Why I hate the sdc

[Goldtarget]

Firstly let me say I have no interest in any form of promotion of detectors nor minelab bashing. OK why do I hate it? I've now seen it in the flesh, this machine in action now a dozen times and this offering does in fact have the ability that alot of pi detectors do not. It has the ability to give someone with a suitable iq and zero experience the ability to find gold. I've met the people who've never detected before go out and dig up gold. Tiny gold but these little pieces add up. I watched yesterday as a 12 year old get a gram from a well flogged area that's seen every machine since the 90s. So why do I hate it? Because I don't have one, and they must be cleaning up. Because my Mrs would kill me if I brought one home and only returned at meal times. Because it's easier to use than my shooter. Because the gullies I so dearly love working well be empty for the season after they've left. Damn you minelab and your innovation.

 

[Guest]

Yeah dam you minelab! and make a land only version for half the price!

 

[AusFX]

This may well be the reason I buy one

 

[Guest]

I might take a different approach and sell all of my prospecting gear and with the $4500 plus might just by me a
heap of gold nuggets and place them under the bed. Now and then I can head out to the Gold fields for a drive
and lament about finding a couple.

When you think about what I wrote makes sense.

 

[Greglz86]

Totally agree. However I got the green light from the missus to get one however I need to sell the ones I have. I also may have been a little shady on the price when I told her how much they are worth :8
Think we need to start earning a few more brownie points I think :lol:

 

[stalker]

Brownie points do wonders. .

 

[dazza513]

If you were to fit a rather small mono coil to most other modern pi detectors would they not find similar said small gold?

 

[PhaseTech]

Solid pieces yes, but on porous/prickly/specimen bits - the SDC will get them deeper/clearer

 

[jimnyjerry]

Goldtarget there is a SDC 2300 for sale for $3500 in Victoria at present if you are interested see http://forum.kimbucktwo.com/index.php?topic=25108.0

 

[nuggetino]

A new SDC is now $3990 now if that's any incentive to buy.

 

[Guest]

If its any consolation I ve had mine for a few months now and have spent approx. 4 full days detecting/digging fuggets at Windeyer, Hargraves and just spent 2 full days at Sofala with zero gold to show. Digging massive amount of lead, bullet casings, square nails, tiny tacks, wire and ever other piece of metal rubbish know to man.

I can confirm that its not as simple as buy a SDC and bring home the gold! (Which I was guilty of) :8

I was that defeated at Sofala I came home a day early and considered selling the SDC and getting back to high banking. At least I can get gold in each cleanout and its enough to keep me interested and working hard.

Its mentally draining to return back to the campsite with a handful of rubbish, but I know that that's prospecting.

I am a 3 to 4 hour drive to the nearest gold field. It would make it easier if you lived next door to one and do day trips. I will give it some more time, dig some more lead and rusty iron before I make a judgement.

Just cant understand that places that have been gone over with 30 years of detectors I am digging up all manner of trash. The SDC has no iron discrimination so its a matter of dig everything which is frustrating when you get a signal each few steps.

The creek beds seem to be full of rusty wire from farmers. I know its time to stop detecting when I start to walk away from a signal because I think its probably another rusty nail.

The gold still must be under the coil to find it.

Do SDC owners dig everything or are you learning the subtle sounds of different targets and not digging certain sounds? I have found that bullet casings, brass have a super high pitch sound, lead has a smooth even sound, rusty iron has a rapidly rising high pitch sound. Having said that I am digging all targets currently.

It you could discriminate just iron out that would save 90% of digging.

 

[Redfin]

Most iron,wire, etc are within a pick scape from the top.
A rare earth magnet on the end of the pick takes care of them.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Redfin,

I have a rare earth magnet on the end of my pick which came unstuck, so I placed it on the digging end, they are that strong it never budged. I think a purpose built small broom handle and rare earth magnet attached may assist. I have a pin pointer too that assisted in target recovery.

Cheers

 

[Redfin]

Hi mate, a screw through the center into the handle does the trick.

 

[Teemore]

I can confirm that its not as simple as buy a SDC and bring home the gold! (Which I was guilty of) :8
The gold still must be under the coil to find it.

Unfortunately that is true regardless of which detector you're using, RS if you were using a 4500/5000 your results would most likely have been similar, although with DD coils, and some tone differences on the 4500/5000 you can learn to ignore some target signals.

That being said my SDC gold finds are slowly increasing, 2 little pieces on each of the last 2 outings (yes I know some are finding 5/10/20 pieces in an outing, I'll get there, hopefully).

Stick with it RS, just a matter of time, I also think I'm getting better at recognising those faint threshold changes, anyone can hear the 'screamers' (usually trash close to the surface) but noticing those very faint changes is essential to help find gold.
Cheers T.

 

[Goldtarget]

To be fair everything that has been written seems consistant and correct. The area I watched this kid going for it produced its fair share of junk and his father the owner of the machine (who has owned many minelabs Inc the 5K presently) was providing guidance. The area is a surfaced area that was known for small nuggety gold exactly what the sdc was designed for. The young fella however was not swinging the 5K because the sdc is much simpler to use, not just in terms of operation but weight. Obv the old man has passed his knowledge along speeding up the learning curve so out of the gate he's not a complete noob but close enough. Targets were easy to pinpoint and the uneven terrain that can be noisy was well suited to the sdc coil configuration, 4 or so hours and a large area that has its emi issues at times, I was pretty impressed all the decent targets that came out were a definite dig signal, but so were the aluminium pieces at the edges of this area, you could have heard it two Hills away. To be fair I watched a guy running up and down the nearby gully digging a incredible amount of rusted snot about 48 hours later. I'm waiting (still) to hire this machine and really get into it preferably with some side by side comparison.

 

[Guest]

Thanks "T" for the moral support. I am sure I am just going through learning pains

I will try that next time, ignore the screamers and concentrate on the more subtle threshold changes which I can now recognise.

Thanks for your advice and support.

Cheers

 

[Varts]

I have spent some good hrs in those same areas sofala,hill end many a time ,got a bit of history ,but no gold ,so I m thinking maybe the eureeka is ok ,
Anyway thanks for the story retirement stone,all the best with the SDC
It makes it more real to me,someone who hasn't found gold with SDC 2300
But with all the hype I don't think it will be long before you dig a nug
Varts...

 

[Heatho]

Thanks "T" for the moral support. I am sure I am just going through learning pains

I will try that next time, ignore the screamers and concentrate on the more subtle threshold changes which I can now recognise.

Thanks for your advice and support.

Cheers

Nah mate, dig everything, cherrypicking is no good seriously. I got a screamer first serious trip out with the SDC only to walk away from it, was only 3 metres from the car. I'm pretty sure Shauno hit the same screamer, dug it and it was a 1/2g nug.

Keep at it mate.

Varts, I've been out 3 times with the SDC and found nugs on one trip after I was shown an old patch to work. My hit rate is low cause I'm looking for my own patch . Still have to know where the Gold is to ping it. Heading out to Hill End early in the week for a go so will hopefully get some.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Heatho,

I read a post here somewhere, Loamers I think to spend a good amount of time without the detector in hand looking for a potential spot with good indicators.

Next time I will look for half of a day for a likely spot away from the main diggings. The upside should be less trash and perhaps downside no gold?

I am on annual leave for a few more weeks and should get another 7 odd days out on the hunt. I will report back, good bad or ugly!