GOLD AND V3i

[LEROY]

I ran a 1/10 gold eagle over my v and on analyze mode the blue and red were higher. Why is that? It should of been the green right ?

[del]

hello Leroy , although i don't have a v3i i did stay at a holiday inn once or twice lol lol . i was under the impression the green signagraph bar was for very high conductive targets like silver , copper . the red was for mid-range conductive ones like brass ,lead or even small copper , aluminum targets and the blue signagraph was for low conductive items like nickles , gold , platinum , pewter and junk cast metals . if i'm wrong then please anyone with a v3i chime in and set me straight on the issue.

Dan

[MANDAD76]

Machine did what it's supposed to - blue is 22.5/high frequency for low conductors/gold.....red is 7.5 for medium conductors/alloy and green is 2.5 frequency best for high conductors/silver/copper/coins, etc... Inverse relationship - ie... high freq/low conductors - low freq/high conductors. Middle can hit better on either at times - especilly at depth. Good luck and happy huntin!! thumbsup01

[pulltabsteve]

Machine did what it's supposed to - blue is 22.5/high frequency for low conductors/gold.....red is 7.5 for medium conductors/alloy and green is 2.5 frequency best for high conductors/silver/copper/coins, etc... Inverse relationship - ie... high freq/low conductors - low freq/high conductors. Middle can hit better on either at times - especilly at depth. Good luck and happy huntin!! thumbsup01

Nice tip on the red at depth thumbsup01

[LEROY]

That makes sense. Thanks guys.

[M-Taliesin]

Howdy Leroy!
To add just one more thing to think about, gold usually rings in at lower VDI numbers, especially for small rings or light chains. I've seen them range from 0 VDI to around 8 for the most part. That includes bracelets.

Why? Because gold tends to lurk in the foil range. Another indication of a low conductivity item.

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

[russellt]

when i find gold its pure luck . no science behind my finds

[freemindstuck]

From experience gold usually hits hardest in the 22.5 hertz range.
But a few gold items will hit harder in the 7.5 hertz range including a
10k class ring I found a few weeks ago. Yet when I look up the conductivity
of metals pure gold is a high conductor. Is it labeled a low conductor
because most jewelry is an alloy and not pure? This has never made sense
to me and I would greatly appreciate an explanation.
Thanks

[Lowjiber]

Yet when I look up the conductivity of metals pure gold is a high conductor.

You might want to recheck that.

[freemindstuck]

You might want to recheck that.

Ok, so I rechecked it and it's still true lol, according to wiki gold ranks fourth in conductivity. Silver, copper, annealed copper, and then gold. Not the highest conductor, but still a high conductor and one of the reasons it is used in microchips and other electrical components. Other sites will back this up. Feel free to look it up yourself. Although I was really wanting an explanation. :-\
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electri...ctivity#Metals

[CyberSage]

On the overall scale Gold is a relatively low conductor, as man made metals go. It is used in electronics primarily due to its noncorrosive properties. It appears on the lower half of the VDI measurement system that Whites uses. In the metal detecting world it is always considered a low conductor.

...and I just noticed this thread is almost 2 years old.

a good read on the subject...

http://www.lunarpedia.org/index.php?...cal_Conductors

[freemindstuck]

Gold cannot be that low of a conductor because conductivity and resistance are inverse properties. And if it had a high resistance it wouldn't be used for electrical connections because it would generate to much heat. If you had looked at the chart in my link you'd see that it is the third most conductive man made metal. Being more conductive then aluminum, zinc, lead, and tin, why do they all have higher VDI numbers then gold jewelry on my v3i. To restate my original question, why does it appear on the lower half of the VDI scale? I'm guessing that it is because most gold alloys are actually fairly low in actual percentages of gold at least compared to silver or copper alloys. This hypothesis could be tested with 24K gold, which I unfortunately do not possess.

...and I just noticed this thread is almost 2 years old. ;-p

I hadn't noticed that. I'm not sure of the relevance? Should I have started a new thread?

[CyberSage]

I would greatly appreciate an explanation.
Thanks

Sounds like you just explained it to yourself. lol :white:

[Epi-hunter]

Ahhh... inorganic chemistry comes to haunt me again. 8/

Pure gold (on the periodic table) is the third highest conductor, after silver and copper. Alloys of gold change the properties significantly - when gold is mixed with other substances in order to make jewelry. That is why gold jewelry falls into the mid-range conductivity most of the time, and why there is a great deal of variability in the conductivity of gold jewelry.

[CyberSage]

uhh... Ya... what she said.

[nicklehead]

From experience gold usually hits hardest in the 22.5 hertz range.
But a few gold items will hit harder in the 7.5 hertz range including a
10k class ring I found a few weeks ago. Yet when I look up the conductivity
of metals pure gold is a high conductor. Is it labeled a low conductor
because most jewelry is an alloy and not pure? This has never made sense
to me and I would greatly appreciate an explanation.
Thanks

It's not that gold is a low conductor but a lower conductor and that's a factor largely the result of the alloys. Cu pennies are 95% pure Cu , Ag coins are 90% pure silver and most Ag jewelry is 92.5% Ag. Those purities would be analogous to 22 and 23 k gold which you just don't stumble upon very often . The gold used in electronics is for it's non corrosive properties and is usually the result 24k plating hence the conductivity is not impaired.

I don't swing a White's machine so I'm not familiar with their VDIs except from my 20 year old Spectrum but on the e-trac those relative conductivity numbers hold true. I used to prospect and have some world class nugget specimens which range in size , shape and purity which bear the alloy theory out. 10 k on the e-trac runs low teens , 14k mid 20's , 18k 32 and 22k or better runs 38 to 40. The really interesting thing is the effect shape has on the conductivity numbers on the e-trac. It appears that nuggets with crude ring or disc shapes also read higher on the scales than nuggets of different shapes but similar purity.

[johnedoe]

I know this is an old thread but I think it is still worth commenting on......and hey, I'm fairly new here...
The conductivity issues of gold are less of a factor than the variables in sizes and shapes encountered in jewelry and especially when nugget shooting....... jmho..

[yazoo]

Even being a old thread I see a need to mention the colors of the graff for the 3 freqs can be changed and I believe there is a stock program or 2 that the colors are changed. While green is usually copper- silver it can be changed. Blue is usually 22.5 freq known for gold- pull tabs and can slaw. Yazoo

[Lowjiber]

A really smart guy once told me, If the VDI is a solid 8, dig it! That's served me well. Thanks Rudy.

[kingskid]

Just set my vdi #8 to 250. Will be listening for a single tone at #8