Help with panning,

[Niko]

My funds are very limited, I'm on a meagre fixed income , but if I do something I prefer to wait, save up and buy the equipment that will do the job properly and is essential to my task.
I will spend the money on essential worthwhile equipment , I hope to avoid purchasing stuff I don't need .
I have done a little research but thanks to the internet being hijacked by Google most of my searches seem to be paid for advertising rather than what I am seeking .
Excuse the metaphors but ,
Id like to learn from those who walk the walk , who have the runs on the board, the prospectors , not the dribble the marketing reps came up with.
So ,.....
1. How important is a pin pointer?
2 Which method of sifting is your go to method and why?
IE. Panning , sluicing what do you consider essential fossicking prospecting equipment other than the detector.
It must change based on your target ground , if so , could you please explain to me
From your experience which method you prefer for each varied location you fossick and why
If these questions are too general and need their own thread,....
I am sorry, I will repost .
I want to absorb as much information as I can whilst I save my pennies to keep my enthusiasm alive and to establish a list of what I need to get started properly,. Then I will know exactly how much it is going to cost , I can budget accordingly , then i can go buy them without being led astray by fast talking sales people.
Hope I'm not frustrating you all with stupid questions

Thanks
Niko

 

[XLOOX]

1. No, totally unnecessary

2. Pan.
All the other stuff comes later. No-one drags a heavy sluice up & down unknown creeks whilst looking for gold. They find the gold bearing areas with a pan & if it looks worthwhile then maybe they come back with a sluice.

Find the gold first then worry about more efficient ways to recover it faster

All you need is :
a simple 200mm plastic gold pan
a sturdy Bunnings trowel - narrow steel blade
a heavy duty flat blade screw driver ( 2nd hand store)
a sturdy plastic brush like a dishpan brush
If it has cost you more than $50 to get all that then you have paid too much.

If your creek has no water then add a 20 litre plastic bucket and some 2litre soft drink containers of water.

Wander up the creeks in known gold country , scrape out the rock bar crevices down to their base and pan that.

You will figure the rest out without any help

 

[Niko]

1. No, totally unnecessary

2. Pan.
All the other stuff comes later. No-one drags a heavy sluice up & down unknown creeks whilst looking for gold. They find the gold bearing areas with a pan & if it looks worthwhile then maybe they come back with a sluice.

Find the gold first then worry about more efficient ways to recover it faster

All you need is :
a simple 200mm plastic gold pan
a sturdy Bunnings trowel - narrow steel blade
a heavy duty flat blade screw driver ( 2nd hand store)
a sturdy plastic brush like a dishpan brush
If it has cost you more than $50 to get all that then you have paid too much.

If your creek has no water then add a 20 litre plastic bucket and some 2litre soft drink containers of water.

Wander up the creeks in known gold country , scrape out the rock bar crevices down to their base and pan that.

You will figure the rest out without any help

Cheers XLOOKX

I was hoping that was the case
Thanks for the prompt reply any advice on detectors ? Are the pricey ones worth the money ?

 

[XLOOX]

Cheers XLOOKX

The I was hoping that was the case
Thanks for the prompt reply any advice on detectors ? Are the pricey ones worth the money ?

If you are talking about the top end gold nugget detectors from Minelab ( doesnt get pricier that that !) then they find a lot more gold than much cheaper detectors and not 30% more but 3x or 30x, depending on what cheaper detector you are referencing against.

Worth it ? Honestly it comes down to how "into" your hobby you are going to get .

90 days x 8 hrs fullon hard detecting in most WA goldfields will pay off the most expensive ML detector quite easily for even a novice but how long will it take you to clock up 90 full days?

For the serious amateurs like myself thats 1-2 years,

For most keen detectorists doing 6 weekends a year, 4 hrs a day that is 15 years

If you limit yourself to a few days a year in nearby locations you may never pay it off but its a hobby isnt it?

You dont need to turn a profit, just find some cool looking shiny nuggets