Is the Sand Shark really this insensitive to small gold?

[hobbit]

Hi everyone. I am waiting for a small microphone with a preamp so that I can shoot some actual video of beach detector field tests. I have been doing some pre-testing with my Tesoro Sand Shark with 8 inch coil and the results I am getting just don't seem to stack-up with some of the stories I have been told. I took a .3g 14kt gold hoop earring and did everything I could to get the Sand Shark to respond to the target...but I could get nothing, no matter what I did with the controls. I have heard that some people regularly dig 14kt gold earring backs at 12 inches with a Sand Shark. They weigh much less than .3g... I then tested a 1.0g 10kt diamond/ gold earring and the best depth I could get was about 1 inch no matter what I did with the controls. I am also not having any luck at all with small gold chains. There is nothing wrong with my machine, I can assure you. It actually gets fairly respectable depth on larger gold and inexpensive, high conductive jewelry. There seems to be lots of that detected with the Sand Shark. I just don't want to give this machine short shrift in my upcoming video. Can any other Sand Shark users give me their input? I would especially be interested in hearing from Sand Shark owners who actually did tests with their machines to see what kind of depth they are getting on small, real gold targets. Thanks.

 

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[tomjiggy]

You guys haven't even mentioned canceling out on a target. I have a Safari with a stock coil. Went over the same are(in a field) that another guy pulled a Heraldic Eagle button. I wasn't watching my meter, just relying on sound and that's where I think I missed it. It was less than 3 inches deep and I was pulling signals from 16 inches easily. Try an 8 inch coil or smaller if you can find one. They are a lot more sensitive to the smaller signals(which reminds me that I need to try and convince my wife to let me buy a smaller coil)

 

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[hobbit]

I am shocked, Mr. Guru !!! To stoop to the level of name calling!!! I mean, I know the following quotes must have hurt:

"The only thing you need to be a successful beach hunter is lots of money for equipment and a beach.”
“You mean, a Five-year-old can't successfully beep a beach? Seriously. Now getting IN the water (past your knees) is a different animal, yes it is harder physically here on the East Coast Atlantic beaches, but on Long Island Sound or in parts the Gulf it is a piece of cake, more or less like being in a lake. Reading the beach? Takes about one-minute to learn for anyone with a high school diploma.”
“Metal detecting has become so easy with the new machines and technology these days that any moron can do it. I was so surprised when I decided to get into beach detecting. As a nuggetshooter, it is like going on vacation to a spa. No bending down on one knee, no ground adjustments every 10-minutes, no cactus, no rocks, caliche, dust, kneepads... It is a day at the beach! “
“Research - not your machine.. Location - not your machine. If I have a better location to detect with a Garrett Ace 250, than you do with your Tesoro Sand Shark, Guess who will find more.. “
“Beach detecting is easy compared to dirt detecting”
“let's start by saying that beach detecting is probably the easiest physically and mentally of any type of metal detecting. Anyone, from a five-year-old, to a 90-year-old can do it - successfully. There is no research needed, no kneepads, no pinpointers, no picks or shovels - just a machine and a sandscoop. You do not have to be smart, or even "nice" to beach metal detect. It is simply about location.”

That quotes like these must offended you is obvious. They offend me!!! It is clear how proud you are of your success in this endeavor. But to call someone a troll !!! EGADS, man. Consider his mental state !!!… What sort of man makes outrageous claims about his abilities and the abilities of his equipment?…claims that are counter to the testimony of every expert in the field?…claims that he refuses to prove except through the occasional photograph of an object which could have come from anywhere?…That there is a deep NEED for acceptance and approbation by a person like this is obvious. Maybe it stems from a deep seated inferiority complex… Maybe it is a manifestation of a serious lack of self-esteem… Perhaps it is over compensation for flagging manhood…but can’t you show the poor fellow a little compassion?

 

[hobbit]

2.76 grams of 18K today one full scoop deep. Works for me.
DC

Nice finds, DC. The Sand Shark will get gold in the 2.7 g range at decent depths for sure. Congrats...nice day.

 

[Terry Soloman]

...I am just hoping that some real, honest Sand Shark users will take out their machines, take a .3g gold earring, try to detect it, and tell me what they find.

