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I thought I'd compile a list of things that are useful in our world, but that often make some of us say "no kidding, where did you find that?" 1. Floating buddy: This device can be easily constructed from common materials. wood, pvc, chicken wire, staples and zip ties. 2. Push in to screw on connector: allows less common push in connectors found on machines like the Land Ranger Pro to receive more common screw on coils. Can be purchased for $19.95 3. Flashlight/pinpointer holder: very handy for hunting at night in the cooler hours or mounting an underwater flashlight for underwater hunting. Easily holds a pinpointer as well. Can be purchased for around $5-$8 4. Waterproof box for Garrett Ace series: simply unmount your Ace 250-400 control box, mount this box in its place, and insert control box into the waterproof housing. Can be purchased for around $90 5. Folding shaft: relatively new device that can convert your metal detector into a fold and go. A little pricey at around $50. 6. Audio jack light/vibrator: great for the deaf or hearing impaired to be able to enjoy or remain in the hobby. Prices range from several dollars for the light and up. Price and availability of the vibrator varies. 7. Golf tees as markers: great for temporarily marking spots and questionable targets for later investigation or digs. As little as $9.95 for 120 8. Earth Magnets: grab a rope, toss it into lakes, rivers, streams etc and you're magnet fishing. Of course it will not work on non-ferrous metals, but then sometimes ferrous metals house non-ferrous items. Prices vary from $20 and up depending on pull.

Nope, I don't have a shovel - Lesche for parks, pick for prospecting. Your question would be great for a new thread. Haha, Steve...I assume the leche means you are not just doing surface work....you got to dig for the deep silver. Do you cut a plug or go for the slit, pry the cut open and then dig? fred

So I've had my AT Gold for about a month now and have not been able to use it due to weather. I took a trip to the California bay area 2 weeks ago and got turned at Donner Pass. Luckily it was only for about an hour. I spent a day in San Francisco at Alcatraz then later at Pier 39. The next day a took a drive down to Santa Cruz in hopes of the weather clearing up but all it did was rain. My days off are during the week so it sucks everyone's working when I'm off lol. Now we are expecting another storm here in the Reno area so no hopes in using it this week either. So far I have the AT Gold detector and a pin pointer and just ordered a coil cover. Does anyone have any other items that they recommend that I will need?

Gday folks and Merry Xmas to all Could anybody please tell me who the manufacturer of the Hook and Spoon red tipped crevice tool is, this would be mostly appreciated thanks

Both my big and little pick where looking a bit worse for wear lately, but they both still have nice sturdy handles on them so I decided to have a go at fixing them. To replace the big pick would probably cost me a couple of hundred bucks. My mate Steve gave me the material , a piece of car leaf spring. I used a 4½" angle grinder with a cut off disc to cut the pieces I needed, (don`t force the grinder, just let the grinder do the work and you wont tear hell out of the disc). I own a 240 volt, 15 amp inverter stick welder that I bought on ebay, ( I have no idea what the equivalent would be in the States), I fitted the new material to the the back of the pick blades, and welded them length ways only, NOT, across the blades, with low hydrogen rods. I wanted to use them for a couple of days before I told the world how clever I was, and I gotta say these new picks are great, so much easier to dig with. Much better than when they were new off the shelf. I`ve only used them 3 days so I still have to see how they stand up, but at the moment I am very happy with them. Dave

From https://www.whiteselectronics.com/product/hexscoop/ "This HexScoop is built for metal detecting beaches and sandy areas. So what makes it different from all of the other sand scoops out there? With hexagonal-shaped holes the HexScoop has an edge over traditional square-mesh construction. Each hole is laser-cut at 7/16″ – so it’s the perfect size for smaller rings and jewelry that other scoops tend to loose, but offers enough surface area to allow wet sand to fall through with a good shake. Even though with the thick-wall stainless steel construction and reinforced handles, our large and medium HexScoops are light enough to drag behind you all day. The handheld model is perfect for getting down in the sand. Each scoop is emblazoned with a laser-cut White’s logo – perfect for showing the competition who runs the beach! The HexScoop is offered in three sizes: Large* – 8″ x 4.5″ opening $129.95 Medium* – 6.75″ x 4.5″ opening $119.95 Small – Handheld $84.95 *Large and medium scoops ship without a handle. We suggest purchasing a shovel handle from a local hardware store – it will float and give you several seasons of use, even in salt. Handle opening is 1 3/8″."

Not that I dont like a good heavy duty pick, I was just tired of carrying a large pick while using the GB2 since I never really have to dig too deep while using the 6.5 inch coil. I came across an ad in a gardening magazine for the HOE•DAG. It caught my eye due to the shape and a lifetime guarantee. The handle could be an inch or two longer but I think I will like it, I can always put a new handle on in the future. I will keep everybody updated when it arrives and get some use out of it. Obviously that will not be until the desert gets a dip in the weather. Also if anybody else has used a HOEDAG let me know what you think. -Mike

What is your favorite pick? Do you like a heavy or light head? Handle length? What makes it special to you?

