Lots of lead

[Trav W]

Here is the area I'll go check out after lunch. At my beginning stages, I'm more looking for how to find the right areas.

I'm going to go work the washes around this red patch. Why? Well, I can't say for sure. I'm seeing an obvious change in mineralization, and the washes being the downhill part, should give me better odds at finding hints of gold. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm going on 20 hours of sweeping, with not one single hint of gold. At this point, I would think I'm doing something wrong. I'm betting it starts with no finding a good location in the first place. I've got about 2 more weeks before I can join the local club, and use their claims. So, I'm doing what I can in the mean time to figure things out.

I think I'll try to shoot a short video, and try to describe my method of doing things. Maybe someone can point out what I'm doing wrong,

[fredm]

^{I am thinking you are traveling too far and too fast...while some are lucky from their start,, most donot find a nugget detecting in their first 20-40 hours...if it was easy---}

^{I see a road in that picture, if it is a gold carrying area-detect the road and edges-you could be driving over the gold. If the area has drywashed spots work the rocks away from those areas as well as the spot that was dug into...get Chris Ralphs book and any or all of Jim Straight's books...dig everything, every little change in the threshold should be investigated...forget descrimiation, turn it off!}

^fred

[Trav W]

I wouldn't think I'm moving to fast. Yesterday, I covered about <50' of wash. in 4 hours. I did not cover but a very small section of that picture.

I'm trying to do the research to find if it is a gold carrying area. I'm out here for work, and normally live in Florida, so I really know nobody around, I was researching using MineCache for google earth, but it's not very accurate in the area, and has already lead me to one "problem". So, the spots I do get to look into, I have absolutely no idea of gold potential.

I am digging everything. I have many many sub gram pieces of junk in my collection. I run over a section. Clear it out of all obvious noise, then go back over and find smaller items, and repeat until I find nothing.. I've tried the Mono, as well as DD coils that come stock. I'm really trying to learn this machine the best possible. I just don't have a reference point to compare success or failure against. So, that's why I'm posting so much here, to get an idea and feedback.

I have purchased Chris Ralphs book, but it has not arrived as of yet.

I understand the "if it was easy" statement very well. With zero prospecting experience really, I also wish to avoid "beating my head against a wall" for no reason.

[fredm]

Ok, sounds like a good start for technique...do you know what drywash piles and handstacked rocks look like? As you hike or drive through an area this is what you are looking for...any human activity will show in those areas for hundreds of years...once you locate these types of areas then you can start in the middle and work out from there...

There is a detecting shop in 29 palms-or close- go in and talk to the operator there...

If you see someone working a claim, stop and introduce yourself and ask permission to detect...if they say no, ask where their boundries are and go from there...

go luck

fred