The Falcon MD20 Demonstration...and Question...

[Jim Hemmingway]

I have a question about the Falcon MD20, a small handheld metal detector with roughly a one-inch diameter coil and operating at 300 kHz. It is used to sample for very tiny gold that could or would otherwise be overlooked.

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It is able to differentiate at least some hotrocks and magnetite from gold. I don’t own one and don’t know if the unit can be adjusted to differentiate the entire possible range of non-conductive iron mineralized hotrocks… magnetite down to maghemite... from gold… or if it is limited to the magnetite range. Can anyone owning this unit comment?

Rob does a great job of demonstrating the Falcon MD20 at the link below… the part specifically about the Falcon MD20 begins at about the nine minute mark...

How to Process Gold Concentrate

Jim.

 

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[jmoller99]

There are 2 9 volt batteries in the Falcon. One is for the transmit section, the other is for the receive mode. The transmit battery has a shorter lifespan and as a result you will need to re-adjust the copper ring position as that battery voltage drops. When I bought mine (from Ebay) it appeared broken, however it was just a dead transmit battery.

 

[Jim Hemmingway]

Thanks for replying with that information jmoller99.

I was thinking about my original post, that maybe I should have worded my question a bit differently. Let's try putting it this way...

"Has the Falcon ever produced a positive response when advancing the probe towards a rock that eventually proved to be just a worthless hotrock"?

Jim.

 

[TerryC]

Thanks for replying with that information jmoller99.

I was thinking about my original post, that maybe I should have worded my question a bit differently. Let's try putting it this way...

"Has the Falcon ever produced a positive response when advancing the probe towards a rock that eventually proved to be just a worthless hotrock"?

Jim.

Jim. I own an MD20. I bought it from Kuger. No instructions with it. Using the 20 homepage, I got it figured out. According to the maker, if you get a beep going TO the metal, the metal is non-ferrous (gold, lead). If the beep happens moving the wand AWAY, the metal is ferrous (magnetite, iron). I can EASILY get a beep using the gold test strip pictured here. The white backround is a cm square. The piece of gold, as you can see, is TINY! I have since got a beep at 1" with a piece about 2/3rds this size. I do not know of ANY other detector that will do that. I promised a field test video and have to get around to it. Guess I have just been lazy. Sorry. Terry

 

[Jim Hemmingway]

Thanks Terry... I think that you've answered my question. It looks like any ferrous mineralization only responds as the coil is pulled away from the sample. If it had ever responded with a positive signal to any worthless rock you would certainly remember it. That's terrific and thanks for helping out.

Jim.

 

[TerryC]

Anytime, Sir! I put gravels and dirt in a plastic pan and push the wand through it. If I get a signal, I do the "push - pull" to determine if I will investigate further. Neat part of it, I don't even have to search out the piece like I would with a standard detector. TTC

 

[Lanny in AB]

Jim--if you cruise through my thread, you'll see some of the nice gold I found with the Falcon. It does what Terry says, and it responds to hotrocks as well. Of course, there's negative and positive hotrocks that abound in gold country, and in my case, they about drove me crazy as the Falcon was singing constantly, so I used one of those magnets on an extension wand that you buy at automotive stores to drag out most of the hotrocks from the sample, and that saved me a ton of time. Like Terry says, you get the positive signal as you go toward the good targets, and that's any metal that's conductive. Most hotrocks go dead when the probe is directly over them, and the sound reappears on either side of the hotrock.

Super sensitive machine--great for what it was designed for. I used it for dry sampling areas, and for sniping worked bedrock. It was amazing what I found with it, even on bedrock that I'd convinced myself I'd worked out with my other detectors! However, that's probably because it's so small, it forces you to be meticulous and slow when working any irregularity in the bedrock. But, it's only good for very shallow depth detection--an inch or two.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Jim Hemmingway]

Thankyou very much everyone... I'd about given-up getting a response to this thread. Lanny I sure like your ideas using a magnet to help initially with separation. At a glance it seems such an obvious technique... but then I didn't even think of it. My mind was wrapped around electronic gizmos!! Well I guess that's why I'm here... read and learn... thanks again everyone.

Jim.

 

[63bkpkr]

Hi Jim,
Many times we humans get our minds going in a specific direction and skip right past something helpful. Reading your statement above made me smile as a magnet is likely an early metal detector for only one type of metal and yet how many of us remember to use it that way? I even carry one with me and most of the time that is all I do with it, carry it...........63bkpkr

 

[Terry Soloman]

At the 5:40 mark, you'll see the Falcon in action for a while!

 

[Jim Hemmingway]

Hello Terry… thankyou for posting your excellent video. In fact I watched two other videos you’ve produced and must say that I am impressed with you. It’s been said that pictures are worth a thousand words, and you’ve certainly confirmed what everyone says about the Falcon MD20. And more….

