IMPDLN

That's pretty cool doc......and it's about time, lol. Congratulations

Back in the good old days we used a Midland base station, 5/8 wave ground plain antenna and a D104 mic and talked skip on SSB half the night all over the world. We never had a linear amp, but knew plenty that did. Nice thing about SSB is frequency shift allowed unlimited use of frequencies. When using SSB the frequencies are bendable so to speak. Very similar to the modern multi frequency walkie talkies these days. Back in those days you had to tune it manually where as the new stuff you just set to a number. Linear amps allowed you to "blow their doors off" so to speak, lol. Good times back then as you could communicate for the price of a good radio setup. No fees like modern cell phone crap. We used to exchange post cards, called QSO cards with people all over the world. Never could stay connected for long because of the way radio waves move around the planet, but it was fun and you never knew where your signal would land talking skip. Still have the whole setup in storage. Haven't even thought of setting it up in well over 30 years. I agree Doc. I wouldn't be too worried about breaking the law if it came down to my ass being in a life or death situation. However there are better and more reliable ways today to get help like search and rescue. A SPOT or any other GPS locator emergency beacon would likely get you help quicker. Dennis

Pretty cool.

Well Doc, there is a reason for that. Those are operating at HAM radio frequencies. A person is supposed to be licensed by FCC to use HAM radios. The 2-way radios anybody can use only put out something like 1/2 watt per FCC regulations. Technically we are supposed to be licensed to use the GMRS functions on the standard 2-way radios like the GXT. I'm sure most people failed to read that part of the manual. Not that FCC is running around in black-ops vans covered in antennas like they did back in the 70's, but I would not want to get caught transmitting on HAM radios illegally. That would likely be similar to getting caught hunting illegally on an indian reservation. In other words confiscated radios and huge fines, not to mention possible jail time. With all the legitimate HAM operators monitoring the radios these days, a person could easily be heard and tracked even out in the middle of nowhere desert areas we prospect in. Just my two cents worth of what I know about that. Dennis

I had to double check on Google Earth. You are in the proper place if at the spot you marked on the map. The other place I thought you where at looks very similar and is just a little east and north of there. It would be easy to get down the wrong trail out there without a GPS. Even with a GPS you could be in the wrong place if not set proper. Just to make sure the GPS settings are WGS84 with degrees, minutes to be in sync with RRP map. I haven't been down there in a couple of years. There should have been some exposed bedrock a short distance upstream of where you were at. Be a good spot to start detecting. Lots of trash down there from old workings. I've spent a lot of time on that wash further down surveying a claim for a GPAA member. No exposed or shallow bedrock down there and probably pretty deep. Be careful of where you are down there. The RRP claim is butted up to another claim to the north, upstream a short distance. I know the guy, he's ok, but has a sour taste in his mouth after sharing one of his claims with GPAA for a couple years. The members pretty much dug holes all over and made a mess so he's not as sociable as he used to be if he finds somebody prospecting on his claim. Good luck out there. Hope you find something worthwhile for your efforts. Dennis

I think you missed the claim. Did you use a GPS to navigate to the claim? I recognize where you parked, all I want to say is that ain't it. Don't prospect there that is the wrong claim. You are too far east. Dennis

We use Midland units. They work pretty good. All walkie talkies are basically cb radios. Back in the 70's they had more wattage. These units are pretty low powered and pretty much work by line of sight for the best range. They seem to work well when we are in the same gully just around a few corners from each other, or if one of us is up higher than the other. Being on the other side of a hill from somebody in separate gullies probably won't work with any of them. FCC cut the wattage on all cb radios many years ago so they really don't have much range these days.

