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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?

Hello all. I have a bit of a strange question which may or may not belong in the detecting section ... Recently I ran across a hardrock mine (this is in the western United States by the way) in which there were several drifts cut into the mountain above each other (assuming I have my terminology correct). Outside of each of the horizontal shafts were two piles of ore (with quartz and visible gold in some of it). One pile always seemed to have been classified or crushed to less than an inch while the other pile (usually much larger-approx 15' high) was 3-4 inches in size. It was in the larger pile that I typically saw the small gold. This was obviously an old operation and there were many hundereds of old rusted out cans outside of the mine at the bottom of the mountain. I was wondering if anyone could describe (in general) the typical operation the old timers would run to extract their gold which typically results in two piles nearby each horizontal shaft? These piles are hundreds of feet up on the hillside. In this case it seems like they have left a lot of gold. I am sure I could crush and pan a lot of ore but I am primarily interested in detecting these piles for the slightly larger stuff that may have missed their well trained eyes. But to properly metal detect such piles, I would like to get an idea of the basic steps these miners were taking with these piles. I appreciate any input.

Hello I want to record with the camera in case of metal detection with detector I can find these cameras thank you very much??

Hello there For example I am using a pi detector and I heard a sound I thought deeply, how can I decide whether it is real or sound or mineral? thank you

I've always had to do more with less. Nonetheless I'm usually able to do far better than I should. With very little disposable income I'm still able to use the latest iPhone, MacBook Pro, and some of the best metal detecting equipment money can buy. I've done it the same way. I set my sights on what I want to be my end point, but I'm willing to start at the bottom and work my way up. The goal is always not to spend any more than I've started out with, and I keep track. This is my second leap into the world of metal detecting and treasure hunting. When I first started out I traded a generator I wasn't using for a Minelab X-Terra 70. Several months later and not having made much progress with the machine, save for a WW1 military dog tag, I decided to sell it to help finance home renovations. Instantly I regretted it. One of the rewards of this hobby is just the idea that you may find something exceptional, the spirit of adventure and imagination that goes with it. That was now gone. A year later, when spring arrived I began combing through the ads. I found a Harbor Freight 9-Function for $5. I picked it up and didn't expect much from it. But something happened for me with this machine that didn't happen with the Minelab. I was better able to control it. I understood it almost instantly. Within a couple days I pulled a jar full of coins out of my lawn. Seeing how much more progress I made with this machine vs. a far more expensive machine last time, I began in depth study of everything to do with metal detectors. I continued to keep an eye on local ads. Shortly after I found a Bounty Hunter Pioneer 505 for $25 and sold my HF for $30. I learned the extra functions it had, and monitored the ads. I sold it for $120 and bought a bundle of two machines, two diggers and a pinpointer for $100 from a husband and wife team who quickly tired of the hobby. The two machines were a Fisher F2 and a Bounty Hunter Quick Draw 2. The Quick Draw 2 was too similar to the 505, so I quickly sold it for $100. At this point I'm up an F2, a pinpointer, two diggers, and $125 (not to mention my finds). I got on very well with the F2 and the pinpointer made my life much easier. Still, I kept my eye out. Next up was another Bundle. A Bounty Hunter Discovery 3300 and Gold Digger for $80. I sold the F2 for $150. Now I'm up $185 with two machines and accessories. Enter the Land Ranger Pro for $150. Sold the Discovery 3300 for $130 and the Gold Digger for $60. Now I'm up $225 plus a Land Ranger Pro. I'm a very happy camper at this point. The Land Ranger Pro seemed to have everything I wanted and I had no plans to go any further for a while. I particularly liked to be able to notch out targets by one VDI at a time and set my tone breaks where I wanted to. The F2 was good at sorting most pull tabs from nickels. This one was even better. Shortly after though, the best deal yet popped up as far as I was concerned. A Fisher F75 LTD for $300. That would be a good deal even now, let alone a few years ago. I jumped on it, agreeing to travel all the way to PA for it the next day. I sold my Land Ranger Pro for $200 (still very new at this time). Now I'm up an F75 LTD plus a balance of $125. I missed my notching feature, but with the depths I was able to reach I began pulling up relics, much older coins and jewelry. Now I wanted a water machine. I found a Fisher Aquanaut and two Lesche diggers with some haggling for $125. Another steal. Now I'm a Fisher guy! And I'm dead even with two great machines as far as I was concerned. Many people would be happy to stop there. Enter a diving buddy who had a closet queen AT Pro. He offered to trade dead even for the Aquanaut so he could explore off the Florida Coast while diving. I agreed, never going further than my waist myself. At this point I cashed in my clad for over $150 and bought my girlfriend a used Garrett Ace Bundle which included the machine, two coils, an underwater box, a Digger and a pinpointer. Due to the discomfort of developing cancer she didn't last long in the hobby, unfortunately. I pieced the Bundle out to make back $340. I sold the AT Pro for $450 and bought an MX Sport for $550. Now I'm up $240 with an MX Sport and an F75 LTD. Another buddy had purchased a V3i back in 2010 that he never got on with. Being a fan of the MXT and always wanting to try the F75 LTD he agreed to let me trade the F75 LTD and $200 for his V3i. Now I'm up $40, A V3i and an MX Sport, several diggers and Bullseye TRX pinpointer. Now I'm a Whites guy lol. This doesn't take into account that I've kept 90% of my finds without yet cashing them in. I'd have to imagine that most people would be happy to end up here and would look no further for equipment at this time. But today I see a CTX-3030 with a pinpointer and a few diggers for $800. Hmmmm, my brain is working overtime. Before the weekend is out, that CTX may just be in my hands with some cash to spare toward the Equinox. It took me several years and patience to do it, but I have equipment that most people in the hobby would respect and some would even envy. There are always deals to be had in this hobby, thanks to the high turnover rate of people whose wallets were bigger than their ambitions. I've used this same method to acquire everything from my phone to my computer, watch, and much more. To this day I continue to buy machines low and sell them at going used rate to make extra money. It has allowed me the privilege of using just about any good machine out there for a while and making a few bucks when I part with them.

