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There is an area of a park that I hunt that I have gone over many times with my CTX, Deus, and EQ 800. I have studiously tried to learn how to use the many features of each detector to know good targets from questionable ones. Recently friends have expressed an interest in trying metal detecting so I bought a Quest Q20 to loan them because it is simpler than my other machines while still having minimally useful features. Took it out to the area of the park mentioned above to check it out and....you guessed it....found my best find of the past year, a heavy gold plated silver ring. Which got me to thinking.......(always dangerous). Its been discussed before of course but I wonder how many of us use all the info and adjustments of our machines to find the good stuff but only end up using all that info almost as a reason NOT to dig. Is that why a new detector always seems to "bring hunted out sites back to life"? Is that why, in the face of increasing technology, beep and dig machines are still out there doing well? Knowing your machine(s) is necessary for sure and it's fun tweaking them to get their best. But just what is their best? We've all seen a good strong signal turn out to be something other than what was indicated. Still, there are a few people who can tell an awful lot about a target before digging it and digging every beep is hardly a viable option. Plus you can't sweep every square inch of a site. BUT....... I'll bet most of us just outsmart ourselves more often than not. Or is that just me?

OK I admit that I am a coil control snob. I have always concentrated on maintaining a perfect 1 inch above the ground elevation and with the coil perfectly parallel to the surface. Having spent many years hunting on ocean beaches with very gradual slopes and close to tidal flat characteristics, I strove for perfection. I developed a gait where if my right foot was forward the coil was 90 degrees to the left. As the left foot came forward and even with the right foot the coil would be straight in front, and as the left foot moved forward the coil 90 degrees to the right. I was very efficient and could cover a lane about 7ft wide over wet/flat sand. So being the snob that I was. I observed other detector users with golf swings or scythe mode murder the weeds methods, and I was constantly saying tsk..tsk..tsk. If only they could achieve my higher plane of enlightenment and skill they would be much more successful. Pride doth cometh before the fall! When beach hunting I always arrived at the crack of dawn and most of the time there was a fog or mist still in place leaving a light coating of moisture on the dry sand. As I always had single and multi-freq detectors this never concerned me much as I could adapt to the conditions. Usually very early in the morning you see the runners and dog walkers out, and only occasionally another detector user. But there was one old codger that I saw quite often working the dry sand for recent drops, and he moved along the beach at warp speed stopping briefly to retrieve a target. I had observed him a couple of times from a distance and could tell he knew very little about metal detecting or how to swing a coil. His big mistake was that he was holding the coil at a 45 degree angle with the left side about an inch above the sand and the right side up about 8 inches high. He looked to be sporting a Tesoro Compadre from the shape of the control box and the coil design. He was whipping that coil back and forth and flying down the beach as if he was making a run for the porta-potty. About the third time that I saw him light shown through my snob fog. The dry sand had a thin layer of moisture on it in the morning and if he held the coil parallel to the surface it would chatter and false. So he had adapted to the situation with the equipment he had on hand. By only exposing the outer edge to the sand no false-ing. But only shallow targets(recent drops) would be found and he was only covering about a 3 inch wide swath side to side. That explained the rapid swing and foot speed to cover ground. Also iron was easily rejected because the signal was on the edge of the coil. And he wasn’t carrying a digger or sifter with him, he would just kick the sand to find the target. He was probably looking at me and thinking that I was sporting enough gear to make a moon landing. The arrogant Master had become the Grasshopper.

Out for a couple mile hunt today. Didn't find any gold but did walk into a cartel grow being setup. Moving supplies in. Backed out quietly........

This may sound like a dumb question but I'm new to detecting and haven't really found many talking about where and when it's safe to dig. If this is posted in the wrong place, please do move it. When digging within city limits, parks, yards, in green strips along sidewalks, what about public utility lines, phone lines, or plastic gas lines in yards. How much of this are some of you concerned about? Do you have any "war stories" to tell? Any best practices for safety in this regard that you could share?

