Advice needed

[dwmedic]

Thinking about getting into meteorite hunting, already relic hunt. I already own a MXT I guess my question is do I need to invest in another unit say a gold bug or other gold detector or would the MXT work in say prospecting mode. If I remember right the MXT is based off of whites GMT detector so I would think it would work. Does anyone here use the MXT for this? Thanks Derek

 

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[TerryC]

Medic, The MXT will be just FINE. No other md needed. In fact, ANY detector that will find iron (mmmm, and they all do...) will work. Your job now is to plant that coil above a meteorite and you're in business. Suggestion: ROCKS FROM SPACE by O. Richard Norton. The "bible" for meteoritisists. TTC

 

[mankind]

Search dry lake beds. Get a strong magnet. Any detector will be fine. Buy a common iron meteorite and familiarize yourself with it. Good luck amigo !

 

[Reverend B*IKE*]

Buy a common iron meteorite and familiarize yourself with it. Good luck amigo !

Easier Said than done ! Where do you buy a common iron meteorite?

 

[mankind]

E-bay!! There are a ton of them on there. I can loan you one if you need.?? Or go to Bob Haags (meteoriteman)website, He is in Tuscan az. He is the master of meteorites. Amazing guy. Now go find a meteorite!! They can be found!!!

 

[paseclipse]

Your best bet for a meteorite throw down for your metal detector is an ordinary Chondrite because Iron meteorites are rare. Less than 5% of the meteorites found are irons, 95% of the meteorites found are Chondrites.

Hands down the best tool for meteorite hunting is your eyes and a magnet. Trying to use a metal detector on a dry lake bed is a waste of time for a couple reasons- 1. The salt wreaks havoc with your detector. It sounds like there is a target with every sweep of the coil. 2. I have yet to see a meteorite found on a dry lake bed that sets a metal detector off really good. Most the meteorites I've seen and found will barely break the threshold of a good high frequency prospecting VLF detector even when the coil is right on top of it. If it requires your coil be right on top of the meteorite to set it off you'll spot it before your detector sets off if you learn how to recognize them while in the field.

And to top it off... Any old metal detector won't work. I've seen high end coin and relic hunting metal detectors pass over larger chondrites like they weren't there. I think it might have something to do with the frequency the metal detector operates at. The higher frequency prospecting detectors like the White's Gold Master series and Fisher Gold Bug II's seem to do a better job of picking chondrites up.

Hope this helps!
Del

 

[Tuberale]

Between 10 and 30% of meteorites do not contain sufficient metal to set a metal detector off. While these are generically termed chondrites, they are not all the same. Perhaps the most valuable of all meteorites are those which do not set a metal detector off. As such, it is at least as important to familiarize yourself with what a meteorite might look like before starting to hunt for them. Do a Google search. Familiarize yourself with the terms used. If you don't recognize them, learn them.

Learn what regmaglympts are, and how to recognize them. Learn to do a streak test, valuable for any type of mineral collecting. Study any nearby meteorites and meteorwrongs.

I recently had a near-miss experience with a large stone found in a farming community. In front of a home, I saw a largish stone which appeared to have abundant regmaglympts on it. Tapped it with a carbon-steel file I have, and flakes fell off the top. I think it was sandstone, but not like any sandstone I have seen before. No fusion crust. But some meteorites degrade quickly once they land on earth, and any fusion crust might degrade within a year. Even some meteorites can degrade within a year. Research Howardites for more information.

 

[mankind]

Most meteorites found are chondrites? Hmmm... Canyon Diablo=Iron, Sikhote=Iron,Nantan=Iron,Odessa=Iron,Gibeon=Iron,Kansas=Iron,Esquill=Iron........ Also, my grandsons radio shack detector will sound off on even the most common chondrite. : )