SDC v GPZ suitability for Nerriga/Endrick River prospecting

[benaurum]

Hi,
I am getting access to some private land near Nerriga that has a boundary to the Endrick river. Apart from the river access, the land has some old shafts and workings on it a decent distance away from the river - I presume gold but I know there is also copper and tin workings around Nerriga. I am looking to purchase either a SDC or GPZ and was wondering if anyone has experience in that area in terms of mineralisation or any other factors that would favour one of these detectors? Some parts of the land are very rough and thick with bush and some are more thin established bush.

Appreciate any advice!

 

[grubstake]

Welcome to PA, Ben.

Both the SDC and the GPZ will cope with whatever mineralisation is present, as well or better than any alternatives, so you shouldn't have any concerns about that aspect.

The SDC is more compact and lighter than the GPZ and I believe it would prove far less cumbersome in the arduous terrain you describe. It also has the advantage of being fully collapsible, enabling it to be easily carried in a backpack, which should greatly assist accessing the areas you have in mind.

 

[HarryHoudini]

Hi,
I am getting access to some private land near Nerriga that has a boundary to the Endrick river. Apart from the river access, the land has some old shafts and workings on it a decent distance away from the river - I presume gold but I know there is also copper and tin workings around Nerriga. I am looking to purchase either a SDC or GPZ and was wondering if anyone has experience in that area in terms of mineralisation or any other factors that would favour one of these detectors? Some parts of the land are very rough and thick with bush and some are more thin established bush.

Appreciate any advice!

You are comparing a $4k sdc with a 10k GPZ both excellent machines but my main consideration if money was no object would be weight and depth. The GPZ will punch deeper than the SDC but depends if the gold is deep. You could always think about a GPX6000 secondhand for 7k and an SDC secondhand for 3k. But if the gold is deep then the GPZ would be your best choice. cheers

 

[benaurum]

You are comparing a $4k sdc with a 10k GPZ both excellent machines but my main consideration if money was no object would be weight and depth. The GPZ will punch deeper than the SDC but depends if the gold is deep. You could always think about a GPX6000 secondhand for 7k and an SDC secondhand for 3k. But if the gold is deep then the GPZ would be your best choice. cheers

Yeah I have 2 different uses. One down by the Endrick and another up in the hills in the smaller creeks and old mining sites. I don’t have first hand experience with either location or really know if the nuggets I am looking for are deeper/larger and better for GPZ. So hopefully after some local knowledge as to likely depth etc. The SDC is a lot easier to physically use but no point making it easy to use if it doesn’t find what is likely there.

 

[benaurum]

You are comparing a $4k sdc with a 10k GPZ both excellent machines but my main consideration if money was no object would be weight and depth. The GPZ will punch deeper than the SDC but depends if the gold is deep. You could always think about a GPX6000 secondhand for 7k and an SDC secondhand for 3k. But if the gold is deep then the GPZ would be your best choice. cheers

Yeah I have 2 different uses and not sure about likely depth. One use down by the Endrick and another up in the hills in the smaller creeks and old mining sites. I don’t have first hand experience with either location or really know if the nuggets I am looking for are deeper/larger and better for GPZ. So hopefully after some local knowledge as to likely depth etc. The SDC is a lot easier to physically use but no point making it easy to use if it doesn’t find what is likely there.

 

[grubstake]

Yeah I have 2 different uses and not sure about likely depth. One use down by the Endrick and another up in the hills in the smaller creeks and old mining sites. I don’t have first hand experience with either location or really know if the nuggets I am looking for are deeper/larger and better for GPZ. So hopefully after some local knowledge as to likely depth etc. The SDC is a lot easier to physically use but no point making it easy to use if it doesn’t find what is likely there.

In general, gold on slopes is relatively shallow (nuggets slowly sliding down the hillside) and deeper gold occurs when the slope flattens out (nuggets sinking rather than moving and also having other material deposited on top).

 

[Hawkear]

Also consider your future in prospecting. Is this going to be a one off adventure? Or are you considering starting out prospecting as a long term interest of which this is only the first foray.
If the former consider buying second hand and the resale value. If so you will want a machine in high demand like a 6000 which is also very easy to learn to use and suitable for searching for gold in a wide variety of situations.

 

[Diggly]

While I can't comment on private property around Endrick - Oallen isn't too far away and for the most part its pretty quiet - either machine would work fine. Ive used SD2200, QED, XP Deus GPX4500 and Algo 1500 in the area with coil sized from 10x5 Joey through to 17x13 and none of them struggle with the conditions (though the XP Deus did love the hot rocks) No target I have ever dug with any machine in that area has been deep - but then I search shallow areas in the first place. Clearly a GPZ is going to beat the a SDC on depth. But pick your depth (lots of rock bars in the area) and you won't require the extra depth achieved by a GPX. My only experience on Endrick is panning and getting either nothing or bugger all. Oallen will give you very fine gold pretty much anywhere you did but its fine and undetectable. I have found a 2 grammer in the area but its the exception not the norm - it was shallow, very shallow on bedrock and to be honest a Jaycar DIY detector would have found it.