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If you look at the menu bar topside there is a new button marked "Gallery". This is the new forum photo gallery. I take tons of photos, which I do use in posts and for stories on the forum. Even then however huge numbers go unused and unseen and I think that is a real shame. So I did this mainly for me to have a place to put additional photos that I can link to in threads both future and past. A good example is my Steve's 2013 Alaska Gold Adventure where I used a lot of photos. But many were never seen, and so I am now putting up a bunch more in a gallery album here to get the ball rolling. 71 added so far with a bunch to go, and that is just one trip! Each forum member can create their own album or multiple albums based on subject. The photos can be linked to and used elsewhere. The software has a few glitches but works well once you get the flow down. Here are some tips to get started. And before I forget, my apologies to those of you who found and were using the gallery before I made it public - some stuff got lost doing the forum upgrade getting it all ready for prime time. I have set the limits pretty high but if you look at my gallery I am pretty much sizing everything to 1600 x 1200 (4:3) and it works well. You can try other sizes and shapes but that is a starting point. If you have issues I will try and tweak based on feedback. Before you start, review the security warning about uploading files with location information. 1. Go to Photo Gallery at http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/gallery/ 2. Click Add Images button in upper right. 3. Select Category “Members Albums”. 4. You can Create New Album or Choose Existing Album. 5. To create a New Album choose a name like “Steve's 2013 Alaska Adventure”. 6. Add a description for your new album “Steve drives to the town of Chicken in Alaska's Fortymile country to metal detect for gold in June and July of 2013.” 7. Choose photos to add to your album or add them later. If cropping or resizing 1600 x 1200 or any 4:3 ratio delivers good results. 8. After adding photos you can give them captions and descriptions. Everything can be edited later. If adding bulk photos and adding descriptions to multiple photos hit the arrow “>” on the right side to step through each image until done. There is a bug and if you try and go backwards info seems to disappear, so just go through one at a time until done. Fix stuff later by editing individually if need be. If you want to add copyright and credit info it can be added to all images at once in final step instead of one at a time, a great time saver. Photos can be commented on and even given a star rating if you see ones you really like. Enjoy!

Ok, time to out myself. I am self declared promoter and cheerleader for all things metal detecting. I may appear at times to promote a certain brand, but simply Google me and study a bit and you will see I promote all reasonably good brands. It has nothing to do with brands. Ultimately, I am a consumer advocate and do what I can to foster competition and innovation in the marketplace. It is all for very selfish reasons - I want the best metal detectors possible to be put in my very own hands before I get too old to use them anymore. I have always tried to the best of my ability to treat all the manufacturers fairly and with an even hand in commentary because I very much want to influence them if possible. Being too much on any one team would hurt me by limiting my access to the other team. Bashing anyone at all in an unreasonable way is self defeating, so the trick is to try and offer critical commentary without being rude about it. You are all part of this. This forum had a specific goal by design of trying to attract the most knowledgeable detector users possible. Hand in hand with that is an insistence on polite, reasoned discourse. I can tell you for a fact most manufacturers look on the forums as a Wild West show at best, and it you are honest the behavior exhibited on many forums should embarrass us all as a community. Why should manufacturers listen to a bunch of bickering children casting insults at one another? Or those who say that they, the manufacturers, are stupid dull idiots? I am sure this forum gets watched by more manufacturers now than most, purely because there are some smart people here providing some smart commentary. That means that you, the forum member, have a certain degree of influence, but only if you present yourself well as a person who can put two sentences together to make a logical argument. Do certain things about metal detectors frustrate you? Are there things you want improved? Competition is now heating up to unheard of levels and the only manufacturers that are going to win are the ones who start listening to their customers more than they ever have before. Be part of my plan and get on my team as being a person to provide and offer commentary on what detector products do well and why. What do you like, what don't you like? Do it in a professional - that is the key - as professional a manner as possible, and I believe I can promise your desires and concerns will get seen by people who can make a difference. You do have a little power here. Please use it responsibly.

I spent a good chunk of time today rounding up a new set of post icons (emoticons or smilies) for the forum today. Click on that little smily face in the editor menu and up pops some most used icons plus ones you use a lot. In the upper right there is a category button, and selecting the category button brings up the entire selection. I made the best logo set I could plus a better gold nugget icon. Enjoy!

Still finding little odds and ends. For some reasons signatures got turned off during the upgrade. I have re-enabled it, but you may need to reformat. The old version of IP Board had some unapproved formatting and part of the upgrade is to bring everything into full web compliance. However, there are some things now because they are being properly displayed look broken, if that makes any sense. On the old forum you had to hit Enter twice to make a space for a new paragraph (now only once), which added code that should not be there. Now the code displays properly but the old posts have double spaces I need to clean up. Geek coding stuff. Anyway long story short you may need to reformat any existing signatures. If you see anything else missing please let me know!

