Zippoz Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 apparently from what i read it only operates at one frequency, and is a lot cheaper than many of the other minelabs out there.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29prospector Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 apparently from what i read it only operates at one frequency, and is a lot cheaper than many of the other minelabs out there....Zippoz,I have used the Gold Bug 1 and loved it. Moved up to the Gold Bug 2 and must say it finds gold very small and very large gold. The drawback, its a VLF and at best you might get 8-12 inches under the best of conditions. I also have just gotten a Minelab GP Extreme which I'm still learning. If money is an issue or you are looking to just get started, I would recommend the Gold Bug in a heart beat.O'29er Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zippoz Posted May 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 Zippoz,I have used the Gold Bug 1 and loved it. Moved up to the Gold Bug 2 and must say it finds gold very small and very large gold. The drawback, its a VLF and at best you might get 8-12 inches under the best of conditions. I also have just gotten a Minelab GP Extreme which I'm still learning. If money is an issue or you are looking to just get started, I would recommend the Gold Bug in a heart beat.O'29erinteresting, i was planning on getting a Minelab Eureka Gold VLF detector, which of the 2 would be better? Somthing tells me that the minelab would be of higher quality... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota Slim Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 I have a Gold Bug 2 and have found very nuggets with it as well as one that was almost 2 ounces. I also have a Minelab GP Extreme and I like that a lot better than the GB2 but it costs twice as much. I have not tried any other detectors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miner Matt Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 The gold bug is the only detector I have ever used to find gold.I started deteting in1987 with it and in a little over a year I found a quartz out crop with it that had mineable ore in it.. I mined that until 2004. I only stopped becuse I broke into old works.I did sink a winze 14 feet in the bootom of the drift and the vain falted off the old timers knew were to drive in the drift I gess.You see the miners had mined up on a ore shoot until the ground got bad or the war stopped them. I don't know witch.I had found the ore shoot at the top and mined down on it.It was a good long haul and I owe it all to my little gold bug.My friends say I need to have it gold plated.I'm starting to get back into it and I have bought a used gp3500.Hopeing to get to use it soon on all that ground I found gold on with my little bug.As to byeing one sure, but after 20 years I'm sure Minelab has them beat.Hope this helps,Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whats4supper Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 the key to any metal detector is to fully learn the keys, sounds, and feedback you can get from it to determine mass, soil conditions, limits, and fringes. Besides that, knowing how to properly tune it for the soils where the gold may be (as in alkaline vs iron soils). once you break the 'code' and define what every beep of the rig is giving you, variances included, only then will your experience and ability in the field begin to pay off.You do need to get the right kind of headphones (not the ones used for stereo music), perhaps an amplifier (some have this capability, others don't), and variety of coils.I broke in a gold bug (1&2), a white's 4900D, a fisher 1261, a whites goldmaster, a minelab 3500, a two box, and a tesoro diablo and bandido, among others. Like watch Norm Abrams in his workshop, building a cabinet requires a lot of different types of tools, or simple variations of the same old ones. you may want to purchase the Jim Straight booklet explaning tuning for success, and soil actions on the circuitry.What you get in the way of a detector is purely personal preference. If you have the money, get the minelab. the key is to use it enough to gain the knowledge you need in order to kill the nuggets. No detector will fulfill your goals, sitting in a closet. In essence, you could consider marrying your detector, and using it every chance you get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredm Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 A chevy is cheaper than a caddy but they will both get you there, if you can drive..........as to quality, the Gold bugs are very good quality and many of the first GB's are still being used...since most are using Minelab Pi machines that is what you will hear the most from but that don't mean they are the only machines that work. If you have the money and interest by all means step up to the 4000 or a good used 2200-d, gpx, 3000, or 3500....If, however, you are not sure this is the hobby for you then a used vlf and some field work will let you decide at a low cost. Join a club and go on a few outings, try a few detectors and that will aid your decision.Good LuckFred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldman Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 There has been alot of gold found by all the VLF gold detectors, the problem comes if you get into very mineralized ground and then you need a PI., but there is alot of ground to search and if that is what you can afford, have a ball! with gold near $700 an onza it won't take much if you want to upgrade LOL. HH....Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted May 4, 2007 Admin Report Share Posted May 4, 2007 Hello Zippo, I used to sell Fisher for many years, so know all about the Goldbugs. Spent a lot of time with a Goldbug2 in Arizona, but tough to work some areas due to the amount of iron mineralization. The advantage of the Minelab Eureka Gold is the "3 Freqs." All other VLF gold hunters are single freq. The multiple freqs give you more versatility over more ground, expecially in the Southwest. Give me a call,Rob Allison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kris Posted May 17, 2007 Report Share Posted May 17, 2007 Zippo if I were you I would check out the x-terra 70 some people here in Aust. are getting great results even in tough ground, if they work downunder they will work anywhere.regardskris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXKajun Posted May 18, 2007 Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 Hye, Rob, don't you dare make him the same deal you made me for my Eureka!! You said I was "special"!! LOLOLSeriously, the Eureka with its 3 freqs is a great machine (although I haven't found my first nugget with it, I've found tons of tiny bird shot, tacks, nails, etc. I know it's just a matter of swinging it over some yeller stuff!! Maybe this weekend!). HH, ya'll!Kajun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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