2100 Thoughts Please Anyone?

G'day I am new to the fine art of gold detecting and was just seeking a bit of advice due to the teething problems associated with my new hobby.
About 4 months ago I purchased a stock standard 6v second hand Sd 2100 from a reputable local dealer. I have been out prospecting with this machine a few times ( I have gold diggings in the bush opposite my house) and picked up plenty of junk lol. I have taken patience and time tuning the detector and think I do a reasonable job there.
After reading lots and lots of books, watching dvd's, reading this forum etc I decided to do some tests on my new machine to assess its capabilities as I realize that having confidence in your machine is a key factor for searching for gold.
I got 3 lead bullet slugs (I found no gold yet lol) and buried them at different depths. Each lead slug weighed 4 grams or close enough to 4 grams. The depths I placed them was 100mm, 250mm and 400mm.
The machine sounded off nicely @ 100mm ( I new it would as that was about the depth they were found originally, I did this as a gauge for the other 2)
I had no sound whatsoever @ 250mm
The faintest sound @ 400mm which would be extremely easy to miss with any ground noise I would never have dug on such a faint noise I only just picked the variation in sound because I knew where it was buried lol.

I used search mode and both channels individually for each test. Channel 2 was the only one that picked up a signal on 400mm. Standard 11" DD Coil.
Test was done after sh!# loads of rain (if this is relevant or not?) in ground minimal mineralisation. This test hasn't given me much confidence at all because anything 4 grams @ 200mm or more I will miss. Is this normal for this detector? Is it coil size? Should I pump more juice through the machine (Coiltek 7.3 set up)? Budget is always an issue so I need to spend wisely.

Any advice please would be much appreciated.

Regards,

blackwhisky

G'day BlackW

It is a good hobby you have choosen, and can be a bit frustrating to begin with as is anything that is new.

I am a bit supprised that you don't seem to be able to pick up 4g of lead at 200mm or so with your machine. These machines are usually renound for good depth, I've seen a 2100 get 2g gold nug at that depth no worries.

You need to go out with someone who has a 2100 and knows how to set it up properly and show you the ropes.

I see you are in VIC so it should not be to hard to find someone to help, or call into Coiltek in Maryborough and ask them or get them to help you find someone to go out with for a day.

cheers dave

What is the history with the battery........................did it come with the machine or is it a newy?
If you are sticking with the 6volt batts, get 2 and change over every 3 or 4 hours......but ultimately you are better off with the 7.3 system.
Also, don't assume because a battery is new it's a goody( generally, 1 in 40 of anything "mass-produced" is faulty and 1 in 1,000 is useless).......test it under load at home.( I use a 12v/20w car globe and put the meter across it every 15 mins to check the drain)..........DON'T FLATTEN THE BATTERY!
Good Luck,

G'day Blackwhisky.

Firstly,get rid of the old standard 11 inch DD that came with the 2100 and for around 50 or so bucks get a hold of an old terracotta colored 14 inch round Coiltek DD,which will give you better depth on the 4 grammer over the 11inch.
Now to save money on batteries,do what Sandy2010 has stated,although the 7.3 volt system is the better way to go.
As for working the 2100 in either one of the channels,i suggest you don't.By having it run on both channels,you get the best of both worlds.(meaning good sensitivity to both the small gold as well as the larger gold at depth). One last point,forget about performing tests on or in water saturated ground,wait till the ground dries up in a week or so and try performing your tests again.Currently,there aint a metal detector i know of that wont play up on our gold fields,at some point or another due to the amount of water saturation on our gold fields.
Keep one thing in mind, there are many variables governing depth of a target such as,the amount of mineralization,density and conductivity of the target,orientation of the target,surface area of the target etc.etc.and not just upping the voltage into the machine,or using a different type/size coil combination.

Cheers kon61.

