Micro gold hunting on lake beaches

Are local lake beaches good for micro jewelry?

Thinking about getting a Gold Bug 2 and try the beaches and maybe the water.

I hunt in the water now with:
Equinox 800 11" & 6" coils
XP Orx 9" coil w/ waterproof kit

Both these detectors failed the micro gold test of a 3mm 10k 4 pin white gold earring stud.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2019 12:28AM by Rick, N. MI.

Rick, N. MI Wrote:
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> Are local lake beaches good for micro jewelry?
>
>

Would depend on the usage & demographics. If it's fishing type lakes, then no. But if it's touristy swim & suntan beaches, then perhaps.

One "rude awakening" I had, in switching from my coin machine to a machine "good at micro-jewelry", was the avalanche of ttteeennnsssy foil turd cr@p that you will need to wade through. After about the 30th little grain-of-rice and pinhead sized stuff, I went back to being selective. Kiss that earing stud or tinsel thin chain goodbye. Doh !

Used the GB2 on the beach before, you need the right type of sifter, you’ll be picking up things you literally won’t be able to see. I’ve had a lot better success at the beach w the GoldMaxx Power. Look at Toms field test of the GMP and he even states it’s (almost) as sensitive as the GB2.

Aaron

TARSACCI - “Digging deeper, BEHIND the competition!”
[forums.tarsaccisales.com]

I'm surprised the Nox did not see the little stuff. Here are some pics of a friend of mine hunts with the Nox, Harry does very well and is famous for his skill as a Micro hunter.
These would be the targets you would expect to find at a beach....










Blood Member of RingKeepers
2020......Gold Rings....73....Misc Gold 1 .......Silvers ...110

My experience, the Nox pick the micro gold with any coil. But i haven't found chain yet. I use Nox mostly in freshwater, the main problem i can't run the machine stable just beach modes. Any other mode the machine give 1-2 ground noises anywhere in water.
The second problem the small leads, I found a lot everywhere! Diameter 1,5, 2, 3 mm, they are hard targets, if you haven't sifter and scoop with small holes hard to dig. These leads give TDI from 2-8, small gold medalions give same TDI, the smaller ones 1,2 the chains 1,2....
OBN your friend hunt in freshwater? I am very corious how he solve this problem.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2019 03:03PM by timmysys.

Joe ...... is Harry hunting in the dry sand with the 800 gold programs? What i learned is ...... rises is where fine foil gathers from the wind...... low areas is where it settles from the rains... or if you have a tractor it drops out there. Lot of people believe they are getting the micro gold...... if you have to use the beach programs especially beach 2 you arent. Same way with testing..... most are testing stuff they found with other machines. Sifter?.......absolutely need one of those and a PPer. For the most part those targets could be scooped up with a shovel (wet/dry sand) because they arent going to be that deep. Mark yourself off a 10X10' square and start to work. If you go helter skelter...... if dumb luck. If you plan to hunt micro gold ....... hunt micro gold. A pattern with a lot of disc....or you will find yourself NOT digging the right targets wasting valuable time out there.

Joe ...... is Harry hunting in the dry sand with the 800 gold programs? What i learned is ...... rises is where fine foil gathers from the wind...... low areas is where it settles from the rains... or if you have a tractor it drops out there. Lot of people believe they are getting the micro gold...... if you have to use the beach programs especially beach 2 you arent. Same way with testing..... most are testing stuff they found with other machines. Sifter?.......absolutely need one of those and a PPer. For the most part those targets could be scooped up with a shovel (wet/dry sand) because they arent going to be that deep. Mark yourself off a 10X10' square and start to work. If you go helter skelter...... if dumb luck. If you plan to hunt micro gold ....... hunt micro gold. A pattern with a lot of disc....or you will find yourself NOT digging the right targets wasting valuable time out there. Most cant stand the foil the Nox has you digging now...... thus.....we are seeing more machines attempting to get depth on gold rings.

More power to the Micro hunters. I learned something from one of Max's videos years ago. If it falls through the scoop twice it belongs to the surf Gods.

