Metal detectors

Minelab is really the only gold detector to use for Aussie conditions. A Pulse Induction machine as opposed to a VLF machine. The PI machine are dedicated gold machines that largely ignore soil mineralisation and punch quite deep - up to 3' on a decent sized nugget.

VLF machine are more suited to fossicking on beaches and ancient sites, the better ones can be tuned to ignore some signals and are therefore pretty useful. Alas they cannot be tuned to find only gold and nothing else!! They are affected by salts and soil mineralisation that make them noisy to use in the highly mineralised conditions found in most goldfields.

I would suggest you book on a quided prospecting trip where you will get expert tuition and the use of the latest gear. Or spend some time with an experienced operator and hire a machine. Do this before you spend big dollars on the latest model.

The latest Minelab machines the 4500 and 5000 are very good detectors and are capable of finding tiny bits of gold. See Willies post below where he scored about 70 bits for only some 7.5 grams or so.

I use an old 2200, albeit a bit tricked up, it will find bits down to about 0.25 gms in most conditions but is trickier to use (more noisy) than the new beaut machines. I would love one of the latter but cannot justify the cost based on the amount of time I spend prospecting. If I was into the game full time I would not hestitate.

Having said all that it is a great hobby, takes you out to some magic country and is very healthy, but to be really more than a hobby you need the right gear and a bucket full of experience and lots of persistence.

Good luck

John

Hi John
Are these detectors hard to use, or could you learn from a DVD. We were thinking of doing a guided trip to get the basics. Is it easy to find out the best places to go that should find gold, eg are there maps etc. We live is Tasmania and are thinking of buying one and using it here in Tassy for the next 12 months to familiarise ourselves before we head to the big island.

Hi John,

Thanks for that information, we will do some more research and see how we go.
Cheers Dave

Googs and Zelda,

I know it sounds like a lot of trouble for you, but my advice would be to go to the Gold Prospecting Australia website and book a two day tour out of Bendigo.

http://www.goldprospectingaustralia.com.au/

They spend the entire two days teaching you how to detect and they provide the equipment (the best quality). You will find gold too.

This way, you find out if you are keen to go ahead and spend the money and importantly, you will know what you need to buy.

Apart from that, they are great people and you will have a wonderful time.

There is no other people I could recommend to help you.

Cheers,

Willie.

Hi Dave, I too have been chasing the yellow stuff for many years, I was selling the first Garretts in mackay Qld in 1978.
All good advice in the above, a tour good operators is a great way to get an idea of it.
If you decide to buy, look at a 2nd hand one and my advice is a Minelab Extreme.
even tho they are older, they are easier to set up and still very good , mine will still find 1.5 gram pieces with a 12x7 inch Nugget finder mono coil
you will find one for around $2-2.500.
with the money you save you can also get a 2nd hand Xterra for beach and relic work and extend your fun 100%
Memb Msg me for info on the above mentioned Gold & Ghosts books.
Regards John K.