Treasure Hunting

Being good friends with a few sales people at Kellyco and owners of Minelab metal detectors, Adam and I have heard a lot about these after-market coils known as “Excelerator Coils.”

They come in all shapes and sizes, and generally fit the higher end Minelab and White’s metal detectors. Our Kellyco friends have told us repeatedly how great they are but we don’t own one. Well, after getting requests and questions for more information from our blog readers on these coils, we decided to do some research.

The latest from the designers of the Excelerator coils is the SEF Coil. Dubbed the “Butterfly” coil by the participants on the forum Find Mall, the SEF’s come in 10 x 12″, 15 x 12″, and the gigantic 18 x 15″. Those all sound pretty massive, but from what we hear these coils are worth their weight in gold. Below is a sample of the field test report from a White’s MXT user:

Field tester Don Echols in Virginia reported finding “35 bullets on a site that produced only 8 in the same amount of time with a different coil.” He states: “Several of the bullets were in the 4″ to 5″ depth range and gave a good sound as well as a good VDI reading” with his White’s MXT detector. Don also noted ‘The novice or rookie hunter may have a difficult time with this coil, but if they stick with it, I’m sure they can add to their collection.”

Taking the coil out with his MXT to a different, more common soil location, Don reported: ‘The coil was reaching down at least 10″ for tiny bullets and easily getting the larger ones at a foot. The shallow targets sound and read good, but the deep items are inconclusive. To dig, or not to dig, is up to the user - I almost always dig and it pays off.”

For the full field test report, visit Excelerator Searchcoil Field Test Report Page at Kellyco.

Now the other Excelerator coils are JUST as worthy of attention and even easier to handle on the end of the metal detector. They’re round, with DD technology for more precision in the field, and come in 5″, 6″, 8″, 10″, 12.5″, 14″, 16.5″ and 18″ increments. Below a testimonial from a White’s MXT user:

The Excelerator 6″ DD search coil, made for the White’s MXT, is an awesome search coil. I took it out today for about 4.5 hours and I did not experience one problem with it. It pinpointed like it had a rifle sight on it. The VDI number were accurate with every target I dug, whether it was a quarter or a bottle cap. I dug targets at around 6″ through out the day and I feel that had there been targets deeper the coil would have sought them out. I did not find a lot today, but i can tell you with certainty that if there is something to be found this coil will find it with ease. I think this coil is really going to be in demand by White’s MXT user.

For more information, visit the Excelerator Coil Report Page at Kellyco.

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Our sponsor, Kellyco Metal Detectors, often passes along good news to us but this article is one we are really excited to pass along. Lots of people have been looking for reviews and field tests on these new machines out from Teknetics and we finally have something to share. After reading what Mike in Alabama has to say about this machine I’m thinking we’ll have to try one out. This latest series from Teknetics certainly LOOKS promising, but now we actually have some information to back it up.

I’ll paste in the first portion of the field test report but please visit Kellyco’s Teknetics Gamma Field Test Report page to see all the great photos and read the rest of the review. It’s just too long to put in this entire blog. Many thanks to our friends at Kellyco!

My name is Mike Bearden and I live in north Alabama. I have been metal detecting since 1969.

I have used just about every brand of metal detector offered to the public in the last 30 odd years and really enjoy metal detecting and field testing different product lines.

Kellyco sent the new Teknetics Gamma 6000 to me to see how well it will perform in my area which is heavily saturated with iron ore and red clay.

I live in the middle of the iron ore belt that stretches from 150 miles north of my home and on down below Birmingham, Alabama.

This ground has proven to be very tough to tame for MANY of the high end detectors that I have tried here over the years.

Just to give you an idea, those gold/red stones in the picture below are iron ore typically found in my yard and throughout the surrounding counties. This place is LOADED with it and if you drag a shop magnet around on the ground, these stones actually stick to it like metal. It’s found on the surface and as far down as anyone cares to dig.

After receiving the Gamma 6000 I opened the box, zipped through the 24 page manual and then put it together, installed the battery, turned it on and got familiar with all of the settings.