It looks like you guys are having a great time down there, while we suffer through cabin fever and winter up here. This has convinced me to quit procrastinating... and go and get a passport ASAP.

As a guitar hacker… I loved your background music… fantastic stuff… everything compiled and organized so well. Later tonight… have to run into town for a bit… I intend to look for more if they’re available… and learn more about your detecting / vacation packages. Seems like a terrific venue for a first time trip to that area. A real eye opener Terry… thankyou very much for helping out… and for sharing a glimpse into your world of electronic prospecting.

Jim.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Hello Terry… thankyou for posting your excellent video. In fact I watched two other videos you’ve produced and must say that I am impressed with you. It’s been said that pictures are worth a thousand words, and you’ve certainly confirmed what everyone says about the Falcon MD20. And more….

It looks like you guys are having a great time down there, while we suffer through cabin fever and winter up here. This has convinced me to quit procrastinating... and go and get a passport ASAP.

As a guitar hacker… I loved your background music… fantastic stuff… everything compiled and organized so well. Later tonight… have to run into town for a bit… I intend to look for more if they’re available… and learn more about your detecting / vacation packages. Seems like a terrific venue for a first time trip to that area. A real eye opener Terry… thankyou very much for helping out… and for sharing a glimpse into your world of electronic prospecting.

Jim.

Thanks for the kind words Jim, but just to be clear, that is not one of my videos. That is the same area we prospect and I do know (have met) Adam, but not my video. I thought it would show you how we use the 2020 though, so right on!

 

[Jim Hemmingway]

Oh my goodness, I am such a fool!!! But no matter Terry... you provided the video here... and it is the thought behind that action that counts.

Many thanks... Jim.

 

[TAKODA]

Herb… trust you to put a good perspective on things. I think I’m a fairly competent silver hunter up here in Ontario… but as to gold hunting I have plenty to learn. So I’ll just carry on with reading and learning from you guys… and then we’ll have to see about it later this year. Thanks Herb…

Jim.

FAIRLY competent ! I would say your a bit more than FAIRLY competent Jim . More like
silver hunt'n master . I hope you do as well on Au as you do on Ag .

 

[nuggetshooter323]

Did you guys see the latest Gold Prospector mag from the GPAA? There's an article in there about two nugget hunters that went looking for new nugget patches, and found nuggets in a magnatite matrix.

Thankyou very much everyone... I'd about given-up getting a response to this thread. Lanny I sure like your ideas using a magnet to help initially with separation. At a glance it seems such an obvious technique... but then I didn't even think of it. My mind was wrapped around electronic gizmos!! Well I guess that's why I'm here... read and learn... thanks again everyone.

Jim.

 

[Jim Hemmingway]

Takoda... if I could achieve half your success with gold I'd be plenty happy. I'll tell you something... I just don't have the drive that I once did in this hobby. Maybe its mellowing with age... I don't know. The notion of finding some of that yellow metal for a change... is intriguing... I hope I've got the stuff it takes to put out the effort necessary to start over in a new and unfamiliar area.

Nuggetshooter323... now I don't hunt the gold areas, but isn't that a bit unusual a circumstance to find gold locked in magnetite? Or is it something you run across occasionally... it leads me to question whether the MD20 would react with a positive response to very tiny or disseminated gold locked into an iron mineralized rock... hmm. I guess it would depend on the magnetic strength of the iron mineral content... thanks for bringing that point forward.

Jim.

 

[nuggetshooter323]

Jim, I've never seen it before, but it is something to consider.

 

[Doug Watson]

I watched a guy using one in a tunnel on an ancient river and was impressed with the small pieces he was pulling from the bedrock. He'd clean to the bedrock then use the Falcon to locate gold down in the bedrock. He was finding gold in cracks that you couldn't even see were there.

 

[63bkpkr]

Terry,
That was an interesting video that has left me with a few questions.

Might you be able to share the settings on the GMT at the time we saw it being used?

The tiny piece of gold found with the MD 2020, you had it in your hand and waved the GMT coil over it and the machine sounded off. Did you happen to wave the coil over it when it was not in your hand? If so the result was?

Some videos on You Tube run for a bit, stop, then start up, then stop, etc. while the one you posted just kept on running without any stops. What is the difference between the two types of cameras or what type of camera produces the continuous running video and do you recall the brand/model of the camera being used for that video? Seems I'm interested in a video camera now that they are quite small but still want to purchase one with some good quality to it and the videos taken with it.

Many Thanks,................63bkpkr

 

[Jim Hemmingway]

Nuggetshooter323... it would be interesting to check the response to a small nugget placed in a bed of black magnetic sand... you may have a very good point there.

Doug... thanks for posting your observations... these confirm what the other guys have been saying. Although I think I know you from Steve's forum, its also a good chance to say hello and get acquainted.

Jim.