I would really like to hear some constructive answers to this post. Please don't try to hijack it, Mr. Solomon. Everyone is aware that you claim to be able to detect .5g pieces of gold at 20 inches with the Sand Shark. I would love to see a video of you actually doing it. Care to make it?

Someone, ANYONE find a post where I said ANY of what Hobbit posted here. I think it is sad that you can't just state your opinion without typing falsehoods and slandering folks you do not agree with. Quote This: The Tesoro Sand Shark, performs as well as ANY other pulse induction unit priced $1,200.00 or less. It is the ONLY pulse induction unit costing $600.00 or less that can make that claim. It is also the ONLY pulse induction detector gaurranteed for life..

What's the difference between a hobbit and a troll?

 

[dewcon4414]

For me ive just got to get out and hunt with some of the better PI hunters in my area. I know the Xcal hits on small ear studs and im one of those odd balls that use 1/4 inch holes on my scoop. You might be right..... cant tell you how many hunters have told me skip the tiny stuff and cover as much beach as you can finding the larger targets. But the search for a detector that picks up some of those gold chains at even a reasonable depth would sure be worth the money.

Dew

 

[hobbit]

I have never owned a Sea Hunter. I used one on a dive once, but I really don't know what their pulse delay is. The gentleman from Australia who posted previously has got me thinking of looking into one. I know they are built really solidly and are relatively inexpensive. I never really thought of them as being a top flight shallow water unit, but this Aussie seems to know his stuff. Interesting point about EMI. One of the best beaches in my area... one of the top resort beaches on the entire east coast...has terrible EMI in parts. There are lots of communications towers and such around. It gets really bad so that I have to tune both my HHPI and Dual Field way down. My point is EMI can be bad even on the beach. What Eric Foster and others say about air testing PI's is that the coil needs to be horizontal and near the ground. They recommend placing the coil on a 1 inch piece of wood placed on the ground and passing the sample target over the top of the coil. I am sure your GT would be all over that earring, though I have honestly never used a GT...

 

[bigscoop]

For me ive just got to get out and hunt with some of the better PI hunters in my area. I know the Xcal hits on small ear studs and im one of those odd balls that use 1/4 inch holes on my scoop. You might be right..... cant tell you how many hunters have told me skip the tiny stuff and cover as much beach as you can finding the larger targets. But the search for a detector that picks up some of those gold chains at even a reasonable depth would sure be worth the money.

Dew

I'm not a PI user, but am possibly interested so I'm keeping an eye on this thread. One thing that has held me back as far as PI's and the small gold chains and such, so far this year I've not found any with the Excal on the beaches that I hunt.....so it just makes me wonder if there's enough small gold out there to be worth it? As much as I've used the Excal you would think I'd run across one every now and then...but so far...."Zip!" I have gotten a couple of tiny gold earrings but not sure all the extra fumbling around in that process is worth it? I mean, when was the last time someone posted a good haul of tiny gold pieces? I don't know that I've ever seen a really good pile/collection of this smaller jewelry stuff.

 

[hobbit]

This is a "copy and paste" from a previous post on another thread: " You and I both know the Pulse Delay is set on the Sand Shark at the best all-around timing, and that the power to the coil has been tuned to work in concert with that timing to find 14K targets as small as an earring stud, and shoot as deep as 20"... This sounds almost like a press release from the Tesoro factory. I am not going to get into a Pee-Peeing contest with your Mr. Soloman. I can tell from your conversations with others that talking to you is like talking to a brick wall...a very LOUD, brick wall, but a brick wall nonetheless. I have better things to do with my time...

 

[Terry Soloman]

This is a "copy and paste" from a previous post on another thread: " You and I both know the Pulse Delay is set on the Sand Shark at the best all-around timing, and that the power to the coil has been tuned to work in concert with that timing to find 14K targets as small as an earring stud, and shoot as deep as 20"... This sounds almost like a press release from the Tesoro factory. I am not going to get into a Pee-Peeing contest with your Mr. Soloman. I can tell from your conversations with others that talking to you is like talking to a brick wall...a very LOUD, brick wall, but a brick wall nonetheless. I have better things to do with my time...

Nice try. Dude, you are done in my book. You don't care what the facts are. Does your Mom even know you are on her computer?

Originally Posted by hobbit
...I am just hoping that some real, honest Sand Shark users will take out their machines, take a .3g gold earring, try to detect it, and tell me what they find.

