On average how far from your high banker set up position would you have to park your 4wd, and then how far from the water would your h/b be
cheers Keith
cheers Keith
Average Distance From 4wd
- Thread starter xcvator
- Start date
Help Support Prospecting Australia:
How long is a piece of string! The answer is it all depends
- On average, spots you can park at get clobbered more than more remote spots,
- How heavy is your gear and how unwieldy is it to move? On the other hand, how fit and strong are you?
- If working some distance from your car, you will be less enthusiastic about the trip back to the car after a hard day on the shovel. on multi day trips, you can leave your gear at the spot overnight, but thieves and unexpected floods can be a problem. These issues have both happened at Oallen and Tuena in recent years.
- How long is it since a flood left new deposits of flood gold, or stripped some gravel making bedrock more accessible? These can be very good spots indeed, even if previously well worked, and close to parking.
- Can you move banker, engine, fuel, hoses and digging implements (not to mention drinks and food) in one trip? If you can, so much the better. Wal has been known to travel significant distances with his large banker and gear (with Liz to help). However, he would always have tested the location to determine that the trip would be worthwhile. Some prospecting up or down the creek with a pan and shovel is an absolute necessity before carrying your gear in.
- I've seen some efficient setups on trolleys and backpacks, but the smaller banker you have the easier it is to move. Jemba's little banker is brilliant in this regard. It's worth cutting your carpet or moss into two bits to see how much gold finds its way into the lower half of the sluice, by cleaning up the two sections separately. You might be surprised how little it is. Bazza's little home brew banker caught 98% of the gold in the top sections. So if you need to carry the banker, you may be able to make it shorter than you think.
- How far from the water depends on the length of hoses available and the efficiency of your pump. The more hose you have and the bigger your pump, the harder it is to carry any appreciable distance. How much water is in the creek is an important consideration, as it may be some distance between waterholes in some places.
- Where ever you set up, the key is to put as much of the right dirt over the riffles as possible, given the time available. Test panning before setting up, and while banking, to make sure you are still on the gold line is essential.
So sorry I can't give precise answers. Where I usually prospect (Oallen and Tuena) you can usually find a half decent spot within striking distance of the car, but can be well rewarded by venturing up or down the river somewhat.
- On average, spots you can park at get clobbered more than more remote spots,
- How heavy is your gear and how unwieldy is it to move? On the other hand, how fit and strong are you?
- If working some distance from your car, you will be less enthusiastic about the trip back to the car after a hard day on the shovel. on multi day trips, you can leave your gear at the spot overnight, but thieves and unexpected floods can be a problem. These issues have both happened at Oallen and Tuena in recent years.
- How long is it since a flood left new deposits of flood gold, or stripped some gravel making bedrock more accessible? These can be very good spots indeed, even if previously well worked, and close to parking.
- Can you move banker, engine, fuel, hoses and digging implements (not to mention drinks and food) in one trip? If you can, so much the better. Wal has been known to travel significant distances with his large banker and gear (with Liz to help). However, he would always have tested the location to determine that the trip would be worthwhile. Some prospecting up or down the creek with a pan and shovel is an absolute necessity before carrying your gear in.
- I've seen some efficient setups on trolleys and backpacks, but the smaller banker you have the easier it is to move. Jemba's little banker is brilliant in this regard. It's worth cutting your carpet or moss into two bits to see how much gold finds its way into the lower half of the sluice, by cleaning up the two sections separately. You might be surprised how little it is. Bazza's little home brew banker caught 98% of the gold in the top sections. So if you need to carry the banker, you may be able to make it shorter than you think.
- How far from the water depends on the length of hoses available and the efficiency of your pump. The more hose you have and the bigger your pump, the harder it is to carry any appreciable distance. How much water is in the creek is an important consideration, as it may be some distance between waterholes in some places.
- Where ever you set up, the key is to put as much of the right dirt over the riffles as possible, given the time available. Test panning before setting up, and while banking, to make sure you are still on the gold line is essential.
So sorry I can't give precise answers. Where I usually prospect (Oallen and Tuena) you can usually find a half decent spot within striking distance of the car, but can be well rewarded by venturing up or down the river somewhat.
Thanks for the reply DrDuc, yes I have been getting some extremely helpful advise behind the scenes. :Y:
My problem is that I didn't really check out the total cost of a full set up,yes I looked at the prices of all the bits and pieces, but didn't actually add them all up, dumb I know. These other bits and pieces run into another $300/400 or so.
Now this is my solution to the escalating cost, I have an old 4wd in good condition and not I'm frightened to get a scratch or 2 on it , in the back of it I have a Fullriver 120ah deep cycle battery, so if I can bush bash to within 20 or so metres of my set up spot I can utilise the existing auxiliary battery to run a bilge pump for a few hours each day, which can be recharged via either the car or a solar panel.
