GoldBug 2 or Whites GMT?

I'm completly new to metal detecting and to be honest have never even held on to one.

We own a block of land in an old gold mining area and a couple of years back an old fellow called in and asked if he could use a metal detector to try to find some gold for his grand daughters wedding ring. He worked away for about 3 hours and came back with half a matchbox full of very small flakey gold. Never saw him again and now understand that he died a few months later.

It got me thinking at the time so I've decided to purchase a metal detector and spend some time on my own block and the large sheep station next door.

I've spent hours going through the forum and seems that most of you guys prefer either a Gold Bug2 or a Whites GMT (Minelab a little expensive for me). What are the best and worst features of each model? and please convince me which would be my best option for quite  small nuggets or flakes?

   I like the GB2 MUCH more BUT since your a newbie trying to learn detecting backwards you better go with the whites for the auto tune mode. GB2 is advanced MANUAL ground balancing takes quite some getting used to. Nuggetshooting is BY FAR the hardest form of detecting there is. I made my first in 61 and have NEVER stopped in 48 years. tons a au 2 u 2 -John   

i agree,the auto function on the gmt works well. the gmt also smoothes the transition to using manual ground balance full time.read the manual,watch the dvd many times,take notes.the grab button feature is the key.found a perfect heart shaped flake bout 3 grains,my first time out.gb2 good machine,slower learning curve.

  I like the GB2 MUCH more BUT since your a newbie trying to learn detecting backwards you better go with the whites for the auto tune mode. GB2 is advanced MANUAL ground balancing takes quite some getting used to. Nuggetshooting is BY FAR the hardest form of detecting there is. I made my first in 61 and have NEVER stopped in 48 years. tons a au 2 u 2 -John   

I get the feeling here that you are saying that the GMT is a good learners detector, but the GB2 is a better machine. Am I right?

I have to be sure that I am getting the better detector even if the learning curve is a whole lot longer. Whatever one I purchase will need to last me, as her upstairs certainly won't let me buy another in a years time!

dETECTORS ARE LIKE WIVES--ONE MAN'S PLEASURE--IS ANOTHERS WORST NIGHTMARE--TAKE IT SLOOOOOW--NOT 1 IN A 1,000 oops sticks to nugget hunting-expense-travel-dangerous critters--rules--regs--blah blah blah--BUT ya gotta try-the whites is also good on relics,coins and such so you can practice--practice and then practice some more to be truly proficient in your recoveries- tons a au 2 u 2 -John

The Gold bug 2 is awesome an small gold machine, especially with the 6" coil. I never used a GMT, I've extensively used the Whites GM2,3 4b. If your a newbie all the sounds are pretty annoying. The Goldbug 2 is lightweight and works very well.  The MXT or X terra 70 with 5x10" dd.  are both great dual purpose detectors IMO, with these two machines you can also hunt for old coins and small gold nuggets. The Goldbug 2 would is too hot for coin hunting, you'd be better off with a low end Tesoro Silver Sabre. HH

I think that the GMT is sweet. It is like choosing between an automatic and a standard transmission in a car. With a GMT you put it in drive and go go go, and with the GB2 you have to keep on shifting gears as you drive along.    

Ed T 

I'm completly new to metal detecting and to be honest have never even held on to one.

We own a block of land in an old gold mining area and a couple of years back an old fellow called in and asked if he could use a metal detector to try to find some gold for his grand daughters wedding ring. He worked away for about 3 hours and came back with half a matchbox full of very small flakey gold. Never saw him again and now understand that he died a few months later.

It got me thinking at the time so I've decided to purchase a metal detector and spend some time on my own block and the large sheep station next door.

I've spent hours going through the forum and seems that most of you guys prefer either a Gold Bug2 or a Whites GMT (Minelab a little expensive for me). What are the best and worst features of each model? and please convince me which would be my best option for quite  small nuggets or flakes?

