Minelab Eureka gold tips, settings, questions

G'day maties I have a Minelab Eureka Gold and so far have found no gold but then I am very new to this hobby. My first real find was tin I located in Tasmania. I was on the surface and looked just like any other rock but my detector was screaming every time I went near it. I hit the rock with a hammer and thought I had found silver but alas it was tin. Still the best thing I have found to date.

On a recent trip out - the coil fell off - I now used a band aid to fix it.

My last trip out was for a little old lady who lost her wedding ring whilst doing some gardening. I found the ring but the sounds I was getting was a pulsing noise over the area I was concentrating on. In the past I have only heard a continuous tone until I hit a target. Does anyone know the reason for this?

I guess you were looking for the ring in a built up city or town area. You could have been getting some background interference but the Eureka is generally okay and I can operate mine at home but I do not live in a densely populated area. There could be other things under the ground like water pipes etc that may cause the detector to give off some background noise. I have read your posts and notice that you are new to the hobby. Have you read this whole thread. If not then I think it would be a good thing to do. It may help you to understand the detector and give you a bit of encouragement to persist and maybe find a bit of gold. It is not an easy thing to do.

Good Luck Bob.

Thanks Bob and yes I am very new and have already learnt a lot from reading the previous post. I too thought that maybe some water pipes may be underground because there was a water tank close by.

Thanks again

Andy

G'day Andy,

I have noticed that when I use my EG in a built up area the 6.4khz can be a little bit unsteady but when I flick to 20khz it works fine.
This may also work in the reverse that if the 20 khz frequency is a bit dodgy due to interference then you may be able to flick to 6.4 and smooth it out.

Chris

G'day Bob,

I have been following this thread for a while now and it is great to see you persisting with the EG and getting out there when ya can, using your noggin to track down the gold.

I have been detecting since I was about 12 and have loved gold prospecting with a passion since then too.
I think it was about 1988 when I got my first detector and slowly advanced from a Tandy Electrics job to a Whites, then a Garrett Deepseeker and then the XT17000 so I had to learn the ropes on vlf's back when they were king.
I also consumed Gold Gem and Treasure magazine and followed the advancement of Minelab with keen interest from the days of the 15000.

I found my first nugget with the Deepseeker, a .4 gram piece, and also found some great gold with the XT including my biggest nugget to date of 12 oz at Waanyarra.
I then advanced to a SD2100 and then on to the 2200, Extreme, 3000. I found good gold with each of them over the years.

I have been out of the detecting game for about 5 years and did some panning and cradling for a while before deciding to buy a Eureka Gold for bedrock sniping etc.
A have only found 1 bit with it at about .1 of a gram!

And now I have decided to focus on the larger gold in overlooked areas and spots that are unworkable with the PI's due to electrical interference so I have purchased an 11 inch coil and am going to do some spots in Central Vic that yielded big gold. Might even purchase a WOT coil at some stage.

I love what Argyle wrote concerning technique and ground coverage.
It was also interesting to see him state that the EG can detect big gold deep in heavy ground when set up right so I am looking forward to putting that to the test in these areas using the motto "technique over technology".

I used to turn my nose up at the small gold even though it became all the rage as detector manufacture focused on smaller and smaller gold. It seemed a lot of people were happy to find the small stuff.
I then did the cradling and bought the EG and focused on the little stuff for about 3 months but am over it now so will concentrate on the big ones again. By big I mean anything over 5 grams but especially the multi oz nuggets which are few and far between now but still worth looking exclusively for.

I did some air tests with the 11 inch coil between the 20 khz and 6.4 and found that the 20 is better than the 6.4 for anything below about 3 grams, and then they are on a par until the 6.4 kicks in and starts to beat the 20 from about 6-8 grams up so I will be using the 6.4 exclusively now knowing that there will only be about an inch or two of ground that it is not reaching the sub 3 grammers as well as the 20khz, but that if there are larger ones down there it will ping them way better than the 20.

Call me a stick in the mud but I love the vlf's and am glad to be using one again! Gold is hard to find now no matter what machine you use so it's more about thinking outside the box and concentrating on flawless technique. It took me a bit to re-learn the detectors language again as the vlf's are so much noisier than the PI's but once you learn it it is quite workable in very hot ground. And if in doubt, dig it!

