Minelab Eureka gold tips, settings, questions

wow i think ill buy a 6 inch coil for my xt18000 as WOW A SECOND HAND GB2 JUST WENT FOR $1053 ON EBAY ...SECOND BID WAS $1012.....HELL THINGS HAVE GONE CRAZY WITH THE AUSSIE DOLLAR YOU COULD ONCE BUY ONE us $769 AND the high aussie dollar just about paid for the frieght ...now they are something like $1400 new is oz ..and cant get them sent here i believe due to distribution rights

wont be as sensitive at gb2 but hell how can anyone justify that price ...i thought my bid of $861 was too much

PhaseTech said:

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

Click to expand...

Hey all, I haven't been on for a while. Life seems to somehow get in the way of prospecting.

Now that summer is behind us and the snakes are starting hibernate it's time for me to get out there with the EG and get some swinging done.

I'm going over this thread again in preparation, simply because it's the best thread on the EG that I know of - believe me I've read them all.

In reference to Nenad's post, here's a link to the article he mentioned:

http://www.minelab.com/aus/treasure-talk/getting-the-best-out-of-the-eureka-gold

Happy swinging,

AU Fever

Oh, by the way. If you're interested in the after market Coiltek coils that are also mentioned in this thread for the EG, here's the links:

6 GOLDSEEKER By COILTEK - http://www.coiltekmanufacturing.com.au/products/products-1/6-goldseeker-eureka-gold/

15 Goldseeker - http://www.coiltekmanufacturing.com.au/products/products-1/15-goldseeker-eureka-gold/

I don't have any of these yet, but am hoping to get the 6" as an early birthday present Expect to pay about $175 for the 6" and about $290 for the 15".

AU Fever

Hi guys. A quick question there is a minelab eureka gold detector for sale. Anyone got a review for this detector or know if its a good detector. Going for 800.

Have a read thru this:
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1053

Could some one post a photo of the coil plug or socket for me please. ??
I have had a read through this and sounds like so much like my GT16000.
It is modded very well and has not let me down if you can read into that. LOL

Hi Tathradj, I'll post a picture when I get home from work tonight. It's the standard 4 pin plug/socket though - kind of like

AU

To Tathradj
Here is a picture of the plug from a 10 x 5 elliptical coil for the Eureka Gold. Au may have encountered some difficulty loading a photo. I know I was but I have found a way. You may have lost interest in the 6" coiltec coil and bought yourself an SDC 2300 but here is what you asked for in the previous post.
Cheers Bob.

Thanks bob, I forgot about it. Life got in the way, as usual

AU

Thanks Bob.
I will have a look but I am sure the plug on my GT1600 is 5 pin
It also depends on what frequency the detector works on.

Yes the GT, FT, Sterling, Musketeer, Eureka Ace Dual all used the 5pin

Thanks for that.
I remember now, The range of coils that fit them.
Getting hard to get now.
I was lucky to get a 14" for $25.00 a few years ago.

That was a quick response. It is good to see that people still read this thread. Au I know what you mean when you say "life gets in the way." Up until the end of March I had only charged the battery pack once which equates to about three trips. Not vey good for the detecting skills. Late April I resolved to lift my game and go at least once a week, I'm retired and should be able to organise at least one day a week away from the maintenance chores.The first few trips were disasters. On one I forgot my pick and scoop and had to dig targets with a tent peg and pocket knife. On another I left all the GPS co-ordinates at home and had to make do with just looking around a familiar area. And on each trip I didn't seem to be finding much. I was mainly using the 11" coil on 20kHz. Target responses were definitely louder when I switched to the 10x5 elliptical. The threshold tone was changing pitch while swinging and if I bumped the coil it would give a target response. I started reading my manual and revisiting this thread as I felt I had gone back to beginners level.
I decided a change of scenery was in order and instead of going to Heathcote I would give Rushworth a try. First trip out in May brought things to a head. I located a target, dug the target and when I put the detector down to do the scooping, the detector went crazy for a short period then settled down. I found the pesky bit of wire and then picked up the detector to move on. Well it went crazy again a bit like a flat battery but I knew this was not the case. I had a similar problem a long time ago with the 10x5" and it was the lock ring on the lead that had somehow come loose. If I wiggled the lead the detector would sound off erratically. There was clearly something wrong with the plug. I spent the rest of the day using the 10x5'' elliptical. When I got home I had a look at the plug that goes into the control unit. Sure enough one broken wire. The bits sticking out of the blob of solder suggested that only three or four fine strands of wire were ever connected and most of the others were cut when the insulation was stripped for soldering. No wonder it broke. I managed to re-strip and re-solder all the wires one at a time. I didn't want to attach the wrong wire to the wrong pin. The coil now works like it did when new perhaps a little better with better connections at the plug. For the last month or so I have been going at least once a week and I have been following the manual's basic set up instructions. Also taking the time putting some test pieces in the ground and getting the best signal possible for the mineralization present.Below are some recent better finds at Rushworth. The nugget like shapes (they're called Fuggets elsewhere on this site) are all lead. I like to keep them because they represent good finds, some are very small, they are found below the surface and represent exciting digs because they sound different and look like a nugget until you spit on them. Also with finds like these I feel more confident in my skills. If I can find some of these tiny bits of lead I should be able to find gold. Cheers Bob.

Miners camp old lead maybe? Buttons and buckles aplenty there.

All that and no gold?!

I hope you had some brandy or scotch in the car after finding all of that crapola.

I've got the EG running pretty well in mild ground and can ping tiny shards of lead just below the surface and bullet heads at about 6 inches. That's with the stock 10x5 elliptical.
You gotta use an amplifier though.

AU

To Goldtarget:- from other posts I see that you are familiar with the Rushworth area. Most of these targets came from a gully that leads into the large surfacing area off Nine Mile Road. I noticed some bedrock cutting across it and thought I would apply the ideas shown in the instructional video that appears earlier in this post. I covered the crevices and areas where gravel deposits had collected and worked my way up the gully. The gully leads up to some fenced off shafts. I have had ago up there and there is trash everywhere so perhaps this is the source. Also as the gully erodes stuff falls in off the edge and gets concentrated by water flow. Some of the lead is fine sheet stuff folded up, some has been heated and formed nugget like shapes. It was a good thing to do as the spots that I found the targets in, were where you would expect gold to accumulate. The lead also settles a bit deeper into the deposits a bit like gold would. I recovered a lot of fine ferrous stuff from cans but these targets were most often on the surface.
SunriseBoy I thoroughly enjoyed the two trips as it illustrated a good application for the detector. The small crumbs of lead could easily have been been gold. I am satisfied that I have effectively repaired the coil plug and the detector is working better than ever. I am going to give more time to the Rushworth area because it is a trashy area. I think you you learn more digging targets than walking for miles and miles without a blip on the threshold.
Au since buying the detector I have added an 11" coil, a 15' coil, headphones, extra shafts for quick coil changes and a spare battery pack so at this stage I think I have invested enough in this hobby and I need to make do with what I have. Are you using using an amplifier? Do you think this is necessary if you are using headphones?

Cheers Bob

So Bob...do you think the EG is a good basic machine?

I think that is exactly what the Eureka Gold is, a very good basic machine.I think the main problem is there are no fixed set ups for the machine. The dials have no precise markings or scales so the set up is done by hearing, touch and judgement. It takes time and practise to get it right especially when you are doing it on your own. The photo shows that it is capable of finding a big range of targets from a depth of 2cm to 30 cm. The only thing missing is the gold.

Cheers Bob.

Thanks for that Bob. I'm still mulling on the EG or the White's unit.