Jump to content

tboykin

Full Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    583

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    11

 Content Type 

Forums

Detector Prospector Magazine

Detector Database

Downloads

Posts posted by tboykin

    • Popular Post
    • Popular Post

    Last Night A Prospecting Pick Saved My Life

    in Detector Prospector Forum

    Posted

    They say it takes you a year to find your first nugget with a detector. The way I see it I have a lot of catching up to do with the crusty old guys and so I better get to digging. I figure if I try hard enough I can beat the odds, but we'll see.

    I've been researching a local gold region the past few weeks and have made two trips out in search of pocket gold. Lots of mining activity going back to the 1800's, several claims, creeks with plenty of color to pan. Most people there go to the same spots to look for gold, and the source has never been found. To stay legal I'm focusing on BLM areas, and to stay fit I'm going way off the beaten path. First trip I skunked but dug up some memories that are worth every drop of sweat. The latest one almost ended up very badly.

    I located what I thought was a vein of white rock (hoping for quartz) using Google Earth. Then correlated this with historical mining activity, claims, and geology of the specific creek I was focused on. I had been waiting all week, Saturday I couldn't get out the door fast enough. I had a frame pack, GMT, .40 S&W, water, food, and tools. My Jeep got me within 5 miles of the "vein." The rest was on foot. First few miles were a washed out mining road, there was a rainbow of green, red, and white rocks. Looked good so far.

    I knew the second half would require beating the brush. Uphill. Thousand foot elevation gain based on my topo map. It was brutally slow and I had forgotten my machete. Luckily I was able to grab the tree branches to "Tarzan" up the mountain side. Halfway up my first water bottle was empty - who needs a gym when you have gold to find? The brush was thick, I was covered in sap when I hit the clearing. The woods opened up to reveal the "vein" was actually a landslide. The rocks were a mixture of rhyolite, calcite, and some serpentine. Some boulders but mostly scree. I could see the source of the landslide at the very top of the hill - black bedrock with layers of exposed "lasagna." I had come this far, so before declaring defeat it was worth checking out at the very least. But things got dangerous. Fast.

    The slope was severe enough to require going uphill in switchbacks, not for lack of leg strength, but because with each step a cascade of bowling-ball sized rocks would slide downhill. I had blinders on and was focused on getting to the top of the hill. I knew it was steep but not how steep since I wasn't looking downhill... A habit I picked up due to a slight fear of heights.

    As I approached the top I paused for a breather. The slope was too great to sit, I had to lay on my chest to keep from tumbling down. There in all its glory was bedrock at the top of the mountain. If I could just make it to the tree line I could bypass the cliff face. My water was almost gone, my shirt tied around my head to keep the sweat from hurting my eyes. I made my first mistake - I looked down. It was several hundred feet to the bottom, and I could see my zig-zag pattern cut into the rocks where they had slid all the way down. One misstep and I would have found myself smashed up in the trees at the bottom of the mountain, no cell service, no other human within miles, and no way back to the road. I had to keep going up, there was no way I could go back down the way I had come.

    I only had 30 yards to the top of the landslide where the tree roots were exposed from the crumbling rock. But those 30 yards were almost vertical. Every foothold seemed to give way just as I put my weight into it. So I dropped to my belly and crawled. My pick came in handy as I could jam it into the underlying rock for some traction. The trees were ten feet away but the closest root was 5 feet over my head since the bank was undercut. I'd have to stand up and try and grab onto the root.

    As soon as I lifted my chest off the ground I felt the ground give out from underneath me. I was sliding down the cliff. My left foot caught a slight hold on a boulder and I lunged with all my strength. I stretched out my right arm with the pick in hand hoping to catch that root. THUNK. The sound of metal on wood. I hooked the point of the pick on a 2" thick root that held as the rest of the ground slid down the mountain. Luckily there was no one below me... it was enough rock to bury a truck. The boulders crashed into the way to the trees 200 feet below where I was hanging. It could have been me...

    I pulled myself up into the web of roots and got my feet on solid ground. Heart was pumping but I did pull out the GMT and went about my detecting at the top of the landslide. Turned out to be a bust for gold, but at least I can mark that location off the list.

    I found another way back down, had a close call with some target shooters (another story for another day) and hugged my wife extra hard when I got home. Nothing makes a man more thankful for what he has than confronting his own mortality. And at least I have a good story to tell around the campfire at Rye Patch...

    GL and HH,

    tboykin

    • Like 13

    Need A Little Help On New Whites Pinpointer

    in White's Metal Detectors

    Posted

    1 hour ago, tvanwho said:

    Hmm, nice to know I am not the only one with a TRX instability issue...4 inches of depth is pretty darn good for a pinpointer which is one reason why I bought the unit plus its waterproof and my buddy said could use either AA batteries or 9 volts. AA's are a good bit cheaper than 9 volts. I'll give it a 2nd chance here . So, I just push the button quickly for this Ground Grab thing vs push and Hold? Might help to read the instruction book a 3rd time while out coin hunting with it too...is the Sens set at 4 out of the box? How do I turn it down? Does it remember settings at Poweroff?

    Video might be quicker for ya - 

    Holds settings on power down. I run mine at 2, 3 or 4 is too hot for my ground. Push the button quickly for ground grab.

    2016 Rye Patch Nuggetshoot

    in Detector Prospector Forum

    Posted

    13 hours ago, Digger Bob said:

    Scott, Digger Bob here.  I attended last year and will again this year.  I got Whites to donate a GMT and TRX pinpointer last year and will try again this year.  Maybe Tom and I can get together and pull something together.

