Ray in CA Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 After two years of waiting to get a Minelab 2100v2, my wish has finally come true.I bought John's (Iggy) setup and it just arrived today. Man, that 14" coil looks like a monster. Gonna have to get used to swingin' it, though. The NF 10" is much, much lighter...just may have to make that my regular search coil.Everything looks in great condition. Thanks John!So now it's all about setting it up and learning how to use it properly. This is my first PI, so don't be surprised if I post often with questions, or gold for that matter! Ray in CA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grubstake Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Way to go Ray, your going to like the Pi, opens up a whole new world of detecting, for sure. Now lets see the first nugget you get with it! Grubstake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptGrumpy Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Way to go Ray!!! Now you get to go back over all those VLF holes you dug to find what you missed. Do yourself a favor and invest in a Coiltek Pocket Rocket for enhanced power of your detector and less weight to carry around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drillerdave Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Congratulations Ray, I know you have been waiting a long time for your first PI. If you found gold with your MXT you should do better now. Good luck to you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray in CA Posted October 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Thanks everyone! Yes, I am excited to hit some of my old spots and hopefully pull out a nugget that I missed with a vlf.CaptG, A pocket rocket was included in the package, so I've got that base covered!Grubby,BTW, my son wants me to visit him sometime in November. If you recall he lives up there in Arnold near Angels Camp. Do you know of any open places close by where I could MD that's not private property? I know you're more southeast of that area about an hour/hour and a half away, but perhaps you might know of a location or two that is open range while I'm up in that general direction of Angel's Camp/Jamestown.thx,Dave, yes indeed it's nice not to wait any longer. Hey, I just noticed you're in Hemet, right next door to me (kind of). There are a couple places back behind Palm Desert that I plan on investigating. When I get ready to do that, I'll pm you to see if you'd like to go with me. It'll give me a chance to meet a fellow nuggetshooter as well as make me feel safer out there in them mountains.Ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grubstake Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 Ray, if you go to the Bagby area, and pay your day fee, I think its $6.00, its a good area, and you can detect all you want. Some nice gold has come out of there with detectors. Also you could PM me and I will tell you another open spot. Grubstake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray in CA Posted October 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 Thanks Grubby! Sent you a pm back.BTW, I just wanted to say that I can't believe how light the 2100 feels in my hands. Of course, that's with the NF 10" mono attached. It feels even more balanced than my former MXT. I think I could swing it all day.Tomorrow I take it out for a test drive to an area very close by, which will give me a chance to get to know my new detector.Ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grubstake Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 Ray stay away from the big MONSTERS in Banning, you know the concrete Dino's. For me the Banning Scales used to be hell. when I was driving truck. They go through your logs and truck with a fine tooth comb. Glad I'm not driving now though. I hear its even worse. Take care. Grubstake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptGrumpy Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 Glad you got some good goodies with the 2100! Next comes an assortment of coils to use.There are some areas up near Angels camp to hunt that are open as well as some GPAA claims that are a little north of there as well as towards Sonora/Twainhart. That area is not far for me and always willing to go out with a newbie to the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray in CA Posted October 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 haha, yes I know all about those big dinosaurs there in Cabazon, Grubby. They do make for a pretty picture, though.If I recall correctly, only the westbound scales are open. I never see the eastbound open. I could be wrong, though. I guess they're so tight because they don't want you and Shep sneaking all that AZ gold into California and pretending you guys found it here, LOL.Man, I still can't get over those monster nuggets. I think my knees would have buckled if I had unearthed them myself.Ray stay away from the big MONSTERS in Banning, you know the concrete Dino's. For me the Banning Scales used to be hell. when I was driving truck. They go through your logs and truck with a fine tooth comb. Glad I'm not driving now though. I hear its even worse. Take care. GrubstakeI already got several coils too, Cap'n!Lessee, Minelab 11" mono & 11" DD, Coiltek 14" DD, and an NF 10" mono. I told ya, John put up a deal so good I couldn't resist. Many, many years ago (when I was a GPAA member) I tried finding their claims up past Columbia. Could never find them. So I stuck to the open area that's on the river, as mentioned in the GPAA book. Found some small stuff dredging, but that's about it.But thanks. I'll keep you in mind if I'm ever up in your part of the woods.RayGlad you got some good goodies with the 2100! Next comes an assortment of coils to use.There are some areas up near Angels camp to hunt that are open as well as some GPAA claims that are a little north of there as well as towards Sonora/Twainhart. That area is not far for me and always willing to go out with a newbie to the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim P. Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 Congrats Ray, looks like you are set. We will be waiting for the pics of the first PI nuggets. Later...Jim P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray in CA Posted October 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 For those of you who have never been through Banning and Cabazon on the I-10, this is what Grubstake was talking about in reference to dinos. I snapped this earlier this spring to include in our Chamber's Tourism brochure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grubstake Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 Yeh its been a long time for me since I was driving truck Ray, 95 was when I stopped, because of the secound heart attack. and your right about the west bound scales, I always made sure my truck and trailer was washed and pretty. That way they din't stop you as much, but we used to haul alot of class "A" explosives, and rocket fuel for the military. so we got stoped quit a bit anyway. I've even hauled parts for the space shuttle, a satalite or two some hawk missiles and once a load of laws rockets.Don't they have an indain casino down at Cabazon now? Grubstake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray in CA Posted October 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 Yep, it's called Casino Morongo. Talk about a lot of moola invested in a place! I don't gamble (I like to keep my money, thank you!) but I have been there to photograph concerts or attend conferences. The tribe is making a killing on gambling...oh, excuse me..."gaming," LOL.Here's a photo I shot over the last summer:Ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-BONE Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 Hi Ray: im a current MXT user,grate detector but im in line to purchase a SD2200v2 from Rob soon. im in the san diego area (poway).When my purchase goes down we should hook-up I'm always game. Terry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray in CA Posted October 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 Well, I got out this morning for about an hour to try out the 2100.I wanted to go check out a canyon close by where there are some old gold mines, even from the mexicans back in the early 1800s. Trucks were blocking the road leading up to the canyon, so I guess they were working on something. So I headed back down toward the I-10 where one can see the remnants of an old mine that was cut through when they built the freeway. Across the freeway they also did some mining, so I went over there and hopped out of my car and proceeded along the trail, detecting rock outcroppings along the way.I wasn't quite sure if I had it right when I fired up the minelab and started adjusting settings. I got the warble out with the tune knob, and then proceeded to ground balance in both channels. Channel 1 was easy, #2 a bit more work but the threshold seemed smooth. So I started detecting and after about 10 mintues I got a signal in some decomposed rock/quartz and proceeded to dig. I wasn't expecting to find any gold but one never knows. I was getting excited as the hole got deeper, but the signal turned out to be what looked like a starter gun cartridge about the diameter of a .22 casing but shorter in length, like a .22 short. It was down about 8" and the signal was pretty clear. I was using the 10" NF mono.I figured I must have had the detector tuned correctly, and then realized how it was really very simple to set up and get going. Just takes a short while to get it just right and one hardly has to adjust afterwards.Anyhow, maybe next time I'll head out to my old stomping grounds in the Mojave and hit some of my old placer spots to see if pull out a nug. Just thought I'd let you all know how I did my first time out.Ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted October 27, 2007 Admin Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 Hello Ray, Congrats on getting a Minelab PI. John purchased most of that stuff from me originally, so I know you're going to have a blast with it. Make sure you run that Coiltek Li-Ion System in the 7.3v setting for the best performance on your SD2100. It will just be a matter of time before you're posting your first SD2100 gold nuggets! Feel free to hit us all up with questions. Good luck out there, Rob Allison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptGrumpy Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 We refer to Rob behind his back as "Magnum P.I."! He knows how to get the most out of your P.I. machine and definitely can find the stragglers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray in CA Posted October 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 Thanks, Rob. I wish I could have bought brand new from you like I had planned, but it probably would have taken me another year, lol! But to be honest, the setup I have is just perfect for me.Yes, I did run it at 7.3v. I found out the hard way, though, that the detector needs to be turned on first, then the battery system. Was left wondering why the battery wouldn't turn back on after using it for a while and turning it off. Fortuntely, though, I found an old nuggethunting post that helped me figure it out.Ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted October 28, 2007 Admin Report Share Posted October 28, 2007 Hello Ray, No biggie on the new detector, I'm glad you got a great unit for a great price. The SD2100 is a great nugget hunting detector and you will find a lot of gold with it. Yep, if you don't turn your SD or GP on first you will trip the Li-Ion battery. It's best to carry your Li-Ion charger with the 12v plug in your vehicle just in case this happens. What happens is the Li-Ion battery trips down to 1.0v and needs to be placed back on the charger for about one minute to reset back to the charged voltage. Talk with you later,Rob Allison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iggy Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 Ray,Know you are trying hard for that first nugget. Now with gold at $832.80 an oz should help you.Here is a picture of a nugget I found with the 2100V2.Enjoy your new PI. I'll keep my eyes open for my next one. Iggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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