Night detecting

[Whoey]

Heading up to Vic goldfields this weekend with some mates.

Due to the heat, expected 30 degrees each day, we're planning to give night detecting a crack for the first time.

We have headlamps and a decent GPS unit to find the car in the dark!

Any tips or tricks with having a swing in the dark would be appreciated.

 

[Mackka]

Watch out for wriggle sticks!!!

 

[grubstake]

Night detecting helps to quieten noisy ground and sharpen your hearing with visual distractions reduced, but it's easy to lose your sense of direction/location/distance in the dark and just wander (or stumble!) around aimlessly. Tackle shops sell tiny light-sticks (chemical lights) for night fishing lure use. If you keep some in your pocket to mark any nugget finds, you can more easily focus on productive spots without losing your bearings.

 

[HarryHoudini]

Heading up to Vic goldfields this weekend with some mates.

Due to the heat, expected 30 degrees each day, we're planning to give night detecting a crack for the first time.

We have headlamps and a decent GPS unit to find the car in the dark!

Any tips or tricks with having a swing in the dark would be appreciated.

Snakes at night after the frogs and expected 36-37 most of next week so be careful. Plus the added uncapped mine shafts are another risk at night. cheers and good luck

 

[Hawkear]

A trip caused by a small branch, clump of grass, rock or even an unfilled hole can be just as dangerous as the risks posed by some of the larger hazards. You will need to walk very slowly and make sure of every foothold. Maybe that's a good thing.
If you must, the moon will be about 60% full this weekend and will set at about 1.30am.

 

[Craig west]

Heading up to Vic goldfields this weekend with some mates.

Due to the heat, expected 30 degrees each day, we're planning to give night detecting a crack for the first time.

We have headlamps and a decent GPS unit to find the car in the dark!

Any tips or tricks with having a swing in the dark would be appreciated.

My tip would be don't do it...
Don't get me wrong it's averaging 44 ° here in leonora so I understand the battle . But there's more things that can go wrong than right and someone's health or when life ain't worth a bit of gold. My real tip is if your serious I get up at 4am and do my work very early . We get in 6 hours dected before 1030am much safer ,more productive (gold wise) and no different to doing at night just switchinging things round a bit but much safer starting ar just be dawn ... good luck

 

[Hawkear]

The more I think about it the idea of a group of mates sitting around having a few cooling drinks over dinner and then walking around in the dark in a bush filled with trip, fall and bump hazards makes me feel what could possibly go wrong?
Also remember the big golden orb spiders that are active at night spreading their webs between every second bush.

 

[lazypat]

Heading up to Vic goldfields this weekend with some mates.

Due to the heat, expected 30 degrees each day, we're planning to give night detecting a crack for the first time.

We have headlamps and a decent GPS unit to find the car in the dark!

Any tips or tricks with having a swing in the dark would be appreciated.

Yes dont fall down a hidden mine shaft

 

[Whoey]

You guys are really selling it for me.

Seriously I appreciate the advice.

Safety needs to always come first.

Thanks to all.

 

[sand surfer]

early start is the way to go
standing there with a mug of mud waiting for the picaninny dawn (up here at 4am at the moment),you have a good hour of daylight before the sun comes up ,you will be surprised at how well the eyes adjust to the pre dawn light
then when it gets hot just chill out (recharge the detector and your batteries) and wait for the afternoon cool to turn up and have a another go till dusk

 

[RichardWest]

I reckon if you have good bush sense, know the area, carry a gps (mark your car location) and someone else knows where you are going and what time frame then live life and have a go. I've done it over in WA with the missus and we had a ball. The detectors are quieter, less people to worry about but the bugs might give you the *****. We did do it on a full moon which made it easier. Enjoy the experience.

 

[Nightjar]

Harmless to humans other than the fright you get walking into their web. This photo is a female, the males are very small and difficult to locate within web.

 

[EVIE/BEE]

I've done it before. had no problem finding the car but driving back to camp in the dark, in the bush, we ended up driving in the wrong direction and had to rely on the Garmin GPS.

 

[Whoey]

So we had a go for two nights:

Its fine to detect with LED headlamps on twilight right up to when it 100% dark - then its really dangerous and impractical.

Hard to work out directions and very easy to trip or whatever, do not recommend it.

That said detectors calmed right down as the sun dropped, plu slower temp made for a really sweet hour and a half before pitch black.

Starting early in the mornings is way better.

 

[grubstake]

So we had a go for two nights:

Did you do any good but?

 

[Whoey]

Yes we found a very flat small 1 gram piece one morning.




We are pretty new to detecting. Got a lot to learn!

 

[grubstake]

Yes we found a very flat small 1 gram piece one morning.
We are pretty new to detecting. Got a lot to learn!

That's a nice piece, so it's a good result, plus you've had some fun and learned from the experience = a win-win for all involved, I reckon! Thanks for the pics too - much appreciated.

 

[geof_junk]

$100 towards paying for the Equipment. Let hope the luck or skill keeps going.

 

[Moneybox]

In WA we love detecting at night under a bright moon if we're on a patch of familiar ground. The chain lines stand out and are easier to see in the moonlight. Unlike an incandescent globe, if you turn on your LED headlight it can be seen clearly several kilometres away.

 

[Hawkear]

Well done guys. Really great of you to post a follow up report on your adventures.