Hope all made the trip from the old to the new forum. I like when Rob made the change and this looks the same. This is such a great forum and now it's made a big step forward. For info on new detectors you will find it here. The main reason nobody is making a push to sell their product ( detector ). So here it's not one sided picture you get.. I like all the other forums but I find myself spending more time here. Thanks Steve for the new look. Chuck

The new forum software will no longer allow me to use an add on script that enables the current classifieds system on this forum. I have set up a new forum for classifieds at http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/forum/44-metal-detecting-prospecting-classifieds/ Maybe not as snazzy but it has the benefit of you already know exactly how it works and no time limits, etc. Once I get switched to the new version 4 of the forum I can add more functionality to it however. In the meantime, anyone with existing ads needs to recreate them in the new forum as anything in the old classifieds will be lost. I am updating links in the sidebar and elsewhere to reflect the changes. Thanks!

A topic got brought up at http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/1510-awesome-day-in-the-desert-sw/?p=17706 which is so important I wanted to cover it in detail on it's own thread. There is a feature in digital photography whereby information about the photo can be encoded directly into the photo itself. This originally was just information about the photo itself including the original file name and camera setting information, date taken, etc. There are two common formats you are likely to run into - EXIF and IPTC. EXIF tends to be technical details about the photo, and IPTC is more about copyright, description, and other details useful for publishing. Details on EXIF and IPTC here. When cameras equipped with GPS became a possibility, GPS information was added to the EXIF data. This was normally just something common to phones with GPS built in but more cameras are now coming with GPS built in and more GPS units are coming with cameras built in. Activities like geotagging and such make tying location data to a photo very popular. All those photos loaded up for viewing in Google Earth? Way easier if the location data is encoded into the photo. I use a great little free program called IrfanView which is amazingly powerful and compact. The IrfanView portable version can run off a USB stick. IrfanView has a photo information tab under Image in the menu which reveals all the EXIF and IPTC information, and allows the IPTC information to be modified. You can also set options for stripping EXIF data, both on image save or via batch processing. Like I said, very powerful little program. When you display the EXIF information in IrfanView, it offers to display the photo location in Google Maps, Google Earth, and some other mapping programs. Great for photos you took but can't remember where. OK, here is a photo I took on my phone, cropped, resized, modified the brightness, and added a caption. I saved as a renamed jpg but did not toggle the checkbox that strips EXIF data. I want to show that just because an image has been modified does not mean that data gets changed. Here is the image, and then a shot from IrfanView showing the EXIF data.... Now, you could save my lake image to your computer, and open it in IrfanView and view the EXIF data, but there is an easier way. Depending on your browser you need to get the address of the first photo I posted. If you use Chrome, just right click on the photo, and choose copy image address. Or you may have to click on the photo, choose the Save option, and copy the address out of the browser window. Bottom line depending on the browser you need to get the address where the image resides online. In this case the address for the lake image is http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/uploads/monthly_01_2016/post-1-0-57762000-1451694506.jpg If you have copied that address (again, easy way is with Chrome) now go to this website http://www.verexif.com/en/ and where it says Or paste a picture URL paste in the address of the photo and hit return. A page will pop up with the basic EXIF information, and you will see a map at the bottom of the page showing you where I took that photo!!!! Notice the site has an option for stripping EXIF information from your own photos. It gets better. If you have an iPhone or similarly equipped device it even knows the direction you are pointing the camera, and this data is also encoded. If you did download my photo and open it in IrfanView you can load the location directly to Google Earth and see where I was and which direction I was pointing the camera. In Google Earth below as loaded from IrfanView the view was looking straight to the top of the screen capture which is rather obvious since I was taking a photo of the lake. The funny part is I named the photo "looking west" and now that I see where I was and the direction of photo it was looking east. OK, lessons learned. First, just use a camera without GPS, which is what I normally do. If you use a phone or other GPS enabled device, learn where to shut the EXIF GPS recording off or just turn off the GPS when taking photos. Even then I would use IrfanView to make sure you did it right. Possibly the most dangerous thing is uploading directly from a phone as it is too easy to forget and load up location data without thinking about it. Many sites like this one resize large images and EXIF information may get stripped in the process. In fact it is easier to lose the information than retain it if you do much with the image. It is not always bad stuff to have and keeping it can be a good thing - I purposefully use EXIF and IPTC information to help insure that people copying my photos without permission might be caught using the encoded data. It really is only the GPS location data that can be a problem given the nature of prospecting. But never count on the data getting stripped by a website, be sure it is not there in the first place if you do not wish it to be. We all really like photos, myself in particular, which is why I set this forum up with generous photo display options. I sure do not want to discourage people from posting photos - I want to encourage it. But do be careful when posting photos from a GPS enabled device to be sure you are not posting more information than you intended.

