountains of N.California my entire life the desert habitats are just as alluring as the gold. With my little research i learned of the Olinghouse and Peavine Districts being close. Looking at LandMatters claim maps it appears the areas are pretty much all claimed up as i'd figured. I was wondering if there is any unclaimed, not pay to mine and not gpaa areas to mine in these districts or any others close enough to be able to spend a day at without driving half the time? The historic gold produced in the Olinghouse District sure is beautiful. If there are no areas for prospecting then i'll be going to some parks with the boys. I've hunted parks and the likes in my rural area but never in a city and was wondering if my GB Pro will be overwhelmed by EMI? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks AjR

I'd go GB Pro, F-19, look at Fors Gold a guy up in my neck of the woods is cleaning up with it.I use a GB Pro and do well but if i was gettn a new VLF i'd go the Pro package NOKTA FORS GOLD at kellyco. you can learn to hunt coins and relics easilt with these machines also.

I'd say get two Fors Golds or Two Gold Bug Pros or the standard for that matter. Detect out some good gold while your grid sampling your prospect and then when you hit some gold with the detectors reinvest the money in a minelab. Seems by then with your location of detectable gold along with your knowledge from the sampling you'd have the best spot to start processing on a major scale. I've found that the time spent sampling is invaluable to making sure that your putting all your hard work into the best available location. Much luck to ya Adam Robinson

I've detected awhile and have never used any of minelabs detectors but i watched the used market, and yes their few and far between, but i scored an SDC 2300 for $2800 last week. I'd hold out for a deal myself. Being new to detecting i'd actually buy myself a Fors Gold or Gold Bug Pro. Both very good machines and currently very reasonably priced. I have used a Gold Bug Pro for the last year and i have done pretty good. Gold detecting definitely takes patience and perseverance so if you buy a cheaper machine and you end up not liking chasen the yellow brick road your not out a kidney. AjR

For Hes A Jolly Good Fellow - Which No Body Can Deny! Very Cool Paul. Professor - As you've likely read, your on the cusp of a great and very enjoyable addiction. Enjoy the Ride. AjR

beatup - i like the turtle logo. Ironically my dads families from the White Fish area. He hasnt been there since his last visit in his early twenties but i hope to bring my family up that way in the future. That side of the family had ranched and mined montana from homestead days til present. My grandpas folks were killed by the mob over moonshineing and my great uncle Fly Robinson raised my grandfather and his brother. My old backpack dredge worked so well for me due to the small size of the streams id hit. It would suck up just enough water but not enough as to gurgle in the small streams. Always a thrill to watch the gold flow into the tube. Grandpa and dad ran 8"ers at the whites gulch on the salmon river in the eighties. hit 330 Oz in there best season but gold wasnt worth much and most of it went into more mining and logging ventures. Good Luck

Orderd myself some Magnum Elite Spider 8.0 Boots this morning. Seem to be well liked in the military and only $80 on amazon. I'll givem a good thrashn thats for sure.

You sure earn your nickname LuckyLundy! Happy B-Day and Thanks for sharing

Good idea on the magnetic rake. This year I will be primarily using my new SDC that shipped today and my GB Pro for the trashy spots. I have a few 3 nighters planned for this summer and hope to get some pocket gold also. I'll mostly be learning the SDC and hitting all the spots i've wanted to dive with a detector for years along with covering old ground to see if the SDC finds anything else.

Another vote for ANY of Detector Pros phones. I use Grey Ghosts and am researching a headphone adapter that will fit the SDC so i can use a pair of Amphibian Grey Ghosts also. I got my Grey Ghosts with my GB Pro a year ago but if i was to buy some new land phones i'd get the Nugget Busters most likley.

Tom - Along with your local geology maps check out Historic Arials. I notice many things from old maps that are excluded on newer maps and the aerials are helpfull were i live because you can get picture from before areas were logged. Once logged Google Earth helps but its tough. The USGS has Geo maps that can be overlaid on topo maps on there website. This is the easiest way to relate faults to the landscape that i've found - gotta love good maps!

Beatup - good to hear from ya. I grew up dredging, loved the little back pack set up i had between 12 - 16 yrs old, cleaned up allot of salmon river gold with that thing, but girls and boozen won the battle.LOL As you may know dredging is banned presently in california where i live. I would likly buy another backpack set up if it opens again but not for awhile. I just broke the bank on my new SDC and find it a drag getting stuck in the same spot for weeks on end dredging. I'm addicted to the hunt for gold even more than the hoarding of it. Happy Hunting and good luck AjR

Beautiful pieces - thanks for sharing.

Howdy DiggerDude -- welcome to the forum. seen some of your videos i believe . I look forward to some tails from down under