Falcon MD-20 for prospecting?

[Ragnor]

Is anyone familiar with Falcon MD-20 detector?




I been thinking of picking one up as a prospecting tool. As kind of a fancy walking stick.
Do they work well enough to be effective in the field?

 

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[IMPDLN]

Not really that kind of metal detector. No ground balance circuitry, no depth, overly sensitive to tiny gold. More of a tool for scanning hand samples. Lots of different types of mineralization will give a signal. Check other posts here about the unit for more info. Dennis

 

[goldenIrishman]

I agree 100% While the Falcon is a really good pinpointer for small gold, it's not designed for searching large areas at all. You'd be working for a month to cover what a regular detector can cover in a half hour.

 

[AU_Solitude]

I have owned one, somewhat useful but I would save my money unless you are working hard rock.

 

[boogeyman]

Great for sampling etc. Consider that you're using the equivalent to the end of a piece of 1/2" PVC pipe. Cracks & grooves A+ large areas D- even with the long cable and rod.

 

[Ragnor]

My idea was to use it for checking hard rock samples and cracks. My secondary idea was to build it into a carbon fiber or fiberglass shaft that would be a walking staff. Not for active detecting of areas, but just as a passive detector while walking the mountains while prospecting (two uses). If it happens to go off when it contacts the ground while walking great, if not fine. If I see a suspect rock or seam I could just poke it with me stick and see if it sounds off.
Something like that. If it works well enough then it would be worth it to have on hand.

 

[Ragnor]

My idea was to use it for checking hard rock samples and cracks. My secondary idea was to build it into a carbon fiber or fiberglass shaft that would be a walking staff. Not for active detecting of areas, but just as a passive detector while walking the mountains while prospecting (two uses). If it happens to go off when it contacts the ground while walking great, if not fine. If I see a suspect rock or seam I could just poke it with me stick and see if it sounds off.
Something like that. If it works well enough then it would be worth it to have on hand.

 

[boogeyman]

My idea was to use it for checking hard rock samples and cracks. My secondary idea was to build it into a carbon fiber or fiberglass shaft that would be a walking staff. Not for active detecting of areas, but just as a passive detector while walking the mountains while prospecting (two uses). If it happens to go off when it contacts the ground while walking great, if not fine. If I see a suspect rock or seam I could just poke it with me stick and see if it sounds off.
Something like that. If it works well enough then it would be worth it to have on hand.

They make a handle for them if you get the unit with the long cable. If you find an older one like I have, you can extend it with a good quality audio cable that has "phono plugs". I think they're still made by a prospecting shop in Apache Junction, Az. Not sure if I can post up their info without violating TofC here since they're not a vendor. Pm & I'll send it to you or better yet! Any mods want to chime in & tell us if it's OK?

 

[Tony_agr]

I have one, and I just bought a Gold Bug.. The Falcon I use primarily for checking pieces of quartz for gold (It does that well) I tried to use as a metal detector and man the signals are everywhere.. it will however pick up very fine gold in bedrock crevices and things like that.. I will use this in conjunction with my new gold bug

 

[enamel7]

I have one, and I just bought a Gold Bug.. The Falcon I use primarily for checking pieces of quartz for gold (It does that well) I tried to use as a metal detector and man the signals are everywhere.. it will however pick up very fine gold in bedrock crevices and things like that.. I will use this in conjunction with my new gold bug

That's exactly what it's intended to do.

 

[Lanny in AB]

I've used mine quite a bit. It's a noisy little thing that will false and warble, so keep adjusting that ring until you find a bit of peace, and figure a way to slow those knobs from turning so easily when bumped (I put rubber washers under mine to generate friction to hold them in place, my prospecting buddy's idea, and a great one.) (See if your machine warbles and bleeps when the wire moves that's glued into the shaft connected to the head; you may have to immobilize it in some way to help with falsing as when that cable moves, it generates a sound.)

As it's waterproof, I've used it to pinpoint gold in or on bedrock under water, but the box is not waterproof as you likely know.

Oh, and it will sniff out fine gold where there's absolutely no water; that's a bonus.

I've used it to snipe bedrock where others have placer mined, and guess what? They really do leave gold behind, small stuff mostly, but I have been surprised when sniping for tiny stuff with the Falcon to hit nuggets too; one was actually very decent at two grams hiding in a tough spot.