Beyond any doubt, get a MXT! I hunted with a pro in NV 45 miles north of Rye Patch. He was using a Minelab 4000 and me with my trusty MXT. I found twice as many nuggets as he did. The MXT is also synamite on coins and relics. The discrimination is awesome and one does not have to dig up every pulltab, rusty nail, and iron along the way. It takes 10 seconds to set up, like a pro, and away you go to finding wee nuggets and deeper than a GB2. I am on the Klamath in CA now and headed up to OR. Take it from someone who has used a Goldmaster V/SAT for 15 years with manual ground balance. I would never go back to that outdated circuitry again......jim

My vote is GB2. Got mine (almoast new on e-bay for about $350).

The Gold Bug and the GMT are both good, the gb2 is lighter but the gmt is a little easier to learn if you have never used a detector before. I like the gb2 a little better because of the manual ground bal. and the light weight, i can swing it all day. for your situation a vlf is probably better than a pi. Pi's go deeper in mineralized soil but are not nearly as sensitive to small gold. (less tham a few grams). Probably more nuggets have been found with a Gold Bug than any other detector. Which ever one you decide on I would recommend getting a small (6") coil for it.

rent or borrow each brand/model for a weekend and figure out what works best for you.

everyone is different i use a G 2500 and it will do anything that needs to be done but some people think its too complicated.

its all about what works for you and what type if ground you are working in.

 While any detector will find nuggets if they are big enough the only vlf gold detector Garrett makes is the Stinger, it is old technology and not as senitive as modern gold detectors plus it devours  9v batteries.

I haven't a clue how the GMT works but I do have a GB2.  I can tell you that any detector that can't handle hot rocks isn't going to be worth a cent in the Boise Basin, the iron capital of the world imo!
Do you know what the geology is where you hunt? That's why I love my GB2.  i use the iron discrimination switch on every blip in the threshold.  The iron discrimination switch affectively drowns out hot rocks.  Does the GMT ignore hot rocks and do you have hot rocks in your area?

I was in an extremely hot rock spot last weekend and for the first time ever I switched to iron discrimination mode and just kept it there.  I found these in a 20 sq ft area under an inch of pine needles and about 2 inches of red sand in that mode.

Reading some of these posts I wonder how sensitive the GBII really is in all-metal motion "normal mineralization" mode vs iron disc mode. Has anyone buried some nuggets, lead or nickels to see how well these modes work depthwise?

I think the remark in the post above about the hotrocks needs to be uppermost when looking over detector features. Hotrocks can ruin your day, so you need to be able to deal with them.

I think I'd sort of trust the iron disc on stronger signals after some checking/digging to confirm its working, but I ain't so sure about "every blip in the threshold". I think the iron disc is a must have feature for dealing with hotrocks, but do you think it also masks tiny gold or gold deep enough to only give a slight signal response?

Here's an important question, have any of you GBII guys noticed any difference between the 10" elliptical and the 6" shooter coil when it comes to using iron disc? By this I mean have you noticed that the smaller coil may tend to also eliminate more smaller gold nuggets when used with iron disc? Or not?

I tried not to get into much detail.  I'm by no means an expert but in my experience the iron disc mode can be at times as much as a 1/3 less sensitive depthwise, and that's why I rarely use just the iron disc mode.  When I get a "good sounding" blip in the threshold and the iron disc mode doesn't pick up a signal, I'll scrape the edge of my boot over the area to get a little closer to the target.  If I get the smallest of crackles  after that I'll keep scraping until I get a solid tone in iron disc mode. Once I get a solid tone I start digging.  If not I'll move on.

Because the areas I hunt are so hot, I usually am running my threshold in the 4-6 sensitivity range just to get a reasonably smooth sounding threshold. It still crackles but not as much as 8-10. My ground reject is usually in the 7-8 range to get a nice positive ground balance. The fun thing about iron disc mode is that you don't rely on the sound of threshold, it's totally silent.  So I was thinking last night that when I go back up there today(if it quits raining) I'm going to hunt in iron disc mode, crank the sensitivity up to 10 and slide the coil over the pine needles to see if I can find something a little deeper.  I just looked at my detector and I was at 6 last weekend.

