What Are The Frequency Sweet Spots for Silver and Gold?

[berryman]

The general consensus seems to be that the lower frequencies are better for finding high conductors (e.g., silver items) and higher frequencies are better for finding low conductors (e.g., gold items). Is machine frequency the primary determiner for finding these targets? If so, what are the frequency sweet spots for finding silver and gold items (particularly gold rings)? Also, what's the best mid-range frequency for finding both?

BTW - I understand that my question is overly simplistic and that there's probably no perfect answers to my quesitions.

 

[BarberBill]

berryman - these are just observations and things I've read on frequencies. I know many of the Whites detectors early on ran at a low frequency in the 6 - 7 range and that most prospecting detectors run at much higher frequencies from around 17 to 50. The low frequency Whites have a good reputation for deep silver and the higher frequency gold machines are more sensitive to small nuggets at depth, but not a good choice for general detecting. Most of the more recent general purpose detectors use a frequency in the 10 - 15 range and some offer multi-frequency options. In my own experience and opinion, the 10 -15 range seems to be a good compromise and that seems to be the industry standard. If a much lower or higher frequency was superior, I'm sure that's what they'd building if it worked markedly better. In my own opinion, whatever frequency our general purpose machines are using probably isn't too critical as I doubt that under field conditions we would be able to tell much difference between finding a silver coin versus a gold ring as all the detectors would pick up on either as long as it isn't discriminated out or hidden by masking.
My two bits.
BB

 

[REVIER]

I have found both large silver and small silver jewelry targets...AND both large and small gold targets, again mostly jewelry with my 5.9kHz F2, my 12kHz Compadre and my 14.5 kHz Vaquero so I don't really have much belief in lower or higher frequencies having that much effect.
Ok, they probably do have something to do with depth of some of these items and if you are for example nugget hunting I do agree that a specialty machine with a very high frequency or something like a GPX can do that much better.
Some detectors that can get into the lowest ranges could have an easier time of finding some deeper silver, too.
On the other hand for most normal targets at most normal depths the frequency range from about 6 kHz to about 15 kHz that seems to cover the range of most normal detectors will do a good job in most instances.
I do find my share of both silver and gold but I think this might be more of a case of picking the right sites and using the right hunting techniques than anything else.

 

[BarberBill]

I think Revier is spot on concerning picking the right sites. As to frequency again, if we were comparing the extreme ranges with serious, accurate measuring, maybe we would be able to see a difference that favors a particular target or type of hunting, but at the expense of average targets or other considerations such as mineralization, depth etc.
BB

 

[KinTN]

Didnt I read somewhere that the single purpose hi end machines run at 17.5 kHz?

 

[TellYaWhut]

Tests were done years ago using VLF analog metal detectors. The sweet spot will vary with ground conditions and detector settings. The results for the items you listed.....silver = 4 kHz or less.....gold rings = 10 khz or higher (15 kHz is the average for all gold jewelery). Hope this helps.

 

[Nauti]

Over here in England,we search for tiny hammered silver coins and the machines that do the best job are machines that have frequencies in the 17.5 khz range.I do not know where the myth that lower frequencies were better for silver came from but they are just that.....a myth.We did a test on two identically shaped stud earings,one being silver and one being gold with an xp goldmax power running at 17.5khz and there was no difference in the response of the machine on either object.The general consensus at one stage was that lower frequency machines had more depth penetration while higher frequency machines were more sensitive to smaller objects but with todays machines even this has been balanced out to some degree.The fact is that you can find silver and gold with most frequencies....it does not really matter until the objects you are searching for start to reduce drastically in size.....such as tiny gold nuggets or tiny silver hammered coins......then you may need to look at more spesialised machines......and in both these cases,for both gold and silver,you may need a higher frequency machine.

 

[TellYaWhut]

A more accurate test would have been to compare the XP with a low frequency machine like the Minelab Musketeer..... no matter. Frequency is just one thing....you won't automatically find more gold or silver just based on frequency alone. Metal detectors now have so many adjustments, filters, various coil types and sizes, not to mention multi-frequency machines to compensate for ground conditions. Nautilus made the model IV (low frequency) because the 15 kHz models were very difficult to use in high mineralized ground.....in good ground the higher frequency is better.

 

[GunnarMN]

3.14 khz finds silver well you have heard of the XTerra 705and its digger coil , Now think of the Vista Gold at 25 khz and it is good at hitting silver to , if you think of MUSIC wich is a frequincy made up of 8 notes. difrent notes resonate with difrent things and if you play a C it will make all the other C notes begin to resonate now if a musical scale is 7 notes and on the 8th is the same one you started with that makes the Vista Gold intresting because it is 3.14 x 8 exactly one octive higher than one of the best frequincys for hitting silver .

 

[Tom Slick]

The best frequency in an air test isn't necessarily the best frequency when testing objects in the soil. Generally speaking, the lower frequencies penetrate mineralized soil better (deeper) than the higher frequencies. This would dictate that gold detectors (nugget shooters) should run lower frequencies as they are usually used in areas of high mineralization, but the higher frequencies hit better on the lower conductive metals (gold) and vice verse. I don't think there is a "best" frequency. There are some that might be a little better than others based on specific locations but generally anything in the 6 kHz to 18 kHz will probably work about equally well for coins, silver, and gold. A low frequency should give good depth and hit on high conductors well so It would be a good choice for old, deep silver coins. For gold you'd want a little higher frequency but the higher you go, the more depth you'll lose so it's a little tougher choice. Gold machines are more of a compromise between good depth and good sensitivity to the lower conductors.

 

[Ivan]

So where would the 8.2 KHZ frequency fit in??? Whites says it's hotter on gold... they use it on the Coinmaster series and Garrett also uses it on the Ace models. Is there any real diff from 8.2Khz vs.6.59Khz ....in regards to gold detection or is this just advertising fluff???How much nore sesitivity do you gain? Would be interesting to know!! And if there is no diff...why do we allow the manufactures to make such comments if they are not substantiated??

 

[Nauti]

There is a lot of advertsing fluff as you put it regarding most things you buy these days and loads regarding metal detectors.The problem is,most of us get sucked in to the glossy adverts that tell us that if you buy a certain product you will gain an advantage.You are right,manufactures should be able to back up their claims with irrefutable proof but i'm afraid they just can't......in real world terms,the difference between the two frequencies you mention would probably be mimiscule.I have done many different tests with many different detectors on depth,sensitivity,how good they are in trash etc,etc and I have yet to find a single detector that stands head and shoulders above the rest.

 

[amcjavelin]

ultimate silver frequency is 2.83khz gold will vary depending on size, steve herchbach would be the gent to ask for this frequency

 

[ez4sure]

so what frequency is better in high ground mineralization where i live there is lots of iron in the soil hh

 

[Nauti]

Multi frequency tends to cope with high mineralisation better than anything.

 

[TellYaWhut]

This thread is very intresting. I just read some texts in the x-terra section of the Forum......the rave is the new 6" 3 kHz coil. Not really that many new metal detectors that use lower frequencies (Fisher 1280x is the one that comes to mind). It is said that the middle-of-the-road frequency is 12.5 kHz.