Detailed Review Of Makro Gold Racer By Steve Herschbach

[LukeOzDigger]

Steve'

Have you had a chance to spend any time with the mineralization meter? Does it work in reguards to following black sand/minerals etc? Or can it be used in this way?

Sorry if this question has been covered I might have missed it.

[Steve Herschbach]

In theory the mineralization meter can be used this way, but as a practical matter I think not really. It is very much a near surface thing, and you have to pump the coil up and down to get an accurate reading. I can only see it working in a shallow dry wash but such that you could probably just eyeball the color difference in the sand. A more practical method with the Gold Racer might be to crank the sensitivity to the edge of overload on lower mineral content soil, then sweep and hunt for overloads. Again though you are talking near surface effects, nothing like a magnetometer.

The White's V3i has an almost unknown feature whereby the machine continuously graphs magnetic content.

I am a bit skeptical of the practicality of it all. Most of the trace black sands with a metal detector thing seems to hark back to the old BFO days. People bring it up now and then, and I hear lots of opinions, but nobody ever seems to actually put it to the real test. A project for another day I guess.

More intriguing to me is a trick a GMT user told me about years ago, but I keep forgetting to try it. He claimed the mineralization meter could be used as an extra aid in identifying ferrous items.

[indianbullet]

Steve, I have to say, you sir, deserve a vacation after that synopsis. Although I know it is just the beginning.  Maybe pizza and a beer until then. Thank you for all that effort.

[Jim Hemmingway]

More intriguing to me is a trick a GMT user told me about years ago, but I keep forgetting to try it. He claimed the mineralization meter could be used as an extra aid in identifying ferrous items.

 

Steve this has been suggested to me over the years, and I've read a few accounts on the forums.

 

"The way Fe3O4 (or equivalent) is measured internally in different machines, is different, so it's hard to generalize what it'll do on metal targets. On some machines on some targets and in some soils it can be an aid in identifying flat or rusty iron." That is a direct quote taken from an email to me from a chief design engineer in El Paso who certainly ought to know.

 

My F75 Fe3O4 meter will respond to rusted iron in the ground conditions here, but it will respond similarly over some perfectly good, rich silver ores in situ.

 

When seeking more information about a suspect target, I use the groundgrab feature prior to disturbing the soil. Pinpoint the target, enable the groundgrab and pump the coil no more than four or five times. That's plenty, so don't force the issue.

 

Observe the ground phase / GB readout. In this area a sharp reduction from typical operating values of around GB86 to more conductive GB values... for example say low GB40s... is a clear indication of either rusted iron (maghemite formation in surrounding matrix), predominantly colbaltite ores (arsenic rich) that may or not possibly contain some negligible amount of native silver, or niccolite... a commonplace nickel arsenide in this area.. but our typical dollar-size nickel ores tend to generate comparatively less conductive values in the GB50s.

 

Jim.

[deathray]

Any word on release date/price yet?

[SDMiner]

Hi Steve, Which headphones are you currently using with the Gold Racer? Would you recommend this detector for Southern california deserts? As of right now I'm using a GB2 with Sun Ray Pro Gold headphones. Thank You, Mike Gibson

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi Mike, welcome to the forum!

I try to stick to what I know. Having never detected in SoCal and never having used the final product it is premature for me to recommend anything to anybody. I have done the best I can to describe the machine and what it might be capable of but that is about as far as it goes right now. What I am seeing suits me to a tee and I will be using nothing but a GPZ 7000 and the Gold Racer for my prospecting from here on out. If you have a Gold Bug 2 you are well covered and no rush to do anything different.

I also am a Sun Ray Pro Gold (the special CTX version) user. They work with everything I own.

[Steve Herschbach]

Any word on release date/price yet?

I have to believe we will know soon, but I don't know any more than you Ray.

[Nokta Detectors]

Hello all. A little bit more patience. The availability date and price will be announced the week of December 7th. Thank you!