Non-reactionary fossicking equipment and Metal Detectors...(MDs)…

Hi all,
I have noted in some utube vids that random noise hits from metal on our person, or persons close to us, are apparent... and I am not sure of it is because I am a newbie to MDs and this is common common knowledge or what..?!. and I am just asking 'stupid boy' questions... lol... (I did this in high school as well,... ask 'silly' questions... much to the relief of many others who were too inhibited to ask...… anyhow…)…?
So,
1)… do we have to take note of this contamination ? Obviously some how... but how? And what needs to be known here?
2)… do we need to be mindful of the metal volume and size of the mining pick for example?
3)… are non-metal versions of tools needed to do gold (and whatever) prospecting etc...?
4)… I know highly charged magnets are used for chasing meteors n stuff, so how does this work regarding magnetics if we also want to chase gold for example?
...
I actually do not know what I do not know and maybe a few pointers could be very valued herein... !
...
Thank you in advance...
Onward n Upward
Good prospecting to you all...
Kind regards

Hi Sam-u-al.
No questions are too silly to ask.
I'll do my best to answer your questions here.
1. By contamination I take you to mean false signals. - Metal detectors rarely give smooth signals and often will give sounds that resemble a proper gold target. These can be caused by things like far off lightning, electricity transmission lines, metal objects like picks that we carry, and often even the minerals in the ground. Should we be concerned about them? Not really as it is just one of the difficulties of metal detecting as no detector is perfectly capable of avoiding those and we just have to learn to learn through practice how to ignore them.
2. Yes we do need to mindful of metal we have on our person or clothes or what we carry. For instance do not use shoes or boots with metal in them, rings or watches or carry a pick head down as the larger and closer any metal is to the coil end of your detector it will give you false signals or cause your detector to behave less smoothly.
3. Yes use non-metal tools like plastic scoops or anything else you use to recover targets. Obviously picks need to be made out of metal but make sure the metal end is kept at a good distance from the coil at all times.
4. Magnets will not work to attract gold although some have used magnets to clear up rubbish such as old tin cans from an area they want to detect for gold buried underneath the rubbish. Some also use a super magnet stuck to their pick to help remove small bits of iron from a hole that are difficult to see.
Hope this is helpful.
The thing about metal detecting and prospecting is that much of it is learned with practice and the only way to do that is to get or hire a metal detector and try it out.

Yes metal objects on the person affect the detector so we try to keep it to a minimum. It's worse when you are swinging a big coil that had a longer range of detection. I find the GPX6000 doesn't seem to suffer from being too close to my pick or the little metal clips on my boots however if you get too close to another metal detector the GPX6000 goes mad and there's no fix for it.

Steel caped boots are a no no. My previous boots had no metal at all but I stuffed up buying these. The top hooks on the laces have a metal reinforcement that creates a problem if the detector comes within about 300mm.

The pick can be a problem on your belt but once again the GPX6000 doesn't seem to reach there in most cases. Some swinging a bigger coil will carry their pick behind their shoulders or on the front of the harness at chest level. I carry my mobile phone for navigation. I have it set to airport and keep it in a back pocket and that seems ok.

You must not have any rings or a watch because sorting your finds from the soil would be difficult. I carry a small plastic spade to help sort the nugget from the dirt.

I also carry a strong magnet in a plastic bottle at chest height. I use that to remove iron particles from the dirt when detected. If the magnet doesn't pick it up then it's usually lead or gold.

If you are getting a metal hip joint or knee, ask them to make it easily removable

Question have been explained well by HE & MB just a few extras here.
1)… do we have to take note of this contamination ? Obviously some how... but how? And what needs to be known here?
*You will definitely encounter false signals along your journey And given time you'll sort the wheat from the chaff.

2)… do we need to be mindful of the metal volume and size of the mining pick for example?
*Back in the days with the SD2100 and the use of my favourite coil (18"dustbin mono) I experienced an annoying response when swinging. Soon pinned it down to when I swung wide to the left. Pick hanging from my belt on left hip. Made up a carrier and through until today my pick is carried on the harness left strap on my chest. It is a small pick, 400mm handle, ample for 99% of digs where we prospect in WA. If a deep one detected there is a large pick on the ute.

3)… are non-metal versions of tools needed to do gold (and whatever) prospecting etc...?
*Yes, plastic spoon is essential when locating target from pile. And yes, no rings, watches etc.

4)… I know highly charged magnets are used for chasing meteors n stuff, so how does this work regarding magnetics if we also want to chase gold for example?
*Super magnet in handle of pick to drag through your pile once target is out of hole.
There are those who swear by pin pointers, my opinion is to use the coil which is designed for finding targets. Practice makes perfect.
When you swing over a target, step back and approach again "low & slow", when you get a signal mark position with a scratch in ground. Now, step around 90degrees and repeat process. Where the two lines cross your target lays below. Bury a small target (shotgun pellet ideal) and practice. In no time you will determine target location under your coil without the scratched lines.

Welcome to the land of gold, unfortunately your first gold find will strike you down with an incurable disease - Gold Fever. Good luck.

