Minelab Eureka gold tips, settings, questions

[nuggetino]

It's been 200 hours since my last nugget detecting in SA with my gpx4500. Went to the triangle for just a week and found a small nugget every 6 hours on average! Go figure. If you're picking up lead with your Eureka Gold you should be finding gold... If there's any there!

 

[Guest]

Anyone know what happened to Argyle, he seems like the only guy that has found gold with the Eureka Detector?

 

[Varts]

I have had some good(this is got to be gold ) signals but yes I find lead,
Maybe with winter I may wipe the dust off the old girl at do a few more hrs

 

[Bigjilm]

I ain't found any gold with mine yet either I've got more panning
I read articles on the Internet about peploe how have found gold with their ureaka,as a few people on Here have said right place right time and know your machine,I've had mine for about 6 months and have Onlyy found coins bullets and lead shot and the usual trash,and im only really just getting the hang of how the detector works,ill keep at it and one day that nugget with my name on it will be mine

 

[Guest]

Anyone know what happened to the member ARGYLE ?

 

[noncents]

Anyone know what happened tothe member ARGYLE ?

I pm'd him in December and he told me he'll get back to me, and that was the last time he was logged on.

 

[Guest]

Anyone know what happened tothe member ARGYLE ?

I pm'd him in December and he told me he'll get back to me, and that was the last time he was logged on.

Yeah,
would be good to ask him about the Eureka detector.
Is there anyone out there who knows how to work this detector?

 

[bob]

Hello Uncle Bob
Argyle is probably too busy digging up nuggets. Miner's Den Bendigo Gold has a blog section run by 'Treasure Tim'. I noticed a recent entry detailing a good find with the Eureka. It is the second good find I have heard of in a month. Someone made a good find near Dunolly also. If there is something specific that you would like to know about the Eureka ask the question. That may get a response.
I have been a regular contributor to this post and have been using a Eureka for around 18 months. I haven't found gold but I find lots of other stuff. I think that I have a good understanding of how to operate the detector but need to improve my search habits. If there is something you want to know ask, maybe I or someone else can help.

Cheers Bob.

 

[Davo750]

Hi I have just been given a near brand new eureka gold dector don't have any idea how to use. Would love to learn how to use it, can anyone give me some tip. I live in Yass want to if there was anyone near by who could give me some tips quite keen to dig carry gear or help out in any way for some on hand experiances cheers Davo

 

[Danmuss]

Hi mate

Always a good chance u will find a video on Youtube of how to use one, I learnt the basics from youtube on how to set up and use my AT Gold, it can be very helpful

 

[Nugget]

Take a look at this topic as it has a few handy tips https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1053

Tips or tricks?
When a target has been located, flip the GB to "Fixed" to pin point the target. Also prevents the auto GB from masking what may be a small target - particularly if you accidentally placed your pick too close to the coil.
Don't forget to flip the auto GB from "Fixed" to "Slow Track" or "Fast Track" and re-GB after digging up your target and re-filling your hole.
Mount the control box on the bracket under the arm rest to reduce "swing fatigue".
Adjust the Tone control to the point where the Threshold tone "sounds" the loudest.
Reduce the Sensitivity a little if the tone changes when passing target free dirt over or under the coil. This will actually improve the overall sensitivity for targets in the ground.
If you're a beginner, practice with known targets in your back yard - or even better, in the area you will be detecting. Bury items such as lead sinkers, bobby pins, coins etc. at different depths and notice the different tones the detector makes. Experiment with the different frequencies on each target at various depths and see what difference it makes. The more you can practice the easier it will be to distinguish and find targets in the field.

 

[Davo750]

Thanks guys will had a look at the info and is very help full just need to find a place to put it in to practice

 

[Danmuss]

Thanks guys will had a look at the info and is very help full just need to find a place to put it in to practice

Always the easiest place to learn is down the beach, less junk, well you still get bottle tops and ring pulls but its defo a good place to practice, and less worry of getting into trouble from council, take some coins and drop them in sand learn what to listen for etc,, Have fun mate

 

[Davo750]

I went to the local football ovals today and had a play around it was quite an interesting excerise. Found a lot of tabs off soft drink cans and all so found $8.65 for my efforts good fun

 

[Danmuss]

I went to the local football ovals today and had a play around it was quite an interesting excerise. Found a lot of tabs off soft drink cans and all so found $8.65 for my efforts good fun

Ring pulls are a nightmare but they also can read the same as gold rings so that's why we still have to dig them, Be aware tho digging sports grounds that you leave no signs of dug holes

 

[Davo750]

Didn't have to dig to find that,most of it was hidden in the grass. Went to the rodeo arena today and found lots of horse shoe nails,$1.10 a few Bobby pins and beer lids all good fun

 

[PhaseTech]

Hi all,

I've used the XT17000 a handful of times, owned an XT18000, and have had plenty of time behind a Eureka Gold during my time at Minelab. I currently own an old Goldstriker, but contemplating getting a Eureka after seeing what it can do with the Coiltek 6" coil!