I would really like to hear some constructive answers to this post. Please don't try to hijack it, Mr. Solomon. Everyone is aware that you claim to be able to detect .5g pieces of gold at 20 inches with the Sand Shark. I would love to see a video of you actually doing it. Care to make it?"




Someone, ANYONE find a post where I said ANY of what Hobbit posted here. I think it is sad that you can't just state your opinion without typing falsehoods and slandering folks you do not agree with. Quote This: The Tesoro Sand Shark, performs as well as ANY other pulse induction unit priced $1,200.00 or less. It is the ONLY pulse induction unit costing $600.00 or less that can make that claim. It is also the ONLY pulse induction detector gaurranteed for life..

What's the difference between a hobbit and a troll?

 

[hobbit]

I'm not a PI user, but am possibly interested so I'm keeping an eye on this thread. One thing that has held me back as far as PI's and the small gold chains and such, so far this year I've not found any with the Excal on the beaches that I hunt.....so it just makes me wonder if there's enough small gold out there to be worth it? As much as I've used the Excal you would think I'd run across one every now and then...but so far...."Zip!" I have gotten a couple of tiny gold earrings but not sure all the extra fumbling around in that process is worth it? I mean, when was the last time someone posted a good haul of tiny gold pieces? I don't know that I've ever seen a really good pile/collection of this smaller jewelry stuff.

Some years ago I became kind of "obsessed" with my inability to find gold chains at any depth...I would hit one occasionally...very occasionally, but it almost always was associated with other targets or was a chain with a very big clasp or a locket, charm, etc. If you look at people anywhere you will see them wearing chains...and if you watch people running and roughhousing on the beach, you know the chains just have to be there. I have actually lost chains myself, for god's sake. Clasps fail. The problem is that the links of the chain just do not "add-up", not to a metal detector, anyway. It is like taking a vial of very fine placer gold...even a fairly heavy vial, say 7 grams and trying to detect it...you will get nothing...not even with a super sensitve VLF. The individual particles of gold don't add up either, not to a metal detector. If the detector can't detect the heaviest link in the chain, it is not going to detect the chain. That is just the way it is...and a .3 g 14kt link of gold chain is a fairly heavy chain link. Think about it...94 links of such a chain would equal an ounce of 14 kt gold. I actually ran into an old fellow once on the beach using a Goldmaster III. I thought he was crazy, but I got into a conversation with him and he was anything but. The Goldmaster III is a super sensitive dedicated gold prospecting machine...but it has IRON I.D. He just stayed in the dry and dug everything that didn't ID iron. If you have ever seen a detector like the GoldMaster III in action, you will know what I mean. They can find really small bits of gold. I mean really small bits of gold. So they will detect gold chains...and probably at very decent depths, depending on the beach. I will bet that one could maybe nail a fairly thick chain at approaching a foot. But if you use one, you are stuck firmly to the dry, because vlf's that operate at high frequency's can't stand salt water...not even a little bit. There are a couple of Tesoro machines that are supposedly good for chains too: the Tiger Shark and the old Stingray I and II. I had a Stingray I once. It was actually a vlf/tr machine. It was sensitive to pretty small gold, but got really poor depth in the wet...I personally just don't like detecting in the dry sand. I know there are chains in the wet...that is actually what got me aroused on the other thread concerning the Sand Shark...it goes back to the pulse delay for any PI...if the delay is really low, then the detector will react to the salt water and be unstable...but to detect really small chain links at any depth the delay HAS to be really low...so it really isn't possible for a PI to detect small chains deeply in the wet...at least not to any machine I know of...and certainly not to a Tesoro Sand Shark...

 

[bigscoop]

So you're mainly looking at the accumulated weight of the chain links and not all the other individual tiny stuff. I see your point and understand your goal a little better now. Several links of gold chain add up quickly.

