Gold in Mojave desert

[Goldnboy]

Hey all,
Newby here, looking for recommendations on metal detectors near the $1k range, I'm headed to the Mojave desert shortly to look for gold buried in pvc pipe, possibly near 3' deep.
Hoping for the simplest to learn, since time is of the essence.
Thanks in advance.

 

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[Terry Soloman]

Unless you are ready to spend a lot more for a PI metal detector - forget it. You'll need a Minelab GPX 5000 to reach down 36" or more.

 

[ecmjamsit]

Schiebel PSS12 would work if you could find one. Military pulse induction unit with only two knobs for controls. Maybe search craigslist or search the internet for one.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Unless you are ready to spend a lot more for a PI metal detector - forget it. You'll need a Minelab GPX 5000 to reach down 36" or more.

It would depend on size of this "gold buried in the pvc pipe".

Sure, a pulse as you describe would find a soda can sized item to 3 ft. But heaven-help the poor fellow if he gets into an area where litter (nails, foil, birdshot, etc...) abound.

If the size of the item is soda can sized, a 2 box machine (like TM 808) *might* reach about 3 ft. for a soda can sized object. Most definitely if the pvc pipe is , say , coffee-can sized, then 3 ft is no problem. And then he wouldn't be bedevilled by the "bells of notre dame" ringing on every nail or staple


Hey goldnboy: Just curious how you got such a minute detail as "3 ft." ? I mean, for someone to be telling a depth as precise as that, it sounds like you have a first-hand story ? What is the source of the story ? Someone who told someone who told someone who told someone type-of-thing ? If so, the depth always increases with those stories. And the more valuable the object, the deeper it becomes in lore.

Or are you hearing a first-hand story ? And .... of all places to bury something, why way out in the Mojave desert ?

 

[Goldnboy]

A deceased relative with multiple parcels of land bordering the desert, which we now own and are quite sure he has buried gold in pvc, sources he bought it from saw him throw them in the back of his truck. The 'up to' 3' deep was a guesstimate.
His home was near this area and was sold without searching.
Can a minelab gtx 5000 be rented ?
Or is there also a less expensive model with similar features?

 

[cactusman]

A deceased relative with multiple parcels of land bordering the desert, which we now own and are quite sure he has buried gold in pvc, sources he bought it from saw him throw them in the back of his truck. The 'up to' 3' deep was a guesstimate.
His home was near this area and was sold without searching.
Can a minelab gtx 5000 be rented ?
Or is there also a less expensive model with similar features?

Sounds like a lot of guessing and second-hand info. Not too many people I know of would just "toss" gold into a truck. It also sounds like he didn't want it to be found with a metal detector if he was burying it in PVC.

Do you have any idea if the gold was in the form of ingots or say one-ounce coins? Or was it flakes/dust? Any idea on the quantity? If you don't want to say, I totally understand. Just know that the smaller the target the harder it will be to find. And metal detectors typically "see" individual targets, and don't gain nearly as much on a mass of them, especially if it was gold dust/pickers. -- A great example of this is with gold chains -- they are MUCH harder to detect than say a flat pendant or coin of equal mass.

If buried three-feet deep, like others have said, a good PI machine with a large coil is your best bet. Something less expensive than the Minelab GPX 5000 would be the Garrett ATX, or the Garrett Infinium. I would use the ATX with the large 15x20 coil. If the Infinium, I would use the 10x14 mono coil. As for rentals, I haven't a clue, but maybe someone in here will chime in, or you can contact any dealer and see if they rent.

I'm not sure of how hard the dirt is where you will be at, but most desert dirt can be like pavement, so digging down three feet wouldn't be easy, or fast in that case. Anyone who has dug to that level will quickly attest to how hard it is. Usually, caches are buried around arms length. But since you said the gold was placed in PVC, again, it sounds like he didn't want it to be found. And if that's the case, it could be deep, or it could be masked, by iron junk, etc.

What you will need is experience with whatever machine you go to use, but I wouldn't recommend buying one if you're not very certain that the gold exists, and you have the cash to front it, or are into metal detecting pretty seriously.

 

[Honest Samuel]

Best of luck and good hunting.

 

[Terry Soloman]

A deceased relative with multiple parcels of land bordering the desert, which we now own and are quite sure he has buried gold in pvc, sources he bought it from saw him throw them in the back of his truck. The 'up to' 3' deep was a guesstimate.
His home was near this area and was sold without searching.
Can a minelab gtx 5000 be rented ?
Or is there also a less expensive model with similar features?

I seriously doubt anyone is going to rent a $5,000.00 machine to you, and if they did, you wouldn't know how to use it. Maybe find an experienced GPZ 7000 or GPX 5000 owner and make a deal with them on payment for recovery?

 

[Goldnboy]

Thanks all for the advice,
I have narrowed it down to the fisher gemini 3 or the whites tm808 for the primary detector, which would be best in the desert ?

 

[Claim Jumper]

So? How’d it go?

 

[PowerDubs]

My thoughts-

Takes time to learn how to use ANY detector- much less specialized searching for deep targets on the type of machine you need. This isn't coin shooting for a quarter at 4-5 inches in your yard.

Next thought- any amount of gold large enough to put into PVC tubes would be worth way way more than enough that you wouldn't have a care in the world about only a $1k detector.

As stated- your best bet is to chillax (you say you own the land now, right?).... hire someone under contract to find it for you- OR buy a good detector, find a hunting buddy online who doesn't know you are hunting for treasure and go have fun with him elsewhere while you learn how to use it.

 

[: Michael-Robert.]

White's TM 808 Specialty Metal Detector
Operable Virtually Anywhere, Regardless of Interference or Ground Minerals
The White’s TM 808 was made to find treasures buried deeper than most; the caches, the cannons, the underground tanks and pipes, the hordes of gold and silver that was buried and forgotten about!
This metal detector can be used almost anywhere regardless of outside interference or ground mineralization - and find treasures buried anywhere from 4ft. to 20ft. deep! Whether you’re hunting for a cache of coins or you need the precise location of an underground pipe, the TM 808 does it all. It’s operable virtually anywhere, regardless of interference or ground minerals.

Hey all,
Newby here, looking for recommendations on metal detectors near the $1k range, I'm headed to the Mojave desert shortly to look for gold buried in pvc pipe, possibly near 3' deep.
Hoping for the simplest to learn, since time is of the essence.
Thanks in advance.

 

[A2coins]

If you find it sell me the detector lol Good luck!!!!!!

 

[A2coins]

Welcome to tnet also

 

[enochsea7]

White's TM 808 Specialty Metal Detector
Operable Virtually Anywhere, Regardless of Interference or Ground Minerals
The White’s TM 808 was made to find treasures buried deeper than most; the caches, the cannons, the underground tanks and pipes, the hordes of gold and silver that was buried and forgotten about!
This metal detector can be used almost anywhere regardless of outside interference or ground mineralization - and find treasures buried anywhere from 4ft. to 20ft. deep! Whether you’re hunting for a cache of coins or you need the precise location of an underground pipe, the TM 808 does it all. It’s operable virtually anywhere, regardless of interference or ground minerals.

I can give a second recommendation for the Whites TM 808 based on personal experience... It can detect well beyond 20 ft deep also, btw. The target does not have to be the size of a small car to reach those depths like the website specifies. I think they're being really careful with the claims they make about the capability of the machine, which is quite refreshing actually. Excellent machine for the price range you're looking for.