I don't think hot rocks masks the sound of gold as illustrated in the above pic.  My very first nugget, a few months after I bought the machine, was found when I ran the iron disc mode over a cold rock- that backward ricochet twang sound.  I got a solid iron disc beep so I dug.  I don't think the iron disc mode actually drowns out hot and cold rocks as it is a teller of non-ferrous items.  Bullets, lead and shotgun bb's fool me more than square nails and old timer sluice backing tacks as they have a more solid iron disc tone like gold does.  But I still dig them all- for now.  I play a game each time before I dig by guessing what it is from the sounds they make.  If the iron disc breaks up at all or is super loud it's probably a square nail. I'm getting pretty good but not as good as some of these pros.

Iperry3,

It seems to me that you do have a very good idea of how to use your GBII.

Its pretty interesting the different features offered by different manufacturers. Both the GBII and Lobo ST use concentric elliptical stock coils as compared to the Whites MXT/GMT's DD coils.

The Whites units both have autotracking capability; GMT also has manual ground balance ability, while MXT in both disc and all metal prospecting modes is entirely autotracking.

By comparison, GBII iron disc mode is an independent preset ground balance, silent search mode (as far as I can tell), while the autotune modes are manual ground balance. The Lobo ST has the auto tracking in its all metal mode, but again, its disc mode is preset ground balance. GBII gets the nod as the more sensitive detector to very tiny nuggets, but may suffer a bit in high mineral ground probably because of its very high frequency.

It would be great to hear from someone who owns or has operated both of these two units (Lobo ST and GBII) and tell us how they use them differently. Both are designed by the same well known engineer.

Anyways thanks alot for your reply, you gave two honest posts.

Iperry3,

It seems to me that you do have a very good idea of how to use your GBII.

Its pretty interesting the different features offered by different manufacturers. Both the GBII and Lobo ST use concentric elliptical stock coils as compared to the Whites MXT/GMT's DD coils.

The Whites units both have autotracking capability; GMT also has manual ground balance ability, while MXT in both disc and all metal prospecting modes is entirely autotracking.

By comparison, GBII iron disc mode is an independent preset ground balance, silent search mode (as far as I can tell), while the autotune modes are manual ground balance. The Lobo ST has the auto tracking in its all metal mode, but again, its disc mode is preset ground balance. GBII gets the nod as the more sensitive detector to very tiny nuggets, but may suffer a bit in high mineral ground probably because of its very high frequency.

It would be great to hear from someone who owns or has operated both of these two units (Lobo ST and GBII) and tell us how they use them differently. Both are designed by the same well known engineer.

Anyways thanks alot for your reply, you gave two honest posts.

Again, the MXT has the same circuitry as the GMT but gives you the  advantage of using 2 other Modes, C&J and Relic modes, as well as prospecting mode. With the Super SAT feature, you cannot go wrong with the White's machine and it does find gold. I found a diamond ring in an overworked lake beach near my home the other day along with 4 nuggets in northern NV 2 months ago.

The GMT and the mxt are not the same ,they operate at different frequency's, the GMT has a much higher freq, which is better for small gold.

The GMT and the mxt are not the same ,they operate at different frequency's, the GMT has a much higher freq, which is better for small gold.

If ya are  nugget shooting,  I'd pick the GMT or the new GMZ 

PEEJAY''....Thats a nice handle. since you are a beginner,you might want to reconsider your options. Theres a new detector in town...The New ''GMZ'' Made by WHITES.
Made just for gold detecting. Im not a dealer,just a concerned member. (50 khz.) Its perfect for the New Hobbiest.. Good Luck!! HH. Goldinmyear

Thanks everybody for their advice very much appreciated.

