Zero experience need info

[yotaboy86]

So I haven’t posted anything in a really long time so forgive me if I’m doing this wrong but I am looking at getting a detector for nugget hunting when I’m tired of sluicing. It would be mostly creek beds and river bars/bedrock. The problem is I have no experience with a metal detector and looking for advise on where to begin with something easy to learn but still be a great detector once I’m seasoned? I tried the search before posting with not much luck thanks-

 

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[xr7ator]

I believe a lot of folks like you don't understand what the detector's abilities really are and think that they can buy a machine that will be able to tell the difference between trash and gold. There is no machine that can tell you that the "beep" under the coil is gold and not a piece of lead or aluminum or.....etc.

I live in Colorado, started detecting in 1984 and have never found natural raw gold with a metal detector. I haven't tried very hard but I have tried and I find a ton of trash. Little bits of lead usually is what really gets me thinking that it might be gold.
So, I coinshoot and dig it all mostly (meaning I still have to dig a LOT of trash to find my alloyed gold) so that I can find gold rings. A nice one popped out for me on Memorial day, 14.6 grams of 10k wonderful yella....

Someone with much more experience will chime in and explain PI verses VLF and, I'm sure, have more meat to add to the subject.

GOOD LUCK whatever you do out there.

 

[yotaboy86]

Hey thanks for the reply xr7ator I understand what you are saying and know that it will be a lot to take in but I am only 33 and have a lot of time to learn and have to start somewhere...I’m mostly wanting to scan bedrock cracks and some of the cobble areas that I run my sluice. Mostly as another source of entertainment and exercise and of course the hope of finding some of that shiny stuff

 

[xr7ator]

Oh to be 33 again.... I think I'd get me something like a fisher gold bug or similar gold VLF unit and get out thar! I own a Garrett AT Gold. I would use this machine or my EQ800 that has a gold mode as well. I've heard good things about the gold bug. Also, I've heard and seen some goodies gotten with a Technetics gold specific machine as well. (can't remember the exact model name)
Someone else will chime in soon.

 

[smokeythecat]

33...hmmm...that was a long time ago for me. Take a look at all the brands. Try not to go big and fancy at this point. You can always upgrade. Most basic machines by major manufacturers will do good. They do make specific gold machines, but they get pricey. DO NOT get a huge coil, that will defeat your purpose.

 

[leadnugget]

for bedrock you would do well with a gold bug 2 with the small coil.
snake shot size gold, no problem.
not the gb2 pro, i have read its not as sensitive.
there are a few other high frequency machines i would consider.
i have used the minelab gold monster 1000, maybe just me, but i found it too noisy.
some do pretty good with them though.
be prepared for a lot of trash targets.
this is not all bad as lead and gold like to hang out together.
pan any dirt you pull out of the target cracks, sometimes a nice surprise
is with the bird shot and 22 bullets.
if you want to go deep, a pulse induction made by minelab is probably best.
keep an eye on craigslist. i bought my almost new gb2 for $450.
it has almost paid for itself in 8 trips.
last thing i would say is watch a lot of gold detecting videos on youtube.
key words, norcal gold detecting
good luck.

 

[yotaboy86]

Thanks for the info everyone I have been eyeballing the gb2 but I’ll definitely go check some more videos out and maybe after a
Bit I’ll be able to post some pics of that yellow stuff

 

[jmc24]

The Fisher Gold Bug 2 is probably the most sensitive detector for small gold made mostly due to its 71khz operating frequency. That is the good part. Now for the negatives. It does not do very well on larger gold. The control box is not waterproof. It is a single frequency detector and if you are in an area with high mineralization you may have to turn down the sensitivity so much that you basically have to cut its power by half or more just to be able to use it. The same goes for any single frequency gold specific detector. It is not a very versatile detector and using it for other types of detecting is not very fun.

The Minelab Equinox is a simultaneous multi frequency detector 5 to 40 kHz. It was actually made mostly for saltwater beach hunting and for coin, jewelry and relic hunting in moderate to high mineralization. The fact that it did so well in testing on small gold made Minelab add the Gold modes almost as an afterthought. It is a fantastic gold prospecting detector. I know this from experience. It will easily handle most high mineralization scenarios in gold bearing areas. It is fully waterproof. Since you are a beginner it might be a little difficult to learn but conversely, since you are not experienced on "normal" very low frequency VLF metal detectors you won't have as many issues as some people who were experienced detector users that just had all sorts of habits from other detectors that don't transfer over to the Equinox very well. The Equinox is extremely versatile and can be used for any kind of detecting. For you, its negative will be it is an upper level intermediate detector and was not intended for beginners. But, at your age and for your uses it may be your best choice and even though you might have your hands full for awhile you will have lots of room to grow with this detector.

