Hi everybody. My first post but this site has helped me heaps. Thanks everyone though I need some advice
I bought a Garrett 400i (10kHz) about 2 months ago and I am loving it but will be going camping around Beechworth/El Dorado in a few weeks (and as I live close by and I will expect this will be happening often) and would like to try my luck with gold. I am aware this area is known for alluvial gold but I am led to believe there is the odd little nugget around the place. Will really be trying my luck
Does anybody happen to know the soil mineralisation levels around Beechworth? I have used Geovic but dont really know what I am looking for to answer this question and I expect any answer will be a generalisation as soils can vary in a few feet. The answer to this question may help me answer my dilemma below. I would like some suggestions on the order of the following:-
a) Buy a VLF detector in the 15 to 20kHz range? Of them I would probably pick the Goldbug Pro (19kHz) as they have a nice little package I can pick up for $1100 (this is about my budget at the moment includes 5 & 10coils). If Beechworth soil is low mineralisation this may be the go?
b) Buy a 4.5 sniper coil for my 400i for $175. I know my 400i with sniper coil wont get the performance of the Goldbug Pro but is there going to be a significant difference worth an extra $900 when I could wait and invest that money in a PI? I know I will be able to use the sniper coil in trashy areas around town in future.
c) Save and buy a PI detector. Likely the SDC or Whites Sierra.
I did look at higher kHz range detectors (Goldbug II (71 kHz), Makro Gold Racer (56 kHz) & Whites GMT (48kHz)) but expect they will be too noisy. Working local parks my 400i cannot work at maximum sensitivity so I expect these will be like being at a rock concert.
I am thinking b, c, a. Buy a 4.5sniper coil for $175 for my 400i and make do until I have enough for a PI detector (then save up for a Goldbug Pro so I got high & low mineralised soils covered)? A note is I fear buying the Goldbug Pro it may make my 400i obsolete.
Any thoughts will be appreciated?
I bought a Garrett 400i (10kHz) about 2 months ago and I am loving it but will be going camping around Beechworth/El Dorado in a few weeks (and as I live close by and I will expect this will be happening often) and would like to try my luck with gold. I am aware this area is known for alluvial gold but I am led to believe there is the odd little nugget around the place. Will really be trying my luck
Does anybody happen to know the soil mineralisation levels around Beechworth? I have used Geovic but dont really know what I am looking for to answer this question and I expect any answer will be a generalisation as soils can vary in a few feet. The answer to this question may help me answer my dilemma below. I would like some suggestions on the order of the following:-
a) Buy a VLF detector in the 15 to 20kHz range? Of them I would probably pick the Goldbug Pro (19kHz) as they have a nice little package I can pick up for $1100 (this is about my budget at the moment includes 5 & 10coils). If Beechworth soil is low mineralisation this may be the go?
b) Buy a 4.5 sniper coil for my 400i for $175. I know my 400i with sniper coil wont get the performance of the Goldbug Pro but is there going to be a significant difference worth an extra $900 when I could wait and invest that money in a PI? I know I will be able to use the sniper coil in trashy areas around town in future.
c) Save and buy a PI detector. Likely the SDC or Whites Sierra.
I did look at higher kHz range detectors (Goldbug II (71 kHz), Makro Gold Racer (56 kHz) & Whites GMT (48kHz)) but expect they will be too noisy. Working local parks my 400i cannot work at maximum sensitivity so I expect these will be like being at a rock concert.
I am thinking b, c, a. Buy a 4.5sniper coil for $175 for my 400i and make do until I have enough for a PI detector (then save up for a Goldbug Pro so I got high & low mineralised soils covered)? A note is I fear buying the Goldbug Pro it may make my 400i obsolete.
Any thoughts will be appreciated?
