Spectra V3 or Gold Detector??? Prospecting for Gold???

[TC-NM]

Okay you guys, you're the experts. I'd like to know if Spectra V3 is good for hunting gold/prospecting? With using the 22.5 kHz freq., isn't that adequate enough or do I have to purchase a gold detector? Is there more to it than just the high freq.? Coils, sensitivity, ground cancellation etc. Doesn't most gold detectors freq. start at about 14 kHz.?

I own a Vision (early model) and quite frankly, I haven't used the prospecting mode yet. I'd like to get some feedback. What have you tryed, what works for you?

Thanks for your time,

TC-NM

 

[nw1886]

I haven't used the Prospecting mode for actual prospecting. I have used it for looking for lost post earrings though and I've found them for folks.(Not a thing "real world" about this.) Just a guess but I'd bet that it does just OK. Good gold machines are running at much higher frequency and non-gold boxes just can't quite get there. Also, even though machines like the MXT go further in this regard, still fall a little short in all out features and sensitivities.

There have been some true prospecting experts say they'd give it a thorough testing but don't think they've posted results?

Going for nuggets is hard work and don't think I'd want to do it with a multi-use box. Your time is too important.

 

[jalon]

Hi TC, I have peospected with the Vision(V3) and have no complaints at all. We ran at 9 to 12000 feet last july working creek beds and mine dumps. The V ran as smooth as silk in the Colorado minerals.
I guess it depends on how much time you plan to devote to prospecting compared to other types of detecting. We have only scratched the surface with the Spectras and I think stunning nugget finds are on the horizon. I have plans for 2 or three more Colorado outings this summer as well as some to NM and will learn loads more.
I can tell you that what we found with the V's last July was surprising and stood up right beside the Gold Master and MXT's.
Only you know whether or not you need a gold only detector, but I can tell you that the V3-V3I will put nuggets in your poke, if you give it a chance.
You didn't say where you plan to hunt(prospect),but I know several users that have had success in Az and Colorado with the V.
Good luck with your decision.
John London
Amarillo, Texas--KB5JJB

 

[Mike Hillis]

n/t

 

[jalon]

Hi Mike, There were two spectras running and both balanced easily with the standard procedure--squeeze and hold the trigger and push enter while pumping. We left tracking on and speed @25.
I used the D2 coil in prospecting mode , filter @10.0 high and recovery delay from 60 to 80.
I just returned from Denver and got in about 3 hours of coin hunting in a residential area(1930's &40's). The ground was plenty hot there too with concentration percentages around11.5 to 13.5.
I played with the filters a bit and 7.5 high was the best in that location and a -3 offset.
Other prospectors hav had similar results in Az although I don't have their figures.
I will try to up-load a screen shot of the Denver dirt, sorry but I don't have any shots of the mountain hunts.
Hope this helps
John London

 

[Mike Hillis]

Thanks John,
That helps. I had several sites yesterday (not my worst) were I could not achieve a ground balance. Just wondering if you were doing anything special.

I'll have to figure this out before I can move on. What I may have to do is find a nominal ground cancel location. Lock it in and save it, and then use the offsets to actually balance it.

When I retire I'm moving somewhere with good ground

HH
Mike

 

[jalon]

Mike, did you take probe readings? It sure would be interesting to know what your dirt was showing.
I have worked AZ in the past(not with a V) and have usually been able to balance pretty well. I'm sure you know about changing filters and off-sets and even a coil change might help? I really can't imagine that the V3 wouldn't GB unless there was a problem. What adjustments did you try. Did you decrease all the sensitivities, Disc, all met and Rx gain? Perhaps a smaller coil, like a 4x6 or even a 5.3. Yep, I know that a concentric should be less efficient in heavy minerals, but if you have one it might be worth a try. Smaller coil= less sensitivity to the surrounding ground matrix.
Maybe worth a try and we might all benefit from your experiences.
John L

 

[Mike Hillis]

I'll have to start from scratch with the data as I didn't record anything.

I'll keep working with it and report it.

HH
Mike

 

[TC-NM]

Mike/John

Thanks for the feedback. This really helps in deciding to buy a gold detector vs. using my Vision V3. Other than the higher frequency (that I know) being sensitive to gold, I'm pretty sure you must have adequate ground balancing and sensitivity to hot rocks, etc. I live in NM where there are areas in our state that you can Pan and Metal Detect and I want to try the 4X6 coil or 'hockey puck' style coil (if available) for searching small streams up in the mountains. I presently use the D2 and the Eclipse 5.3. Any comments about the 4X6, concentric (4 to 4.5") or DD coils???

Thanks again,

TC-NM

 

[nw1886]

They are great little coils that get more depth than one would think. I'm not a gold detectorist but have done some in Alaska. Worked great. My main use for it has been for looking for rings along long runs of chain link.....rocks!

 

[jalon]

TC, The 4x6 shooter coil is a "DD" and will work well in most soils. The "DD" coils basically are the preferred types for prospecting because they handle minerals better than concentric types.

Sounds like you need to look at the ground where you plan to prospect. Check the probe/ground readings and you can make a decision what filter you need to run. As I said before, I can't imagine that your V3 would have any trouble balancing almost anywhere in NM. There are some areas that have bad ground, but with the equipment that you already have, I don't see ground balancing as a problem.

Study your readings, take pictures or make notes so that you can make necessary adjustments based on your dirt and conditions. I think you'll do just fine and the V3 won't let you down.
John London

 

[Mike Hillis]

I'm in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Albuquerque is bounded on the east by the pink and gray granite basalt of the Sandia Mountain and Monzanto mountains. Its bounded on the west by a lava covered mesa. There are five volcanoes on that lava covered mesa that overlook Albuquerque.

The only good ground around me is in the river bottom valley that is silted from many past floods of the Rio Grande river, wood chip playgrounds, and some turf areas where the fill dirt that is brought in to grow grass on is deep enough to keep the coil far enough away from the native ground.

NM has ground that is green, blood red, black, white, gray, orange, yellow and all shades in between depending on where you are at. Some places have all the colors in one area.

New Mexico is a land of volcanoes and the landscape reflects it. If you stay on thick fill dirt, river bottom silt, and woodchips you can run most any detector well here. If you are going to include sand playground areas, thinly covered fill-dirt turf areas, native dirt, or basically anywhere out of the river bottom, you need a detector that will allow you to ground cancel it. You might do good in AZ or CO, but that doesn't necessarily mean that will carry over here.

I think once the manual method of ground cancelling the V3 is discovered and put into practice the current hot ground limitations can be overcome. Its just that at this point nobody knows how to do it, or if they do, haven't adequately communicated it.

I'm going to figure it out because I have to in order the use the V3 on more than woodchip playgrounds.

HH
Mike

 

[jalon]

Mike, I don't know why, but I thought you were in AZ, sorry. Now I understand a bit better about your GB troubles. I lived in Bernalillo for a while in the early'90's. I have hunted some of the residential stuff in downtown Albuquerque, but not the lava flows there. However, I have hunted the lava in northern NM, near Capulin and I agree, it can be a challenge.
I think we have all the GB info we need to take on your lava and if not, I'll bet a zinc penny Whites would be most interested in that problem.
We are only 5 hours apart and I love Albuquerque. Perhaps we could get together and take a crack at it sometime.
If we get skunked and we won't, there is always good food
John L

 

[chenier]

For me that am from France, the best detecting for the research of gold, it is the Lorenz DeePMax x3 a PI!Die-hard sensitive to the gold