Minelab also makes the GoldMonster 1000 which is a gold prospecting specific 45 kHz single frequency detector. It is very good for beginners and handles most high mineralization very well. It is not fully waterproof and is not nearly as versatile or user adjustable as the Equinox 800.

Nokta Makro makes an excellent fully waterproof 61kHz frequency detector called the Gold Kruzer. It is a single frequency gold prospecting specific detector that can also be used for coin and jewelry or relics. It would not do well at a salt water beach. It would be easier to learn than the Equinox but it is not as feature rich or versatile and like the Fisher Gold Bug 2, the Gold Kruzer struggles in really high mineralization.

If you don't need fully waterproof, another very versatile selectable single frequency detector is the XP ORX which can run at 14, 31, 54 and 80 kHz. It is an outstanding gold prospecting detector and has modes for coin, jewelry and relics too. I have had good success with the ORX and it handles high mineralization very well and is the most lightweight, portable/packable detector I know of along with its big brother the XP Deus. You should definitely look at this detector.

Whites makes two excellent but fairly complicated 48kHz single frequency gold prospecting detectors, the GMT 24K and the GMX. They are exactly the same detector except that the GMX is fully submersible while the 24K is just weatherproof. These are mostly gold prospecting specific detectors but they could be used for coin and jewelry in a pinch. The Whites GMT is their predecessor and does not have all the features of these newer models. They do not handle high mineralization as well as the ORX and the Equinox.

The Garrett AT Gold will find larger sized gold (.5 grams and bigger) but does not do well on smaller gold. Its 18khz single frequency is just not high enough for the really small stuff. It is fully waterproof. It does not do very well in high mineralization. It is a fairly good coin detector and does very well for jewelry and especially relics. Not very good at saltwater beaches.

The Fisher Gold Bug Pro/F19/Teknetics G2+/Bounty Hunter Time Ranger Pro are all basically the same detector. It is a single frequency 19khz detector that does a little better on small gold and mineralization than the AT Gold. It is not waterproof. It is also a very good coin, jewelry and relic detector.

That's about it for the induction balanced VLFs detectors that do very well for very small to medium sized gold prospecting at the moment.

Jeff

 

[AllenJ]

I'm in Northern California and I gave up on trying to run VLF's around rivers and larger creeks, to much mineralization, hot and cold rocks. I much prefer to use my PI around them.

 

[Goldwasher]

The GB 2 doesn't do well on larger gold?

I've never heard that? I've found specimens and nuggets with mine.

I've also found small stuff with my SDC that it never beeped on. Cause it was out of the usual vlf range of touching the coil..to their max effective depth od two inches lol..

Tried the Goldmonster on our claims...now I know never need to try one of those again.

The way it works for gold detecting. You better be a decent prospector with hand tools before a detector will be a tool that will increase your productivity.

It's just another tool. If you don't know your work.. the tool is less effective.

 

[jmc24]

I'm in Northern California and I gave up on trying to run VLF's around rivers and larger creeks, to much mineralization, hot and cold rocks. I much prefer to use my PI around them.

That's been my experience at several Colorado mountain spots. The ground is just too hot for most single frequency VLFS. The ORX can get by at these spots if I don't run it too hot. The simultaneous multi frequency Equinox has no trouble so far and I can run it fairly hot with either the 6" or 11" coils. My SDC 2300 does fine everywhere, since it is a great PI detector. Expensive though!!!!

Goldwasher, if I knew there was good sized gold fairly deep at 9" or more, I would not depend only on the GB 2. If I knew most of the gold was in the gram or less size and the ground wasn't too hot, the GB2 would definitely clean up on 9" or less any sized gold!

Jeff

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Ya I don't get that comment about the GB2 not doing good on big gold.

Big gold is the easiest to find.

Maybe it was meant very deep larger gold?

Another detector that was not mentioned the 56 kHz Makro GoldRacer.
Nearly as sensitive as the Fisher GB2 with discrimination for coin/relic hunting.
Found a decent amount of goodies with it.