Although I haven't been out much the last couple years, I must say I am impressed with my Steelphase. It has helped me hear targets I have missed without it. I have also discovered that the Garrett wireless system actually hinders the Steelphase. I have tried it on both sides of that wireless system and it doesn't allow the Steelphase to show it's full capability. I will likely acquire the Minelab wireless unit in the future to see if it fares better as I do like being separated from the detector. The Steelphase and the SDC2300 together is a deadly combo in the right hands. Dennis

More like a super patch. That's dang awesome work, congrats !!!! Dennis

I didn't say the Rye area doesn't look good. However for every good area between Payson and Rye, highway 87 and the Mazatzals, there are just as many crappy areas in the same general area. Some good ground, some not so good. Same in lots of areas. Just how it is . Not every inch of ground in a mineralized area is favorable for minerals. Dennis

Mazatzal Mountains, wilderness area, nobody mining up there. Could have been anything. West over the Mazatzals would be north of Bartlett and Horseshoe lakes. Stuff flying over the area all the time including air evac and fighters from LAFB. There's even a guy that flies around south of Rye with a powered paraglider.

That's right Clay. The RRP claim is a new file. Could be an error on location, but the claim location info is coming up on county recorders page and BLM as of yesterday. It certainly overlaps B&G. Could be more to it than we can know online, but doesn't look good to me. I actually found a nugget a couple years ago after the superstition club amended those claims after fees went up, like so many claim owners did. I was north of the amended claim just off the new claim boundary on what would have been their claim before the amendment so I know there is gold there for sure. That section has a lot of lode claims on west side of it. I suspect since the fees are still being paid at BLM, according to records, that a family member is still paying them. However either the county is way behind online posting records or the original claimant has maybe passed and the family isn't familiar with the whole process and has failed to file proper documents with county. I guess since I live 1 block from recorders office in Payson that I should walk over there and see if I could do some boots on the ground research. Not sure if the Payson office can produce the necessary info though. Might have to go down to Globe to get the full picture. I suspect this might be the case because the original claimant was diligent with his paperwork for many years. Garikfox is correct with what he posted above. That's how I found it yesterday. Land Matters gives a good starting point for sure. SE corner of section 6, NE corner of section 7. Typical 20 acre rectangle split in half by the 2 sections running lengthwise north-south. I've spent some time in the area. The old Lisa Hope claim was one of those in the area that was paper filed to sell a few years back. I spent many a day down there trying to survey that claim for the person that bought it. Unfortunately I was unable to prove it for that person. Lots of lead shot as it is a popular place for quail with many local hunters, but no bedrock and never found a speck of gold on that claim. Bedrock is very deep. Owner was a GPAA member living back east that never set foot on the claim. Haven't heard from him in a few years. He was old and might have passed as well. Unfortunately there are still quite a few people that got scammed into buying bogus paper filed claims in the Payson area that are still paying fees on them with BLM today. I won't mention any names here, however I'm sure Clay knows what and whom I am talking about. Same people did the same all over the state a few years back. I know of one that some lady purchased a 3.5 acre portion of one of those bogus claims for an unknown amount and she has been paying maintenance fees at BLM for many years now. Nothing ever filed with the county. Went looking for it one day out of curiosity. Nothing but ancient volcanic mud flow. I hate crooks that take advantage of people like that. Garikfox, if you happen to talk to RRP office, you might mention our concern. I have a bunch of stuff on my plate right now and too busy working during normal business hours to contact them. Dennis

I am also a RRP member. I live in Payson so I had to look this new claim up and do some research. Might be a problem. I hope they did their research at the BLM and county because BLM still shows active claims where RRP filed this new claim. According to Gila County document search online there are no proper notices filed this year with county. However they just may not be coming up online yet. BLM records show they paid fees for this year and claims are still active. I know the area and the claim belonged to the Superstition club, not sure of the actual name of this club, but I know they have had claims here a few years and last I knew the members have been working them. It is a good area so I hope I am wrong, but my research online it doesn't look favorable for RRP. It's not a complete coverage of claim to claim, but the other club has the gulches claimed if still valid. Just saying. Dennis Claim name is B&G