I dug this the other day at a site that is 80-100+ years old in terms of when it last had houses on it. It's around 6" tall and I think it's brass. It looks familiar enough that I should know what it is but I can't figure it out. Any help appreciated. It has a threaded end on the bottom and an ornamental cap on the top. Thanks Skate

any thoughts on a river named the river of gold by the spanish in 1622 .....today panning yielding 1 gram a yard ........heard many stories but after a thousand years of gold hunting what could be left in the area ???????

https://www.minelab.com/usa/go-minelabbing/treasure-talk?fts=Authors&fAuthors=235644

my name is Rasheed From Saudi Arabia Help How to recognize Places of nuggets of gold Are there indicators given to see the probability of a gold Do Long Range Detector Location Useful for detecting nuggets Is there a company or engineer with a website to help determine the availability of gold? Do you know a company or location for maps or remote sensing to locate gold

Hello New to the forum and this is my first post on here. (Sorry if I should have done a separate introduction post) I have read so much great info on here over the years and finally needed to join to ask some questions and advice. I plan to upgrade to a PI as I will visit locations with larger gold in hot ground. I am considering an old Minelab SD2200D or whites TDI if i can find one. I am worried the whites wont be sensitive enough on smaller gold. Also the ATX.. I love the fact it is waterproof and seems ok on smaller gold too. Are any new PI machines in the pipeline between 1.5 and 2k new for next year? Having zero experience detecting gold with a PI I am not sure the best route to go down. The waterproof aspect of the ATX is very attractive. However having owned a few garrett detectors I am not sure how bad the falsing on the ATX is when you knock into brush or grass. Ok this can easily be ignored. Am I over looking any machines new or second hand in that price range 1.5 -2k What is your advice please. Thanks in advance.

I am currently working a GPAA claim in Arizona. Seem like every time I start working an area with my dry washer someone seems to think they can get my spot when I leave it. The next day I return and some body will some times be in it. Is there any rules that govern the spot you are prospecting so you can return to it the next day without some one being in it? Not looking for a gun fight or any trouble. I would just like to return the next day and finish where I left off.

