Ground Mineralization - How to find before I go?

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Xadz

James Kennedy
Joined
Mar 15, 2015
Messages
20
Reaction score
53
Location
Pakenham, VIC
Hey guys,

Is there any general rules when it comes to where ground starts to become more mineralized? E.g North of Creswick and you start getting lots of iron etc.

The reason I'm asking is I'm looking to try some different ground to what I'm used to (I've been out at Creswick) but I'm still a beginner and I'm not sure I could fully keep up with the ground on my GM1000 if it's full of Iron, maybe in due time with a little more experience I would be happy to tackle a bit tougher ground for my machine.

Is there any place I can research on iron content of the ground or any pointers or tips to help decipher what ground I might be walking into?
 
In general, the redder the ground, the higher the iron mineral content. But levels of mineralisation also get very patchy further north in the golden triangle, varying every few metres. There's also places where the ground is covered with small ironstone pellets and for a VLF machine like yours, it can be like detecting over corrugated iron sheeting. You'll know when you walk into these areas, that's for sure!
 
Hi Grub,

Thanks for your reply I really appreciate the time you took :)

I was wondering, is there any particular "rule of thumb" before I go and drive 3 hours and find out the ground is super hot and "useless" for my beginner ears.

I want to try and find some new areas but don't want to get all the way out there and find out it's hot ground and struggle all day.
 
Hi Xadz. Honestly I can’t think of anywhere that would be kind to a VLF detector In the Victorian goldfields as I have generally found Creswick one of the better ones.
It was the grief that ground noise here in OZ caused to the early VLF detectors that prompted Bruce Candy of Minelab to develop the SD detector series which to a large degree tamed the ground noise problems.
Xadz you have well earned your first success however I think you will only risk dampening your enthusiasm if you persevere with a VLF machine in goldfield soils. You are obviously detecting well but your success is going to be impaired without an adequate machine.
Rather than spending money on your next trip to a GT goldfield, I suggest you immediately consider putting that money towards upgrading towards something like a good used 5000 with a range of coils to detect both small and large gold. They can be had for around $4000 and will alleviate your ground noise issues.
I am sure your enthusiasm (and success) will be even greater with the prospect of hitting any goldfield you choose with a detector up to the task.
 
Spot on as above to be cruel but kind 6 hour round trip ya want a better broom handle. SDC easy to use and resale value second to non if you want out for any reason 👍
 
Spot on as above to be cruel but kind 6 hour round trip ya want a better broom handle. SDC easy to use and resale value second to non if you want out for any reason 👍
yes a 2300 would also be a good upgrade choice, and used they are a bit cheaper.
There are also goldfields closer to Pakenham in West Gippsland where I have detected gold with a 4500 or 5000. Haven’t been back with a 2300 but would be confident with that also.
A bit of research there might help if you have shorter amounts of time to spare.
Also consider joining the PMAV, they have local branches and meetings where members can meet and share info and they also used to research and organise field trips when I lived up that way.
 
Hey guys,

Thanks for your replies :)

I knew the gold bug would bite hard and really the GM1000 was a cheaper test machine to see if the hobby was for me. I always knew my days were numbers. However I am persistent enough to give it a fair crack, justifying to the Minister of Finance after a $100 piece of gold to spend another $4000 will be a difficult task aha.

I see so many threads about different machines, I was pretty confident my next upgrade would be an SDC2300.

Am I wasting my money a second time around and wanting to move to a 4500 or 5000? The SDC is $4000 brand new, would I be better of getting a used 4500 or 5000 or even 6000 for marginally more money?
 
Non of those machines will be a waste of money. SDC super easy to use as is 6000 The 4500 and 5000 will take a bit more to get your head around. Regardless of what l run l would never sell my SDC. Today was out and picked up a nice nug, cleared the spot and continued on eventually back to buggy. Grabbed the SDC and went back over the target area and picked up a 2 grammer that the other detector had not seen. That's what an SDC does.
I'm sure others will chime in and help with your decision. Above all enjoy the journey your embarking on and don't get the "fever" 😁
As for the Minister, haven't you learnt by now everything costs 50 bucks :rolleyes:;)
 
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Have only had a brief go with a 6000 and found it easy to swing (which is an important consideration) and would not doubt its capability but is very expensive compared to other options
Have owned a 7000 and found it just too heavy heavy and exhausting to use for the long periods needed for general prospecting. Maybe an indictment of my dodgy shoulder.
I have now settled on two detectors a 2300 and a 5000 with a selection of coils for large or small gold.
The 2300 is sure fire on small gold and will remain in my arsenal when working shallow ground for small nuggets, however I do not expect to find the lifetime nugget at depth with it.
For general prospecting however I prefer the 5000 for its versatility. With a small coil it will approach the capability of the 2300 whilst giving you the occasional excitement of a deeper and bigger nugget. If you want to search deeper, large coils will also give you a capability approaching that of of a 7000 and a chance of that lifetime nugget.
 
Hey guys,

Thanks for your replies :)

I knew the gold bug would bite hard and really the GM1000 was a cheaper test machine to see if the hobby was for me. I always knew my days were numbers. However I am persistent enough to give it a fair crack, justifying to the Minister of Finance after a $100 piece of gold to spend another $4000 will be a difficult task aha.

I see so many threads about different machines, I was pretty confident my next upgrade would be an SDC2300.

Am I wasting my money a second time around and wanting to move to a 4500 or 5000? The SDC is $4000 brand new, would I be better of getting a used 4500 or 5000 or even 6000 for marginally more money?
Sorry to keep banging on about this but I admire your efforts but your situation reminds me of my own some years ago. I also lived out east of Melbourne (Drouin) and a trip to the goldfields was a major excursion finding our way through Melbourne traffic.
In those day I had a series of VLF machines starting with the whites 6000 and the last I had was a either a Minelab XT 1700 or 1800. My memory fails a bit there.
I had occasional success with all my VLF machines with my first (and biggest) a 2 ouncer in a heap found with my Whites in the 80s. Over the years however my excursions across Melbourne into the goldfields were producing less and less finds and more and more nil results. By the late 90s lack of finds had emptied my pockets and reserves of enthusiasm to the point that I had pretty much given up by the end of the 90s.
Then a friend, a newbie at that, bought a new fangled SD 2000 which he was promised would slice through ground noise "like butter". I hadn't been keeping abreast of detector technology at that time so I was somewhat skeptical about those claims.
Having no experience or knowledge of the goldfields he asked me to accompany him on a trip to show him where to detect and we would share any gold finds with the 2000. I found out only by accident that his 2000 was killing my VLF machine with finds. I never did see fully what he found or get a share. Lost a friend that trip but that's another story.
The moral here is that as enthusiastic about gold prospecting as I have been for almost all my life, having the wrong tool for the job effectively killed off my enthusiasm and a piece of the action with the early SD2000s.
I would hate to see your enthusiasm diminished similarly.
 
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