I have a lot of hours on this detector and I really like it for its simplicity and sheer power to find gold. The detector features 56 kHz, which allows it to search out and find those really small gold nuggets close to the surface with the included 5” search coil. Then when you want to re-hunt your patch and get more depth, swap over to the 10” x 5.5” coil. Having the ability to swap between two waterproof, factory-supplied coils is like having two detectors in one control box. 

Couple that with an audio boost switch to check out faint target sounds and a dial up and visual LED discrimination, then put all together in an IP54 dust and water spray box, you have a winner for detectorists around the world. Nokta is no longer the new kid on the block and has more than earned its place in the detecting industry with the Au Gold Finder. 

 

To take advantage of this fantastic holiday special, enter AU150OFF at checkout from the Kellyco website, (www.kellycodetectors.com/catalog/au-gold-finder). While on the website be sure to read my full review of this great detector. Just look for field test on the Au Gold Finder page. 

FELIX 

In 1902, Felice Pedroni, an Italian immigrant and the man who would become the legendary Felix Pedro, and his partner discovered gold around Chena City, a city that only existed because it is where a supply boat ran aground. This log cabin and tent town later became known as Fairbanks and is where the interior Alaska Gold Rush began thanks to Felix and his partner.

A century later, Felix Pedro is remembered with a monument on the Steese Highway and the creek where he discovered gold bears his name. And of course, he is remembered by the new Felix. Felix Paydirt knew that the old-timers left a lot behind, so he scoured the area around Fairbanks looking for those perfect claims to let everyone have a taste of Alaskan gold. Felix had a true Eureka moment 20 years ago when he found the Motherlode claim, which started Felix Paydirt. But in the spirit of a true prospector, Felix was not content to just have the Mother-lode claim and continued his search for more Alaska riches. In 2008 Felix discovered the Bonanza claim and today the Motherlode and Bonanza claims are the main mines producing the Felix Paydirt bags, bucket samples and even feeding the Alaska or Bust gold club in which a bag of Gourmet Gold concentrates is sent to you monthly. To have those types of offerings you know that the gold has to be great. 

For this holiday season, Felix and his team of miners are offering a chance at the “Biggest Gold Nugget Giveaway in The World.” From Nov. 1-7 and Nov. 20 and 21 order any bag, case, bucket or call them about a truckload (kidding) and when you receive your order, open it up and dump it into your pan. Some lucky prospector will feel the weight and hear the clunk of a 2-ounce nugget drop into their pan. Instant nugget shakes, shortness of breath and an overall feeling of pure euphoria will follow.  

And because it is the 20th anniversary of Felix Paydirt, there’s more for GPAA members! How about an instant $20 off any purchase of Gourmet Gold Paydirt plus FREE USPS shipping, FREE Felix T-shirt, FREE beveled locket and chain, FREE six-piece gold panning kit (includes gold pan, stainless steel tweezers, suction tweezers, eye loupe, Felix chocolate coin, and glass vial), AND a $50 Felix gift certificate, valid for one year. Altogether, that’s $150 in products, free. Offer valid till Dec. 31, limit one code per customer. Use code: Gift150.

Prospecting can be very, very hard work, but prospecting with Felix is as simple as going to the mailbox and filling up a pan with the Felix Paydirt Alaska gold concentrates. Good luck on dropping that 2-ounce Felix Nugget into your pan. Visit Felix's website at www.felixpaydirt.com. 

MINELAB

Since the mid-1980s, Minelab has been considered a world leader in metal detecting technology—and not just for gold nuggets, coins, relics and treasure hunting. Minelab technology is credited with saving countless lives across the globe with its countermine division whose only job is to evaluate and create systems capable of finding the smallest targets imaginable to save lives.

Simply put, Minelab continues to create some of the most advanced metal detectors in the world and the Minelab Gold Monster 1000 is a perfect example of this. As a technology-driven company, Minelab has again made successful gold nugget detecting easy and obtainable for every level of detectorist. 
Using a great deal of extremely advanced patented technology, the Gold Monster 1000 is becoming a first choice of detectorists around the world. Utilizing an extra-sensitive 45 kHz VLF frequency response, Minelab then matched this to a true auto ground balancing system that is automatic and highly adaptable to iron and varied soils. 

