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Gold Nugget Detecting with the New Garrett ATX

S

steve herschbach

New member
OK folks, here you go. I have spent about two days of nugget detecting with the new Garrett ATX metal detector over the course of three actual days at three different locations. I learned a lot about the detector, and did actually find some gold with it, no small feat for this prospector from Alaska. I am a total newbie in the Lower 48 and were it not for good friends would have a much harder time placing myself in some decent locations. I learned enough I wrote up a very long article with photos on my website which is a lot easier for me to maintain and update with new information than posting on a forum.

Gold Nugget Detecting with the Garrett ATX - Hints, Tips, and Tricks

The bottom line is a big thumbs up for the ATX for nugget detecting. I was very impressed by the ability of the ATX to find very small gold nuggets straight out of the box with the 12" x 10" DD coil. No special tuning, just a high sensitivity setting and careful hunting. My two smallest nuggets weighed in at 0.12 gram and 0.16 gram which says more to me about the ATX than finding larger gold. 1.36 grams total in four nuggets. Check it all out in the article.

Steve Herschbach

[attachment 279084 gold-nuggets-found-with-garrett-atx.jpg]
 
Excellent write up Steve. I am glad to hear someone compliment the iron ID as a limited yet very effective way to properly ID iron in the top layers of strata, conserving time to dig more probable signals for gold. With over a foot of snow in Edmonton and recently having temperatures in the high minus 20's with the wind factor, I can appreciate your move to a more comfortable climate. Hope you can tolerate all that heat.:biggrin:

Good luck with your remaining 2013.!
 
good report thanks steve :clapping:
 
Hi John,

Thanks. I am glad I have a website to put it on as I just fixed numerous small errors and typos. Still more no doubt but will find them later.

Reno is getting a bit chilly now but in this case all I did was hop in truck, drive 13 hours to Arizona, pitch camp, and get up the next morning and go detecting. I am used to driving long hours so there is always something within a day that I can detect, even in the dead of winter. I guess I got older because I tolerate heat a lot better than cold these days. Below zero temps in Alaska now and I am not missing it a bit.

I hope your winter is a short one!
 
Alright!! Good job Steve...were those tiny ones on bedrock or in gravel layers?

Alan
 
Thanks for the great review, Steve!
"I have lots of questions regarding the stock coil versus the 8" mono as far as how the two differ in handling mineralized ground, hot rocks, electrical interference, and depth on both large and small gold nuggets."
Yes! Please let us know as you learn more. I would also be inclined to go with the 8" mono, except..... Garrett states that the Iron Check only works with the DD coil. Even as rudimentary as the iron check may be, saving me from digging even one extra hole would be appreciated. :)
It would be interesting to hear from those technically inclined as to why this (iron check doesn't work on mono coil) may be.....
 
GoldChaser said:
Thanks for the great review, Steve!
"I have lots of questions regarding the stock coil versus the 8" mono as far as how the two differ in handling mineralized ground, hot rocks, electrical interference, and depth on both large and small gold nuggets."
Yes! Please let us know as you learn more. I would also be inclined to go with the 8" mono, except..... Garrett states that the Iron Check only works with the DD coil. Even as rudimentary as the iron check may be, saving me from digging even one extra hole would be appreciated. :)
It would be interesting to hear from those technically inclined as to why this (iron check doesn't work on mono coil) may be.....
Click to expand...

My guess is same reason the ferrous discrimination on a Minelab requires a DD coil. Looks like Garrett is using a similar methodology, whatever that is. I have seen the discrimination on the Minelabs tricked into calling a gold specimen ferrous and it makes me suspect the iron check can also be fooled. The more mineralized the ground, the more suspicious I would be.
 
Thanks Steve that report got me off the fence well done,how did you find the coil and shaft configuration ,was it a problem with the coil wanting to kick up and not stay parallel with the ground,just looks like it could be a problem keeping it in position with the mount so far back on the coil,other than that it is looking good cheers Bazza
 
Actually no issue at all with coil mounted in rear. The tension adjustment works well and I just adjusted with my foot now and then to work different ground surfaces. Or pushed coil on ground and leaned detector forward. It does leverage more weight to the fore so more reason to keep shaft set short. not sure how it plays out with the big 20" mono as that sure seems like a lot of coil hanging out front but the 12" is just fine.

The folks I was with were all impressed when I would either extend the shaft out on arrival or collapse it to stow away at end of day. The telescoping arrangement really is great not only in looks but in actual use.
 
Steve, that was a great write up on your nugget hunt as well as a new review of the ATX!
I enjoyed your explanation of the new DD coil with the hot center and your thoughs on it and how to use it effectively.

Man, I felt like I was there in that gully digging some nice little nuggies...:super:

Alan
 
Another fun and informative report...Gracias !

By the way, did anyone happen to see Chris Gholson's vid of first nugget found with the ATX in Arizona?

He got really excited !

Cheers,

Tye
 
I did. I do not think finding a nugget ever is not exciting, no matter how small. They are just too hard to find so every find puts a big smile on. So I do believe Chris was as excited as he looked!
 
Yea thats a killer video of Chris...the excitement is real!
 
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