My BH 505 1st Gold find.!

[doc-jim]

[size=medium]I finally found GOLD with my 505!! - Beautiful 14k St Christopher medal on high school football field..
I bought a Pioneer 505 late November to upgrade from my Tracker IV with GREAT results! It found more change (especially dimes) where I had already looked with my T-IV. Most recently I have been searching the High School fields & stadium finding over $150 in clad coin (Apparently virgin search area! ) along with 5 Silver rings & a nice heavy silver St Christopher medal.
I had posted awhile back asking if anyone found gold w/ the 505 but now I have.. Last week I found the 1/3rd oz 14k Gold St Christopher medal about 6-7" deep .. So I can say the 505 is an AWESOME machine for the cost that outshines my T-IV in every way. A friend has an MPX-64 that is no way as good in finding or identifying targets either.
I had felt I was somehow missing the gold but now I know I can find it. Surprisingly the indicator bounced between 5cent (gold) to 25 cent (silver & clad). The medal must have had a brass or copper component judging by some chunky green oxide on the edges, looks like what base metal was there is now gone, just leaving the bright shining gold medallion engraved "DANNY" on the back. That may explain the coin readings.... The 0.30 oz 14k is about $225 worth, which pays for my 505 right there...Plus the several oz's of Silver which includes the rings, a 1907 dime, & 1919 silver half peso, plus $197 in clad in less than 4 months, Not to mention the various wheat pennies & odd buffalo nickle, I am pretty pleased with my Bounty Hunter Pioneer 505..!.. DOC[/size]

 

[Gene]

I feel your excitement Doc. What a great find !
I am a sports field hunter myself and 6-7" deep
for any type of gold jewelry item would be deeper
than I would normally find them. That's a good
chunk of gold too !
Wasn't that long ago you were asking about finding
gold with the 505. Guess you were wondering if you
made a mistake in getting a 505. Bet you've got all
kinds of confidence right about now. Am thinking that
the reading may have bounced so much because of it's
depth or maybe other targets around or deeper..
What size coil and settings were you using if I may ask ?
I think you will find shallower gold jewelry items will lock
into a tighter display pattern. My usual sports field jewelry finds
are 4" or less for the most part. Some think that depth is
the most important thing but for what I am looking for I
disagree, Knowing your detector is the most important part.
You have proved that right here. The 505 is quite a capable
sports field hunter. No doubt in my mind.
I am glad I read this and am able to comment.
Good hunting to you Doc !

 

[Joel-Winnipeg]

n/t

 

[mwaynebennett]

Hummmmm!

"chunky green oxide on the edges.."

Perhaps it is only gold plated and the oxide was where the plating has been abraded away. I think you need to do a more in-depth analysis. Just because something says "14k" does not ensure that it is that.

Congrats on the finds. The Pioneer 505 is indeed a fine machine.

Mark

 

[doc-jim]

[size=medium]RE; the Green traces. It was a bronze disc it looks like was soldered to - at the chain link hole.. The medallion itself is gold & says 14k, the green is just kinda stuck here & there on the edges mostly & it has a green patina on the back which when polished off shows the original jewelers engraving "DANNY" & the proof marks.