Coming from Tesoros I have picked up a NOX 600. I am use to setting threshold to a barely audible hum. Then setting discrimination. The quieter the threshold hum, the better discrimination works. Or so it seems. So what exactly then does setting threshold do on the NOX? According to the manual; it is used to notch out an item, like a nickel or penny. Can someone please explain the differences. And also explain that if I set the threshold on the NOX to a barely noticed hum what are the consequences? Thanks Terry

My buddy (who is still alive) was out using the NOX on Private Property last week and all was good. Then he gets a signal.. is bent over digging for treasures and not paying much attention around him. Next thing you know... he is looking down the barrel of a DBL Barrel Shotgun. What would you do? 1) Drop to your knees 2) Piss yourself 3) Run home 4) Call the Police 5) Thank the Lord 6) All of the above Your answers please???

I had to wait for 3 hours at DMV! That was longer than my hunt at the beach tonight. If I could write a complete thought I would say 'Learning to Love My 800' Mitchel

I spent a couple of hours on curb strips in my area that date back to the late 1890’s. The houses are long gone, but the squared off curbs and sidewalks are still there. I can’t get a shovel down without hitting broken glass. I got fooled by more aluminum screw caps from cheap wine and liquor pints. I’ve read and have a decent grasp on wiggle back giving an iron grunt on crown caps but is there anything for these stupid aluminum ones?

What the heck does that mean??? Well, what I mean by that is even though you may be finding mundane targets like nickels and the tiniest of aluminum pieces or even a deep penny. Be aware of what these recoveries are telling you. Once again I hit the deserted, pounded, hunted out, beach park. Not much in the way of replenishment with 40F temps, snow flurries and sleet, and 15 knot winds again. I wanted to give the area where I found my gold Jesus a thorough search just to make sure I did not miss any other pieces of the pendant, necklace, or whatever it was attached to. No luck on that, but I did learn or confirm a lot about the Equinox as the day went on. I then hit the shoreline/tide line again but the tide was coming in and high so the wet sand margin was small and high on the beach. Nevertheless I did find two, deep slimy nickels. This is telling me that I will eventually hit deep gold in the wet sand as the EQX is hitting the deep nickel mid conductors HARD with a clearly dig me signal. If I keep hitting that area, there will be deep gold jewelry that has not yet been recovered, I am sure of it, and the EQX will let me know the second I pass my coil over it. It also tells me that I basically have a new beach to hit since I can now hit the tide line at low tide with confidence that I will be able to pull some deep keeper targets. I kept finding the tiniest pieces of lead, aluminum, and steel. The would just bang out of the headphones. Small gold cannot be far behind. Keep swinging. Finally, I hit a strong ferrous tone with just a hint of a high tone. But the high tone was not ferrous wraparound (too low on the VDI and not quite in sync with the ferrous tone). I decided to dig it. I pulled out a steel wire about 4 inches long...and a penny from a bout 10" down. Yeah it was just a penny, but the EQX said dig me even with the super strong ferrous grunt. In other words, it was not a bottlecap or other junk target with a ferrous and non-ferrous signal component. I know that one of these days the EQX will be fast enough to unmask a military button or a silver for me in the thick iron. Pay attention to what your mundane targets are telling you about your detector's capabilities. That is why you should be digging just about every repeatable target indication you come across during the first several hours that you are learning the machine. HTH.

