Condor

I got my GPZ back from Minelab last month, which included a new 14" coil and lower rod.  Only $3600.00 AUD lighter in my wallet.  As you may recall, I bricked the detector after the Patch Lead was defective.  It's still crazy hot here in Sunny Yuma, but I was bored and still curious about the X-Coil, so I shook off my concerns and cut the connector off my brand new coil and built the Patch Lead myself.  I was extra careful with the heat from the soldering iron and did a respectable job of putting together the connection.  I did a few practice runs on scrap wire and connectors so I was a little more confident of my skill. 

I got out 5 mornings last week for a total of about 12 hrs run time.  At sunup the morning temps were still in the high 80's and jumping to 100 by 9:00am.  Unbearable in the desert washes with no breeze.  The one thing that saved me was the synthetic chamois cooling cloths, one around my neck and one under my cap hanging down my neck. 

The first morning I did a complete set-up with the detector since it was, for all practical purposes, a brand new machine with all new printed circuits etc.  I waved the 17" X-Coil over the ferrite and got the machine nearly silent, though still reacting some to the ferrite.  I started in the area where I found the 28 gram rippa last May.  This area has a fairly hot layer of clay about 12" under the overburden.  Last May we were able to run this zone using HY, Normal, Sens 12,  (Threshold 27) with the Patch Search mode to quiet down the machine.  The 17" X-Coil in those same settings was way too sensitive, so I had to switch to Difficult to quiet it down.  Because I knew I could only be out for a couple hrs, I focused on trying to get that coil over gold hoping to then play with the settings.  No joy the first morning.

The next morning I went out to an area that had produced half a dozen 1 grammers when the GPZ first came out.  I knew it was deeper and a little quieter ground.  We tried Paul's 19" GPZ here when it first came out to no avail.  This time I was able to zero out the Ferrite and switch back to Normal from the Difficult setting.  The machine was still a little twitchy so I backed off the Threshold to 22 and got it humming along nicely.  I gridded the area pretty good and came up with a few deep trash targets and then, right as it started to get unbearable hot, I got a faint, sweet rising tone. A lot of digging and sweating produced a sweet 4 grammer right on the hardpack, about 14 inches down.  Now a 4 grammer at 14 inches should be well within the range of the GPZ and standard 14" coil, but I've been over that zone at least 6 times over the past 3 years.  The only significant difference is the ground is bone dry this year.  Last year there were still pools of water from late season rains.  

The next morning I was back to the area of the 28 grammer.  I found that the machine was more stable and I could run in Gen, Normal, Sens 14.  I got a couple deep trash targets and chased a number of hot ground seams and hot rocks.  The settings were really sensitive to hot ground, but in my mind that's the only way to find good missed targets.  Right at the end of the morning I got what sounded like another bit of hot ground.  I switched to High Yield from General and it brightened up the target, but still hadn't convinced me that it was gold.  The target was in the sidewall of a drywasher's hole, so the 17" coil was pretty awkward.  I dug out the ground so that I could get the coil level and the target brightened up a little more.  By then I had hit the hardpack which tends to hide these small, reddish hotrocks.  I dug dozens in this same area, but I needed to check this coil's capabilities.  The hardpack was brutal in the morning sun so I had to go back to the truck and get my handy Aussie (DavesGold) made pick.  I'm not going out without it now.  About 8 inches into the hardpack out popped a nice 1.5 grammer.  I can guarantee I  stuck the GPZ standard coil in the hole a half a dozen times over the past 2 years.  

Thur morning I got out in the same area.  I chose a wash that a produced 5 small nuggets, in the sub-sub gram range, in May.  I concentrated on the deepest gravels thinking deeper nuggets must be in there, just beyond the reach of the 14" coil.  I gridded the zone where a bench had formed on the inside bend of the wash.  I went at it from every angle and was about to surrender to the heat when I got the faintest of faint tones.  Again I switched to High Yield and it brightened up some.  I switched to Difficult, nothing.  I started pulling down the bank so that I could get a good level swing with the 17" coil.  Slightly improved tone, still unconvincing.  I pulled down another few inches and got a much improved tone.  I switched to Difficult and got a dull growl, more convincing yet.  After much digging into the hardpack out came a nice 1.8 grammer.   I even photographed the hole for this one.  The Aussie pick is 28" long.

I'm really starting to like this coil.  It's light enough for all day use with the addition of my homemade hipstick.    I run the hipstick to the bottom of the frame in my lightweight framepack, which moves the weight to the back of the hipbelt and off my shoulder.  I'm also running the SteelPhase amp plugged directly into the GPZ, no wireless connection between.  As per some of JP's guidance, I'm running the GPZ volume at 2, adjusting loudness at the amp.  I'm running the Threshold between 20 and 22 depending on how twitchy the ground is.  For the most part I'm running General instead of High Yield trying to reach those deeper targets.   The first 2 targets were well within the reach of the standard 14" coil, but somehow I didn't find them over the past 2 years.   The last one, doubtful for the standard coil.  As the weather cools I'll start doing a quick change to the 14" coil over new targets for a comparison.   Right now, it's still to friggin hot to bother. 