Have fun out there and may you see plenty of success.

Chris

Hi Chris
Thank you for your contribution to the thread. Compared to you I am a novice at detecting as I am just into my fifth year. Over this time I have gathered a 15" Wot coil, an 11" goldsearch and a 6" Coiltek Goldseeker as Christmas or birthday presents along the way. Your post highlights the importance of coil and frequency selection. This is something that I did not fully realise at first. I may have found gold sooner if I did. This year has been a bit of a breakthrough year so far and now that I have started to find some small bits I am more relaxed, starting to experiment and think a bit more in the field. At first (early days) I tried all the frequencies on the 10x5" but usually settled on 20kHz because it seemed more stable than 60kHz. I found a good range of targets big and small at a reasonable depth. I could consistently run a higher level of sensitivity. My thinking was that this frequency would give me my best chance of finding gold. I now realise that this is only so in certain situations. Since November I have been working the rings of dirt around holes dug by the old timers. I guess these are what detectorists refer to as mullock heaps. In the last two months when I get a target that I think could be gold, I have sometimes switched frequencies to test the target response. Unfortunately I have not been consistent in this practise nor have I documented any results. On some targets though I have noticed that 60kHz gives a clear signal, 20kHz is much softer and could be overlooked and 6.4kHz no signal at all. All the targets tested were very small; shot gun pellets, little chips of brass and some sub gram nuggets. Some targets were detectable in all frequencies. So now I realise that it is important to choose the right frequency for the job. I think that in the early days I may have overlooked or missed some sub gram opportunities by working the mullock heaps in the 20kHz and dismissing some soft targets as ground noise or hot rocks due to inexperience. On mullock heaps you would expect the gold to be shallow, in the last bit of dirt thrown out before they started to take away the gold bearing wash. 60kHz would be the best frequency in this situation because it will find the big bits at this depth but it will also get the sub grammers that the other two frequencies could miss. I have used the 11" gold search coil a lot and I have found one piece of gold with it. (0.118 grams). From its first use it became my go to coil. It allowed me to cover ground and running in 20kHz found some small targets and larger deeper targets than the 10x5". The 6.4kHz frequency didn't get much of a go as I noticed that when using it I seemed to find less targets particularly the small ones. My thinking here was less targets less opportunity for gold. I am still enjoying the thrill of finding a bit of gold even though they are very small but I am starting to think of other strategies and not just targeting the mullock heaps. The other day I had the 11" out searching the area between where the diggings finished at "Bullant Flat" and where the old timers started to work the reef. I used the 20kHz frequency but I should also give the 6.4kHz a go as well. The area is not that open so the Wot isn't pratical but I should also consider it where conditions allow its use. It pulled up two threepences from a dry lake bed that the other coils could not find and I'm sure I searched well with the other two before putting on the Wot. At the moment I will continue working the mullock heaps for the small stuff. I am pleased that I am now doing what I set out to do; find a bit of gold. However I will also have my eye on the areas between the diggings and the reef workings and maybe be prepared to do some target less days in search of bigger bits.

Cheers Bob.

Hi Bob,

Great to see you're still at it and getting a few. Sorry I haven't been around lately, the notification that someone had posted to this thread ended up in my spam folder.

Just wanted to report that I did sell my EG and all of the extras that went with it. Some nice young bloke from Ballarat has now got it and I wish him all the best with it.

I'll try to pop in from time to time to see how you're getting on.

All the best, keep tracking that gold mate

AU Fever

Thanks Au
Glad to hear you got a sale at last. Perhaps now you can pursue other interests namely the guitar which may suit your current lifestyle better. Being a retired teacher, I am a great believer in being a lifetime learner. That has been one really good thing about taking up detecting. I am learning something new nearly every time I go out. I hope you recommended this thread to the new owner as it has developed into a good reference for Eureka users. Since my 'Good Friday' find, I have covered a lot of ground for very little, hardly any targets let alone gold. Today I returned to a spot that I have dubbed Mystery Reef. (I found a piece there earlier in April). As well as small flat lead and trash I found two small specimens. One had a little quartz attached and the other was in a thin band of brown rock sandwiched between two layers of greyish sedimentary stone. I crushed both specimens with the pliers part of a multitool. The one attached to quartz went 0.103g clean and the other weighed 0.096g with the stone removed. I would like to go back there tomorrow but I have a stack of other commitments to meet, so I don't expect that I'll get back there any time soon. When I do return to Mystery Reef I'll post any successful finds to provide encouragement to other Eureka users. Nice to hear from you Au.

