what do you if MD wont pick up GOLD??

Marty-Graw

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Feb 8, 2006
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diggummup

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Jul 15, 2004
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Re: what do you if MD won't pick up GOLD??

Umm? Check the batteries? :) That's a good machine.Did you buy it used? :-\
 

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Marty-Graw

Marty-Graw

Hero Member
Feb 8, 2006
895
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Albertville Alabama
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Re: what do you if MD won't pick up GOLD??

yes i bought it used.....the battery is brand new.... havent had any other problems with the machine.....have ener had it in the water apparantly no leaks.....picks up silver just fine....have found a silver ring, high school ring and a silver belly button ring with it.....lots of clad too
 

diggummup

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Jul 15, 2004
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Re: what do you if MD won't pick up GOLD??

Wish I could help you out.Any Minelab users out there? Try posting in the "Minelab" child board in the "Metal Detector reviews-by owners" section.
 

Ant

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Aug 6, 2006
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Re: what do you if MD won't pick up GOLD??

Here is my story. I went to two different MDing stores to scout out a new detector. I was looking at the DFX. At the time I had already found over 40 pieces of gold using a Fisher GB-2. So I took a few pieces inside for an air test. It turned out that the DFX wouldn’t pick up small gold bracelets or necklaces. It would pick up gold rings but had a hard time if any finding gold chains. The bottom line is that some machines won’t pick up gold chains unless they are of the size that Mr. T wore. Some gold chains even sound chirpy on my GB-2, but the sound is good enough to make me dig.

Before I went on my scouting trip I was given a heads up on some detectors not finding small chains.
 

jeff of pa

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Re: what do you if MD won't pick up GOLD??

Bracelets as with Neckleses Are hard to Find.

Bounty Hunter Users Claim they can.
 

Michigan Badger

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Oct 12, 2005
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Re: what do you if MD won't pick up GOLD??

I owned a Minelab Excalibur for a year but never found one piece of gold with it. But, I never recall testing it on gold either.

I know for land hunting the Tesoro DeLeon is a killer on gold chain and tiny gold objects. I found a gold wrist chain and a tiny gold pin about 1/2 the size of a dime. I also found lots of other small items with the DeLeon.

But, until I saw your post I never even thought about testing my Excal on gold. Maybe this is why I never found any with it????

Badger
 

dave-enc

Gold Member
Mar 22, 2003
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Re: what do you if MD won't pick up GOLD??

dig-it,

how small are the links in the bracelet, a metal detector sees only individual links, thus making it more difficult. Now if this was a medium or large link bracelet, you might want to send it back to minelab service in nevada to have it checked out. keep us updated on what you find out
hh
dave+bobbie
 

bakergeol

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Feb 4, 2004
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Re: what do you if MD won't pick up GOLD??

This is an old issue. The Explorer 11 is the same way. A lot of gold my X-5 could detect the Ex 11 couldn't
This is prevalent in multi-frequency detectors . My guess is that most single frequency detectors do not have this problem. I believe the multi- frequency detectors are seeing each link of the chain and not the total chain.

HH
George
 

Silver Striker

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Aug 2, 2006
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Melbourne, Florida
Re: what do you if MD won't pick up GOLD??

Maybe you guys are testing with gold-plated jewelry, instead of 14K or 24K? Have you tried it on the other metal modes? Also, I heard that high frequency machines are better for detecting small gold items. 14khz and over are the suggested frequencies for finding gold. Most coin and relic shooters are lower frequency. Not sure about the Excaliber's frequency, but if it's one of the adjustable models, then I'd try cranking it up higher. SS
 

Trez

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May 10, 2006
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Re: what do you if MD won't pick up GOLD??

