Lanny

Such a great thing to do Paul, lots of class for sure. All the best, Lanny

What a superb surprise! Absolutely amazing, and congratulations on sticking with the hole on the second dig to recover such a fabulous find, truly incredible! Nicely done, and all the best, Lanny

Thanks to all for the feedback as based on what you've said, I've ordered both coils at a smoking-hot price (so I really can't lose much), but I won't get them over any gold ground until the spring thaw, whenever that is . . . (A bit of an unknown at my latitude!) So, maybe in the fall I'll be able to give an opinion on how I like them. All the best, and thanks again, Lanny

Interesting thread, and lots of good ideas expressed so far, especially the comments on why spend a gazillion dollars on a machine as a rookie when there are excellent VLF's out there that will still sniff out a lot of gold in good gold areas where you're not dealing with extreme mineralization or extra-deep gold. I love hunting with VLF's for the same reasons others do; it's not a tiring process in any way to swing the machine, and I have a lot more fun. Having said that, when I need my PI, I'm glad I've got it, but looking back on when I started, I wouldn't want to have started with a heavy machine vs. a lightweight machine. Moreover, today's VLF's are a lot better equipped to handle the ground and are able to "think" with their computer brains about what's going on in the ground with tracking, etc., etc. I'd cut my teeth on a new generation VLF dedicated gold machine, then move up if you really develop a love for nugget hunting. Chasing nuggets is often a lonesome pursuit with many barren stretches between nuggets, and it requires a lot of serious dedication to keep at it let alone the dedication required to research ground and the dedication to learn every nuance of your detector. On a different note, one that Steve and others have reflected on before, I'd love Minelab to figure out how to get their new-gen GPZ tech. into a much lighter package if at all possible. Sometimes I get tired of dragging around what sometimes feels like a garage door on the end of the shaft, so I'll take a sporty little VLF for a spin whenever possible instead . . . All the best, and good luck with whatever your decision is, Lanny

If you could dredge on it, that might really be a nice little claim. I remember a few years ago an outfit was offering pay-to-dredge trips in NZ, don't know though it that's still the case, but it sure looked like a lot of fun. I really miss dredging, but now have to be happy with detecting and sluicing . . . Super-hard to get permits now here. All the best, Lanny

Say, that makes sense Paul, most likely well worth it.? All the best, Lanny

SD, thanks for the notification, much appreciated. All the best, Lanny

Steve, that's good to know that the Commander coil is a solid choice, and I appreciate your open reply about its performance. In addition, thanks for taking your time to post the information on the Goldstalker coil. All the best, Lanny

Rick, A big thanks to you for responding with your highly detailed response. What you've written up is a great help, and I appreciate the time you took to write such a lengthy reply! All the best, and thanks again, Lanny

Lunk, Many thanks for the specific feedback, much appreciated as I appreciate your generosity in sharing some details. It's always nice to ask and get such a concise and informative response. All the best, Lanny

Great lookin' haul for sure! All the best, Lanny

Good morning, just looking for some feedback on the CoilTek 18X12 Goldstalker Mono Elliptical coil. Anyone had any experience with it? If so, what are your opinions on its abilities please. On a different note, how about the Minelab Commander 15X12 semi-ellipitical mono? I realize there are newer, probably much better coils for the GPX, but I'd really like some information on either of these coils by anyone that's used them. Any feedback on either coil is much appreciated, including which one you think might be better than the other . . . (I've never used either one, but have a chance to buy, but can't find any reviews so far except by the manufacturers.) Thanks for your time, and all the best, Lanny

Incredibly detailed review Steve. You are the unsurpassed master of detector reviews without the motivational bias of so many others, and that's an invaluable detail that is solid gold in my opinion. Nicely done, and all the best, Lanny

I truly miss dredging, but around here, it's just about impossible to get a permit anymore. Nice, beautiful gold! All the best, Lanny

You'll always remember the first one! Congratulations. All the best, Lanny

On the second day of detecting, my detector gave to me, two bottle caps, and a copper BB in a tree. All the best, Lanny

Here's your Christmas wish Swampstomper: All the best, and I sure hope you enjoy your holidays, Lanny

Many, many thanks for all your kindness over the years, and of course, all the best to you and yours as you enjoy the holidays. All the best, Lanny

Are you volunteering to post your masterpiece? Please do! I'd love to read it. If you're hinting at something else . . . . All the best, Lanny

For you Simon:

Many thanks for dropping in to say so, much appreciated that you took a little time to do that. All the best, Lanny

I'm working on posting that other poem Simon, but I've hit a roadblock for some reason . . .

Many thanks long-timer and old bull-o-the-woods, much appreciated, truly! All the best, Lanny

JW, It was indeed almost an epic, but I kept it just under book length . . . It did take quite a while to throw a loop around all those word in order to corral them to be able to slap a brand on them (having some fun with western slang, hope you don't mind). All the best to you and the missus during this holiday season, Lanny

Jim, Your expressions of appreciation always astound me, and I'm grateful you enjoy my attempts at poetry as it's just for entertainment and my own enjoyment more than anything else, so I really am impressed by your ongoing kind words, truly. As for poetry, some people like it, and many hate it, so that's why I always post it with a strong warning as I don't intend to offend by writing it, but to some folks it's like a strong deterrent to the enjoyment of words. Thanks again, and all the best to you and yours during this festive season, Lanny