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good beach detector?

jimmy bedrock		Posted : Thursday, 17 October 2013 7:38:30 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 14/01/2013(UTC) Posts: 339 Thanks: 242 times Was thanked: 179 time(s) in 104 post(s)		Hi im thinking of getting a new detector just for beaches. My AT pro cant handle the wet sand on my local beaches, to much black sand in the mix. What would you recommend?

Metal Kiwi		Posted : Thursday, 17 October 2013 7:57:12 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 19/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,210 Location: Auckland Thanks: 498 times Was thanked: 484 time(s) in 322 post(s)		Originally Posted by: jimmy bedrock Hi im thinking of getting a new detector just for beaches. My AT pro cant handle the wet sand on my local beaches, to much black sand in the mix. What would you recommend? Minelab Excalibur II is a beach machine used by many around the world with excellent results. I have one in stock if you want to pop in and have a squiz. MK
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nzpoohbear40		Posted : Thursday, 17 October 2013 8:29:31 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 14/07/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,482 Location: Matura Thanks: 26 times Was thanked: 384 time(s) in 329 post(s)		the goldbug also works great at the beach and we have plenty in stock...i have used mine there plenty of times without a problem.
		Chris - Fisher Dealer http://www.puiakisupply.co.nz/

Shilo		Posted : Thursday, 17 October 2013 8:31:12 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 29/01/2011(UTC) Posts: 573 Location: Kawhia Thanks: 17 times Was thanked: 285 time(s) in 185 post(s)		. Edited by user Thursday, 17 October 2013 8:35:33 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified
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jimmy bedrock		Posted : Thursday, 17 October 2013 8:44:06 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 14/01/2013(UTC) Posts: 339 Thanks: 242 times Was thanked: 179 time(s) in 104 post(s)		The Minelab Excalibur II might be a bit out of my price range but thanks they look like great machines. I have a Whites GMT and it hates my beach.im guessing the gold bug would be the same on my beach?

under the bedrock		Posted : Thursday, 17 October 2013 9:24:43 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 6/07/2011(UTC) Posts: 116 Location: invercargill Was thanked: 14 time(s) in 13 post(s)		gold bugs are shit on the wet sand imo

Shilo		Posted : Thursday, 17 October 2013 10:40:19 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 29/01/2011(UTC) Posts: 573 Location: Kawhia Thanks: 17 times Was thanked: 285 time(s) in 185 post(s)		. Edited by user Thursday, 17 October 2013 10:45:36 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Double up of post - senility!
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Shilo		Posted : Thursday, 17 October 2013 10:44:11 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 29/01/2011(UTC) Posts: 573 Location: Kawhia Thanks: 17 times Was thanked: 285 time(s) in 185 post(s)		Remember guys that all beaches are different in their mineralisation and a VLF that works on one beach may be hopeless on another. If the black sand is bad then you really should be looking at a PI machine. Minelab - the GPX range Garrett - ATX or Infinium Whites - Surfmaster or TDI There are other brands and PI machines out there that would be OK. Whatever you look at though you will be spending over $1000 for a 2nd hand unit or $3000 for a new one. PI's mean you will have to be prepared to dig every hair clip, nail and piece of wire on the beach but no VLF will have any reasonable depth in black sand.
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East-Auck-Fossicker		Posted : Monday, 16 December 2013 5:50:05 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 12/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 84 Location: Auckland Thanks: 10 times Was thanked: 21 time(s) in 11 post(s)		I'am probably a bit late in replying to this, but if you read this it just might save you some money. I 've got a At pro. Black sand or wet sand is not your problem. It's the sand stone under it ! Two things you can do . Move to another beach or use a smaller coil.
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Metal Kiwi		Posted : Monday, 16 December 2013 6:26:34 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 19/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,210 Location: Auckland Thanks: 498 times Was thanked: 484 time(s) in 322 post(s)		Originally Posted by: East-Auck-Fossicker I'am probably a bit late in replying to this, but if you read this it just might save you some money. I 've got a At pro. Black sand or wet sand is not your problem. It's the sand stone under it ! Two things you can do . Move to another beach or use a smaller coil. Interesting. Will your AT Pro work well at Piha? mk
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creamer		Posted : Monday, 16 December 2013 8:20:25 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 19/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 2,022 Location: Bay of Islands Thanks: 2289 times Was thanked: 525 time(s) in 391 post(s)		Lower the sensitivity and be patient, works for me. You will still find stuff. Good luck out there. .
		Garrett Ace 350 Xpointer www.nzfossickers.co.nz
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Shilo		Posted : Monday, 16 December 2013 8:40:18 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 29/01/2011(UTC) Posts: 573 Location: Kawhia Thanks: 17 times Was thanked: 285 time(s) in 185 post(s)		Originally Posted by: Metal Kiwi Originally Posted by: East-Auck-Fossicker I'am probably a bit late in replying to this, but if you read this it just might save you some money. I 've got a At pro. Black sand or wet sand is not your problem. It's the sand stone under it ! Two things you can do . Move to another beach or use a smaller coil. Interesting. Will your AT Pro work well at Piha? mk From experience with the AT Pro & black sand - No. Mine overloaded on some of the eastern Coromandel beaches where patches of black sand could be seen & these beaches are nowhere near as bad as here on the West Coast. You can lower sensitivity, manually ground balance etc but to make the AT stop overloading you have to do these things to such a degree that you end up with literally zero depth. A smaller coil does help but not enough for black sand and the smaller the coil the less depth anyway. The AT Pro is a fantastic detector but like all VLF's they are not for extreme mineralisation. Sandstone? The amount of iron in sandstone varies as much as sand on the beach. If the sandstone is causing problems then the sand above will be as well, if it's "clean" then so will be the beach sand.
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andy		Posted : Tuesday, 17 December 2013 6:01:12 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 13/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 471 Location: ngongotaha rotorua Thanks: 70 times Was thanked: 88 time(s) in 72 post(s)		i tryed the ATpro on the black sand for all of 30 seconds before packing up and moving on lol!
		ATpro ACE250 GC1010 teknetics Eurotek Pro

