Lanny

Good seminal discussion, interested to see what others have to offer on this intriguing post. All the best, Lanny

This is also outside the question, but in relation to the last response about the pan. The last few years I've been in a spot with lots of nuggets (old bedrock workings) where if I'd have taken the time to sift and sort every signal, I'd have recovered far less gold, so I use the plastic gold pan for a "speed" tool. I look at the display when there's a good tone, throw the target material in the pan and keep at it recovering as many possible targets in the time I have available to hunt the old workings. Then, when I need a break, I carefully pan (using a safety pan as well) the material to see what I've recovered. Saves a lot of target separating time and leaves me with a nice catch of nuggets in the poke at the end of the day allowing me to cover far more ground. Oh, and I must add, when nuggets are travelling in crevices, lots of smaller gold drops along with them as well (most of the time, but there have been exceptions), so I also get the benefit of having cleaned crevices to get the nuggets but having the bonus of fine accompanying gold as well. All the best, and I know this is straying from the seed ideas of the post, but I thought I'd share how I've found a plastic pan valuable as I can quickly scan it to ensure the target's made it into the pan as well, Lanny

JW, great to see you posting as well, and I really believe there's a place for a little VLF right alongside any PI. As you've stated tight places, but also light weight, great discrimination, ID display meters, etc. All the best to you and yours as well, and the same to all the rest of you, Lanny

I have found tiny gold with it, and I've found meaty nuggets with it. I've found lots and lots of coins with it, but what I've found is that there's far more to learn about how to truly use all of the features on the 705; there's a lot packed in there. It's not a whack it together from the box and "instantly go" machine when it comes to gold detecting. There's a learning curve for sure, so that's why it's probably not as easy to get started chasing nuggets as it is with the Gold Bug Pro for instance. So, the 705 isn't as user friendly, but it sure can find nuggets. Now, I've not used it in extreme ground, but I don't think that's any VLF's forte, and on another note, the detector could benefit from a signal enhancer to boost the headphone volume as the stock circuit (at least on my machine) doesn't really ramp up the audio to help with those tiny whispers. I love how light it is and the discrimination really works, but you lose considerable depth if you're using the disc circuit to hunt nuggets. I've used it in abandoned placer excavations that were full of bits of bucket, track, and blade shavings where my PI was driving me insane with countless, endless hits, so I used the 705 in discrimination mode and pulled out nuggets that were hiding amid the iron and steel clutter; that was fun as otherwise I'd have just walked away with the PI and been skunked. To review, steeper learning curve than some of the newer VLF's, lower volume output to the headphones, love the light weight, love the discrimination, love how it finds tiny gold, it gets pretty easy to ID annoying hotrocks with it, I can scrub the coil on the ground without falsing, battery life is good, solid coin circuit, Minelab reliability. I read once on another cryptic post that the people at Minelab research had packed far more into the little 705 than was needed to do the job it was marketed for, and I've found that to be true; there's lots of things it will do that are not evident at first look, and I'll confess, I still have no idea of all that it will indeed do, and I'd love to hear and learn more. I haven't really drilled down on the various coils and frequencies (like JP) as I've got the goldpak and have simply used that configuration. I've put rookies on it, and they've found gold with it, but I knew in advance I was in a hot area with good gold, so the chances were good for them to snag a nugget, but at least they understood the basics of the 705 well enough to find the gold and be comfortable using it. All the best, Lanny

Steve, Well said, and as most other contributors have similar ideas, I liked however how you added discrimination to the mix, for when you're detecting dredge tailings or detecting around old mill sites, lots and lots of trash can be present that will drive anyone nuts. As for me, weight and fatigue are factors, so the heavy PI's rule when the heat won't kill you, especially if there's extreme mineralization or if going deep is a prime need, but I'll run along as often as I can with a great VLF, with discrimination and target ID, as my mind is more alert due to less fatigue from not having to lug around a beast all day. I too look forward to the day when there's a great PI that'll do what the best heavy brutes do but all packaged in lighter materials. And wouldn't it be wonderful if it had great discrimination too? All the best, Lanny

