FALCON MD20 GOLD TRACKER PROBE

Every tool has it's own specialised uses. Panning sieving and detecting are the only legal means of fossicking in Queensland. Around here there are a lot of very rocky creeks that are dry most of the time. I dig down in amongst the boulders trying to find a false bottom. I pan the material dug out. It is hard to get every crevice spotless even by washing them down. I think the Falcon could be the go to do a final check. Not a lot of magnetics either in the form of sand. A few rocks but they get panned in the turbo pan to wash them off. A decent magnet gets rid of a lot of small chips. Tip> If you have an old microwave oven, rip the magnetron out and pull it apart. You will get two quite strong doughnut shaped magnets out of it. There is a knack but with some thinking, they are easy. I then use a plastic peanut butter jar lid to separate the magnet from the material for easy cleaning.

Another question. With larger nuggets, say, plus 1 gram, will it detect them a couple of inches (50 mm for you younger folk) away?

Mine detected everything just keep making sounds no mater what I tried until I hit it with a hammer it shut up then, and placed it in the bin it was unusable maybe it was a bad one but I'll never know .

I was going to buy one of the Falcon MD20s but After doing some tests on my Whites Bullseye II there's no point because it can pick up my test pieces weighing 0.004ozt OR 0.13grams AT 5 to 10mm,

And it picks up air gun pellets weighing 0.031ozt OR 0.96grams AT 20mm and the Battery life is about 30 to 40+hours, And it runs at 36khz. I was thinking of getting the new Whites TRX but it runs at 15khz, Whites claim there's no difference but I cant quite see that some how because their gold machine the GMT runs at 48khz.

john

Got one off Crampo too. You can use one with it's extension wand to sample the ground. Set to fine and every couple of meters just dob it on the ground. You'll get either a constant tone, meaning metal particles in the ground down to perhaps an inch or so, or a tone on picking it up away from the ground, indicating hot rock, or no change in tone - nothing. Basically, you're using the MD20 as a 'loamer' (see Sam Cash's book 'Loaming For Gold.') Set the Falcon gradually to coarse as you outline the area and if you keep getting metal signals you'll work in to the highest metal ground. This ground is worth detecting and or dryblowing.
Currently I have the Falcon MD20 set to detect on a fine trickle of dirt from a hopper sieve underflow while a cheap VLF coil is fastened to the underside of a PVC chute detecting the oversize from the sieve. The sieve has 5mm punch. The cheap VLF picks up down to around 2mm diameter metal but the Falcon is absolutely sure on that and down to roughly a tenth of a head of a pin. Put a FM transmitter in the headphone socket of the Falcon transmitting to a FM pocket radio as the Falcon is hard to hear it's 'zip zip' of metal over the clatter of the dirt going down the sieve. Set the Falcon on coarse for this and it won't pick up black sands at all - off the ground = no mineralised background, for either the Falcon or the VLF. This saves me dryblowing for ages before doing a clean up to see what I've got - the detectors tell me straight away which dirt to keep and treat. Also, this is very quiet - no one can hear you working.
The Falcon and the VLF don't interfere with each other at all unless you've surrounded the system with metal - under which conditions a Falcon detection sounds off on the VLF as well. Could use that to amplify a Falcon detect, but why bother - it's only of interest. All up, the Falcon shouldn't be underated. My mates have been telling me it'll take me a week to detect a square meter with my Falcon while they'll do hundreds ofsquare meters with GPX5000's. But's that's not the best way to use it - there is more small stuff than big stuff. Enough for now.. Enjoy - you owe me Crampo!

Gyro de Pyro said:

