Best type detector for southern New Mexico desert?

[rand30]

First of all, hi everyone! I've enjoyed your posts and have learned alot. I'm new to metal detecting and thinking about getting a detector and I would like your opinion. I am in Las Cruces, NM near the chihuahua desert. From what I understand the ground here is highly mineralized. How mineralized, I don't know. I was going to get the fisher goldbug2 detector but because of the mineralization I am thinking about getting a PI model instead. First of all, can someone confirm that the ground is highly mineralized, I don't know how to tell. Does anyone have any experience down here or have any advice they can give me?

[fredm]

Hi Rand;

welcome...your question implies that you will be hunting for Gold Nuggets...if that is true the GB2 is a great machine to get started with. However, if you are certain you will be nugget hunting there and other places and if money is no object, I would go with the Minelab 4000...with the right coils and experience many are rivaling the GB2 with their 4000's in the fly-speck sizes...

Don't get me wrong, any gold nugget of any size thrilled me when I first started and they still do...if 4500 bucks is too steep for your first Pi there are other units with excellent abilities and many used units available.

One way you can tell if there is a lot of minerization in your area is to drag a strong magnet through a sandy wash, if it comes out looking like Santa's beard you have lots of iron in that soil...there are other types of mineralization too but Reno Chris or Jim Straight can explain those...

well I have babbled enough

good luck

Fred

[marca.properties]

Rand30, I am also looking for a detector. I think the same way, the 4000 is a bit high for me right now. Maybe after few nuggets and the fever gets me so I will then invest on higher quality. Any comments about the Eureka Gold? I've been reading so much about all the models out there that my heads spins. But got to make a desicion soon. Thanks.

[Reg]

Hi Rand and Carlos,

Do you know the typical size of gold you will be hunting? The reason I ask Rand is I have a friend that hunts in NM and he indicates most of the gold he finds is extremely small. If that is the case, then A VLF is a very decent choice. Extremely small gold is difficult even for the newest PI units to detect on a consistent basis. By extremely small gold, I am talking a grain or two or even less.

I have not used the Eureka Gold, but the previous model is the XT 18000 and that was/is a very decent detector. I had two of them because they were easy for a novice to use. So, I always had a detector for anyone going with me that was not that familiar with their use.

I found the ML XT 18000 is easy to use, works well, is sensitive and the auto ground balance works very well. I would expect the Eureka Gold to be at least as good and probably better.

I still own a Gold Bug 2 and it is a decent detector also, especially if small gold is the common size found. the GB 2 has a manual ground balance but with practice is not difficult to use. The key is practice, but that is true of any detector.

Pulse units such as the ML SD's or the new 4000 or any other with ground balance, will ignore a lot of the rocks and ground mineralization that cause responses on a VLF. That is what makes a PI so nice to use.

Rand, you might check to see if there is a metal detecting club in your area. If there is, you should be able to find out more about the ground from them. Normally, members are very willing to share info.

Reg

[nuggethunting]

Hello Guys,

Had a customer come over last night that wanted to know about metal detectors and was interested in getting something to start with. Some of the first questions I ask anyone wanted to get into metal detecting is -

How much experience do you have?

How much time do you plan on nuggethunting?

How much can you afford for your first metal detector?

Are you interested in just hunting for gold nuggets, or do you plan on doing some coin/relic hunting?

These four questions can give me a good idea on what might be best for you.

If someone can afford a entry level PI like the SD2100v2 or SD2200v2 I high encourage it. The Pulse Induction metal detectors are much more immune to mineralization and get 2-3 times the depth under the right conditions.

The SD's are also very popular cause there are battery systems, mods, amps and various searchcoils that will increase the performance even more than stock.

Hope this helps a bit. Feel free to call, email or PM through the forums anytime if anyone has questions. I will do my best to give you the best advice on getting started with the right equipment specific to your needs.

Take care,

Rob Allison

[marca.properties]

Thank you Reg and Rob,

Your information is good stuff.

In N Alabama only small pickers have been found in creeks.

However, I have not heard of anyone finding anything else.

I do believe the small fish leads to the big ones.

I thought the Eureka Gold would be a good start.

Not too expensive not too complicated to operate.

However, after reading your comments I'm convenced noise is a problem with low priced detectors.

I am going to Mexico in March. The area I am visiting is highly mineralized. Lots of quartz, lead, silver, copper, etc. However, I plan to start working the Placer banks of a river.

That's why I thought the EG could be easy to transport.

Do you recommend the EG for places that DO Have gold nuggets? I assume the area I am going do have silver and gold nuggets as well.

Seems to me that the higher priced models are for harder to find nuggets or pickers, or grains.

Any comments, please.

Thanks.