Minimum gold size for a detector?

Scottish888

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Jan 22, 2018
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Goldwasher

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May 26, 2009
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Hi Folks,

I was surprised when my metal detector could not pick up gold flakes in a sample tube, I tried with a new Garret pinpointer also, that can give a slight ping sometimes but weak.
what is the minimum gold mass/size that can reliably be detected by a Garret pinpointer or a Garret ace 250?

Thanks


ACE250 is a piss poor gold detector. Pinpointers are for finding a hard to locate target in a hole that was found with the main detector. If that detector sees it so will the pin pointer.

It's not an either or situation.

A detector that won't pick up a quarter gram piece of gold at two inches in an air test. is not worth trying to use in the field looking for gold.
 

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Treasure_Hunter

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Ace 250 is not a detector for nugget hunting, it is low freq 6.5 khz entry level detector and will not pick up gold flakes. Maybe gram if lucky. Remember a tube of gold flakes will still only be seen as individual flakes, it only see them a flake at a time.

If you want to hunt raw gold successful your going to need to upgrade to a higher freq detector 20 khz or higher.
 

Terry Soloman

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It has a lot to do with frequency. Gold nugget detectors use HIGH frequencies, typically 17kHz - 80kHz. Your machine operates at 6.5kHz, so in reality it can't see small gold nuggets. This piece of sub-grain gold was found with a Minelab GPX 5000.
 

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Scottish888

Jr. Member
Jan 22, 2018
34
22
Scotland
Detector(s) used
Garret
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Thanks folks,
It is highly unlikely to find nuggets here in Scotland, we mostly pan.
I just thought it would be nice to sweep a stream bed or a gravel bank....just in case.
Is there any probe/detector useful to sweep around a hole dug in in stream bank gravels?

Thanks
 

oneguy

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Aug 26, 2015
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Here's a pic of what a gold dedicated vlf is capable of finding. I've found a couple even smaller with the Goldmonster but the coil had to actually be touching the tiny bits....
I was scrubbing raked dirt on that tiny circled bit and the signal was no where near a "good" signal....gotta dig the iffies for the tiniest of bits and coil right on em….

Inkedsat. & sun. - Copy_LI.jpg
 

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AllenJ

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Mar 7, 2018
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Below is some of what I found last season using my Gold Monster 1000, it sees very small gold! As stated above the higher the frequency the smaller the gold it'll be able to see typically and the GM runs at 45kHz.

2019 Gold Monster gold.jpg
 

Lanny in AB

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Apr 2, 2003
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As far as a pin-pointer that will see tiny gold, the Falcon MD20 is what you're after, but it's a tiny detecting head and it's not for depth, but for scrubbing on bedrock, it will see the tiny gold as well as tiny gold in dirt in your pan or on a clay layer.

Detectors that will find tiny gold, Gold Bug2, Minelab Goldmonster.

All the best,

Lanny
 

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Scottish888

Jr. Member
Jan 22, 2018
34
22
Scotland
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Garret
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Prospecting
Thank you all for the helpful advice.
Seems most of these models are available here in the UK, not sure the gold is :)
 

Lanny in AB

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Thank you all for the helpful advice.
Seems most of these models are available here in the UK, not sure the gold is :)

Actually, I've watched some gold hunting videos from Scotland, and it appears you can find some chunks of gold every now and then; moreover, if you have flake gold, and if there's bedrock to work, the Falcon MD20 will find it for you. So, I'd give it a shot, and it's not a lot of cash outlay to buy one, plus it can also tell you in a dry sample for panning if the dirt you've gathered away from the water has tiny pieces of gold in it.

Whatever your choice, keep at it and the gold will come.

I also saw recently pictures of a larger two-piece gold nugget found in Scotland, so perhaps one day. . . .

All the best,

Lanny
 

alaskaseeker

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Jun 22, 2019
382
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Ak,Tn
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I think i'd go for Bug2 with a 6" coil, ive been to Scotland looking for gold and was wishing i had my Goldbug..
A shovel and a pan is a tough way to go there lol
 

jmc24

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Feb 24, 2020
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Colorado
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All of these detectors operate at 19kHz or higher and can hit 0.25 gram gold or smaller deeper than 2". Fisher Gold Bug 2, Fisher Gold Bug Pro/DP, Fisher F19, Teknetics G2, Minelab Goldmonster, Minelab Equinox 600 or 800, Whites GMT, Whites GMX Whites 24K, Makro Gold Racer, Makro Gold Kruzer, Multi Kruzer operating at 19 kHz with its smallest coil, 20 kHz Anfibio, XP Deus and XP ORX with the X35 and especially the white high frequency coils. There may be more European models that I am unaware of. You can also use these detectors to find the areas of creeks and streams where bullets, shotgun pellets, shell casings, nails and other pieces of manmade or natural iron collect. Those places also may have heavier minerals in the vicinity like gold. Your Ace 250 will probably not be able to do that. Some high gain detectors that operate in the 14 kHz range could handle that task. If you are thinking of buying a detector however, I would go with one with a higher frequency.



Jeff
 

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