Mudwiggle		Posted : Tuesday, 17 December 2013 9:32:09 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered, Moderators Joined: 22/10/2013(UTC) Posts: 742 Thanks: 182 times Was thanked: 683 time(s) in 317 post(s)		Hmm... my 30 year old Sea Hunter could be worth something after all. At least on the black sand I wouldn't have to watch all the VLF users get forced off the beach by the huge RF it bangs out :) Yeah, you can actually hear the coil buzzing on this beast! The 300+km drive to my nearest West Coast black sand is a bit much though...

1864hatter		Posted : Wednesday, 18 December 2013 5:25:15 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 4/08/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,007 Location: Auckland.... Thanks: 49 times Was thanked: 566 time(s) in 269 post(s)		Originally Posted by: nzpoohbear40 the goldbug also works great at the beach and i have used mine there plenty of times without a problem. Now that is an overstatement!! It certainly works great at the beach so long as you keep to a freshwater beach or keep to the dry sand at a sea beach. Completely aside from any mineralised sand that may form the beach the sea water saturated sand on its own is sufficient to render the detector very difficult to use and in my opinion un-usable. If you dumb your gold bug down heaps by upping the discrimination and lowering the sensitivity then you may get it to stop falsing. But you also wont pick up any targets. As for the dry sand, well sure you can find stuff there but its never in any good concentrations. Aside from all that I do believe the gold bug to be outstanding when used in the right places to do the right things. there's a reason why I own two of them! I would never suggest a gold bug to be a good choice for an ocean beach.
		And now....On sandy beaches and muddy soil, rings and coins await my coil!

nzpoohbear40		Posted : Wednesday, 18 December 2013 6:43:06 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 14/07/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,482 Location: Matura Thanks: 26 times Was thanked: 384 time(s) in 329 post(s)		sorry hatter i beg to differ..befor i sold my gold bug to get my truck i used it at New brighton beach in CHCH and also down in Oamaru along the coast without a problem..both are sea/ocean beaches...now ofcourse i havnt tried all beaches in NZ so i can only speak of my exsperiances with a gold bug on beaches....i found i got alot of falsing at the start and thought there was something wrong with my machine or it was no good...that was when i ground ballance in dry sand and then searched down to wet sand....then i started to ground ballance in wet sand right at waters edge or very close to it and it seamed to solve my problem...i still got the odd false signal but not very much and certainly not enough for me to say a goldbug is shit at the beach as under the bedrock has said. now you have probably tried yours at alot of different beaches no doupt and therefor have found it to be no good at beaches and i will take your word for it..BUT..lol i only made that statment about it being great at the beach from my own exsperiance and will continue to think that until i find it isnt..lol..
		Chris - Fisher Dealer http://www.puiakisupply.co.nz/

FossickFester		Posted : Wednesday, 18 December 2013 7:21:49 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 14/09/2013(UTC) Posts: 174 Location: Tasman Thanks: 63 times Was thanked: 35 time(s) in 31 post(s)		RE: Goldbugs: I hope they work fine on beaches. Not gonna be a happy customer if it isn't. The reason why i chose the Gold bug Pro was so i could do detecting on the beach as well as gold prospecting. Otherwise I would have got the Gold bug 2 instead. I do however appreciate peoples opinions from their experiences with the machine and hopefully I don't have too much problems with mine..... but time and experience will tell :)

latch		Posted : Wednesday, 18 December 2013 8:37:31 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 16/02/2013(UTC) Posts: 192 Location: dunedin Thanks: 198 times Was thanked: 27 time(s) in 27 post(s)		find the minelab etrac great on the beach,dry and wet sand
		fiend hard and find all

Shilo		Posted : Wednesday, 18 December 2013 10:13:48 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 29/01/2011(UTC) Posts: 573 Location: Kawhia Thanks: 17 times Was thanked: 285 time(s) in 185 post(s)		Originally Posted by: latch find the minelab etrac great on the beach,dry and wet sand And black sand like mentioned in the original post??? The problem with beaches is that most VLF detectors are better in either mildly mineralised ground or in salt ground but only a few will handle both without a problem. The Etrac is one and the V3i another but will be a few more that I haven't had experience with, these few will also be high end models. This is the reason Garrett produces both the AT Pro (good in salt but not so good in mineralisation) and the AT Gold (good in mineralisation but not in salt). Salt has the same concentration on all beaches and its conductivity only changes between dry and wet sand, but the mineralisation can vary enormously on different beaches. Here they mine it because the iron concentration is 38%! Recommend if you are buying a detector that you plan on using on a beach containing black sand then it is best to try the chosen model out first on the beaches you plan to hunt. If you don't then chances are somebody is going to get a good Trademe deal.....
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