The most fun I had was working an old placer claim where clay had sluffed on to the bedrock, but there were little ridges of bedrock still exposed so I thought I'd give it a shot as I had to have something very narrow and small to reach down into those drops between those ridges, and man was the gold there! Good sized flake gold that my Gold Bug and X-Terra couldn't hit because I couldn't get the coils into those small, deeper spaces, but that little Falcon sniffed the gold out, and yes, there were smaller chunks as well, 1/4 gram to slightly larger. It was lots of fun for sure.

One thing that will drive you nuts are the hot rocks, but you'll sort of get used to most of them and eventually learn to ignore the most common ones. Anything conductive will make you work, like bits of track and blade, tiny bits of can-slaw, copper, etc, but if you're in a proven gold area, there's gold there that the Falcon will find. Look for deep little pockets in bedrock, areas that are traps that bigger coils can't get into. Look for areas placered where there was clay underfoot; the small gold will be there as it sticks. Just adopt the mind set that you'll be working tiny areas and you'll have much more fun.

Yes, it will find gold in matrix, concretion, or hard-rock, but the gold has to be pretty close to the surface. One thing the Falcon is not is a depth machine. Tiny gold deeper will just not register. Bigger gold deeper, you've got a shot, but only several inches unless it's a screamin' chunk of the Mother Lode herself! Tiny gold shallow? You'll have a lot of fun in a good gold producing area, and I mean it, if you've got the patience for it. Pack a hammer and chisel for busting it out of the bedrock.

All the best as you realize and appreciate its strengths and limitations,

Lanny

 

[boogeyman]

I've used mine quite a bit. It's a noisy little thing that will false and warble, so keep adjusting that ring until you find a bit of peace, and figure a way to slow those knobs from turning so easily when bumped (I put rubber washers under mine to generate friction to hold them in place, my prospecting buddy's idea, and a great one.) (See if your machine warbles and bleeps when the wire moves that's glued into the shaft connected to the head; you may have to immobilize it in some way to help with falsing as when that cable moves, it generates a sound.)

As it's waterproof, I've used it to pinpoint gold in or on bedrock under water, but the box is not waterproof as you likely know.

Oh, and it will sniff out fine gold where there's absolutely no water; that's a bonus.

I've used it to snipe bedrock where others have placer mined, and guess what? They really do leave gold behind, small stuff mostly, but I have been surprised when sniping for tiny stuff with the Falcon to hit nuggets too; one was actually very decent at two grams hiding in a tough spot.

The most fun I had was working an old placer claim where clay had sluffed on to the bedrock, but there were little ridges of bedrock still exposed so I thought I'd give it a shot as I had to have something very narrow and small to reach down into those drops between those ridges, and man was the gold there! Good sized flake gold that my Gold Bug and X-Terra couldn't hit because I couldn't get the coils into those small, deeper spaces, but that little Falcon sniffed the gold out, and yes, there were smaller chunks as well, 1/4 gram to slightly larger. It was lots of fun for sure.

One thing that will drive you nuts are the hot rocks, but you'll sort of get used to most of them and eventually learn to ignore the most common ones. Anything conductive will make you work, like bits of track and blade, tiny bits of can-slaw, copper, etc, but if you're in a proven gold area, there's gold there that the Falcon will find. Look for deep little pockets in bedrock, areas that are traps that bigger coils can't get into. Look for areas placered where there was clay underfoot; the small gold will be there as it sticks. Just adopt the mind set that you'll be working tiny areas and you'll have much more fun.

Yes, it will find gold in matrix, concretion, or hard-rock, but the gold has to be pretty close to the surface. One thing the Falcon is not is a depth machine. Tiny gold deeper will just not register. Bigger gold deeper, you've got a shot, but only several inches unless it's a screamin' chunk of the Mother Lode herself! Tiny gold shallow? You'll have a lot of fun in a good gold producing area, and I mean it, if you've got the patience for it. Pack a hammer and chisel for busting it out of the bedrock.

All the best as you realize and appreciate its strengths and limitations,

Lanny

Forgot about that! Thanks for reminding me! I got some O-rings from Depot removed the knobs and put them on the shaft. Pushed the knobs down until they had the resistance I wanted. A buddy just used rubber washers to do the same thing. Old boot nails & .22s will make you think you've hit it big! Like Lanny said so well think small & you'll have a blast! When you get yours be sure and let us know how you do!