I've ended up buying a GMT (before I knew the GMZ existed!) and have had it out a couple of times- so far only findind lead shot - it's amazing how it picks up tiny shreds of lead.

Haven't really been into the main gold areas around home yet as I'm only using a set of music type headphones and think I most probably need a decent set before hunting in earnest.

Any recommends on a good set?

Hi Peejay,

You've made a fine choice with the GMT.  

There are some good headphones around that are hard to go wrong using. I prefer the "NuggetBuster NDT" headphones. Can't recall exactly what I paid, but I recollect its somewhere in the neighbourhood of $125 dollars. A quality product.

Features include an extra snap-on coiled line/with jack, in case you should damage the original line. The volume controls on either side are calibrated with sharp "clicks" so you know precisely the setting for either control, comes with a stereo/mono switch, they're lightweight, comfy and feel good.

Most important, the sound quality exceeds anything I've used over 25 years. It makes targets and other sound nuances "come alive" by contrast to other phones I've used.

I won't bother with electrical technical details...as you will see all this when you check 'em out online.

Good luck with your decision, welcome to a great hobby/interest, hope to see more of you here on TNet.  

Jim.

The GMT and the mxt are not the same ,they operate at different frequency's, the GMT has a much higher freq, which is better for small gold.

Frequency is 14 kHz and the MXT has a supersat feature that allows it to purr in the worst ground conditions. The lower frequency allows the MXT to find small nuggets deeper than a GB2. Another prospector that I was detecting with in NV had a GMT and was not finding the nuggets that I was. We both had identical coils. For an all around detector, the MXT is hard to beat. It is a gold magnet.  When I got back to MI, I found a solitair diamond ring with a 14k gold band.....

If you all notice you all have different opinions about all the different detectors mentioned. Also, everybody has different skill levels and different soil conditions where they detect. If several of us went out nugget hunting with different detectors, and some people found nuggets, and some didn't, and then we switched detectors, I think that the same people would still be finding the majority of the nuggets. In other words, using a any high quality nugget detector, actually finding nuggets is more about skill level of the user than the bells and whistles of the machine. I would go as far to say you could call nugget hunting more of an art, because success depends on perception and experience. What I might dig might sound like nothing to you, but it could be a boot tack or a 2 ounce nugget.

I use a GMT and a LST, both are great, the GMT will find smaller pieces because of the operating frequency(50khz compared to 17.3khz), but the LST is much lighter and the search coil selection is beyond compare(currently eight). Whites needs to make two new coils, one in the 7"-9" range, and one in the 12" range for the GMT.

All of the modern dedicated gold detectors will find gold , some may be a little better for smaller nuggets and some go a tad* deeper on a little larger ones. PIs go several tads deeper than VLFs but are not as sensitive to smaller pieces of gold. It depend on the kind of prospecting a person wants to do. IMO the GBII is the most sensitive to really small pieces of gold,    ( grain size or less)   altho it takes a lot of those pieces to add up to anything. With the Whites auto gb tracking it is possible to tune out weak signals if a person is not careful. That is one reason to use manual GB, also when I hunt I prefer to "run" a little positive on the GB. I am not knocking the MXT, I found a 3/4 oz with one last year. I currently own 2 vlf gold detectors, GMT,and A GBII . Plus 2 that I use for gold hunting a MXT and a Tesoro Vaquero, they are all good,
.
.*Tad  A very small amount

For GMT users. you can enhance the performance of your unit by adding audio booster amplier to your headphone jack. It will out perform GB2.

I Respectfully disagree,that a stock GMTwill out preform a GBII

Hi,

I've used both units extensively and still own both.

If I want to hit the smallest gold possible, I'll be using the Gold Bug 2 with a 6" coil. The GMT is close but the GB2 has the edge for small gold.

