Let me introduce myself.

[r49miner]

I'm a retired Ma Bell maintenance supervisor. I was an installer, repairman, lineman, splicer, L4-L5 Coax splicer, maintenance splicer, Test desk technician, maintenance dispatcher, Test Center supervisor, Maintenance Center supervisor, Field Maintenance supervisor. I retired in December 1991.

I have been mining since about 1968. In May of 1992 I got married again only to leave 7 days later for the mountains and rivers of Northern California to dredge for gold. I mined for 5 months each season and continued mining till December of 1999 when the wife retired. I was ready to quit mining at the time. I had lost the fire that drove me to dredge, it just was not fun any more. You could say my mining partner at the time ruined mining for me. I quit mining and dredging for 7 years till I got a spark back. We moved from California to Idaho in 2007 but our house did not sell till April of 2008 and we lost a whole lot of money in the process. But if I had it all to do over again, I'd do it all again just sooner.

I have had metal detectors since 68 but have never really got into it. Dredging is a lot more fun and can be as rewarding as finding a lost small treasure. One of the detectors I owned was a gold bug, but I couldn't find a nail in the hardware store with it if I tried. That should tell you one thing about me, NO Patience's what so ever. I'm not the condition I was 10 years ago so now I will have to scale down on my dredging and go back to my old 4 and 5 inch dredges. I will also do a lot more metal detecting now for just the exercise. Patience will have to be a goal along the way.

I now have an old Whites Coinmaster G.E.B., a Garrett Infinium LS Metal Detector and I just bought a real old White's Goldmaster 66TR 4B series II (strictly for hanging) , a Whites GMT and expect to get it in the mail in about ten days. I also plan to purchase another detector. I was thinking of the Whites MXT or the XLT. I would like a detector for just hunting coins, jewelry, Pirate treasure, etc. Can you tell me which is best for treasure hunting and what is the real difference between the MXT and the XLT?

I am a woodworker, jewelry maker, and I like polishing rocks and casting the lost wax method. I hunt and fish.

Thanks Chuck (Strawboss)

[majakldragon]

Welcome to TQ the best dang site anywhere. Looking forward to all the stories and pictures of your finds so we can drool.

[EBCIII]

Welcome to the site! Glad you are gere! It sounds like a very interesting life you have led, Beale.

[Howey01]

Hello and welcome to TQ from KY

[Gravedigger]

A big welcome to TQ!

I purchased an XLT roughly 3-wks ago, and simply love it.

The XLT was more of a turn-n-burn kind of a detector with the ability to mod as I grow more in the hobbie.

Since I don't do any prospecting and upgrading from a BH Fourtune Hunter, the majority of posts when I asked the question between detectors (DFX, MXT or XLT), picked the XLT (the dealer thought that the XLT was better suited for me as well) due to its ease of use, versitility, etc.

Good luck on your search (either way, White's makes a great detector with awesome service)!

[Mikey]

Welcome to TQ Chuck, looks like you'll fit right in... Mikey

[Buster]

Welcome to the family...Chuck..........

[Dugday]

Hello and welcome to TQ................Nice to Meet you.

[bootybay]

Welcome Chuck to TQ

I would love to see some of your jewelry work, I do chainmaille and wirewrapping and regular beading... not castings or wax..so I would dearly love to see some of your work.

I think its great your back to mining again..another dream of mine, so I am jeleous.. congrats on your new marriage and welcome to TQ..

waving from the jersey shores
Rae

[DigsNW]

Hello and welcome to TQ r49miner from Washington State. I have many hobbies in common with you. I fish, hunt, woodwork and have start doing some panning and a friend just bought a dredge. I have only owned a MXT so I can't answer your question but either way I think you will have a good detector.