Gold nugget question AT GOLD

[MikeLab]

I know I am supposed to place a small nugget in the ground and then check the discrimination, etc. to make sure I can detect it. My question is: Is there a number not to exceed when setting the iron discrimination? The meter shows gold as low as about "30" but this is not necessarily correct for high mineralized ground--it might need to be lower. Just wondering if anyone has any idea. Thanks.

 

[MikeLab]

Sorry for the confusion. I meant where should I adjust the Iron Audio in the All Metal mode.

 

[Atlas]

I think they demonstrate this on the prospecting videos on the Garrett site. Generally you would want an Iron reject number with Iron Audi on on that rejects the problem iron objects you may encounter while still giving a good signal on your target gold nugget. You can also switch from all metal with no iron reject into dic 1 with a certain level of iron rejection and eliminate problem iron that way. The video's are really good and cover this in some length.

I'll be going gold hunting in July and maybe earlier and let everyone know how things go. The area I go is an active placer mine in Alaska and problem iron there is mostly in the form of dozer blade and cat track. The old GMT with iron grunt did a good job but I'm excited about how the ATG will perform in this environment.

 

[Nohave]

Don't trust...The Iron Audio....any number.

If you pass the coil over iron object first and then you pass the coil over nugget, it will grunt.

But if you pass the coil over nuggetfirst then the iron object, it's working.

 

[MikeLab]

I went back and reread the manual. They mention that hot rocks can pull the target ID number down very low and this is one reason not to use discrimination while nugget hunting. I was in a city park the other day and checked a target with the Iron Audio. It did not grunt but when I dug it I found a three inch nail. I felt betrayed. Then I checked it again and there was a coin there. I was impressed.

 

[Atlas]

I have to agree with Nohave that you need to be carefull with the iron audio especially in areas of dense iron trash. Yesterday I was finding if I had a borderline signal and pinpointed it and then turned iron audio on and it grunted directly over the pinpoint I could be pretty confident that it was iron trash. If it was a low-high-low signal it might be something good but that is the test for screw caps. The density of the trash is the key here. It really comes down to your location. In the goldfields I'll be hunting this summer the dozer blade and cat track iron is common but fairly spaced out and most likely not on top of a good target. The main objective will be to eliminate a lot of digging of this iron. We'll see how it goes in the field.

Hey, anyone on this forum have a report of finding a gold nugget with the ATG?

 

[MikeLab]

I agree to check with Iron Audio first then dig everything to learn how it works. I went to a pea gravel tot lot today and dug some tiny pieces of iron and they all grunted. Even some good targets sometimes give a very small "iffy" grunt off to the sides but that's where the dig it all practice really helps to teach. I found the same thing as you are talking about that when I am directly over a good target and do a tiny wiggle I only get a good tone. The instruction manual says to use a magnet and then recheck to see what you get. Sounds like that would make it easier to pinpoint the gold, too.