Cheers Bob.

Finally a picture of the two cleaned, or crushed specimens from 3rd May trip to Mystery Reef. Left 0.103g and right 0.095g.

Wendesday 10th May. Well I worked hard and got a few ticks on the job list and managed a trip back to Mystery Reef. I started around 10 o'clock and the 10x5" seemed a bit erratic and hard to balance. I searched around the areas of my three previous finds. I seemed to be digging a lot of false targets. I took a break for some lunch at 2.30pm. I was a little frustrated with the way the detector was behaving. After lunch while going through the start up I noticed that the audio was on fine. Not sure how I overlooked this at the start of the day but it explained the morning session. This is not a good search mode as fine audio can sharpen the signal from hot rocks and make them sound more like a target. For the next two hours the detector operated as usual and I managed to locate a number of small targets mostly lead. It was disappointing to waste half the day with a silly mistake. Just thought that I would post this journal entry to highlight the fact that not all days go to plan and some care should be taken when setting up. Also in mineralised ground don't use fine audio as a search mode.

Cheers Bob.

Wednesday 17th May
Thanks to Coiltek my replacement 6" gold seeker arrived so I was keen to test it out. My destination for the day was Mystery Reef. Starting up the detector I searched around the area where I had found the specimen in the thin band of brown rock. The coil is very sensitive and needs careful attention. Any lifting results in an ugly squeal. I dialled the sensitivity back a little and it went quite well finding some some small chips of steel and some lead. After two hours or so I changed back to the 10x5" for a comparison. At full sensitivity the 10x5" handles the mineralization a bit better. I spent the next two hours digging small chips of steel and small bits of lead. I was surprised at the number of targets as I had done some of this area last week, but I had the audio on fine for the morning and probably dismissed these signals as hot rocks. The morning session last week was very puzzling until I realised the audio was set on fine. Around 1:30pm. I picked up a good clear signal. Scraping strengthened the signal and with a bit more scraping the target was out. The target was a nice little flat piece of gold or was it? It looked dirty brown on one side. No amount of rubbing, spit or fingernail scraping would clean it. But there was no silvery lead showing so I assumed it was gold. Just 30cm below I got another signal same result. Another dirty flat piece of metal that would not clean up on either side but appeared to be showing gold around the edges. Most of the small nuggets that I have found so far have been fairly clean, a roll between the fingers shows gold, a bit of spit spit leaves no doubt. I put it in the finds jar. Back to it. Working my way down the slope from the other two signals I located another target. With the target in the scoop I plucked out two largish stones. Imagine my surprise when the next swipe of the scoop produced no signal. I became really excited when one of the rocks gave a positive signal. The grey rock had one very flat side with a thin layer (3mm) of darker material. The signal was so positive another specimen perhaps? Lunchtime saw me fill my scoop with some tea and all the finds were given a good soak. The brown material seems hard and a pocket knife won't scratch it but it appears porous. Soaking softened the brown material enough to cause some bits to crumble away and reveal a clean glimpse of gold in all three specimens. Back to it and two more targets just like the last one only smaller grey rocks with a fine band of brown material but these two specimens had a clear show of gold. Five bits in a day unbelievable. Time to give the 6" gold seeker another go. The targets had been found in a line down a fairly large steep mullock heap. Searching over this area and around other parts of the mullock heap produced some small shot. Then I had a light bulb moment. "This mullock heap has been eroding and spreading since 1870. The mullock heap is crumbly and the grey host rock with the thin brown line of material is light and easily moved. I should try should around the base of the heap below my other targets." I removed some leaves with the side of the pick. First pass produced a signal. A light scrape and the target had moved. I quickly located the target in the scoop. I was really excited because the scoop was full of stones about 30mm round. I isolated the target another specimen clearly showing a small speck of gold. What a day! My most successful ever. I really wanted to continue but it was getting late, the mosquitoes were really starting to bite and I need daylight to avoid the kangaroos crossing the road on the way home.
The six specimens were carefully crushed and produced 12 bits with some fine gold as well. The bits weighed 0.69grams. Some of the targets were quite soft but because the detector was running smoothly a scrape confirmed my suspicions. I am very pleased that I realised my error setting up last week and that I went back and rechecked the area rather than just trying some where else. Mystery Reef will get another visit.