For mineralized soil relic hunting with Equinox I am hearing a few common themes emerging (my thoughts in parenthesis): Most seem to be building around Park 2 (I will also experiment with Field 2 and Gold 2. Sticking with the "2's" because they favor mid conductors or strike a balance between mid and high conductor detectability or favor hot soil conditions (Gold 2).) Field 1 seems to be popular in the UK. At least perform an Auto or Manual GB (am wondering myself about the effectiveness of tracking). GB will help with performance since mineralized ground will likely have a ground phase reading other than the default and the mineralization allows the GB algorithm something to grab onto give you a good GB setting. Don't overdo sensitivity. If you can run stable at 22 that's fine. No need to push it much higher than the default 20 setting. Hunt with recovery speed 6 to 8 (high end of 800 settings). Lower settings in mineralized soil increase ground noise, affecting signal-to-noise ratio and detracting from the ability to detect deeper targets countering the flawed claim that "slower is deeper". Minimize iron bias if you want to maximize ability to unmask non ferrous amongst thick ferrous junk. Drawback is propensity for non ferrous signal component falsing from the iron. These can be checked with the AM button. Upping iron bias to 3 or 4 (800 settings) in sparse iron situaions is ok as you run a much lower risk of encountering a masked target. This is definitely a YMMV area and experimentation is encouraged for your particular site conditions. Search in AM or without discrimination (AM gives you one touch access to turn disc off/on, so more convenient IMO to hunt with a iron disc'd out and punch AM button when necessary). Listen for both ferrous and non-ferrous hits and try to center the coil on target to determine ferrous-nonferrous symmetry (donut) for dig decision or dig it all if you are so inclined. Non-symmetric behavior and inability to find a non-ferrous tone and ID sweet spot are good indicators of trash or nails. But remember when relic hunting there are several desirable, relatively big non-ferrous artifacts worth recovering including sword blades, knives, bayonets, spurs, horse tack, cooking implements and ordnance. EQX should hit fairly deep even in mineralized soil and can give you some key additional info if you carefully interrogate the target. Tones: I have seen anything from 2 to 50 tones recommended and numerous tone break recommendations so post your custom tone setups and why. I am sure I missed a lot, especially custom tone setups which are more personal preference based versus performance based, so please add your tips, wisdom, and experiences to the thread. Thanks Shout out to Steve H, Daniel TN, Skate, Mtwolf2270, SteveG, Cal Cobra, Mitchel (mn90403) and all others I failed to mention (my apologies) blazing the Equinox relic trail.

Gentlemen; What USB microscope and what power do you recommend? I need nothing fancy just for looking at some coins, rocks and mineral specimens.

A friend of mine lost her gold ring playing softball. It was a family heirloom and she thinks it flew off when she threw a softball. We are sitting 2 weeks since the loss and the field has limited access so it’s unlikely that anyone has detected since the loss. We have a general idea of where on the field it was lost. I have a 600 and have only used it a few times in my yard. Are there any recommendations as to which program to run and tweaks that will allow me to cover the field quicker and hone in on a woman’s gold engagement-style ring? I also have a Fisher f2 and f44 with a lot of hours. So I guess the other question is would I be better off falling back on my f44? (But the Equinox is just so fun!) Thanks in advance, Dave

Hasn't been as nice late winter weather as last year, but 50 F (10 C) is definitely MD'ing weather, particularly if it's not real windy and better yet if the sun is shining, as it was for me yesterday. Only got out for ~3 hours, maybe more time today.... I've been thinking about where I'll go first when the Eqx arrives, and the park hunt I chose was related to that. It has (past and present) yielded a bit of everything, including trash. (I do have a much trashier site but I'd like to break in the Eqx a bit slowly -- rather I'd like to learn to walk with it before I try to run.) Rather than to try and clean out this area (that would take days with all the iron) I decided to leave the really iffy targets, particularly the ones that could be strongly masked. I was more/less going to hunt like the typical cherry picker coin hunter -- the type of MD'ist that I am pretty sure went through this site before my arrival. I decided to hunt a part of the park I've never searched before (and that's not difficult to do because it's a decent sized park and I hunt slowly). I do think other(s) have hunted here before, but probably not for about 15 or 20 years based upon the modern coins (clad and Lincoln Memorials) I've found. And there's always hope they missed some oldies -- I've found a few. Running the Fisher F75 with 7x11in^2 DD coil in DE(default) discrimination process, minimum discrimination threshold, 4H tones ('H' means nickel zone reads high with its coinage brethren), gain of 60 (out of 99). A couple hours into my three hour window, after getting the typical (few) clad and Memorials plus quite a bit of junk, such as ring-and-beavertail pulltabs and old rusty crown caps, I got a quite variable TID centered halfway between zinc and copper pennies. My experience (and from what I've read by others), the F75 doesn't give the sharpest or most consistent TID unless the object is A) uniform in shape such as a coin, B) reasonably close to the surface, say within 4 inches, C) sitting horizontally, D) well away from trash, particularly iron, and E) read with a consistent coil swing. But what is between the two compositions of modern pennies? Large can slaw is the first thing that comes to mind. For example, on this same hunt I found a horizontally oriented 12 oz aluminum drink can lid (missing both the square tab and the punchout disc) buried maybe 3 inches deep which was a steady 64-65. Of course that was a very strong signal. This one, although strong, was not nearly as consistent. A large piece of aluminum can with ragged edges cause by the evil lawn mower goblin? No way I'm skipping this. OK, enough of the dramatic buildup -- below is what I found. There is a '925' on the clasp. I'd rather find six common date silver Roosies but there's still about the same amount of silver in this as those. Pretty good start to the month of March.