That expansion allows it to push into the pores and work better. It's not too strong of expansion so tape is usually enough to keep it from pushing apart. The main thing is getting the parts back together as close and tight as possible. You have plenty of work time with it. Might be difficult doing both sides at the same time. Might be able to put a piece of wood or something between the two sides, bolted to hold them in proper alignment so you can keep proper spacing between them. I've not had good luck with any super glue with parts that have any stress on them during normal use. I'm not sure if there is enough material in there to do this, but you might be able to drill and pin those feet to the shaft for more durability after Gorilla Glue. I have done that with 1/8'' diameter Delrin plastic dowel for pins with good success. Delrin is a super strong nylon like plastic. I have all my GPX shafts pinned with it as every shaft I have has broken free from the end piece and left me with a swivel coil in the middle of nowhere at one time or another. Delrin is available in all kinds of shapes and sizes from any plastics manufacturer. https://www.eplastics.com/shapes/acetal-delrin/rod I got 1/8'' and 3/16'' for multiple possibilities with different projects. Good stuff for sure, and can be either glued or just pushed through, cut close, and melt both ends, and smash flat to work like a rivet. I prefer the melted ends method as if it ever fails it is easy to remove and replace. Oh, and I buy it in like 3-4 ft. lengths, whatever they sell as standard. Hopefully some of this helps you to repair that break and at least be able to keep that shaft as a backup, you know, just in case you boo boo again. Dennis P.S. Gorilla Glue would do nothing as an outside coating.

Gorilla Glue. That stuff is like welding. If any adhesive will work, Gorilla Glue will......not the super glue. Pretty much will weld anything except polyethylene or polypropylene. It's activated with water. Use it sparingly as it expands 3-4 times. Don't sand as it works best if you can fit parts back together proper. Just dab a little glue on one surface, and moisten the other. Put them together as perfectly as possible and clamp together or tape together in such a way that they will not expand apart. Do one side at a time, let setup before trying other side. I have had amazing results with this stuff, way better than any super glue or epoxies. Dennis

Need a dang backhoe to go with it. Gotta say I do like the fine design. Dennis

Well......yes and no. Any wash can carry gold, large or small. Remember, gold is where you find it. Just because bedrock is deep doesn't mean there isn't gold there. Your detector can only go so deep. Of course the VLF's can't go as deep as the GPX, especially with larger coils. There is no set rule with gold. It can literally be anywhere. It isn't always on bedrock. I'm just suggesting that starting out as you are that exposed bedrock in a wash should be your best opportunity to start finding gold. When just starting out you need to level the playing field some and have something to focus on. If you just hike all over the hills you might find gold, but it will likely take much longer. Gold will concentrate in washes so it is a great area to get started and begin the process of learning this hobby. Not all bedrock is created equal. Bedrock at the bottom of a creek or river is what stops gold from progressing downwards. The type that does this is loaded with all kinds of cracks and crevices. Smooth water worn hard bedrock won't likely catch or stop gold from traveling farther down stream. Bedrock on the side or top of a mountain that hasn't had some type of water flow running over it at some point in time, isn't likely to hold gold just because it is bedrock. Water and erosion move heavy materials like gold. Gravity makes heavies go down slope with water flow or erosion. What makes heavies stop is something solid like bedrock. This hobby takes time to learn. We all keep learning every time we go out. I didn't make any reference to pediment in my post above. Take what I wrote for what it is. I don't type in code with hidden meanings. What I wrote is exactly what I meant, nothing more or less. No need to over think, just KISS...keep it simple stupid. I'm not trying to insult, just a term that applies very well to metal detecting for gold. So get proficient with your detectors, one at a time, and look where gold has been found before. Spend as much time as possible with boots on the ground and learn as you go. When you need to ask questions, this forum is a great place for answers. Just search crevice tool on any prospecting supply. Some guys just use an old screw driver. Anything to scrape and dig around in crevices will likely work. Dennis

