Gold Nugget Hunting With A Detector

Hi guys i just wondered if anyone here uses a detector for gold nugget hunting?

Problem is i have an SE with SEF coil and i also have a XP GMP v4 or i could use an XTerra 30 also, the thing is i dont know which would be best for nugget hunting?

I know the GMP works at 18 khz and i thought as this is close to what the old lobos use at 17.5khz it may be the one to use??, i could be wrong and the SE may be the one to use but i really need some advice please

Would the X30 also find them? a nugget was found recently buy my mate who was panning, it was a 16g nugget which im sure most detectors could pick up

I also know the X70 has a prospecting mode, but i cant get the X70 yet

So which to use???

cheers :)

Did some testing myself only in the air which is not really a good way to test a detector but does however give an indication etc

Here is the detectors used -

The XP Goldmaxx Power v4
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...frontmount.jpg

The Minelab Explorer SE With 12" x 10" SEF Coil
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...er%20SE/se.jpg

The Minelab X-Terra 30
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...etectors/1.jpg

And The Items I Used -

The 0.3g Bit OF Gold
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...m/DSC00294.jpg

The 4.7g Gold Ring
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...m/DSC00295.jpg

The 42.6g Gold Cross
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...m/DSC00292.jpg

TEST RESULTS WERE AS FOLLOWS

XP Goldmaxx Power v4 With 9" Standard Coil

0.3g Bit of Gold 0.5 - 1" Airtest from the coil

4.7g Gold Ring 6.5" Airtest from the coil

42.6g Gold Cross 9.5" Airtest from the coil

Minelab Explorer SE with 12" x 10" SEF Coil

0.3g Bit of Gold 0.5" Airtest from the coil, it really didnt want to see it

4.7g Gold Ring 7.5" Airtest from the coil

42.6g Gold Cross 12" Airtest from the coil

Minelab XTerra 30 With Standard Coil

0.3g Bit of Gold 0.1" Airtest from the coil, it really didnt want to see it

4.7g Gold Ring 6" Airtest from the coil

42.6g Gold Cross 9" Airtest from the coil

If you know a river that produced a 16g nugget then I would get my hands on a Minelab PI or a Eureka.

Is there much Rubbish in the river you are searching?

I'm tempted to bring all the machines up for you to use and then film it for MLOtv ;)

ironhearted_gog i know of a few rivers ;) no not much junk in either of them, i cant afford a PI machine for now or i would have one, each river between myself and a couple of mates, ounces have been taken out ;) usually via the sniping method, drysuits and into the cracks

They may be a little mineralised though, i cant really confirm that but know there isnt much junk in any of them

Should you ever want to come up let me know, i just think its time gold nugget hunting was done up here with detectors instead of the usuall panning methods, i also think it could be more productive

Forgot to post the 16g nugget my mate found and its cousins :P

http://www.scottishgoldprospectors.co.uk/sgd1.jpg

http://www.scottishgoldprospectors.co.uk/sgd2.jpg

Hello.

Just my two eurocents, as I am not familiar with prospecting gold.

According to my own experience with manufactured jewels, and to what I read and could verify, if you want to find gold with a metal detector, you need high Khz frequencies.

Proof are the results you booked in your air tests with the explorer, the only one sending 100 Khz into the ground.

I do own an old TR model from C Scope, a CS 550 previously (successfully) known as "minidisc". It is a monofrequency running 100 Khz, and has a 6" concentric coil. Well, also in air test, it signals tiny jewels like 1g earrings at 4+ inches, that my quattro would ignore.

The reason for the quattro (or in your case the Explorer) to not want it, is the size of the coil. My humble advice.

You should make a test with a 5" coil, or even smaller if that exists, and I'm quite sure it'll improve detection of nuggets.

Happy hunting

Ooooo that's nice! Mineralisation is not a problem for the Minelab PIs!

The X-terra 70 loves gold. :wink: Jerry.

looks like its going to be a go-er ;) lets hope we can get some good gold and have fun making a video!

To give you some idea how good other detectors will be, I have tested an 18K 3.3g chain (balled) and 9K 4.3g gold ring on various detectors. As you all know, thin gold chains are very hard to detect.

Xterra 70 fitted with the elliptical coil 18.7kHz DD Coil (prospecting mode)
18K 3.3g chain (balled) ---> 3.5" Air test
9K 4.3g gold ring ---> 12" Air test

SE fitted with 12x10 SEF
18K 3.3g chain (balled) ---> 0" (as if it wasn't there)
9K 4.3g gold ring ---> 15" Air test

Ace 250
18K 3.3g chain (balled) ---> 0" (as if it wasn't there)
9K 4.3g gold ring ---> 9" Air test

GPX4500 with standard 11" DD head
18K 3.3g chain (balled) ---> 1/2" :shock: from the machine that can hit a 5p at 20" (with a large mono)
9K 4.3g gold ring ---> 15" (19" on a 20" mono coil)

These are just air test... in-ground in a gold field you could expect up to 90% depth loss on non pi machines.

BTW - Rob you should be getting a lot better in-air depths with your SE, PM me your settings.

Gold Chains.

What are the views of you guys with regards this writeup from Cody in the good old USA.Jerry.

So the Explorer is a PI :shock:

The tests are all in-air... so that doesn't really explain a lack of response on the chain.

The chain, I think , does not respond using the minelabs because the coil is darn too BIG !!

I 'd be curious about the results with a SMALLER (5") coil.

HH

More...

Xterra 70 fitted with the elliptical coil 18.7kHz DD Coil (prospecting mode)
Small 9K 0.4g charm ---> 6" Air test

SE fitted with 12x10 SEF
Small 9K 0.4g charm ---> 2.5" Air test

Ace 250
Small 9K 0.4g charm ---> 3.5" Air test

GPX4500 with standard 11" DD head
Small 9K 0.4g charm ---> 3" Air test

SE fitted with Joey coil
Small 9K 0.4g charm ---> 4.5" Air test