However, the GMT gets much better depth in hot ground on large nuggets than the GB2. For overall performance I think the GMT has a better balance of both small and large gold performance. I'm generally willing to pass on sub-grain gold to get better depth on larger gold. I'm not saying the GMT will not hit sub-grain gold as it will quite easily. I'm just saying the stuff I can get with the GB2 that the GMT can't is very tiny indeed.

I guess which raises the question of why I'd care to use the GB2. Well, when checking hardrock quartz samples even a flyspeck can indicate rich gold ore. And when using the detector as a replacement for a gold pan, again, even a flyspeck can tell me I might want to set up a highbanker. The GB2 excels at these uses.

They both have dramatically different iron rejection capabilities, both with pluses and minuses. The GB2 uses a iron rejection system that basically ignores iron targets. The GMT always signals iron, but indicates via a meter the probability the item may be ferrous. If the probability is high enough, you also get an audio indication.

The issue is that in many soils a very small or very deep nugget at the edge of detection depth will often signal as iron. If you have the iron disc engaged on the GB2 and pass over such a nugget, the machine will ignore it, and you'll never know anything was under the coil. So the smart way to hunt with the Gb2 is to hunt in all metal, then engage the disc to check the target. If it reads iron, knock off some soil and try again. If it still reads iron, it probably is. But in some rare cases the target that initially read as iron will now read as non-ferrous.

The problem in really trashy sites though is that it is tempting to just hunt in iron disc mode. I've done it myself. But there is the risk of passing on nuggets when you do that.

The GMT will always tell you there is a target. Its meter is honest in reflecting probability as you never get a 100% iron or 100% gold reading. The machine always tells you there is doubt. If it reads 50%, well, I'm willing to take a 50-50 chance on digging a nugget. With the GMT the thing to do on questionable targets is again remove some soil. If the iron probability increases, you are closing in on iron. If it decreases, things are looking better that it is non-ferrous. For most uses the GMT system is the superior system.

But when you get into intense hot rocks the GMT can drive you nuts. The rocks often read iron and register with the audio iron "grunt". But try listening to grunt-grunt-grunt every swing while waiting for a beep. Tiring. With the GB2 you kick it into iron disc, and most hot rocks are simply ignored leading to much quieter operation. Again, a nugget may read ferrous and be ignored. But I still find the GB2 preferable in this type of circumstance.

I not only use detectors but I'm also a multi-line dealer. I get to talk to lots of users. And ease of use is a big factor. The fact is the Gold Bug 2 must be mastered to be of use. There are lots of people that simply have trouble with manual ground balance detectors like the GB2. I have found that the GMT is the safer bet for most beginners as it offers both automatic and manual ground balance. The automatic GB is a safety net for the new user and even a pro will find it of use in wilding varying ground conditions. But as the machine is mastered the option still exists to manually fine tune the ground balance. This one thing alone would lead me to recommend the GMT if the unit is a persons first gold machine.

But like I said, I have to have both. Another thing I like about the Gold Bug 2 is that it can be hip or chest mounted. Great for long hours or working in deep water.

Many people do not know that the same engineer worked on both units. Dave Johnson was at Fisher when he had the major hand in designing the Gold Bug 2. And he was hired by White's many years later to work on the GMT, which is the newer of the two designs. The way I look at it one is not a Fisher and the other a White's - they are both Dave Johnson detectors. As is the Tesoro Lobo ST. Which is why I get a chuckle out of people doing the this brand versus that brand thing. They are more similar than they are different and in good hands you can't go wrong with any of them.

Steve Herschbach
http://www.akmining.com/mine/steve.htm

Thanks Steve, that's great information and much appreciated for the time you spent. Great reference from an expert and someone who's done the hard yards.  Should be kept somewhere for future newbies like me.

I did end up buying a GMT and after reading your advice, I'm glad I did.