I selected four tones over the default setting of three because I like to hear as much difference between targets as the detector will allow.

The overall sound quality is pretty good and the adjustable volume is extremely loud when maxed out when real metal detecting headphones are used, however, a 1/4″ to 1/8″ adapter is needed to accomplish this unless you have a high end set of 1/8″ plug-in detecting headphones lying around.

Of course go to Kellyco’s Teknetics Gamma Field Test Report page to finish reading this field test report and to see all the pictures Mike provided. And if you have any report of your own please feel free to comment. We also take requests for reviews and field test reports, so please pass those along also.

- Shaun & Adam

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We remember when the pickin’s were slim when it came to selecting a metal detector…

Nowadays it seems like there’s a new one coming out every other week!

We know Teknetics because of the “T2″ metal detector. The brand is technically owned by First Texas (who also owns Bounty Hunter and Fisher), and with the amount of new Fishers that have come out recently we really shouldn’t be surprised to see the Teknetics brand stepping up as well.

Their latest machine is one of a set of three. It’s called the Teknetics Delta 4000 and we could tell right away that it’s related to the Fisher F2, F4, F5 series of detectors. Like those machine it has a large digital face with big push buttons for the most neccessary adjustments. Here’s what our sponsor, Kellyco, had to say:

The Delta metal detector is the latest and greatest from the world-renowned Teknetics metal detector brand. Just released, and in time for the holiday season, the Delta boasts state-of-the-art detecting features housed in the most modern of detector designs.

The large control housing features push-button controls, numerical depth readout, an intuitive menu system and a running depth indicator. These tools combine to help even the most novice detectorist hunt like a professional! Advanced features include adjustable sensitivity, discrimination by categories, a two-digit numerical target identification system, and two search modes: Discrimination Mode and All Metals Mode.

It comes with a 5 Year warranty and a few accessories. Check it out at Kellyco’s Teknetics Delta page and we’ll update this blog with info on the Delta’s sisters - Omega and Gamma - when we get it. Of course if anybody ends up with this machine please share information with us cause we don’t have any reviews on it yet.

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We just got news from one of our sponsors that the latest, upgraded Beach Hunter ID is available.

Like the other detectors in the 300 series, the Beach Hunter ID features a larger coil that allows you to find objects buried the deepest. Here’s what Kellyco had to say about it:

“The White’s Beach Hunter ID 300 delivers everything a beach or land detectorist could need - high quality, dual frequency, and reliability!

With only two search modes and three controls, tuning this metal detector is fast and easy. Of course, being able to safely take it into 25ft. of both salt and fresh water is a benefit that any surf detectorist will love.

The Beach Hunter ID’s new, 300 coil has near neutral buoyancy and provides excellent results, every time, everywhere. The new 300 searchcoil will allow you to cover more ground per sweep, and find the deepest buried treasures.

White’s designed the Beach Hunter ID 300 with an easy-to-use discrimination system that features three special, color-coded lights, each paired with a specific audio tone to quickly identify your targets. Know what you’ve found, BEFORE you dig!”

From what we’ve been told there is no purchase of this detector online, so you’ll have to give your local dealer a call for a specific price. Learn more about it and read reviews on it at Kellyco’s Beach Hunter ID 300 page.

- Shaun

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Kellyco just gave us gold seekers some great new!

Minelab has updated their phenomenal GPX-4000 Gold Detector with a new technology known as “SETA” (stands for Smart Electronic Timing Alignment), and issued an entirely new machine - the GPX-4500!

The GPX-4000 has long been considered a MUST have for serious gold seekers around the world, so it should come as no surprise that the GPX-4500 will be much sought after. Check out Kellyco’s GPX-4500 Information Page to read more details about the detector or give them a call to pre-order one. Apparently this machine is already so popular that it’s selling out! Here’s a little bit of the information from the Kellyco website:

“The GPX-4500, like its predecessor, is the ultimate gold detector and has added features that make it more versatile than ever before.