Not stopping there, Minelab also created the Gold Monster 1000 with two full-powered detecting modes—one is deep, all metal and the second a shallow iron discrimination mode—then topped it all off by placing the workings into a depth-limited waterproof platform weighing less than 3 pounds. 
The Gold Monster 1000 comes complete with the standard 10" x 6" Double-D and the 5" Double D search coils, rechargeable battery and AA adapter, headphones and the Minelab “Quick Start Guide” designed to get you in the field hunting for gold in minutes. Turn it on, ground balance and go detecting. 

For Minelab, Gold Monster 1000 has been a great accomplishment and one that quite frankly has found a lot of gold for me and others.

Minelab, when introducing the Gold Monster 1000 in 2017, summed up exactly what drives its technology and development departments: “The GOLD MONSTER 1000 turns beginners into experts with fully automatic operation in an easy-to-use, high performance detector.” 

A year later, Minelab Vice President and General Manager Ben Harvey has this to say about the Gold Monster: "The highly sensitive, simple to use, entry level GOLD MONSTER 1000 was introduced to the market in May 2017 and has proven to be very popular among both recreational detectorists and artisanal miners. The GOLD MONSTER 1000 was designed to make gold prospecting accessible to all, to discover new gold patches and to recover gold left behind from other detectors. We are pleased that demand has been strong worldwide." 

As an added bonus for the holidays, Minelab is including the Pro-Gold panning kit, which includes the Hi-Contrast blue 15-inch dual riffle pan, 10-inch single riffle pan, the Hex-Mesh classifier and the convertible carry bag along with some perfect panning tools, iron-separator magnet, double-loupe magnifier, snuffer bottle, vials and a Getting Started Guide to panning written by Steve Herschbach.

To find the Minelab dealer closest to you, visit the Minelab Dealer locater page (www.minelab.com/usa/consumer/where-to-buy?geozone=918). There is no code for this offer; just remember to tell your dealer that you read this in the GPAA Holiday Gift Guide. 

GARRETT 

In 1964, Charles and Elenore Garrett began building, marketing and selling their detectors, and over the next 50 years the Garrett name has become synonymous with creating detectors with exceptional detection capabilities at a fair price and where customer satisfaction always comes first. I can attest to Garrett’s commitment to customer over the years with many of their detectors in my detecting inventory, going back to the Garrett Ground Hog, which was the first detector that I took outside the U.S. and found gold with. 

Garrett is famous for not only their sport detections, but they are a leader in security and humanitarian countermine detection as well. Over 50 years, one mission and one family focused on exceptional technology at a fair price and still today the customer is always the first priority.
New technology is what Garrett is offering this year in the gift guide, with the Garrett AT MAX including Z-Lynk wireless technology. A pioneer in wireless technology, the AT MAX features the new land use Garrett MS-3 Z-Lynk wireless headphones—submersible headphones are available, which you might want to think about since the AT MAX is fully submersible to 10 feet—manual and automatic ground balance circuitry to really dial in the detector to the ground, true all-metal mode for electronic prospecting with adjustable threshold, four separate search modes, notch discrimination for coin and relic hunting plus a great deal of other standard features. 

For the Holiday Gift Guide, Garrett is including the new Garrett Pro-Pointer AT Z-Lynk wireless pinpointer. This unit is a must-have with the Z-Lynk wireless detector and headphones. Go from detector to pinpointer without ever removing your headphones. The Pro-Pointer is new to the Garrett line and is being offered as part of the GPAA gift guide special. Valued at $169, get the Pro-Pointer AT Z-Lynk free with the AT MAX package price of $849. Offer number for ordering this incredible package is PN:1142062 

Visit Garrett's website (www.garrett.com) for more information and the dealer nearest you.

PRO MUSIC & MINING 

Got a hankering for some music while mining in Alaska? Time to pick up a new blues harmonica and a metal detector? Ever thought about visiting what might be the world’s largest music and mining store? Head out to see Craig Smith at Pro Music in Fairbanks, Alaska. Even if Pro Music is not the largest music and mining store in the world—I can’t believe that they wouldn’t be—Pro Music is the largest mining store in Alaska and has a 30-year reputation of “Customer first priority” in all that they do. 