Talking shovels, any of you Minelab guys ever seen a shovel like this?? 28 inches long, just a baby round pointed shovel. Was given to me by a guy that had several Minelab detectors.

How to do it...

Hello everyone I'm new here to The Forum and to metal detecting. Inspired by all the Rock pics I saw at the gold show in Phoenix I decided to create my own. Take a look and see what you think. It was made from a $10 Hammer I picked up at Harbor Freight. M.

Six months ago my scoop detached unnoticed from my belt on thick bushes whilst detecting . Every time I go passed these particular diggings I drop in for a quick search with no luck . Now your thinking so what !!!! plenty of scoops out there , but no this was a special one that I loved . It was made in USA and I bought it online . I know it was made privately and was issued to stores until stock ran out . Description as follows . It had 3 initials in upper case on handle . (can't remember) The handle was flat to the scoop area which prevented pellets rolling into the usual small gap jamming pellets . Sides slightly angled not round and it had 4 riffles at toe of scoop . Nothing in Australia like this . Pretty sure this chap stopped making , hoping someone else has commenced . Any clues or comments would be appreciated . Very trivial request but just bugging me and my SDC misses it . Cheers goldrat

Love the concept !!!!!!if it works it could be lots of work out but a wild harvest!!!!! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Beach-rakes-Beach-trawl-thin-gold-chains-/1723648… RR

You guys helped me select the Hodan pick on the forum a short time ago. I bought a 16 inch and a 21 inch before they were all gone, so thanks! I just finished an article in the mining journal on accessories and was wondering who makes your pouches and if you had a lightweight knife for digging coins in parks. The knifes I've held so far are way too heavy. Thanks in advance for your suggestions. Grass Valley Buck Master

I think maybe I should have asked you all what you would recommend for a beach scoop before I purchased one. I looked on line a while and my thinking was the bigger the better. So I bought the 9 1/2 inch T-Rex. It didn't look that big in the picture but when I took it out of the box it was like "wow". Maybe I should have got the 8" model. I see how it got it's name. They told me the 3030 goes deep but I don't think I'll be missing a lot of targets on the first try with this thing but It may take a second person to operate it. Not only is it large but it's incredibly heavy duty. I looked at the welds on it etc and they are perfect. Between that and my big coils I best start working out. Terry

Over the last few years the thought rolls around in my head that with all the developments in material sciences, ceramics in particular, why has there not been a ceramic pick developed? We can make ceramic motors for cars and ceramic knifes that are pretty robust. In science fiction there are references to a mythic material called plas-steel however there really is not much on this in real science~ but its a totally cool idea and heck Star Trek practically gave us the hand held communicator ;) Any entertaining thoughts on this? Would you buy one? What do you think something like that would be worth? For me I think it would be a gold mine in itself as all current detectors on the top shelf do react to the amount of metal we carry on our persons. I don't feel things like weight are an issue but dulling down of a detector because I carry my honking big pick is rather annoying. And putting the honker down to detect is a great way to loose it, or have 30 waypoints to no where in my GPS unit... oh did I just stray 2km from where I dropped it..... and looking down I hope that target does not move before I get back to dig it. Where as with the ceramic I'm working a peak level and am Johnny on the spot when that nugget sings. This is something I feel can be done. And probably fairly cheaply~ so no carping about breaking the bloody thing ;) Thanks. And no I dont recommend something like this for solid rock but that'd be cool to as so many scrapes are full of Iron from chipping of blades and teeth.

For now Don Pedro lake still allows metal detecting with the exception of a few areas that are off limits, as long as we follow the rules. The first rule is to put the area back to normal (fill your holes) when you are done. I filled your hole in the middle of the trail, but if you continue to be inconsiderate (and this really was stupid) we will lose the freedom to hunt there.

I broke my digging tool, so I'm looking for ideas on what to replace it with. I know for prospecting you all use a pick. as do I, but that won't do for turf! this is what I've been using. works great turf.

Appreciate you attaching the Video's. Really good video and nice gold. I also like the tools you use. I have a couple short handled pics but like that long handled one you used, would save me bending over as much and you can get 2 hands on it. What brand/model is that if you don't mind? Thanks, Terry

What does everyone find convenient for holding tools, pinpointer, etc? And, what tools would you consider carrying for beeping tailing piles and exposed bedrock in a wet placer environment? Thanks Bob

New to this forum and I did some searching, but sorry if this has been covered before. I'm going to buy some rare earth (neodymium) magnets to take prospecting, but want to make sure I don't do something stupid in the process. I already have one (N52 cylinder, 1in X 1in) and know how powerful these can be. They come in many sizes, shapes, and strengths (see CMS Magnetics website at www.magnet4sale.com for a huge selection). My first concern: is it possible to damage the electronics of a metal detector by getting too strong of a field closeby? Second concern: would getting too powerful of a magnet be a detriment in either cleaning up black sand or clearing a trashy areas of bits of iron? I have one of those plastic encased plunger magnets that come with panning kits but it seems really wimpy. But maybe wimpy is good for the purpose of cleaning out black sand at the end of panning and too strong of a magnet would be a problem?

