mbasko said:
If repairs or upgrades were required for the QED then it would need to be returned to Australia although if technically minded the manufacturer may be able to talk you through minor repairs?
Bringing your own into Australia won't be an issue. There is EMC compliance here (same as FCC) but all major brands like Minelab, Garrett, Whites, Fisher, Tesoro, Nokta/Makro are already used here so must comply. The QED is compliant to EMC regulations.
When and if I come to Australia, I'll likely just bring my own. Looking like it's going to be a Mine Lab of some sort. I'll scope out the QED's once I'm there.
mbasko said:
There is a Minnesota/Wisconsin prospecting group on Facebook & other groups that reckon gold is found there? They might just be lucky or full of it?
Do you have a link to their page you could post?
mbasko said:
Still a lot of very relevant questions on that list for Australia as our conditions can vary considerably in different areas & states. Australia is a big country. A lot would depend where you plan to visit & what areas you plan to detect in.
The TV show seems to concentrate on WA and SA. My intention for now is to first find the right professional detector for detecting no matter where I go in the world. Then do a enough prospecting in the USA to get some practical experience. Once I learn the language and get a few relevant stories to share in order to qualify myself, I'll go in search of a professional group to work with that makes their living at detection mining.
mbasko said:
The GPX4500/5000 would likely be a good choice & one easily taken home with you + repairers/retailers in the USA.
For now, that is exactly where the compass seems to be pointing. From what I'm seeing, I can get a NEW GPX4500 complete with 11-inch DD Search Coil, 11-inch Monoloop Search Coil, Coil Covers, Koss Headphones, Detecting Harness, and Finds Bag for around $2900 USD/$3500 AUD.
Regarding my skeleton plan above: Depending on how the pieces fall into place, I'd like to do my first expedition in Colorado this summer doing both river sluicing and detecting. However, that may have to wait until next summer.
The issues I have with doing any business in the USA is all the red tape that plagues this country now. Between the federal, state, and local governments, permits, deals with land owners... By the time you find your first ounce, you're going to have to chop it in half to fill the pockets of politicians. Sadly, because of all the red tape and official expenses, it's encouraging more and more to resort to thievery, so now also add the expense of insuring and protecting your equipment and investments. By the time you put together your first ounce, you only MAYBE get to keep 30% of it. And God forbid you accidentally wander 1 foot onto a private land owners 10,000 acres, and he's out there with his machine gun and hand grenades itching to add a notch on the post of his slaughter house. Believe me, there are even more potential expenses and hazards that I won't get into lest I start to sound like a conspiracy theory nutter. :|
Any of that sound like Australia?