So I got the fever and got some gold mining equipment which quickly lead to getting a metal detector. I spent a long time before settling on the Fisher F5 which comes with a 10" elliptical coil and even purchased an after market CORS 15 x 17" coil for $203 that can potentially see 17-18" deep. I am new to this and have gone out about 4x. On Christmas day I scored 19 coins and have a total of 54.
My problem is that I went to a friends and tested the Fisher on actual gold coins and ring he has and even a platinum ring and both were large masonic rings and the detector all but ignored them, just the faintest high tone and not consistent. And I swear I am not making this up. There was a small pile of dog poop in his front yard and just for fun I checked it and beep beep beep.
So I need a detector for gold and relic hunting and have my eye on the Gold Bug Pro 2 but really want some feedback with some opinions on what may be a better choice under $1000.
Thanks, Vulcan
Replies
Let me ask a question first. When you detected over the rings and dog poop, did you prior ground balance the detector? It makes no sense that it did not scream over the rings. I won't speculate what the dog ate. LOL
If you were ground balanced, I would suggest having the shop you purchased the detector take a look at it. Something is very wrong.
Hi there,
The Gold Bug Pro is a great nugget shooting machine. It has a very low learning curve, but the machine is packed with proven gold getting technology, plus it's light enough you can swing it all day long! Its displays allow you to "see" what the ground minerals are doing with each swing of the coil as knowing what minerals are in the ground (the readings that indicate the "temperature" of the soil) is critical when you're in gold country. Furthermore, the displays will give you a number that indicates a reading on the type of metal in the ground (iron/steel or conductive like gold or copper, etc.). This comes in very handy when the number locks on targets at shallower depths as gold nuggets in my area start to lock on right close to 40 on the graph. The display also gives you a reading of how much iron is affecting the signal on a different display. I love the machine, and as I said, it's easy to learn over a short period of time. I have a friend with a Gold Bug 2 and he loves it, but the learning curve is much steeper. I like the fact that they've simplified things so much on the Gold Bug Pro. As others have said, get a good set of headphones. A plus with the Bug Pro is that you can also hunt coins with it as well: it has a good discrimination circuit.
All the best,
Lanny
In a VLF machine, the Gold Bug 2 has the highest freq at 71Khz. The higher the freq, the better for small gold. Many are using them, as they are hard to beat for gold! Better machines for coins and relics. They also have Pulse Induction machines which are lots more $$$. There are lots of machines out there, just match freq with what you are gonna look for. I have 2 machines, one for gold and one for coins and relics. Like John said, check with some of our sponsors and they can steer you down the right path and usually have some great deals! Good Luck!
I hear the gold bug 2 is a great machine. on detectors I would contact John at usadetectors.com , or Sonney trosper at blacksands prospecting for good advice.
Thanks for the reply cool vid you posted on the sluice.