Will my Ace 250 suffice?


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Detecting is a great fun hobby. Good exercise, nice places to go, etc. But I wouldn't put too much faith in making money at it. I have a GMT that's made for gold and I think one of the better VLFs and I get skunked more than I find gold. There's gold to be found, but if you start thinking that you NEED to find it to make up lose ends, it will probably frustrate you when you don't find it. I've been there, started comparing fuel costs to what I was finding. Can't do that, it'll ruin it for you.

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Hello All!

It's been a year or so that I last posted. I lost my job on the 4th of April due to the company dumping all of us $13-an-hour janitors, thus I cashed out my 401(k) and bought a new car. My game-plan is to write a screenplay or two while also taking my Ace 250 metal detector out and seeing if fortune might shine down upon me by way of finding some gold nuggets. I'm a total newbie at this sort of thing (though I've had the Ace for a while) and think it'll be an absolute blast to go out and get some exercise while seeing if I can dig something out of the ground that'll help keep me in this apartment for a good long while.

At the moment it's 4:38 a.m. and I wanna head out well past Carson City, east, and see if there's any places in that direction where I can do some detecting. I'm a bit anxious about being without a job (as I'd worked for the company for a good 18-years), yet I feel blessed to have a nice vehicle and such to make this type of Easter egg hunt possible.:-)

I will take a camera and post a pic showing a gold nugget, should I find one. Until then, please feel free to comment if you think my Ace will be alright for what I have in mind, as I'd appreciate any informed comments. Btw, I also intend to skip over to Frenchman's Lake in the near future and see if I can find some nuggets there. Said lake is in California and I did some calling around and was told that getting any special "recreation papers" for playing around with my detector and (small) gold pan isn't necessary (though one has to be careful not to be on someone else's claim). But if any of you have info to the contrary I'd appreciate hearing about it, as I like playing by the rules.

Thanks for your time and have a great weekend!!

The Rag Man

Hey Rag Man. When you come down off that acid trip you're on - and buddy, it sounds like a nice one - Get a newspaper and start looking for a job. If you think you are going to support yourself with a Garrett Ace 250 and a little Screenplay writing, you better start with your own story. You could Title it, "Don't get drunk and post stoopid stuff on the Internet."

What? Too honest guys? :spank::lol:

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Terry Terry Terry..

You just crumpled all that gentlemans dreams!

BUT you are mostly RIGHT unless ya all get a super luckey streak...

Rodd

Somebody HAD to do it Rodd, and everybody hates me anyway, so there's no downside! :rolleyes::lol:

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Hey Rag Man,

Nice to see you post again!

While the 250 is an entry lvl coin shooter it has a great discriminator. So hunt the trash littered old mining sites and ghost towns. And don't forget the shallow water swimming areas.

98 % of nugget hunters will turn tail and run when confronted with rubbish littered site.

Once you learn to only dig the non ferrous targets, it's only a matter of time till you score something good!

Good luck and happy hunting

nvchris

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Rag Man- Get out there and persue your dream. Take a long vacation provided you have funds to do so. Not sure you will find much. Enjoy life! Once we all get into obligations such as house, car, children, college tuition, forget your dreams of lavish vacations, new Corvette, etc. Unless you are financially well off. Just do it!

Herb- As a former New Yorker please don't categorize those of us as you do with Terry--PLEASE NO!

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Well, there you have it...go for your dreams... or... get real and get a job...

You are more likely to make gas money in the parks and schools than driving randomly about...

There is gold not far in California but I am not aware of any placers around Frenchman lake...may be some...

Be careful of friendly strangers asking what kind of stuff you are finding...just a word of caution...

Some things you may find worth good money are tokens, coins and jewellery...use low discrimination and dig carefully.

Terry...you are, as I was called once, a rude old man!!! That is what brutal honesty will get you my man!!! I did not mind the Rude part, but OLD really hurt as I was only 40 at the time...

good luck

fred

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I got a strong signal and quickly found what appeared to be a malformed 9mm bullet. I picked it up and wondered how long it had been laying out there and who was it that shot the gun.

There is your screen play. Write it backwards from the end of the bent 9mm bullet. Write all of the story telling what lead up to it - a tale of murder, mayhem, bullets flying everywhere, badmen, beautiful women, lawmen.Then to really spice it up toss in a mysterious stranger with a futuristic high tech weapon, space ships and invaders from outer space.......... wait a second, that's already been done in that new movie Cowboys vs. Aliens.

Still you could write the story of the bullet and make up something good - even without the space aliens.

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TRM... I get letters such as your posted question regarding being able to make a living out finding gold... I agree with fredm and nvchris.

I have a Garrett 250... I have used it as a coin and for fee/seeded competion hunts. It is not a very good gold machine; but a pretty good coin hunter. You are around Carson City... This can still be a great spot to recover older coins... such as "CC" mintmark old silver. As well as common clad drops.

So get out and use your 250 locally and you will meet others out coinhunting and learn from them... By keeping busy you will stay in good shape physically and avoid the negative feelings of stress being unemployed... Also, being able to pick up a few dollars while out coinhunting, and maybe finding some jewelry items, rare tokens and even silver coin to sweeten the pot.