I am always dismayed when I read of fellow detectorists who say that they have yet to find a piece of gold after one year, two years, etc. I am to the point now where I find gold almost every time I go detecting. I may get skunked 1 out of 20 times. That 1 time is usually when I am prospecting totally new ground, and just have not hit a new area yet. We all know the saying, "Gold is where you find it." I think that statement is wrong and very misleading and harmful. In fact I think it may give newbies the wrong impression about prospecting for gold. It implies that gold is randomly dispersed, and if you do happen to find it, it is only by some coincidence or luck. Nothing could be further from the truth. Finding gold is a science and an art executed by people with the skill and experience that know what they are doing. All we are doing with a metal detector is processing dirt. Now the more dirt we process the better chance we have of finding gold. But think of what a small amount of dirt we are processing. A column of dirt under the coil to an indeterminate depth and we sweep that coil back and forth. We do that for 6 to 8 hours a day? Now compare that to the tons and tons of dirt you see the boys on Gold Rush process. Yards and yards and tons and tons of dirt processed to collect their gold. It's amazing that we find anything when you compare the small amount of dirt we "process" with a metal detector. So, think about what a bizarre feat it is for a person with a metal detector to process such a small amount of dirt, and yet be able to find gold. It is the old adage "needle in a haystack" so to speak. Yet, experienced prospectors, like Steve and a host of others on this forum who are always posting pictures of their gold finds ...., us guys that have been around a while, how come we are more successful at finding gold than other people? Do we process more dirt? NOPE! Our secret is we spend our time processing dirt that is more likely to have gold, than other dirt. We have all heard go low and go slow. Well, I agree with that "go low" admonishment. You need to keep that coil on the ground. But SLOW? If you watch experienced detectorists, you will see that they vary their speed when they are "looking for gold." They speed up in areas that their knowledge and experience tell them they are less likely to find gold. They slow down in areas where that experience tells them there may be a greater chance for there to be gold. So they spend their time more productively by processing only dirt that has a higher probability of having gold. Now when they find a nugget, they may turn around and go back over the area they went through quickly. This time they will go more slowly. They do this because they now know this area may be more likely to have gold too. So they invest their time wisely. As an outlandish example. You are standing in a paved parking lot of a Walmart. Next to the Walmart are acres and acres of quartz strewn red dirt with all kinds of gullies where water has ran during the wet season. Where are you most likely to find gold? Are you going to spend your day in the Walmart parking lot swinging over asphalt? Well experienced detectorists are constantly looking at their surroundings. They look at where they are going and where they have been. They are calculating the odds. Is this a Walmart parking lot, or a gold vault? "Gold is NOT where you find it." "Gold is found in places it is most likely to be." Seasoned prospectors have spent their careers learning what those places look like. Now are we ever surprised to find a nugget in a place where we would never intentionally look. Certainly, but those are few and far between. Most times when we find a nugget we have a pretty good idea of why it is where it is. Deteriorated quartz is everywhere, we detect on a bench, in a tailings pile, in the bend of a gully, under a waterfall of boulders, behind a bush lining a gully, near an old mine or there are indications the old timers were there. I once was way off the beaten path on my ATV. I found a canteen that said BEAR BRAND, Patent 1918. Lid still on it, canvas completely gone. I stopped right there and detected the gully I found it in. I pulled out three nuggets. Let's say after a year you finally find your first nugget, under a boulder up on the side of a gully. From that day forward, you will check every boulder on the side of gullies. Why? Because you learned where to look. It's no coincidence that after taking so long to find their first nugget, newbies generally find their second nugget soon there after. WHY? Knowledge. I have often said, if you don't take at least 20 minutes with every nugget you find, letting it tell you it's story, you are missing a valuable education. "How did you get here little buddy? Why did you stop here? Where did you come from? What's different about this gully than other gullies I have checked? Is there a concentration of deteriorated quartz around here? A contact zone? You're sort of rough, you didn't travel far did you?" I can almost bet that any experienced prospector will tell you that they can be riding on their ATV and all of a sudden they come upon ground and their heart starts beating a little harder. They may even say to themselves out loud, "Oh man this area looks good." After years and years of experience, we sometimes just "get a feeling." It's not voodoo, it's just our subconscious telling us that at sometime in our past, we came across a place that exhibited similar conditions, and we found gold there. We may not even remember the specific area in our distant past on a conscious level, but our sub-conscious knows. So what is the moral of this story? Buying a detector and expecting to learn how to become a successful prospector without training is like buying a 747 and trying to get it airborne when you have had no training. I hear it time and time again. I've been detecting 2 years and never found a piece of gold. Who trained you? TRAINED ME? "Well I've done a lot of research and I have read a lot on detecting and prospecting and I belong to the GPAA ...." That's akin to someone saying, "I have had the worst luck with airplanes. I have owned five different planes and can't get the damn things in the air; I have crashed every one of them." Where did you get your flight lessons? "ME? LESSONS? YOU MEAN FLYING LESSONS?" So boys and girls, my lesson for today is: "Gold is NOT where you find it." "Gold is found in places it is most likely to be." So hire someone to teach you WHERE to look! There are great dealers who frequent this forum who offer training... it is invaluable. A company who only sells you a detector, is doing just that. They are selling you a detector. There is nothing wrong with that if you are a seasoned veteran who does not need training. Or if you have someone who is willing to take you under their wing and teach you this wonderful past-time. However, if you are new, or not successful at finding gold, look for dealers who sell detectors and offer training. Because then you are not just buying a detector. You are investing in a relationship with someone who wants to make sure you are successful at learning how to prospect and find gold. Doc © 2017 G.M. "Doc" Lousignont, Ph.D.