If the stones are small nobody wants to buy them. The gold value just takes way too long to add up.

Time vs $$$.

Besides....My second micro piece of foil I would throw the sieve and head to the bar. People are slobs. No other way to say it. The amount of trash on a beach is just unreal. Probably a 20 x 20 area is all that would get hunted before I pass out from the heat.

Good luck go those with patience. I hope you are rewarded.

Well said goodmore.

OBN, those micro targets are very impressive, especially their recovery. I’m assuming you found them in the surf? Wading in 4ft trying to recovery a .22 short is enough to drive you nuts!

TARSACCI - “Digging deeper, BEHIND the competition!”
[forums.tarsaccisales.com]

goodmore Wrote:
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> More power to the Micro hunters. I learned somethi
> ng from one of Max's videos years ago. If it falls
> through the scoop twice it belongs to the surf God
> s.
>
> If the stones are small nobody wants to buy them.
> The gold value just takes way too long to add up.
>
> Time vs $$$.
>
> Besides....My second micro piece of foil I would t
> hrow the sieve and head to the bar. People are slo
> bs. No other way to say it. The amount of trash on
> a beach is just unreal. Probably a 20 x 20 area is
> all that would get hunted before I pass out from t
> he heat.
>
> Good luck go those with patience. I hope you are r
> ewarded.


+1

goodmore Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> If the stones are small nobody wants to buy them.
> The gold value just takes way too long to add up.
>
> Time vs $$$.
>

+-2

At the super-high-end touristy beach dry sand zone I tried it at, I was immediately besieged with scores of little foil-turd and dimple sized slag cr@p. Like ... you know those heavy-gauge foil covers for wine-bottles ? Where you have to sink your finger-nails into the foil, to begin to remove it from the top ? Well : I guess a lot of people get some of this lead-foil-top stuff under their finger nails. Which creates a little wire or grain-of-rice sized foil-turd. Not the light-weight gum or candy-wrapper type foil, but the heavy-gauge wine-bottle top type foil.

At first I thought: Bingo ! No one's ever taken the time to scout for micro-jewelry !! And for the next 45 minutes, dug 30 or so of these little turds. On hands-and-knees to retrieve them, since they go right through the scoop.

After awhile, I began to think exactly like goodmore: "What the heck am I doing? " Is an earing stud or tinsel thin chain worth this torture ? Heck, even a small to normal sized gold ring will have 50x the weight. So my time would be better spent passing these super low #'s. JMHO.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2019 06:32PM by Tom_in_CA.

The original post talk about lakes beaches. Off course not worth to hunt for micro gold at the big open beaches. But feshwater swiming pools and small beaches are full of micro jewelry probably (earrings, pendants, fine chains and bracelets). The rings are the first targets that other beach huntes pick up. This freshwater beaches giving rings rarely, because heavy hunted out.

The Gold Bug won't perform any better than the Equinox, The Equinox is an excellent micro gold detector. Just use 20 or 40 khz. I've never used Gold mode in the water but give that a try too.

Myself, I'm with the other guys. Micro gold isn't worth the trouble of digging all the micro trash. On the other hand, if you have a fairly trash free site, Gold mode will give you inches more depth on all targets.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2019 10:28PM by Badger in NH.

Full of micro gold.... don’t forget trash. No tide or wave movement to move tiny stuff around and stuff really decays slowly. I’d also be you there is more micro gold on a busy salt water beach. Mostly because not many look for it and most machines only can hunt the dry sand. You are talking very limited depth if at all on the wet sand....and in the water....not at all. Fresh water does allow high freq to operate....so there is disadvantages to both.

I hunt for micro golds if I have time and special beaches for fun. I hope OBN Joe will write a reply. Thanks for all the replies.