Welcome, and congratulations on some well chosen purchases. But wait a minute, and slow down......slow way down. You got gold fever and haven't even found your 1st nugget yet, lol. So slow down and take a deep breath. you're in for a long, often frustrating, but possibly rewarding ride with this fabulous hobby. First I would like to suggest you pick one detector to start with, the GM1000. Only because you need to learn each detectors capabilities like the back of your hand. The GM1000 is certainly going to be the easiest to figure out and get proficient with. Start by studying the manual to the point of memorizing it. Then get out and use it. Even if it is just in your yard. Push buttons and get familiar and just keep finding and digging targets no matter what they may be. Listen to what the detector is telling you, check back with the manual and certainly get on Rob's forum and ask questions. I know it's hotter than gee wiz right now, so practice in the yard early if you can. Get used to digging and pinpointing targets and refining your technic. Try different settings so you are familiar with what different settings do. Get to where you start trying to identify targets by tone or numerical readout before you dig them up. This capability will come to you when proficient. If you can peel away for a couple days, try taking a road trip up by Prescott and hit Lynx Creek. Lynx is in Prescott National Forest, much cooler, although it can still be hot, it is a good place to familiarize with your detector with a chance of finding a nugget. It is an open public area anyone can prospect. You can get maps and info from PNF website. Take a gold pan and crevicing tools with you as well. Detect on exposed and shallow bedrock. When you find lead targets in cervices in the bedrock, and believe me you will find lead in many crevices in that bedrock, clean out those crevices and put the material into the pan then pan it out. You may be pleasantly surprised at what you may find. You may even find some pickers or nuggets this way, you never know. This technic helped me realize I wasn't quite there yet and helped me to slow down some more and focus more on dialing in detector and really listening carefully to the detector. Oh by the way, when you find silver colored chunks in your pan that is gold with mercury on it. Have 2 snuffer bottles and try to keep the mercury coated gold separate from the yellow. Once you get farther along in this hobby you will learn how to remove the mercury but you don't want to get it on your yellow gold if you can prevent such from happening. Ok, so when you get back to RRP claims, I suggest you start where you think other people have ben working. Only to see if you can find something that was missed by somebody else.....nobody ever gets it all. If that doesn't work try to think outside the box and explore other areas of the claims. My 1st nugget came from the very edge of a claim boundary mostly untouched by other prospectors. I find it to be common for many people to continue hitting the same small area of most claims. Study the maps and get to know the whole claim for your best chance at success on these often hammered claims. Washes concentrate gold and are usually the best place to start. Dry washes with exposed bedrock, as well as shallow bedrock give you the best chance of finding a nugget, especially with your 2 VLF's. Don't overlook exposed bedrock up out of the wash where gold might have been deposited long ago when the wash ran higher and different than today. Most of all listen carefully and investigate any slight hiccup you hear by scraping. Gold targets usually start out as being a very subtle often hard to hear signal. There are hot rocks that will sound off as well. Keep them for further examination until you become more familiar with what they are. They can always be smashed and panned or examined with a loop to determine if there might be something of value in them. Also check with a magnet as some are high in magnetite. These hot rocks as we call them usually just look like another rock and are just different enough in mineralization to give a signal. You'll learn to identify them fairly fast and just toss or kick them out of the way and move on. However any time you get a signal from any quartz rock you have likely got some kind of specimen so keep that for further scrutiny. So I write book reports, oh well my bad, lol. Give you guys something to do on a hot summer night, lol. Hope some of this helps. Dennis

I am interested In your unbiased opinion Rob. I have only seen minimal info on these new coils so far, but it looks like you have to remove a side plate in order to use these new coils. Access to the coil wire attachment I believe. I wonder if this compromises the waterproof capabilities of this unit. Dennis

Doing a lot of UPS deliveries as well. Part of how the post office is trying to stay in business these days.

Hey Rob, I paid for my Gold Bug that way a few years ago. Fresh foot prints, even scraped the ground over the target, but that person left behind a 1/4 ounce piece for me. I figured that person assumed it was just another bullet fragment. Oh well, my gain. I dig it all, as everybody should. Found a nice 3gram piece along the edge of somebodies hole up on Soldier Boy a few years back as well. I don't mind cleaning up what others miss. Somebodies got to get the gold and it might as well be the person that follows through and digs everything. Dennis

I had to check, mine is the 5th....sorry.

