UK METAL DETECTING

ninjafox · Joined: 22 Jun 2007 Posts: 68 Location: cornwall

Just thought i'd check to make sure your still there,, I live in the west of Cornwall and we've got winds down here 50 mph, gusting to 80 mph.

Went down to have a look at the sea and it looks pretty angry, could not get near the cliff, i'm 13 stone and it was picking me of my feet.

There is one good thing, the beach has changed over the last couple of days, so hopefully it's thrown up some good fines for me, just got to wait for the wind to drop before i can get there.

EdUK · Joined: 23 Jul 2007 Posts: 79 Location: Kent

Hopefully there will be some good pickings for you at the beach - let us know how you get on !

ninjafox · Joined: 22 Jun 2007 Posts: 68 Location: cornwall

Well i had high hopes for my local beach after the storms we've had but things didn't work out that well, the sand seemed to be very soft, i think it may have been to rough, so much sand was stired up that most of the good stuff has gone to deep to reach.

Ended up with about £4 in change, a toy plane and two drink cans, will try somewhere else tomorrow and hopefully have a bit better luck.

UK Brian · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 431 Location: Wales

Your supposed to be ill !

I went down the beach Friday and got back an hour ago. Not as many rings as the start of the week as the storms started putting the sand back, but you don't need the beaches stripped here as long as there's a stream or river on the beach. Woke up this morning with frozen hail all over so chickened out and headed home. Should have stayed as it went really sunny this afternoon.

ninjafox · Joined: 22 Jun 2007 Posts: 68 Location: cornwall

Was it cold sleeping on the beach ?.

Have bought a Goldquest (first one) today, got any advice for me !!,

UK Brian · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 431 Location: Wales

Had the heating on. Noisy but nice. So tired we didn't wake up until 10.00 this morning.

By first Goldquest which one do you mean ? Big gray chest mount version, shaft mounted with belt mount 15 volt power supply, Mk 4 or Mk I SS.

Rush out and buy a long blade stainless steel spade and cut it to a T shape. You will be digging deep. The T shape gives full width to minimise the splitting of your boots, maximum digging depth but less suction from the wet sand when you lever back.

ninjafox · Joined: 22 Jun 2007 Posts: 68 Location: cornwall

Thanks for the advice Brian, Sore shoulder today, over did it yesterday.
I thought about getting a drain spade, 6 ins wide 16 ins long, do you think that would be a good idea ?.
This is the goldquest, bought it from a Very nice man in Swansea.

UK Brian · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 431 Location: Wales

Looks a bit like Swansea Jacks old machine.

This followed on and ran alongside the Goldscan shaft mount that replaced the Goldscan 2.

The Goldscan was the deep P.I. of its time but some found it a little complicated. Your model had simplified controls and lost the switchable probe but gained higher transmit power, faster response time and the pulses per second rose from the 500 odd of the Goldscans to 1500.
This meant a faster sweep speed could be used, extra depth on weak signals and better pickup on small rings.

You can get both 11" and 8" coils. The 11" should be all you need. Its sensitive. The 8" can have you digging tea leaf sized bits.
Weather proof without the need for covers. No coil cover needed and you can't wear the coil out so a cover isn't needed.

Battery is 15 volt NiCad which though large only gives five hours detecting. I've one thats now over eight years old and I now get six hours out of it. If the machine hasn't been kept charged or has been 'top up' charged you may need a new battery. You won't really know until you use it. Don't buy a replacement from the machine manufacturer !

One thing to watch is that you can damage the detector when you are charging it by pulling the charger plug out of the machine. So machine switched off, charger off, plug charger into headphone socket then switch on charger. Charge time fourteen hours on an older battery and increase charge time by a couple of minutes every few months.
Charger will not over charge if its the correct one.

The spade is good but will rust pretty quickly. You will have to drag it behind to avoid the detector picking it up but at least you can see where you have been.

Brian