Lets say you have been a working person for 20+ years and contributing to the growth of our fine country. You are not rich by any means, but if need be you could find a way to get a good metal detector or two (just like most folks on here reading this). Heck, even after hunting season, you could sell a couple guns? NOT... You get invited by an old friend on a 1 week vacation Prospecting Trip to detect for gold. Yes, the trip of a lifetime for some and just another fun adventure for a few. You are told there are dredge tailing piles, hard rock ore dumps and also the potential to hunt both alluvial eluvial placers. Do you know these terms and the kind of gold generally associated with them? Which detector would you take and why? There is no wrong answer and please lets not attack anyone, brand or model.

I've been coin and jewelry hunting for years but had never considered hunting for nuggets until the past two weeks that I found Steve's forum. This place is like a breath of fresh air compared to the other "popular" detecting forums out there. I've chatted with Steve a bit about starting prospecting and he's been great. My question is after you decide on a detector where do you go from there? Do you join GPAA? I just learned about this organization last night and I have one claim near me that gets 3 stars. How do you go about finding the places to hunt? I'm coming from the perspective that I hunt on land 90% on permssions and 10% on parks as well as driving to one of my beaches in Ventura and going from there. Is it more of who you know (in terms of getting good hunting grounds) or what you know (where to go) or a combo of each? What would be the first steps to take besides the right detector?(I'm currently in negotiations with my better half on why I need another detector) Thanks Skate

Hi everyone I'm looking the deepest detector on gold buried abou 50 centimetres ( 25 ") Probably golds are in glass or are free. There is about 400m2 for check , there is no rubbish What can you suggest ? Garret ATX or Lorenz X6 or Z1 Who does have an experience in this topis?

What do you consider the best metal / gold detector and why?? I am looking for a detector that can do both. I know most gold detectors run at a higher frequency that a standard detector. I live in an area where I can do both in Northern California Sierra Foothills. I would like to have one detector instead of two which I may end up with if there is not one brand detector that can do both Gold & Coin detecting. Will appreciate your feedback greatly. Thanks Bill

Do I need to say anything about this? Enjoy. Re: Treasure Classifieds - Someone has a question about your listing Reply| Today, 10:39 AM You Good morning John, I am okay with the Terms and Condition of sale as seen on the advert including Your Final asking Price as Stated.I have gone through the content of the advert once again am very satisfy.Payment will be made out via a Check which will be issue to you for the payment and pick up will be arrange after the Check is Fully Cleared by your Bank.I will not be able to come over to view it because i'm always busy at work but i believe that all the details of the advert are right and will want update about the Service History. You don't have to worry yourself about the shipment, My Shipper will take care of pick up as soon as you confirm the payment is Cleared by your Bank. let me know if there is any other miscellaneous payment like,the tax charges, etc that will be added to it.Transportation and maintenance cost will be added to the Total amount that will be issued on the Check. it will be used By My shipper who will be coming for the Pick Up at your location after your bank confirms cash available for use.My shipper is the one that will act on my behalf regards the documentation of the change of ownership so any signation will be sign by my shipper pick up and other all necessary detail information will be fill by shipper so don't worry yourself about the change of ownership documentation will be taken care by my shipper.Get Back to me with information listed below in order to make out the Check and payment will be issued and send via first class Mail Name to Be Write on The Check Address To Send the Check To so you receive and get it Deposited in your bank. Your Phone Numbers. Many Thanks. Daniel.

I have been doing a little sampling on the banks of a creek and have found there to be quite a bit of fine gold and a few nuggets around. What amount of gold found sampling would prompt you bring in a dredge? And do gold concentrations on the banks usually correlate with gold in the creek? I appreciate all the help I can get!

