How do you go about it??

First topic message reminder :

Gday all,

Just wandering how some of the more experienced and successfull guys go about their detecting? Ive been spending a fair bit of time on the ground lately with nothing to show for it, i know im in decent areas (old workings, leases nearby etc) but just cant seem to score a thing Im thinking its the way i go about it maybe.

I generally park the car up and basically wander for hours on end and must cover 5km's plus at a time i reckon. I generally check all the likely looking spots (gullys, around workings,around contact zones etc), the not so likely spots and make a real effort to detect the harder to get to areas (overgrown areas, steep areas etc). Now i generally only do a pass or 2 over theese areas (low and slow) before meandering on to the next spot that takes my fancy. Now i obviously cover a lot of ground this way but dont really cover any one spot real well, is that where im going wrong??? Should i be picking a spot and meticulously covering that completely before moving onto the next?

Ive been getting quite frustrated lately so any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Pete,
I'd be interested in hearing your opinion of the value of precise ground balancing too...

Flak

Flakmagnet wrote:Pete,
I'd be interested in hearing your opinion of the value of precise ground balancing too...

Flak

Getting a good GB is paramount, and the more heavily mineraliised the ground the more important
it becomes, if we look at it like this - the better or more precise your GB is then the more extreme
you can run your settings, and so be that one leap ahead of any others that may have already detected
any given area who are not so anal about the GB process.
Another big part of the GB regime is how often to GB, dont wait until ya hear an imbalance in the audio,
the machine may have been slowly going outta balance for quiet some time before it gets so bad that
our ears can detect it, more so when on old diggins where every 2-3ft the Ground can and does change its mineral
content from sublime to raging mad, a good way to stay on top of GB is to methodically re Balance every 10-15
swings whether it sounds out of GB or not, the detector is far more sensitive than the human ear.

I also find that the speed you pump your coil up n down while doin the GB can make a difference
to how precise you can GB your detector, to slow or to fast for the coil size fitted and it can make
a difference, i tend to pump slower for larger coils and faster for small coils, works for me.

Pete

i agree Pete, good GB is vital to the machine and to your success, good advice, regards, gary

Hi Pete,

I know prospectors who will GB after every sizable response too (bits of iron, mineralization etc),
sometimes having a strong signal will throw the GB out a touch.
It's all on how precise you want to be.
The really subtle signals will not be heard with a sloppy Ground Balance.

hi Flak, yep told by a very reliable prospector that after hitting a target to re GB as they have a "memory" for the target just heard, (i think a better explanation would be that it throws the GB off a little) so i re balance after each target (especially the loud ones) just to be sure, regards, gary

Sounds like i havent been ground balancing any where near enough

Thanks for the continual advice.

Hi Gary
I read your posts with interest, you have a lot of good knowledge.
Thank you for confirming about re-ground balancing.
It is the most overlooked hinderance to good PI detecting imho.

Hi everybody

Nobody mentioned it, so I presume that everybody is doing it! Howevever, with groundbalancing it's important to hold your coil still before you release the green button. I often find that I move the coil before releasing the button and have to concentrate on holding it still. It defenitely effects the ballancing process!

Best

xxxxGold

Hi xxxxGold

That is a vitally important point about holding the coil still
as you release the button at the end of Ground Balancing
thank you for bringing it up.

hey guys. interesting post.

I would be keen to hear from some really experienced and successful detector operators as to whether they roam a large area and then give a little more time to a good looking area. Or do you simply pick one small spot, chain it to death and if no success move on?

THe reason I ask is i have this debate with a mate on this issue. He only chains when looking for gold. Whereas I am more inclined to walk and explore and if I see somehting interesting, will stop and to a degree chain it or give it more detailed detecting.

It would be interesting to hear ya feedback

cheers FB

If i walk i'm switched on - easy as that

My Thoughts -

It is all about specific ground selection not just blanket chaining and wasting many hours
and doin ya concentration in for nothing, the chain is a tool for a specific reason, GPS's
are so ya dont get bushed..
If your walking out of view of your vehicle then your not being anal enough about your initial
ground selection, obviously its different if the area is over fences or a sneaky one.

Always look for the best looking ground then park just off it, some guys never detect the place they park
on when after all the reason they park exactly on that spot is cause it looks the best.

Pete

I'll put my little bit of experience in here and say, you only chain if you find something. No sense chaining just coz the ground looks good. And who wants to drag more stuff with them if it's not necessary.

yeh thanks fellas. my thoughts exactly. chaining is a waste of time unless u are on gold.

ive found patches whereas my mate has only ever found small bits left between old detector holes. that pretty much tells a tale i reckon

cheers
FB