If the chain is laid out......unclasped, as a busted one would...
There are very few machines that will give you what I call a solid hit...even at 3" and some machines just laying the chain on the sand you will get nothing...if you wad it in a ball...you may have a chance.
You may get 2" air testing if your lucky, even with a good PI unit or a unit working in all Metal.........
Chains, especially small thin chains are the hardest to find...you have to get lucky and hope your coil brushes it on the sweep, that is why if the sand is hard, smooth and wet, no shells, seaweed etc...I like to slide my coil right on the sand...then you will get a "chatter" and a good chance of a solid hit if your coil brushes the chain......
Try taking a small thin gold wedding band, wave it over your coil and you will get a pretty solid hit I bet...but then break it so it has a fine crack all the way through it, now try it. The ring will most likely will disappear now just like the chain.
Broken - gold chains, small gold wedding bands...by far the hardest to detect- most chains if found are usually large link...or still have a medallion on them, that is what you will detect, most likely not the chain itself.
Swing slow and low...if you want to increase your chances on chains.
I just got through weighing my scrap gold 3.14 OZ, included in it are some chains...Time to smelt and cash in.
Good luck,

Trez
 

Ant

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Aug 6, 2006
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Re: what do you if MD won't pick up GOLD??

Silver Striker said:
Maybe you guys are testing with gold-plated jewelry, instead of 14K or 24K? Have you tried it on the other metal modes? Also, I heard that high frequency machines are better for detecting small gold items. 14khz and over are the suggested frequencies for finding gold. Most coin and relic shooters are lower frequency. Not sure about the Excaliber's frequency, but if it's one of the adjustable models, then I'd try cranking it up higher. SS

True, higher kHz is best at finding small gold. My GB-2 is rated at 72 kHz. As for the test, I used 10k, 14k and 18k gold alloy bracelets, necklaces and rings. No 24k was used as for 24k is hard to come by in jewelry form and I have not found any as of yet. The gold rings came in as pull-tabs, rings and nickels.

AU2 to you.
 

Silver Striker

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Aug 2, 2006
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Melbourne, Florida
Re: what do you if MD won't pick up GOLD??

Trez, I didn't know that. Is this true with all metal detectors? Even the higher frequency models and being properly ground balanced? What about using a smaller coil, does that help? The reason I ask is that I was going to use a gold chain to test different machines before I buy one. Maybe I should just use a nickel instead. lol SS
 

stoney56

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Oct 4, 2004
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Oklahoma
Re: what do you if MD won't pick up GOLD??

I concur with Trez's assessment. I found a fine box chain at one point but only because there was a nice band strung through it. I couldn't get the chain to make a peep unless balled up and scrubbing it on the coil.
 

Bigcypresshunter

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Re: what do you if MD won't pick up GOLD??

I also agree with Trez. This was a problem years ago, and I see that it still is. Excaliber is a good depth machine. I guess you cant have both. I have an old Whites with a 4 inch coil that will pick up small gold chains, but overall has no depth.
 

Silver Striker

Full Member
Aug 2, 2006
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2
Melbourne, Florida
Re: what do you if MD won't pick up GOLD??

Come to think of it, I haven't heard of many gold necklaces/chains being found. Mostly just rings and coins on the beach and nuggets in the mountains. Hmmmmmm. Maybe it's because small chains have so many holes in them (not solid enough) for a detector to pick them up? SS
 

Ant

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Re: what do you if MD won't pick up GOLD??

I know a couple of detectors that can pick up small gold chains. I can name two machines that find smal gold chains, the Fisher Gold Bug 2 and Tresso Lobo Supper Traq. These machine work on land and dry sand, not on wet black sand. One other thing, the higher the KHz the less death will be achieved.

HH
 

neilo

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Aug 23, 2005
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1
Re: what do you if MD won't pick up GOLD??

Dave enc hit the nail on the head it depends on the size of the link it detects each link as a seperate small item so it becomes too small. If the chain was stretched out tightly,this would make the links become one piece rather that lots of little pieces and would give a signal.Remember machines like the gold bug are high frequency machines which will pick up tiny items and they will pick up chains etc. but you try and use a goldbug on the beach on wet sand and it would be useless. You didnt say what setting you had your sensitivity, I run mine on probably a higher setting than most people and have found chains in the past but I probably dig signals which most people dont recognise thinking they are false signals.
Seeya neilo ;D
 

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