I got the SP01 from Rob a few weeks back and been doing some bench testing. Also 1 day in the field. I'll not spend much time talking about performance with the Minelabs I own. Results with GPX4500 and SDC2300 are as expected. This post is mostly about compatibility with the Garrett Z-Lynk wireless and various detectors I own. My other than Minelab detectors are the GB2 and Goldbug SE, non pro version. The GBSE is the same as the pro version with the exception of manual ground balance. A quick, but important note about cabling. There are basically 2 types of 1/4 plugs for headphones and such, mono and stereo. Mono typically have a single plastic ring on the plug and stereo has 2 plastic rings. Another way they are known is as TS=mono and TRS=stereo. The SP01 system includes a cable with TS/mono plugs Now to bench tests....the 1st crucial note is that the GB2 works fine with the TS/mono plug cable, however the GBSE requires the TRS/stereo plug for the SP01 to function properly. This is just going straight from detector to SP01 to headphones. I should note my headphone choice is Rattlers. Rattlers, just to clarify for those that may not know, are headphone with a single ear muff only. They do have a volume knob and stereo/mono switch. Only headphone I use for good reason. I want to hear what is happening around me while detecting. Personal choice for me, kept me from having a rattlesnake and a mouse from landing in my lap one day. Anyway, on to testing with Garrett Z-Lynk. I will remind you at this point that this part is based on bench tests at home with all the crazy EMI from TV and lights and every other possible electrical interference you will get inside an apartment or house. I'm going to try and condense my findings without losing content, so this post doesn't take up 3 pages, lol. The Garrett Z-Lynk comes with a 1/4 plug that is a TRS/stereo from detector to a small USB plug to the transmitter. So no matter which detector I used, if I put the Z-Lynk transmitter 1st in line from detector, a TRS/stereo plug is required from receiver to SP01 in order for it to work as expected. If you put the SP01 in 1st then the Z-Lynk transmitter, the TS/mono cord works fine except with the GBSE. This isn't a huge problem as the cables are inexpensive. I found TRS/stereo and TS/mono patch cords on Amazon. I bought 2 each Monoprice TRS and TS short patch cables sold for use with guitar pedal boards. They are advertised as 8.75 inches but are closer to 10'' long, 16AWG, good heavy duty well made cables with gold plated ends. Cable is the same gage as comes with SP01. They were only a little over $5 each and free shipping with no tax if you order from Monoprice through Amazon. Now onto Z-Lynk specific issues. It seems to me that you lose some of the SP01 effectiveness when using the Z-Lynk. When testing I tried all possible configurations at home. When using SP01 direct from detector to headphone, no wireless, that to me is a baseline. With my Rattlers, I could switch modes on SP01 and headphone mono/stereo switch for apparently equal performance. Remember here only one ear muff on Rattlers. I set volume on SP01 at about 1/4 for tests as a baseline also, then switched between the different filter positions. I'm going to list specific results by detector now. There are some issues using this wireless system with SP01. Goldbug2: TS/mono to SP01 to Z-Lynk ; Filter seems good still, SP01 mode1 looses about 50% volume, SP01 mode 2 works fine. Z-Lynk to TS/mono to SP01 ; Looses about 90% of volume, so no good. Z-Lynk to TRS/stereo to SP01 ; Modes 1&2 seem equal with Rattlers, volume a little lower but still good, filter separation seems less noticeable. Goldbug SE: Only works with TRS/stereo cable!!!! TRS/stereo to SP01 to Z-Lynk ; noticeable drop in volume, maybe as much as 50%, of course my baseline is only about 1/4 volume on SP01 so this can be compensated for and full volume will be way louder than you will ever need. Also filter separation seems less noticeable. Only works proper in SP01 mode 2 with Rattlers. Mode 1 volume drops to near 0 in either mono or stereo switched on headphone. Z-Lynk to TRS/stereo to SP01 ; Volume still drops about the same, easily overcome, works in either SP01 mode equally when switching mono/stereo on headphone, filter separation again is not as noticeable as baseline. (see above) GPX4500 and