Hi,

The GMT and GB2 are pretty close on small gold. What coil were you using? I'm guessing the stock coil. You will get much better depth on very small gold (under 5 grains) running the 6" elliptical coil. See the chart at http://www.akmining.com/mine/detgold.htm

Steve Herschbach

Hi,

The GMT and GB2 are pretty close on small gold. What coil were you using? I'm guessing the stock coil. You will get much better depth on very small gold (under 5 grains) running the 6" elliptical coil. See the chart at http://www.akmining.com/mine/detgold.htm

Steve Herschbach

I found this out to be true in NV a few months ago. I found that the 6x10 dd coil outperformed the 10 inch dd coil. I also discovered that the MXT, with the aprox. 14 khz freq, found targets deeper than the GMT my partner was using. I also found a 1/4 grain 'picker' at 3 to 4 inches. The superSAT worked better than expected and I never...never....had to worry about bad mineralized ground conditions. It sure was better than my old Goldmaster VSAT. The MXT proved to be a gold machine and when I got back to MI, within a week, I found a diamond solitair with a 14k gold band.

Hi,

The GMT and GB2 are pretty close on small gold. What coil were you using? I'm guessing the stock coil. You will get much better depth on very small gold (under 5 grains) running the 6" elliptical coil. See the chart at http://www.akmining.com/mine/detgold.htm

Steve Herschbach

I found this out to be true in NV a few months ago. I found that the 6x10 dd coil outperformed the 10 inch dd coil. I also discovered that the MXT, with the aprox. 14 khz freq, found targets deeper than the GMT my partner was using. I also found a 1/4 grain 'picker' at 3 to 4 inches. The superSAT worked better than expected and I never...never....had to worry about bad mineralized ground conditions. It sure was better than my old Goldmaster VSAT. The MXT proved to be a gold machine and when I got back to MI, within a week, I found a diamond solitair with a 14k gold band.

With its higher freq a GMT with the same size coil will be a little better than the MXT on the very small stuff. ( I own both)

Hi,

The GMT and GB2 are pretty close on small gold. What coil were you using? I'm guessing the stock coil. You will get much better depth on very small gold (under 5 grains) running the 6" elliptical coil. See the chart at http://www.akmining.com/mine/detgold.htm

Steve Herschbach

I found this out to be true in NV a few months ago. I found that the 6x10 dd coil outperformed the 10 inch dd coil. I also discovered that the MXT, with the aprox. 14 khz freq, found targets deeper than the GMT my partner was using. I also found a 1/4 grain 'picker' at 3 to 4 inches. The superSAT worked better than expected and I never...never....had to worry about bad mineralized ground conditions. It sure was better than my old Goldmaster VSAT. The MXT proved to be a gold machine and when I got back to MI, within a week, I found a diamond solitair with a 14k gold band.

With its higher freq a GMT with the same size coil will be a little better than the MXT on the very small stuff. ( I own both)

Yes, close to the surface.

I just got a Whites TDI, this thing seems to be a very powerful detector, but I'm still learning to use it, so far there are two problems I've had, I have not learned how to discriminate iron, so far I have just dug up a bunch of nails and such, and, I find the detector to be a bit heavy.  The weight I can remedy, once I get a more sturdy belt, I can put the box part of the detector on the belt.   I was using an Ace 250 before and there is a wolrd of difference . . . This Whites will go deep!   I have a feeling that once I learn it, it will do the job in a serious way . . .

I just got a Whites TDI, this thing seems to be a very powerful detector, but I'm still learning to use it, so far there are two problems I've had, I have not learned how to discriminate iron, so far I have just dug up a bunch of nails and such, and, I find the detector to be a bit heavy.  The weight I can remedy, once I get a more sturdy belt, I can put the box part of the detector on the belt.   I was using an Ace 250 before and there is a wolrd of difference . . . This Whites will go deep!   I have a feeling that once I learn it, it will do the job in a serious way . . .

