Gold detecting in Idaho

K

kurt

New member
I have been invited to visit my cousin [both of us are retired |:confused:). I currently have used an E-trac and I am curious if they are effective in finding gold nuggets as they are finding coins. If they aren't can someone recommend a metal detector that would be suitable for idaho's soil conditions.
 
Can't help you on that one. But please keep us updated on your hunt. I have always wanted to try nugget hunting. Good Luck & HH
 
Welcome to the forum from SE Wisconsin. I'm not sure how the Etrac will respond on nuggets. If you can afford a new machine I know they make detectors just for nugget hunting. Good Luck.
 
Nice to have you here kurt. :clapping:
Sounds like you have a great time ahead of you. :yes: As Fire Fighter 43 has said, there are
incredible Minelab machines out there geared specifically for gold and nuggets.
Let us know how you do. :->
 
Hey kurt, and welcome! :beerbuddy:

If I were specifically hunting for gold nuggets I would not pick an E-Trac. To repeat what several have said, if you are going to buy a detector specifically for gold, there are several made for just that. :yes:
 
hello Kurt , welcome to the forum . the e-trac wll find gold but only down to a certain size , if you plan on nugget shooting you might want to look at other machines specifically designed to find it as small as the size of a pin head. machines like the minelab gpx series , the 4500 ,4800 and the 5000 are great machines but expensive . Whites have the GMT and the TDI pro and sl machines that do very well , then theres the Garret machines the scorpion gold stinger and the AT gold.

Dan
 
What everybody else said....welcome to the forum and please keep us posted. Nugget hunting is out of my territory (Mass) but its something I would love to do.
 
My friend hunts with a White's V3i. And he has had trouble overcoming its learning curve. :confused: Would the White's machines you have suggested have a similar steep learning curve? With my e-trac, I just turned it on and started finding coins.
That said I stared my metal detecting career with a Garrett machine, then went to a White's coinmaster in the early 80's. By the mid 80's I was using Fisher machines. Then my two daughters were born :cheering:. Both just graduated from college and I have returned to the activity I love.
 
Welcome from Kentucky! :groovy: :beerbuddy:

I'm envious that you guys are retired :envious: I have about 20 yrs to go lol

I'm a V3i user but want to try out the ETrac & perhaps get one... :yes: There are quite a few on this forum and boy do they pull out the deeeep silver :shocked04:stretcher:
 
Retirement is great. We hunt everyday it doesn't rain. As I stated earlier my friend has a V3i like you do. I have found silver and he hasn't. >:# Getting back to Idaho, if I put a smaller coil on my e-trac would that help finding smaller gold nuggets? And if the answer is yes, which coil would you recommend?
 
Theoretically a smaller coil should be better, but I don't think you are going to find small gold nuggets with the E-Trac, no matter what coil you put on it, sorry to say :-\

Try doing an air test with some gold rings, gold chains, etc. The machine will find gold but it doesn't hit well at all on small gold in my experience. I also own the v3i (although much less experienced with it) but I think it does better on gold than the E-Trac. Still, I don't think a v3i would hit on small nuggets either. You really need a high frequency gold detector to find the smaller nuggets in my opinion.
 
Hmmmmm. Now I am forced into a big decision...finish remodeling the half bath downstairs or buying another metal detector..... tough decision... :confused:
 
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