"About 750 days after she first broke down, Bertha, the massive drill long stuck under Seattle’s waterfront, is back to work. Five stories tall and the biggest of her kind, Bertha overheated in December 2013, about a ninth of the way into digging a tunnel for an underground expressway. The contractor on the dig staged a painstaking rescue, and Bertha’s slowly drilling again." Full story at http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-06/bertha-the-giant-drill-is-ready-to-rumble-in-seattle Wikipedia page on Bertha boring drill https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha_(tunnel_boring_machine)

My neighbor was cleaning out his mother's shed and discovered a box of mining items-gold pans, gold scales, picks, etc. and this hammered iron spoon, just like the traditional horn spoons discussed earlier. It is 8 and 5/8 inches long and about an inch and a half deep. Very sturdy and well used. I had no idea the spoons even existed prior to the Forum's earlier post on the horn variety.

I am not saying my way is the best or anything like that, but I figure for newcomers at least some idea of what a person might need detecting would be helpful. Click images for larger versions. Steve in the field This is what I look like out detecting. In Alaska I would probably be in a rain jacket and mosquito headnet but things are a bit nicer down south! Main thing to note here is I am using a small camelback style rucksack which serves three purposes. It is my detector support harness, it contains some essential items, and it gives me a quick sip of water when I need it. The GPZ 7000 bungee clips to my right shoulder next to the water tube. The speaker module goes on the left shoulder under my good ear. I pretty much always use the module unless wind forces me to go to headphones. The bungee wanted to pull off my shoulder but I found a simple solution by routing it under the cross strap that connects the shoulder straps. I use the standard GPZ 7000 velcro/clip on the detector itself to attach the bungee. I really like how easy it is to disconnect from the detector while digging, etc. which is also facilitated by the remote speaker. Closeup of bungee routing The rucksack is a freebie I got at the Minelab convention a couple years ago (thanks Minelab). It is an Urban Peak Hybrid Hydropack with 2 liter water capacity and for a item I got quite by chance it turns out to be about perfect for me and my use. My rucksack/bungee harness I use the GPS system built into the GPZ 7000 pretty religiously these days but still am also using my Garmin GPS which is clipped to my left shoulder strap for easy access. You can see in the right hand belt pocket the GPZ 7000 ferrite ring ready to use if I ever need it. Here are the contents of the rucksack: Items in the rucksack The waterproof container in upper left has basic first aid supplies, bandaids, pain killers, moleskin, lighter, emergency blanket/tarp, etc. Next is a plastic baggie with emergency toilet paper. Then a cheap plastic disposable poncho in case I get caught by a sudden downpour. A plastic spoon and a Swiss Army knife. Next row some waterproof first aid tape good for lots of things. Some parachute cord. A Delorme InReach emergency satellite communications device. A digital scale with cover and 10X loupe/magnifier with cover. A Garrett AT Propointer and finally, my camera. Often a spare GPZ battery or food or other items join this stuff but these are the items always with me. I have long been a fan of the White's belt pouch (P/N 601-0066 $14.95). It has three main compartments and two little side compartments with velcro closures. The largest main compartment gets all the trash I find. A smaller compartment has my gold bottle and maybe my camera or a water bottle. The third compartment is a holster for my digging scoop. One of the two side compartments has more emergency toilet paper (can't have too much) and maybe spare AA batteries if I am using a VLF. The belt is nothing special just a nylon utility belt. It has a nylon pick holder mounted to hold my pick when I am not actually using it. Trash and goodie pouch with side compartments Finally, the pick. In Alaska I hunted tailing piles a lot and so favored picks with big hoe digging implements. Now with the GPZ I want the metal at a minimum and I find I do not need a digging hoe so much in the desert and such down south. So this is a Hodan 24" digging pick which does all I need. It has a super magnet stuck on the head, with a small hose clamp placed ahead of it that keeps the magnet from sliding off when I dig aggressively. Digging pick Oh yeah, the gloves. I always wear gloves to protect my hands when digging and just in general. I have had people comment that some of my photos must be staged because my hands are always clean! Anyway, that's about it. I am going to put my camera in a pouch on my left shoulder right under the speaker module so it is always handy. I saw a bunch of antelope recently and the camera was in the rucksack. No good as sometimes you only get seconds for a good photo. Other than that I am pretty happy with my setup. Like I said, it is not what everyone needs and lacks some things some people might need, but it at least offers an idea and suggestion for things to consider. Urban Peak Hybrid Hydropack