Craig is also president of the Interior Alaska Chapter of the GPAA, and you might want to schedule a trip to Fairbanks around a chapter meeting. You also might make a friend that will take you to one of the GPAA claims outside of Fairbanks and help you get on some Alaska gold. Craig has a special for under the tree this year: Craig’s Kit gold panning package includes a 14” gold pan with 2 riffle zones, a hefty 8-pound lift black sand magnet, snuffer bottle and of course a vial to keep all the small Alaska gold you will find. Even if it means panning in his parking lot, which is right across from the Chena River, Craig promises that if you come to Fairbanks in the summer to use your gold panning kit you will not have to endure the 50-below 0 weather.

This package has a retail value of $30.25 and a normal sale price of $24.99, but for a limited time only is $19.99 by using the coupon code GPAAHOLIDAY at Pro Music's Website (www.promusicalaska.com). Offer is valid Nov. 1 to Dec. 31.

EUREKA JOE’S 

As so many Alaska stories go, this one starts on a mine site in the middle of nowhere Alaska with a prospector eking out a small living or none at all. And this is where Eureka Joe’s starts. Joe became a partner of an old sourdough miner who was working hard to get his mine operational. Joe pitched in with everything needed to get the mine open, but winters are brutal, and breakdowns plagued the team. Seven years went by and the old miner was coming to the end of his time. He told Joe when his time here was up to “Live my dream, Joe, make it happen.” Joe did just that and in two more years the mine was operational, and Joe was living the dream. With the mine running and making gold, the old miner’s last words still in Joe’s head gave him an idea and a way to honor his friend in “living the dream.” 

Joe began packaging the concentrates from the mining operations and selling the bags and buckets in honor of his friend and partner so others could “live the dream” as well.

Living the dream for this holiday season, Joe is offering direct from the mines a free gift pack with any $100 order (special offer code GPAA). The kit includes a 12” ribbed pan, vial, sucker, tweezers and panning instructions, a $50 value. Plus get free shipping to your doorstep. The richest paydirt from Alaska, Eureka Joe’s guarantees gold in every bag. There are five bags to choose from.
Now with all of that you would think that there was nothing more Joe would add to the poke. But how about a chance to experience Alaska for yourself? For every qualifying order between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31, Joe will enter you into a drawing for one round-trip airfare ticket to Alaska. I bet if you are the winner and he’s not at the mine when you visit Alaska, he just might show you what it is like to Live the Dream. 
Pan around the Christmas tree this year and thank the old miner who never gave up and Joe, who knew to honor his friend in offering Alaska Gold directly from the mine. 

To order, visit Eureka Joe's Website (www.eurekajoes.com) or give them a call at 907-717-4744; remember the code is GPAA. 

GOLD HOG

The Gold Hog company with Doc as the head designer has introduced over the years a great deal of equipment utilizing swappable matting and custom matting over a standard riffle system that have proven their success all around the world. It was Doc who coined the phrase “Join the no riffle revolution,” and Gold Hog matting and recovery systems have become the standards for many recovery units being produced by other manufacturers today for the prospecting community. Did you know that Gold Hog custom matting systems are ranking as some of the top systems being used in commercial operations that wanted alternatives for recovery? 

Now, if you know Gold Hog then you know the Gold Hog Multi Sluice. If you have never heard of the Multi Sluice, you might want to set down that glass of eggnog and read on. 

Doc invented the Multi Sluice a few years ago and it is to this day one of the top concentrators in the prospecting industry. When he started the project, he wanted to only make a stripper unit for final recovery. Then taking a closer look at his creation he realized that with very little work he could offer a true two-step, one-unit concentrator that would take your rough concentrates to a very small amount of final concentrates easily down to 100 mesh and below on the first pass. 

In most cases you can go from three gallons of classified cons to about a quarter cup of super cons ready for final recovery. The super cons have your gold, some iron sands and little else. Then with a swap of the Gold Hog matting and dropping in the pump reducer, the Multi Sluice takes the finals to sellable gold with just a little bit of a final cleanup. 

The Gold Hog Multi Sluice is the pick this year for the Holiday Gift Guide. Its multi-use capabilities and ease of operation make it a great choice for the prospector on your gift list, and the holiday special from Gold Hog and Doc is a great offer. With the purchase of a Gold Hog Multi Sluice you will receive a free box of Gold Hog’s newest paydirt, which contains not only gold but gems as well. That’s a $56 value with every order of the Multi Sluice. Go to the Multi Sluice Website (www.multisluice.com) for more information and use the code GPAAGH at checkout. 

