best detecters and coils for salt lakes

Hi every one
Always been interested but never got the chance to detect salt lakes would like to give it a go next year god willing. I know most of you recommend mine lab detecters but there is a variety of coils out there just about every brand has their own coils but what I want to know is a good combination of sizes if there is a variety, or is it still early days on this front for a good coil for salt lakes. I've seen a few touted by variouse makers but thats not always a recommendation. So the next best thing I have found is to put it out there on this forum. its always value for money.
wilpow

Salt from the dried up salt-lakes in Australia can often be very beautiful because the salt cleans away any of the minerals that might otherwise stain them with oxides. Nuggets from the salt lakes often tend to be very bright and distinct. All the pieces I've seen have been flattish in shape. They were all rather large.

The BEST detector for Salt Lakes is going to have to be the GPX-5000. It was designed with a Salt Mode setting especially for this purpose (not available on the GPX-4800). Word from those using them is that the earlier GPX models could only find the larger pieces of gold with them. The new 5000 can find Larger, Medium and (theoretically) smaller pieces than ever before with a much quieter threshold.

Previous Minelab models could often make use of the inti Interference coils from Coiltek for use on Salt Lakes including one which was sometimes refereed to as a Salt Coil. Do you need one with the GPX-5000? Probably not. But you could always ask Coiltek and Minelab what they think - but be sure to contact both. If you have a GPX-5000, pull out your keyring and phone the Minelab helpline printed on one side for advice.

One thing is for certain, none of the US made detectors will handle salt lakes and their extreme conditions as well as a GPX. But the best of the set will be the GPX-5000.

Thanks Nero
at that rate unless the lotto gods smile down on me I may have to leave it there for some one else in the future but if all our dreams came true we Would have to find another one to replace Them. Will keep dreamin
Wilpow

hi Wilpow

I have had a bit of a play round on the salt with my 4500 running the std 11inch DD coil with some sucess.
JP has posted some settings on here that you could search, the key thing is to run in cancel mode as it changes the way the coil works to filter out the masive ground noise. good luck

Hi wilow

I just spent 3 weeks testing various coils on a GPX 4500 around the salt flats and salt marshes of the Pilbara and the results were quite staggering. In a nutshell you are better of using a DD coil. Larger ones for the deeper, bigger nuggets and the 11" for general use. I strongly recommend not to use the salt-coarse setting on a detector - its absolutely garbage on the GPX 4500 as it misses all the small stuff, and that's mostly what you will find nowadays in well-flogged areas. I'm not sure about the 5000, although some users I spoke to did seem unhappy with that salt setting also. The good thing about a DD coil is that you may not need to use it in Cancel mode all the time (when you do don't forget to also invert the response), particularly when working only the edges of salt flats. If possible use sensitive extra setting for a better response on the small stuff. As you head further out onto the flats it will usually start screeching too much and that's when you will need to switch it into Cancel. When in this mode, depth is drastically reduced.

A salt coil has equivalent depth as running a DD in Cancel, but runs slightly quieter. Using sensitive extra can cause instability on a salt coil and it's not as versitile as the DD, as you cannot switch it out of Cancel when moving closer to the shoreline on quieter ground. When salt flat detecting stay within 20-30 metres of the shoreline for best results.

If you are working only at the edges of the salt flats try an 8" mono with reduced gain. Heaps of small stuff can be found that has been passed over by the bigger coils. I will publish my findings in the next book. Good luck.

Paul Zorich
www.prospectingthemurchison.com

Hi Paul
thanks For your reply been mailing coiltec and they tell me that the ant interference coils will work on all ML detectors from SD, GP and GPX but are not needed on the 5000 because of the gold/ salt setting as I'm a newbe and you say about inverting the response What does this mean.? The other thing is I may end up buying an older detecter like the SD or GP series I assume the same would apply with them I have had both these machines recommended as good oldies. Have heard lots of good feed back on the later 2200D for a good all round machine for big and small gold. May be all Im able to afford so want to find out all there is to know about coils and the best combination of sizes etc. have done a bit in the past with the 3000 and 11" DD with the results of lots of holes dug lots of scrap one day it may be gold. starting to rave!!!
Thanks for your feed back
Wilpow

Using Cancel on a DD coil will give an out-of-phase response. Inverting the respone will correct it.

Prospecting australia,
Thanks for the info, lots of info I have gleened out of your post.
Have tried salt with 4500 but could not stop noise. What you saying I must try next time.
Looking forward to buying your new book.
Thanks Paul
Travelergold