I harped on in another area of this forum about detecting (I was no doubt off topic), so I thought I would share some tips in the correct area for anyone who may be interested.
Im far from an expert and this is by no means a complete guide, but I thought perhaps some of these suggestions may help both new, and seasoned detectorists alike?
Anyway, its just my 2 cents!
Entree:
Buy the best machine you can afford and learn it inside out (ground bal etc), have a methodical plan (stick to it), pick out your area according to the indicators, and be thorough......try to resist wondering aimlessly through the bush.
Go low and go slow! Put your coil to the soil and dont worry to much about covering extra ground
Dont be frightened off by areas you know have been searched before, especially if there have been previous finds.....they rarely get it all! Look for any evidence of Gridding/Chaining or other tell tale signs that someone has got gold in the area previously.
Love it when someone tells you, "there is no gold there"
Main Course:
(1) Look at low hills, rises and flats adjacent to gold producing areas such as old gold mines, old timers reef extractions etc,
Direct most effort to the hillsides, the costeans or dryblowing sites.
Gully's are usually heavily covered with soils from rains etc, and put most possible finds out of detector range. They have also usually been surfaced down to their bottoms by the old timers, especially near old diggings.
(2) Detect along laterite profiles (Red soil rich in iron oxidization) that have developed over the bedrock. Look for undisturbed hard clay areas along these slopes also.
(3) Look at the base, and sides of these hills where there is prolific ironstone and quartz rubble around.
(4) Search on hillsides where there are natural barriers for shed gold such as a quartz vein, a dike or other rock outcrops, boulders etc.
Also observe flats and depressions on these hillsides where gold cant defy gravity!
The old timers worked the reefs on top of the rises, and the gully's below them, but they generally hardly worked the slops in between.
(5) Follow the path down the hill from any gold finds, and also up the hill. Is the primary source of the Eluvial close by?
(6) Always read the vegetation....If there is a change of vegetation on the side of a hill, check to see if there is indicating ground, where material has been deposited in a depression or a flat.
(7) Detect for coarse gold on the banks, or edges, of old salt lakes at the bases of these slopes.(Do research on area's of high Salinity). Gold has an affinity with Salinity, as it does quartz and ironstone.
(8) Always use correct technique, be patient and move slowly.......concentrate on area's that have all the indicators using the above plan!
(9) Gold does not like to be lonely....learn to develop sound gridding/chaining methods around any finds as its most likely they have some brothers and sisters close nearby.
(10) Try to understand and interpret any gold you find, as well as the local geological environment your in! (know what to look for)
This will help you to determine what type of gold it is, whether it is alluvial, or eluvial, placer etc and will help you to prospect the area further if thats your wish.
(*) If your onto a patch, try not to leave any evidence of you being there once you leave......always return even after you think you may have got it all.
A different coil or even machine, can do wonders on the next sweep over.
edit: Research, research and research again.....use the modern tech available at your fingertips to increase the odds in your favour!
Good Luck
Im far from an expert and this is by no means a complete guide, but I thought perhaps some of these suggestions may help both new, and seasoned detectorists alike?
Anyway, its just my 2 cents!
Entree:
Buy the best machine you can afford and learn it inside out (ground bal etc), have a methodical plan (stick to it), pick out your area according to the indicators, and be thorough......try to resist wondering aimlessly through the bush.
Go low and go slow! Put your coil to the soil and dont worry to much about covering extra ground
Dont be frightened off by areas you know have been searched before, especially if there have been previous finds.....they rarely get it all! Look for any evidence of Gridding/Chaining or other tell tale signs that someone has got gold in the area previously.
Love it when someone tells you, "there is no gold there"
Main Course:
(1) Look at low hills, rises and flats adjacent to gold producing areas such as old gold mines, old timers reef extractions etc,
Direct most effort to the hillsides, the costeans or dryblowing sites.
Gully's are usually heavily covered with soils from rains etc, and put most possible finds out of detector range. They have also usually been surfaced down to their bottoms by the old timers, especially near old diggings.
(2) Detect along laterite profiles (Red soil rich in iron oxidization) that have developed over the bedrock. Look for undisturbed hard clay areas along these slopes also.
(3) Look at the base, and sides of these hills where there is prolific ironstone and quartz rubble around.
(4) Search on hillsides where there are natural barriers for shed gold such as a quartz vein, a dike or other rock outcrops, boulders etc.
Also observe flats and depressions on these hillsides where gold cant defy gravity!
The old timers worked the reefs on top of the rises, and the gully's below them, but they generally hardly worked the slops in between.
(5) Follow the path down the hill from any gold finds, and also up the hill. Is the primary source of the Eluvial close by?
(6) Always read the vegetation....If there is a change of vegetation on the side of a hill, check to see if there is indicating ground, where material has been deposited in a depression or a flat.
(7) Detect for coarse gold on the banks, or edges, of old salt lakes at the bases of these slopes.(Do research on area's of high Salinity). Gold has an affinity with Salinity, as it does quartz and ironstone.
(8) Always use correct technique, be patient and move slowly.......concentrate on area's that have all the indicators using the above plan!
(9) Gold does not like to be lonely....learn to develop sound gridding/chaining methods around any finds as its most likely they have some brothers and sisters close nearby.
(10) Try to understand and interpret any gold you find, as well as the local geological environment your in! (know what to look for)
This will help you to determine what type of gold it is, whether it is alluvial, or eluvial, placer etc and will help you to prospect the area further if thats your wish.
(*) If your onto a patch, try not to leave any evidence of you being there once you leave......always return even after you think you may have got it all.
A different coil or even machine, can do wonders on the next sweep over.
edit: Research, research and research again.....use the modern tech available at your fingertips to increase the odds in your favour!
Good Luck
