@Hawkear, thank you for you insight. Please excuse the dumb questions I am learning as I go.
If coil selection is important depending on things like terrain, mineralisation, size and depth of the target, does the 2300 perform as well as a 45 or 50 for these different scenarios? E.g. Can it sense as deep as these other machines when they are fitted with a large coil?
I understand that the operator must know how to setup and know their machine for the environment they are in but that is something you learn. The user is the variable any machine has a detecting capacity that is fixed. I guess I am asking if a 2300 has less detection capacity than the other machines? In 6 months or a years time will I want to get a new machine because I feel like I am missing targets?
Thanks again for your advice.
Cheers Doug
The 2300 with its standard 8” is optimised for sensitivity on small gold and whilst there are larger after-market coils available, I cannot see a great deal of sense in compromising its designed strength on small gold by fitting larger coils.
Smaller coils are also easier to use in a wide variety of rocky, bushy and mineralised terrains and are less subject to EMI interference.
An equivalent sized 8” coil can also be used on a 50 in fine gold setting with good results on small deeper gold but will not be as sensitive and miss many smaller nuggets that a 2300 can detect.
The net overall result is more nuggets with a 2300, fewer but heavier nuggets with a 50.
One of the common misconceptions held by newcomers is to assume that deep is better, whereas I feel that for most newcomers sensitive is better for another reason.
I have seen many new gold seekers arrive in GT caravan parks around about holiday times with 45s or 50s loaded with large coils telling everyone they are not interested in fly shit. Heading off with all their settings max’d out for depth, many return empty handed and head back to Melbourne with their tails between their legs, probably to give up on their dreams.
Some have asked for or have been happy to follow advice and I usually tell them to put away the big coils and moderate their settings, improve their listening skills and have had the satisfaction of being present to see some find their very first piece of gold. It was nothing to do with the machine they had, but in their ability to use it.
You are right therefore in saying that you can learn how to set up and use your machine, but that is not as easy as it may seem if you are not finding gold from the outset. Learning is achieved by being successful at finding nuggets and the more the better. That way you learn the best settings, the places to go, the proper techniques, coil selections (if appropriate), target signal interpretation etc. More nugget finds are accomplished with increased sensitivity not depth capability.
Will you want to upgrade to another machine in six months or a year’s time because you feel you are missing nuggets? I hope so, but is that a bad thing? No matter what machine you have you will not only feel you might be missing nuggets, but you WILL be missing nuggets because each will have different capabilities.
If you have negotiated a good deal on a secondhand 2300 or 50 (I’ll leave out a 45 because they are getting old in the tooth) they can easily be resold for much of what you would have paid so little will have been lost for the valuable learning experience, you will have gained.
If you go for a 2300, I would not bother about a larger coil and if you choose a 50 ensure you have a small 8” or equivalent coil to start with.