X Coil 2021 News

Between the bad experience with the X-Coil and our general inability to learn the geology of WA gold finding, we've run up the white flag.   Frankly, without the help of Paul and Trent we really wouldn't have made it this far.  Most people have no real appreciation for how vast and roadless it is out here in WA.  When you pop into a market in a tiny town of 600 and they have on offer Kangaroo tail by the kilo, you've really reached the limits of habitation.  On the day we met Dave, we drove over 300k and saw 4 other vehicles and a bunch of dead roo's on the side of the road.  There are dry water courses that are marked for the depth during severe rain.  All Ute's have snorkel intakes and some raised exhaust tailpipes.  Otherwise there's no water except in towns and the flies are inescapable.  I can't imagine how we would have survived without the gazebo and insect net panels, especially for cooking or relaxing.  

It is an adventure and I can't say I would be satisfied if I hadn't given it an honest try.  I'd always wonder what might have been.  We'll be packing up camp Yank tomorrow then a flight out of Perth on Wed.  I'll be happy to get home, but that 110 degrees in sunny Yuma is going to be a drag.  While I've been away we got a new family member, a bouncing baby "GoldenDoodle" coincidently named "Aussie" in my absence.  I'll have my work cut out for me with dog training for awhile.   

Talking with Trent he suggests I fall on my sword with Minelab and send them the whole unadulterated mess and ask for help.  Perhaps they'll view it as an intellectual challenge or chalk it off as a Yank not smart enough to leave well enough alone.  Either way, all I've got right now is a poorly designed boat anchor or an odd conversation piece  We'll see.  

We'll catch you on the other side of the world next week.

I'm late getting out week 4, but unfortunately there wasn't much to report.  We've had wind, then some wind & rain, then some really fine days.  We lost a day here and there between weather, then the meeting with Dave on the X-Coil.  We had 2 long days at the very southern end of the lease and did a great deal of exploring.  We found a few crumbs.  Dennis actually found 12 nuggets that weighed a total of 1.2 grams.  It was enough to keep us busy and always thinking we were one coil swing away from a really good strike.  We just couldn't get that coil over the big stuff.

I'm using our backup GPX5000 with the 14X9 Coiltek Elite coil while I'm waiting for my Patch Lead to be completed.   I was amazed at how quiet that machine can be.  I cranked up the RX and cranked down the Stabilizer just so I could hear some noise.  I found 3 tiny crumbs, 1 of them in one of my own boot scrapes from last week.  Clearly, the 5000 can find tiny gold.  My Patch Lead is delayed for another week, apparently one of the 5-pin connecter screws twisted off during reassembly.  I'm satisfied I'm not missing much if anything with the 5000, but I really want to get that 17" X-Coil in motion.

We're making our move to a new lease tomorrow so we've got a full day of packing and hauling Camp Yank.  The flies remain a constant distraction during midday.  I bring out the bug hood the minute one dive bombs my eyes or nose.  They are persistent little buggers,   Dennis is a lot more tolerant.

Paul made it back safe and sound.  He's chomping at the bit to get some of this $1400 an oz gold out of the ground.  Their backhoe is up and running again, so good things should start happening soon for their team.

Sorry for the short and relatively uneventful report.  Maybe next week, it's all about the possibilities not the probabilities that keeps us swinging those detectors.  

Based on my conversations with Dave, he has no technical knowledge about how or why the Russian coils are performing better than the standard coil, hence his lack of interest in internet debate on their merits.  He tested them and is confident they are an improvement and he's satisfied to leave it at that.  He's not promoting them, they're promoting themselves.  Dave was already making a damn fine prospecting pick and by happenstance ended up testing these coils and now as the sole distributor.  

The Patch Lead will remain a concern, but so far I'm the only one who has f'kd one up.  Whether my soldering skills or my $29.95 Walmart soldering iron turned to max heat, others have succeeded where I did not.  

I'm sorry Jasong isn't in a position to do the methodical testing he's known for. There's quite a few of these coils out there, but many users are not internet hounds interested in this discussion.  

We've all seen the "detector wars" of the past, and JP was very often at the center of controversy.  Our moderator won't let that happen on this forum and I very much doubt you'll find Dave in the middle of any controversy on these coils.  

Dave took 5 hrs out of his prospecting day to meet me and check my coil and Patch Lead.  It turns out the Patch Lead was faulty, Minelab Chip probably fried.  After talking with Dave, I probably used too much heat on the soldering iron and damaged the chip.  My philosophy of more power, faster results may have been misguided.  

Fortunately, I didn't sacrifice a $900.00 coil since I had already sacrificed the coil when I inadvertently drug it behind the Rokon for several miles.  So,  I sent my working coil off to have it professionally done for a new Patch Lead.  More delays, but a cautionary note to all considering this route.

