Hi from a relative newbie.

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ProspectingPip

Joined
Nov 3, 2024
Messages
4
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Location
Truganina
Hi everyone!

I've been prospecting for about 12 months now and, up until recently, have been exclusively panning and sluicing. I haven't found a heap of gold but, I've bloody enjoyed "the hunt" and appreciated being in the fresh air and wondeful surroundings.

As I live in the West of Melbourne, Creswick has been where most of my proscpecting has been done so far. Although I have made a couple of trips up to Reedy Creek. I also have a good friend who lives in Benella, so Reef Hills is on my prospecting list.

I've also just recently moved into detecting, and have just purchased the GM 1000. I plan to trawl through the various GM 1000 threads to compliment the learning curve for the 1000. Been out three times with it so far and haven't found any gold (yet). But, I've found a bit of lead shot, .22 shell casings and various other stuff. I'm starting to differentiate tones from the GM, as well as workout sensitivity settings. I've enjoyed the process to far and am keen to get out there and get to know the machine.

As for reading the ground, workings, reefs, etc, that's something I've probably had the most difficulty with - trying to conceptualise how the ground and gold interact so I can research effectively. I have a few gold maps but with my limited knowledge, I've found it challenging to put map information into practice when I get to the area I want to detect.

However, I'm sure with patience and practice, my confidence and competency will increase.

This is a great hobby/activity to be a part of. And my limited interactions with other prospectors out in the field has been really positive.

Laslty, if there's anyone out there who's willing to spend a couple of hours with a newbie, and is a frequent visitor to Creswick (or Ballarat), please let me know. A first hand explanation of the workings/reefs would be REALLY beneficial, so I can understand the relationship they have with gold depsoits.

Have a great day everyone and if your out there today, then I hope the "yellah" is plentiful!

Cheers,

Pip.
 
Welcome to PA, Pip.

It sounds to me like you're already moving along the path to prospecting success - if you can find lead shot with a GM1000, you can certainly find gold. It's just a matter of time until you walk over it.

Good luck in the goldfields!
 
ProspectingPip said:
Hi everyone!

I've been prospecting for about 12 months now and, up until recently, have been exclusively panning and sluicing. I haven't found a heap of gold but, I've bloody enjoyed "the hunt" and appreciated being in the fresh air and wondeful surroundings.

As I live in the West of Melbourne, Creswick has been where most of my proscpecting has been done so far. Although I have made a couple of trips up to Reedy Creek. I also have a good friend who lives in Benella, so Reef Hills is on my prospecting list.

I've also just recently moved into detecting, and have just purchased the GM 1000. I plan to trawl through the various GM 1000 threads to compliment the learning curve for the 1000. Been out three times with it so far and haven't found any gold (yet). But, I've found a bit of lead shot, .22 shell casings and various other stuff. I'm starting to differentiate tones from the GM, as well as workout sensitivity settings. I've enjoyed the process to far and am keen to get out there and get to know the machine.

As for reading the ground, workings, reefs, etc, that's something I've probably had the most difficulty with - trying to conceptualise how the ground and gold interact so I can research effectively. I have a few gold maps but with my limited knowledge, I've found it challenging to put map information into practice when I get to the area I want to detect.

However, I'm sure with patience and practice, my confidence and competency will increase.

This is a great hobby/activity to be a part of. And my limited interactions with other prospectors out in the field has been really positive.

Laslty, if there's anyone out there who's willing to spend a couple of hours with a newbie, and is a frequent visitor to Creswick (or Ballarat), please let me know. A first hand explanation of the workings/reefs would be REALLY beneficial, so I can understand the relationship they have with gold depsoits.

Have a great day everyone and if your out there today, then I hope the "yellah" is plentiful!

Cheers,

Pip.
Click to expand...

Pip, Unfortunately reading the ground is not quite as simple as it used to be. The majority of potentially gold producing areas have been well worked so some of the less obvious areas may very well be more productive. Even when we find a little patch the natural progression might be to follow the path back to where the gold came from. The difficulty we have now is that these areas of natural flow from the reef to the alluvial patch have most likely been raided by many prospectors swinging a range of detectors. Of course if you were to find a new gold deposit then the old rules might apply however there's not much virgin ground left so I think you're choice of detector is a smart one. Most old areas will still produce very small gold and the tiny gold might reach those areas where they are hiding.
 
grubstake said:
Welcome to PA, Pip.

It sounds to me like you're already moving along the path to prospecting success - if you can find lead shot with a GM1000, you can certainly find gold. It's just a matter of time until you walk over it.

Good luck in the goldfields!
Click to expand...
Thanks for the warm welcome grubstake! Yeah, from what I've seen and heard, finding lead shot is the next best thing to finding gold, as their targets sounds are very similar - almost identical on the GM.

I'm sure color is not far off. Still, detecting so far has been just as enjoyable as panning and sluicing. Keen For more!!
 
Moneybox said:
Pip, Unfortunately reading the ground is not quite as simple as it used to be. The majority of potentially gold producing areas have been well worked so some of the less obvious areas may very well be more productive. Even when we find a little patch the natural progression might be to follow the path back to where the gold came from. The difficulty we have now is that these areas of natural flow from the reef to the alluvial patch have most likely been raided by many prospectors swinging a range of detectors. Of course if you were to find a new gold deposit then the old rules might apply however there's not much virgin ground left so I think you're choice of detector is a smart one. Most old areas will still produce very small gold and the tiny gold might reach those areas where they are hiding.
Click to expand...
Hi Moneybox,

Thank-you for the explanation as to some of the reasons why I've found reading the ground so difficult as I've been starting out.