Got one off Crampo too. You can use one with it's extension wand to sample the ground. Set to fine and every couple of meters just dob it on the ground. You'll get either a constant tone, meaning metal particles in the ground down to perhaps an inch or so, or a tone on picking it up away from the ground, indicating hot rock, or no change in tone - nothing. Basically, you're using the MD20 as a 'loamer' (see Sam Cash's book 'Loaming For Gold.') Set the Falcon gradually to coarse as you outline the area and if you keep getting metal signals you'll work in to the highest metal ground. This ground is worth detecting and or dryblowing.
Currently I have the Falcon MD20 set to detect on a fine trickle of dirt from a hopper sieve underflow while a cheap VLF coil is fastened to the underside of a PVC chute detecting the oversize from the sieve. The sieve has 5mm punch. The cheap VLF picks up down to around 2mm diameter metal but the Falcon is absolutely sure on that and down to roughly a tenth of a head of a pin. Put a FM transmitter in the headphone socket of the Falcon transmitting to a FM pocket radio as the Falcon is hard to hear it's 'zip zip' of metal over the clatter of the dirt going down the sieve. Set the Falcon on coarse for this and it won't pick up black sands at all - off the ground = no mineralised background, for either the Falcon or the VLF. This saves me dryblowing for ages before doing a clean up to see what I've got - the detectors tell me straight away which dirt to keep and treat. Also, this is very quiet - no one can hear you working.
The Falcon and the VLF don't interfere with each other at all unless you've surrounded the system with metal - under which conditions a Falcon detection sounds off on the VLF as well. Could use that to amplify a Falcon detect, but why bother - it's only of interest. All up, the Falcon shouldn't be underated. My mates have been telling me it'll take me a week to detect a square meter with my Falcon while they'll do hundreds ofsquare meters with GPX5000's. But's that's not the best way to use it - there is more small stuff than big stuff. Enough for now.. Enjoy - you owe me Crampo!

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Well that's a different way of using it, So its a bit more than A Pin Pointer then, Meaning is more useful as a survey tool than anything else, along being able to pin point.

Thanks for posting, John

I purchased an MD20. Takes some getting the feel for but fairly easy to use. I put mine in one of those plastic bait buckets you wear on your waist. Works well and gives it protection.
I did need to calibrate mine from new. Before that, I could only use it with the copper ring backed right off.
It will detect very small metal but only when almost touching. It doesn't discriminate between metals but does tell you the difference between a metal and a mineral once you learn how to interpret it. A mineral required movement between the coil and the mineral to make the unit sound. A metal sounds continually.
The RCA plug where the cable plugs into the case was extremely tight. I had to sand some off the plug casing to make it acceptable. That didn't take much but was worth doing.
I buried a 4mm washer in average river sand with some minerals etc. I was able to detect it down to about an inch. I bit of aluminium about the size of a large pin head was down to about 1/2 an inch.
One thing that has me puzzled though is I have found a couple of stones that read exactly like metal. I crushed and panned one of them but nothing. Anyone got any thought on this?

Hi
Would any one have any feedback or experience with the Falcon MD 20 (metal detector).
Is it worth the money or is it just like any other pin-pointer as I have the MINELAB PRO-FIND 25.
I have seen some videos where it seems to be good for finding very small bits of gold in creeks.
Was thinking it might save some time and back braking work.
Thanks
Stan

Seems to have mixed reviews

http://metaldetectorreviews.net/detectors/196-1-falcongoldprobemd20.html

A few mention that it signals on black sand , although there may well be gold present you could very well just spend all day detecting black sand when a simple test pan for gold would be quicker.

GaryO said:

Seems to have mixed reviews
http://metaldetectorreviews.net/detectors/196-1-falcongoldprobemd20.html
A few mention that it signals on black sand , although there may well be gold present you could very well just spend all day detecting black sand when a simple test pan for gold would be quicker.

Click to expand...

Those "mixed reviews" predominantly come from people who don't understand this very specialised device, likewise your comments about detecting black sand all day. Unless that's your personal experience of using the Falcon?

With its operating frequency of 300kHz, the Falcon is not comparable with any other detector or pinpointer that I'm aware of, so it's easy to misunderstand how to operate it if you go by prior experience. The positive reviews from owners who have taken the time to learn its quirks and understand how to best utilise a hypersensitive, short-range detector, are worth reading carefully IMHO, in conjunction with the Owner's Manual instructions attached below and YouTube videos. I figured my own unit out easily enough on this basis, whereas the prior owner was convinced it was defective!

