Was wondering if anyone has ever bench tested the two 10.5" coils against each other to see if their coin depth was very similar. Same for the two 6" coils, know that the 6" DD HF coil sure opened my eyes when doing so. Lately I've been starting to compare the air test results of the various brands of detectors and was surprised at how closely the results mirrored the cost of the various detectors, not precisely but quite closely...
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bench testing:
- Thread starter Mtnmn
- Start date
7centsworth
Well-known member
I coin tested the 6 inch dd and the 10.5 7.5 and the 6inch dd was deeper in air by a few inches that shocked me . But in ground i seem to be getting deeper with the 10.5. I have dug shotgun shells while relic hunting at ten inches with the 10.5 coil.
Those were the same as my results too, with the 6" DD HF coil bench testing the best, while the 10.5" DD MF coil was only slightly deeper in my type of ground. But I don't have the other two coils to bench test them against. Suspect that in my case the 10.5" DD HF coil will perform better in ground against the 6" DD HF than the 10.5"DD MF coil does, am hoping so anyhow as I'll be ordering one come Monday.
I cannot find my record sheet, but I systematically buried a gold nugget at different depths in my backyard (moderate mineralization), and tried my 3 coils (X-terra 705) stock, 10.5" DD, and 6" DD. The area in the yard is flood material from an ancient gold bearing waterway.
The 10.5" DD won on depth, but the 6" DD coil was no slacker. The stock coil was not really useful, and I have not used it in the field. I have dug many junk targets 10"+ deep with the 10.5" DD coil, and about 6-8" with the 6" DD. When I am detecting trashy areas or in water, it's the 6" DD; otherwise if it's a high and dry mountain bench, I use the 10.5" DD. I also flip between prospecting and coin/relic for IDs. Sometimes you'll get hits on prospecting, but not on relic. So be sure to dig everything, and never quit trying to find that target. If there's a problem, re-balance, and turn on tracking. Persistence is the key to success, that, and being in a gold bearing area that has big enough targets.....
The 10.5" DD won on depth, but the 6" DD coil was no slacker. The stock coil was not really useful, and I have not used it in the field. I have dug many junk targets 10"+ deep with the 10.5" DD coil, and about 6-8" with the 6" DD. When I am detecting trashy areas or in water, it's the 6" DD; otherwise if it's a high and dry mountain bench, I use the 10.5" DD. I also flip between prospecting and coin/relic for IDs. Sometimes you'll get hits on prospecting, but not on relic. So be sure to dig everything, and never quit trying to find that target. If there's a problem, re-balance, and turn on tracking. Persistence is the key to success, that, and being in a gold bearing area that has big enough targets.....
I haven't weighed it, but it's about 0.6 grams.
The depth response is sometimes only a few inches in the field-(cover the gold with a medium sized rock and man how that signal decreases). I carry the nugget sealed in a bit of plastic, and test it from time-to-time while I detect (both air and buried). Gold sounds different than most targets, but it really depends on the mineralization. Where I detect, some places are red with iron, and the machine blanks over the entire area (with iron mask set from 1-20), or goes crazy with it off. A VLF machine is useless in those areas (which were hydraulic mined in the 19th century), but mineralization dramatically varies from mild to screaming hot (mountains north of Los Angeles in Southern California, USA).
You have to log some serious hours and get lucky to find a gram nugget near where I live, but it is possible, and a heck of a lot easier than digging 50 five gallon buckets for total of 1g placer. I enjoy digging all the trash and bullets, it's really great therapy, but am amazed at how much trash is found in the most unlikely spots. Countless people have brought food wrapped in aluminum foil, which when discarded, disintegrates, and is blown to the four corners of the map. It can honestly get frustrating digging 10+" and finding a food wrapper, or bit of aluminum beer label. Persistence, I keep on reminding myself of that...be persistent. The largest modern gold I've seen from my area was 5oz, with about 15 lbs in large nuggets taken from 20-30' under a huge boulder. It is thought that the site was an old mining camp, as it is the only location above flood level in the area, and extending the hole along the bedrock found no more gold-the old timers musta gotten it all...That site is about a 5 hr hike upstream of where I generally detect. If one sluices in that upper general area, you can maybe take 3-5g/day with a one 1g nugget once a week on average (about 1oz/wk). Not too rich, but still fun. There are dozens (if not hundreds) of old mines (both drift and lode) along the 40 mile canyon too (mostly gold and silver).
The depth response is sometimes only a few inches in the field-(cover the gold with a medium sized rock and man how that signal decreases). I carry the nugget sealed in a bit of plastic, and test it from time-to-time while I detect (both air and buried). Gold sounds different than most targets, but it really depends on the mineralization. Where I detect, some places are red with iron, and the machine blanks over the entire area (with iron mask set from 1-20), or goes crazy with it off. A VLF machine is useless in those areas (which were hydraulic mined in the 19th century), but mineralization dramatically varies from mild to screaming hot (mountains north of Los Angeles in Southern California, USA).