I too own a TDI but it is not nearly as sensitive on small gold as a VLf gold detector. I would not try to discriminate with the TDI while using it for prospecting, nuggets can be both low and high conductors.

Hi,

There are only three coils available for the Gold Bug 2 and all are concentric.

4" x 6" elliptical

5" x 10" elliptical

8" x 14" elliptical

The 5x10 is usually stock but it is also offered with the 4x6 as stock.

Steve Herschbach

GMT!

Hi,

I'm a cheater - I have a Gold Bug 2 and a GMT. Both are very good detectors. The Gold Bug 2 has the edge for the smallest gold, the GMT gets better depth on larger gold.

Steve Herschbach

That sounds all very harsh. Maybe you just need to go through the learning curve of operating it properly for your conditions. There is a learning curve with all detectors as no two are alike as I am sure you would have picked up by all the post & info that are all over this site. Keep at it & I am sure you will master it.
Good luck & happy golding.

Kiwi JW

Hi,
    i should had bought goldbug 2 instead of Gmt. The gold here in the Philippines are very small, I'm not happy at present with my Gmt. The sad thing i cannot pay my bank loan for this mistake.

Well, I met up with a guy in the weekend who was swinging a GB2 and he was a lot more versed in MDs than me (I'm very much a beginner).

We were in an old creek bed and he already had a couple of very small gold flakes. He asked to use the GMT which I was more than happy to let him. He buried his flakes about 2 inches and the GMT picked them easily. He had never used a GMT before and I think he was reasonably impressed although he wasn't all that keen on what he called the GMT chatter but reckoned it equalled his GB2.

I've arranged to go out with him in a few weeks so he can show me a few tips.

There's nothing better for a beginner than getting some first-hand, in-the-field training from an experienced nugget detectorist. 

I went a year of getting skunked before I went on one of Gerry McMullen's (Boise, Id) field training adventures.  He hooked me up with a double ear phone jack on the machine.  I followed him around like a dog on a leash, watching every move, listening to every sound as I was tethered to the jack.  When we found our first nugget, I was to say the least, an excited puppy.  I found my first nugget on my old stomping grounds the following weekend.

Thanks everybody for their advice very much appreciated.

I've ended up buying a GMT (before I knew the GMZ existed!) and have had it out a couple of times- so far only findind lead shot - it's amazing how it picks up tiny shreds of lead.

Haven't really been into the main gold areas around home yet as I'm only using a set of music type headphones and think I most probably need a decent set before hunting in earnest.

Any recommends on a good set?

Hi Peejay,

I have associated myself with a local GPAA chapter, Route 66 Gold Miners, here in Brea, Ca (North Orange County).

We have monthly meetings and usually a guest speaker. Most recently, Oct., Our speaker was James A. McCulloch who has written a book, Advanced Nuggetshooting, A great resource to have and refer back to often.

The two things you say here stand out to me: If you are finding very small bird shot and shards of lead that is great! Lead is in the same discriminating range as gold and your MD unit seems to be tuned in pretty well. But you have to calculate in the number of shot per shell, the number of shots taken, how many hunts have taken place on your land, ect.. So keep on digging those beeps because you never know when one will be a nugget. And as far as headphones go...if they come with the larger plug that is used with high end stereo systems then they are probably good enough. If you want to look up the number values of your current set or are looking to buy new, the higher the better. He recommends at least 60 ohm impedance and 95 dB (decibels) output.

Our club just recently acquired 3 new claims and I am itching to get out there and refine MY techniques. Since you own your own property, and if you are not too far away, we might get together some time. Just drop me a PM or email.

Happy Hunting,
Steve George

Our club just recently acquired 3 new claims and I am itching to get out there and refine MY techniques. Since you own your own property, and if you are not too far away, we might get together some time. Just drop me a PM or email.

Happy Hunting,
Steve George

Thanks Steve much appreciated to get good advice Gee, people on this forum give advice so freely it really is appreciated.