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2019 10:13PM by timmysys.

timmysys Wrote:
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> The original post talk about lakes beaches. Off co
> urse not worth to hunt for micro gold at the big o
> pen beaches. But feshwater swiming pools and smal
> l beaches are full of micro jewelry probably (ear
> rings, pendants, fine chains and bracelets). The r
> ings are the first targets that other beach hunte
> s pick up. This freshwater beaches giving rings ra
> rely, because heavy hunted out.


I admire anyone with patience and work ethic. Both will be required for success on any beach. You can not have success on any beach without people losing targets. Unfortunately they drop more trash than gold. That is just math.

Still way ahead of the average nugget hunter - a million holes - an ounce a year - if you are very lucky.

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold

lytle78 Wrote:
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> Still way ahead of the average nugget hunter - a m
> illion holes - an ounce a year - if you are very l
> ucky.


⁺¹

Yes the Equinox 800 in Park 2 and Gold 1 & 2 are very good on tiny targets but fails Nasa Toms test on a 10k white gold earring stud. Was disappointed that the Orx failed this test also in all modes & frequencies with the 9" hf coil.

The Gold Bug 2 is looking like the best option because it can also be put in a small backpack and taken in the water, and can be hip mounted. Don't really know how good or bad it would be in the water. I'm talking about freshwater. I don't know why they call it freshwater lol. I guess pure water with no salt.

2.5 hrs this evening at the lake using the EQX in 40khz, Park #1. If it was loaded full of micro or gold of any kind, my coil didn’t go over it. In fact, I only dug 1 piece of aluminum, Pharmaceutical capsule foil. Very unusual. I ended up finding ALOT of quarters, 2 dimes 2 copper pennies and 1 zinc. No nickels. Somebody’s workin it hard not even bothering w the high conductors.
There was a elderly gentleman in the water who’s been detecting since 77’ We both have been hunting this lake for many years and agreed that water detecting has become a very commonplace now at the lakes, not like it was even 10yrs ago. Hate to see what it be like if gold was $2k a oz.
Next week I’ll go back w the 15”x12” an cover more ground @ 40khz.

Aaron

TARSACCI - “Digging deeper, BEHIND the competition!”
[forums.tarsaccisales.com]

Aaron the Nox was stable in the water? For me the machine see 1,2 VDI signs everywhere, I don't know they are micro targets or ground noises. In beach 1 mode these targets disappar. My favorit modethe Beach 1 because see the gold chains, and little gold items (in test) i talk about pure water
The g2 mode is very well if you notch out 1,2...6 numbers/Clive's Gold axe program, (small gold and lot of trash notched out) but good for deep rings. I was lucky I found a nice signet ring with G2 program, it was very deep.. From a dead hunted lake.

Aaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 2.5 hrs this evening at the lake using the EQX in
> 40khz, Park #1. If it was loaded full of micro or
> gold of any kind, my coil didn’t go over it. In fa
> ct, I only dug 1 piece of aluminum, Pharmaceutical
> capsule foil. Very unusual. I ended up finding ALO
> T of quarters, 2 dimes 2 copper pennies and 1 zinc
> . No nickels. Somebody’s workin it hard not even b
> othering w the high conductors.
>

Tim- I thought it pretty stable, was running it in 21 sensitivity, no chatter until you put it up to 22. I was picking up a lot junk sounds w every swing, especially iron as it’s a very old lake. There’s a lot of junk in there, especially nails. In beach mode you can’t change the frequency, no running in the higher frequencies. I’m really surprised your finding gold chains. Maybe it’s cause your in fresh water? IDK..., I haven’t tried beach mode in the lake.

Aaron

TARSACCI - “Digging deeper, BEHIND the competition!”
[forums.tarsaccisales.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/08/2019 10:49AM by Aaron.

Aaron...…. can you use Prospecting Mode-1 in Multi? ((( Or Prospecting Mode-2 in Multi. )))

Tom- didn’t try prospect mode yesterday, however I have tried it before and due to the single tone find myself watching the screen too much. I’ll give another shot this weekend.

Does anyone use the 15x12 EQUINOX coil for wading? I’ve only used it in salt surf and land. Wondering how it does pinpointing, especially since you can’t get it in most holes you dig. Is the extra ground coverage is worth it?