The maze of workings, reefs, etc has been quite daunting in regards to where I start to detect, let alone follow a reef to an alluvial patch. I have seen visible evidence of detecting in gullies, around workings, and try to chose ground that looks undisturbed. I'm kinda caught between analysis paralysis and just swinging the darn detector around till I think I have a good sounding target.

Speaking of detectors, it reassuring to hear that you believe that that the choice of my first detector is the correct one.

Price point aside. For learning the ropes or an "apprenticeship" if you will, the GM was recommended to me by alot of prospecting people I spoke to. I understand that it does have limitations but, then again, so does every detector to my understanding. "Get to know your machine and you'll be surprised what you can find" was the mantra.

So, all in all, I've just gotta keep getting out there, build up my knowledge of my detector, as well as map and ground reading. It took me around 12 months to get my head around panning, reading creeks, inside bends, ect. So, I'm expecting at least that time frame just to get my head around detecting.

Cheers,

Pip.
 
ProspectingPip said:
The maze of workings, reefs, etc has been quite daunting in regards to where I start to detect, let alone follow a reef to an alluvial patch. I have seen visible evidence of detecting in gullies, around workings, and try to chose ground that looks undisturbed. I'm kinda caught between analysis paralysis and just swinging the darn detector around till I think I have a good sounding target.
Click to expand...
With the GM1000, that's not necessarily your best choice. It doesn't have the ground penetration of a PI detector or the mineralisation-handling ability, so in general its best capability is finding overlooked small nuggets in amongst old alluvial workings, surfacing, shallow creek beds/washaways and also on mine dumps, where specimens (gold embedded in quartz) may be found. As a high-frequency VLF machine, it also has an advantage with spongy and ragged gold, that PI machines aren't as good at sensing.

Lastly, don't be put off an area by signs of earlier detectorists - many miss more than they find, leaving good gold behind for the more careful, patient operator. Hopefully, that's you.
 
grubstake said:
With the GM1000, that's not necessarily your best choice. It doesn't have the ground penetration of a PI detector or the mineralisation-handling ability, so in general its best capability is finding overlooked small nuggets in amongst old alluvial workings, surfacing, shallow creek beds/washaways and also on mine dumps, where specimens (gold embedded in quartz) may be found. As a high-frequency VLF machine, it also has an advantage with spongy and ragged gold, that PI machines aren't as good at sensing.

Lastly, don't be put off an area by signs of earlier detectorists - many miss more than they find, leaving good gold behind for the more careful, patient operator. Hopefully, that's you.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that info grubstake.
I THINK I took the GM to some old workings that were situated around a quartz reef. There was quartz EVERYWHERE!

The GM was definitely chirpy for some of the time; lots of hotrocks in some of the areas. Other times the GM was pretty quiet. I think the lowest setting I ran was Manual 7, with me floating around Manual 8-9, depending on how hot the ground was.

Like I said earlier, I did find some lead shot. And when I did, there was a definite change in the signal tone when I came across the lead shot as opposed to the hot rocks.

But, with your suggestions, I'll begin detecting in shallow creek beds as now the creeks are drying up a bit. Will also check out where the old allvial workings are around Creswick. Back to the maps for me!

Cheers,

Pip.
 
ProspectingPip said:
Hi everyone!

I've been prospecting for about 12 months now and, up until recently, have been exclusively panning and sluicing. I haven't found a heap of gold but, I've bloody enjoyed "the hunt" and appreciated being in the fresh air and wondeful surroundings.

As I live in the West of Melbourne, Creswick has been where most of my proscpecting has been done so far. Although I have made a couple of trips up to Reedy Creek. I also have a good friend who lives in Benella, so Reef Hills is on my prospecting list.

I've also just recently moved into detecting, and have just purchased the GM 1000. I plan to trawl through the various GM 1000 threads to compliment the learning curve for the 1000. Been out three times with it so far and haven't found any gold (yet). But, I've found a bit of lead shot, .22 shell casings and various other stuff. I'm starting to differentiate tones from the GM, as well as workout sensitivity settings. I've enjoyed the process to far and am keen to get out there and get to know the machine.

As for reading the ground, workings, reefs, etc, that's something I've probably had the most difficulty with - trying to conceptualise how the ground and gold interact so I can research effectively. I have a few gold maps but with my limited knowledge, I've found it challenging to put map information into practice when I get to the area I want to detect.

However, I'm sure with patience and practice, my confidence and competency will increase.

This is a great hobby/activity to be a part of. And my limited interactions with other prospectors out in the field has been really positive.

Laslty, if there's anyone out there who's willing to spend a couple of hours with a newbie, and is a frequent visitor to Creswick (or Ballarat), please let me know. A first hand explanation of the workings/reefs would be REALLY beneficial, so I can understand the relationship they have with gold depsoits.

Have a great day everyone and if your out there today, then I hope the "yellah" is plentiful!

Cheers,

Pip.
Click to expand...
Hi. Look up and hit the reef heaps that were rich with your VLF screamer.
A chance anywhere with anything PI or VLF if its not been walked over. But if I was on a VLF today start up, reef heaps in the rich areas. If you run across pipeclay diggings in your search, even most reef heaps, crank up the sens till you get noise then back it off till it shuts up.
Good luck.
 

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