Test Driving My New GoldQuest SS

[thedeserttortoise]

Bought a used GQ SS from Mr Bill and just started playing with it yesterday. Went out to the gold fields yesterday and forgot my camera. I found about the same amount of stuff as I found today (these are todays finds from a different location which I've pictured too). I haven't had a lot of time and its cold out so this only represents about a half hour swinging the coil. Its really rocky and these finds were all mainly surface with a high 3 to 4 inch swing. The little shred of brass just below the 9mm shell was pried out of a crack in the granite. After chipping out the rock I found it wedged about 2 1/2 inches down. It demonstrated the detectors potential best as it was completely covered by granite. Not to mention my really high swing in the rocks. Probably about 5 inches in that particular spot. I had a faint signal and tilted the coil to get into the crevice. Worked great. The round piece in the middle is a 2 1/2 gram piece of gold and quartz. I brought it along to experiment and was getting a signal at about 4 inches buried in loose material. This was with the coil right on the ground. I'm just learning this machine and already love it. Any hints you can pass along will be appreciated...Tortoise

 

[Pyrite Boy]

Tortoise, I can give you nothing but encouragement at the moment, as Mr. Bill is looking at my Goldquest as we speak to get it online......how did the machine react to the ground?........I will try mine out in the desert this spring or in the Motherlode.....will let you know more after that.....do you have the mono or DD coil?....Jerry

 

[thedeserttortoise]

Hi Pyrite. I have the mono coil. Here in New Mexico it dosent seem to bothered by ground noise at all....in fact I can set the sat at midway, disc at none or 0, and the threshold to just a real faint bit of noise and it stays quiet until on target...and yes, the threshhold will just whisper if the target is deep. You have to listen for the slight difference in threshhold noise for the deeper stuff. I'll tell you though, have a volume control on your headphones as she really can sound off on big and shallow. I kind of did some impromptu testing with that 2 1/4- 2 1/2 gram nugget and the goldquest beats my xterra 70 by a good 2, maybe 2 1/2 inches. I had to come back to this on an edit and add that I really like my xterra but it does register hot rocks and ground a bit. I switch from prospect mode and check before digging. You do get used to it and can move along pretty quickly though. With the goldquest there is hardly any such thing as hot rocks and ground noise. You hear a threshhold change and dig...simple. I adopted Goes4ever's method of searching right off. Hear something...dig. I do have some old ghost town areas that you can't do that though... Gotta grab a different tool then. Back to the GQ. I also did some testing under some power lines... I really didnt notice much in the way of interference at all. While playing around I did run the adjustments around a bit and discovered that I could get the machine to sound off at the top of each swing which I've read about. But again, you can adjust that right out. I'll tell you, I love this thing. When I made the deal I wasnt sure but jeez, I'll use this thing all day for gold. Another thing. Mr Bill seemed to half appologize that this older unit wasnt shaft mounted... Best thing since sliced bread! I just slid the chest strap of my backpack through it and walah! Wish I could do the same to all my detectors. I never want a shaft mounted unit again... In fact. If I upgrade,,,,which is unlikely as this thing is hot, I definately do not want the shaft mount. Good luck and good prospecting. If you head out towards the sth west hollar. Tortoise

 

[Eric Foster]

Hi Deserttortoise,

You will have to change your name, as you will be recovering targets much faster with the GQ. Funny how preferences differ. Recently I read a post from someone who hated belt mounting a unit. You obviously love it this way. By the way, later GQs have a volume control, but if your phones have one then you are OK. Keep us informed how you get on and what you find.

Eric.

 

[Pyrite Boy]

Tortoise, thanks for the offer, I will do that......be sure to give me a ring if you get to Southern California sometime....beach or nugget hunt, your choice.....it is funny how some hate the chest/hip mount config.......I am one myself......I am modifying the GQ Aquasearch to be shaft mounted via an Anderson Shaft which I used on my late Infinium......have fun, Jerry

 

[thedeserttortoise]

Hi guys. Been busy around the house last couple of days. I'm trying to get a set of doors up on my garage before I go into the hosp. for a tune up. I hope to get out today or tomorrow...once more or so with the GQ too. I'll definatly post my next search. Take care and happy hunting. Ron