Aaron

TARSACCI - “Digging deeper, BEHIND the competition!”
[forums.tarsaccisales.com]

Aaron:
Yes freshwater beach, in the water.
The earstud and ring above found by 15" coil in chest deep water.
I haven't found a chain yet. I hope I will find it. I always stand in front of which one I choose Nox or Deus. Other hunters use Deus and find chains. Nox finds many small objects. I hope it's just a matter of time and I'm going to find a chain. If not then I'll take Deus again.

Tim- I’ll give both the 15” and beach mode a shot this weekend.
It’s always been my understanding that the beach mode was specifically meant for salt water?
Is the lower conductor settings different?

TARSACCI - “Digging deeper, BEHIND the competition!”
[forums.tarsaccisales.com]

Minelab made for saltwater but work in freshwater, i use B1 because this is was the only mode the Nox run stable here.

What would be the point of using Beach mode in freshwater? All it would do is limit performance and depth.

There are lots of ways to stabilize the machine without resorting to Beach mode.

.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/08/2019 04:26PM by Badger in NH.

See if I can answer questions for Harry, He hunts wet, dry sand and in the shallow saltwater and fresh.


Quote's by Harry
"Just a plain old Home Depot shovel that I lift the targets up to me. Don't use a pinpointer either. These are wet sand hunts. I use a different setup in the water."


So an example of beach 1 vs beach 2 happened on Sunday: I found a patch of CW items on the beach and marked it for a friend to get some of the items. This is before he got there. I came back after he had hunted it for awhile and he had found no relics. I ran my coil over the area and got multiple targets. I was on beach 1,iron bias 0,sensitivity 23,"0" ground balance, noise cancel,recovery speed "6 ". Note that this is a heavy iron site (Casper knows the beach). He was running beach 2 sensitivity 16 or 18 and he could not get a target response. I set his machine to beach 1 sensitivity 23 and he nailed both targets. They were percussion caps down about 8-10".

Like Bluetube said this was beach 1 in wet salt. I hear beach 2 is better in water (salt). Also,yes new beer crown caps especially Corona for some reason can fool me. Most caps are jumpy in the mid teen numbers. I've found gold in those 14-16 ID numbers but they were a more stable sound and not as jumpy.

I don't want to give certain things away but there are better modes for freshwater gold than beach 1 and 2.

Also recovery speed plays a role in depth and recovery in heavy iron. If it is a clean beach with not much trash lower your recovery speed for depth. In heavy iron increase your recovery speed to pick the smalls from in between that junk.

I like 50 tone but I've used Minelab machines since the 1990's. If you are new to those tones that maybe too much. What's nice is you can really customize the machine to the individual and that differs from person to person.

To give you and idea of the gold coming out here is 2 day gold count from February of this year. That is two days of 3 hour hunts. So times that out over 3 months for 2019 and it shows why I've been keeping quite. Just a note all of the gold in this weekend pictured was a "1" on the ID.
HH,Harry


Blood Member of RingKeepers
2020......Gold Rings....73....Misc Gold 1 .......Silvers ...110

OBN Wrote:
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>
> To give you and idea of the gold coming out here i
> s 2 day gold count from February of this year...

Great pix. But .... in the discussion of "micro-jewelry", is it safe to say that several (most ?) of those could have been found with a standard machine ? Assuming, of course, .... that someone is listening to flutter sounds. Granted: not the earring stud things. But the other things seem like a standard Excal or Explorer etc... could find, eh ?

And as for the earring there with the stone : What was the stone ? Because .... in the discussion of the wimpy weight of "micro-jewelry", people will often point out the rejoinder that : "Sometimes a nice stone can be in micro-jewelry". But I have often wondered to what extent this is true. It seems to me that the vast majority of nice stones (high quality large karat diamonds or gems) would be in standard rings. Not micro-jewelry. Not that it can "never" happen, but .... just based on laws-of-averages.

So do tell: What is that stone ?