Hi Blackwhisky
There probably hasnt been a worse time to get a guage on a machines perfomance in the Victorian Goldfields.12 tears of Drought and now the ground is saturated.Before you do anything in testing let the ground dry out.Then if you get a chance go to Coiltek in Maryborough at get directions to the Prices RD test patch.By running your machine over them you will get a very good idea of its strengths and areas where it not as strong.
Chasing gold is like a game of Golf.Those that have been around a while know that a machine with one coil cant do it all.
Personally I like the 11dd on sd and gp machines,especially in variable highly mineralised ground.I think of the ground under me in thirds of a metre.An 11 inch coil does a great job on the first third with performance tapering off in the second third.14" to 16" coils are great for the second third and 18" plus for the third third.
That not to say you wont find a 1 grammer in the first third with a 14" coil its just that the 11" coil will have better sensitivity on it.
Most gold in the Vic goldfields will be found in the first third.DDs are a harder coil to run than a mono.Your swing must be level close to the ground and slow and steady.You are right about confidence,its a big thing.I hope you get to know that Machine.
Cheers Dig

Awesome!!!!!! Thanks for the feed back everyone!! After thinking about it last night over a couple of quiet ones I think your spot on Dig and kon61 about a bad time to do a test although I did it on high ground the soil was saturated and may have created some interference. Someone told me a few weeks ago that wet ground can make a machine more powerful for water being an electrical conductor and all. I think he must of meant moist/damp soil not mud like it is at the moment lol.
Sandy the battery came with the detector and although I make sure it is charged it does look old, I bought it from Coiltek in Maryborough so I'm sure it all works fine but second hand stuff is second hand stuff so I can understand deterioration of old batterys and if I can convince the missus I need a 7.3 volt system (might tell her its for the lawn mower lol) then I'll sneak back to Coiltek.
The 14" coil will be the first one I get to start building my arsenal. Sounds like a good mid all rounder thanks Kon.
Dave I will organize to go out with Coiltek on a day excursion won't be for a month though till I get my license back, I'm a dick head....4 seatbelt fines in 3 years see's me walking till next month which is all pretty stupid on my behalf lol.

I left the lead slug buried in the ground at 250mm and will give it another go in a few days when things dry out and repost the result. In the mean time any more advice anyone can think of is welcomed.

With thanks,
blackwhisky

Hi Blackwhisky
The difference between your machine and the later 6 machines is basically the ability to find smaller gold or missed gold with improvements in ironstone rejection,less noise,more sensitivity etc,etc.
Bearing this in mind your machine is more than capable with larger gold so you could try looking in places missed by others or trashy areas from old miners,camp sites etc that could be raked and cleared.Another area would be thick scrub around diggings.
I know a prospector that sold his 4500 and continues to use his 2000 with a DD XP elliptical for the larger deep nuggets.After all you still have to put your coil over the gold to find it.
Steve

Another thought is to consider the headphones or are you using an external speaker?
Most headphones are fairly useless, good quality ones like Koss & Sennheiser 'give superior sound' to target responses. Perhaps other forum users would like to post what they use ??
Me, I have used these two brands Sennheiser and Koss (both have plus and minus points) the original 'vice like' headphones that came with the SD2100 where inferior to these and other breeds. If you have been dealing with Coiltek see what they recommend and what other fellas use.

Scott.

Hi Blackwhisky
i use an old 200 with a 7.3 volt system and a signal enhancer and it booms through head and external phones
as you have not found any gold yet but dug up a 20 cent piece in the middle of absolutely nowhere at
close to two and a half feet i was useing a 24 x12 ufo coil and it was a good signal.
So the old bangers can still get the goods all you have to do is put the
coil over it have fun Shane

Forgot to say detector has been modded though Shane.

Hi BW,

Some 2100's had black circuit boards. These units had depth capability up to 30% less than the white board models. The only way to tell is to take off an end cap and look inside.

Hi all,
I finally sorted all this out with everyone's advice .
I got a 14" inch DD Coiltek coil a set of new Koss headphones, regulated 7.3 battery system and now that the ground has dried out and with these upgrades can pick up all 3 targets no problem.
Booked in at Coiltek for a day out next Friday so I'm excited about that.
So now I just need to find a spot where there's some nuggy's .
Thanks to you all for your help!

Cheers,
Blackwhisky

P.S. The silly thing is that I don't know which particular item most helped my test or if it was a combination of all.
I haven't tested each item individualy .

Blackwhisky, I believe you've made the right choices. Have no doubt that the combination of all three will enhance your setup in more ways than one.Just remember if your scoring lead slugs of various sizes at various depths,its only a matter of time before you lob onto the "mellow yellow".

Cheers kon61.

kon61 wrote:

..... its only a matter of time before you lob onto the "mellow yellow".
Cheers kon61.

quite rightly!

blackwhisky wrote:So now I just need to find a spot where there's some nuggy's .

At your back doorstep if you're at Haddon I've found plenty of nice nuggies within a very short drive of there. (the nuggets in my avatar are my first nuggets ever, within 10 min drive of Haddon and that's a 10c piece not a 5c )