Saw an add in GG&T from Jack Lange on his new machine, an Italian made, Desert Gold VLF. He reckons its the deepest, or something like that, searching VLF around. Id say with a name like its got its probably been made to target the African market in the Sudan or the likes. Its even got a picture of a Camel on its control box face. :lol: Not that im much into VLF's these days myself, though a good VLF squeeler like a Bug 2 or GMT can be useful, but I wonder what its like. Any one heard much about them?
Jack Lange detectors
- Thread starter Jon
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Hi, I have just purchased one, when it arrives I will test and post my opinion.
regards Ron
regards Ron
There is a bit of a danger warning with these Desert Gold units.
On the good side they have a manual ground balance and a threshold. 14khz, so not too high.
A choice of tone, sadly only two on a flick-switch. A DD coil stock. After market coils. Light enough and can be hip mounted.
On the bad side, the very bad side, they are made with an overly boosted sensitivity setting, giving them a false sense of depth in an air test and on mushy very even ground.
As with a lot of European units that are made with this silly over boosted sensitivity, they have also gone for a high pitched tone squeal for signal and threshold.
They are marketed for a few uses, and unfortunately one of those uses is detecting for gold nuggets and what they are calling "flakes" of gold.
To operate these units on our goldfield ground, you have to back the sensitivity that far back that they would be next to totally useless.
But the worst problem would stem from the units manual ground balance. It is very poor, and does not hold balance for half a swing.
Now, we have had great manual ground balancing Vlf detectors here for more than two decades that hold and maintain their balance on hot ground, so there is no excuse by any manufacturer for designing and building such a poor ground balancing unit as this one.
They makers, not sure if it's intentional or not, decided to call their pre-set balance on the detector A for Auto, just as a lot of manufacturers do, giving the false impression that the unit may have automatic ground balance or automatic ground tracking, when in fact it is simply a flick to a factory pre-set ground balance and isn't auto-anything.
Sadly, the Desert Gold, for a prospecting Vlf, is a Desert Dog.
On the good side they have a manual ground balance and a threshold. 14khz, so not too high.
A choice of tone, sadly only two on a flick-switch. A DD coil stock. After market coils. Light enough and can be hip mounted.
On the bad side, the very bad side, they are made with an overly boosted sensitivity setting, giving them a false sense of depth in an air test and on mushy very even ground.
As with a lot of European units that are made with this silly over boosted sensitivity, they have also gone for a high pitched tone squeal for signal and threshold.
They are marketed for a few uses, and unfortunately one of those uses is detecting for gold nuggets and what they are calling "flakes" of gold.
To operate these units on our goldfield ground, you have to back the sensitivity that far back that they would be next to totally useless.
But the worst problem would stem from the units manual ground balance. It is very poor, and does not hold balance for half a swing.
Now, we have had great manual ground balancing Vlf detectors here for more than two decades that hold and maintain their balance on hot ground, so there is no excuse by any manufacturer for designing and building such a poor ground balancing unit as this one.
They makers, not sure if it's intentional or not, decided to call their pre-set balance on the detector A for Auto, just as a lot of manufacturers do, giving the false impression that the unit may have automatic ground balance or automatic ground tracking, when in fact it is simply a flick to a factory pre-set ground balance and isn't auto-anything.
Sadly, the Desert Gold, for a prospecting Vlf, is a Desert Dog.
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Jon,
Argyle has described this detector very well, what he has described seems to be correct.
Regards Minersright.
Argyle has described this detector very well, what he has described seems to be correct.
Regards Minersright.
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Hi,
I have checked out these sites but there's not a lot of independent evaluation, I'm sure there are a few users out there that can give a first hand view of the detectors. Everything I've read so far is very positive, but if they are that good why are we paying many times the price for a good machine????
I have checked out these sites but there's not a lot of independent evaluation, I'm sure there are a few users out there that can give a first hand view of the detectors. Everything I've read so far is very positive, but if they are that good why are we paying many times the price for a good machine????
Ben78
Ben
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I have one of the 'Gold' ones that is styled in a similar manner to the Fisher Gold Bug I. BUT I bought it from an alternative ebay seller for $80. For $80 it is a good machine, for $295 that JL asks you would be FAR FAR better served buying a Fisher F2 and getting a machine with a true threshold based autotune mode (all metals mode) and a reasonable array of coils (think 4" round). Similar story with the Gold Snoop Pro, better off with the machine it is styled after and get a Bounty Hunter Tracker IV
For $300 you do not get a capable gold machine (not to be confused with gold capable - any detector will pick up an ounce on the surface!)
For $300 you do not get a capable gold machine (not to be confused with gold capable - any detector will pick up an ounce on the surface!)
Still Looking
Graham
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I have a Goldsnoop the wife brought me years ago for about $250 I think it was..not able to discriminate with it so you have to dig everything..in saying that it does beep on all metal the disc. meter on it is hopeless, it just goes to the full scale everytime and no depth indicator..it is not a match for the xterra 305 that I have now..maybe they have improved since then..
Morning all,
Am about to do a fossicking trip in May starting at Kilkivan, Qld (not fossicker friendly, but there are lots of stock routes in the area). Will work my way up through the northern gold fields depending on the state of the wet season.
In doing my research for the trip I have come across recommendations for the Gold Snoop Pro, "a true all rounder", allegedly good for coins, jewellery and gold nuggets. This machine sells for under $300.00, is a VLF detector and supposedly does not need a ground balancing mechanism.
Sounds very attractive if true. Are any forum members familiar with this machine and have any comments regarding its operating capabilities?
Regards, Swigsy
Am about to do a fossicking trip in May starting at Kilkivan, Qld (not fossicker friendly, but there are lots of stock routes in the area). Will work my way up through the northern gold fields depending on the state of the wet season.
In doing my research for the trip I have come across recommendations for the Gold Snoop Pro, "a true all rounder", allegedly good for coins, jewellery and gold nuggets. This machine sells for under $300.00, is a VLF detector and supposedly does not need a ground balancing mechanism.
Sounds very attractive if true. Are any forum members familiar with this machine and have any comments regarding its operating capabilities?
Regards, Swigsy
Swigsy
Save your money IMHO not even worth $300, It was my 1st detector, it will find coins but not sensitive enough for nuggets & that's what it sounds like you are after, I now have an SD2200 & do find Gold
cheers
Lee
Save your money IMHO not even worth $300, It was my 1st detector, it will find coins but not sensitive enough for nuggets & that's what it sounds like you are after, I now have an SD2200 & do find Gold
cheers
Lee
Ben78
Ben
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BTW I have a Garret Euroace for sale currently that you'll get for $350 including postage - they are one level down from the AT Pro and significantly better than what you'll find in the China made collection.
It's in the marketplace section of the forum.
It's in the marketplace section of the forum.
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