Colonel Dan's Detector Rack Anyone who is into metal detecting knows what its like to pack your vehicle for a day in the field or at the beach. This is what my SUV looked like...and that was on a very organized day! Two detectors, a shovel, a sand scoop, equipment bag and cooler Not much room left for Miss Mary's suitcase or art equipment when she goes along. Not much usable space for anything else really except for a small area behind the passenger seat. I'm sure everyone has their own version of this load plan but you know the deal. There had to be a better way. I experimented with different ideas that worked to some level of success but none that fit the primary Cavalry Principle of KISS. I wanted a system that was portable, i.e. easily and quickly installed in and removed from my SUV. It had to be solid and stable with some heft so my detectors could ride safe and sound without tipping over or sliding around back there. Secure vertical stacking seemed to be the solution for me. The question was how to do it. I thought about several things I could build or re-purpose and finally settled on an unused truck gun rack. It was solidly built for my intended purpose, had rubber protection on the hooks to prevent damaging the detectors and had pre-drilled holes I could use for mounting it on a vertical frame. I decided to use 2x4s: easy to build with enough weight and heft to provide stability for my detectors. I built a frame that was 20” in height, 24” in width with feet 8” long which prevents tipping over or sliding around when fully loaded with equipment. Padding on the back helps protect the sidewalls of my SUV and a layer on the feet adds an additional level of prevention against slipping. My detectors finally have a safe place to ride—they're happy campers! And my load plan now looks like this. Much more available space for Miss Mary to use any way she likes! Life is good!

Recently picked up by MCAS on a AZ military base (SAR crew-member posing with, "Tweaker-Tool" GPX.)

I recently bought a Gold Monster 1000. I have a pair of Gray Ghost head phones that I love that have 1/4 in. plug. I've tried 3 different 1/4 by 1/8 adaptors and the gray ghost hphones work good but the internal speaker still works, It won't cancel out the speaker on the detector. The hphones that came with it work fine but I hear better in one ear than the other so I need to use my gray ghost with a volume control on each side. have any of you had this problem.

Hey all, been detecting for about 8 years now and i dont have a go to metal detector dealer that i know of in my area, ive just always bought my equipment from places like kellyco, im sold on buying an equinox but will wait until the dust settles abit before doing so, all of this talk about cabelas and local dealers and where and why not to buy from whomever made me really want to give my money to the small guy even more but, i really dont know of any local dealers out here near me i live in south east indiana not far from louisville kentucky, anybody out there know of any dealers closer to this area especially ones who have great service if needed after my purchase.

My wife wants a macro zoom for her Nikon..... I want to make sure we get one that will take good close up pics of gold/coins, etc. How about posting a good pic and telling what you used to take it? Finding gold is neat.... being able to show it is good too.

The last time I was out west to prospect was around Prescott Valley, Arizona on Rose creek. I could not figger out why I was out of breath just carrying a few tools and a Tesoro Lobo detector around? I had to stop every 50 feet and try to catch my breath. And I am not a smoker either. Just some asthma and allergy issues. Had the same issue around Rich Hill area. Well, then I noticed elevation signs about 4000 and 5000 foot altitudes. Hmm, having lived around Chicago now for almost 40 years and a bit of asthma as well, maybe that's the issue since we are at 500 feet above sea level.? So, how do I get my lungs up to speed when on vacations to gold country and the elevations ? Is there a reason why gold and minerals tend to be at higher elevations vs low ones? -Tom V.

