First Detector (Minelab GT16000) and first finds

[HunterHarvey]

Hi all,

I got my very first detector a couple of days before Christmas, it is a Minelab GT16000, it is old I am aware, not sure how old, it cost $390 all up, that is a little more than what I could afford but the guy I got it from spent a good solid 2 hours showing me how to operate it (all air testing) had some items to test it with, being nails and scrap (to show the discrepancy sound) a vial of highly mineralised soil (to show demonstrate the Ground Tracking capability), gold nuggets ranging from 0.3 grams up to a 3 gram nugget, coins and jewellery, was mighty impressed with its performance, got the machine. Knowing I was not going to any gold fields for a while I had a look in our very very small back yard, within 20 seconds I got a good sound, so dug a hole, found a silver ring! First find, I assume it is silver due to it having a hallmark/stamp on the inside of the band, I also found a 5 cent coin and perhaps a gasket or some sort of O ring, I will pop pictures up when I get home later this afternoon.

I am looking forward to getting out to Warwick one weekend, perhaps when it cools down a little.

Cheers

HH

 

[Paulmarr]

Hi HH

Always an exciting time when starting out detecting ... but finding a silver ring as the first target is a good doze of beginner's luck - goodonya!

The GT16000 is an old detector - I bought one new in 1990 to do a bit of gold detecting which I failed miserably at and promptly sold it off. I remember selling it as I spent like $1500+ on it when it was new (can't remember the exact figure but it was lots I remember). I also remember that ground balancing the machine was the main task with that machine.

Good to get your feet wet in detecting, but can I suggest looking at upgrading to a newer machine with a LCD screen readout which will provide you with a lot more information about what you are detecting? (Depth of target and metal composition to name a few) an Garrett Ace 250/350 or an XTerra 305/505/705 would all be good beginner choices and will out perform the GT16000 in all but gold nuggets due to the new technology they use instead of 25 year old technology that is the GT16000.

Good luck and we all want to see pics of what you find - bad or good!

Cheers
Paul

 

[Wally69]

I entered this hobby with a second hand FT-1600 and I think I found a bottle top as my first detector find. It has paid for itself many times over on coins.

I wish I had the tuition you got with yours though, you are off to a great start as learning how to use a machine correctly is a real asset, particularly if you head to the goldfields with it.

Well done, I hope your good luck keeps coming.

 

[Tathradj]

Gotta say that a GT1600 is a brillant coin machine on the beach.
You will have a lot of fun with it and become very fit in a short time.
Well Done.

 

[Goldpick]

As mentioned, it should be good down the beach. My former XT17000 was surprisingly effective on the sand, with good depth, and the ground tracking seemed to cope quite well too. I hope you have some good luck on future hunts.

 

[HunterHarvey]

Here we go Paul my first haul! Modest as it is... oh yeah, my nan owns a house like one or two streets away from the courthouse in Ipswich, i want to go relic hunting in her small yard..... she said it would have been good to go before she had her driveway put in, they dug up heaps of coins she said :-( sadly it takes up most of her yard, will have to climb under her house, not looking forward to fighting spiders

Alright, there is my first finds with my first detector

Paul, i was close to going for an Ace, i ultimately wanted to find gold nuggets though, i want to find my own gold to make a wedding ring, took a gamble and purchased the detector over a gold ring

I will admit that the time seller spent with me teaching me the settings and sounds i think we're invaluable, i think i would have been stuck otherwise Wally, it is also great to hear you have made your money back on it, sorry to hear Paul didn't find his helpful though.

Tathradj, I'm a 10 minute drive from a beach, a popular beach on the gold coat too, will give ita swing down there on my RDO fitness is what i need at the moment too lol

Cheers HH

 

[Tathradj]

I ran mine on Tathra Beach.
It did very well. I was pinging 50c pieces about 10 inch's deep with ease.
Shuffle your feet in the sand leaving a trail then take a sideways step then come back along it.
Go slow and go low with the coil just skimming the sand and keep it parallel not lifting it at the end of every swing.
The primary purpose of this machine was for gold in heavy mineral ground and it was the best of what they had.
That is why it will do well on the beach.
Have fun.

 

[HunterHarvey]

Hah, might pay for itself in coin! he did show me how far it will detect, quite impressive really.

Thank you for that tip, Would not have thought to mark my trail, i will also be mindful to not lift at the end of my swing, wouldn't have thought of that either.

The seller did tell me it will find gold in any soil type, hence the display with the mineralized vial he had, although it is old technology and doesn't have a display or tell you what it is detecting, it sounds like it is more reliable then some of the midrange priced detectors available today, has the zero movement detection ability as well, anyway, unless i had $5,500 to spend on a high end detector i think i did well (with a limited education on detectors) for how much i spent.

Cheers

HH

 

[silver]

Hello HH, that ring looks like it may have a bit of age about it,...if can you post a photo of the hallmarks you will get some info on it, lots of help on here in tracking down what things are and how old they are.
Hope you do well with it all.
Silver.

 

[Paulmarr]

Hello HH, that ring looks like it may have a bit of age about it,...if can you post a photo of the hallmarks you will get some info on it, lots of help on here in tracking down what things are and how old they are.
Hope you do well with it all.
Silver.

The silver ring is a fairly common design, with both myself and Goldpick recently finding the exact same style... still a good find!

 

[HunterHarvey]

Far out, seems pretty common, will try clan it up to see the hallmark at least and try get more info on it, a set of scales would be nice, must get some eventually.

 

[silver]

must admit,...they are nice looking scales Paul.
I'll have to have a crack at finding a few rings now(after seeing all these).

 

[Goldpick]

Nearly the same, but not quite - fair bit of weight difference. Any silver is good though.

 

[HunterHarvey]

The similarities ate remarkable Goldpick, I'd like to weigh mine seems like a fairly common looking design, but, as you said, any silver is good silver