ready to get into the sport but unsure of what to get

[hoagiem]

hi, i am new here but am seriosly looking at getting into the sport. been trying to sift through all the opinions and manufacturers literature and am more confused than ever.

i would like to use the md for prospecting primarily and general use. my questions are these: does one system work better than the others for prospecting, eg: frequncy ranges, coil size, shape etc. will a machine which is good on small objects such as nuggets and black sand take away from the ability to find other items such as coins and jewelry? could i have one machine and just change coils to suit my detecting needs? does one system work better on high density terrain, rocks and such as opposed to another? one other, is depth of finds a function of coil size, frquency or coil shape?

any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks

 

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[stoney56]

hoagiem, wlcome to the forum. IMO, you've chosen the best one to get qustions answered. My understanding is that a detector for prospecting and nugget hunting operates on a different freq. than say one that is used for coin hunting. Don't get me wrong----you can find coins with say a Fisher Gold Bug 2 or any of those types. They are just more sensitive to tiny nuggets. Something I read at one time was to check out detectors with a small lead BB and if it detected it, then it would find pennyweight (dwt) gold.

 

[hoagiem]

thanks stoney56, i have been doing a little more reading and little more learning, the frequency is relative to what you are trying to find. i am considering a multi frequency unit now and need to narrow it down a bit further.

gonna keep pluggin away.

 

[bakergeol]

Hoagiem
Here is Steve Herschback's nugget detector guide.

http://bb.bbboy.net/alaskagoldforum-viewthread?forum=2&thread=349

There are only a handfull of detectors that are mult-functional- coins/relics/nuggets and these are listed here.

Probably the most popular is Whites's MXT. I also believe Minelabs new Terra X-50 has the potential to be a nugget detector with it's larger 18.75 khz coil.


George

 

[Sandman]

Welcome Hoagiem. Multifuntional detectors are one way to go. But I always wondered if they just reported the results differently and didn't really operate at max in all functions. That is one reason I use different types. Think of them like golf clubs, you can hit a drive with a 6 Iron but it doesn't do the job well.

On thing to do is get different size coils for the detector if you can. Smaller coils can get between rocks and closer to obstructions to find those small targets.

Let us know how you do.

HH,
Sandman

 

[hoagiem]

i decided to go with the whites mxt tracker e series, picked one up today. there was a special and i got the padded case, headphones and the bullseye thrown in at less then retail. i was looking at the dfx but after talking with whites they recommended the mxt for the type of searching and area's i will be working. really helpful people out there. the cost difference between the mxt and dxf will allow me to add the dd1400 coil right away and not feel too much pain maybe a smaller coil also. right now i am in learning mode so i will be looking it over good tonight and maybe out tomorrow. i am in what might turn out to be a relatively good place to hunt. we'll see.

thanks for the input.

 

[jglunt]

I'm really excited for ya. I remember when I got my first detector and brought it home, I couldn't wait to get outside and start diggin up stuff.

Read the manual, take your time with the learning curve and enjoy every minute of it.

JG

 

[slow sweeper]

? ? Good choice. I also have an MXT. It's a great detector. That does not mean it has no drawbacks. But for a multipurpose, versatile, deep seeking, easy to use, sensitive to lower conductive targets like gold detector, it works pretty damn well. ? ?
? ? Don't hesitate to ask any questions. Good luck and have fun.

 

[Night Stalker]

There's a lot of confusion out their for the new buyer. Be careful and don't get too much machine - you'll get frustrated and it will end up in the closet.

I suggest something simple to operate and proved deep seekers - The Tesoro lineup. Check out the Silver UMax or if you want TID, the Tesoro DeLeon. All Tesoro's come with a LIFETIME warranty, no questions asked, they fix it and send it back home.

Bottom line: Tesoro's......

 

[Michigan Badger]

Thanks for coming here and asking, hoagiem. As you probably know, most of us here love treasure hunting and detectors. It's in our blood.

Your questions make our day? 8)

I'll just add these thoughts to the excellent comments already offered.

Read my post:? "Read This BEFORE You Buy"

I'd also highly recommend a simpler quality machine as a starter. I'd suggest the Tesoro Cibola.

No machine does it all but this detector is a great all-purpose machine. Just read the reviews at MetalDetectorReviews. The Cibola is a super winner with super depth and a very good resale value when and if you ever decide to change brands or models. I'd suggest a used machine but these sell fast when they show up on ebay. Buying used you can save 80 to $100 and the warrantee is supreme even if you buy used. Drop the sucker in the lake and they'll fix it free. That's Tesoro.

Even new the Cibola will go as deep or deeper than some detectors in the $800+ range.

If you bought a used Cibola for $250 you probably could use it for 1 or 2 years and get all your money back if you decided to sell. And by that time you'll have one heck of a pile of dug loot.

Just my 2 cents.

Zeb

 

[slow sweeper]

You can read more of what I think about the MXT in the "detector reviews by owners" posts in this forum. The MXT is very easy to learn. But versatile enough to handle just about any situation you'll find yourself in. Welcome to the wonderful world of the MXT. You're gonna love it.

 

[Jeffro]

I'm of the same opinion as sand man- I run two different detectors for two different purposes. My first detector was a Whites Goldmaster VSAT. VERY good on gold, especially the small stuff we got here in Oregon. But it about drove me NUTS in town, I couldn't move it an inch in a local park without it screaming in my ears!

So I got a Fisher CZ 5 quicksilver, which does a pretty good job here in town.

Sounds like you are going the opposite way as me. Well, look at it this way, if the MXT doesn't do as good as you had hoped out looking for gold, you can always pick up a gold machine later on down the line. But here's hoping it will, for ya!

My next one will be an underwater model, probably a white's as well. The beach hunter is calling my name....... LOL!

I wonder if they make one for detecting on the moon?.......