    BTW, I will try again this year to take people out to the gold fields and show them how to nugget hunt after the official hunt.  If anyone is interested, contact me there at the hunt.  I'll put a sign out or something.  I think Miner John and I will camp at the same place again, near the dam.

    If necessary, send me some info that I can forward to the factory.

    We will send a GMT and a TRX. Maybe we could also send an... interesting coil option for the GMT. You think there'd be any interest in that, Bob? Think you know what I'm referring to...

    I will try and get down there but I might be hunting pocket gold in Southern Oregon that weekend. Still up in the air but hopefully I can do both.

    • Like 1

    Casting Call For Gold Prospecting TV Show

    in Detector Prospector Forum

    Posted

    Well I got a phone interview today. Seems like an interesting concept and will report back if anything develops.

    It seems like part of the show would be Survivorman style - just solo with equipment and a camera. Though much can happen in the editing room. It would at the very least be an interesting life experience. And to me, that's what it's all about.

    • Like 2

    Casting Call For Gold Prospecting TV Show

    in Detector Prospector Forum

    Posted

    C'mon guys, REAL modern prospectors won't head out without a fifth-wheel trailer complete with A/C, a week's supply of Hungry Man dinners, generator, and a flatscreen TV with every season of "Bering Sea Gold" on DVD!

    Considering submitting for this - all I will need is my 'noife, GMT, 44 mag Henry repeater, and 200 ft of para cord. As long as I don't have to pull a Bear Grylls and drink my own lemonade... Yuck.

    Here's hoping it's more Survivorman and less Man v Wild.

    My 2016 Trip West In Search Of...

    in Detector Prospector Forum

    Posted

    It was great to meet you Terry. Glad you had such a memorable trip. On my Nevada trip we stayed at the Virgin Valley hot springs, amazing that it's still free (though not sure for how long). Sorry you only caught one trout, next trip out we'll knock em dead!

    Even though you didn't dig any nuggets, you found some memories that will be with you longer than any gold.

    • Like 1

    Reports On MX Sport Firmware Update - Post Here

    in White's Metal Detectors

    Posted

    21 minutes ago, bowwinkles said:

    It says "cracks in the clear part of the display"  Does this mean that the edge and corner cracks you will have to live with??What say you Whites?

    The whole faceplate is clear plastic. Sorry for the confusion. If yours has cracks, of course White's will fix it.

    There are detectors out there with no cracks. This is the sticky part, and makes it hard to narrow it down. Engineers/designers have been hustling to find the cause and we should know more soon. Will update as info is passed down.

    Reports On MX Sport Firmware Update - Post Here

    in White's Metal Detectors

    Posted

    5 hours ago, Ridge Runner said:

    Rico

    You show one crack but my MX Sport has two in the left corner of the face plate. You may want to look on one side are the other for chips in the plastic when they pop the face cover off . They had to get in there for the firmware update. It looks that a fine blade like a knife was used but in doing the plastic cover was chip.

    I find the MX Sport is one great coin detector that I'll write on later.

    Chuck

    Chuck,

    The cracks are from a bad part, not removing the faceplate. Removing the faceplate doesn't require any prying if it's done correctly, and the unit we sent you was New In Box, except for me taking it out to make sure it worked properly before sending. If there was a chip there from a hoo-man it was from my clumsy a$$, but I'm pretty sure it's just from the weak spot on the plate. We updated the part in May when we started getting a few reports of the cracks. They seem to be caused by weak parts of the resin. Tried to catch it early but a few units squeaked out.... The fail rate isn't that high but we want to hear from anyone who has a cracked edge of their faceplate.

    Once a company has a couple thousand units out there you start to see little things that can be improved. Thanks for posting all of your feedback and pics, making a new product ain't easy but the more info we can collect the better we can make it.

    Tom

    • Like 3

    Reports On MX Sport Firmware Update - Post Here

    in White's Metal Detectors

    Posted

    15 hours ago, Rico said:

    tboykin. what about the issue with the cracks in the display corner? http://www.findmall.com/read.php?31,2304007

    problem that assembling the display the screws are to thight?

    i have send two mx sports back, they are in the uk now,

    also have problems with the cam locks first lower rod, and few weeks later the upper rod, 

    sucks when you are in open field. ik repaired it . i had two  new one.s 

    stil tying, 

     

    addon.jpg

    The cracks in the faceplate are something that I've been following too. I checked with engineering and they updated the part back in May to address this. So any detector that's been built since then or comes back for any reason gets a new one made out of the different material just to be safe. The failure rate isn't high but I think they're doing the right thing in replacing them to be safe.

     

    • Like 1

    White's Electronics Summer 2016 Catalog

    in White's Metal Detectors

    Posted

    12 minutes ago, OregonGregg said:

    Hi tboykin,

    The only other thing I noticed in the 2016 catalog was that the Eclipse 9" spider coil was missing. Did they just forget to add it in or is also being discontinued ??  I hope not, is a far better coil than the ol' 950. 

    Thanks for catching that! I let Mel know and we will update the next version of the catalog. Not quite enough room for all the coils but we will make it work in the next batch. We still produce it and will continue to do so - http://www.whiteselectronics.com/prizm-9-spider-search-coil-1966

    White's Electronics Summer 2016 Catalog

    in White's Metal Detectors

    Posted

    26 minutes ago, RickUK said:

    Its a shame about the TDI Pro coming to the end of the line,i bought the very last one sold in the UK that was specially shipped over from the US,the sl version may be a very good machine but glad i went for the Pro version instead.

     

    People have different thoughts on this. The SL is lighter and easier to pack on longer expeditions. Still plenty of Pro's out there, but every product has a life span. That's how you make room for new ones!

    • Like 1
×
×
  • Create New...