I'd love to have you on my property but I reckon it's just a tad to far for you - I live in New Zealand (just across the ditch from Australia!)
but thanks very much for your interest.

Hi Peejay
Interesting that you live in NZ. I am an X Kiwi. Been living in Oz since 1976. However I know a lot of the Central Otago Gold areas intimately and manage to get over there from time to time. I used to have a Gold Bug II, and it was excellent in the mild soil conditions there, however, where I am now it could not produce any depth at all.
I have had several Minelabs and am going back to a MXT which can pretty much be used anywhere and for anything.
Are you by any chance around the C Otago area?

I purchased a used GMT several months ago. I was very impressed with it up until a few weeks ago, when something strange began to happen. For some mysterious reason the darn thing will no longer go past the 3 on sensitivity. Whenever I try to crank it up past the 3 it starts going nuts and signals bad ground. It is still under warranty and I believe I can send it into Whites for repair, but I was wondering if any of you have had this happen to you? And if so is there an easy fix to this problem or does it look like I have to send it into Whites for repair?

Any help with this matter would be appreciated.

Ed T

Sounds like a crook Sensitivity Pot. (potentiometer) Looks like a Whites job. Very unusual.

Thanks for your input Wildcat. It felt like I had been cruising in a luxury car after stepping up to the GMT. I think it is the best detector I have used up to this point. If you dig everything you can use it in any area of prospecting. When I first got it in I was playing around with it and I dug a half of a pin,or needle, at 5 inches on an angle. I think I will contact their warranty repair and see if and when I can send it in. 

Thanks Again.
Ed T

Hi there Peejay , I am cuminn down to Central 23 dec to 9th Jan for some swingin & sluicing. Any chance of us making contact?. I know Central pretty well my self & luv the place. Making plans on movin down there end of next year hopefully. I will be stayn at a mates place in QT. Was down for 8 weeks end of last year & did a bit up the Arrow.





Half an Oz



Here are some Coromandel species from up my way









Good luck & happy golding

Kiwi JW

Haven't really been into the main gold areas around home yet as I'm only using a set of music type headphones and think I most probably need a decent set before hunting in earnest.

Any recommends on a good set?

I use a set of Nugget Busters with my GMT and they work great!
Frequency response: 200 - 3200 Hz.
Sensitivity: 72 dB @ 1kHz min.
Impedance: 150 ohms nominal.
http://www.detectorpro.com/nuggetbusters.htm

GG~

 Hey  Ed T  How did you go with your problem??? Didja get it sorted?
The Cat

Hey Wildcat,
I sent an email with all of the info I believe that they need to send me information on sending it in for repair on Monday but I have not heard a word back from Whites yet. I was thinking about giving them a call if I do not hear back from them soon. I personally thought that they should have answered my email by now but it looks like I was wrong about that. Oh well, I think that I will give them a call tomorrow. I hope that they answer their phones better than they do their emails. LOL

And I have heard stories from some people about how good Whites is with their service and repair department. Maybe they are really busy or something.

Maybe I should have went with the Gold Bug II, after all I have never had any problems with my original gold bug. LOL

Ed T

Hi,

Emails sometimes get blocked by spam filters. Just give them a call. Nice folks.

Steve Herschbach

Guess what...  It happened to me with a new 6x10 DD Whites coil.  Coil was replaced and all is fine now.

The Cat

When I got my MXT, I ordered the 6x10 with it. It started playing up after a few minutes but still sort of worked. I just couldn't wind up the gain or SAT without it screaming.
When I tried the standard coil it worked fine.
Anyway it sounds like a bad bunch of coils...
I have been out goldhunting twice now but no gold yet. Plenty of bullets etc.
I have also been doing some coin hunting using the 6x10 and finding a few, but nothing exciting yet.  Very happy with the MXT though. Much better, in fact much much much better than the Xterra 70 that I had.

The Cat