GOLD CUBE

What about a company whose first product revolutionized the entire prospecting and mining community—from weekend gold panners to small-scale mining companies determined to get as much gold in as little time as possible? Gold Cube, with Mike and Red being the creative minds, is behind one of the greatest game changers in recovery since the gold pan. 

Mike had a problem that he had to solve—recovering the micron gold from the Great Lakes. The vast majority of this gold is glacial that over millions of years has been reduced in size to tiny specks and for the most part flat, making it virtually unrecoverable by the methods at hand. With paper and pencil in hand, Mike began drawing out designs that would force the gold to settle quickly in one spot, but he knew there had to be backups all the way through the system. He ran these ideas and designs past Red, who was always overly critical until they came out of the backside with the Gold Cube. 

The Gold Cube uses G-Force, as Mike calls it, to force gold into an area of the system and then allows the gold to move slowly to be captured by the Vortex matting. It’s a very simple system that for all sizes of gold has proven time and again to be efficient, fast and high recovery on the first pass. 
Coming in a number of configurations, the standard 3 Stack and 4 Stack Gold Cubes are by far the most used units for recovery and what Gold Cube is offering for the Holiday Gift Guide this year. Purchase any Gold Cube 3 or 4 stack unit by calling Gold Cube direct or ordering from the website and receive free shipping to the lower 48 states plus a custom gold vial display case. Outside of the lower 48 or for international orders, call for shipping rates. As the Gold Cube motto says, “Cube it or lose it.” 

Visit Gold Cube's Website (www.goldcube.net) or call 800-649-0256 for orders only. The Gold Cube special offer code is GCGPAA18.

ROYAL MANUFACTURING 

I often tease Robert, the founder of Royal Manufacturing, about being a rocket scientist in the prospecting industry. If you are not aware of this factoid, Royal Manufacturing is not only a premier builder of prospecting equipment, but Robert and his team are also building metal goods to exacting specifications for the military, aerospace, computer and food industries, just to name a few. That means everything the leaves the Royal factory must meet Robert’s very high-quality control standards. 

With more than 29 years in the metals industry, the team at Royal just does it right, and because of all of the equipment at the disposal of the prospecting side of the business, Royal products are fair priced coming out of the door. 

This year Robert wanted to feature in the gift guide one of the top selling units from Royal, the 30" Recirculating Sluice Box Kit. This kit is perfect for recirculating in the garage or in the stream and features Royal’s bestselling and easy-to-use compact stream sluice box. It comes complete with almost everything you need to get up and recovering gold, including the Royal tool less stand, 1200 GPH 12-volt pump and the header box.
All you need to do is set it up to recirculate from a stream or tubs (sold separately), hook the power up to your favorite 12-volt battery, add water and some good gold-bearing dirt and you are mining. 

Robert is going all out this year for the gift guide and offering this great system not for the standard retail of $238 plus shipping, but for just $155 plus shipping. That’s an $83 savings from the gang at Royal. There is a catch: the limit is two and you must call Royal to take advantage of this offer and use the Code ROYAL1 when ordering. This is a great deal for any prospector and is valid only between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31.

GPAA 

The GPAA is reining up the reindeer for this holiday and helping the entire mining community across the nation with this year’s holiday packages. 

First on the wish list is your GPAA membership, and at the same time helping protect the lands rights that we as prospectors hold dear to our hearts and souls. We are extending our funding drive to continue supporting the American Mining Rights Association in their well-developed plan to regain and protect rights for public land use. 

With every new, renewed or extended 2 or 3-year GPAA membership we will continue to donate $50 to AMRA. This is giving to yourself or others while getting back public lands. Already a member or an LDMA or Lifetime Member? No worries around your tree—keep your eyes on the GPAA website and your email inbox for the pre- to post-Black Friday Flash Sales and build your own bundle offers. We will be posting offers with great deals on GPAA apparel and equipment, and on orders over $100, 20% will go to AMRA.

A GPAA Lifetime of prospecting is awaiting you just around the corner with special incentives, include metal detectors to Gold Cubes, for members who want to upgrade their memberships. Remember to open every email you will be seeing from the GPAA. There will be some great surprises and offers ahead.

Kevin Hoagland is the GPAA Director of Development and can be reached at khoagland@goldprospectors.org