Minelab created an entirely new class of gold detectors with the GPX-4000, unlike anything the industry had seen before. The GPX-4500 takes that ground breaking technology even further with all new SETA technology that is quieter and more immune to interference.

SETA stands for “Smart Electronic Timing Alignment” and is what brings a total of six timing options to the GPX-4500. Each timing option is suited to different detecting conditions and allows you to automatically set a precise alignment for each of the six options. Noises that are caused by magnetic interference are minimized in each of the six timing options, which provides a more stable threshold and reduces signals from highly magnetic (hot) rocks.

Each timing option can be independently operated adjusted and operated for more efficiency – alerting you to the smallest, most deeply buried nuggets.

The best part is that the GPX-4500 is still a “Multi-Period Pulse Induction” metal detector and combined with the new SETA technology, this machine is stronger and more versatile than any other. Improved features include quieter operation, louder target signals, improved discrimination, automatic functions and pre-set search modes.”

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We’ve known about this contest for a couple of weeks now, but we just got clearance to post about it here, on TreasureHunting.com.

Kellyco is hosting a “Raves & Reviews” Contest to win up to 10 prizes! And yes, you can enter more than once!

The Grand Prize winner will receive a White’s DFX E Series Metal Detector with a White’s padded, gun-style carrying bag, a White’s Bullseye II pinpointer, and a pair of White’s E Series 900 Headphones - a package valued at $1,369.80!

The Second Prize is a $500.00 Kellyco Gift Card to use on any metal detector or accessories they carry on their website.

The Third Prize is a $250.00 Kellyco Gift Card to use, again on any metal detector or accessory that they carry on their website.

And seven other winners will receive an Automax V4 Pinpointer, valued at $139.00 each!

All you have to do is write a review about your metal detector. As they say “it’s easy to enter, open to everyone, and all it takes is writing about your favorite metal detector!”

See The Raves & Reviews Contest Page to enter this contest once for each metal detector you’ve used or owned!

We’ve already entered, but good luck and happy hunting!

- Shaun and Adam in St. Cloud

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Well folks, we’ve seen gas prices increase and milk prices increase,… it should be no surprise that Fisher F75’s prices are going to increase also.

The good news is that the price isn’t going up for no good reason. This machine will feature better weather proofing and a re-designed handle for better comfort. From what I understand there will be no changes to the circuitry, and anyone who has purchased an F75 recently can contact Fisher for an upgrade. It will be $50.00 plus shipping fees to get your metal detector there and back, and due to the high volume of upgrades, expect to have a back-up machine running full time for a good amount of time after you send it out.

As for the new price, the F75 was right around $900.00, and now will cost as low as $1,029.00 from Kellyco.

Here’s what Kellyco’s website has to say about the Fisher F75: Due to the unusually heavy demand for the F75 the factory is trying it’s very best to produce enough to fill a very large number of back orders. Turns out that the F75 is a great metal detector in all functions and all uses. The F75 is out performing other high end detectors. We strongly recommend you place your order NOW so you will be one of the first to get delivery of our large back order. We will not charge your credit card or process any other payments until we ship the F75 to you. If you wait to order you might have a long time to wait before you get your hands on this outstanding unit.

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In case you haven’t noticed, the price of gold is skyrocketing. There are many reasons for this, all of which are too long to discuss in this blog, but there’s no denying it - Gold is going up, up, up! And the more us detectorists find, well, the sooner our machines are paid for!

So it’s no surprise that a question I’ve gotten a lot lately is: “Do I need a detector specifically made to find gold?”

The answer: “Yes, if you’re looking for gold nuggets. Not necessarily if you’re just looking for gold jewelry.”

First, you’ve got to understand the difference between your regular metal detector and one that’s made to search for gold - Don’t worry, it’s easy.

You see, gold detectors like the Garrett Scorpion Gold Stinger, the Minelab Eureka Gold or the Fisher Gold Bug II are made specifically to find natural gold - That is, gold nuggets, completely untouched or changed by man. They’re optimized to be more sensitive to natural gold and traditionally have much higher frequencies.