Lots of nuggets in your post Doc, and lots of years of hard-won understanding to boot. Thanks for taking the time to post what has been sifted, sorted, and garnered from being in the field and being successful. I too have heard from many people that they can't find a nugget, and I think you've provided the best answer I've heard yet to explain that failure. Sometimes, it just needs to be put into words . . . I'll add one thing that I get tired of all kinds of nugget hunters saying: "The Old Timers/the Chinese got it all." Such a misleading stereotype. I have found so many great nuggets in areas where the Old Timers and the Chinese worked places supposedly to death, that I deliberately spend a lot of time carefully looking where they worked! Those old boys knew how to find gold, and they didn't come close to getting it all. Add to that the fact they had no electronic technology to see into concreted material, to see deep into bedrock cracks, etc. and looking exactly where those argonauts of old found the gold is the perfect place to look especially for beginners, and I'll add something Ray says, "Check the margins of any area they worked" as that has led me to a lot of nuggets as well. All the best, Lanny

Wisdom is applied knowledge. Nicely done Doc! All the best, Lanny

Chris, We've never been introduced, but that's some sweet gold you've found! That Gold Basin area can be some tough detecting, and I've only tried finding gold there a couple of times as I live far, far away, but congratulations on your finds. Is there still an active military area nearby? All the best, Lanny

Hi Doc, Why, I might just have to drop by the next time I'm in Vegas, which will be soon. I'd love to see your new location as the old one was definitely in a sketchy part of Vegas. You've always treated me like gold, so I think it would be fun to see your new digs to see exactly what the expansion looks like. I see you've received some sincere compliments on what a great guy you are, and they are well deserved. All the best, Lanny

Condor, Really enjoyed your story of the gold hunt and the vagaries of travel on the Rokon. Pretty gold, and thanks for taking the time to write your tale. All the best, Lanny

So true!

The Gold Bug Pro has been very, very good to me, paying for itself many, many times over, and it's got a nice, easy learning curve. I have not tried the Monster, but if the gold you're chasing is small, I've got two friends that have found all kinds of gold with the Gold Bug II, but the learning curve is far steeper on it than the Bug Pro. As there are so many good VLF's now, it's going to have to be a research and then choose option for you, slight differences today on VLF's as many are really good at finding the gold now. Good luck, and all the best, Lanny

Hey Doc, glad to see you're still out there chasing the gold! Thanks for the pictures, nicely done. All the best, Lanny

Nice review Steve, and I've always appreciated your open-minded approach. Thanks, and all the best, Lanny

Well, I truly appreciate what you've done, and thanks for the valuable feedback. My Gold Racer arrived today! I have some spots where I think it will really shine. All the best, and thanks again, Lanny

Steve, Thanks for taking the extra time for the detailed write-ups. I can tell you took a good chunk of time to put them together, and I really appreciate your efforts. All the best, Lanny

My thanks to all of you that have taken the time to respond! Thanks for the input and the feedback. It's good to know what the machine is capable of, and I didn't get any negative feedback, which is a bit of a surprise, not what I was expecting considering the early teething problems. All the best, Lanny

I'd like to bump this to get any updates that anyone has please. All the best, Lanny

Pretty finds Whitebutler, nicely done. All the best, Lanny

Nice finds Squizz! All the best, Lanny

Congratulations Chris on your work and efforts. Nicely done! All the best, Lanny

Thanks for the pictures! All the best, Lanny

Incredible finds Coota! Nicely done, and I can only imagine the hard work. All the best, Lanny

Nicely done! All the best, Lanny

So sorry to hear about your losses! What a tough go for anyone, so I hope things get better for you somehow. Good to get an update from you, and nice to hear from you again. Thanks for taking the time to post the pictures and to do a little write-up. All the best at this difficult time for you, Lanny