GOLD detectors - who knows a good one ?

Submitted: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 12:27
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We are now looking at Gold detectors to take away this winter

Looking for good information from *users* of gold detectors as to what brand has the best advantages in the finding of the precious metal ?

Maîneÿ . . .
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Reply By: Member - Uncle (NSW) - Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 12:53

Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 12:53
Stick with Minelabs Mainey, you wont go wrong.



cheers uncImage Could Not Be Found
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Follow Up By: Member - Lotzi (QLD) - Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 18:18

Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 18:18
x2

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Reply By: Member - evren1 (WA) - Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 12:53

Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 12:53
Mainey,

I was only talking to an old fella that was right into prospecting a couple of weeks ago.
I cant for the life of me remember the buisnes name but he informed me that there is a specialty shop in Perth, and I could get a good second handy for a fraction of the price of new! give it a google!
The old fella also gave me a tip! don't wear steel caps whilst prospecting! he did this after a couple beers one arvo and thought he had hit the jack pot!

Evan
Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how popular it remains!

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Reply By: Member - bungarra (WA) - Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 13:58

Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 13:58
Minelab are the only brand I would consider. The current model GPX4500 are without doubt the best world wide.........if you can justify the expense then that is the best.

But at the end of the day all the previous minelab models will find gold (and all the other metal junk as well)...it is just that each model upgrade has more features and get easier to use than the previous models......many experienced users have upgraded to the 4500 and many others have stayed with what they have..and they still find gold

At the end of the day if you are in gold country and are detecting well..then you simply have to be lucky enough to walk over it to get the target signal and then dig it so see what it is....gold if you get lucky...and in many cases a history lesson because there has nearly always been someone else out there before you...and left their junk....but it is all good fun

if you intend purchasing one for recreation and good fun with no expectations then you will enjouy being out there..if you intend to purchase one with the expectation of paying for it and making your fortune..then possibly best not to ....you might be dissapointed

I have just had a 10 days of fun with some success..but looks like someone else has posted a picture with a better haul than me!



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Reply By: Member - mazcan - Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 14:05

Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 14:05
hi mainey
i was talking to a guy in kalgoorlie last month and he paid $6000 for his new one he was new to the game and i wished him luck
i think it was a mine lab
i commented that maybe the gold is in the selling of the detectors????
cheers



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Reply By: ChipPunk - Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 14:14

Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 14:14
I have heard much the same...
Plus:

You get what you pay for (though there can be exceptions).

And it's well worthwhile spending a day or 2 "training" at a reputable shop. That not only gives you the chance to test different brands/models (if you become good enough), but is saves all the trial and error trying to self-teach (ie, how many nuggets etc were missed in the "your" days?).
Plus knowing what coils & shapes & speed & ....


Maybe peruse some magazines. (eg: Australian Gold Gem & Treasure was a $5 monthly.)


If you are into electronics, there have been some cheap interesting circuits (BFOs etc) that can be very impressive. But detecting gold and ferro's are miles apart.

I'd still like to get those Canadian remote scanners though - flying overhead and detecting coal seams etc whilst the Aussies were still boring holes for cable probes....
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Reply By: olcoolone - Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 14:44

Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 14:44
Mainey, there are five thing important in gold detection..

1) Have a good basic understanding of geology.
2) Know how to read the environment your prospecting in.
3) Having the right detector.
4) Having the right coil.
5) Understanding your detector 110%.

We use Minelab detectors and think they are one of the best on the market but some people say the White or Garrett are the best or better then the Minelab.....it's like the Toyota- Nissan or Waeco-Engel debate.

People have good finds no matter what brand they use, it comes down to the 5 things I've listed above.

If there was 3 people using the top of the range Minelab, Garrett and White detectors who had the top 5 things listed above covered, the Minelab would come out in front by a small margin due to newer technology and better design but you pay the price.

Metal detectors are divided into two categories...coin/relics or gold, a dedicated gold detector will not do as good a job as a dedicated coin/relic one for finding coins and relics and the coin/relic one will not do a good job of finding gold...there is no such thing as one detector to do all.

Some company's say theirs can do both well.

Start of with a good gold detector costing around the $2000 mark and you will be on the right track, Garrett says their $1899 one is the bees knees and will out perform the Minelab GPX4500 hands down for a third of the price.

If you bought the Minelab GPX4500 first off I think you would be very disappointed with it and you would loose interest and sell it, but in the right hands they are fantastic.

My choice for a good fun first learning detector would be the Minelab X-TERRA 70, if you were a bit more serious then the Minelab SD2100v2 and for full on stuff the Minelab SD2200v2.

If you were looking for coins and relics you can't go past the Minelab E-trac.

