My 1st year of prospecting...

[yobskin]

Its dawned on me my permit runs out mid next month and ive almost completed a year of prospecting. Went fast!.. ..
Up to now ive done 128 days out of a possible 365 i will get another 5days in before it runs out....
Ive had some great highs and equally lows through out the year.
I never thought searching for gold could be so emotional?
Highs and lows.....hahahaha
Started off keen as mustard researching testing learning how to pan...then like every hobby you progress through stages advancing getting a sluice to process more! After a couple months of classifying sluicing you wanna make it easier on your back so you get a highbanker and water pump after a couple of months feeding the beast it starts to feel like work? you just go through the motions...i honestly stopped enjoying it for a while i still liked doing it but didnt have that glee.. :|
The rocker and a fresh lead of gold has got me jumpin again not to mention the support and encouragement from all the fabulous people on this forum..
Some how ive managed to spend $2280 on equipment...this year...and fill half a garage...ive also met 9 people from this forum and have had several meetups thats were the fun is "meetups"..hahaha we need more...

Thanks for the fun guys n gals prospecting is in my life for good...

 

[SCROUNGER]

Wonderful post Yobskin. Keep going mate, i enjoy your reports even if i'm down south and can't get out for a day in person with you or for a PA meetup in that area.

 

[Diggertom]

Your story sounds very familiar to myself Yobskin, and I would be around the one year mark to!

I get exactly what you mean about work, except sometimes you don't get paid! Really puts a damper on your mood when there isn't the gold you would expect there to be.

I to have to keep changing between Paning, sluicing, high banking otherwise i :/ get bored from the repetitiveness of the act of prospecting. It's funny how now days it is a hobby (unless your out there doing bering sea, or massive wash plants) yet not so long ago it was a job, people would do it for 12-15 hours a day everyday just to survive.

Were you happy with the amount of gold you got in your first year? Not that anyone is ever happy with what they get really lol we always want more!

DT

 

[rocketaroo]

Have you recooped your 2200 in finds?

 

[Chewy]

Congrats Yobskin. First year of prospecting racked up. Experience that you have learnt, mistakes you may have made, and as you said highs and lows. It's a bloody rock and roll show thats for sure. Well done mate. Prospecting is like childhood I reckon, first 40 years is the hardest. Lol

 

[yobskin]

Im doing the switching it up thing now Diggertom... change is good...

I honestly am not happy with the amount for 1year...
Just from learning mistakes...and the fact im scratching around in well worked areas isnt helping...
Its my own fault for not finding much but i always find somthing never without a spec or two...
The enjoyment of getting out and having a life has paid for the equipment two times over....i lernt long ago cant put a price tag on life.
I like feeling happy and making others laugh its how i roll.
My 2nd year of prospecting will be much better i can feel it in me bones... :lol:

 

[mdv]

I know exactly how you feel Yobskin with the highs and lows. Especially when you sample a particular spot and get some good colour but when you subsequently HB that spot it yields a lot less than you would have expected.

I think the secret to staying motivated is to mix it up a bit, as others have indicated. For example, I'll spend one full day HBing, and then spend the next day just poking around crevices or sampling a new location. In fact, at the end of my 2-3 day excursions, I usually do some test panning and if there is good colour there I go home knowing the first thing I need to do when I return is to hit up that spot - that gives me something to look forward to.

There are also occasions when you find something such as a decent picker or a gemstone when you least expected it - those moments put a smile on your dial and leave an indelible impression, and should provide sufficient motivation to see if you can repeat that moment. I had one afternoon of test panning in a real likely spot that resulted in pan after pan having no colour. After about 40 pans I got so frustrated that I packed it in and went back to my camp site, where I decided to have 1 more pan just for the hell of it. Lo and behold that last shovel of dirt from a random spot gave up a nice little 0.2 g picker - that turned an ugly day into a good day for me.

All in all though, we need to remember that for most of us this is a hobby, not a job or a chore. No matter how little the gold return, any day out there prospecting is better than any day in the office.

 

[user 1769]

Hi yobskin,

Thanks for sharing, I can definitely sympathise! My journey was more from cheap detectors to expensive detectors, but in many ways similar.

Can I ask, how do you find the rocker? Is it like an old style cradle? Here in Tassie we're very restricted in what we can use, but cradles seem to fit into existing regs, and I'm interested in setting one up.

Cheers,

Miguel.

 

[yobskin]

Hi yobskin,

Thanks for sharing, I can definitely sympathise! My journey was more from cheap detectors to expensive detectors, but in many ways similar.

Can I ask, how do you find the rocker? Is it like an old style cradle? Here in Tassie we're very restricted in what we can use, but cradles seem to fit into existing regs, and I'm interested in setting one up.

Cheers,

Miguel.

Rocker box/craddle works great mate... when Aushunter comes back up i will do a demo video... i really enjoy using it...it gets the gold.

 

[ProspectorPete]

Well done on the 1st anniversary yobskin and I'm in the same boat, coming up to 1 year in August and have spent thousands on gear for little return but enjoy mixing it up when I get the chance to get out. Haven't had many lows due to not getting out much so I always say to myself "next time" and just enjoy the days I get.

Hopefully your 2nd year pays off from first years research and knowledge gained mate.

 

[Wally69]

A true measure of success should always be the width of the smile on your face.

Hopefully I wlll be back that way to see the Rocking Yobskin in action sometime during year 2.

 

[user 1769]

Rocker box/craddle works great mate... when Aushunter comes back up i will do a demo video... i really enjoy using it...it gets the gold.

Great, can't wait! Did you put it together yourself? If so did you use your own design or existing plans?

Cheers,

Miguel.

 

[yobskin]

Rocker box/craddle works great mate... when Aushunter comes back up i will do a demo video... i really enjoy using it...it gets the gold.

Great, can't wait! Did you put it together yourself? If so did you use your own design or existing plans?

Cheers,

Miguel.

I had a vision and visited my local sheet metal fab guy and he held my hand while my tongue translated my brain for the next 2-3 days. After using it for a couple of runs ive made improvements..fine tunning? Nothing major ...colapsable frame to fit it in your boot. And different settings for different material.
Faster you rock faster you process....it eats clean river gravel fast 2man job.....clay breaking 1man job....the pump im using pumps water up a 7m bank.....will pump 20m if flat.... checkout the vid i posted....

 

[aushunter]

Hi yobskin,

Thanks for sharing, I can definitely sympathise! My journey was more from cheap detectors to expensive detectors, but in many ways similar.

Can I ask, how do you find the rocker? Is it like an old style cradle? Here in Tassie we're very restricted in what we can use, but cradles seem to fit into existing regs, and I'm interested in setting one up.

Cheers,

Miguel.

Rocker box/craddle works great mate... when Aushunter comes back up i will do a demo video... i really enjoy using it...it gets the gold.

As long as I remember the cameras and the batteries... :lol: :lol:

 

[walshie1000]

Onya yobskin. Great view on prospecting mate.
And your comment made me laugh chewy Haha