[meteorite-list] Best Meteorite hunting handheld MD??

From: Galactic Stone & Ironworks <meteoritemike_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 16 May 2010 12:39:26 -0400
Message-ID: <AANLkTindrJrlZNGucIupbc-830ka-yJLJdbhiIz-qrlR_at_mail.gmail.com>

Hi Joe,

Good topic. It will be interesting to hear if any of the prolific
hunters share their detector observations.

I do have some metal detecting experience with treasure hunting and
relic hunting, but not with meteorites. But I do have a general
observation to share, based on first hand experience and "armchair
theory" about meteorites. Metal detectors are an old technology and
the fundamental principles have not changed since the days of finding
mines in WWII. Discriminator circuitry has come a long way, but the
detector is about the same. To a metal detector, a stony meteorite
with iron content will probably "resemble" scrap iron, nails, etc. A
detector on a gold setting or tuned to discriminate out "junk" iron,
might overlook a stony meteorite or give weak feedback. So, in
armchair theory, I'd think that having the latest treasure-hunting
discriminator circuitry would be secondary to depth/reach and other
more practical criteria like comfort/weight. I read a comparison
review online somewhere (I'll have to dig up the link) that compared
various metal detectors for finding different types of meteorites
buried at different depths - and the older, less-sophisticated
detectors held up very favorably to the newer and much more expensive
detectors. The only problem is, the older detectors (like the old
Whites) are not very ergonomic, and swinging one around all day would
require Schwarzenegger-like arms. My stepson owns 2 Tesoros - a
little Compadre with a tiny coil and a Cibola with a slightly-larger
coil. Both are lightweight and the Compadre is almost toylike in size
and feel - but yet both are very capable detectors, especially the
Cibola, which has surprising depth. If a meteorite ever needs chasing
in Florida, I'll grab one or both of them to take with me - not
because they would be my first choice, but because they are what I
have access to and I think they would work better than no detector for
finding most meteorites. :)

I've certainly found a lot of junk with the Compadre. LOL

Best regards and happy huntings,

MikeG


On 5/16/10, Joe Kerchner <skyrockmeteorites at yahoo.com> wrote:
> I use the Minelab Xterra-70. I believe it is the best meteorite hunting
> hand-held. I can set it to discriminate everything except for meteorites.
> When I have it set to find only meteorites, I get very very few signals from
> other iron, once in a while I will get a signal for iron that has chrome on
> it, not sure why.
> While in WI, I used it quite a bit in the trees and tall grass, and hay
> fields. I only got a couple signals the entire time. While other detectors
> got many many signals. If I didnt have mine to double check the others, they
> may have spent all day digging. Even though not many hunters up in WI are
> using detectors, I was part of the time. After all, if I wasn't using it, I
> would not have found my 332g stone, it was completely buried, with no sign
> of disturbance at the surface.
> I know a few people who had Gold Bugs up there, but didnt use them
> because of all of the iuron junk in the ground up there, I used mine and
> found less than 5 pieces of scrap iron(fencing, old cans, much more).
> I was wondering what others use.
> I VERY HIGHLY recommend using the Xterra-70(now the Xterra 705) for
> meteorite hunting, it is very light weight, has changeable coils, very
> highly tuned discriminating options, very accurate. I love this thing. One
> of the other guys I was with this last trip was wishing he had an Xterra.
> There were very few hunters using detectors at all in WI, not sure why
> with all of the forest, tall grasses, and hay fields in the heart of the
> strewnfield. I think if more people would have been using an Xterra or
> another good discriminating MD there would have been many more finds made, I
> am sure of it.
>
> Best Wishes,
> Joe Kerchner
> http://illinoismeteorites.com
> http://skyrockcafe.com
>
>
>
>
>
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-- 
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Mike Gilmer - Galactic Stone & Ironworks Meteorites
http://www.galactic-stone.com
http://www.facebook.com/galacticstone
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Received on Sun 16 May 2010 12:39:26 PM PDT