californiagold said:
No Monte , I run all metal with some isat if I have to. Boost is 2nd choice.
I should have clarified using All Metal and checking in a Discriminate mode. Also, with the different mode names on the Gold +, Gold racer, Racer 2 and relic it gets confusing ... ie: Disc. 2 or Boost or Deep, etc.
californiagold said:
If im just scout detecting like today I use the 10x5 dd coil. I can back later with concentric.
In another week or so I should have access to some old gold mining towns and camps near me to give the Gold + and Gold Racer a work-out, even though they don't have the kind of potential as the site you have to work. I plan to do some grid comparisons of the 5½X10 DD and Concentric coils in that area and soils. So far, from some test scenarios I have done, the Concentric coil has worked reasonably well. My friend's gold nugget samples, however, might have been a little larger than I would like or might anticipate for the gold region I plan to work.
californiagold said:
The concentric coil works good in medium mineralization and you have to go real slow for penetration like my 5000 with a big mono on deep mode.
I have the 5½X10 Concentric coil mounted now, but I am headed out in about an hour to use it on the Gold + with some other models at an old ghost town that has been productive, then travel over to the location of a former 'house of ill repute' in search of old coins, trade tokens and interesting relics of times past. The ground there ranges from '77.[size=small]00[/size] to '85.[size=small]40[/size]' in a lot of the area I worked last Wednesday with a Racer 2. I will check the Gold + Ground Phase today.
californiagold said:
I do think gold racer on disc 2 with some tweaking in medium mineralization has a depth advantage over all metal. Especially if you can turn down imask to 0. But all metal with both units seems better for sharp signals on small gold.
On smaller-size, low-conductive targets I have still had a slight bit better depth or response from the Threshold-based All Metal mode with all my Racer and FORS series models, but I have used a couple of very small 'pickers' I keep in a small glass vial that show the abilities of the 56 kHz Gold Racer.
I demonstrated that a few days ago to a curious fellow who has a detector that can't really give much of a response in an 'air test' with one of his detectors. I demonstrated the two tiny pickers, then I laid the vial on its side and stepped it into the dirt so as to have the top of the glass level with the soil. I used both the 5½X10 DD and round 5½" DD coils on the Gold Racer with Gain at '85' and ID Filter at '01' due to the periodic noise I got from the surrounding soil and rock matrix. The Ground Phase varied from '77' to '80.[size=small]20[/size]' and had the mineralization level half filled.
All Metal was still a tad bit better, but the Disc. 2 mode was definitely impressive. Through the years I have often used a Discriminate mode at almost a 'zero Disc.' setting for some of my gold nugget hunting in Oregon, Arizona and California with pretty good success, and I look forward to working the Gold Racer in many gold producing areas in the Disc. 1 and especially Disc. 2 modes when in more favorable conditions this year.
I only have the 5½X10 and 5½" Double-D coils for the Gold Racer, no Concentric coil for it.
californiagold said:
Have you tried racer 2 in any kind of bad mineralization?
Yes, much of Oregon has some 'bad ground' and the Racer 2 has been handling things quite well. Most of my Relic Hunting this year has been with the Racer 2 and FORS Relic prototype, and in some varied ground conditions, too, at locations that can vary from being in the low-to-mid '60' range to '85' to '86' and often with high iron mineral content. Such a place I'll be hunting again in a couple of hours, and the Racer 2 is working excellent .... just like all of the Makro and Nokta 14 kHz, 15 kHz, 19 kHz and a brief run with the 56 kHz models I have used there.
californiagold said:
Can you run that deep mode in bad soil?
Yes, I have, and it has been pretty impressive, but only when the siste is more target-sparse. The dedicated slower sweep and sweep path help the Racer 2's 'DEEP' mode perform well with reduced near-by targets that can cause masking. I have used the 'DEEP' mode in the fringe areas of the old town sites and mining camp sites I have worked when they have been pretty clean and I am looking for any sign of past human activity. In the generally trashier conditions, I prefer 3-Tone mode, and 2-Tone in moderate to lower levels of targets.
californiagold said:
I need it today, Thanks. I have made six ghost town trips so far this year and was only skunked once. Checking the weather, it looks like we might have a shot at some of the old gold mining town sites next Wednesday and Thursday. I have seen a few nice specimens that were detected out of there by a fellow back I the latter '80s to about '92, but just the "general area" and he wasn't too specific which draw/s he had hunted. Fingers crossed this year.
Monte