No, not talking about carrying around the patella of Jeff Williams’s buddy Slim while prospecting with a metal detector but, instead, the possibility of metal detecting after having had knee replacement surgery. Probably due in part to excessive jogging and running before, during and after military service, I’m now the owner of a very arthritic knee and considering getting a knee replacement. Almost all such replacements use some type of metal as main components. Just wondering if anyone reading this metal detects despite having a knee replacement. Does/would a metallic knee replacement make metal detecting impossible because the materials used in the replacement would constantly be giving false readings? I checked for previous threads on this topic and, to my surprise, didn’t find anything, which is why I’m bringing the subject up now. Since a lot of baby boomers, who probably comprise a large percentage of detectorists, may have/will eventually have knee problems I look forward to any insights they or anyone else can share!

I have a new GM 1000. I have never done any detecting for gold before and could use some help deciphering the area I am detecting in. I have been reading mining reports that say this area has a lot of shallow gold in it but after few days of detecting (total 15 hours) all I have is bullets, bird shot, tin foil, tin cans and a few magnetized rocks I have found. I am not sure I am detecting in the right type area? I have been concentrating on the deeper washes in Sw Arizona. I have attached some pics of the area. Maybe I should try higher ground. Just getting a little discouraged and need some help on the type of area I should be looking for. Do my areas look ok?

Was out in a regular field spot with the F75 again...this week, got a couple interesting buttons. I am curious if anyone can identify the button I enlarged. I do not have a good button book yet. I blew up the center silver plated eagle button. It is 19mm give or take, and says Armitage PHIL on it so should be pre-civil war. I do not see any letter in the center of the shield, and really don't want to damage it to clean it up at the moment. Sorry for the fuzzy pics...phone camera not impressing me so far. Also, if anyone has an inkling as to the top right piece... Thanks.

Finally; i get to my first post, and to the one and only Reg Wilson , probably the luckiest son of a gun this side of the black stump. I`m from south oz and i use an SD2200d primarily for it`s depth on large slugs, i don`t get out that often, not anywhere near as much as i would like, that`s my lot at the moment so i`ve got to cop it. Now; to some question`s, did you guys use that 36in monster coil over most known big slug old timer diggings in vic, if you did, i think it`s pretty pointless for the rest of us to go over that same ground, as we don`t have coils anywhere near that large ,don`t you think? Do you think in the public detecting grounds in vic ,that any slugs larger than 20oz still remain in the 3-4 foot range, i don`t believe that they do, would be interested in your opinion on this.I recently tested my SD on it`s deepest setting, i cut the top of a coke can jumped in an old timers hole, measured 1 metre with tape measure, and with just a 11in dd coil picked it up easily, the sd`s were used for many years, so i would think that those big slugs at 3-4ft would of been picked up at that depth with these machines, and i believe after testing that a slug of 100oz or more could be got at upto 5ft going by the test i did, i would be keen to hear your take on all this. Was at Wedderburn recently, specifically at Queens Gully for the first time, what an impressive gully never seen one quite like it, and the old timers scored some big slugs from that gully,and i can see why, I had the 24in dd monster on, and got this clear signal, after digging a foot had to put on the 8in coil to pinpoint, then digging down another foot out came that little thingy you find on the top of a coke can to open it up. This coil picked that little piece of alumn at 20-24 in measured, which really shocked me, i don`t think the zed could do better than that on such a small piece, have you dug much small gold at this sort of depth coz that really impressed me? I probably have a 1000 questions to ask you, but i wont overwhelm you, i`m sure you have better things to do with your time( like digging up more big lumps, please Reg, leave me at least one!! ha ha ha) Post was to Reg, but if anyone else would like to chime in, go for your life!!

This is made of lead and has threads

I just sold my X5 and trying to sell my Coin$trike with the intent on putting that money towards the XP Deus, which a friend of mine sales and swears by it. Well I'm just about ready to pull the trigger on the XP Deus and I start reading about the ML Equinox 800. Now, here's the problem... I'M SO CONFUSED!!! I love what the XP Deus has to offer, but I'm liking about what I'm hearing about the Equinox 800. Has anyone done any comparisons? Should I do as previously intended and by the Dues or will the features of the Equinox compare to or exceed the Deus saving me money in the long run. Once again, sorry for harping on this, but I'd love a little experienced guidance. Thanks "D"