Does a gold detector work in the city?

[TabWhisperer]

I know the detectors for prospecting are tuned for finding placer gold and nuggets among rocks, but has anyone tried one on a park setting to see if it would pick up anything worthwhile? I imagine tabs would send it into overdrive and it would only pick up certain types of jewelry. But I wounder if some of them have some discrimination that make them usable?

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[TabWhisperer]

"For --deleted--s and giggles"

That was my main motivation. I figure it wouldn't cost anything to try, providing you had one. It's one of those things that cross your mind on a Friday with a pizza and a Fat Tire.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I have heard of persons using nugget detectors for sandboxes, because they're angling for those teensy gold earing studs, or super tinsel thin gold chains, etc..... But of course, they're driven batty by every single birdshot, staple, pinhead, etc.... Other than that, I can think of no logical reason to use a nugget machine for anything other than ........ nuggets.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Hey JIM!

I used mine not too far from Denver.
I moved to NC from Estes Park CO.
I have NO problems detecting with the gold machine around there.
As a matter of fact, Take one day and visit tot lots that Plehbah hasn't hit
You'll be surprised how well it works in those conditions.
Granted, I had moments where it liked to drive me crazy but, with some experimenting with that sensitivity knob you should have no problem.
Try it.

 

[keverett]

I have to add that it depends on the "gold detector" I have used a Tesoro Lobo Supertraq in the parks with no problems at all. Yes you will need to crank the discrimination to the max in order to avoid ever small piece of foil, but the Disc. on the LST is second to none. My GF just started using the LST full time instead of the Minelab X-terra 70 for park hunting. Keep in mind that with the disc. cranked up to max, you wont be digging seated coins from 10 inches deep, but you can dig all of the clad and silver you want at above 6 inches. Here is her post from last week

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,318671.msg2298551.html#msg2298551

With the disc at max you wont dig nickels or zinc pennies, but copper cents, dimes, quarters, halves, and dollar coins will still ring up loud and clear, as well as sterling jewelry, but not gold. If you are looking to hunt for gold jewelry at parks.....then you are better off with a different machine as they will handle the trash much better. IMHO

KEverett

 

[LuckyDragon]

sounds like you need a DFX or XLT which are multi purpose metal dectors your prospec with them and beach combing and park unting

 

[Tuberale]

Works fine. Tried it in John Day, Oregon, an old gold-mining site, while I was teaching there a few years ago. Found some interesting things, but no gold. Did find a Seated Liberty quarter in a backyard, plus several silver harness bells where a corral used to be. Nice, heavy bells! Too pretty to sell.

In front of the library, after asking permission, found a beautiful IHC less than 1/4 inch deep, lying on top of levelled rock that had been a dredging pile at one time. That penny still had lots of mint luster, and so bright I thought I had found gold.

OTOH, sometimes you don't want to use a detector in the city. Viewing the Nuestra Senora de Atocha display in Portland, thought it might be a little gauche to run the detector over the 76-pound silver ingot on display. Asked if I could pick the ingot up, and was given permission. Wanted to just run, but armed guards with hands on weapons a pretty good deterent. People in the jewelry store seemed surprised I could lift it. Wished I could have picked up that golden belt, though! Or even just the emeralds!

 

[Seamuss]

A gold detector is a high frequency detector and the others for coins and relics are lower frequency. I use a detector that has a discrimination on it that can find the lower frequency stuff(coins and relics) but I raise the discrimination for finding gold and the other stuff fades away.

Unless there are a lot of 18K gold items in the area that your searching then I would advise a high end coin and relic detector which are less expensive then gold detectors. And use the gold detectors for your prospecting adventures. My Scorpion Stinger has a good discrimination on it but the machine is time consuming to learn.

 

[Tank69]

I use a Gold Bug 2 an boy let me tell you unless you just luv diggin dont take it to a city park or tot lot it will scream every 3 inches .....hate diggin pull tabs ? hate diggin tin foil ?....the GB2 will find it match head size....you decide yourself I did an the answer is NOPE never again ....lol been there done that

 

[LuckyDragon]

might be best to have a multi task detector.

 

[Gunny71]

MMMMmmmmm....Fat Tire

 

[EE THr]

Jimbog;

Here is a guy who uses a Scorpion for coin and jewelry, and seems to do well with it---

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,324146.new/boardseen.html#new

 

[Woodland Detectors]

MMMMmmmmm....Fat Tire

HA!

I know Fat tire brewery....I have taken the tour. I am experienced.

Fort Collins CO.

 

[Seamuss]

Jimbog;

Here is a guy who uses a Scorpion for coin and jewelry, and seems to do well with it---

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,324146.new/boardseen.html#new

Been there done that. The level of discrimination and sensitivity is what helps the most.

 

[Keppy]

Go to the Garrett forum and ... John edmonton .. sure gets a lot of coins and jewlery with his .. Garrett Scorpion Gold Stinger .... and is proving that a lot you are hearing here is not so......

 

[Frankn]

I once used a GoldBug 2 in a hunt in Georgia, came in second. The planted coins had a red magic marker dot. Some I found had a green dot. The rules said all marked coins counted. They accepted them. They were planted last year. :When you found a target with the GoldBug you slightly raised the coil over the target. If the volume dropped, it was not iron. If the volume raised, it was iron.

​

 

[Monty]

It works in the City best on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The rest of the week is dedicated to junque and crappe'. Monty