Some interesting insight from Dave that might be helpful for those waiting for more testing.  Dave has a years worth of Anecdotal Evidence on the effectiveness of these X-Coils.  He shared some of his observations and it's quite impressive.  He's more than satisfied with the results but has no interest in engaging in internet claims, debate or justification.  The demand exceeds supply already.  

The coils are now available in the US, drop shipped from Russia and he's set up to accept PayPal.  They're produced in small batches, so a wait list is already starting.  

I believe Jasong is due to receive his coils soon, if he has not already.  I look forward to hearing what Jasong has to say after his own testing and observations.  

X Coil 2021 News

Tough sledding out here in WA.  We've put in a lot of miles exploring along the "line of strike" gold producing zone.  We generally start from old Drill Site roads or old pushes and do a 1/4 mile up and back grid along the likely areas.  The few we're finding are where weathering has exposed deeper ground on the old pushes, plus the Z 7000 can find tiny gold the original detectors missed.  They didn't miss much based on our return so far. 

Our hearts were thumping yesterday when I got a deep low tone way down in the caprock.  Luckily Nurse Paul was nearby and brought over the jackhammer.  Paul put in a yeoman's effort on the hammer, Dennis and I traded off digging out the hole.  We waved over the hole with everything we had, GPX, GPZ and 2300, and with the exception of the 2300 it all sounded good, but it just never improved even after we were down over a foot.  Finally even the 2300 was giving us a signal and we gave up for the evening.  Paul went back this morning and finally pulled out some kind of hot rock, the story is much more detailed, but that's the jist.  No doubt Paul has his version of events.

The weather has turned nasty, threatening rain and gusty winds.  Camp Yank took some damage from the wind, turned over the prep table for cooking.  Pots, pans, plates and everything associated got dumped into the dirt.  Paul cleaned it up considerably, but I think he left some soap on my dinner plate, cuz I'm feeling a bit puny this morning.  We have the gazebo anchored on each end with an ATV to keep it from blowing away.  

Dennis gold photo is his cumulative, mine shows this weeks finds only.  It's just a matter of time till we hit a big one.

Flies continue to be a menace, they just don't quit.  They're having a tough time today with these gusty winds, but they'll find a way.

We're still getting dialed in for the WA conditions.  In many places we can run the GPZ on High Yield, Difficult, with a Sens between 10 and 15.  We've hit some old patches that have been scraped, then trying to venture out around them to see if the patch might continue.  These places have been detected pretty well, all have dig holes scattered through them.  We've had some minor success, I hit a 3 gram piece right off the go, from there it's been nothing but tiddler scraps.  Surprisingly small pieces that Difficult mode sings out on them.  All very shallow though.

The weather is crazy.  Cold mornings needing a hoodie, then warming up to weather more suitable for shorts.  We've seen a few 'roos and a couple Emus, other than that it's just flies and more flies. We've tried some cream they use for the horses, seems to last an hour or so then the  flies are back with a vengeance.  The quit just before sundown and don't come back till it starts to warm up in the morning.  Just part of the challenge.

Our totals to date.  Dennis had a couple day headstart, but I'm trying to catch up.

It's been a good week all around.  Dennis really got on the gold today, 15 nuggets total including a 3.4 gram piece.  I'm going to rest up tomorrow, our flight leaves out of PHX on Sunday afternoon.  We'll arrive in Perth on Tue, then meet up with Paul and Trent on Friday.  We're just hoping our good luck hasn't run out. 

Tally Ho!

I briefly mentioned my problem with the GPZ 7000 14" stock coil.  The problem was I dragged it behind the Rokon completely unaware of doing so and wore through the plastic cover exposing the copper windings inside.  I contacted Friendly Minelab Dealer "Rege in PA" about getting a replacement.  He put in the order but as time was drawing near for the OZ trip, there was no sign of a replacement coil in the pipeline.  Rege was able do some gently encouragement and the Minelab Repair Center stepped up and found me a coil.  I got it last week and have been using it all this week for my practice sessions for the Summer of OZ trip departing this Sunday.  It seems they sent me the "super" coil because I'm having some incredible good luck this week on the local Yuma gold.  Minelab, you have saved me from my self-inflicted misadventure. 

Gold photos of the last 2 mornings of detecting.  I've been detecting some heavily hunted areas and finding gold around old dig holes.  I'm using pretty standard settings, HY, Normal with Sens 15.  I've gone back to the high dollar Etymotic in-ear monitors (earbuds).  The Ety 4S model has much higher inpedance compared to typical earbuds.

We've been out every morning for a few hours since Sunday practicing for the summer of Aussie Gold.   Today was my day on the big gold.  I was detecting a desert wash bench zone, and got what the Aussies call a Zed Warble.  Down here in Sunny Yuma the Zed Warble usually means an old rusty bent nail.  A bit of digging down to the hard pack maybe 15 or 16 inches.  I switched detector down to Sens 1 to try and pinpoint, bit it was still overloading with the warble tone.  Dennis and I took turns breaking up the hardpack and scooping out the hole till this nugget rolled on out. 

The small stuff I found over the past 2 mornings, I think I'm going to throw them back for seed on the big ones.