New AT GOLD owner

[MikeLab]

I got access to some nugget hunting (can't get there for a few weeks) and decided I just had to get a gold machine. Not sure how deep this will get, but it sure does better than my Minelab Sovereign on a gold ring and of course the small nuggets won't even register on the Sov.

I had a couple reasons I bought this machine, but the Iron Audio in the All Metal mode is what really sold me. And I really like the idea of it being waterproof and not having to worry about getting it wet in a rainstorm. Just the few minutes I tried it in my yard I found the high definition iron discrimination is very good. And I really like the push buttons instead of dials. I think I am going to like this one.

BTW, Chris Gholson did a review in the Lost Treasure Magazine archives. He said he really likes the coil and I have to agree. It really has a nice tight pattern. Well, you can read the review. So I hope to be able to post some nugget photos soon.

 

[Atlas]

Good luck on your nugget hunting. I just got an ATG for many of the same reasons you mentioned. I'm glad to hear Chris likes the coil I'll have to check out his review. I plan on getting mine out for some nugget hunting as well this summer.

 

[MikeLab]

I forgot to mention how well I like the All Metal mode. The sounds are wonderful. If you haven't done it, get some different coins, zinc and copper pennies, tabs, gold ring, silver, etc. and listen to the different sounds in All Metal. The zinc penny is real dirty and loud, while the copper (and gold) is soft and cleaner. The flat objects have a sharp peak while a ring is different, not so sharp. I can smell a lot of gold jewelry. I realize it is difficult to coin hunt in All Metal, but if you learn the sounds, you can switch over from discriminate when you think you have a good TDI and check to see how it sounds.

Also, the iron discrimination goes up to 44.

 

[MikeLab]

Got out to a city park for a couple hours. First thing I noticed is a smaller coil would be nice for the trashy areas. I learned a lot, including about bottle caps not pinpointing very good. Many seem to hit around 80 or 81 and the iron audio really catches them--when I used it.

I worked a volley ball sand court running wide open digging all targets.This was great practice for nugget hunting. I found the Ground Balance Window in 4 or 5 helped to smooth out the threshold. In full sensitivity it is harder to pinpoint the shallow targets but I found some tiny targets that were loud. I used the iron audio and dug anyway. It seems to be very accurate, even on bobby pins. Nothing much exciting, some broken jewelry and a couple dollars clad. I stayed away from the deep targets in the lawn until I get a little more practice. I am trying to listen for the soft, clean sounds in All Metal hoping for some gold.

 

[John-Edmonton]

n/t

 

[MikeLab]

Thanks John. I like the AT GOLD and it goes deep in the high mineralized sand. A couple of the targets I found were so tiny I thought the detector was acting up or something because I had a hard time finding them with about a teaspoon of sand in my hand. I went out and bought a small measuring cup to use as a nugget cup. I saw one for sale at a metal detecting website but with shipping it was about $17 so instead I went to a thrift second hand store and found something used for 25 cents.

 

[bnick2k11]

Thanks John. I like the AT GOLD and it goes deep in the high mineralized sand. A couple of the targets I found were so tiny I thought the detector was acting up or something because I had a hard time finding them with about a teaspoon of sand in my hand. I went out and bought a small measuring cup to use as a nugget cup. I saw one for sale at a metal detecting website but with shipping it was about $17 so instead I went to a thrift second hand store and found something used for 25 cents.

I've been using my AT Gold and Pro Pointer for the last 5 months and I still have to say I really love both of these machine... Living up here near Portland, Oregon we have had a really rainy but mild temperature winter and spring and I was out for hours just yesterday again in pouring rain and it is so nice to not worry in the slightest about the rain on either the AT Gold or the Pro Pointer... With good rain gear I just relax and work for hours while everyone else is home staying dry and leaving the parks empty and stress free for me, ha...

Haven't had a chance to get down to our claims this year but even though I had only intended to use my AT Gold for nugget shooting this prolonged rainy winder has had me out shooting coins since December and I have to say this thing is amazing on coins, jewelry, and hot wheels of which I found 2 yesterday, ha... With the incredible junk in the areas I've been working I've been using Disc-2 mostly but with nails, and screws, and pop cans and tinfoil all within mere inches of each other she's spot on accurate in picking out my coins all around the junk... It really has popped my eyes open as to how well coins pop through the junk and for some unknown reason the coins after a couple passes seem to take tone precedence over the junk in which the garbage stops sounding and only the coins remain... I thought that was only a coincidence in the beginning but it happens quite often maybe 75% of the time and I never experienced that with my other detectors... Maybe it's just part of today's new technologies...

My brother is using a new Whites GMT and has been taking several small 1/8" to 1/4" nuggets per day down in Placerville up on the hills above the American River north of town and he wants me to come down for a few weeks which I plan to do in the next couple weeks... I'm really wanting to see how well my AT Gold will work down there in All Metal mode... I've really enjoyed the All Metal and being able to turn on Iron Audio while in All Metal mode... It is so quick in verifying garbage in areas heavy with junk... Only took pennies yesterday in pouring rain and 2 hot wheels at about 2" so no biggy... For some reason I have never found a nickle yet and surely I'm passing over them...

Happy Searching...
bnick

 

[larryk56]

I been out with the AT Gold several times.

The pinpointing with the 5x8 is dead on and
I also like the Iron audio feature. I found plenty
of clad but still waiting for the Gold.

 

[MikeLab]

I'm still trying to get some gold, too. I think the key is to continually practice listening to the different targets in All Metal mode. I'm sure you've noticed how dimes are quieter than the zinc pennies and copper pennies are too. The gold is a softer sound without the buzzing, swishing, slight humming sounds of aluminum. And rings are different than coins or tabs. Another thing to listen for is the edges of the target. Gold has crisp edges where most other targets are either faded/blurred (corrosion halo) or too sharp and not the same on both edges. So I'm off to practice. I need it. My memory is not as sharp as it used to be!

Yes, I really like the way the tones work in the discriminate mode for coin hunting. It is easy to pinpoint a coin from the trash. Wish gold was that easy!

 

[MikeLab]

I forgot to mention sometimes it helps to hear it better if you lift the coil up a few inches so the signal weakens a bit. You can hear if it's clean or trashy sounding. But it helps to bench test . Again, the gold signal stays clean at a distance.