ZED Confidence

[strick]

I must admit that I have not had much confidence in my Zed. Yea I've found a few small nuggets with it but given the choice I usually grab the 2300 when I want to find gold. I understand the 2300's language much easier. The problem with the Zed for me was the ground noise. It was distracting me to no end. I felt like I could be passing over a deep nugget and miss it due to all the chatter the machine was making. My other problem was having never dug a big deep nugget I had no idea what one sounded like. Unlike some of you that have been detecting for decades using many different machines I lack the experience that you fellas have with ground noise, detectors and how to properly tweak your detector to eliminate this annoying problem. So when Lisa and I took off for a few days of detecting in the high sierras this past week I threw the Zed in the truck mostly because it looked cool and had a big coil.

We got to the gold fields Sunday late afternoon and after setting up camp I managed to get a couple hours in swinging the Zed on some un disturbed ground looking for a nugget patch but I found nothing but trash. The next day... Monday was spent exploring new country far from camp. we put the boots to the ground but once again failed to find gold. Beautiful views of the terrain and wildlife helped to ease the pain of constant digging. That night I talked with forum member Normmcq by phone and expressed my lack of confidence with the Zed. He told me the settings he likes to use and more importantly told me where he got a couple nuggets earlier in the week. The area was close to our camp and despite hunting this area for nothing on a previous trip with the Zed I decided to give it a shot again.

Tuesday morning we were on the claim and within two hours I had five nuggets all within a 30x30 yard area about 70 yards away from the designated spot. I was using Norm's settings running the Zed on high sensitivity, very low threshold, High yield, difficult. It seemed like gold was just popping out of the ground all of the sudden. And the ground was finally quiet! This is an area that has been pounded by everyone and his uncle for decades. I kept working it most of the day taking a break only for lunch. Wednesday morning I worked it again venturing a little farther but it seemed that I had cleaned out the patch. But at least I was happy now with the Zed it was quiet and I had found gold. As far as I was concerned the trip was a success. I had 5 nuggets and my biggest ever a nice 4 gram sponge specimen. That afternoon while having lunch with Lisa I was telling her I did not know where to go for the evening hunt. The patch was worked out I felt and I was beat up from all the digging and walking all over the sierras. Her reply... "why don't you try where Norm found his 2 nuggets?"  True I had not tried that exact spot yet. I had been avoiding it mostly because it was near a major digging and I figured Norm probably cleaned it out anyway.

So I headed back to the claim and slowly start working over "the area" with the Zed. It's late afternoon and I'm into the hunt about 30 minutes venturing closer and closer to the old diggings. Soon I think I hear a slight change in the threshold near a small bank so I scrape away a little dirt with my boot. It sounds about the same so I do another quick boot scrape and this time it sounds a tiny bit louder. Out comes the pick and after several more scrapes with the pick it becomes apparent that I have a deep broad sounding target. I hate digging deep beer cans more then anything but I get to work anyway. The deeper I go the louder the Zed screams until finally sweat is pouring off my body and the Zed is overloading. The hole is too deep and narrow now to pinpoint so I'm getting frustrated. Then I remember that I had the brains to put my pinpointer in the ATV before I left camp. I go and get the pinpointer and turn it on and shove it in the bottom of the hole.... but no signal...I look at it to make sure it's turned on and sure enough it is. Now I start to scanning the sides of the hole all the way around but still no signal. Thats weird I think to myself. Almost all deep trash targets are easy to find with the pinpointer. So I dig more and repeat the process with the pinpointer but still no signal. The thought crossed my mind that maybe it was a deep cable or something and just cover up the hole and be done with it. But I had to know so I dug a little deeper. Finally the pinpointer barely hears something. But it's a small area that it's reacting to... about two inches or so. I think to myself again thats weird usually trash targets are give off a big broad signal with the pinpointer. I'm digging more carefully now and within a couple minutes the pinpointer tells me that the target is out of the bottom of the hole. I find it about half way up the hole and grab a hand full of dirt. Now it's in my hand and as I let the dirt fall from my hand the pinpointer is still chirping at this smooth heavy whitish colored rock I'm holding. I'm blind as a bat up close without my glasses but I think maybe I see some yellow so I put it in my mouth to clean it off the whole time saying to myself....Please God, Please God!...... Then out of my mouth and into my hand pops a one ounce gold nugget!

I can not remember when I have been so excited. Now I'm hooked forever. Thanks to the boys from Quincy for all your mentoring and hospitality in helping this newbie. I really appreciate it.

strick

[Relichunter]

Wow !!! Great story you had me right there....dirt, rocks and dust...the nugget is a beauty...congrats on your finds and success with the ZED....

[1515Art]

no doubt, great story and beautiful nuggets!

[Tortuga]

That's one nice looking nugget.

The Zed quiets down a bit if you ground balance with the iron ferrite ring.

After getting some hours behind it you'll get used to all the ground noises. The Z is like a super powerful, hot VLF detector. Metal targets will always make a distinct noise when you put the coil over them tho.

[jasong]

Righteous! Your confidence in the machine should bring many more now too.

[Calmark]

Way to go!  That's a nice collection of beautiful nuggets.  That big one is a great find.  Its hard to believe the old timers missed it.  Nice job sticking with it and getting the GPZ to help you find the gold!

[normmcq]

WTG Strick

 Nice bunch of nuggets. Did you leave any for me?

                                                        Norm McQ

[mn90403]

Confidence is a wonderful thing but what is even better is someone telling you where to find gold.

 

I'm going to start using Norm's settings.  I hope he tells me where to look also.

 

No matter where you look ... you have to hear the signal and you did the work Strick.  WTG.  Well written story.  You followed directions and instructions and we're all glad you got your results.  Some of us are even envious.  haha

 

Mitchel

[Norvic]

You beauty, have full confidence in the GPZ, I found with threshold down and sensitivity up you get a more distinct signal but only over the centre on deeper stuff, as you turn the threshold up the signal becomes broader and you get more depth. Suggest you advance the threshold up a little to a comfortable level keeping the sensitivity right up, as you find more you`ll find you become more comfortable with the noise. Tis a powerful beast the GPZ. May the Goddess of Gold bless you further but she`s a cantankerous b....h.