My thanks to Steve for storing/providing the info. Minelab CTX 3030 Programs And thanks to UK Gary for writing the instructions of how to gett a file from one place to another in cyberspace.As some or perhaps all of you know I ain't very smart or computer-ish. However, having a ctx with many options I decided to FORCE my brain to engage and learn to import programs...I read the Minelab directions...but, after several attempts with the same non-results I knew I was missing some important step or steps. I checked on Finds with similar results. Today I checked the download section and found Gary's directions...after only a few mis-steps I finally succeeded...I know this is like a toddler being proud of getting potty trained...but I am happy to get out of ctx-diapers. Thank you Steve and Gary Merry Christmas to all fred

I have been thinking for some time how it might be nice every once in awhile to recognize somebody on the forum in a special way. I thought about doing a poll but that seemed like it could get into some kind of popularity contest with ballot box stuffing and hurt feelings so I just decided to make it simple. My forum, my pick! There is a guy on the forum who goes by vanursepaul. Back in March he did something that really made me sit up and take notice. He gave his White's MXT away to a total stranger on the forum! The story need not be told here and I have since wondered about the individual Paul gave the detector to, but there is no doubt it was a special act by a special person to do what Paul did. This was back in March at http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/737-thank-you-to-all-the-men-and-boys-at-this-forum/?p=6731 Further, Paul works at the VA supporting our veterans. Now, I will admit to being a peacenik of sorts and there are few if any military actions that have taken place in my lifetime that I think were worth a drop of American blood. Regardless of that however I have an very deep and abiding respect for the men and women who serve in the military. There is no doubt that having a strong military is vital to the nation, and that without the willingness and sacrifices of the men and women in uniform I would not enjoy anything like the life I have had, because of people like them willing to put their lives on the line for me. I am awed and humbled by them all. You all have my greatest respect and I thank you for the jobs you do or have done. That also goes very much to people like Paul who look out for the interests of our veterans in any way and at any level. There are those that have paid a serious price for serving our country and we can never do enough to help them. Thank you Paul. Then I saw that Paul was the first person I know of to jump on ordering a new Makro Gold Racer and it all clicked. Paul was the obvious candidate. Dilek Gonulay with Makro is my partner in crime here because she provided me with a brand new Makro Pinpointer to give to Paul for use with his new Makro detector when it arrives. There is not a more deluxe pinpointer package on the market and totally waterproof also. It comes in it's own little hardcase and even has a couple special slip on protective tips for use scraping and poking around in rough conditions. So I met Paul today and bought him lunch and gave him the pinpointer Dilek sent me. Thank you for the donation Dilek. Congratulations Paul Kirkeminde - Detector Prospector Man of the Year!

Am having some problems with Win 10`s Edge and the 4M, will not allow the posting of smiley faces and at times I have to sign in and out again to post. Suspect my problem may be my satellite Internet conx, not Win 10, just wondering are others having problems here?

If you go to your name in the upper right next to "Sign Out" and select "My Settings" by clicking on your name, you can adjust your basic forum settings and information. Be sure and set your time zone! If you put something in the Location box it displays in your posts under your avatar/picture. In the past the Interests box only showed if people looked at your profile. I have made that also display under the avatar/picture. See my examples to the left. I also added a new field "Gear Used" where you can list your favorite detectors, dredge, ATV, whatever. This also will end up displaying under the avatar/picture. All this stuff is totally optional and honor system obviously. In the left column is the "Signature" option which is where people create those signature lines you see under all their posts. You can get pretty creative there as an alternative to these simple options. Any comments of other suggestions please let me know.

Way back in April it was suggested that I add a calendar or event scheduler to the forum http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/885-eventsfield-trip-calender/ This is part of most Invision forums but I had in deactivated for a simple reason. I am a bit of a privacy type person so you may have noticed that this forum does not display who is online. I guess it is supposed to be cool somehow but I do not think most of you want people to know you are logged in online. If you want to post, post. If not, nobody needs to know you are hanging out. Similarly, other forums display birthday info in various ways, especially on the calendars. Now I suppose this is nice as everyone wishes somebody happy birthday. But then others get no birthday wishes at all. Mostly, as far as I am concerned, it is just off topic clutter. Yeah, I know, I am an unsentimental hardass taking this on topic nonsense too far! But that is just the way I like things and so I have finally activated a calendar that does not automatically display birthdays so we are good to go. I should have done it sooner but better late than never. Right now the Rye Patch outing is the only thing on the calendar. I will be adding more stuff soon. You are welcome to also make additions but please keep them somehow related to prospecting, metal detecting, rock collecting, etc. The bottom line is all additions are moderated and will not appear until I approve them so no worries. If I think it is too far off topic I may not approve it. Then again, if it seems really compelling I may just let it go. You are also welcome to just email suggestions to contact@detectorprospector.com or better yet post them on this thread. Let me know if you can't see it or whatever. Link in the menu bar at top of forum or at http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/calendar/ Events also appear on the main forum directory sidebar at http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/ but it will take an upgrade to IP Board 4 to get them displayed elsewhere, and I am not going there for some time yet. I will see what else I can do in the meantime.

