Fresh finds, coil demos, and more
Using a GPX 5000 with a 14×9 inch ELITE mono, both brand new. I found my first ever gold nugget, 0.15 of a gram, approx. 1 and a 1/2 inches deep. The next week produced a few more small bits 0.04 of a gram to 0.35 of a gram, total of 1.5 grams.
I own a Minelab GP3500 and usually run DD coils. One day, when at a Minelab dealers shop in Ballarat, I was given the opportunity of taking the 11in Coiltek Elite for a test run. Another prospector was standing beside me and said “mate, those coils are too sensitive for your old GP3500, you will get nothing but ground noise” I was undeterred, I had heard how good these coils were, and Coiltek would not say they would suit a GP model just to get sales, so I was in I headed off to a patch that I had got some nuggets from and thought I had cleaned out.
Now I hadn’t been having much luck with my GPX4500 and the 14” Elite, matter of fact no luck at all since I’ve owned it which is only about 6 months. This morning I had found a small patch of four little nuggets with my SDC and I thought after lunch Bruce and I will come back and I’ll give the GPX and the Elite one more crack and if no luck machine and coil will never see the light of day again.
Growing up just out of Ararat I am lucky enough to know a few farmers and prospectors around the area and always wanted to get into prospecting, so a few years ago I brought a GPX4000 and a Coiltek Terra-cotta 14” Mono.
Hi my name is Peter and I am 67 years old. I live in Melbourne and have been detecting for a few years now, as a hobby. I don’t get out as much as I would like to, but now being semi-retired and working less I hope to visit the gold fields a little more regularly with my wife. I like being out in the bush. The freedom and nature is at its finest and most importantly camping with my family and watching my grandsons grow up with this wonderful hobby around them. They love gold detecting.
Detecting within the West Australian Goldfields, the first morning started at 7:00 am, -4°C. My 14 year old daughter Shianah was super keen to get going. Shianah is using the GPX 5000 with the 14×9 Elite Mono with an external speaker so I can keep an eye and ear out for her. 7:10 am I hear the GPX 5000 blank out. Shianah yells out, “I have a signal but it’s too loud its trash.” I walk over to her, Shianah is looking down disappointed “its trash it sounds like metal” she said. “Oh well let’s just dig it out it could be good looking trash” I replied. Shianah smiles.