SDC2300: TS/mono to SP01 to Z-Lynk ; Filter separation still good, SP01 mode 2 best as mode 1 looses volume. Rattlers switch up only. Not sure if that is mono or stereo position on Rattlers as only one ear muff and not marked on headphone. Z-Lynk to TS/mono to SP01 ; Looses 90% or so volume so not good. Note: I forgot to mention above that SP01 doesn't work proper wired direct to Minelabs with TRS/stereo plug wiring. Z-Lynk to TRS/stereo to SP01 ; This configuration works in either mode equally with Rattlers, however it still looses volume which can be overcome, and filter separation seems to be much less noticeable, which is more of a concern. On to field tests. So far have only been out 1 day last week and made an error to start with. I also recently bought a Nuggetfinder Evo 9x14 from Rob. This coil seems to be rather sensitive and I am sure I will find lots of gold with it. However, not being familiar with this coil yet and testing the SP01 in hot rock hell was not a pleasant experience. So my result with GPX4500 I will call null and void at this point. This particular wash has a particular bedrock that makes any and all detectors, even GPZ and even DD coils on GPX just go nuts. Not sure what this stuff is, but it has so far proven to be very difficult in those areas of this wash to detect anything. That day I was detecting broken off pieces of that type bedrock much deeper than normal for hot rocks and most targets consisted of that nasty stuff.....frustrating !!!! Just a side note here, I am also running Docs Gold Screamer on my GPX4500. Don't think that had anything to do with my result though. So ran GPX in am starting at about 4am that morning till noon or so in hot bedrock hell. Came home, had lunch and a nap and went back out from about 5pm till about midnight with SDC2300 to a different spot that I recently got a total of 12 little pickers in 2 trips. About 3 grams total, and sorry I didn't attach pics. This spot just so happens to have been torn apart by monsoons this summer and I beat you all to it, lol. Lots of overburden that was as much as 3 feet deep stripped right to bedrock. Well it took some effort as I already worked the newly exposed areas rather thoroughly, but I did manage to recover 2 small pickers. One was wedged into a calcite seem on the downside of some bedrock up 3 foot or so above the gut. So this piece has been there awhile, but I have missed it previously. I will say the SP01 enhanced the SDC volume greatly which probably helped me hear this target. The other piece was also above the gut, but only 1-2 feet or so and neither location was recently exposed so I have likely had my coil over both targets previously. This piece was an obvious target, but not loud. It was in a crack so narrow I could not expose it with a small metal picking tool also using a brush and blow tube. Both of these targets had to be forced out of hiding by prying and breaking into the bedrock to release them. The second smaller target would have certainly had to be on edge and is maybe 3/16'' at it's widest cross section and maybe a little thicker than a single edge razor blade. So it is really just a flake of a picker. I have no idea how deep it was in that bedrock seem, but I had to remove the whole corner section to retrieve it. A chunk about the size of a bowling ball that took some prying from multiple angles to get it out of there. After bedrock removed, the little picker was right down in the corner. Well, that book report should keep some of you busy for awhile. Sure took me a couple hours to put it together here. Hope you all appreciate my effort and as I get more time out in the field I'll try to post more results from my efforts. Maybe one or more of you guys might get out there and test the SP01 with the Minelab wireless system on some Fisher or other units and let us know your findings as well. Enjoy, Dennis

Yeah Rob, when I first got into this hobby I wanted a Walco just like the one you had there. I just missed that train as they were no longer available, but lots of guys were using them. Certainly would be a killer to fall on. Glad you didn't get seriously hurt that time. Those pics could certainly end a persons life should they fall and put that spear point through a lung or anyplace in your torso. Dennis

Nice piece Rob. I also like that Walco. Wish they where still available. Dennis