Minelab SDC2300 information and questions

Prospecting Australia

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I found a shotgun cartridge at about 15in in a mullock heap at St Arnaud last week. As others have said, I was very excited as I kept digging and the signal kept growing. Only disappointment in the end. :(
 
I was digging a hole and at about 1 and a bit foot or 400mm I got the wife with the SDC over to make sure I was centred on the target as I did not want to make the hole bigger so the Z coil could fit in and all we got was a variation in the threshold with the SDC and the target was screaming on the edge of the Z coil and this was a 41 gram solid nugget at 650mm so at 250mm away the SDC barely even made a sound now this piece was on it's edge and quite flat but I was a little surprised we were only 9 inches from it for not much of a responce, this was running a flat out too.
 
goldwright said:
I was digging a hole and at about 1 and a bit foot or 400mm I got the wife with the SDC over to make sure I was centred on the target as I did not want to make the hole bigger so the Z coil could fit in and all we got was a variation in the threshold with the SDC and the target was screaming on the edge of the Z coil and this was a 41 gram solid nugget at 650mm so at 250mm away the SDC barely even made a sound now this piece was on it's edge and quite flat but I was a little surprised we were only 9 inches from it for not much of a responce, this was running a flat out too.

I had similar with a large iron nail (6" blacksmith nail) The Z gave a serious response but the SDC couldn't see it at all. It was angled point up I think at about 4-500mm
 
cairnspom said:
goldwright said:
I was digging a hole and at about 1 and a bit foot or 400mm I got the wife with the SDC over to make sure I was centred on the target as I did not want to make the hole bigger so the Z coil could fit in and all we got was a variation in the threshold with the SDC and the target was screaming on the edge of the Z coil and this was a 41 gram solid nugget at 650mm so at 250mm away the SDC barely even made a sound now this piece was on it's edge and quite flat but I was a little surprised we were only 9 inches from it for not much of a responce, this was running a flat out too.

I had similar with a large iron nail (6" blacksmith nail) The Z gave a serious response but the SDC couldn't see it at all. It was angled point up I think at about 4-500mm

Daaarrrnnn it I sort of fit in this category also except I gave up the target after putting it down to a large tree root when the sdc didn't pick up anything with the hole at least 500mm.
 
davent said:
I know a bloke who claims to have dug a 21 gram nug at 23" with an SDC, .....but he also claims he dug 108gms from a 3m2 patch in a couple of hours....

He does like to tell porky pies.
 
Reeks said:
Headphones makes all the difference

That would be nice but unfortunately when I put the sdc head phones on they cancel out my hearing aid and I just get a humming noise.
My other ear is totalled. So I just turn my hearing sid up to near max, just makes it difficult when there are lots of chirping birds around like gallas or sulphur crested cockottoos or a lot of wind. But you learn.
 
Reeks said:
Headphones makes all the difference

And there lies the secret I reckon Reeko :D that combined with time on the machine , more than once when detecting with a partner I have handed over the machine and asked " can you hear that " to receive a look of bewilderment . Then proceed to dig a deep target that was a very subtle sound through the headphones only learnt through time and listening through the warble to identify the threshold break.

And a very slow swing :D

Cheers
 
There is an old saying that's probably very appropriate regards detectors....................... no matter how good the machine it's only as good as the person operating it ;)
The eyes leak at a guess of how much gold I have probably walked over and kept on walking :mad:
 
Bogger said:
There is an old saying that's probably very appropriate regards detectors....................... no matter how good the machine it's only as good as the person operating it ;)
The eyes leak at a guess of how much gold I have probably walked over and kept on walking :mad:

I reckon your spot on there Bogger regarding the operator and your not Robinson Caruso in your thoughts.
 
Wishfull said:
Reeks said:
Headphones makes all the difference

That would be nice but unfortunately when I put the sdc head phones on they cancel out my hearing aid and I just get a humming noise.
My other ear is totalled. So I just turn my hearing sid up to near max, just makes it difficult when there are lots of chirping birds around like gallas or sulphur crested cockottoos or a lot of wind. But you learn.

Would you be better off with a little booster box with volume control, and an external speaker mounted high up on a shoulder strap close to your good ear?
 
bundyjd said:
Wishfull said:
Reeks said:
Headphones makes all the difference

That would be nice but unfortunately when I put the sdc head phones on they cancel out my hearing aid and I just get a humming noise.
My other ear is totalled. So I just turn my hearing sid up to near max, just makes it difficult when there are lots of chirping birds around like gallas or sulphur crested cockottoos or a lot of wind. But you learn.

Would you be better off with a little booster box with volume control, and an external speaker mounted high up on a shoulder strap close to your good ear?

The problem is the earmuff is sealing the ear canal and causing a loop in your hearing aid. I know it sounds stupid but get the cheapest/oldest pair of earmuffs you can find. Put them on and you should get the humming noise. Now drill a hole in it! Yup let some sound IN now put them on and see if it is less hum, another hole etc... If you can find the fine line between adding additional data/noise into your hearing aid it should help eliminate the buzzing. I have not done this btw, though the concept is sound.

You can also go for Active Earmuffs and this will work, I have solved this in the past with other people having this issue with hearing aids.

Like these - http://solutions.3m.com.au/wps/port...18DPBAB0I5000000_nid=ZL7LFZR1QHbe2LQ9XKZD98gl

expensive though.
 
I have been using the SDC for sometime great machine finds gold and lead really well.
The only thing I wish it had was a top cover as it tends to get scratched while finding gold as I scrap the scoop on top coil.
You can buy a bottom cover but a top cover would sell really well.

Your thoughts :)
 
I would agree. Other things are. Larger exchangable coil. blue tooth to external speaker and or speaker on left hand side, rubber cover on coil connection joint and a better arm rest instead of those silly fold up things.
All up though the detector itself is an awsome machine I will probably never sell mine.
 
There was top covers on eBay but they were a stick on vinyl? type protective layer rather than a cover. You could find some stick on material & cut it to suit?
You could also make a thin piece of lexan or similar to suit & use stick on velcro tabs to allow removal for cleaning etc. It would need to be very thin due to the small bits you find.
 
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