Hawkear said:

Hi Sam-u-al.
No questions are too silly to ask.
I'll do my best to answer your questions here.
1. By contamination I take you to mean false signals. - Metal detectors rarely give smooth signals and often will give sounds that resemble a proper gold target. These can be caused by things like far off lightning, electricity transmission lines, metal objects like picks that we carry, and often even the minerals in the ground. Should we be concerned about them? Not really as it is just one of the difficulties of metal detecting as no detector is perfectly capable of avoiding those and we just have to learn to learn through practice how to ignore them.
2. Yes we do need to mindful of metal we have on our person or clothes or what we carry. For instance do not use shoes or boots with metal in them, rings or watches or carry a pick head down as the larger and closer any metal is to the coil end of your detector it will give you false signals or cause your detector to behave less smoothly.
3. Yes use non-metal tools like plastic scoops or anything else you use to recover targets. Obviously picks need to be made out of metal but make sure the metal end is kept at a good distance from the coil at all times.
4. Magnets will not work to attract gold although some have used magnets to clear up rubbish such as old tin cans from an area they want to detect for gold buried underneath the rubbish. Some also use a super magnet stuck to their pick to help remove small bits of iron from a hole that are difficult to see.
Hope this is helpful.
The thing about metal detecting and prospecting is that much of it is learned with practice and the only way to do that is to get or hire a metal detector and try it out.

Click to expand...

Mmm yes... Hawkear....
'Noise'/signals that we can simply eliminate by being aware of them...
I was familiar with most of 1. that you share...
...and YES, I refer to THE false signals that you refer to in 2.
THAT OF: Being mindful of un-necessary interference we have control over...
... AND, I did wonder: relative to the digging implement whether a Non-Magnetic pick was made, for to eliminate the pick 'noise'/Signal?...
... In this regard I noted that some of APEX Talon picks have 1-3 magnets attached.... . And I did further wonder about the 'noise' aspect that may create...
... Magnets may be great for finding the magnetic variety of meteors (if a non-magnetic variety of meteors is found I do not know about them) but felt the magnets may be detrimental to the Signal picked up... or it all a trade-off via the controls on each variety of MD..? And this trade-off applies to the magnet to pick up tiny rubbish-magnetic filings as well...
Helpful, yes indeed... thank you...

Moneybox said:

Yes metal objects on the person affect the detector so we try to keep it to a minimum. It's worse when you are swinging a big coil that had a longer range of detection. I find the GPX6000 doesn't seem to suffer from being too close to my pick or the little metal clips on my boots however if you get too close to another metal detector the GPX6000 goes mad and there's no fix for it.

Steel caped boots are a no no. My previous boots had no metal at all but I stuffed up buying these. The top hooks on the laces have a metal reinforcement that creates a problem if the detector comes within about 300mm.

The pick can be a problem on your belt but once again the GPX6000 doesn't seem to reach there in most cases. Some swinging a bigger coil will carry their pick behind their shoulders or on the front of the harness at chest level. I carry my mobile phone for navigation. I have it set to airport and keep it in a back pocket and that seems ok.

You must not have any rings or a watch because sorting your finds from the soil would be difficult. I carry a small plastic spade to help sort the nugget from the dirt.

I also carry a strong magnet in a plastic bottle at chest height. I use that to remove iron particles from the dirt when detected. If the magnet doesn't pick it up then it's usually lead or gold.

If you are getting a metal hip joint or knee, ask them to make it easily removable

Click to expand...

Yes, thank you Moneybox... It is good to have feedback on personal experience of MDs, and the GPX6000.
I note that my Scarpa Italian walking boots (the most comfortable boot I have ever found, makes Blundies feel like floppy slippers) and hav all metal lace holders... Good to know info... many thanks...

Nightjar said:

Question have been explained well by HE & MB just a few extras here.
1)… do we have to take note of this contamination ? Obviously some how... but how? And what needs to be known here?
*You will definitely encounter false signals along your journey And given time you'll sort the wheat from the chaff.

2)… do we need to be mindful of the metal volume and size of the mining pick for example?
*Back in the days with the SD2100 and the use of my favourite coil (18"dustbin mono) I experienced an annoying response when swinging. Soon pinned it down to when I swung wide to the left. Pick hanging from my belt on left hip. Made up a carrier and through until today my pick is carried on the harness left strap on my chest. It is a small pick, 400mm handle, ample for 99% of digs where we prospect in WA. If a deep one detected there is a large pick on the ute.

3)… are non-metal versions of tools needed to do gold (and whatever) prospecting etc...?
*Yes, plastic spoon is essential when locating target from pile. And yes, no rings, watches etc.

4)… I know highly charged magnets are used for chasing meteors n stuff, so how does this work regarding magnetics if we also want to chase gold for example?
*Super magnet in handle of pick to drag through your pile once target is out of hole.
There are those who swear by pin pointers, my opinion is to use the coil which is designed for finding targets. Practice makes perfect.
When you swing over a target, step back and approach again "low & slow", when you get a signal mark position with a scratch in ground. Now, step around 90degrees and repeat process. Where the two lines cross your target lays below. Bury a small target (shotgun pellet ideal) and practice. In no time you will determine target location under your coil without the scratched lines.

Welcome to the land of gold, unfortunately your first gold find will strike you down with an incurable disease - Gold Fever. Good luck.

Click to expand...

As an ex Tradie (one is never an ex really) I noted what I would do relative to others... I built a lot of staircases and often would see some spending longer on a particular operation than necessary... As Wal said ... 10% of the people get 80% of the gold... .. So what you and others share is pure gold in the making... much gratitude, thank you Nightjar . . . Appreciated.. good hunting hey... Ps... One could say it is more about doing less, so that more can be done...