To dig a test hole or not

[Mick64]

Hi,
Last weekend I found a shallow test hole which is around 2 meters long by 1/2 meter wide and I detected the throw out from it. Within a minute I detected a target and pulled out a small nugget and before filling the hole in I got another 4 from what I had scraped out. Within an hour I had 9 nuggets and the following day I pulled another 11 all from the same throw out from the test hole. When I couldn't hear anything else on top of the soil, I would scrape about 50mm off the pile and detect again, with always a result. The deeper I got into the pile the smaller the nuggets got. I gave up after awhile as I didn't think I could pull much more from it as they were getting smaller. I also took home a 20ltr bucket of soil and panned it out, with no results

So I guess when they dug the test hole and threw the waste out, any gold that was close to the surface would be at the bottom of the throw out pile and as they got deeper the gold would have been bigger, therefore it sat on top of the throw out?

Above the test hole about 50mtrs up the hill they have pulled out a reef. The gold I was getting from the throw out was very course and thrown in were some little species. The soil I was digging in was clay mixed with ironstone and chunks of small quartz.

I also detected around the old reef and found nothing

I'm running the SDC2300 and have 10x5 and 14x9 gold extremes

Is it worth digging out the test hole which I am assuming could be a couple of feet deep by the size of the pile that was thrown out or is it waste of time and energy? The soil is still soft but a few months away I wouldn't be digging it until next winter

thoughts? :8

Mick

 

[RM Outback]

Nice finds Mick :Y: Well done. As for digging the test hole there's only one sure way to find out, dig. More importantly open it up further in all directions, can you put up photos of your finds. Depending on the age of the test hole it stands to reason if it's old the true bottom would be deeper than what you're seeing.

 

[Mick64]

Hi, yes I should have done that

And Youtube video, It's a bit long but you get and idea of the size I was working in

you tube URL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfGthusGsHQ&t=429s

 

[Ward69]

Hi,
Last weekend I found a shallow test hole which is around 2 meters long by 1/2 meter wide and I detected the throw out from it. Within a minute I detected a target and pulled out a small nugget and before filling the hole in I got another 4 from what I had scraped out. Within an hour I had 9 nuggets and the following day I pulled another 11 all from the same throw out from the test hole. When I couldn't hear anything else on top of the soil, I would scrape about 50mm off the pile and detect again, with always a result. The deeper I got into the pile the smaller the nuggets got. I gave up after awhile as I didn't think I could pull much more from it as they were getting smaller. I also took home a 20ltr bucket of soil and panned it out, with no results.

So I guess when they dug the test hole and threw the waste out, any gold that was close to the surface would be at the bottom of the throw out pile and as they got deeper the gold would have been bigger, therefore it sat on top of the throw out?

Above the test hole about 50mtrs up the hill they have pulled out a reef. The gold I was getting from the throw out was very course and thrown in were some little species. The soil I was digging in was clay mixed with ironstone and chunks of small quartz.

I also detected around the old reef and found nothing

I'm running the SDC2300 and have 10x5 and 14x9 gold extremes

Is it worth digging out the test hole which I am assuming could be a couple of feet deep by the size of the pile that was thrown out or is it waste of time and energy? The soil is still soft but a few months away I wouldn't be digging it until next winter

thoughts? :8

Mick

. Gday Mick. Been wondering about the same thing. Theres plenty of gold recovery from the piles of soil left next to test holes. I have found 6 little sub-gram nugglets next to one. And there about 10 feet away another couple in another test hole. The holes only go down maybe 4feet. What if I dig one between them and see. To wet at present time but in a month or two Looks like the crowbar is coming out. Great work. Watching the video now. :Y:

 

[Ward69]

Great video Mick. What settings are you on? Thinking and looking at the old hole. It's come from around the bottom of the old hole. As over time with the rain and weathering the small gold is moving down. I would scrap out the old test hole and go in a line with the other diggings For about two meters both ways. To see if you a track. The lead. The little guys look rough and still attached to quartz so haven't traveled. You could be on to something nice. Well done. That's what prospecting is all about.