You have to log some serious hours and get lucky to find a gram nugget near where I live, but it is possible, and a heck of a lot easier than digging 50 five gallon buckets for total of 1g placer. I enjoy digging all the trash and bullets, it's really great therapy, but am amazed at how much trash is found in the most unlikely spots. Countless people have brought food wrapped in aluminum foil, which when discarded, disintegrates, and is blown to the four corners of the map. It can honestly get frustrating digging 10+" and finding a food wrapper, or bit of aluminum beer label. Persistence, I keep on reminding myself of that...be persistent. The largest modern gold I've seen from my area was 5oz, with about 15 lbs in large nuggets taken from 20-30' under a huge boulder. It is thought that the site was an old mining camp, as it is the only location above flood level in the area, and extending the hole along the bedrock found no more gold-the old timers musta gotten it all...That site is about a 5 hr hike upstream of where I generally detect. If one sluices in that upper general area, you can maybe take 3-5g/day with a one 1g nugget once a week on average (about 1oz/wk). Not too rich, but still fun. There are dozens (if not hundreds) of old mines (both drift and lode) along the 40 mile canyon too (mostly gold and silver).
Mobius
Thanks for the tip about carrying a small nugget with you to test.
I do the same thing with a small gold ring.
I never found a nugget here in Georgia, but I think some have been found around or in creeks.
I am going to give it a try this year with the 6" HF coil.
The 10.5HF coil you mention, is it the round or the elliptical?
I asume it's the round.
Do you ever use the 10.5x5 elliptical?
Fascinating story about MD in your area.
I enjoyed it.
Thanks
Denny
Thanks for the tip about carrying a small nugget with you to test.
I do the same thing with a small gold ring.
I never found a nugget here in Georgia, but I think some have been found around or in creeks.
I am going to give it a try this year with the 6" HF coil.
The 10.5HF coil you mention, is it the round or the elliptical?
I asume it's the round.
Do you ever use the 10.5x5 elliptical?
Fascinating story about MD in your area.
I enjoyed it.
Thanks
Denny
Elliptical 10.5" DD is what I have, and it's really great. It was my default for the high benches, way above the roads, where there's very little trash. I love detecting exposed tertiary riverbeds that I know from history contain gold. Turns out that not all those beds are the same. They were deposited at different times-some have no gold, some only fines, others only chunky. Please note that the gold in the pan was not found by me, but by someone else who is very successful. For the really deep holes, detectors are only employed when near bedrock, and the hematite is fist sized or larger. The hole with the digging tool just shows the depth from the 10.5" DD on a pull tab.
I have a friend who was enlisted in the Army and stationed at a base in GA. Part of the base is wooded with a creek. Turns out that it's gold bearing too. The military used that area for target practice, he asked for and received clearance to gold pan. Being it was his first time, he never expected to find anything, much less a 1.5 oz nugget sitting right on the surface! He sold it for cold hard cash and has been hooked ever since. He said that river has to be insanely rich, but it's all on government property and closed to the public. Pretty cool to think that even though Georgans have been working their state for centuries, they haven't found it all.
Mobius
"much less a 1.5 oz nugget sitting right on the surface! He sold it for cold hard cash and has been hooked ever since. He said that river has to be insanely rich"
Oh my goodness, I think I want to quit my day job now and hit all the Ga.'s creeks.
Thanks for the pictures and the info.
Good hunting
Denny
"much less a 1.5 oz nugget sitting right on the surface! He sold it for cold hard cash and has been hooked ever since. He said that river has to be insanely rich"
Oh my goodness, I think I want to quit my day job now and hit all the Ga.'s creeks.
Thanks for the pictures and the info.
Good hunting
Denny
I'll ask him where it is, I doubt that all the waterway is under Uncle Sam's thumb. Keep in mind that the artillery shells could have mixed things up-it sure beats digging. Turns out that although he was cleared to pan, a live fire exercise was also scheduled around the same time! The range master banned anyone else from the area and he was not allowed to work that stream again. He said that the man who bought the nugget at a local prospecting store low balled him! lol! Privates earn a small salary, so the amount offered was large to him at the time, but about 1/2 of the real value-he didn't know any better, and never made that mistake again.
Mobius
If he is still down here I would pay him spot, once we determine the purity of the gold.
Or he probably should have sent it to you to get a fair price.
I'm thinking it was maybe around Ft. Benning Ga.
Not to far from were I MD.
Signing off for tonight.
I will dream of gold I'm sure!
Denny
If he is still down here I would pay him spot, once we determine the purity of the gold.
Or he probably should have sent it to you to get a fair price.
I'm thinking it was maybe around Ft. Benning Ga.
Not to far from were I MD.
Signing off for tonight.
I will dream of gold I'm sure!
Denny