Metal Detecting discussions and finds

cool, their loss! That is a good idea. And wonder why everyone says to detect the drywasher piles?...Big drywasher use mistake @ 4:50 to 5:20:
https://youtu.be/iKWkNQVJqp4

 

The one I got is portable enough, but the area we’re working is wide and they’re cleaning up and taking it down to bedrock. I am also planning on detecting it for crumbs.

 

Overload! I would steer clear of those Thompson washers. They are really popular, but the build quality sucks...

 

Who is "they"? Are you in a club??

 

He’s the claim owner... and the guy I got the washer from. No club yet, still trying things out.

It’s really supposed to be a portable sampling washer anyways... not like your commercial quality three-person 151(?). I saw one and you are right, they are able to more large amounts of dirt. Will be feeding one of those, too.

 

Me and my big mouth.....

 

That’s OK, we’re used to it!

 

So I’m just curious, what type of a drywasher pile was it that you found that nugget in? An old drywasher pile or a more recent one?

I tried detecting some old ones in the Plomosa District near Quartzsite, but didn’t find anything. I even raked down while detecting a few. They were pretty old, one of them had rusty cans nearby.

 

It was very recent (at that time). Just days old I am sure. Some folks who dry wash either don't have a detector, or they don't check their piles.

 

I guess the old guys that did it full-time were pretty knowledgeable about it, and even ran their piles through multiple times. I can see why the new guys like in that video make the mistakes.

 

The guy with the video was probably more concerned with making the video than finding gold. Any dry wash pile is fair game, new or old. It's an inefficient method for gold recovery. The old timer's left quite a bit of gold behind. In fact the book "Follow The Dry Washers" by Jim Straight is a good resource. I'll send a pic.
I have my buddies' copy which my girlfriend's Corgi shredded. I couldn't find a replacement on Amazon, but this was 5-6 years ago.

 

That’s a good book! Rob’s Detectors might have it. I just bought mine from the guy who sold me the drywasher- It came with the detecting for hardrock gold insert too. I’ll ask if he has another copy.

 

If he has another copy, I would like to buy it.

 

Need people’s thoughts on the Garrett AT Pro as my first MD. Mostly be hunting old homesteads and I would like to be able to find my dads class ring he lost many years ago along a fence line at the farm, but it might be to deep. I would also like to find his wedding ring he lost two years ago working on a combine so I know exactly what area of the field.

 

Equinox 800...

 

The ATPro was the first detector I really put to use. It found me a lot of cool stuff. I have since upgrade to a ctx3030, but still use the ATpro from time to time. The equinox series seems to be great but I have never used one. I don't think you can go wrong either way. If you are hunting trashy areas make sure to pick up a smaller coil it is a total game changer as the big coils really can't sniff in between all the nails / iron scrap at the old home sites.

 

I will take a look, thank you!

 

Thank you! I’m going to retire in July and hope to go look around a lot of sites that I’ve always said “if I just had a metal detector.”