Unfortunately, I haven't yet had the opportunity to test the Falcon in the field, Stan, so I can't give you practical feedback on that aspect, but for the use you have in mind, I'd suggest watching any relevant videos, keeping in mind that it only detects gold/metal at extremely short range. If it's crevicing that you have in mind, you'd probably do better with a Fisher Gold Bug 2 or Whites GMT, both with the smallest coils available, or even the fully waterproof Minelab SDC2300 of course.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/doc/member-docs/4012/1454981375_falcon_md20_manual.pdf

We have a Falcon and have found it a handy tool to have.
We originally got it so we could quickly check out tailings pile for any nuggets or specimens that we may have missed, but it gets used more for checking rock samples or checking that a piece of pyrite is not gold as well as probing crevices.

We have not really used it in a creek to find black sand, as most of the spots we frequent have black sand everywhere.

It is very good at detecting fine gold, but when checking rocks it does not penetrate very far. Though when using it that sensitive it tends to false very easily when knocked or near skin.

As for a pin pointer I found it too sensitive, as we were in very mineralized ground it just sounded off everywhere, though I don't think I tried turning the sensitivity down and have not tried it again.

It will sound off on gold as you touch it with the probe, where as black sand it sounds off as you move away.

For us it has been very handy, but as with anything will depend on what you want it for and your expectations.

Thanks guys for all your information, I will defiantly do a bit more research.
I wanted to use it in a area where there is not much water (eroded creek banks) and crevassing dry creek beds. In this particular are there have been lots of nuggets found, but I dont think anyone has taken the time and worked the creeks for the fin stuff - as it is very compacted.

Also, I think I was just looking for a reason to buy myself a new toy. Every so often I feel the need to reward myself.

I hear ya Grub , no I haven't used one so just basing my cautions on the feedback ive read. When a user mentions you need to run a magnet through a pan to remove black sand prior to checking rings bells that it isn't as great as it seems . Im just merely trying to mention the percieved negatives to Stan before he decides on buying one so it helps his research .

I put a couple of videos up about the MD20 the other day. You may find them helpful. The thread is an old one about a hunk of rock I have and whether it might contain gold. I revisited the topic after getting my falcon recently.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3377

I have had it for about a month, and I like it's ability to find very small pieces of metal, not necessarily gold though.

Having said that, it is hit and miss as far as performance goes, though I haven't worked out yet if it is the way that I am setting it up, or if the machine is in fact the Anti-Christ.

The instructions say that it should work well if the ground balance and sensitivity are set to about 12:30ish, with the copper ring slid around the black and red line marks of the handpiece.
I still can't find a sweetspot anywhere in that range. It seems to depend on a mix of variables, i.e. the humidity on the day, if I am wearing my wedding ring, if the cheese on the Moon has melted.... etc. Some days I have to slide the copper ring down a couple of inches away from the marks, once I had to slip it off completely and let if hang on the cable....actually worked very well like that. But the next day it had to be slide back up closer to the marks.

Then you get the times when Satan climbs on board and it just won't stop sounding constantly, no matter how the set up is.

It isn't useful as a "pinpointer" IMO, it lacks the depth of an XPointer or ProPointer.

If the sensitivity is set at the low end it has a lot of tolerance and doesn't seem to false at all. In that respect it acts like a coin detector, sounding off on targets. If the sensitivity is set higher it develops a thresh-hold and you can hear the variation in pitch as a target is approached and recedes. At this level though, it doesn't take much movement or any nearby large metal objects from sending the tone into constant sound, and the sensitivity must be reduced to get the machine back to a neutral mode.

I have used it in the field, and it performed very well that day, finding one small piece of gold in a piece of stone / clay... but I mean real small, flour gold. Because of the way it works, you can discriminate on the basis of it's either metal or mineral. Anyway, it is only new to me and I have a lot to learn about it in the future. And it is only one of the tools available, so I won't be hanging my hat on it.

It seems like a sturdy enough unit, with obvious weak points though (the cable, the connection.... and don't drop the box in the creek!). If you get the belt holster, best you get a couple of rubber o rings to fit under the knobs to give them some resistance against inadvertent bumping against your beer gut (no offence meant).