Simple Detecting Exercise Before attempting to find real targets, it is important to understand how to interpret the audio and visual signals of the detector. Nail or Screw Pull-Tab Tiny Coin Fine Gold Ring Large Coin Small Coin Heavy Silver Chain 1. Gather a collection of different metal objects, e.g. various coins, gold and silver jewelry, a nail, a pull-tab, a brass button and aluminum foil. 2. Take the detector outdoors, away from known sources of electromagnetic interferences (EMI) and metal objects. 3. Lay the objects in a line, sufficiently spaced apart to allow the coil to pass between them. 4. Sweep the coil across the test targets one at a time. Observe the Detect Screen and listen to the sounds of the detector as it passes over each object. The Detect Screen and audio response will give you detailed information about the Target ID. Don’t worry if the detector is not producing a sound over the nail — this is because the detector begins in the default Park Mode Profile 1, which rejects signals from common trash targets, including ferrous targets. If you are getting signals from a clear patch of ground, there could be buried metal objects. Try finding a different area. You may like to make a record of the Target IDs for each of your targets. When you go detecting, always carry a 'test target' with you, e.g. a coin, which is similar to the targets you are looking for. Bury it at around 4 – 6 inches within your detecting location and adjust your EQUINOX settings until the desired response is heard over the test target. This way you are guaranteed to detect the same types of targets if they are there. Remember to dig up your test target after you are finished!

We all convinced our wives we needed the Equinox because if we didn't get one we'd never find another thing with our current detectors because they are old technology. We also forgot to tell her how much the Equinox cost. Not that it's over priced it's just that we didn't tell her. Valentines day is coming up and that means, roses, chocolates and a nice dinner..Lets say total cost for that day is $200 unless you're like me and live 10 minutes from 8 casinos then the cost is more. Now the wife thinks ok he knows he has to be nice every Valentines day so he can't count that as doing something special.. My wife has been unusually quiet about the Equinox until last night. I was informed we are taking a lil trip for a week.. Ya'll know that cost more than an Equinox. Preliminary cost $800+ for hotel, $600+ for meals and $300+ for gas not counting the clothes and other junk she buys.. I am guessing that I will drop $2000 before it's over.

If I remember correctly, around this time during the new year is when you share your thoughts about new detectors that may be hitting the market. I mean come on !! It is the first week in February and nothing from you. I know it has been slow with new detectors lately....nothing from Nokta or White's. Even with some of the other premiere metal detector manufacturers like Minelab....not a peep from you or anyone else. OK.....Sorry Steve I just had to do it....HAAAAAA HAAAAA....I think we could all use a little humor right now

Do Hip and or Complete Knee replacements screw with metal detectors of any make or model ? Of course I'm talking about being out in wild while using one.

Spending time at Steve's website peaked an interest I hadn't had previously. I want to find a nugget with a detector! I am on the waiting list for the ML EQ 800 and have seen the small nuggets are that the detector is capable of finding! The questions: I live in in Northeast Ohio, I have seen videos picking up dust high-banking. Will I find nuggets here? If not and I want to be a casual (once in a couple years) prospector and travel abroad should I join a club? As you can probably tell I am not too terribly serious about it, but it would be something fun to do with my children from time to time. Hopefully by the time I die I have a small collection to pass on to them to visualize the time we spent together! Thanks for your time!

No gem and mineral show near me so I need help. The closest rock club is two hours south. I go beach combing a couple times a week if the weather and tides are good. I look and find agates, sea glass, seal bones and driftwood. But I also find things I can not identify like the rock in my photo. I found it on the beach. It looks like obsidian with clear and green inclusions. It is as big as a goose egg. Everything looks like glass slag but I do not know of any glass factory north of me. (I am 20 miles south of Oregon) I would think if is was slag more pieces would also be seen, even very tiny. Any ideas?