PS: Probably wasn't good having that notion planted into my head.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Some years ago I became kind of "obsessed" with my inability to find gold chains at any depth...I would hit one occasionally...very occasionally, but it almost always was associated with other targets or was a chain with a very big clasp or a locket, charm, etc. If you look at people anywhere you will see them wearing chains...and if you watch people running and roughhousing on the beach, you know the chains just have to be there. I have actually lost chains myself, for god's sake. Clasps fail. The problem is that the links of the chain just do not "add-up", not to a metal detector, anyway. It is like taking a vial of very fine placer gold...even a fairly heavy vial, say 7 grams and trying to detect it...you will get nothing...not even with a super sensitve VLF. The individual particles of gold don't add up either, not to a metal detector. If the detector can't detect the heaviest link in the chain, it is not going to detect the chain. That is just the way it is...and a .3 g 14kt link of gold chain is a fairly heavy chain link. Think about it...94 links of such a chain would equal an ounce of 14 kt gold. I actually ran into an old fellow once on the beach using a Goldmaster III. I thought he was crazy, but I got into a conversation with him and he was anything but. The Goldmaster III is a super sensitive dedicated gold prospecting machine...but it has IRON I.D. He just stayed in the dry and dug everything that didn't ID iron. If you have ever seen a detector like the GoldMaster III in action, you will know what I mean. They can find really small bits of gold. I mean really small bits of gold. So they will detect gold chains...and probably at very decent depths, depending on the beach. I will bet that one could maybe nail a fairly thick chain at approaching a foot. But if you use one, you are stuck firmly to the dry, because vlf's that operate at high frequency's can't stand salt water...not even a little bit. There are a couple of Tesoro machines that are supposedly good for chains too: the Tiger Shark and the old Stingray I and II. I had a Stingray I once. It was actually a vlf/tr machine. It was sensitive to pretty small gold, but got really poor depth in the wet...I personally just don't like detecting in the dry sand. I know there are chains in the wet...that is actually what got me aroused on the other thread concerning the Sand Shark...it goes back to the pulse delay for any PI...if the delay is really low, then the detector will react to the salt water and be unstable...but to detect really small chain links at any depth the delay HAS to be really low...so it really isn't possible for a PI to detect small chains deeply in the wet...at least not to any machine I know of...and certainly not to a Tesoro Sand Shark...

Good post, and let's be clear that no one ever posted the Sand Shark will find small gold chains, I have found a "Cuban" style gold chain with the Sand Shark, that weighed almost an ounce. I use the Tesoro Lobo Super Traq in the dry sand. If you run it in All Metal, set up for gold nugget hunting, it WILL find gold chains. I don't run it that way though. Up on the dry sand I use discrimination of 3 (just above iron). The Blisstool has a video out detecting surface gold chains.

 

[hobbit]

So you're mainly looking at the accumulated weight of the chain links and not all the other individual tiny stuff. I see your point and understand your goal a little better now. Several links of gold chain add up quickly.

PS: Probably wasn't good having that notion planted into my head.

Exactly. I could personally care less about an earring back or even a .3 g earring for that matter. But a long 18kt gold chain can be worth a lot of money. Just a few could make a season.

 

[hobbit]

Good post, and let's be clear that no one ever posted the Sand Shark will find small gold chains, I have found a "Cuban" style gold chain with the Sand Shark, that weighed almost an ounce. I use the Tesoro Lobo Super Traq in the dry sand. If you run it in All Metal, set up for gold nugget hunting, it WILL find gold chains. I don't run it that way though. Up on the dry sand I use discrimination of 3 (just above iron). The Blisstool has a video out detecting surface gold chains.

The Lobo Super Traq will get good depth on small gold in the dry, for sure. It will surely detect some gold chains and probably at decent depth. So will an X-terra 70 with a HF coil...Any good gold prospecting VLF will get small gold in the dry. A lot of people don't realize that even PRO's in Australia use VLF's in conjunction with PI's in the gold fields. Those higher frequencey Vlf's will get small "crumb" gold even the minelab "monster" PI's won't see. They just won't do it in the wet. That is the problem... When someone makes the claim that the Sand Shark will detect gold earring "backs", it follows that the Sand Shark would be able to detect small gold chains. An earring back is tiny in weight...it would equal the weight of a very small chain link...

 

[Aka Nameless]

Sand Shark kind of has a lack of controls, not really much you can tweak to make it more sensitive. You can try pulse width, but I found max pulse width gave the best sensitivity. .3g is asking a bit much of the machine, even the TDi/Infinium can barely see a ring/nugget that small. With my old Sand Shark I got about 6 inches on a 2gram gold ring in testing, so 2 inches or so on a 1 gram ring sounds about right.

PS. My infinium doesn't see earring backs or thin chains either, needs to be a loop, like a ring, or a solid object, like a nugget, the magnetic field lasts longer in a ring shaped object or a solid round object.