TO GENE; Did I say 6-7" it was actually 5-6" using my marked trowel for reference (hey, my eyes got bigger when I saw the gold so everything else did too !! ) & that's not the limit for my machine. In Disc Mode I read coins at 6-8", though My 505 reads 2-3" off on depth meter (but I hear all are) It reads 2-4" when item is less than 2" deep, so I do use it but cannot trust accuracy.
I have never regretted my 505 compared to my T-IV. though I did have early doubts about its Gold finding ability... The 505 is MUCH more accurate on target ID, It reaches over 4" deeper than my T-IV, It seperates new 'zinc' pennies from copper ones (a BIG +), and I find many more dimes & much more silver than w/ T-IV even where I swept the weekend before w/ my T-IV!!
The erratic reading I got was due to copper content of bronze backing.
Per your query, I Mostly hunt in Disc mode w/ sens at 95% or more ( as far as it will read OK ) & disc knob set between 11: & 11:30 to eliminate iron & some aluminum. Rarely, I do use No-Motion All Metal to PinPoint, but much better is the $15 Harbor Freight Nail Finder I have, which I LOVE! It saves me SO much trouble & time I cannot describe .!! It can also find surface items, but Truly "Shines" when I keep losing the target in the hole.
I have a 4" sharpshooter but mostly use the standard 8" coil. I started out of the box using Auto-Notch which is designed for just that Just go, but I can find deeper targets & ID better in Disc Mode when set properly.
The Learning curve is very short & steep but very very easy. TONES are the KEY to ID'ing items, so having GOOD Fullsize headphones are a MUST ..! And as you said Knowing your machine .! Practice with it & dig everything until you can guess right 80% or better. I also put a keyring at the shaft balance point to clip on a homemade Chest rig. I used a Poly cloth gym bag adjustable shoulder strap with small diam bungy cord from buckles & clip it to spread the weight. It swings naturally easing wrist/hand tensions.
I can honestly say it has paid off very well & I was NEVER sorry I bought the 505!. Since upgrading I've found over $220 in coin, Silver & Gold St Christopher medals, Blessed Virgin Medal, Silver coins, 2 Kennedy Halves & an Eisenhower 1$, Even a Panama 1 Centisimo, Many Wheat Pennies & Buffalo nickels, Tokens, and much more. All Paying for my machine more than twice over. I started a running list & $ total by denomination in November & SO glad I did. It's hard to remember without a list.
A close friend bought an MPX machine for similar price but I truly prefer the 505 by far & recommend it to everyone from newbie up..
My best advice to any & all; First of all & most important, HAVE FUN !!!! then=
#1. Dig ALL signals until you can guess right 80% or better....
2. Get out & practice whenever you can! Best signal strengths are after rain wets groud.!
3. IF you use notch, Set it to eliminate specific targets you select! Don't just turn knob up till you think you got it..!
DOC [/size]

 

[Gene]

Yeah, have to wonder sometimes when you get a gold item that's combined with
some other metal. Usually gold is only gold but not always. Got strong silver reading
once that turned out to be a silver mans ring but it had a bezel of 14K yellow gold
around the colored stones. It was actually stamped .925 and 14K. Very strange
I was thinking. The jeweler tested this ring and it was what was stamped.
I keep all of my jewelry finds until I can definitely prove or disprove
they are valuable or not. Some of the questionable ones I soak in Simple Green
overnight. Now that will eat away at the junk stuff really fast.
Had a silver colored what appeared to be mans wedding band once with no visible
markings. Actually had some rust on it in one area too. My wife told me to throw that
junk out. I took a scotch brite pad in the rusty area and there was the mark......14K.
It tested 14K at the jewelers too. So, you just never know. I go by the rule that everything
could posssibly be good. You can always throw it away later if it's junk.
Good hunting to you ! Gene

 

[Gene]

Thanks for such a detailed explanation of how you set up the 505 Doc.
Yeah, my eyes get bigger when I see gold too ! Always a welcome site.
I have used, and still use, many different detectors. You certainly have
learned the 505 very well. I have no doubt that it is a very capable detector
and would do well on the sports fields I hunt. I have a feeling that you hunt
very similar to how I do it, Once you set up your detector you would grid off
an area and dig any repeatable signal no matter how slight. I run my discrimination
down in the foil area and that seems to help in getting the really small gold jewelry.
Do get a lot of aluminum foil though. Guess that just goes with being a jewelry hunter
on sports fields. Can't believe all that junk out there sometimes. Takes an awful lot
of determination to keep on digging. Just paying your dues until you hit gold.
Those that are strickly coin hunters don't know what they are missing.
Yours is just another great story about the 505 Doc. 6 to 8" deep in disc mode with
the 8" coil is plenty deep for me. I think you are getting me convinced to go out and
get a 505 for myself. Thanks so much for your great in-depth reply Doc.
Good hunting to you ! Gene