My experience in actually coming to own one was not a smooth journey as some here will know. I tried one agent (not named) and just didn't get replies to my enquiries about getting one. That directed me to the infamous Brad from Aussie detectors. I wouldn't recommend his services to anyone. Had it not been for some advice for the kind people on this forum, he would have fleeced me good. I ended up ordering on eBay from Joey Wilson (www.prospectingchannel.com). Took 11 days from the States to my door. My only worry will be if things go wrong with the unit, as there have been some horror stories about sending the unit back and never seeing it again. (fingers crossed it lives forever :lol: .)
Hope some of that make sense and helps you

TT.............ps. edited to advise sea sickness tablets prior to watching the videos.....TT Spielberg I am not :8

Great review TT.

Hi TT
Great stuff mate thank you so much.
Great videos too very helpful love them.
But I have to ask you, how did you know I have a beer gut?? You must be clairvoyant or something mate???
I must ask though, you crushed the rock up, and got the signal in the pan, was there any gold (in them)? I have to know, won't be able to sleep.
Its like a good book and I feel like the last page is missing. 8)
Did you end up making a video of the finds - I couldnt find a video (3) of you panning it out, it would a great conclusion - great to see.
Thanks also for the purchase info, I have seen it advertised on ebay, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of them on offer.
I know I will end up buying one, it is inevitable, love my gold gear, just have to keep it away from the wife.
Regards,
Stan

Sluicing Stan said:

Hi TT
Great stuff mate thank you so much.
Great videos too very helpful love them.
But I have to ask you, how did you know I have a beer gut?? You must be clairvoyant or something mate???
I must ask though, you crushed the rock up, and got the signal in the pan, was there any gold (in them)? I have to know, won't be able to sleep.
Its like a good book and I feel like the last page is missing. 8)
Did you end up making a video of the finds - I couldnt find a video (3) of you panning it out, it would a great conclusion - great to see.
Thanks also for the purchase info, I have seen it advertised on ebay, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of them on offer.
I know I will end up buying one, it is inevitable, love my gold gear, just have to keep it away from the wife.
Regards,
Stan

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No, sadly there was nothing to see. I guess I could have showed the empty dish .
The last two paragraphs of the same post sort of explain that. There was some very tiny metal of some description there and I thought it was gold at first when viewed with a 30x voile. I couldn't see it with the USB microscope, as the LED lights tended to make the metal blend in with the mica and pyrites that was predominant in that rock. In my humble experience, gold always looks like gold, regardless of lighting conditions, so whatever it was , it got tossed out.!
Wished for a happy ending but it didn't help. Good luck with your Falcon when you get it. You may be able to discover the sweet spot setting and pass it along to me
TT
ps... the beer gut reference was about my own girth. :lol:

GaryO said:

Seems to have mixed reviews

http://metaldetectorreviews.net/detectors/196-1-falcongoldprobemd20.html

A few mention that it signals on black sand , although there may well be gold present you could very well just spend all day detecting black sand when a simple test pan for gold would be quicker.

Click to expand...

I have one. It does signal on black sand but onlyas you draw away from the black sand. gold makes a signal when drawing into the target.
Pull away and make a sound its black sand but when you push towards the black sand is quite.

My review I chucked mine in the bin 8)

Hi folks

Dragging this topic back again.

I came back from a local hunt at the park. The grass was rock hard & half dead so I lasted 20 min. I also forgot my little spike. It's obviously been a while. While I was there I couldn't stop thinking about the falcon and soon fished it out and set it up as a pointer.

I do agree it can be a little frustrating at first but it does have a place in my opinion.

I extended it with some pvc & used it as a detector in the back yard with my boy a couple of weeks ago. It worked beautifully. We found heaps of junk, including the stainless shackle pin that he had lost whilst playing. The deepest we dug was about 50mm in grass.

Tonight I set it up as a pointer by simply coiling the wire, cable tied it, then cable tied it the end to the control box. Run it through some tests & it works perfectly. I intend to give it another run at the local park on sun. Promised my little man.

When I bought it I was told to place the knobs at 1.00 both on sensitivity & balance. Then back the balance off a tiny bit. The slide can then be played with. I can detect a speck of gold with it. BUT you do need to be on top of it. I am hoping that it's best place will be partnered with the sdc on small gold as a pointer. It is my intention to mount the unit to the sdc and have a quick release at the base when trying to locate a possible tiny taka twinkly bit.

I have never used any other pointer so my experience is minimal. But I would not give this up for another. It has a certain flexibility to it I don't think the others can offer.

Just my opinion
Cheers