The information posted by Argyle is pure gold! In my experience, I pretty much agree with all his points except for one thing: with the stock 10x5" coil, I have found that operating in Boost with a reduced Sensitivity (even dropping it to as low as 11 o'clock) is still better than having Normal audio and sensitivity near max. However, the soil conditions always rule, and in a lot of spots you simply cannot run Boost regardless. But it is worth trying especially when your threshold is nice and stable.

Regarding headphones, the old Koss TD-80s work awesome on a Eureka Gold.

I wrote a short blog on Minelab's Treasure Talk section a few years ago, with 4 basic points on getting the best out of the Eureka Gold.
Don't think I can post links but should be easy enough to find.

Cheers,

Nenad

 

[downhalo]

had a Eureka gold for just over a year now, stock coil is okay, but once replaced with the 6" coiltek this machine really started snagging those tiny bits..

I only ever use the Eureka as a bedrock sniping detector in dry creeks/gullies.. basically involves me shifting a lot of overburden clearing down to bedrock and then detecting it, I've pulled a lot of gold this way.
Trick is picking the right spot..

While i was in Clermont last year, i scored a beautiful 7.3 gram bit in the root ball of an old fallen gum.. (with stock 10") I hear people say the 20kHz setting is the best, i couldn't disagree more, 60khz is the best setting by far.
Most sensitivity and depth, 20 is useful if the ground is insanely hot, but honestly makes very little difference.

I prefer running in FIXED as both tracking modes tend to balance out small targets sub gram... Minor modification i made was to install a straight shaft, also wired in a quick track button so no mode switching is required to ground balance.
the little 6" is an amazing sniper on this tiny bits of gold if you don't own one and believe the Eureka is worth the money spent, they grab yourself one! its a fine addition..

The eureka got a bad rep as being overpriced (which i agree with) but also "lacking in depth, sensitivity, all the settings were worthless'... all of which is a load of crap, incompetent morons buy a VLF and expect PI performance because its a minelab.

If used as intended its a brilliant detector. small shallow gold!

 

[promo]

Hi guys, does any of you have any experience with eureka gold from minelab? Seems that everyone is using gpx5000 or similar, it makes me feel that I am using a child toy compare to that. I am prospecting around bathurst not for long and so far I found lots of nails and scrap metal. The eureka finds tiny nails in 5" deep but no gold Any help or info would be appreciated. cheers

 

[Goldpick]

Best to concentrate on certain parts of old mining areas that really suit VLF's, like the shaft spoil piles, surface quartz, and areas where bedrock is close to surface (gullies, creeks, hill tops etc.)

Look for Argyle's tips on running the Eureka, as some of his methods for setting up the Eureka fly in the face of what is suggested in the owners manual. VLF's can have a bit of a learning curve when used in goldfields with plenty of hot rocks and ground mineralisation to keep you on your toes, and may take quite a few hours of use before understanding how the detector responds to targets. Many small gold targets can be nothing more than a wobble in the threshold, and not a screaming signal like a lot of people expect, hence why Argyle recommends to set the threshold higher than what the manual suggests.

Argyle was adamant that the threshold be set up so it is stable (Whites reccommend the same with their detectors), and to do this, you will have to reduce the sensitivity to suit the ground you are working on. Sometimes you can get better results from running a lower sensitivity vs trying to run it flat out to try and get max depth. If the sensitivity is too high, resulting in a wavering threshold, you won't be able to hear the faint threshold rises and dropouts of good targets.

No different with PI detectors, they also require a stable background threshold, as most of their targets start off as only a slight wobble in the threshold, with the signal becoming more pronounced as the overburden is removed from the target.

Gold will have a more mellow response vs the sharp pronounced response of junk iron target. By far the best way to get used to this, is to purchase a small nugget, and test it out in the ground in your local area at various depths, or use a small lead sinker, as this will give off a similar response to gold. If you start to find small lead buckshot in the field, then chances are you have the detector set up properly.

I don't know whether you have read this, but here's a field test of the Eureka, and some good info on how to use the discrimination to weed out unwanted iron targets (takes you straight to a pdf download)

http://files.sotmarket.ru/instr/spo...etalloiskateli/manual-minelab-eureka-gold.pdf