| PREFACE: Gold Detectors are All Metal Detectors, that respond to all metals, be it Gold, Copper, Lead, Silver, Nickel, Iron etc. What qualifies them a s 'Gold' Detectors is that Gold generally is found in difficult ground-mineralization so the metal detector must have the proper controls to deal with the ground conditions which can be noisy and obscure the metal detectors ability to 'see' gold nuggets in the ground. In order to neutralize this ground noise the Gold Detectors rely on ground balancing circuits, either Auto Tracking or Manual Ground Balance. Second important factor is the frequency of the circuit. VLF Detectors optimize to sense gold nuggets (the average size in California is about match head or 2 to 3 grains), they tend to be at a higher frequency than your traditional coin metal detector, about 10 kHz to 72 kHz. Pulse Induction Detectors, particularly Minelab's Super Detectors, multi-pulse sensing under 3 kHz but have been designed to see fairly small gold nuggets in addition to the larger gold nuggets. There strongest advantage is in their ability to virtually ignore most hot rocks that will challenge a high end VLF Detector and the ground becomes very quiet. Top VLF Gold Detectors Garrett Gold Scorpion, 15 kHz, $550.00 Comment: Manual Ground Balance Garrett Gold Scorpion continues the tradition of the Garrett Ground Hog Circuit, so popular in the 1980s. Its 15 kHz circuit is quite sensitive on small match head size nuggets. The Gold Scorpion is a smooth operator and comes standard with a 6x10" Wide Scan Loop which is pretty much the industry standard. Manual Ground Balancing is done with a 10 Turn Ground Balance Control with a fixed Auto Tune. The Gold Scorpion has a full range motion discriminator as well as a non-motion TR Discriminator. The Gold Scorpion has a light weight feel and can be pole or hip mounted. No VCO. Its Dual Discrimination circuits also make it an effective coin and relic detector. White's Goldmaster GMT, 48 kHz, 799.00 Auto Tracking Ground Balance with Manual Ground Balance or Quick Grab Ground Balance, Variable Auto Tune or Self Adjusting Threshold. 6x10 Wide Scan Search Head. VCO The Pole Mounted GM Tdelivers an impressive audio response on nuggets down to sub-grain size. The ground tracking system is fast and efficient. The GMT sports a unique visual identification system that indicates the percentage of iron in the target from 0 to 100%, the amount of mineralization and amount of black sand concentrations. Note: Last summer, I hunted with a GMT at Lake Tahoe looking for finer jewelry and scored a 1934 Peace Dollar, 1942 Mercury Head Dime and a 6 Diamond 18K Gold Ring. The Goldmaster made its deput in 1990 as the Goldmaster II. Subsequent Models were the Goldmaster V/SAT, Goldmaster III and Goldmaster 4B. Copies of my book, Understanding the Goldmaster V/SAT are available by Email Request @ au4greg@sbcglobal.net through 2008. Tesoro Lobo SuperTraq, 17.5 kHz, 799.00 Auto Tracking Ground Balance with, 3 position Mineral Switch and Single Speed Auto Tune, Hip or Pole Mount. 6x10 Wide Scan Search head. Full Range Motion Discriminator. Tesoro Lobo SuperTraq was the first American Detector made with a Ground Tracking circuit. Although slower sampling compared to the White's GMT or Eureka Gold, Tesoro's smooth circuit and 3 position mineral switch can tame the ground to ensure deeper nuggets are recovered. The All Metal Audio Response like most of the VLF Gold Detectors has VCO audio for improved target recognition. Can be used as a Coin and Relic Detector. Minelab Eureka Gold, Selectable 6.4 kHz, 20 kHz and 60 kHz, 999.95. Auto Tracking Ground Balance about as fast as the GMT by Whites. Two speeds of auto tune. Comes standard with 6x10 Loop, no factory accessory loops made due to the complexity off being able to select between three different frequencies. 6 kHz for deepest-largest gold nuggets, 20 kHz is the preferred frequency with impressive sharp response on match head nuggets and larger, and 60 kHz for sub-grain nuggets. Most impressive is the quietness of the circuit that Minelab is so famous for which translates to less noise to better see and hear that small elusive gold nugget. Although not advertised as having the ability to Coin Shoot, you can, as it has a Ferrous or Iron Discriminator. Trans Bay recommends to hunt at 6.4 kHz with Tracking Off. You can also have fun looking for the elusive fine jewelry and chains using 20 or even 60 kHz around the tan bark. Predecessors included the American Gold Striker (first tracking detector at 32 kHz) and Minelab 18000 GT. Other VLF Models recommended for Coin, Jewelry, Relic Hunting with Good Gold Nugget Detection. * White's MXT * Tesoro Vaquero and Tejon * Minelab X-Terra 70 * Whites DFX * Garrett GTI 2500 PULSE INDUCTION Detectors, Super Prospectors, From $1250.00 to $4500.00 Garrett Infinium, $1250.00. Comment: Very similar circuit to the 2200D but two BIG Advantages; Water Proof to 200 Feet or more and Ergonomically much lighter and easily pole or hip mounted. The circuit sounds very close to the Minelab 2200 and appears that Charles Garrett and Engineering Staff likewise took a page or two out of Eric Foster's Technology. Several months ago, Mark the Locksmith, one of my customers, traded in his Detector PRO Head Hunter PI (Eric Foster Circuit) in which he found a man's gold ring with two 1/4Ct Diamonds at over 14". Mark had been doing his homework and asked to borrow my Infinium Demo and liked the High-Low Conductive Tone