 

[Aka Nameless]

Hey Hobbit, I have a Sand Shark, live in California and pulled out a gold ring that weighed 1.2 grams in January. I was in the surf a little above knee deep. the ring was about 12". Have you had your machine calibrated lately? I sent in my White's DFX awhile back. I had basically the same problem. Hope this helps. GFP HH

No offense, but I doubt that... I bet you were missing the target and it was in the side of the hole. Don't know how you measure a hole in the water anyway...

 

[Aka Nameless]

The Tesoro Sand Shark, performs as well as ANY other pulse induction unit priced $1,200.00 or less. It is the ONLY pulse induction unit costing $600.00 or less that can make that claim.

Why do you always say that? It's so wrong, it's not even funny...

If you want to buy a budget PI that gets decent depth, and has a lifetime warranty, fine, Sand Shark is a decent machine... but it absolutely does not compete with the higher priced PIs. No matter how many times you say it, it will never be true.

Stop feeding us a bunch of bullsh*t, those of us who have used the SS and the higher end PIs knows it's complete BS. The only people that will fall for that, is the newbie beach hunters... but anything for a sale right..?

 

[Craig-PI]

BC...

I don't really see the big deal that our beach machines don't find many small, thin chains.. personally I can count on one hand how many chains I have found with my beach detectors... our detectors regardless of brand name all see a gold chain the same way 1 link at a time or the clasp... if its gold plated, silver or junk the detector will see the chain and bang on it. I could care less that my detector doesn't find many chains as I rather have big heavy rings especially school rings and I am good at finding those lunkers :lol the chains I have found have been closed with a ring included or a charm or medal, heavyweight chains are no problem seeing my last was 58 grams, last week my friend with his PI found a sweet 90 gram gold chain and he told me he almost skipped it because it had a junky tone and had just dug a piece of a can two feet from it.

I'm not a PI user, but am possibly interested so I'm keeping an eye on this thread. One thing that has held me back as far as PI's and the small gold chains and such, so far this year I've not found any with the Excal on the beaches that I hunt.....so it just makes me wonder if there's enough small gold out there to be worth it? As much as I've used the Excal you would think I'd run across one every now and then...but so far...."Zip!" I have gotten a couple of tiny gold earrings but not sure all the extra fumbling around in that process is worth it? I mean, when was the last time someone posted a good haul of tiny gold pieces? I don't know that I've ever seen a really good pile/collection of this smaller jewelry stuff.

 

[Terry Soloman]

LOL! Since I do not sell metal detectors, and I do not work for any manufacturer, I am free to speak my opinion AKA. You are obviously upset that you spent way too much for some optional hype. That seems to happen a lot..

Let me make this clear. The Sand Shark can hang with ANY other PI detector priced $1,200.00 or less. It is the ONLY PI detector with a LIFETIME warranty. No hype, no needless bells or whistles - just performance!

Why do you always say that? It's so wrong, it's not even funny...

If you want to buy a budget PI that gets decent depth, and has a lifetime warranty, fine, Sand Shark is a decent machine... but it absolutely does not compete with the higher priced PIs. No matter how many times you say it, it will never be true.

Stop feeding us a bunch of bullsh*t, those of us who have used the SS and the higher end PIs knows it's complete BS. The only people that will fall for that, is the newbie beach hunters... but anything for a sale right..?

 

[hobbit]

BC...

I don't really see the big deal that our beach machines don't find many small, thin chains.. personally I can count on one hand how many chains I have found with my beach detectors... our detectors regardless of brand name all see a gold chain the same way 1 link at a time or the clasp... if its gold plated, silver or junk the detector will see the chain and bang on it. I could care less that my detector doesn't find many chains as I rather have big heavy rings especially school rings and I am good at finding those lunkers :lol the chains I have found have been closed with a ring included or a charm or medal, heavyweight chains are no problem seeing my last was 58 grams, last week my friend with his PI found a sweet 90 gram gold chain and he told me he almost skipped it because it had a junky tone and had just dug a piece of a can two feet from it.

Sorry, I guess I am greedy, but I want those 14kt + chains with links of .3g to .4g!!! Those little links add up to substantial weight quickly. And think about quantity...how many of the smaller chains there must be compared to the high quality lunker chains you mention...