Have a look around for a good second hand one, some people buy them and find it to hard so the sell after a few months at greatly reduced prices.

Jump on the Minelab site and some of the detector forums as they have good information and you will realise it's no different to the 4x4 world of Toyota vs Nissan, Waeco vs Engle debate.



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Follow Up By: ChipPunk - Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 02:08

Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 02:08
The 2100 & 2200 were suggestions I got several years ago. hey were still around the $2k mark compared to the (then) newer $3,500 models (later typically $5,500). (Shock. Horror. I was hoping for a $125 unit from Ray's!)

Not that I've talked specific models with my neighbour (he just says by the best you can afford - ie, you get what you pay...), but I did like his recent 3.5oz nugget.
It seems someone dug a hole to get whatever - maybe another nugget. He sensed something in the hole and this 3.5oz nugget was in the wall - finger-scratch close to the edge.
He reckons a good detector pays for itself within a few trips. But that assumes you know how to use it. And as written above - know where to go.

FYI - where was this nugget? Dunolly - in a oft-used gold-seeking area!
An as detectors improve, they detect the pieces previous detectors missed...
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Follow Up By: olcoolone - Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 10:30

Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 10:30
What people are finding is with the new Minelab E-trac and Minelab GPX4500 is areas that have been fished out are now coming back to life as the Minelab E-trac and Minelab GPX4500 can pull stuff out of the ground that other detectors have left behind.

They do this by offering better depth and better discrimination.

If you want to do coin/relic and gold detecting the two I've mentioned above are hard to beat.

Then the fun part...buying accessories and different coils.

The hard part is finding enough time.

On the last three trips we have done we took the detectors away and never used them.

But as you said if you have the right gear and some understanding, top of the range detectors can pay for them selves very quickly.

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Reply By: Member - Pedro the One (QLD) - Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 18:30

Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 18:30
Yo, Mainey
MM'ing tonight re Detectors/Gold
Hairbeds
Cape visit
Invertors ............ !!!

Too much ... ay !!
AnswerID: 418259

Reply By: Member - Brian (WA) - Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 21:13

Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 21:13
Hi Mainey
Go for a Minelab as others have said. Maybe a GP Extreme or GP3500.
Reeds or Prospectors Patch in Midland, or the Sunday times.
If you do get one, just remember Slow and Low and good luck.
Oh and don't forget you need a miners right to prospect,they last a lifetime
cost $25.
Brian
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Reply By: The Explorer - Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 23:50

Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 23:50
Hi

Based on my experience none of them are any good :)

Cheers
Greg
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Follow Up By: ChipPunk - Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 02:09

Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 02:09
Where did you learn?
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 09:20

Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 09:20
Sorry ChipPunk - I was only joking.

Cheers
Greg
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Follow Up By: ChipPunk - Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 09:32

Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 09:32
Hopefully Maîneÿ got the joke.
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 09:35

Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 09:35
He may not have thought it was funny but Im sure he realised it was not a serious comment given my use of :)

Cheers
Greg
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Follow Up By: Maîneÿ . . .- Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 09:51

Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 09:51
Guys, I do have a weird and wacky SOH

Yes, I saw the " :) " and realised it was not a serious comment, but then I thought maybe the point he's making could be his lack of "experience"

Maîneÿ . . .
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 10:08

Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 10:08
Yep, wouldnt have a clue (but I was still joking)

Lucky the guys I go with know what they're doing.

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Cheers
Greg
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Follow Up By: ChipPunk - Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 10:28

Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 10:28
Which was my point entirely... ie, "Where did you learn?"
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 10:44

Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 10:44
Not sure how that is relevant - but if you must know somewhere in the triangle formed by Norseman, Yalgoo and Wiluna :) If you look closely you will find the various locations I have "learnt" on these Maps

Cheers
Greg
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Follow Up By: ChipPunk - Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 11:07

Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 11:07
Merely that your experience that "none of them are any good" is irrelevant as any form of advice.

But as humour, it's sick.
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 11:14

Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 11:14
Looks like I as bad at humour as I am at detecting...oh well. Lucky its only a 4WD/Caravanning/Travel forum and nothing too serious. All the best.

Cheers
Greg
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Follow Up By: Maîneÿ . . .- Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 11:17

Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 11:17
Guys, we need to move on, I was not offended :-)

Thanks for *ALL* your input, I do appreciate it

Maîneÿ . . .
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Reply By: Nebster - Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 08:30

Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 08:30
Gold Detecting forum
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Reply By: Member - extfilm (NSW) - Friday, May 28, 2010 at 21:31

Friday, May 28, 2010 at 21:31
I would have to say mine lab :)

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and that is only a very small amount :)

Peter

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