ID and had me order one for him. After he received the new Infinium he remarked that this new Infinium seemed to be more stable and apparently checking with my National Rep, Carl Mathias, Garrett has quietly continued to make improvements in the development of the Infinium with little fanfare. The Infinium also has a wide selection of Factory MONO and Double D or Wide Scan Loops available. Three Years ago, I took my Infinium to Lake Tahoe and it cut through the heavy volcanic black sand with ease. There were coins i just couldn't get to that were over 20". The infinium is definitely a best buy. Minelab SD 2100 and 2200 V2, Analog Output $1695.00 and $2499.00 Comment: Back in the early 1990s, Jimmy Sierra received one of the very first SD 2000s, from Bruce Candy, Minelab's Chief Engineer. The very first one had been given to Peter Hedyler, a Ex Dutch Marine who was living in prospecting in Australia using the Fisher Gold Bug and White's Goldmaster II. Within a short time, Peter hear a very deep but large signal in hard pack iron stone and calichi soil. Trash was unlikely. Peter couldn't put a dent in the hard soil with his pick, so he had to go back to town to rent a Jack Hammer. Took him most of the day to get down over four feet where he pulled up a 60 Oz Gold Nugget. Because of the SD2000's ability to virtually neutralize any ground reactivity generally noisy and challenging to most VLF Detectors, was the key to Peter hearing that very deep target. Wasn't too long before Bruce Candy had sent one to Jimmy Sierra to evaluate and that was my first introduction. Eventually, Minelab learned of the prototypes and insisted the Bruce Candy go ahead with production and these SD Detectors opened up a whole new world of nuggets whose depth was previously beyond the ability of any of the other detectors. The 2000s became 2100s V1 and then Bruce Candy taking some of the expertise from Eric Foster, the Father of Pulse Induction Technology, developed a sophisticated ground tracking to aid the pulse induction along with some other enhancements and the 2200 V1 was born. Today, the 2100 and 2200 have evolved into the V2s with the 2200 V2 the most popular. In spite of the additional success of the GP Series, in Mongolia they are having a gold rush and the 2200 V2 seems to be the detector of choice. As the SDs started to first show up in America, "Digger" Bob Van Camp (Comstock Metal Detectors in Paradise, CA) and Jim Williams, right around 1998 arrived at Rye Patch to do some Yearly Prospecting in an area they thought they had cleaned out with Fisher Gold Bugs and White's Goldmasters. They ran into some detectorists that had been camped out at Rye Patch for several weeks. When they showed Bob and Jim all these good size nuggets they had been finding in this so-called worked out area, Bob and Jim's jaw dropped. On several signals clearly heard with the SD Detectors, Bob and Jim could not hear them with their Goldmaster IIIs. It was clear that Minelab had made a big leap forward in terms of their Gold Machine Technology. The SDs still will not see the smaller nuggets seen by their VLF counterparts which have also become better and more efficient with advanced ground tracking circuits. Minelab GPX 4500, $5500.00 Comment: Similar to the 2200 V2 but with an improved Battery System, Digital Controls and Digital Audio Output, making it the Quietest of the Super Detectors. Preceeded by the GP Extreme, GP 3000 and GP 3500 and 4000. Reports from Australia and on the forums, the guys using the GPX 4500s continue to find deeper gold nuggets in previously heavily hunted areas. MAP priced at $5000.00, this is the most expensive of the Super Detectors on the market. As Minelab has continued to raise prices, they now have the Whites Pulse Scan TDI to contend with priced at an entry price level of 1599.95 which will work with all WOT, Nugget Finder and Minelab Coils.... should be interesting to compare their BEST. JUST INTRODUCED... White's Pulse Scan TDI, $2000.00 See White's Web Site, with Entry Price of just under $1600.00. Summer of 2008 Comment: Unbelievable Depth. Super Quiet over all ground conditions with a Manual Ground Balance. This is White's latest model, two years in development. Eric Foster is considered by most, the 'Father of Pulse Induction Technology' and joined forces with White's Electronics over two years ago. The TDI shares a similar platform to Eric's limited distribution Gold Scan 5C ($2500.00) but with several White's advancements thanks to project engineer, Dan Guyer. * Doesn't see Hot Rocks like most of the competitors. * Extremely quiet under atmospheric conditions or power lines thanks to its Analog Circuit and Frequency Adjustment control. * Patented Twin Transmit Field Technology in Loops... White's First. * Standard 12" & 8" Dual Transmit Loop Standard with 8" & 4" on its way. * Patented High Conductor (Low Tone) or Low Conductor (High Tone) Switch... White's First * Convertible Chest, Hip or Pole Mount exceptionally balanced light weight and superior configuration compared to other non-White's Models. * Dual Lithium Ion Batteries with charger * Full Range Gain Control * Adjustable Threshold Control * Adjustable Ground Balance * Ability to Run Straight Pulse * Adjustable 10us, 17.5us or 25 us Pulse Rate * Designed for Gold, Relic, Beach. Note: Trans Bay has been selected to author some Professional Tweaking Tips. Sold only directly through Select White's Electronics Dealers. |
Best Gold Detectors: VLF & Pulse Induction
