Hard Prospector

Keep in mind that those same "experts" forecasting El Nino for winter 2016 also predicted El Nino storms for this winter(2014) and we all know how that played out. They also said that this May would be hot and dry which turned out to be cool and wet. I've lived in SoCal all my life and plenty of El Ninos and the the best indicator for one building is the presence of  Red Tuna crabs on SoCal beaches the summer before and the absence of Humbolt squid the previous winter around here.  I too think a strong El Nino is on the way but not because of what experts say....I believe the crabs

Doesnt the TDI have a pinpoint mode??

Kind of but not really.....The biggest advantage to this is; no matter where I'm off swinging my PI I will always have fantastic discrimination either hanging off my belt or in my day pack within reach. I suppose I should look at  it  more as a "mini VLF" / pro pointer. Boy am I looking forward to not digging so much garbage. What a great idea and thanks again Steve!

After I bought my F75 it didn't take long to realize that my F19 was no longer needed. I was getting close to listing it and then read Steve and Chris's  "innovative" pro pointer ideas and said to myself; wait a minute time out here.  All I  had to do is remove the middle shaft section, and cut down the upper rod(below the grip) and add a belt hanger like Steve did. Reinstalling the 5" puck coil completed the "F19 pro pointer"  project and it works great. My TDI now has a new work partner and with the F19's back light, detecting at night in the desert should be way easier.

Cool idea Steve....I want one

The TDI SL is a great PI for nugget shooting in nasty mineralized ground and beach prospecting for jewelry in wet salty beach sand. Simply switch out coils and you have a new machine for the task at hand. MXT Pro for multi purpose detecting, coin shooting and nuggets in tailing piles (replaced it with the F75).  For areas known for quartz specimens or I'm digging out crevices in a dry stream bead.....the GMT (or GB2) is  machine of choice. Speaking of dry stream beads; dig out crevices below the water line, classify to 1/4" and dump buckets of material into a couple wide mortar tubs, filling each to about 2" to 3" deep and spread even. Take the GMT w/4x6 shooter coil and go over material at least twice re-shaking between checks. The GMT will find very tiny pieces of coarse gold and most of my finds doing this have come from the minus 1/4" classified tub.  Keep the tubs in a spot that allow the machine to run at high gain and stay balanced. Prospecting in the desert where water is mostly for drinking inspires "creativity" sometimes. I don't know what kind of prospecting you do but I will say you couldn't go wrong owning all 3 of these fine machines.

My daughters asked me this morning ideas for father's day.....Done!

Agreed.....Whenever I hear the so called "experts" making market predictions and giving financial advice the red flag goes right up.

The US stock market has soared to new heights but not because of corporate growth and prosperity. Most of these gains have been made via massive cuts, restructuring, hanging onto capital and in many cases buying back stock. You can only drop so much weight before becoming sick and weak. In 2016 the federal minimum wage is set to go up 10%, which should increase costs of almost everything (inflation,....ouch!)   My take is the next few years  look bright for gold but not the economy

I heard AMRA has ambitious plans to really expand its claims holdings (for members) anyone know if its true?

If these people are true "city folks" you might want to consider a nearby motel, condo or cabin and just taking them out on day excursions and see how it goes. It would likely be a lot easier on everyone especially whoever is in charge.....like you

I would call Whites directly as sometimes just because it isn't listed doesn't mean there aren't some laying around

 nice chunk

Not a tick problem but last couple of seasons, every bush with green on it seems to be loaded with green ants in NQ OZ, and they just love protein. Give you hell, not deadly unless you have an allergy. They are also tasty and thirst quenching but kill em first or they`ll bite all the way down.

Man eating ants huh, sounds like a great place to send my brother-in-law

Most of my prospecting is in the Sierra Nevada or Mojave desert and the big cats are the biggest concern ( 2nd; rattle snakes followed by ticks) I've seen them and had one trail me several years ago. California is just infested with lions these days and many outdoor enthusiasts that disappear in the California wilds every year  I just know are cat related.  Sacramento, being very sensitive not to upset extreme environmental groups in this state continue to turn a blind eye and deaf ear to a building public safety issue. OK, no more politics. 

I've been wearing Rattlers a long time now but would like to go external speaker as well. Many of my machines are Whites and as we all know they come somewhat "speaker challenged" to say the least. There was a thread on this site about the Radio Shack "mini amplifier speaker" working well for this application so I bought one and liked it so much that I'm in the process of fitting out all my Whites with  them.

Best thing you can do to AVOID having critters attracted or stumbling into you is to stink like a human. Wear unwashed soiled cloths, attach dirty smelly socks to your day pack and piss and crap near your camp site. Wild animals can't stand the smell of human odor and for those trouble makers that don't get it...........Lead

Nothing wrong with keeping those detectors, I have 6 VLFs , 4 PI machines and a large test garden so they all get taken out occasionally. Many of the nuggets I find (esp. specimen pieces) get re-buried in the garden, ran over with each machine and evaluated, I have learned so much doing this its incredible not to mention confidence in machines and the many different coils for each. Having extra detectors is also  nice for taking out a friend once in a while or caching out in the bush (so your not hiking it in and out every time) Just something to consider.

BTW Steve, that immaculate Goldmaster V SAT you sold me will not be stashed out in the boonies....Promise!

I have asked this question to many very good detectorists and have got varied answers. Some say yes on the tiny stuff and some say the protective cover isn't thick enough to ever be a concern. I have heard it said that its more likely to reduce depth / sensitivity on a VLF but not a PI. It would be nice to get some kind of consensus on this subject and thanks.......Rob

Nice haul, I'm sure it didn't come easy.

Lots of nice informative folks without the aloof and arrogant attitude. You can't say that about much of anything anymore.

Just bought a new F75  for the sole purpose of hunting in and around the trashiest sites,. I have yet to use it but thats the plan.

Thanks Steve, I'll take all the advice I can get for this new game I'm jumping into....Rob

Recently bought 2 Tesoro Sand Sharks( 8"and 10" coils) and plan to start my "beach gold prospecting" very soon. When out nugget shooting in the desert recently, I realized just how beaten to death the nugget patches have become and there is no doubt in my mind this new GPZ will "mop up" what little is left. That will be it for the next 10 or so million years. On the other hand, people going to the beach will keep replenishing jewelry in the sand  much faster than mother nature in the gold fields so it got me thinking of my options.   Living just 15 miles from the beach and a scuba diver most of my life I'm excited to try something new. Except now instead of diving with spear gun and ab iron I'll be swinging a detector. 

Went to the Pomona show (OK) but cant wait for Vegas!

New rumor; I heard that Whites was still making the 6x10" concentric GM coils but only for export to Africa. Wanting another one I've made several calls to Whites to which the reply has always been;" We will get back to you very soon"..............Crickets

Great thread