Comparison Between Metal Detectors And Gold Detectors

Metal detectors vs. gold detectors

Gold is a metal, so a metal detector is able to find gold, and vice versa, a gold detectors is also capable of detecting different metals. Metal detectors are primarily used by hobbyists looking to find a wide variety of metals including antiquities, artifacts, coins and jewelry including silver and gold. 

An ordinary metal detector can be used to find gold rings, jewelry, and coins which are as big as finding natural gold such as small gold nuggets and gold flakes as you would when searching for gold. For the latter, you will need a real gold detector. Because the metal detector can be affected by many anomalies and objects that may be similar in conductivity to gold. 

Compared to other metals, gold has lower conductivity properties which means that a detector that operates at a higher frequency will perform better. Metal detectors most suitable for detecting gold operate at much higher frequencies, usually between 45 kHz – 61 kHz, while metal detectors usually operate at lower frequencies between 6.5 kHz – 14 kHz. 

Gold detectors: such as Nokta Macro Gold Cruiser, Nokta Golden Fender and Minelab Gold Monster.. 

Metal detectors: Minelab series such as Minelab Vanquish, Garrett AT Max and Garrett Ace 400.

Metal Detectors vs. Gold Detectors: Is There a Difference? 

Yes there is a difference.. However, this is a very simplified explanation. If you want to make the most of your detection time, you will need to know a lot more about the unique specifications and features of metal and gold detectors. 

The main differences! 

Metals detector 

– lower frequency 

– It can detect large pieces or jewelry that contains gold mixed with other metals 

– Suitable for rocky floor and low to medium metallic floor 

– Better to distinguish trash 

Gold detectors 

– higher frequency 

– It can detect small gold nuggets and gold flakes, the size of half a grain 

– Ideal for highly mineralized ground 

– You can’t always be alerted about trash 

The rest of the article will explain the differences and what to look for in more detail.

First.. How do metal detectors work? 

Before we start exploring the differences between metal detectors and gold detectors, you should be familiar with the basics of how metal detectors work as well as definitions of some basic terms. To find objects, a metal detector transmits an electromagnetic (EM) field through a coil and into the ground. When metal objects come into contact with the field, they become active and occupy their own field, which is picked up by the metal detector. 

Why is frequency important? 

The metal detector identifies the target metal by how well it conducts electricity, and therefore responds to it within different frequencies. Low-frequency instruments are best for detecting highly conductive metals (such as silver), while high-frequency instruments find low-conductivity metals (such as iron and gold). Regular metal detectors operate at frequencies of 5 to 15 kHz, while gold detectors operate at frequencies of 45 kHz to 61 kHz.

Types of metal detectors 

Metal detectors usually fall into three categories: 

– The first is the simplest metal detectors that you will usually find in electronic stores. These are considered too weak and unlikely to be useful in detecting gold. 

– VLF, which are high-accuracy, sensitive, and ideal detectors for multi-purpose detection. They are good at finding small to medium gold nuggets at depths of less than 8 feet. 

– PI are specialized detectors designed to reach the maximum depth in highly mineralized lands 

Technically, gold detectors are just metal detectors specially adapted for the directed search that gold signals reach. The most advanced (and expensive!) gold detectors is the PI gold detectors and excels at distinguishing gold from other metals.

There are different types of metal and gold detectors – which one is right for you?

What are the distinguishing factors in both metal and gold detectors? 

When figuring out whether to use a metal detector or a gold detectors for this task, you will need to know the distinguishing factors in the device and assess how well they handle certain conditions. 

• Awareness of the depth 

Larger gold nuggets are usually found underground. The devices have to penetrate deeper into the ground, where the probability of finding larger nuggets increases.  

• Dealing with rubbish and anomalies 

Unfortunately, most gold detection areas contain unavoidable waste that will interfere with your device while searching for valuables. While many metal detectors can fine tune the discrimination of common “garbage” metals, such as steel and iron, the best gold detectors lack trash discrimination skills. 

• Coils

Search coils are of paramount importance in determining the range of your metal detector and it is one way You can change the metal detector on its basis primarily to excel in specific types of searches. Files come in a wide range and are a variety of sizes and dimensions. 

• Other features to consider when buying a detector 

As always, when making a purchase, you should consider convenience and ease of use. Here there are two things to think about: 

– Depending on how fast and how long you want it, you may want to take into account the weight of your metal detector. 

– You may need a waterproof detector in certain environments. Likewise, it is important to know the terrain in advance. Do your research so you can bring the right gear and avoid wasting time.

Can you find gold with a metal detector? 

Gold is a metal, which means that a metal detector can actually find gold. As long as the solid mass is large enough, most metal detectors detect gold. The catch is that it picks up all kinds of minerals and you’ll be exposed to three crucial aspects: 

Either isolate gold from other metals 

Or pick up smaller pieces of gold or gold at greater depths 

Or finding gold in mineralized ground (which is especially difficult considering gold is usually found in highly mineralized soils). 

So while you can technically detect gold with most metal detectors, it won’t do so much effectively or efficiently. If your goal is to find gold, a basic metal detector is not the best investment of your time, and you should invest in a gold detectors.

A metal detector is a device that consists of a search coil and a receiver coil that transmits and receives electromagnetic fields, respectively. It also has a loudspeaker for alerting the operator in the presence of metals.

As mentioned, metal detectors locate metals underground using an electromagnetic field. This factor makes both ferrous and non-ferrous metals detectable. That said, these devices can detect all metals as long as they are electrically conductive.

In addition, a metal detector can find ferrous meals better due to their magnetic properties. On the other hand, non-ferrous metals are detectable due to their electrical conductivity.

A metal detector’s ability to detect all types of metal can be troublesome if you are looking only for a particular kind of metal. The reason is that there are a lot of metal pieces, such as aluminum foils, tin cans, iron nails, and screws, buried in the ground. These metals can interfere with what you are looking for, thus making the search more difficult.

Fortunately, metal detectors can ignore metals and focus only on the target you are seeking.

Inevitably, some metals are undetectable by a metal detector. On the contrary, you can also set a metal detector to detect only a particular type of metal. It is possible as most metal detectors have a discrimination feature.

Discrimination is the device’s ability to ignore certain metals buried underground. Instead, it will only alert the operator once it locates a target that it identifies based on ferrous properties and conductivity. To simply put it, setting your metal detector discrimination is like telling your device to be quiet when it senses invaluable targets.