Cheers Bob.

Nice one, Bob - good work.

It's just the sort of thin, rough, porous gold that PI detectors struggle with, so you've got the right tool for the job with that Eureka! :Y:

After the last session I was very keen to get back out. Monday 22nd May I spent a full day at the spot I call Mystery Reef. I used the 6" gold seeker first and I started working the base of the mullock heap where I finished last week. Using the side of the pick to level the rocks and remove some leaves it took about 10 minutes to locate a quiet but definite target. It was a rough brown lump of material that looked like rust. I gave it a rub and a rescan across the coil. The signal was strong and maybe a specimen? I was fairly confident and after a bit more rubbing some grey stone appeared to be attached. My first find went into the jar. I continued to work around the base and over the side of the mullock heap where I found last week's specimens. I also raked down the slope a bit with the side of the pick as I went. After 2 hours I took a break to change coils to the 10x5". The 6" gold seeker is okay; it found a piece but I can run the 10x5" at full sensitivity with a smooth threshold. This is important when chasing these quiet signals. Sitting on top of the mullock heap I realised what I was looking at below me. The area below the reef and between the lower diggings has been raked and detected. Each tree below me was ringed with a small pile of rocks and sticks. The work looks quite old. Back to it. I reworked the area covered by the 6" gold seeker. Well every little blip got a scrape and by lunch I had maybe five or so small bits of stone. The usual dunking in some tea revealed a speck of gold showing in each specimen. After lunch I continued working over the area, using the side of the pick to rake down the slope. This produced 1 very flat clean piece of gold and some more tiny specimens. All up for the day I found 1 small clean piece and eleven small specimens; a personal best day in terms of numbers of pieces.
The day's finds.

In the close up I have tried to show the different layers of material and a couple of tiny specks of gold showing. I have been more patient with this lot and I will soak them to reveal their treasure.

Cheers Bob.

Well done!

Well done there Bob nice to see the Eureka can do it

Well done Bob. :Y:

bob said:

Sitting on top of the mullock heap I realised what I was looking at below me. The area below the reef and between the lower diggings has been raked and detected. Each tree below me was ringed with a small pile of rocks and sticks. The work looks quite old.

Click to expand...

I wonder whether in their eagerness to clear bigger open areas, the raker/s bothered to carefully detect around the base of each tree (where the roots may have pushed gold close to the surface), before using the trees for their mullock heaps? You might have to do some raking of your own to undo their work in those spots, Bob - with any luck it might be virgin ground.

Hi Grubstake
Great idea. Thank you for the advice. There has been a bit of work done on the mullock heaps as well. There is a large unfilled hole on the opposite side of the very mullock heap that I have been working on and finding the little bits. Also there are some large deep holes left unfilled around the workings. As you posted earlier the Eureka is good at finding the fine prickly specimens that the PI's have trouble with. The size and depth of the detector holes suggest a powerful machine has been at work here. So yes when I exhaust this mullock heap I will definitely look around the trees and at the other heaps even if they have been detected.

Cheers Bob.

Great work Bob!

Looks like the EG with the 6" Goldseeker is a winning combo

Hi Au
Yes it works okay and this new one is quieter than the first one, but the 10x5" is the one doing the most damage. I can run it at a higher level of sensitivity and it is more stable. The wider coverage with less overlap helps to be more thorough in the search. Maybe if I get a target that I think is gold I should try both coils to check the level of response. I'll continue to give it a fair go and also continue to make comparisons. Good to hear from you.

Cheers Bob.