If I then find I'm enjoying banking, and can physically handle it I could the invest in the full pump set up ( subject to swmbo approval
)
cheers Keith
My problem is that I didn't really check out the total cost of a full set up,yes I looked at the prices of all the bits and pieces, but didn't actually add them all up, dumb I know. These other bits and pieces run into another $300/400 or so.
Now this is my solution to the escalating cost, I have an old 4wd in good condition and not I'm frightened to get a scratch or 2 on it , in the back of it I have a Fullriver 120ah deep cycle battery, so if I can bush bash to within 20 or so metres of my set up spot I can utilise the existing auxiliary battery to run a bilge pump for a few hours each day, which can be recharged via either the car or a solar panel.
If I then find I'm enjoying banking, and can physically handle it I could the invest in the full pump set up ( subject to swmbo approval
)cheers Keith
No worries, Keith.
Yep, a 100 amp hour battery is a heavy *******, and I can see your problem. One issue is voltage drop if you need to deploy a significant length of cable between the battery and your pump. Basically, consider the cable as a resistor. The thicker the cable, the less resistance, and the longer the cable the greater resistance. So ideally you will need pretty heavy cable to cover a 20 meter run. This can get expensive.
If your pump draws 3 amps, this calculator recommends around 9mm2 cable for a 20 meter run.
http://www.energymatters.com.au/climate-data/cable-sizing-calculator.php
Yep, a 100 amp hour battery is a heavy *******, and I can see your problem. One issue is voltage drop if you need to deploy a significant length of cable between the battery and your pump. Basically, consider the cable as a resistor. The thicker the cable, the less resistance, and the longer the cable the greater resistance. So ideally you will need pretty heavy cable to cover a 20 meter run. This can get expensive.
If your pump draws 3 amps, this calculator recommends around 9mm2 cable for a 20 meter run.
http://www.energymatters.com.au/climate-data/cable-sizing-calculator.php
Thanks Dr, I'm aware of the voltage drop problems etc, I've used up to 20 meters for solar panels before with the correct size cable, I know where I can ditch the cable pretty easy and get my money back if need be, just need to bung on a couple of anderson plugs, pretty easy
cheers Keith
cheers Keith
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2016
- Messages
- 2,274
- Reaction score
- 2,272
If you go to Beechworth, you can get the 4wd close,but still 10-20 metres, the digging is really easy at Beechworth.
Why don't you go up there for a camp and talk to a few fellows banking up there, I have often said g'day and always had a friendly yarn and vice versa when people pop into my camp.
If you haven't done it before you may find it's just something that may not suit.
Anyway I offered you that expanded mesh in your build or buy thread, I'll give you a 40ah battery as well (not new, can't give a warranty on it) , you'll get 1.5hrs from that, have a break, charge it up and start again. I've got some marine carpet and a few metres of hose you can have too.
That should make a good start on a build project.
Why don't you go up there for a camp and talk to a few fellows banking up there, I have often said g'day and always had a friendly yarn and vice versa when people pop into my camp.
If you haven't done it before you may find it's just something that may not suit.
Anyway I offered you that expanded mesh in your build or buy thread, I'll give you a 40ah battery as well (not new, can't give a warranty on it) , you'll get 1.5hrs from that, have a break, charge it up and start again. I've got some marine carpet and a few metres of hose you can have too.
That should make a good start on a build project.
Occasional Panner pm sent
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2016
- Messages
- 2,274
- Reaction score
- 2,272
More than welcome to some stuff I'm not using mate :Y:
No point it sitting idle, be in touch soon.
No point it sitting idle, be in touch soon.
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2016
- Messages
- 2,274
- Reaction score
- 2,272
Hey XC have you got a bilge pump yet?
Sorry missed your post op :brokenh:
Not yet mate, 8.( just finished the actual sluice build today, :lol: as I mentioned ,it is NOT my design so I'm not free to post pictures of the build :N: , until I'm advised otherwise :Y:
Not yet mate, 8.( just finished the actual sluice build today, :lol: as I mentioned ,it is NOT my design so I'm not free to post pictures of the build :N: , until I'm advised otherwise :Y:
Short answer an average of 30 mtrs to high banker and its 30 mtrs from water , one spot i have been to was 60 mtrs lower than the vehicle which fine until i was packing up hauling gear back up the mountain , i honestly debated leaving my pump there and buying a new one
I agree with the string theory :Y: its like detecting if you can park there its been done before .
I agree with the string theory :Y: its like detecting if you can park there its been done before .
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2016
- Messages
- 2,274
- Reaction score
- 2,272
xcvator said:
Well, not knowing anything about your new design I couldn't say if a bilge will be enough flow.
What I was going to suggest is run it with my bilge pump and see if that's enough flow, otherwise, you'll need a petrol pump.
The advantage of a petrol is you can go most of a day on a tank.
How hard yakka it's going to be will entirely depend on where you are going to prospect.
Similar threads
