What a great idea for a thread!
The old man is a tragic for prospecting.
He uses a small sluice and goes around sunny corner east of Bathurst then pans through the heavy slurry the sluice produces.
I have been several times with him when using the sluice and used to go as a kid just panning. He has only recently got himself a detector (about 18months ago) and has used it in QLD, VIC and WA but has not had much success with it till more recently.
I got out some of my precious stash for him last time he was here and hid it around (away from the house) so he could practice.
Not that I am an expert (used pipe locators a bit at work, lol) far from it but as I explained to him you might only get 5 or 6 chances over a trip when you pass over gold so best to practice on gold you know is there and other metals to get some feel for what they sound like when you are over gold. When you consistantly find this you are ready IMO, not before. You can get say 500 exposures to teh sound gold makes rather than half a dozen a trip if you just forge out with your hired or brand spankler detector.
In broad terms to me the gold had a real dull sound to it v other metals that had more of a zing if that made any sense. He uses a minelab cost him about 7k with all the accessories.
I guess the trouble with that is even with smaller 1/2 ounce coins at 24 carat you are unlikely to get that same roar out in the field hunting for 1 - 3g pieces around 1/10 of an ounce and smaller.
Had lots of fun with it but for him he is still much more productive with the sluice in terms of weight but you never get the rush that modern day appeared to get when he found that nugget in the video above.
I am pretty keen to get into it again now. I reckon it makes a hell of a lot mroe sense than hitting the pokies at any rate. Get your gambling fix with a known upfront cost.
Modern day, you looked like you were in NSW? Is that where you are in the video you linked? Ever take trips to WA? and, Do you run tours?