After my post this morning abt the events i got to thinking; this website has already got to require a commitment of time and i am asking for something that may require additional time invested, isn t he doing plenty just by hosting this site? This thought stuck with me all day and led me to create this post. THANK YOU STEVE for creating and running this website I sincerely appreciate the enrichment it has given and the knowledge it has given/helped spread. I applaud you, and you have my respect.

Steve, Have you considered a events page where person could find out about seminars, outings, group events? I would be intetested in knowing about such things. Thanks-Therell

New Member Signup - Click Here! Lost Password - Click Here! Forum Tips & Tricks Advanced Search Tag List/Index Welcome to the Detector Prospector forum! Anything remotely related to metal detecting and prospecting for gold may be posted here. Forums for other subjects may be found here. The main goal here - to inform and educate. Please keep threads and posts on topic (metal detecting and prospecting). Off topic posts may be moved or deleted without warning. This is the oldest forum here, at one time the only forum. As such it is a catch all for a wide range of subject. However, after about page 6, I move some posts to sub-forums for archival purposes. For instance, posts about specific Minelab detectors get moved to the Minelab Forum, and posts about specific Garrett detectors get moved to the Garrett Forum, etc. This makes it easier for people to find posts about specific subjects in the future, rather than sifting through everything here. The main goal of the forum is to share information. If you see something interesting on another forum or anywhere else, please link to it. Mention any brands you like. The only goal here is to inform and anything interesting or informative is not only allowed but desired as long as it is on topic. While visiting this forum please act as if you are visiting my home. Treat others with decency and respect. Politics is not strictly prohibited, but limit it to items of concern such as public meeting notices, comment periods, etc. Any post mentioning any politician by name is going to be deleted, period. No detector wars - every detector serves a purpose for somebody. For general editorial purposes this forum is treated as if it is a magazine. Do not place ads for your detector or equipment for sale here. That is only allowed in the Classifieds and is only for participating members - read the rules. A note about the Google Ads - I know we all hate ads but they pay for the website. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. All I can do is to promise not to go overboard with them. Special Note To Dealers - Dealers are welcome here, with minimal guidelines. Please read My Policy Regarding Dealers If you have problems logging in or any other issues while on the forum send me a Personal Message (PM). Information on other general forum use and features can be found here. Steve Herschbach

Dealers are welcome on these forums. I do as a rule prefer dealers identify themselves when posting. Putting dealership contact information is the signature line is encouraged for this reason, and can bring the dealer some business! Unlike most forums this one is not owned or sponsored by detector dealers. However, I respect many dealers as being some of the most knowledgeable people in metal detecting. To ban them here would be a bad idea. I in fact would like to attract them. I welcome any posts from any dealer intended to enlighten and inform. Any smart dealer should know people do not like overt sales. The way to go about it is show you know your stuff. Help people. Be useful. I also do not mind dealers advertising in the Classifieds and in fact again, I welcome it. There are limits however. First, you must identify yourself as a dealer in your ad. Second, only advertise real deals. Genuine limited time offers that people would regret not knowing about. Do not "flood" the Classifieds with ads. A few good quality listings is better than sheer volume. As a rule a dealer should have no more than two ads in the Classifieds at any one time; if more are posted I may delete the oldest ones at my option. And do note that no ads stay up forever unless updated regularly. After 90 days any ad may be deleted. Again, at my option and I am not looking to be draconian but am pretty forgiving. I try to see what the intent is and work with that. In particular, dealer ad listings for used detectors and demo units are most welcome. Offer the members of the forum real deals, and you will be appreciated. Dealers can be aggressive types but if so they will meet their match in me. I have very high standards for this forum and demand polite, informative discourse. Anyone wanting anything else, well, the internet is loaded with places that cater to everything else. Here, we stick to meat and potatoes. Advice from my 35 years in retail - talk about what you do that is good, not about what other dealers do or do not do. People do not like it when dealers talk others down. Any dealer that makes a habit of talking negatively about the competition or engaging them directly in a negative way will not be welcome here. This site will always put regular member interest first over dealer interests. Any member who has a problem with or objects to the behavior of any dealer on the forum, please PM me with your concerns. One person complaining that a dealer did them wrong may not sway me but on the other hand I do not want to support dealers in any way that do not make a habit of going above and beyond for their customers. Since this is all an experiment I am making up as I go you can bet I will be watching like a hawk and make adjustments in practices and policy going forward as I see fit.