Now as an older guy (me) who has seen much over the past 3/4 of a century... A Pew study finds anyone unemployed for a year or more now a a 25% less chance then a someone who has been unemployed for a short time... The lesson: the longer you are without a job, the harder it is to get one...

So get one ASAP. No matter what. (Been there, done that. But was able to eventually move on as I had a positive record of working)... such as steel gang for Nevada Northern RR; Laborer for Masonic Cemetery Reno; Crossing Watchman for SPRR in downtown Reno; Laborer Bullgang Kennecott Copper in McGill.

Keep slugging away... It will get better... This worked for me. As the years go by you will find as a door closes, another one opens... You can keep your dreams at the same time... Hey, I'm a gimpy 81 plus guy still going out coinhunting, fee hunts, and even out to the goldfields and finding gold nuggets. And like me, as I'm sure glad I always kept my day job, you will too.

Best to you... :):) OL' Jim Straight

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Hey Rag Man. When you come down off that acid trip you're on - and buddy, it sounds like a nice one - Get a newspaper and start looking for a job. If you think you are going to support yourself with a Garrett Ace 250 and a little Screenplay writing, you better start with your own story. You could Title it, "Don't get drunk and post stoopid stuff on the Internet."

What? Too honest guys? :spank::lol:

Terry,

Love your posts...........You just like to give a person a dose of reality & some people need a BIGGER dose than others. <_<:lol:

wonderer

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Hey Ragman,

Nice to have dreams but just heading in a direction and stopping at some random spot is not going to find you gold. (I could be wrong). I suggest you do some research into gold bearing areas and concentrate on places gold is known to be. Your in the middle of the comstock area and in your first post you said you were going to head east. But if you ended up at the ca border thats west. Their is allot of potential in your area I know because I just moved from there. NVChris has a website that has allot of good info for you and talks a little about Rye Patch (EAST of you)LOL.

http://nevada-outback-gems.com/Rockhound/Rockhound%20_Corner.htm

Also the reno prospectors shop has some good books about the area. Daryl and Jennifer there can hook you up or at least point you in the right direction. The better shot you have with your ace is to hit the busier parks there in Reno and Carson and dig tabs all day looking for gold. Its still there even though people are now starting to hit the area pretty heavy with machines like Etracs. Ive found more Gold in parks than in the gold fields (except for dredging) but someday that will change. Two hunts at mills park about two hours each and I found a 17.9 gram 10k medallion and a 4gram 14k ring. Plus you have Tahoe Lahontan Washoe and many other sites with good potential. But keep realistic and face the reality of your position. Maybe use some of that 401k to get some classes and or get a grant for some schooling and make a future for yourself.

Wish you luck whatever you decide.

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Nuggethead -

Just FYI -Darryl Nelson passed away Dec. 18, 2010. Jennifer closed the shop after he was gone. There is no more Reno Prospectors Supply.

Also, the Nevada Outback website is my website. Chris Porter is a good guy and more than once or twice folks have mixed us up, but we're different.

Chris Ralph - Reno Chris

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Nuggethead -

Just FYI -Darryl Nelson passed away Dec. 18, 2010. Jennifer closed the shop after he was gone. There is no more Reno Prospectors Supply.

Also, the Nevada Outback website is my website. Chris Porter is a good guy and more than once or twice folks have mixed us up, but we're different.

Chris Ralph - Reno Chris

Wow, sorry to hear about Darryl Nelson. I was in his place a few times a number of years ago and he always treated me right.

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Rag Man- Get out there and persue your dream. Take a long vacation provided you have funds to do so. Not sure you will find much. Enjoy life! Once we all get into obligations such as house, car, children, college tuition, forget your dreams of lavish vacations, new Corvette, etc. Unless you are financially well off. Just do it!

Herb- As a former New Yorker please don't categorize those of us as you do with Terry--PLEASE NO!

Hi Explorer1

No categorization intended as I am also from back there!!

Have a Good One!

Herb

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Here are some places to try RagMan.

Fuji park in Carson City go to the E side and hunt along the creek. Trashy but I know there has to more silver and gold to be had.

American Flat (near silver city) is another great area.

Have Fun

Chris Porter

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AHA! Chris, you finally admit it, you are different! :rolleyes:

Doc

Nuggethead -

Just FYI -Darryl Nelson passed away Dec. 18, 2010. Jennifer closed the shop after he was gone. There is no more Reno Prospectors Supply.

Also, the Nevada Outback website is my website. Chris Porter is a good guy and more than once or twice folks have mixed us up, but we're different.

Chris Ralph - Reno Chris

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Nuggethead -

Just FYI -Darryl Nelson passed away Dec. 18, 2010. Jennifer closed the shop after he was gone. There is no more Reno Prospectors Supply.

Also, the Nevada Outback website is my website. Chris Porter is a good guy and more than once or twice folks have mixed us up, but we're different.

Chris Ralph - Reno Chris

Sorry about the mix up! And really sorry to hear about Darryl. I had not been there in a while so this is the first I have heard. He was still young! Sad story I hope Jennifer is doing all right.

Be well

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