Gold Detecting Advice

A few points (and they are meant kindly – the net makes it hard to give nuance):

there is a lot more to prospecting than buying an expensive detector and waving it around. The learning curve for a detector may well be six months or more, the learning curve for working out where to prospect and how to read the ground and the history of areas _will_ be years! :)

Detecting is a solitary task – one leaves camp at 8am? and spends the day concentrating purely on the detector and digging up junk, will your family be happy with you out in the bush for most of the day? Prospecting often requires you to camp in grotty bits of bushland which you would normally avoid - how will the family like that?

There are a couple of people doing development work on detectors at the moment, Minelab have had it all their own way for some time but that will soon change. Minelab detectors are good, no question, but _seriously_ overpriced. If I were in the market for a new detector at this time I would wait a while.

The prospecting group on MSN has some good info. but also a lot of rubbish is talked especially about the technical aspects of detectors – treat with caution.

I love prospecting but I’d be out in the bush even if I didn’t because I love the bush even more but it’s not for everyone – maybe buy a secondhand SD2000 or similar before forking out $5-$6K on the 4000? It’s not the detector which finds the gold it’s the man swinging it :)

Mike Harding

mike_harding@fastmail.fm

Hi Keeping it Real

I agree with Mike. My only concern about the Pulse Devil is that for as long as I have been going to the gold detecting forums about 10mths..they have been talking about the PD. Its gunna be tested on this date..then that date. I don't think we are any closer to having an answer. As Mike said there are others that are developing other machines but when we will see them who knows. Minelab are overpriced but at the moment with the comments I am hearing the 4000 is the way to go. Unless you want to wait and see.

Peter

Sorry I forgot to add earlier that i do already have an extensive collection of geological maps and also mineral deposit maps for my local area and have a reasonable understanding of the geology and the type of landforms etc to be looking for. It has been quite a few years since I first became interested in hunting for gold, and my interest has been re-born i guess. Just looking for tips off others.

regards
Keepingitreal (NSW)

I just got back from a 25 day trip. I found 3 using a 3500, partner
found 15 using a GP Extreme. Is the Extreme better than the
3500? You still have to walk over it whichever detector you have.
Good luck with whatever machine you get. Its a good life,
spending spare time seeking the big
One of the 3 I found
Brian

Hi KIR - like you I have always wanted to add gold prospecting to my list of activities. Local store said - if in WA or Vic, the expensive units may be worth it as larger nuggets are in those states. In Qld, not so - hence I ended up with a ML Quattro at around $1,500.
Doesn't detect as deep, but finds coins and relics, etc and maybe on a trip to WA it could find gold. Haven't got there yet..........Keith