For example, the Minelab Eureka Gold metal detector features three frequencies for you to work on. The 6.4 kHz frequency is for locating targets at their maximum depth, it goes deeper to find the larger nuggets. The 20 kHz frequency is more sensitive, perfect for finding small nuggets and general detecting. Finally there is a 60 kHz frequency which detects the smallest gold flake with super sensitivity.

In addition to higher frequencies, gold-specific detectors also have better ground balancing circuits and special coils that are optimized for the highly-mineralized soil that is predominate where gold nuggets lie (think of ‘black sand’). For example: The Garrett Scorpion Gold Stinger features 15kHz ‘Groundhog’ circuitry which gives you the power to detect treasure within heavily mineralized soil and sample ore as well as those dreaded ‘hot rocks.’ And when you’re looking for pure gold nuggets, a more sophisticated circuitry is crucial.

So what about your regular, all-purpose metal detector? Well, there’s good news!

Coin detectors can pick up gold jewelry because it has a much greater mass then gold nuggets. Gold jewelry is also easy for all-purpose metal detectors to pick up because of the other metals that are used to make a specific piece. And while just about any machine will pick up gold jewelry, some of the higher priced models will have twice the sensitivity for gold jewelry - the Minelab X-Terra series, Explorer series and Fisher’s F-75 and F-4 are just a few off the top of my head that are excellent for finding gold jewelry. The Garrett GTI 2500 and GTP 1350 are also well-known for their gold jewelry capabilities.

Meanwhile, if you have a submersible machine like the Minelab Excalibur series, Garrett’s Sea Hunter Mark II or Infinium LS, you’re even better off. These machines are made to balance through salt water and highly mineralized ground, so they’re highly effective at finding gold jewelry.

So the moral of this story: Gold prices are going up and chances are your all-purpose metal detector will find all the gold jewelry you could want! But your best bet is getting an all-purpose machine that costs around $350.00 or up. Check out our sponsors for more information on specific metal detectors and get ready to cash in your gold!

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I just stumbled onto a new website that is managed by the folks over at TreasureQuestXLT, - one of the many metal detecting forums online.

It’s called MetalDetectorResource.com and is a brand new website, certainly worth your attention.

It looks like they’ve put together an online resource for metal detectorists that provides reviews, tips, and techniques for specific machines. Users write reviews for metal detectors they have experience with and rate them on a five star scale.

My favorite part of this website is the organization and ease-of-use. With a blog style not too dissimilar from TreasureHunting.com you can easily write a review, search reviews by a brand or name, find information and background on any manufacturer, or hop over to the forum to chat.

I’ll happily track this websites progress as it grows and gets more content. But I do believe MetalDetectorResource.com is mandatory reading for first time metal detectorists as well as those of us that have been swingin’ the coil for awhile now.

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Looking for a solid metal detector under $100? The Bounty Hunter Fast Tracker is a great starter metal detector, and for under $100, you can’t go wrong. Metaldetectorreviews.net has it rated at 3.5 out of 5 stars. The reviews are mixed, but most say it’s a good choice for beginners, with its only real downfall being black sand.

Here are the details for the Bounty Hunter Fast Tracker:

• SENSITIVITY ADJUSTMENT DISCRIMINATE
• ADJUSTMENT LIGHTWEIGHT APPROX. 3LBS
• ADJUSTABLE S-ROD HANDLE SYSTEM
• S-ROD STAND
• COMFORT HANDLE GRIP
• 7.25″ WATERPROOF COIL SYSTEM
• ADJUSTABLE COIL ANGLE
• AUDIO LOW BATTERY ALERT
• INTERNAL SPEAKER SYSTEM
• QUARTER-INCH HEADPHONE JACK
• INTERCHANGEABLE COIL PLUG

You can buy the metal detector here: Bounty Hunter Fast Tracker

Have you used this metal detector before? Let us know how you liked it in the comments.

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