 

[Mick64]

Great video Mick. What settings are you on? Thinking and looking at the old hole. It's come from around the bottom of the old hole. As over time with the rain and weathering the small gold is moving down. I would scrap out the old test hole and go in a line with the other diggings For about two meters both ways. To see if you a track. The lead. The little guys look rough and still attached to quartz so haven't traveled. You could be on to something nice. Well done. That's what prospecting is all about.

Thanks for that.
The settings I run are 4 and thresh hold halfway. On the SP01 it's mode 1, volume 5, filter 1. I might head back this weekend and clean that hole out to see how deep it is. If it's not too deep I'll shoot off sideways first and see if I get results

I'll do a video and if it's worth it I'll post it

cheers!
Mick

 

[Ward69]

Hi Mick. In Ballarat I normally run on 5 and freshold flat out. Its noisy but I can put up with it. Buggers up when a planes goes over. Dont understand that. Im in a flight path. Ever 1hr or so. Why the white pull tie on the normal coil in an early video. The smallest sub gram nugglet didnt hit the scales. But a very very fant sound but repatable size of number 6 lead shot The main problem I have with SDC is the connection with earphones the connector end wire keeps breaking replaced twice under warranty need a longer cable.

 

[Mick64]

Hi Mick. In Ballarat I normally run on 5 and freshold flat out. Its noisy but I can put up with it. Buggers up when a planes goes over. Dont understand that. Im in a flight path. Ever 1hr or so. Why the white pull tie on the normal coil in an early video. The smallest sub gram nugglet didnt hit the scales. But a very very fant sound but repatable size of number 6 lead shot The main problem I have with SDC is the connection with earphones the connector end wire keeps breaking replaced twice under warranty need a longer cable.

The SDC can be a bugger like that sometimes, one day you go out and the EMI is that bad I have had to move spots. Sometimes when I've been out Moliagul way I have to pack it in around 4pm as the EMI in the afternoon always got too bad. The white pull tie might have been to hold on the knuckle protector. With earphones I haven't had that problem as I've never used the original Koss ones...I just take them as a backup, but I also carry a spare Phase technical adapter lead with me too.

Mick

 

[Ward69]

Thanks Mick. Learning something new each day

Back in two weeks. Starting to get withdrawals not walking around in the bush.

 

[Mick64]

So I went out yesterday to get to the bottom of this test hole, sore shoulders today though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x2VBm2Xliw&feature=youtu.be

 

[Deepseeker]

Nice finds Mick. I like those little species still hanging on to mum. Looks like a promising spot you've found :Y:

 

[20x]

Rip the surface off the area, nice vid :Y:

 

[geof_junk]

So I went out yesterday to get to the bottom of this test hole, sore shoulders today though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x2VBm2Xliw&feature=youtu.be

Can't help my self I bet there is a buried nugget or two were your dog is. :lol:

If you continue to uses hand tools, getting a small heavy duty ground sheet and digging the walls out on top of the sheet and drag the dirt out. This will give you a fast way to extend your trench and you can spread out the dirt for easy detecting and back fill. Hope this helps. Geof.

 

[Mick64]

So I went out yesterday to get to the bottom of this test hole, sore shoulders today though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x2VBm2Xliw&feature=youtu.be

Can't help my self I bet there is a buried nugget or two were your dog is. :lol:

If you continue to uses hand tools, getting a small heavy duty ground sheet and digging the walls out on top of the sheet and drag the dirt out. This will give you a fast way to extend your trench and you can spread out the dirt for easy detecting and back fill. Hope this helps. Geof.

Hi Geoff, sounds like an idea. I'll wait until the next rainfall and give it a few days and head back out. I've set up a 4G trail cam out there, so far no one has come across it

Mick