 

[Lanny in AB]

If you're a raw beginner, and if you're not looking for tiny specks of gold, the Fisher Gold Bug Pro has an easy learning curve, and it hits hard on bedrock gold, does well along stream banks, but is not waterproof, but is up to the control box. Found lots of sassy nuggets with it, nice and light, can swing it all day.

The Minelab Gold Monster also has an easy learning curve, hits hard on bedrock gold, works well at sniffing out shallow gold, light and easy to use, simple display that lets you know when there's a good chance of conductive metal under the coil.

Going along with the ability to punch through extreme mineralization with a Pulse machine goes the higher price, and they're heavier than the highly specialized VLF gold machines.

The Gold Bug 2 is an older platform, but still highly capable, but a steeper learning curve for a beginner.

The other thing you need to consider is how large are the pieces of gold in your area. If they're all tiny specks, you'll need a higher frequency VLF/multi-frequency and a small/smaller coil. So, what's the gold size like where you're prospecting? If it's tiny stuff, that's a high value determining factor on which machine you choose.

I love the Equinox 800, but it has a higher learning curve than the Gold Bug Pro or the Gold Monster.

So, if you have gold that has any size, and as you're a raw beginner with detectors, I'd go for an easier learning curve to get started, then once you've got a nice catch of gold, you can tackle the machines with the higher learning curves and/or the steeper prices.

Here's the key that most beginning nugget hunters miss--you need to dedicate long, long hours to specifically nugget hunting only. As well, unless you're extremely lucky or hit a fluke nugget right off, you'll dig buckets and buckets of trash before you get that first nugget, but if you're constantly referencing your detector manual/online tutoring/YouTube videos and you are constantly refining your techniques in the field, all while you fail over and over again, you'll gradually get good at finding gold. Most people just don't realize all the things your head needs to learn to find gold or the patience required to find nuggets with a metal detector.

In summary, if you're not just after tiny gold and don't want a steeper learning curve, I'd go with the Gold Bug Pro or the Gold Monster 1000 if I was just starting out. Neither machine will overwhelm you, and they'll both hit hard on shallower gold.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[oneguy]

Well said Lanny!

 

[Lanny in AB]

Well said Lanny!

Thanks for the note, appreciate it.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[yotaboy86]

If you're a raw beginner, and if you're not looking for tiny specks of gold, the Fisher Gold Bug Pro has an easy learning curve, and it hits hard on bedrock gold, does well along stream banks, but is not waterproof, but is up to the control box. Found lots of sassy nuggets with it, nice and light, can swing it all day.

The Minelab Gold Monster also has an easy learning curve, hits hard on bedrock gold, works well at sniffing out shallow gold, light and easy to use, simple display that lets you know when there's a good chance of conductive metal under the coil.

Going along with the ability to punch through extreme mineralization with a Pulse machine goes the higher price, and they're heavier than the highly specialized VLF gold machines.

The Gold Bug 2 is an older platform, but still highly capable, but a steeper learning curve for a beginner.

The other thing you need to consider is how large are the pieces of gold in your area. If they're all tiny specks, you'll need a higher frequency VLF/multi-frequency and a small/smaller coil. So, what's the gold size like where you're prospecting? If it's tiny stuff, that's a high value determining factor on which machine you choose.

I love the Equinox 800, but it has a higher learning curve than the Gold Bug Pro or the Gold Monster.

So, if you have gold that has any size, and as you're a raw beginner with detectors, I'd go for an easier learning curve to get started, then once you've got a nice catch of gold, you can tackle the machines with the higher learning curves and/or the steeper prices.

Here's the key that most beginning nugget hunters miss--you need to dedicate long, long hours to specifically nugget hunting only. As well, unless you're extremely lucky or hit a fluke nugget right off, you'll dig buckets and buckets of trash before you get that first nugget, but if you're constantly referencing your detector manual/online tutoring/YouTube videos and you are constantly refining your techniques in the field, all while you fail over and over again, you'll gradually get good at finding gold. Most people just don't realize all the things your head needs to learn to find gold or the patience required to find nuggets with a metal detector.

In summary, if you're not just after tiny gold and don't want a steeper learning curve, I'd go with the Gold Bug Pro or the Gold Monster 1000 if I was just starting out. Neither machine will overwhelm you, and they'll both hit hard on shallower gold.

All the best,

Lanny

Thank you for the response. I have read a lot that you have posted here and definitely respect your advice and will look into both of them!